*I received a digital ARC of this book on NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Title: The Hemlock Queen
Author: Hannah Whitten
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: April 9, 2024
ISBN: 9780316435291
Synopsis:
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.
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This second book in the romantic fantasy series from Hannah Whitten, The Hemlock Queen delves into the mysterious powers first introduced in book one as Lore begins to understand the source and scope of her magic, and the magic that lives in the world around her. As Bastian ascends the throne, taking Lore as his betrothed, his behaviour becomes more and more erratic, leaving many in the kingdom dissatisfied and many others wondering if the pressure of ruling is just too much for him. Dark forces are at work and everything threatens to crumble around them as they try, and often fail, to fight off the powers that possess them.
The stakes are raised even higher as our terrific trio—Lore, Bastian, and Gabe—step into new roles and new responsibilities in the aftermath of book one. As more answers begin to reveal themselves the plot ratchets up to a new level of intensity. The magic reveals dark truths and the twists and turns take the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions. There are new characters introduced with difficult pasts and futures rife with death and destruction, no matter what way you look at it. This book just doesn’t stop! There’s a ton of action, a complicated history, betrayals around every corner, and brewing romances that begin to come to a head. It certainly makes for an engaging read.
Even the characterization, which I struggled with a bit in book one, becomes much more pronounced in this second story. Characters like Bastian and Gabe who are held at a distance initially, shackled by their tropes that they fulfill, find greater growth in this book, despite the battles that each of them face. Lore perhaps experiences the most growth at all as she steps into a roll she was never meant to hold and is shunned by most in the court. Battling with her own demons, her journey is a desperate one, baring little to no relief even as answers are revealed. Their stories are bleak ones, though they are all fighting with everything they’ve got. Whitten definitely has me hooked to see what comes next.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 