#Review - The Nightshade God by Hannah F. Whitten #Fantasy #Romance

Series: The Nightshade Crown (#3)
Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

The Nightshade Crown is in the hands of a ruthless god and Lore will stop at nothing to defeat him in the final installment of this lush, romantic, New York Times bestselling fantasy series from breakout star Hannah Whitten.

Lore has failed. She couldn’t save King Bastian from the rotten god speaking voices in his mind. She couldn’t save her allies from being scattered across the continent—their own lesser gods whispering to them in their dreams. She couldn’t save her beautiful, corrupt city from the dark power beneath the catacombs. And she couldn’t save herself. 

Banished to the Burnt Isles, Lore must use every skill she earned on the streets of Dellaire to survive the prison colony and figure out a way to defeat the power that’s captured everything and everyone she holds dear. When a surprise ally joins her on the Burnt Isles she realizes the way forward may lie on the island itself. Somehow, her friends must help her collect the far-scattered pieces of the broken Fount—the source of all the god’s powers—and bring them back together on the Burnt Isles, returning all magic to its source and destroying, once and for all, the gods corrupting the land. 

But as Lore gets closer to her goal, her magic grows stronger… and to a woman who’s always had to fight for survival, that kind of power may be hard to give up.

The Nightshade God is the third and final installment in author Hannah F. Whitten's The Nightshade Crown trilogy. While Lore is the main character, the author also uses Allie, Bastien, and Gabe to tell her story. The Nightshade God picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of The Hemlock Queen, with the trio of protagonists—Lore, a deathwitch; Gabe, a duty-bound priest; and Bastian, the arrogant king of Auverraine—scattered across the continent, each grappling with their own struggles and divine influences. 

Lore is banished to the brutal Burnt Isles, a prison colony where she must rely on her street-honed survival skills as well as a curious assortment of characters like Dani, who has her own agenda. Gabe is on the run in Caldien with Malcolm and others, fighting to resist the pull of his own lesser god, while Bastian is fully possessed by the life god Apollius, reduced to a puppet in his own mind. The central plot revolves around their mission to collect the scattered pieces of the broken Fount, the source of all divine power, to destroy the gods corrupting their world. 

However, as Lore’s magic grows stronger, she faces the temptation to keep this newfound power, adding a layer of internal conflict to the external stakes. The narrative structure shifts from the single POV of the previous books to multiple perspectives, including Alie, a secondary character whose arc adds depth to the story. This multi-POV approach is a bold choice, effectively reflecting the characters’ physical and emotional separation while allowing readers to witness their individual journeys toward the climactic showdown at the Golden Mount. 

Whitten weaves these perspectives, ensuring each voice is distinct and adds layers to the narrative without feeling disjointed. If you are a reader who enjoys love triangles, you get your wish, and more in this book. One could say that all three characters involved are bisexual and leave it at that. Lore’s fierce determination, Gabe’s journey from religious subservience to self-acceptance, and Bastian’s fight for autonomy are deeply compelling, with each character’s arc reaching a satisfying, if heartbreaking, conclusion. Alie’s expanded role adds a fresh perspective, her development surprising and welcome, though some might find her POV less essential to the core narrative.

There are no spoilers in this review; however, I am not a fan of the ending. The author hints that Lore is going to make a stunning decision, and she does, and maybe it was the best choice for her, but not for those around her. Again, no spoilers - read the book and figure out what I'm talking about yourselves. 

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#Review - The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten #Fantasy #Romance

Series: The Nightshade Crown # 2
Format: Hardcover, 480 pages
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush romantic epic fantasy series, the glittering and dangerous world of the Sainted King’s royal court is upended when Prince Bastian seizes control and a mysterious dark force begins to take over.

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 royal court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kirythean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian has changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s become reckless, domineering, and cold.

And something has 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.

Hannah F. Whitten's The Hemlock Queen is the second installment in the authors The Nightshade Crown series. It has been 3 weeks since the end of the first installment. The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a drug dealer turned court lady and part-time theologian with a unique power over death and life—to his right hand side as his Queen. 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 and Lore takes a backseat for the most part not wanting to be the center of any attention because of her ability to raise the dead. 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 which apparently has to do with a certain God wanting to take control. Make that two Gods since one just happens to have chosen Lore as a bulwark against Bastian's Apollius.

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. Even Gabe, who lost his eye, is now a different person. He seems to understand what is going on, but it takes him and Lore a long time to make any sort of plan to do anything. He also seems to find himself in a twisted triangle which I loathe. 

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. Not going to lie, while the worldbuilding is pretty good, the overall storyline is filled with secrets, betrayal, and yet another stunning ending. 

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#Review - For the Throne by Hannah F. Whitten #Fantasy #Romance

Series: The Wilderwood (#2)
Format: Paperback, 496 pages
Release Date: June 7, 2022
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy / Romance

In this breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller For the Wolf, Red's sister Neve struggles to escape a mysterious land of twisted roots, lost gods, and mountains made of bone—and the only clues to her rescue are a magic mirror and a dark prince who wants to bring the whole thing crumbling down.

The First Daughter is for the Throne

The Second Daughter is for the Wolf...

