After the great cliffhanger ending of the first book in the Her Majesty's Royal Coven (HRMC) trilogy (called Her Majesty's Royal Coven), I was super excited to see how it would all develop in book number two! And I was never disappointed.

Without spoiling the ending of the first book (since I would recommend the trilogy be read in order, of course), the main character opening up the second book is an unexpected addition to the character list. She's on her way to becoming the new high priestess, although she's hoping she'll never have such drab responsibilities. She's trying to solver her own quest of how she came to be where she is, and she's luckily got the help of Leonie, albeit not intentionally.

There are several major plot lines. Besides the selection and ceremony for a high priestess, there is also continued clean up and loose ends to resolve from the war which predates even the first book. Theo, the teenager who started living with Niamh in the first book is also still trying to solve the mysteries of what she can't remember of her own past.

I loved the second book at least as much as the first, and can't wait to read the third next year. The Shadow Cabinet got 5 out of 5 stars from me. I'd recommend this to my fellow witchy-fiction lovers, and also appreciated the representation of the witches, from the BIPOC coven that exists along side HMRC, to the diversity of the witches in HMRC or belonging to no formal coven.

One of my favorite elements of The Shadow Cabinet has to be the ways it navigates the 'good' versus 'bad' sister. Ciara kind of stole my heart in this one and I'm not sure what that says about me? I am a sucker for the one who everyone misunderstands and makes some mistakes. She's unapologetic in her convictions, her past actions, and the ways she sees the world. Some of her scenes - especially the ones in the past when she's seen as the 'bad' sister and how she protects the ones she loves - broke my heart.

The Shadow Cabinet examines the relativity of goodness. Of the ways the world twists our actions to fit the image they have of us. It's a theme that was introduced in Her Majesty's Royal Coven with Theo and the prophecy, but it's only further explored here. If you love that kind of character, you should get the sequel immediately.

The witches are back and more scattered than ever. Helena has been executed, Niamh is dead, and her twin Ciara is living her life, mentoring Theo and generally making herself at home. The threats that Helena feared (and released) haven't faded, but the witches are too distracted to do much about them, or even to notice the dark clouds brewing. The younger generation is growing in power, and without Niamh's steady heart and gentle leadership, the future could be horrific. Picking up where the last book left off, The Shadow Cabinet left me more eager for a sequel than I would have expected going in. I loved Niamh (like everyone in the novel) and her loss left me feeling hopeless, especially watching Ciara live Niamh's life while neglecting Theo. The tight, angry feeling so expertly conjured by Dawson left me tearing through the pages until the final WTF moment. I don't know where this story is going, but I plan to be there at the end.

4.5/5 stars
I love everything in this series! I listened to the first book, Her Majesty's Royal Coven, and adored the narrators. But beyond that, the writing is impeccable. The Shadow Cabinet moved a bit slower for me, but tackled similar constructs of a "woman's place" and the "fear of a strong woman," as well as what it means to be a woman beyond the gender binary and basic gender constructs. All of the characters she writes are strong and yet they are still human, dealing with their own struggles, which is what pulls me into her writing. This book makes me want to go out and shout that my voice and my place in this world matter. Juno Dawson takes big, relevant topics such as privilege and makes them not only understandable but lights a fire in the reader to learn more and do more. My only problem with reading this book is that I couldn't keep all the characters' voices in my brain (I think I would have preferred the audiobook, but that's on me and not the author, obviously). I cannot wait for the third installment in this series!

