The second in the series, this book is even more complex than the first. The author deftly weaves issues of gender and sex into a world of magic.

There are surprising plot twists that kept me engaged and a little on edge. The characters are fully drawn and unique. However, I really missed Niamh. I wasn't as drawn to Ciara.

The book ends on a cliff hanger that left me wanting more. I eagerly await the third book.

I received a free ARC. This is my honest review.

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson is a brilliant, riveting fantasy story that is wonderfully written.
Great worldbuilding. Amazing storytelling, with a great cast of characters who are compelling and very interesting.
Dawson created a complex story with fully developed characters, but with a pacing that pulled you forward.
The cast of characters are hugely diverse.
TSC is funny, unusual, brilliant and so clever.
If you enjoyed book one you’ll definitely read this one in one sitting.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Penguin Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

"Witches are agents of nature. Death is natural. To fuck with it is unnatural. End of."

In the follow-up to her bestselling Her Majesty's Royal Coven, Juno Dawson brings back the world she created with both returning and new characters. Ciara, having come out of her coma dn taken over her twin’s body, struggles to remember why she was in the coma and has to try to fool all of Niamh’s adopted family and friends. Leonie is on a hunt for Dabney Hale, hoping that when she finds him, she’ll find her brother.

Dawson has a grasp of pop culture and language that makes her writing a joy to read. She is able to weave pop culture references so seamlessly into the story that you might blink and miss it, but when you do notice them, they elicit a smile. Niamh, who was my favorite character, is replaced by her twin sister Ciara. I really disliked this element of the story and genuinely missed Niamh’s POV chapters. For me, Niamh was the character I related to the most and I did not enjoy being in Ciara’s head during her POV chapters. Ciara was difficult for me to relate to and the way she thought made me uncomfortable. The only characters I still cared about were the teens, Theo and Holly, and unfortunately, there wasn’t enough about them for me to want to finish the book. I read about 35% of the book and had to DNF it. However, even though this book was not a hit for me, that doesn’t mean that Dawson did not write an incredible story that is worth reading. Juno Dawson crafts her stories masterfully and I look forward to reading other works by her.

After the cheeky way Juno Dawson ended book one, I was glad to get an ARC for The Shadow Cabinet, the second book in Her Majesty's Royal Coven series. I have been desperate for answers. The book didn’t disappoint, and it was good to reconnect with the coven.

I genuinely appreciated how the book blended personal dilemmas with more significant, high-stakes conflicts, giving each character a rich complexity that drew me in even more.
Once again, the ending packed a powerful punch that left me reeling. The unexpected twists throughout the story kept me on my toes, and I found myself utterly absorbed, racing through to see what would happen next.

The Shadow Cabinet is an easy five stars for me, and I can’t believe I now have to wait for book three!!! Thanks to Penguin for an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The second book in the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven Series. This series is perfect for everyone who has realized just how problematic JKR and everything she created is. It’s a queer feminist take on magic that centers BIPOC and trans stories. This second book in the series complicates the story of good and evil in ways that feel authentic and new.

DNF. The digital formatting is so off that I wasn't able to actually read this book. Hopefully they can fix this soon!

This was a thrilling sequel to HMRC and did not disappoint! Ciara ended up surprising me more than I thought, even with the ending of the first book. Leonie, Chinara, Elle, Theo, and Holly are all wonderful and Dawson continues to add more twists into this dark urban fantasy. I can't wait to see where the women go next!

Ah, such a good sequel. 🎉 Juno Dawson has done it again. I love following these witches and can’t wait to see what happens next.

I loved the first book in this series, so I was excited for the continuation! Juno is excellent at plot twists! The ending to both the first and second book was totally shocking, but unlike a lot of plot twists, it made sense. I'm excited for the next book, and really excited to discuss this book with other people. We had this first book for a book club, so I know that we'll continue the series in the club.