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Her Majesty's Royal Coven #1
Las brujas de Su Majestad
Conocidas como el Real Aquelarre de Su Majestad, protegen a la Corona y a su paÃs de las fuerzas mágicas y de las entidades malignas sobrenaturales.
Pero su peor enemigo viene de dentro.
Una profecÃa anuncia el fin del aquelarre y cuatro amigas están a punto de verse en el ojo del huracán.
¿Conseguirán Helena, Niamh, Leonie y Elle impedir que se cumpla antes de que sea demasiado tarde? ¿O las diferencias que las han separado desde su infancia serán insalvables?
La vida de una bruja moderna nunca ha sido fácil...
Ahora está a punto de ser apocalÃptica.
Pero su peor enemigo viene de dentro.
Una profecÃa anuncia el fin del aquelarre y cuatro amigas están a punto de verse en el ojo del huracán.
¿Conseguirán Helena, Niamh, Leonie y Elle impedir que se cumpla antes de que sea demasiado tarde? ¿O las diferencias que las han separado desde su infancia serán insalvables?
La vida de una bruja moderna nunca ha sido fácil...
Ahora está a punto de ser apocalÃptica.
496 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2022
2,213 people are currently reading
81k people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,772 reviews
May 20, 2022
Okay, two things I want to say about this book:
1. The political aspect of it is spot on. Without giving much away, there is a lot of talk of social issues in this book, mostly surrounding the perception of transgender people. You don't have to think too hard to make the obvious connection that this book was written in direct response to J.K. Rowling's very vocal thoughts about whether or not transgender people should be allowed to -y'know- exist. I think the author does a great job of tearing down the typical arguments that people have, while also exploring why some women hold the view they do.
2. However, I didn't love the way the book was written. The prose was cliche. So, so cliche. Descriptions of grief, love, day to day life... it all felt stale. Described in ways I've seen hundreds of times before. The pop-culture references were neverending. Everyone was either A Good Guy or A Bad Guy, as if the author was afraid readers might not be able to figure it out themselves.
The book has an important message to share, and I think it's worth reading for that alone, but it's definitely not my favourite in terms of prose. Hence the three stars as opposed to four.
1. The political aspect of it is spot on. Without giving much away, there is a lot of talk of social issues in this book, mostly surrounding the perception of transgender people. You don't have to think too hard to make the obvious connection that this book was written in direct response to J.K. Rowling's very vocal thoughts about whether or not transgender people should be allowed to -y'know- exist. I think the author does a great job of tearing down the typical arguments that people have, while also exploring why some women hold the view they do.
2. However, I didn't love the way the book was written. The prose was cliche. So, so cliche. Descriptions of grief, love, day to day life... it all felt stale. Described in ways I've seen hundreds of times before. The pop-culture references were neverending. Everyone was either A Good Guy or A Bad Guy, as if the author was afraid readers might not be able to figure it out themselves.
The book has an important message to share, and I think it's worth reading for that alone, but it's definitely not my favourite in terms of prose. Hence the three stars as opposed to four.
February 10, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. It sounded SO COOL, and so queer, and so fucking awesome. I received an ARC. My biggest issue with this book was that the writing just felt juvenile and underdeveloped. I almost gave up at several points throughout the book, but wanted to know how the plot wrapped up once the truth about Theo came out. Another issue I had was the characterization just wasn't there - I was *all the way through the book* and still had to struggle to remember who each character was. There's not that many! They all seemed the same, aside from Helena, and that's really only because she's the High Priestess and a little hard to miss. And her character, about halfway through, just becomes unrealistic. She veers completely into full villain territory kind of out of nowhere, and it only gets more and more intense. I couldn't believe how completely soulless she suddenly was at the very end when she is facing the ultimate consequence for everything she's done. That just wasn't borne out by the rest of the story. We also didn't establish any real connection between these women aside from 5 very fast pages at the beginning of the book when they are 12 in a treehouse. It is one scene and it is a weak one. So I wasn't able to really care about their connections to each other for the majority of the book.
I appreciated what the author was trying to do in having Leonie branch off of HMRC to start her own inclusive coven, but we spend all of a few pages on that and then basically don't even touch it again for the entire book; the whole thing is about HMRC and the Sullied Child. Why did we even bother with Leonie's storyline then? It's not given any attention or care, it has no effect on the plot, and it's completely dismissed by HMRC. Not a great look to ignore the storyline about the inclusive coven that broke off because they were ignored.
My last and final gripe, and I say this as a Super Queermo Non-Binary Leftist, is that the book really just felt like an excuse to write about queer politics and put a thin layer of magic over it. I want queer politics, and I want magic, but if you're going to put them together there is an art to doing that. I picked up this book because I wanted to leave reality and get a whole bunch of magic with queerness thrown in. I felt too much like I was reading about the shittiness of shitty people in real life who don't believe I exist, and wasn't being allowed the escape into fantasy that I was promised. I got something half-baked between the two, which ends up doing a disservice both to the fictional and fantastical aspects of the novel and the message of acceptance it was trying to send.
I appreciated what the author was trying to do in having Leonie branch off of HMRC to start her own inclusive coven, but we spend all of a few pages on that and then basically don't even touch it again for the entire book; the whole thing is about HMRC and the Sullied Child. Why did we even bother with Leonie's storyline then? It's not given any attention or care, it has no effect on the plot, and it's completely dismissed by HMRC. Not a great look to ignore the storyline about the inclusive coven that broke off because they were ignored.
My last and final gripe, and I say this as a Super Queermo Non-Binary Leftist, is that the book really just felt like an excuse to write about queer politics and put a thin layer of magic over it. I want queer politics, and I want magic, but if you're going to put them together there is an art to doing that. I picked up this book because I wanted to leave reality and get a whole bunch of magic with queerness thrown in. I felt too much like I was reading about the shittiness of shitty people in real life who don't believe I exist, and wasn't being allowed the escape into fantasy that I was promised. I got something half-baked between the two, which ends up doing a disservice both to the fictional and fantastical aspects of the novel and the message of acceptance it was trying to send.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2024
‘A beginning often signals an end. That's the thing with dawn... you must first get through the night.�
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson is a wild, enchanting ride that had me hooked from the first page. Imagine "Harry Potter" meets "The Craft," but with a fresh, contemporary twist and a whole lot of sass!
The story revolves around a group of childhood friends, now adults, who are part of a secret government coven. Each character is beautifully fleshed out, bringing their own quirks, strengths, and baggage to the table. We have Helena, the fierce and slightly controlling leader; Elle, balancing magic and motherhood; Leonie, who’s fiercely progressive and runs her own coven; and Niamh, the healer with a heart of gold.