Red and the Wolf have finally contained the threat of the Old Kings but at a steep cost. Red's beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter is lost in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control. But Neve has an ally, though it's one she'd rather never have to speak to again: the rogue king Solmir.

Solmir wants to bring an end to the Shadowlands and he believes helping Neve may be the key to its destruction. But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods' dark, twisted powers for themselves.

For the Throne, by author Hannah F. Whitten, is the second and final installment in the authors Wilderwood duology. Key Characters: Neverah (Neve), Redarys (Red), Eammon, Raffe, Solmir, and Okada Kayu, a new character who definitely stirs things up. The story is told in multiple POV such as Red, Neve and Raffe. The book picks up right where For the Wolf ended. Neve and Red spend the book trying to find their way back to each other, all while adjusting to the newer version of their world they're now living in. 

 

We've know for awhile that Red and Neve will do anything to save and protect each other and now it seems as though someone is pushing the sisters towards a common goal which no one quite knows what the end game will be. Neve finds herself in the Shadowlands, an inverted kingdom where the vicious gods of legend have been trapped for centuries and the Old Kings have slowly been gaining control along with Solmir, the so called Fifth King, who is on a mission to kill the Kings.

 

But to do that, they will both have to journey across a dangerous landscape in order to find a mysterious Heart Tree, and finally to claim the gods' dark, twisted powers for themselves. Both Neve and Solmir are more morally grey compared to Red and Eammon, but they each are trying to do what they believe is best. Meanwhile, Red and Eammon are literally Wilderwood and have become immortal. The key is that they are no longer fenced in by Wilderwood. They are able to travel to different parts of the world. Red, as well as Neve, are both hearing a strangers voice guiding them towards a similar goal.

 

As with Neve, Red seems to be driven to find a key to the Heart Tree and a reunion with her sister. Can the sisters survive the brutal journey ahead? And, who is the voice that seems to know about a Golden-veined woman, and a Shadow Queen?

The world-building is dark and vivid and immersive and has expanded from the first book. The romance between Solmir and Neve was more of a subplot than the relationship between Red and Eammon. It would also be considered enemies to lovers which many readers gobble up. I also think that the main subplot of this story is fate vs choice. There are choices made in this book that kick fate in the head and leaves it bleeding along the highway. Every character in this book has a choice including Raffe and Okada. 

 

Overall, I am satisfied with how this series wraps up. It also explores many thought-provoking themes about love, loss, power, and the lengths people will go to protect the ones they care about.

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#Review - For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah F. Whitten #Fantasy

Series: The Wilderwood (#1)
Format: Paperback, 480 pages
Release Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Orbit Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

An instant NYT bestseller and word-of-mouth sensation, this dark, romantic debut fantasy weaves the unforgettable tale of a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn't the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

The First Daughter is for the throne.
The Second Daughter is for the Wolf.
And the Wolves are for the Wilderwood.

For the Wolf, by debut author Hannah F. Whitten, is the first installment in the authors The Wilderwood series. This lush debut epic fantasy combines fairytale elements, rich world-building, and a dark romance to appeal directly to fans of books like Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale. For the Wolf is a dark retelling of the story of Beaty and the Beast with a bit of Little Red Riding Hood mixed it. In this story Red is bound to go into the woods as a "sacrifice" to the Wolf on her 20th birthday. Red is resigned to this fate, but things with the Wolf and the Wilderwood are not what they are rumored to be.

The Wilderwood is dying and because it’s dying, monsters from the Shadowlands are escaping into the world. The Shadowlands was created by the Wilderwood and is located directly under the forest. Eammon’s job is to close these holes between the world and the Shadowlands and kill any monsters that escape. Red (Redarys) is the second daughter, and her older sister (Neve) is the  heir to Queen Isla. Red is prepared to fulfill her destiny and wishes to be away from those she loves because of the dangerous dark magic within her, which continues to change. 

The people of Valleyda are hoping that in return, the Wolf will release the Kings who bargained with the forest to find away the monster Gods only to end up in Shadowland. However, losing Red isn’t something Neve is willing to accept. Once Red is sent into the forest, she realizes she’s been misinformed about many things throughout her life, including the wolf she’s destined to be given to. Red’s power is needed more than anything to save the Wilderwood.

When Red meets the wolf (Eammon) and the living forest, as well as Fife and Lyra who are bound to Wilderwood, she learns of her dangerous gifts, and a friendship, albeit reluctant with misunderstandings, gives way to the truth behind the myth, the wolf’s real presence, and the darkness within Wilderwood. Away from her family, locked in the entanglement, she cannot be reached by her sister who is desperately looking for her.

Meanwhile, Neve has fallen in league with the Order priestess's who will do anything to release their gods from the Shadowland including sacrificing Red, and destroying Wilderwood. Red struggles to understand her magic which she has ignored for 4 years, while also learning how to open her heart to another without worrying that person will treat her like her own mother did. Neve's scheming to find a way to rescue Red ends up messing things up a whole lot more than she ever thought possible.

The POV also alternates between Red in the Wilderwood's and Neve (Red’s twin sister) in Valleyda by way of Interludes. Luckily, I have been approved for the sequel and shall be reading it shortly. It appears that the story will be a shared focus on both Neve and Red next time. 

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