Title: The Hemlock Queen
Author: Hannah F. Whitten
Type: Fiction
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Orbit
Date published: April 11, 2024
A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.
Note: This is the second book in a series. Beware of spoilers for the first book in the synopsis below.
The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian’s changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s reckless, domineering and cold.
And something’s been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that’s telling her there’s more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything.
With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.
⤖ My Review ⬻
Firstly, The Hemlock Queen is the sequel to The Foxglove King. If you’re not familiar with The Foxglove King, I don’t recommend reading this review as there may be unintentional spoilers for that first book in the series. For those of you curious about how I felt about The Foxglove King, you’re welcome to read my review for that book!
Alright, for those of you sticking around, back to The Hemlock Queen! Based on how the first book ended, I was very eager to dive back into the story once I got my hands on The Hemlock Queen! The anticipation of continuing the journey with these characters and exploring more of Hannah F. Whitten’s richly crafted world was something else.
I was surprised to find that the plot slowed a little bit after the events at the end of the first book, but I’m alright with that because it gave me time to refamiliarize myself with the world and characters. It also made the action that came later feel more epic. This pacing also allowed for a deeper exploration of the political intrigues and personal dynamics that make Whitten’s world so engaging.
I tend to expect this from middle books in series, so I wasn’t too surprised that I wasn’t as into The Hemlock Queen as the first book. That being said, I really enjoyed the plot twists and the explanations of the world’s lore in The Hemlock Queen. And I’m super excited for the next installment, The Nightshade God, coming next March!