The plot thickens when an ancient prophecy threatens their world, pushing them to confront their pasts and make tough choices. Dawson’s writing is witty and sharp, blending magical intrigue with real world issues in a way that feels both relevant and thought provoking.
What really stood out to me was how the book tackled themes of identity, power, and the struggle between tradition and progress. Plus, it’s wonderfully inclusive, with a strong LGBTQ+ representation that feels authentic and meaningful.
If you’re looking for a book that’s equal parts magical adventure, heartfelt drama, and feminist manifesto, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is your next must read. Grab a cup of tea (or a glass of wine), settle in, and prepare to be spellbound!
I Highly Recommend.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson is a wild, enchanting ride that had me hooked from the first page. Imagine "Harry Potter" meets "The Craft," but with a fresh, contemporary twist and a whole lot of sass!
The story revolves around a group of childhood friends, now adults, who are part of a secret government coven. Each character is beautifully fleshed out, bringing their own quirks, strengths, and baggage to the table. We have Helena, the fierce and slightly controlling leader; Elle, balancing magic and motherhood; Leonie, who’s fiercely progressive and runs her own coven; and Niamh, the healer with a heart of gold.
The plot thickens when an ancient prophecy threatens their world, pushing them to confront their pasts and make tough choices. Dawson’s writing is witty and sharp, blending magical intrigue with real world issues in a way that feels both relevant and thought provoking.
What really stood out to me was how the book tackled themes of identity, power, and the struggle between tradition and progress. Plus, it’s wonderfully inclusive, with a strong LGBTQ+ representation that feels authentic and meaningful.
If you’re looking for a book that’s equal parts magical adventure, heartfelt drama, and feminist manifesto, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is your next must read. Grab a cup of tea (or a glass of wine), settle in, and prepare to be spellbound!
I Highly Recommend.
April 2, 2023
The way Her Majesty’s Royal Coven has been marketed makes it seem a feminist, fun, edgy, fresh read and I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, and I’m so disappointed to say this, the book wasn’t anything like I was imagining. The plot is essentially about the UK based coven, HMRC, trying to prepare for the attack of the demon Leviathan, the prophecy of The Sullied Child, and the destruction of witches. When HMRC capture and bring in Theo, a very magical child, a former member of the coven, Niamh, is brought in to help to discover whether they are in fact the doom facing the coven.
I’ll start with the positives first:
- The concept is interesting, the UK coven, the historical revisions of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I etc with witchcraft, it’s well built up and has a lot of potential.
- The representation in the book - I don’t particularly think it’s a huge spoiler but Theo identifies as being trans, this is revealed partway through the book. I have more to say on this all in the negatives in the way that it was done however I also understand that not enough books, or in fact authors, can be so honest about real issues, and create characters that are not just the standard white, cis, and write dialogue that may even challenge some readers.
- Lastly, I adored Niamh, she’s a vet who starts the book speaking to an old horse, telling the horse it’s ok to pass away and leave their owner, and it’s a really tender moment that instantly made me love her. She has an interesting backstory, losing a fiancé, she’s maternal but fiery, she’s Irish (and even more Irish when she’s angry) and she’s an all round badass, and I really enjoyed her romance with Luke
That said, here come the negatives:
- this book is marketed as feminist, a sisterhood of powerful women, however it also falls into a depressing cliche of women clashing and fighting each other - while groups of women do in fact work together, it’s actually to fight other women, which didn’t feel as empowering as I’d hoped. Why do powerful, successful women always have to compete and fight?? The book follows a group of women who have known each other since school; Helena, Niamh, Elle and Leonie and yet instead of an empowering sisterhood it feels bitchy.
- while the book is feminist, it’s also, at times, really unhelpfully misandrist. There are only a handful of male characters in this book, Luke is very sweet but he’s a prop, not a supporting character, in fact no male character is really given any depth or feels very real. The warlocks seem kinda redundant, in fact the only promising male character is Hale. Of the 2 husbands referenced in this book, dead and alive, one is a cheat and one was abusive. Men are casually blamed for most things in this book and, of course as a feminist I recognise the role of patriarchy in both current and historical suffering of women, it doesn’t always feel helpful.
- the writing style, I don’t know if Juno was doing this for some particular reason but the pop culture references were just too much, literally I was just rolling my eyes come the end. There’s quite a common Spice Girls theme, with the group of women often compared to each member, it starts off mildly cute, it gets old real quick. My main issue with pop culture is how it ages the book, yes it highlights that these are women clinging onto their past together, that’s why so many references are stuck in the 90’s, but this doesn’t matter to a reader, a reader who might not know what Geri’s UN Ambassador look looked like or who Stephen Gately was. There was also a reference to Nicole Kidman’s post-divorce face which is VERY specific and will probably not age well. Alongside all this, the specific references continue into the descriptions to the point I thought maybe Juno was getting sponsorships. They’re not just eating crisps, they’re eating M&S crisps, they’re not just sitting on a sofa, it’s an ikea sofa, not just a supermarket, it’s a Sainsburys, Elle doesn’t just put on some pants, she puts on Kate Hudson’s Fabletics yoga pants, it’s just cringe the more the book goes on.
- the ending - this ending, without giving spoilers, reads like the most lazy, most dissatisfying, most wtf ending that changes everything in 1 paragraph (with a terrible last line) and that 1 paragraph is enough for me not to bother with the sequel it made me so angry and made the book feel a waste of time.
- Now here’s the big one. I’ll start by making it very clear, I’m an ally, I have zero issue with reading about trans people and the representation is one of the few positives in this book. However I didn’t love the approach the book took. There is no mention that this book is essentially a political message of whether a trans girl can be in an all woman coven, and I don’t necessarily know who the audience is. There are repetitive, passionate, aggressive conversations and arguments between characters about how trans women are women, and a transphobic character who refuses to believe it. The POV from the terf is difficult to spend time with, it must be triggering to some people. Also it’s disappointing that Theo doesn’t get a POV, yes possibly this changes in the 2nd instalment but in this book really all Theo’s character comes down to is being trans, we don’t hear how she feels or learn much else about her which was such a shame.
- There are also numerous attempts at addressing racism into this book, again it feels quite forced, at one point, in an exchange between Leonie and her partner Chinara about Helena, we get the line “they’d underestimated a vindictive white woman� - yes Helena is white and boy is she vindictive but I don’t know, it just felt out of place and distracting, especially by a white author in a scene not motivated by racism. I’d feel this theme more natural an inclusion if Leonie had been written with more depth, she has broken away from the HMRC coven as it’s so white centred she didn’t feel represented or like she belonged so she created her own inclusive coven. That alone should be exciting and interesting, this additional coven, and yet we know so little about it, in a book arguing that it’s always about white people and white magic, the book really is. Just like how a book about trans inclusion has no trans pov.