Thank you to Juno Dawson, Penguin Books, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book :)

I would love to read and review but I cannot read the version sent to my Kindle as it has paragraphs that are chopped up and appear on different pages. Usually I can make it work but this particular version is unreadable, Happy to read if a better version is offered.
New version noted and reloaded!!!! EXCITED TO READ!
Updated review:
Thank you for allowing me to read and review this egalley. I was so happy it was fixed so I could read this book.
Please note if you have not read the first book in this series, you will be lost. Also you may see spoilers in this review.
I adore Dawson's writing. This book was no different. It picks up right where the first one left off. Devastation and destruction from the fight at the end of book one, The book is told from the POVs of the same witches: Elle, Theo, and Leonie plus we see some information coming from Luke (not who we thought he was!) and Chinara. And now we have Ciara's POV rather than Nimah since she is in her body. I love the idea of seeing this story from all these points of view, it gives a more grand sweep of what is happening.
Overall the story moves fast. The witches are looking for Dabney Hale, trying to stop him from whatever destruction he is bound to reek on the world. But we also see a new group of witch hunters from Luke's POV and come to find out his background is much more sinister than we could have imagined! So now there's much at stake from several areas.
At first I thought I'd hate Ciara, after all, she did kill Nimah and take her body. But I did find that I rather liked her overall. Plus she has some great growth, realizing her mistakes (though still with some power hungriness to her) and wanted to correct those wrongs. I am was a little surprised at how easily Leonie and Elle were ok with who she was and what happened. They seemed to join with her rather quickly considering what she did but I can also see they may have some forgiveness since part of how she came back was from the death of the previous high priestess who was possessed.
Theo's character also showed immense growth during this book. I love how she comes into herself, figuring out how to function in society as a female. Her friends showing her respect and acceptance. She has many complicated feelings she tries to explore. She's especially worried about her acceptance into a family as she was tossed around to many foster homes and wants to feel she has security in that.
The ending! UGH! I did not see it coming, I will be honest. I was a bit confused, like were all their memories altered about Milo and his past? How was it that no one remembered what had happened to him, including his mother? And why did his dad know? I hope it gets explained better in book 3 because I felt it was a bit of a plot hole even at the end.
And that naked foot, I have a feeling who it is, but don't want to say and I'm chomping at the bit to see in book #3! It was definitely a cliff hanger.
Overall, I think I may have enjoyed this book more than the first! Quite a few new characters and many of the ones we already know. I'm excited for this series to continue!

Picking up where the first book left off, the HMRC has been left in shambles and must have some type of regrouping before they're able to carry out their duties again. Through the chaos, they come across even bigger issues of understanding themselves, mysteries, conspiracies, and betrayals. This is such a fun read, and it truly sets up well for a finale to this series. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here!

The 2nd installment in the fantasy trilogy for Her Majesty's Royal Coven. This one picks up where the last one left off. And thank goodness that this series is a trilogy!
HMRC is in a bit of a shambles - the previous High Priestess is dead, and the one that's about to take her place is not who people think she is. Other than that, young Theo is struggling with her failing powers, Leonie travels to rescue her brother from one of the worst villains the world has known, and Elle deals with marital issues in possibly the worst way imaginable. Can't wait for #3! No spoilers here!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for this e-arc.*

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson is book 2 in the Her Majesty's Royal Coven series. I did a quick read of Book 1 before reading Book 2, but I don't know that you really need to read Book 1 because The Shadow Cabinet is almost like a related but new story. It read to me that Her Majesty's Royal Coven set the base, but The Shadow Cabinet tells the beginning of the tale.

Bullet Point Review:

• Book 1's ending is positively jaw-dropping, and I loved that Book 2 picked up right where Book 1 left off. I also loved the main character changes from Niamh to her "evil" twin sister Ciara. Ciara is a much more interesting character in her moral greyness. I even question whether she will be a hero or a villain, which is fun to read.

• Theo is my favorite character. She is a trans witch who had the coven in turmoil in Book 1. She plays a minor part in book 2, but reading about how she navigates life as a girl is still interesting.

• There are lots of dark thrills in this story in each plotline. I enjoyed them all and can't wait to see where the story goes in the next book.

• I also loved all the different kinds of magic and how they play out. There are even levels of power within each type of magic, which is an exciting take on determining the most powerful witches. The magic system is well thought out, adequately explained, and intriguingly complex. My favorite aspect of this series is the magical system.

