The Foxglove King

by Hannah Whitten.

When she was thirteen, Lore escaped from a cult in the catacombs. Now, she is a spy working for the women who took her in when she was found outside the catacombs. Lore can wield Mortem, a form of death magic that people gain after getting close to dying. Only, Lore was born with her ability. The church has prohibited its use, allowing only members of the Presque Mort to channel it. 

But during a job, things go south and Lore gets caught channeling Mortem by the Presque Mort. Lore expects death, but instead she’d taken to the King and given two options: spy on the prince or face death.  Now, Lore finds herself thrust into the world of court intrigue and political machinations. And everyone around her seems to carry secrets just as dark as the one she is. So who can she trust, and who’s telling the truth?

The Foxglove King was an unexpected hit for me. I haven’t read anything by Hannah Whitten before, but I found this book intriguing from the beginning and it held my attention to the very end. 

I think the worldbuilding was just enough for my taste. The focus was always on the plot and what came next, which meant for a fast paced book with lots on intrigue and turns. I still found that I was well informed about the world and I never felt particularly confused. Sure, one could argue that there’s space for more descriptions of the settings and so on, but I don’t mind focusing on other things. 

The language is easy to read and perhaps somewhat simple at times, but I don’t mind that either when the plot hold the book on its own. 

The characters are interesting and flawed and sometimes fun and sometimes maddening, but that makes them feel all the more real, and I like that. Sure, I do find them a bit cliché perhaps. The broody handsome and forbidden man. The cheeky prince who likes to flirt openly. And not to forget the non-ladylike lady who’s not like other girls and is sharp-tongued and can take care of herself. And then the almost love triangle and the two unnaturally handsome men that get jealous and passively fight over the girl’s attention. 

All of that was unnecessary and took away some of the greatness of the book. I can buy that the characters are a bit cliché, but I really didn’t like what felt like a forced love triangle. 

Then we come to the end, and I won’t spoil anything here other than to say that I was left disappointed. I felt like it was rushed and didn’t fit with the rest of the book and there were one too many turns by the end that it both felt predictable and far-fetched. 

But all in all, I was entertained, and was compelled enough to stay up late into the night to finish the book. That in itself grants a few extra points from me. So, a solid 4/5 stars for me here.