Book Review: The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

Title: The Hemlock Queen
Author: Hannah Whitten
Series: The Nightshade Crown #2
Pages: 400
Publication Date: April 9, 2024
Publisher: Orbit
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush, romantic epic fantasy series, a young woman who can raise the dead must navigate the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court.

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.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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The Hemlock Queen is the second book in The Nightshade Crown series by Hannah Whitten. I think many people who loved The Foxglove King will enjoy this one, too. For me, though, it was a little lackluster and suffered from middle-book syndrome. The pacing felt off, with a lot of exposition, a draggy middle, and a fast-paced ending, and it didn’t feel like that much happened over the course of the story except for a lot of relationship drama and angst. Though it’s still a twisty, dark, and creepy Gothic story like the first book, it focuses more on the romance and less on the plot.

Lore was a force in The Foxglove King, but in a lot of The Hemlock Queen, her actions were often indecisive or passive. This surprised me, as it was such a change for her. I think it definitely showed how over her head Lore was, but it didn’t always ring true. The same can be said for some of the secondary characters, and I constantly wondered why this group of supposed allies/friends didn’t trust each other more. I found the secrets and lies really frustrating, especially when working together could have changed things. Bastian’s story was heartbreaking and a major focus of the plot, while Gabe had a secondary role with way less page time. I kind of wish there was more of Gabe. I wanted to see how he dealt with everything that happened at the end of the first book and the start of this one, but we don’t get his perspective or experience.

Now, I’m generally a sucker for a swoon-worthy romance, and I love when the story focuses on the romantic relationship. However, with this story, it didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the love triangle and felt it was missing some of the spark from the first book. Actually, for much of the book, I didn’t like either of the men Lore was interested in. The dynamics between Gabe, Lore, and Bastian are so complicated and problematic, and because of what’s happening to them it’s unclear if their feelings are really theirs. It caused me to be less invested in the romantic aspect of their relationship, for sure. The whole story is super angsty, with Lore more fixated on her love life than the deadly situation she faces.

I did appreciate the Gothic elements, several shocking revelations, and the intensity of the last 20% of the novel. And Bastian’s story is fascinating, as is the history of the gods and their influence on the lives of Lore and others. The story definitely went in a couple of directions that I didn’t expect, which was great. But, overall, this was just an okay read for me. Thanks to Orbit Books for providing me a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

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Protection was just control, in the end. A leash held by a benevolent hand was still a leash.

• love triangle
• morally gray main characters

Hannah Whitten has been writing to amuse herself since she could hold a pen, and sometime in high school, figured out that what amused her might also amuse others. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, making music, or attempting to bake. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and children in a house ruled by a temperamental cat.

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