- Lastly, the characters. Like above with Leonie and Theo, they just don’t always feel believable or explored enough. Niamh is, yes, but Helena turns into a dastardly villain and it made no sense to me. Literally one moment Niamh and Helena are saving each other in a fight with another witch, then Helena is plotting death. She can push past the darkness to know to save her daughter, the love in her still there, but not her sister-like friends? And throwing in a random, unexplored abuse backstory for her? What’s with that??
I really wanted to like HMRC, like I said the potential was so strong and a lot of people clearly did like it and I’m glad for them. But it just wasn’t for me. I know this is the first in a series so of course many of my criticisms could be explained or rectified in future instalments, such as Leonie and Theo’s development. Unfortunately the ending just put me off giving it a go (unless I read a spoiler to find out IT WAS ALL A TRICK)
In more positive news, the audio book is really well done. Nicola Coughlan narrates this story and she’s a master at getting the accents on the page, I sometimes struggle with an audio book for that very reason, hearing someone trying too hard to sound like different characters, but she’s a natural and it’s actually really relaxing and enjoyable listening to her!
Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review
I’ll start with the positives first:
- The concept is interesting, the UK coven, the historical revisions of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I etc with witchcraft, it’s well built up and has a lot of potential.
- The representation in the book - I don’t particularly think it’s a huge spoiler but Theo identifies as being trans, this is revealed partway through the book. I have more to say on this all in the negatives in the way that it was done however I also understand that not enough books, or in fact authors, can be so honest about real issues, and create characters that are not just the standard white, cis, and write dialogue that may even challenge some readers.
- Lastly, I adored Niamh, she’s a vet who starts the book speaking to an old horse, telling the horse it’s ok to pass away and leave their owner, and it’s a really tender moment that instantly made me love her. She has an interesting backstory, losing a fiancé, she’s maternal but fiery, she’s Irish (and even more Irish when she’s angry) and she’s an all round badass, and I really enjoyed her romance with Luke
That said, here come the negatives:
- this book is marketed as feminist, a sisterhood of powerful women, however it also falls into a depressing cliche of women clashing and fighting each other - while groups of women do in fact work together, it’s actually to fight other women, which didn’t feel as empowering as I’d hoped. Why do powerful, successful women always have to compete and fight?? The book follows a group of women who have known each other since school; Helena, Niamh, Elle and Leonie and yet instead of an empowering sisterhood it feels bitchy.
- while the book is feminist, it’s also, at times, really unhelpfully misandrist. There are only a handful of male characters in this book, Luke is very sweet but he’s a prop, not a supporting character, in fact no male character is really given any depth or feels very real. The warlocks seem kinda redundant, in fact the only promising male character is Hale. Of the 2 husbands referenced in this book, dead and alive, one is a cheat and one was abusive. Men are casually blamed for most things in this book and, of course as a feminist I recognise the role of patriarchy in both current and historical suffering of women, it doesn’t always feel helpful.
- the writing style, I don’t know if Juno was doing this for some particular reason but the pop culture references were just too much, literally I was just rolling my eyes come the end. There’s quite a common Spice Girls theme, with the group of women often compared to each member, it starts off mildly cute, it gets old real quick. My main issue with pop culture is how it ages the book, yes it highlights that these are women clinging onto their past together, that’s why so many references are stuck in the 90’s, but this doesn’t matter to a reader, a reader who might not know what Geri’s UN Ambassador look looked like or who Stephen Gately was. There was also a reference to Nicole Kidman’s post-divorce face which is VERY specific and will probably not age well. Alongside all this, the specific references continue into the descriptions to the point I thought maybe Juno was getting sponsorships. They’re not just eating crisps, they’re eating M&S crisps, they’re not just sitting on a sofa, it’s an ikea sofa, not just a supermarket, it’s a Sainsburys, Elle doesn’t just put on some pants, she puts on Kate Hudson’s Fabletics yoga pants, it’s just cringe the more the book goes on.
- the ending - this ending, without giving spoilers, reads like the most lazy, most dissatisfying, most wtf ending that changes everything in 1 paragraph (with a terrible last line) and that 1 paragraph is enough for me not to bother with the sequel it made me so angry and made the book feel a waste of time.
- Now here’s the big one. I’ll start by making it very clear, I’m an ally, I have zero issue with reading about trans people and the representation is one of the few positives in this book. However I didn’t love the approach the book took. There is no mention that this book is essentially a political message of whether a trans girl can be in an all woman coven, and I don’t necessarily know who the audience is. There are repetitive, passionate, aggressive conversations and arguments between characters about how trans women are women, and a transphobic character who refuses to believe it. The POV from the terf is difficult to spend time with, it must be triggering to some people. Also it’s disappointing that Theo doesn’t get a POV, yes possibly this changes in the 2nd instalment but in this book really all Theo’s character comes down to is being trans, we don’t hear how she feels or learn much else about her which was such a shame.
- There are also numerous attempts at addressing racism into this book, again it feels quite forced, at one point, in an exchange between Leonie and her partner Chinara about Helena, we get the line “they’d underestimated a vindictive white woman� - yes Helena is white and boy is she vindictive but I don’t know, it just felt out of place and distracting, especially by a white author in a scene not motivated by racism. I’d feel this theme more natural an inclusion if Leonie had been written with more depth, she has broken away from the HMRC coven as it’s so white centred she didn’t feel represented or like she belonged so she created her own inclusive coven. That alone should be exciting and interesting, this additional coven, and yet we know so little about it, in a book arguing that it’s always about white people and white magic, the book really is. Just like how a book about trans inclusion has no trans pov.
- Lastly, the characters. Like above with Leonie and Theo, they just don’t always feel believable or explored enough. Niamh is, yes, but Helena turns into a dastardly villain and it made no sense to me. Literally one moment Niamh and Helena are saving each other in a fight with another witch, then Helena is plotting death. She can push past the darkness to know to save her daughter, the love in her still there, but not her sister-like friends? And throwing in a random, unexplored abuse backstory for her? What’s with that??
I really wanted to like HMRC, like I said the potential was so strong and a lot of people clearly did like it and I’m glad for them. But it just wasn’t for me. I know this is the first in a series so of course many of my criticisms could be explained or rectified in future instalments, such as Leonie and Theo’s development. Unfortunately the ending just put me off giving it a go (unless I read a spoiler to find out IT WAS ALL A TRICK)
In more positive news, the audio book is really well done. Nicola Coughlan narrates this story and she’s a master at getting the accents on the page, I sometimes struggle with an audio book for that very reason, hearing someone trying too hard to sound like different characters, but she’s a natural and it’s actually really relaxing and enjoyable listening to her!
Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review
May 30, 2022
ok conceptually, this was a really cool premise for an urban low fantasy. i was especially hopeful about queer and POC representation within a magical community.
however, the way that this book was written felt extremely “othering� in regards to diverse representation. 3/4 of the main characters are all cishet white women. the 4th is the token black biracial lesbian that covers a whole bunch of diversity in one fell swoop. and of course, harmful stereotypes (deadbeat black father, angry black woman, etc.) are perpetuated. any other diverse character, queer or POC alike, are very minor and underdeveloped side characters who are just carelessly written. (one of these side characters is non-binary and referred to as a “queen� in the very first sentence that they’re established as non-binary)
i also take issue with much of the language used in the book. first, an ✨ambitious� amount of slang was used. by their definition, the words were used correctly but contextually, the phrases were jarring. reading this is akin to hearing your middle aged mother try to be relatable.
however, my bigger issue was the use of the word “dyke�. to be clear, this is a SLUR that is historically used against wlw members of the queer community. though she is trans, juno dawson is a straight woman. it was extremely uncomfortable to see this offensive word used by a straight woman, particularly in such a casual manner.
finally, the actual plot and world building, etc. unfortunately i had issues here as well. first, to claim that Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is the largest and most powerful coven in the world feels extremely UK-centric. given that many non-european cultures have stories and myths about their own forms of magic wielders, it feels like a gross oversight to imply that British (ie. majority white) people are the primary users of magic. as for the plot, it was fine?? though, for a 400 page book, there was very little actual plot.
in theory, this book could have been an interesting rebuttal to transphobic and POC-tokenizing works of jk rowling. while well-intentioned, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven fell disappointingly short.
however, the way that this book was written felt extremely “othering� in regards to diverse representation. 3/4 of the main characters are all cishet white women. the 4th is the token black biracial lesbian that covers a whole bunch of diversity in one fell swoop. and of course, harmful stereotypes (deadbeat black father, angry black woman, etc.) are perpetuated. any other diverse character, queer or POC alike, are very minor and underdeveloped side characters who are just carelessly written. (one of these side characters is non-binary and referred to as a “queen� in the very first sentence that they’re established as non-binary)
i also take issue with much of the language used in the book. first, an ✨ambitious� amount of slang was used. by their definition, the words were used correctly but contextually, the phrases were jarring. reading this is akin to hearing your middle aged mother try to be relatable.
however, my bigger issue was the use of the word “dyke�. to be clear, this is a SLUR that is historically used against wlw members of the queer community. though she is trans, juno dawson is a straight woman. it was extremely uncomfortable to see this offensive word used by a straight woman, particularly in such a casual manner.
finally, the actual plot and world building, etc. unfortunately i had issues here as well. first, to claim that Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is the largest and most powerful coven in the world feels extremely UK-centric. given that many non-european cultures have stories and myths about their own forms of magic wielders, it feels like a gross oversight to imply that British (ie. majority white) people are the primary users of magic. as for the plot, it was fine?? though, for a 400 page book, there was very little actual plot.
in theory, this book could have been an interesting rebuttal to transphobic and POC-tokenizing works of jk rowling. while well-intentioned, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven fell disappointingly short.
February 8, 2023
Excited for the second one 👀
Read
August 19, 2022Something witchy this way comes...and when Juno Dawson writes stuff you just KNOW it's queer af
September 25, 2022
That last chapter bumped it from 4.5 to 5 stars omg
February 3, 2024
great characters, great topics, average plot.
January 9, 2023
Starting 2023 off with a five star read is such a serotonin rush! June cannot come soon enough-I NEED THAT SEQUEL IN MY HANDSSS
May 29, 2024
I really struggled to rate this one. When I first started this book I was thinking it had all the makings of a 5 star....but here I am giving it 3 what happened.
The world building in the very first section of this book was really good and it had a scene that nearly has me crying within the first few chapters. In the beginning there was a lot of British humour and pop culture which I loved! One of the things I loved the most about this is learning the world through the eyes of the 'new witches' I thought this was so well done. I did think the representation was good too but I think it could have been handled better.
So what bumped this book down, well the writing was pretty sloppy and mediocre for me. The plot was ok - but it felt like it had been done so many times before. I thought the transgender representation was a good thing but without spoiling anything the resolution for this character was stupid and so easy - in real life people aren't so lucky! I thought the characterisation in general was weak I could barely tell anyone apart, the most interesting character was the 'evil' one. The twists were overall just meh.
I will say the ending was a shock, it was done well and leads on to another book in the series but I felt cheated a little by it. I feel like it was done for the shock factor and unlike everyone else I didn't love it. I won't be continuing with this series but understand why other people loved this.
The world building in the very first section of this book was really good and it had a scene that nearly has me crying within the first few chapters. In the beginning there was a lot of British humour and pop culture which I loved! One of the things I loved the most about this is learning the world through the eyes of the 'new witches' I thought this was so well done. I did think the representation was good too but I think it could have been handled better.
So what bumped this book down, well the writing was pretty sloppy and mediocre for me. The plot was ok - but it felt like it had been done so many times before. I thought the transgender representation was a good thing but without spoiling anything the resolution for this character was stupid and so easy - in real life people aren't so lucky! I thought the characterisation in general was weak I could barely tell anyone apart, the most interesting character was the 'evil' one. The twists were overall just meh.
I will say the ending was a shock, it was done well and leads on to another book in the series but I felt cheated a little by it. I feel like it was done for the shock factor and unlike everyone else I didn't love it. I won't be continuing with this series but understand why other people loved this.
August 7, 2022
DNF. I wish I read the reviews before I started, because I didn’t know how much politics was in this. I got to 30% and just couldn’t stand the political agenda. I read to escape reality, not to have a political agenda shoved down my throat at every turn. It was dramatically one sided. Any character that aligned with a liberal perspective was a “good� character, and anyone remotely conservative was bad. I’m all for differing opinions, but the excessive caricature between the opposing sides got old, FAST. I don’t support demonizing, literally and figuratively, other people whose beliefs are in contrast to my own. Would not recommend.
