This book took me by surprise. I've been loving witchy books and this brings a whole new perspective to it. There's the requisite prophecy that steers the many actions of the witches but, is it the right action? It's an exploration of morality, politics, humankind, and family. Five friends were raised as sisters of the coven and they used to live out their days picking who would play which spice girl. This dominates the story and as a millennial was a funny moment to encounter. It makes the last line in the book even more iconic. I cannot wait to see more from the series with fair warning that this is a dark series. No one is safe but I need to know how everything plays out. There's so much action and story and world building. The world building is clunky in the beginning as they try to dredge out how to create this world but the message of inclusivity is always prevalent. It's entertaining and a book designed to make you question.

I was so excited to get my hands on Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. I was craving a witchy book that would appeal to me now as an adult but that gave me the same excitement that I felt reading any witchy YA book as a kid. This book, however, exceeded my expectations. I loved the concept of witches involved in government and clear critique of J.K. Rowling . This book explores a lot of really important social topics like TERF ideology, white privilege, and lack of diversity in government and society. I went into this book expecting something witchy and humorous, but I left with a book that really touched me. I regularly put the book down and said to my boyfriend, "Holy shit I love this book." Wow. I so freaking excited for book 2!

The book takes place 10 years after a civil war between witches (and warlocks), as 4 school friends come together to prevent a portent of apocalyptic proportions. I really don't want to give too much away because reading this book and discovering it was just an absolute pleasure.

A fascinating take on a witchcraft-based novel. Fused with high fantasy elements, this novel is a best of both worlds and adds a whole new layer of lore to create a unique novel.

Ok, I loved this book. This was absolutely up my magical realism alley. I could not put it down. There was issues relevant to today, epic witches and a lovely cliff hanger that has ensured I will be coming back for more. Book 2 can't come soon enough!

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is the first book in a series of books following four witches who used to be childhood friends: Helena, Leonie, Elle, and Niamh. Their friendship started many years ago, when they were young girls and their group had one more member. Now, the women are in their thirties and on very different life paths - Elle is a housewife, Helena runs the biggest coven in the United Kingdom, Niamh works as a vet, and Leonie started a more diverse coven of her own - but a mysterious teenager with incredibly strong powers forces them back together. Who is the teenager and can a child be the source of more devastation than the world has ever seen? Or does everyone deserve a chance to prove themselves?

I must admit that I went into this book with pretty average expectations. As much as I like fantasy, I rarely find 5 star reads in this particular genre. But Her Majesty’s Royal Coven absolutely blew me away - I loved the world building, the plot kept me hooked from the first pages and was so captivating that I simply devoured the 400+ pages in 3 days. The ending was so shocking and brilliant that it had me desperately googling for information about the publication date for the next part. But what I loved most about this book was how unapologetically queer it was. It’s difficult not to treat it as partially a response to J.K. Rowling and the rise of TERFism that has been plaguing the United Kingdom (transphobia is a huge part of the plot), and I can’t describe how satisfying it is to see this topic being the main focus of a novel. The magic in Dawson’s world is beautiful and diverse, although by no means is it a perfect world - it also struggles with issues such as racism or the already mentioned transphobia. But Dawson faces these issues head on: she’s not a Black woman so in the beginning I was a bit worried about how she would approach writing Leonie, a Black lesbian witch who has experienced the lack of inclusivity in her world, but I liked that Leonie’s storyline was important and left me wanting to see more of it. I was also happy to see that Dawson worked with a sensitivity reader, which is always a plus in my book.

TLDR: Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a brilliant, riveting fantasy book that is beautifully queer and diverse, and proud of it. It immediately became one of my favorite fantasy novels ever, and I truly can’t wait to read the next part!

I rather enjoyed this take on an alternate history of the world, in which magic and witchcraft are mixed in amongst the day to day happenings. The characters were fascinating, thought I struggled with understanding the world-building at the start. Fantasy isn't typically my go to genre, but I figured I would give this widget a try. My roommate who absolutely adores fantasy loved it, so that is my highest praise.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a secret government organization that handles supernatural events. When a powerful magical person is captured & is threatening the existence of HMRC, four friends with conflicting beliefs must decide where their loyalties lie…with tradition or with doing what is right.

I really enjoyed Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and I’m very interested in reading more from this author in the future! I will admit though, I struggled quite a bit in the beginning. I feel like the story starts at such a strange place. It felt like I had skipped half the book and I should have already known everything about the world and characters. It was a little frustrating. I’m so glad that I kept reading though! Once I hit the 25% mark I was hooked!

