The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

 The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten | 467 pages | 2023

Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem and working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.

Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne'er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

Since I enjoyed Whitten's Wilderwood duology (For the Wolf and For the Throne), I was eager to dive into this one. In the beginning I found the system of magic, Mortem, and poison to be a little confusing, but it became more clear as the story progressed and is actually very clever. Whitten has a really cool way of weaving nature into her stories, and this book was no exception. The romance element of the story is a nice slow burn, with a good old fashioned love triangle that left me unsure who to root for. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series!