December 29, 2022
"Hexenzirkel ihrer Majestät", der Titel alleine klingt schon vielversprechend. Geheime Aufträge im Namen der Krone, Magie, Intrigen, Verschwörungen, möglicherweise konkurrierende Hexenzirkel. Klingt toll, ist aber leider nicht das, was man hier geboten bekommt, denn der Fokus der Autorin liegt ganz klar auf sozialen Ungleichheiten und vorurteilsmotiviertem Verhalten, dem Mitglieder der LGBTQ-Community und "People of Color" wiederholt ausgesetzt sind.
Die Charakterausarbeitung ist dabei leider auf der Strecke geblieben und so hatte ich oftmals das Gefühl, dass mir entscheidende Informationen fehlen, um bestimmte Verhaltensweisen mitdenken zu können. Deswegen haben die vier Freundinnen, die sich ein bisschen wie die Hexenversion der "Desperate Housewives" lesen, auch keinen bleibenden Eindruck bei mir hinterlassen.
Insgesamt ist es auch eine relativ einseitige Erzählung. Auf der einen Seite die Guten und die Bösen auf der anderen, wobei die Rollen ganz klar definiert sind, ohne das man sich großartig mit vermeintlichen Grauzonen oder Erklärungen aufgehalten hat.
Man spürt die Wut der Autorin, was dann oft mit entsprechenden Fluchwörtern demonstriert wird.
Ich verstehe den Antrieb hinter allem und bin eine große Verfechterin wenn es darum geht, "sozialen Randgruppen" den Raum zu geben, der ihnen zusteht, da ich als "plus size women" auch Ausgrenzung u.a. erfahren habe, aber die Umsetzung, die Kombination aus allem hat mir leider nicht gefallen, zumal ich mich mit dem Schreibstil auch ab und an schwergetan habe.
Mit der Zeit habe ich beim Lesen dann leider mehr und mehr das Interesse verloren und werde die Reihe deswegen auch nicht weiterverfolgen.
Die Charakterausarbeitung ist dabei leider auf der Strecke geblieben und so hatte ich oftmals das Gefühl, dass mir entscheidende Informationen fehlen, um bestimmte Verhaltensweisen mitdenken zu können. Deswegen haben die vier Freundinnen, die sich ein bisschen wie die Hexenversion der "Desperate Housewives" lesen, auch keinen bleibenden Eindruck bei mir hinterlassen.
Insgesamt ist es auch eine relativ einseitige Erzählung. Auf der einen Seite die Guten und die Bösen auf der anderen, wobei die Rollen ganz klar definiert sind, ohne das man sich großartig mit vermeintlichen Grauzonen oder Erklärungen aufgehalten hat.
Man spürt die Wut der Autorin, was dann oft mit entsprechenden Fluchwörtern demonstriert wird.
Ich verstehe den Antrieb hinter allem und bin eine große Verfechterin wenn es darum geht, "sozialen Randgruppen" den Raum zu geben, der ihnen zusteht, da ich als "plus size women" auch Ausgrenzung u.a. erfahren habe, aber die Umsetzung, die Kombination aus allem hat mir leider nicht gefallen, zumal ich mich mit dem Schreibstil auch ab und an schwergetan habe.
Mit der Zeit habe ich beim Lesen dann leider mehr und mehr das Interesse verloren und werde die Reihe deswegen auch nicht weiterverfolgen.
July 25, 2022
If you want to read the most heavy-handed allegory against JK Rowling’s Twitter feed and British TERFs, then it’s the book for you. If you don’t, make it a hard pass.
July 19, 2022
This book tried so hard to do so many things that it just fell short of all of them. The concept was badass and the beginning was a strong hook, but like…all the main characters kinda felt like they belonged in the Uncanny Valley. Like…just unrealistic enough that I disliked everyone.
There was a point where one character had sex, and the literal next morning asked her friend to see if she had become pregnant. I feel as if the author got her anatomy lessons from a story off of Episodes.
The last chapter itself dropped this down from a 3 star to a 2because what the fuck was that? It made no sense, why would you built up Niamh this entire book, give her most of the chapters, and then ‘kill� her in a throwaway two page chapter right at the end? Ugh.
There was a point where one character had sex, and the literal next morning asked her friend to see if she had become pregnant. I feel as if the author got her anatomy lessons from a story off of Episodes.
The last chapter itself dropped this down from a 3 star to a 2because what the fuck was that? It made no sense, why would you built up Niamh this entire book, give her most of the chapters, and then ‘kill� her in a throwaway two page chapter right at the end? Ugh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2023
This felt less like a fun, witchy story and more like someone standing on a soapbox and preaching about the ills of society. Listen, pointing out things like racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism etc. is important but to a degree where it comes off as a holier than thou mentality/checking off boxes because you need to? Then no thanks, keep it to yourself
February 1, 2022
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was a wild ride. Read 80% in one sitting because I couldn't stop.
Her Majesty's Royal Coven is an urban fantasy about an alternate England that has a secret government bureau of witches. Four friends were first inducted into HRMC, but after a civil war, the four have been scattered. Helena is the only one who has stayed with HRMC and is the reigning high priestess. Elle has gone off to pretend to be a normal house wife. Niamh has isolated herself into the country as a vet after the death of her husband. And Leonie has completely left HRMC to form her own coven made up of BIPOC witches called Diaspora.
When a young trans witch is found, she's assumed to be a warlock and captured by HRMC. Helena doesn't know how to deal with her and asks Niamh to help. Sadly, this witch is hounded by a prophetic vision of the future that spells doom for all witches and the rise of demons. When Helena finds out Theo is trans and wants to be inducted as a witch, she refuses and is determined to dispose of Theo by any means necessary.
If you read that last sentence above and thought wow that sounds like a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) you would be right. Helena's words and actions in this book are a dead ringer for what JK Rowling has been doing with her massive platform. While I did enjoy this story, it was really hard and at times, physically disgusting, to be in Helena's POV and seeing the things she thinks. I feel like my brain could use some bleach after that. The lengths this character goes to in an attempt to exclude Theo and cause her harm is really illustrative of what cis people will do to exclude trans and nonbinary people.
Besides Helena, I really enjoyed the other three POV characters. Leonie was my favorite because she's the best and I love everything she's done with Diaspora for BIPOC witch communities and for the queer witch community. I loved that Leonie introduces Theo to a Latina trans woman. That was easily one of my favorite parts. Also seeing Theo grow her powers and learn how to use them was so much fun. I do wish this book centered more on Theo, but I'm glad to witness some of her journey.
I also really enjoyed Niamh's character. She's basically a hippie with magic. It's a whole mood and I'm here for it. Elle was such a soft mother, but oooo when people tried to go after her kid, it did not end well for them. Leonie, Niamh, and Elle are all so fierce though you might not always see it.
Ultimately, this was a very gripping read. I could've done without the TERF POV character, but it's a great guide for cis people on what not to do/say.
