The Nightshade God

The stunning conclusion to Whitten's Nightshade Crown trilogy (after The Hemlock Queen) begins with protagonists Lore, Gabe, and Bastian torn apart by the events of the previous book. Deathwitch Lore has been trapped on the Burnt Isles, a prison colony, by Bastian, king of Auverraine, who is now fully possessed by the life god Apollius. Lore and her friends, meanwhile, all play host to gods of their own, though none have been subsumed by them like Bastian has. Gabe, along with friends Malcolm, Michal, and Lore's mothers, has fled to safety in Caldien, away from Apollius's grasping hands. Meanwhile, Bastian, pushed down into a golden sea in his own mind, fights to take back control of his body. The friends' best chance for survival lies in restoring the Fount, the source of the gods' powers, and using it to return all magic to its source, banishing the gods. As Gabe and Malcolm race to find the pieces of the broken Fount before Apollius can stop them, Lore works to escape and make her way to the Golden Mount, where the ritual must be completed. Balancing a large cast of complex characters, gorgeous worldbuilding, juicy romance, and a page-turning plot, Whitten's epic conclusion does not disappoint. Agent: Whitney Ross, High Line Literary. (July)

King Bastian has been overtaken by Apollius, and Lore has been banished to the Burnt Isles as a traitor. Her allies have been scattered and are dealing with their own lesser gods in their heads. Even with the goddess Nyxara in her own mind, Lore will need all of the skills she learned on Dellaire's streets to escape and find a way to save her city and her people. The answer may lie right where Lore is, however, in the place where the gods first claimed their power. All she needs is to bring the broken pieces of the Fount back together. Then the Fount will take back its magic and finally rid the lands of the gods that are breaking Lore's world apart. Yet the closer she gets to succeeding, the more her power grows, and Lore discovers that power can be difficult to let go of, no matter the cost. VERDICT The final volume of "The Nightshade Crown" trilogy (after The Hemlock Queen) is another opulent and romantic dark fantasy. With its fast pace, delicious love triangle, and high stakes, readers will devour this book.--Kristi Chadwick