• The one issue I had was the political-inspired bashing. Parts of the story are a commentary on politics in our world, which is fine. Still, when it comes to the outright bashing of political parties and figures and promoting issues that are obviously current in our world, I quickly tune out. Give me metaphors and let me draw my own conclusions, but tell me how to think, and you will immediately lose me. I've said that about a few other books, which is valid with this one.

• The narration is split between several characters. I believe it was four in total. Each character showed a different side of the story and a different look at issues for women and witches. The characters are much better developed in book 2 than in the first book. What makes them tick and where their weaknesses lie became so well-defined that I knew each of them very well.

• I found the pace to be rapid. The story is almost 600 pages, but I never felt like it was anywhere near that long. It read more like a three-to-four-hundred-page book.

• The Shadow Cabinet takes the reader around the world. Set mainly in the UK, the characters travel all over that side of the world. There's a secret island setting that I particularly loved.

Read if you're in the mood for:
• A dark, tense, and mysterious fantasy story.
• A story with strong LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation
• A morally gray character may be a heroine or maybe a villain.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

i tried really hard to like this book but i was struggling with it.... and so i have to say it wasnt for me but i can see others have liked it ....you have to give a book a go before you can properly judge it and i tried

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson is an action packed thrill ride with witches, demons, friendships, betrayal, sex, social commentary and pop culture references. The second book in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven trilogy, we know the story is building up to a big finish and this sequel doesn’t disappoint. Although this book ends with a cliffhanger, I gasped when hit with a bigger reveal in the moments before the end. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Books for the ARC.

The Shadow Cabinet is a thrilling sequel that delves deeper into the intricacies of the characters introduced in the first book. The author's attention to detail in crafting each character's unique story is truly impressive and makes for an engaging read. The novel seamlessly blends the complexities of modern life with the fantastical elements of magic and witches. The rules governing this world are fascinating and add an extra layer of depth to the story. Dawson fearlessly pushes the established boundaries, creating a world with limitless possibilities.

What a great sequel!! Kept me on edge the whole time and was so easy to fall in love with these characters again

The Shadow Cabinet is an incredible sequel to this series, which doesn't always happen. I was pleased to be hooked from the beginning. It was hard not to be when I was ready to find out what everyone would do with the bombshell cliffhanger at the end of the first book.
Dawson does an excellent job of building the urban fantasy element of the story while incorporating social commentary on gender, race, and the current state of the world.
Every incorporation of social commentary served a purpose and added to the story, which isn't always the case. There was no hamfisted attempt here, just excellent storytelling and characters mindful of the world they live in.
Ciara, having been in a magical coma for a decade, is surprised to see how things have changed. She notes the creep of gentrification in familiar areas and the changes in the ways people interact with each other. Being in the middle of it, it's hard to note those changes since they do creep in little by little. Having a character outside of it and her commentary was nice to see.
Also, we're calling out the history of white men "discovering" and stealing artifacts! Yes, please! Dabney Hale is off trying to find some super warlock relic since he's a mediocre white warlock who resorted to using demons to boost his power. Call! Him! Out!
The sense that something is rotten in the government isn't necessarily fictional either. The way it's shown that anti-witch sentiment crept into the government is spot on for how the current political climate is.
I found the parallels between demon summoning and addiction especially compelling as we dive into the mind of Ciara. Ciara reflects on how she would go days without eating and wake up in the middle of a forest covered in cuts and mud. Sounds a lot like addiction to me, and her road to recovery is just starting.
And Theo! Oh, sweet baby Theo! I just want to give her a hug. She has way too much to deal with in here. The moments of her ruminating on the changes in her body made my heart ache for her.
Throughout the book, Theo faces questions on her identity now that she has a body that matches her gender identity, like she's "too trans and not trans enough." It doesn't help that her abilities are dampened at the same time causing more turmoil.
She's also worried about not having a home since the woman she believes to be Niamh, who was incredibly kind and loving to her, is suddenly cold and distant. Growing up in the foster system, it make sense, but again, I just want to give her a hug.
If you can't tell, I loved this book. The action and storytelling kept me engaged throughout, and I couldn't put it down! On top of all this, The Shadow Cabinet ends in a cliffhanger just as explosive as the end of the first book.