Rep: white Irish-British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, Black-biracial British lesbian female MC, sapphic Nigerian-British refugee side character, Black-biracial male side character, white trans girl side character, queer Latina trans woman side character, queer BIPOC nonbinary side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, blood, animal death, car accident, confinement, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping, murder, outing of trans character without consent, toxic friendship, violence. Moderate: classism, death of parent, fire/fire injury, infidelity of one MC's husband, misogyny, racism, sexual content, sexism specifically cissexism, war.
This was a wild ride. Read 80% in one sitting because I couldn't stop.
Her Majesty's Royal Coven is an urban fantasy about an alternate England that has a secret government bureau of witches. Four friends were first inducted into HRMC, but after a civil war, the four have been scattered. Helena is the only one who has stayed with HRMC and is the reigning high priestess. Elle has gone off to pretend to be a normal house wife. Niamh has isolated herself into the country as a vet after the death of her husband. And Leonie has completely left HRMC to form her own coven made up of BIPOC witches called Diaspora.
When a young trans witch is found, she's assumed to be a warlock and captured by HRMC. Helena doesn't know how to deal with her and asks Niamh to help. Sadly, this witch is hounded by a prophetic vision of the future that spells doom for all witches and the rise of demons. When Helena finds out Theo is trans and wants to be inducted as a witch, she refuses and is determined to dispose of Theo by any means necessary.
If you read that last sentence above and thought wow that sounds like a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) you would be right. Helena's words and actions in this book are a dead ringer for what JK Rowling has been doing with her massive platform. While I did enjoy this story, it was really hard and at times, physically disgusting, to be in Helena's POV and seeing the things she thinks. I feel like my brain could use some bleach after that. The lengths this character goes to in an attempt to exclude Theo and cause her harm is really illustrative of what cis people will do to exclude trans and nonbinary people.
Besides Helena, I really enjoyed the other three POV characters. Leonie was my favorite because she's the best and I love everything she's done with Diaspora for BIPOC witch communities and for the queer witch community. I loved that Leonie introduces Theo to a Latina trans woman. That was easily one of my favorite parts. Also seeing Theo grow her powers and learn how to use them was so much fun. I do wish this book centered more on Theo, but I'm glad to witness some of her journey.
I also really enjoyed Niamh's character. She's basically a hippie with magic. It's a whole mood and I'm here for it. Elle was such a soft mother, but oooo when people tried to go after her kid, it did not end well for them. Leonie, Niamh, and Elle are all so fierce though you might not always see it.
Ultimately, this was a very gripping read. I could've done without the TERF POV character, but it's a great guide for cis people on what not to do/say.
Rep: white Irish-British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, Black-biracial British lesbian female MC, sapphic Nigerian-British refugee side character, Black-biracial male side character, white trans girl side character, queer Latina trans woman side character, queer BIPOC nonbinary side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, blood, animal death, car accident, confinement, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping, murder, outing of trans character without consent, toxic friendship, violence. Moderate: classism, death of parent, fire/fire injury, infidelity of one MC's husband, misogyny, racism, sexual content, sexism specifically cissexism, war.
June 29, 2022
I’d rate it 6 stars if I could. Why aren’t more people screaming about this book?
It tackles ALL the things. Race, Gender, Trans, Queer, Body Positivity, Feminism�.The list goes on and on and what’s worse is the plot is a BANGER. Think Harry Potter for adults but it incorporates all the things you wish you could say to JK Rowling.
I stood in line for the new Harry Potter books as a teen and young adult, I’ll stand in line for Book 2 of this trilogy as an adult cis white woman today.
More please Juno Dawson!
It tackles ALL the things. Race, Gender, Trans, Queer, Body Positivity, Feminism�.The list goes on and on and what’s worse is the plot is a BANGER. Think Harry Potter for adults but it incorporates all the things you wish you could say to JK Rowling.
I stood in line for the new Harry Potter books as a teen and young adult, I’ll stand in line for Book 2 of this trilogy as an adult cis white woman today.
More please Juno Dawson!
Read
March 21, 2022the most fun i’ve had in a while and a huge fuck you to j*r we love to see it
June 5, 2023
I'm not a big fan of fantasy books as for some reason I find it hard to suspend my disbelief. However, I was attracted to this novel as I really enjoyed Juno Dawson's Doctor Who stories The Good Doctor & Redacted.
Her Majesty's Royal Coven is Dawson's first adult novel & although it's a fantasy story the characters & locations are grounded in reality. Helena, Niamh, Leonie & Elle have been friends since childhood when they gave themselves nicknames based on the Spice Girls. Now they are older & wiser, but can these modern day witches face the ultimate evil or will they ignore the warnings that Leviathan will rise ?
Juno Dawson belnds reality & fantasy beautifully & brings plenty of great characters to life. Being the author's first adult novel there is a lot of swearing, most of which felt quite natural. However, occasionally the swearing felt forced & didn't always work. It reminded me of Al Pacino in the film Scarface. His character swears so much that by the end of the film I found his excessive swearing made me laugh out loud as it became really silly.
Apart from this minor grumble HMRC is a fine read & is the first novel I've ever read that features witches & trans characters. This was a 4 star review, but the last few pages pushed it over to a 5 star one.
I have read this again just before the sequel, The Shadow Cabinet, is due to be published & enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
I think Juno Dawson is an author with a bright future & I'll be following her along the way.
Her Majesty's Royal Coven is Dawson's first adult novel & although it's a fantasy story the characters & locations are grounded in reality. Helena, Niamh, Leonie & Elle have been friends since childhood when they gave themselves nicknames based on the Spice Girls. Now they are older & wiser, but can these modern day witches face the ultimate evil or will they ignore the warnings that Leviathan will rise ?
Juno Dawson belnds reality & fantasy beautifully & brings plenty of great characters to life. Being the author's first adult novel there is a lot of swearing, most of which felt quite natural. However, occasionally the swearing felt forced & didn't always work. It reminded me of Al Pacino in the film Scarface. His character swears so much that by the end of the film I found his excessive swearing made me laugh out loud as it became really silly.
Apart from this minor grumble HMRC is a fine read & is the first novel I've ever read that features witches & trans characters. This was a 4 star review, but the last few pages pushed it over to a 5 star one.
I have read this again just before the sequel, The Shadow Cabinet, is due to be published & enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
I think Juno Dawson is an author with a bright future & I'll be following her along the way.
April 28, 2023
Oh my fucking god. I'm so tired of the nagging about people being terf. stop the nonsense please.