We follow the lives of four witches who are childhood best friends. After the magical civil war Niamh, Elle and Leonie distanced themselves from the coven. Helena is the only one who is still with HMRC. Each character was so well developed with their own opinions (some of which will infuriate you), personalities and personal problems! I loved getting to know them & learning about their powers! Niamh is now a vet & she has such a big heart! Elle is a fierce protector of her friends & family. Leonie started her own more inclusive coven. She is literally perfect! Then there is Helena who is the High Priestess of HMRC. She is terrible. I’ll leave it at that.

My absolute favorite part of this book was Theo! She completely stole the show! Her growth throughout the story was literal magic. I really wish we would have got a POV from her!

This book heavily focuses on inclusivity & gender identity. The author doesn’t shy away from showing all sides of the topics. It can get pretty dark at times, but there are also some beautiful moments that made my heart so happy.

I cannot with that ending! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was wild! I don’t know how I am supposed to wait for book 2. The stakes are so high and I’m nervous. I’m excited to see what is going to happen next!

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson is an intriguing read that pulled me in from the beginning. The story flowed well, and it was exciting.

I really wasn’t sure what to expect with this book. I was interested in it mostly for the name. It sounded interesting, but I honestly liked the title.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
A group of four witches join Her Majesty’s Royal Coven in an alternate history England.
I love a well crafted alternate history setting and this one was definitely that.
The story was good and well told, but parts of it just didn’t grab me the way the author probably would have liked.
All in all, a good read, with some slow points.

Thank Gaia we’re getting a sequel because that ending was CRAZY (in very good way)! Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a novel of friendship, loyalties, and, of course, witches. Helena, Elle, Leonie, Niamh & Ciara we’re inducted into HMRC as children. Differences of opinion (& murder) led to a war between witches and warlocks (male witches) that brought an end to their once tight sisterhood. Helena is now High Priesthess of HMRC, Leonie, being Black and a lesbian, started her own coven, Diaspora, and Elle & Niamh have “retired” from coven life. But another war is one the horizon when a demonic prophecy comes to,light.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and PRH for an e-arc of this novel,*

I absolutely adored this story and can't wait to see where it leads next. At no point did I have any idea where it was going or how it would end. If you can guess the ending, you may be a sentient yourself.

Her Majesty's Royal Coven tells the tale of 5 friends (1 of which is unconscious) that grew close in their youth as they were first inducted into witch-dom but then, life happened. They each developed their own personalities, morals, political and personal stances. And, as it often does, these positions complicate their long-standing friendships. Now, as adults and healing from a magical civil war, they must decide how they will face the latest threat to their way of life: together, or opposed. The story is told from the perspectives of the 4 conscious friends and we see each grapple with their decisions and the impacts they will have.

This was truly masterfully done. Dawson somehow told a complex story with fully developed characters, but with a pacing that pulled you forward - this is easily a one-sitting read. You see into the heads of each friend and see their motivations, however twisted and biased. The reader is put into the mind of people they likely don't agree with, and that discomfort is powerful. The blurb is absolutely accurate that this is a blend of ADOW and The Craft, though I'll note it leans more ADOW, in the best way. I expect even more action and strife further in the series. This was easily one of my favorite reads of this year, maybe of all I've read, and I readily reccommend anyone looking for a fast-paced, action packed, politically intriguing tale pick this up.

**Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the eARC**

When I picked up this novel, I thought I would get something closer to The Craft. Instead, the book offers something closer to women's fiction tropes and gender politics under a thin layer of magic.

Though this book wasn't bad, it wasn't as advertised and left me disappointed. I also found I only liked one of the five main characters--Naimh. Everyone else's storylines fell flat.

Gosh, did I love this book. Juno Dawson's conjures a beautifully-realized and subtly-detailed world, a world that looks a lot like ours, but with magic bubbling under the surface. This riveting story depicts a world in which witches live side by side with mundanes, subtly protecting them from demonic forces and fascistic magic wielders. It also depicts witches at war over a big question with dire consequences: who gets to be a witch? The members of Her Majesty's Royal Coven- and some new, more inclusive covens that have sprung up since its inception- fight not just for the fate of the world in a cosmic conflict, but for a person's right to determine and assert their own identity. Thrilling magic collides with thoughtful interrogations of gender, belonging, and selfhood. I loved this book, and I think you will too.