The second book as part of the exciting trilogy HMRC and as much as I loved the first in the series, I was really looking forward to this one. Unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to the first novel, as it felt a little uneven in pacing and disjointed.

I missed the main character from the first novel of Niamh and after what her sister Ciara did, I was surprised to find this character as the primary narrator, acting more on a path of redemption and self discovery of past memories and not as much as the villain as set up in the first novel and ultimately not feeling as flushed out to be the main character

I did still enjoy this novel, primarily for Leonie’s side quest and what little we got of Theo’s POV, and cannot wait to read the third book when it comes out. Definitely hold out through the slow start for a twist of an ending- this book wasn’t quite 4 stars for me but would feel comfortable with a 3.5, 3.75

Firstly, I want to thank the publisher for providing me an ARC on NetGalley!

I enjoyed the first book much more than I anticipated, but about 70% of this one felt like filler. The last 100-ish pages were great and the next book has been extremely well set up - the reveals and cliffhanger were crazy! The shining moments were Ciara’s, Luke’s, and Theo’s POVs and were the only reasons I didn’t just stop reading halfway through. The constant pop culture references (not even current, but from 20 years ago) just really ruined the atmosphere for me and some of the story elements were super boring and I skimmed through a lot. Overall, this has second book syndrome and was kind of disappointing. The saving grace was the ending so if you’re okay with a boring ride but great destination, then this book should be a good read.

Wow!!! What a wild and crazy ride for the second installment of this trilogy! The Shadow Cabinet did NOT disappoint! All the twisting and turning and new revelations!? My goddess! So damn good! I don't want to spoil anything, but if you haven't read Circe...you might want to consider at least taking a gander at the lore *wink wink*. I was so impressed with how historical/"biblical" things were woven into this story as well. The last 20% or so of this book was just punch after punch of wild excitement, and if it wasn't for life obligations, I would have devoured it much faster than I actually was able to. Juno Dawson has, once again, created an great story of sisterhood and powerful women, topped off with nice dose of queer representation. I encourage everyone who is a fan of the paranormal fantasy genre to pick up this series!

So HMRC #1 was already multi-POV, so that was nothing new in #2. What's new is the cast of characters that we're getting POVs from! EEEE! First off, THEO!!!!! We get to experience her in all her beautiful glory as a fully transformed witch and I absolutely ADORED it. My face nearly broke in half from smiling so hard when I got to her first chapter and saw her name as the POV! I wanted so badly to experience her story more from her POV in HMRC #1, so this was such a welcomed surprise for me to see. We also have Niamh replaced with Ciara for obvious reasons, which was hella crazy all by itself *eyes bugging*. Luke also gets some POV screen time, which was VERY interesting for multiple reasons *sly side-eye*. A couple of one-chapter cameo POVs are Chinara and the UK Prime Minister (in this story).

A big chunk of Leonie's portion of the book takes us on a journey to other parts of the world, which I found very fascinating and exciting. As I said in my HMRC #1 review, my favorite character was Leonie, and that opinion still remains. I love her spunk and drive and she just reminds me of all my favorite FMCs. She definitely gets put through it in this book! Her and Chinara deserve some REST by the end of this book, my goodness!!!

Obviously we get a lot of Ciara in this book since, ya know, Niamh is *cough* gone... But we do get a lot of flashbacks and memories of her and Niamh that really keeps her memory present throughout the book, despite her character's absence. It gives us some good background on Ciara and puts things into perspective. We see that Ciara, at some point in her life, gave up on this notion that she can fight back against the foretold conclusion about her being the dark twin and decided to embrace the "morally grey" version that almost seems normal, in a way. At her core, she seems to struggle with doing "bad" things. It's the way she is twisted and manipulated by Hale and others that sends her down a spiral, and we get to see that all play out over the course of this book. I could really feel and understand her struggles with who she was supposed to and wanted to be as she grew up and lived her life. I thought the time jumping and flashbacks were well done and I didn't find myself confused.