I wanted strong female characters, a book about witches. Not a political smear about trans women, terf and a reflection of twitter's endless hatred of so-called cis women.
Why can authors just let trans people be part in a book, without the political points?
I will definitely not read the other books. And somehow it makes me sad
I wanted strong female characters, a book about witches. Not a political smear about trans women, terf and a reflection of twitter's endless hatred of so-called cis women.
Why can authors just let trans people be part in a book, without the political points?
I will definitely not read the other books. And somehow it makes me sad
July 5, 2022
3.5 stars.
I really wanted to like this more than I did but something about Juno Dawson’s writing style just really bothered me. All of the characters felt surface-level and the pop culture references (I get it, y’all are obsessed with the Spice Girls) were incessant.
Though props for the cliffhanger ending, that was BRUTAL 💀
I received an ARC through work.
I really wanted to like this more than I did but something about Juno Dawson’s writing style just really bothered me. All of the characters felt surface-level and the pop culture references (I get it, y’all are obsessed with the Spice Girls) were incessant.
Though props for the cliffhanger ending, that was BRUTAL 💀
I received an ARC through work.
July 10, 2023
I loved it so, so much. Not perfect (and I think some of the criticism I've seen is fair), but o.m.g. It is clearly a response to JK Rowling and other TERFs, but I think it stands on its own. This world, in which witches are in service of the crown and women are powerful (both personally and politically) is so immersive and the magic feels organic and well thought-out. So much to celebrate, too, in terms of diversity and inclusion—I was not familiar with this author, but certainly her experience lends extra weight to the story.
I’m usually not a huge fantasy person because I don’t have the patience for much of it, but here I was never confused by the storylines or character motivations, even with many POVs and a new world to learn. And it’s funny! I literally laughed out loud a few times at the clever dialogue and references, and I enjoyed all the relationships so much.
Audio Notes: Aoife McMahon’s narration is fantastic.
I am SO upset by the ending, though. (And even more upset to have it spoiled for me BY THE PUBLISHER because I glanced at the synopsis for the sequel three hours before finishing this one.) Whhhhyyyyyyyyyy.
4.5 stars
I’m usually not a huge fantasy person because I don’t have the patience for much of it, but here I was never confused by the storylines or character motivations, even with many POVs and a new world to learn. And it’s funny! I literally laughed out loud a few times at the clever dialogue and references, and I enjoyed all the relationships so much.
Audio Notes: Aoife McMahon’s narration is fantastic.
I am SO upset by the ending, though. (And even more upset to have it spoiled for me BY THE PUBLISHER because I glanced at the synopsis for the sequel three hours before finishing this one.) Whhhhyyyyyyyyyy.
4.5 stars
July 30, 2022
other than the exploration of transmisogyny, transphobia, and patriarchy (which was brilliant and witty and wonderful), i found this book lacking in plot, character depth, logical magic structures, and pretty much everything else that makes a good novel. and there was a whole side plot about an intersectional and inclusive coven, but that was sort of just shoved to the side and i'm not sure why.
February 26, 2024
4 stars. Riveting and wholly magical, Her Majesty's Royal Coven was an unexpectedly brilliant gem of a read with a cliffhanger of an ending that left me reeling and super excited to read the next book.
December 28, 2022
Habe etwas komplett anderes vom Inhalt erwartet. Hat mich leider thematisch und vom Setting null abgeholt. Schade
August 13, 2022
2.5
Hum...no.
I'm sorry, but this truly got me on my nerves.
Let me start with what I did like. I think the writing style was good, as well as the end picks up and finally some action and witchery happens.
And that also links it in to why I didn't like this book overall.
I wanted to get a witchy-urban fantasy story and instead I got a social commentary.
Let me be bold and say it: a diverse cast of characters in a book doesn't make it a good book. And I thought hard and long to make this review but I am a very passionate book reader who reviews books and I can review a book and dislike it without meaning I am against equality and integratiation. I truly stand for representation and equality, but I think there is this trend nowadays that if a book is queer than you can't say it was shit. I beg to disagree.
I'm sorry but having queer characters in a story should be normalised and smoothly integrated in literature of all genres. But this book plot was basically all about having queer characters in it and having two clear sides of people against equality and people pro equality and the whole plot was pushed forward using a trans character acceptance.This was not what the synopsis promised and I felt misleaded. Admittedly this might be more fault of those who wrote the synopsis rather than the author. You can use a low fantasy plot to make your stand and opinion heard but you give me then a clear synopsis and don't promise demon and witches adventures where there were none (until the very end) because as a reader, that was disappointing.
Also....all those speeches about standing for LGBT+ rights and equality and then you have one of your most active and queer character in the whole book go to buy an ice cream, see an Albanian guy behind the counter and tell us that "he probably has weed in the back" (or something among those lines)..... REALLY????? LIKE REALLY?????? After all those nice speeches you come out with a sentence like that??? You gotta be fu**ing kidding me! That truly got on my nerves to the point that even now I want to go back and lower the rating!!!
And cherry on the cake, I truly cannot stand those "angry black woman" "angry white woman" sentences....like can't a woman be just be bloody angry without us having to know what colour her skin is? I need to know she's angry, why she's angry and what she is going to do about it. I truly don't need to know if she's black, white, green.....
I'm sorry, I didn't see this book or these characters trying to make everyone equal and have equal rights but I saw this trying to make a point by stereotyping a bunch of people, making them the evil ones that should be silenced and antagonised because they simply are born the way they are. It's like begging someone to stop throwing stones at you, and as soon as they stop you start throwing stones at them. That is a cycle that is very hard to stop.
Hum...no.
I'm sorry, but this truly got me on my nerves.
Let me start with what I did like. I think the writing style was good, as well as the end picks up and finally some action and witchery happens.
And that also links it in to why I didn't like this book overall.
I wanted to get a witchy-urban fantasy story and instead I got a social commentary.
Let me be bold and say it: a diverse cast of characters in a book doesn't make it a good book. And I thought hard and long to make this review but I am a very passionate book reader who reviews books and I can review a book and dislike it without meaning I am against equality and integratiation. I truly stand for representation and equality, but I think there is this trend nowadays that if a book is queer than you can't say it was shit. I beg to disagree.
I'm sorry but having queer characters in a story should be normalised and smoothly integrated in literature of all genres. But this book plot was basically all about having queer characters in it and having two clear sides of people against equality and people pro equality and the whole plot was pushed forward using a trans character acceptance.This was not what the synopsis promised and I felt misleaded. Admittedly this might be more fault of those who wrote the synopsis rather than the author. You can use a low fantasy plot to make your stand and opinion heard but you give me then a clear synopsis and don't promise demon and witches adventures where there were none (until the very end) because as a reader, that was disappointing.