I want to thank Penguin Group/Penguin Books and NetGalley for approving me to read this ebook and offer my honest opinion.
This is my second Juno Dawson book. I read my first one last year and adored it. I love her writing because it flows well but more than that I adore the wit she weaves into her stories. Plus, who doesn't love a good modern witch story with characters who are good and bad, fun banter between friends, and a tense story line that has you hanging on to your seat until it's done?
I will say at the beginning I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story. I'm not sure if it is because I'm not British or I just wasn't in the right frame of mind. I also felt a bit like this was not the first book about this coven. The beginning made it feel like there was a back story I had missed. I want to chock this up to poor world building in a book that is a modern fantasy. It made it hard to understand where the characters were coming from.
Once I got about 30% into the book, the story took better shape, despite the absence of world building.
The four points of view really helped to solidify the different type of witches these ladies truly are. It helped you to solidify a dislike for one of the characters in particular, which I know was how the author wanted to present her in the story. You were meant to totally dislike her up until the very end. The other three witches are absolutely wonderful to get to know.
This book definitely brings forth many societal issues. The author presents them directly, in a no bones type of way. Completely straight to the point without holding back. It made the impact of these issues more relatable and understandable. She did a good job pointing out the discrimination that occurs as a result of the different lifestyles people lead. I do wish she would have chosen one issue to focus on as having so many made the book feel forced in nature.
Overall, it's obvious the author had one idea in mind for this book: tear down "norms" because they no longer exist as many have always thought they were. But I think she could have done a better job incorporating some world building to help set the tone a bit better.

Not your typical 'friends from youth reunite to save the world' book, but close enough. It was slower in places than I'd like, but overall? I'll be looking for more from this author.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of this book!

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fantasy
Pub Date: May 31, 2022

This book was really good. I enjoyed so many aspects of it, and I thought the magic was really well-written. The connections between the main characters, the urban fantasy, it was all so good. This book was a wild ride, and once I started reading, I didn't want to stop!

A lot societal issues were discussed/challenged/brought forth in the book, and I thought the discussion of those issues was really well-done. Nothing felt like a forced discussion for political reasons; you could tell these issues were handled with care and respect. I LOVED that the story didn't hesitate to call out people for being, well, wrong/mistreating others! Many aspects of this story felt like a safe space for readers, and I think that will resonate with a diverse audience. I also really liked the cast of characters; they were interesting and unique I thought.

My biggest complaint is the plot felt a little slow/dragged at times. I was wanting more from the story, and I just didn't really get it at times. This was a borderline three or four star read for me, and I ultimately went went four stars because of the care and concern given to societal issues. I felt like that outweighed some of the negative aspects of the story, at least for me. I would say it is a weak four star from me, though.

This book is Desperate Housewives with witches. Juno Dawson does a great job bringing this ensemble of characters to life, and each one felt like a fully fleshed out character. At the center of it all is Theo, a young trans girl who is just trying to exist while everything swirls into chaos around her. If you like books with found family, flawed and complex women, and snappy dialogue, this books is for you!

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven follows a group of witches—Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle—who grew up as childhood friends and became Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, a covert government department established by Queen Elizabeth I when they were teens. Now, decades later, the friends find themselves driven to reunite when a dreaded prophecy about a warlock of extraordinary capabilities seems to threaten the very existence of the HMRC. With conflicting beliefs over what’s the best course of action, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie: with preserving tradition or doing what is right.

Talk about a gut punch of a novel. Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is sure to have readers who love witchy stories— and the queerer, the better—salivating from the very first page. Dawson invites readers into a provocative narrative by transporting them into a fantastical world that clearly echoes the societal and political issues of our own.

The characters are in huge part what made this story so intriguing. We have four friends who haven’t all been together in ages (for different reasons) and each of them is dealing with their own struggles. We have Niamh, a witch who has become a country vet who uses her powers to heal sick animals, Leonie, who defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora, Elle who is trying to pretend she is a normal housewife with mediocre success and lastly Helena, the reigning High Priestess of the secret organisation. Through alternating POVs, we get to see the story unfold and learn what has brought these women together— and what has torn them apart in recent years. Here, Dawson manages to weave an intricate tale and introduce the characters through the conflicts they are facing and have created—for example the fact that Helena thinks Leonie has betrayed her by creating her own intersectional coven whereas Leonie just finally wanted a safe space to practice magic that wasn’t seemingly feminist but really upholding rigid and heteronormative traditions. It’s hard to summarise all of the different conflicts in this book in a few sentences but let me tell you, this book has more twists, betrayals and drama than a Desperate Housewives episode and I lived for that.