I was thinking that Theo and Holly would have more involvement with this book's action, but they didn't have as much as I thought. Especially with the ending, it seems maybe Theo will play more of a role in the third book? I hope so! I also thought that despite pulling a major power move, Elle was still kind of a flat, almost shallow character, with not a lot of dimension or development. Her pendulum-swinging response to the situation with Jez was a little disheartening, to be honest. Like I get wanting to undo the damage she did in general, but with the response she had at the end and then how the conversation went between them...I'm good with Jez exiting stage left. Elle needs to put the big gal pants on and move on. I hope she does just that in the next book. She's got something big under that glamour she was packing on for years...

It also felt like this second book was more focused on women vs men in general, as opposed to the first book. The first book was definitely more geared towards Theo and the presentation of a trans character and showcasing all the bigotry, controversy, and struggles that often surround trans people. While Theo touched on some of her lingering issues in this second book as it relates to her transition/new life, she also describes just basic cis-het woman struggles. I found this quite fascinating and admirable on her character's part. But going back to my initial section prompt...we have the introduction of the Working Men's Club (witchfinders) and Hale's just overall hatred for witches (and women who may or may not be witches, he cares not). Even warlocks (male witches) are in on the disdain. It definitely felt like the overarching theme had turned more to women vs men in general and the character plots were moving in that direction. With the way this book ended, I don't think the mortals are going to be able to fight what's coming if they don't find a way to work together...and that may be what Dawson is working up to. The warlocks have not really played much of a role in the first two books, so maybe they will be playing a more on-page role in book 3.

And just like that, we're primed up for #3! I'll be ready and waiting! Highly recommend the book and series and am looking forward to Book 3: Human Rites

Solid 4.5/5

Picking up right where Book 1 left off, The Shadow Cabinet does not disappoint. With such a large cast of amazing women, I was very excited to see how some of the more secondary characters from HMRC developed over the course of the story! Many more layers have been added to the main plot threads, and I am very excited to watch them all come together in Book 3.

The cast is a wonderful mix of teenager to middle aged women, which allows for some wildly different perspectives (and some juicy conflict!). Each has also taken a very different path to being a woman, and the author does an incredible job representing these different paths from more traditional family values to queering society.

Admittedly, I felt the first half of the book was a bit slow and took a bit for me to really get into. But once I hit the halfway point, I could barely put it down.

This was a wonderful follow up to Her Majesty's Royal Coven. I loved the first book and this one was even better. I can not wait for book three!! The magical feel of this story is perfect and on the spot for witches and magic. This fantasy is world is one of the best I have read. The flow and characters were perfect.

Buckle Up! Juno Dawson's sequel to Her Majesty's Royal Coven takes off from page one and does not stop. I think it is safe to say that if you enjoyed book 1 you will love book 2. Certainly, given the ending to book 1 (I won't spoil it here) there is a focus on different characters and the dynamic between the Coven members and the institutions that seek to govern them changes. We see quite a bit of political maneuvering in the midst of some pretty deep character development between the witches.

While it is a middle book, PLENTY still happens, and it is all important! I do wish Theo's character particularly had more page time. I understand why this isn't the case, but there were a few things I missed from book one we don't get as much of here. I also recognize that Dawson's writing style may not be for everyone, filled with humor, crass remarks and pop culture references that will either add to your delight or take you out of the moment depending. Personally I find it loads of fun. This is not a predictable story- in fact - just as you start to think you might know where we are headed, Dawson isn't afraid to veer off in an entirely different direction! No one is safe, no one is quite who you think they are! It's Queer, it's suspenseful, it's crazy, and I couldn't get enough of it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for early aces to an eARC in exchange for this fair review. Out in the US June 8 and in the UK August 6.

I truly love this series. This 2nd book came out the gates swinging. Big props for the re-introduction of characters in the beginning as well! The character growth in this novel was so good! The magic, the queerness, friendship, demons, betrayal and dun dun dun..... Give me book 3 noooowwwwww!!!