I adore For the Wolf, even if I have yet to read the sequel, so I had really high hopes for Whitten’s adult debut, The Foxglove King. While this book is extremely different from Whitten’s earlier work, it still stands out in a similar way - strong writing and world-building, with characters you quickly find compelling. Even though the aesthetic of Wolf was much more my style, I still loved this book and honestly cannot wait to read the next installment.

One thing I think a lot of people will point out is that this book doesn’t feel entirely distinct from YA, and many will just group it in with YA, even though it’s an adult debut. While I can see where this comes from, I don’t actually agree with most of it myself, as I find the main themes and motivations of the characters are much more in line with adult expectations, rather than YA. There aren’t these grand notions of saving the world that many YA characters have, and it feels like these characters are indeed just a few years out of their teens, and more pessimistic for it. It felt like Whitten’s did the light cynicism of most people in their early 20s quite well, especially considering they have a lot more to be cynical about. And while this book wasn’t ‘spicy’, adult books don’t have to be, and we of course never know what the rest of the series will bring!

I honestly just had a lot of fun with this book, and even though I was reading a lot else at the same time, I kept finding myself turning back to this book the second I had the chance. There was just always so much going on, but not in a way that felt overwhelming, and I think that will just continue to hold true for the rest of the series, as I feel like there is so much more of this world and plot to explore. I also find where this story left off fascinating, and cannot wait to see how this all plays out in the upcoming books.

Overall, I think my thoughts can be easily summed up as: had lots of fun, dying to know more, and will commit crime to get my hands on the next book.