Also....all those speeches about standing for LGBT+ rights and equality and then you have one of your most active and queer character in the whole book go to buy an ice cream, see an Albanian guy behind the counter and tell us that "he probably has weed in the back" (or something among those lines)..... REALLY????? LIKE REALLY?????? After all those nice speeches you come out with a sentence like that??? You gotta be fu**ing kidding me! That truly got on my nerves to the point that even now I want to go back and lower the rating!!!
And cherry on the cake, I truly cannot stand those "angry black woman" "angry white woman" sentences....like can't a woman be just be bloody angry without us having to know what colour her skin is? I need to know she's angry, why she's angry and what she is going to do about it. I truly don't need to know if she's black, white, green.....
I'm sorry, I didn't see this book or these characters trying to make everyone equal and have equal rights but I saw this trying to make a point by stereotyping a bunch of people, making them the evil ones that should be silenced and antagonised because they simply are born the way they are. It's like begging someone to stop throwing stones at you, and as soon as they stop you start throwing stones at them. That is a cycle that is very hard to stop.
November 25, 2023
4 Stars!
This book felt like a massive middle finger to JKR, and for that alone I loved it. I think with everything that JKR has done towards the Trans community, this book was so poignant, forward thinking and felt very much needed. We see a lot of bias towards a character and it hurt my heart seeing this play out when I know many people face this day in, day out for just existing. So for that I can do nothing but applaud the author for this. - Just a note if anyone comments negatively about this I'm just not going to respond.
ANYWAY... Another thing that I loved about this was just how British it was, I live in the UK and have recently been to the place where this is mainly set and I can't even begin to explain how nice it is to just kind of get the place? I know this is super weird, but it just felt ver comforting.
As for characters, by far Niamh is my favourite, I think out of all of the characters she is the most developed, she's such a kind and caring soul and it's just someone I'd want to be friends with!
I think the thing for me is that not all of the characters seem to feel fully finished, I guess I just want to know more about some of them (but maybe I'm just greedy?) and I think the writing wasn't perfect, however I did listen to the audiobook which definitely helped me because the narrator is Nicola Coughlan and I think she just sold it for me!
Finally... I think I'm just going to be repeating what everyone else has said but...HOW CAN IT END LIKE THAT?! Definitely can't wait for the next instalment!
-------
Re-Read 17.11.2023
I'm sorry but HOW did I forget that ending?! Glad I re-read before getting into Shadow Cabinet, because that was a WILD ride. Book 2 has so many ways it can go and I am SO intrigued (and excited) for all of it!
This book felt like a massive middle finger to JKR, and for that alone I loved it. I think with everything that JKR has done towards the Trans community, this book was so poignant, forward thinking and felt very much needed. We see a lot of bias towards a character and it hurt my heart seeing this play out when I know many people face this day in, day out for just existing. So for that I can do nothing but applaud the author for this. - Just a note if anyone comments negatively about this I'm just not going to respond.
ANYWAY... Another thing that I loved about this was just how British it was, I live in the UK and have recently been to the place where this is mainly set and I can't even begin to explain how nice it is to just kind of get the place? I know this is super weird, but it just felt ver comforting.
As for characters, by far Niamh is my favourite, I think out of all of the characters she is the most developed, she's such a kind and caring soul and it's just someone I'd want to be friends with!
I think the thing for me is that not all of the characters seem to feel fully finished, I guess I just want to know more about some of them (but maybe I'm just greedy?) and I think the writing wasn't perfect, however I did listen to the audiobook which definitely helped me because the narrator is Nicola Coughlan and I think she just sold it for me!
Finally... I think I'm just going to be repeating what everyone else has said but...HOW CAN IT END LIKE THAT?! Definitely can't wait for the next instalment!
-------
Re-Read 17.11.2023
I'm sorry but HOW did I forget that ending?! Glad I re-read before getting into Shadow Cabinet, because that was a WILD ride. Book 2 has so many ways it can go and I am SO intrigued (and excited) for all of it!
October 1, 2022
This was a lot more emotionally fraught than I expected it to be. And that ending 😩
I was hopeful going in to this that Juno Dawson's first adult book, and first fantasy book would be good, because that premise sounded like so much fun. And while I was rewarded with a quality book that I really enjoyed reading, it really wasn't all shits and giggles. Come for the 90s nostalgia, female friendships, a cool take on contemporary witches, and then leave heartbroken by the found family vibes and seething with anger over CERTAIN THINGS.
We get several POV characters in this book, all members of the same coven as children, but our main character is really Niamh (pronounced "Neeve"), a Scottish witch whose twin sister is in a coma and whose fiancé is dead after a war in the magical world that ended eight years before. Niamh is wary of coming out of her grief cocoon, but is pushed to do so by a thirteen year old child that needs someone to care for them after having accidentally destroyed a school with their burgeoning powers, and being traumatized not only by their childhood, but by being treated like a criminal instead a child in need of nurturing and protection by the HMRC (the governmental body started by Anne Boleyn and shepherded by Queen Victoria).
A conflict that sadly reflects what's actually going on in Britain in terms of the queer community ensues.
I'm really interested to see where the author goes with this, and I really need a happy ending for the trilogy. We'll see if she can come back from what she did in the ending of this book, an action for which I'm quite mad at her at the moment.
I was hopeful going in to this that Juno Dawson's first adult book, and first fantasy book would be good, because that premise sounded like so much fun. And while I was rewarded with a quality book that I really enjoyed reading, it really wasn't all shits and giggles. Come for the 90s nostalgia, female friendships, a cool take on contemporary witches, and then leave heartbroken by the found family vibes and seething with anger over CERTAIN THINGS.
We get several POV characters in this book, all members of the same coven as children, but our main character is really Niamh (pronounced "Neeve"), a Scottish witch whose twin sister is in a coma and whose fiancé is dead after a war in the magical world that ended eight years before. Niamh is wary of coming out of her grief cocoon, but is pushed to do so by a thirteen year old child that needs someone to care for them after having accidentally destroyed a school with their burgeoning powers, and being traumatized not only by their childhood, but by being treated like a criminal instead a child in need of nurturing and protection by the HMRC (the governmental body started by Anne Boleyn and shepherded by Queen Victoria).
A conflict that sadly reflects what's actually going on in Britain in terms of the queer community ensues.
I'm really interested to see where the author goes with this, and I really need a happy ending for the trilogy. We'll see if she can come back from what she did in the ending of this book, an action for which I'm quite mad at her at the moment.
August 19, 2022
I’m not sure how I feel about this one.
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