The highlight of this book for me was Theo. Getting to know this incredibly powerful and feared teenage warlock who is really a fluffy, scared and skittery teenager who’s trying to find her place in the world was so heartwrenching. And then to see her grow not only her powers but also feeling accepted in Niamh’s care and getting to meet a Latina trans woman was marvellous and showcased just how much representation—in fiction but also in real life—can mean when you’ve been brought up with antiquated rules about your identity.

And with Theo, we come of course to the main themes of the novel. Admittedly, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the somewhat dry writing style, I still found myself flipping the pages and that’s down to Dawson’s compelling exploration of gender, power and intersectional feminism in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. Let me just say that the depiction of transphobia in perceived “feminist circles” in this book is devastatingly realistic. The reader spends quite a few chapters in Helena’s head and it’s as aggravating as it is terrifying to listen to the justifications this woman has for wanting to get rid of Theo just because she identifies as trans. If this reminds you of a certain British figure in the media, let me tell you that the parallels are staggering. Obviously, it’s absolutely no fun being in Helena’s head but you gotta give credit where credit’s due—Dawson deserves all the kudos for managing to write Helena’s TERF POV without wanting to burn stuff down because let me tell you, sitting on the other side as the reader, I was beginning to feel murderous because I couldn’t stop this woman myself—which, if you think about it, is an absolutely brilliant way of showing readers how powerless queer people can feel when our rights are taken away from us based on ancient, outdated traditions and institutions—and the people that preserve them time and again. It’s a clever allegory that must have cost the author a lot to explore and for that alone, this novel should be on your TBR.

While I won’t spoil too much about how the story goes—you can guess that friendships are bound to break and people will be facing off to protect Theo from Helena who’s so desperate to get her clutches on her to “preserve the order of things”—I will say that, since this is a first instalment in a trilogy, the cliffhanger is nothing short of brutal, so fair warning. You’ll itch to get your hands on the next instalment. As for me, I’m excited to see where things go from here—and whether certain people get what’s coming for them.

A provocative exploration of intersectional feminism, loyalty, gender and transphobia, Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is an immersive story about what it means to be a woman—and a witch—and invites readers into an intricately woven web of magic, friendship and power.

Her Majesty’s Royal coven is an urban fantasy novel, written about a group of witches who, upon learning by oracle that a young warlock will bring about the death and destruction of all witches, quickly try to come up with the best plan to change their prophesied doom. While some characters sympathize with young Theo, other witches do not, and these witches must decide whether the best way to prevent the prophecy from coming to fruition is by accepting and nurturing Theo, or arranging his eradication.

I really appreciated the parallels to modern family challenges. A large focus of this book is how Theo, a young warlock, reveals that he is transgender. Theo’s introduction to the storyline is heart breaking and was difficult to read, but it made the relationship she formed with Niamh and other characters so much better. While the protagonist in accepting and welcoming of Theo, the antagonist of the story is unwilling to be openminded, and refuses to accept Theo’s transition. The plot is representative of how a family can be irreparably torn apart by one’s bigotism, and makes this book not only an excellent Fantasy read, but an opportunity for insight into what LGBTQ members go through. This novel is written more from the perspective of the witches interacting with Theo, rather than from her perspective, Juno Dawson still did an incredible job of describing the trauma that she has gone though, and how difficult it is to be herself.

I thought that there were excess scenes throughout the novel, and then scenes lacking where they should have been. I felt that there should have been more character development, particularly for those who died. Following their death there were several pages dedicated to the grieving of other characters, and I wish I had been able to build an attachment to the late character, and grieve with the other characters. Even if the other characters had discussed more fun anecdotes from when the person was alive, I believe would have improved these parts of the novel. The fight scenes also seemed rushed, and the final conflict almost brushed over. The major conflict was about 90% characters running away, and 10% actual battle. I wish there would have been more depth to the fight scenes, and maybe more detail into how each witch utilized their own unique abilities.

All in all it was a good fantasy read, and I will definetly read the sequel when it is released, but I’m not counting down the days.

HMRC follows a group of witches after a civil war upturned their lives. With a new looming threat on the horizon, the group is torn apart and friendships put to the test.

I enjoyed this book, the first bit was a bit slow as you learn some more lore, but the action definitely picked up. A main focus is on queer and gender identity, and breaking outdated traditions. Niamh, Theo, Elle, Holly & Leonie were lovely to follow- I could have done without a POV from Helena but I understand the purpose she served in moving the plot forward. Overall a great, witchy read.