Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a dark and twisty paranormal story that will have you on the edge of your seat.

This is the first book in Juno’s new paranormal witchy trilogy centred around a group of witches who live very different lives but are brought back together when a deadly prophecy is foretold. The book is told from four POV’s: Niamh, Leonie, Helena, and Elle, who were friends when they were children but had grown apart. They are all very different characters. Juno created main characters with a lot of depth, raw, and definitely moral grey at times. I enjoyed reading the book from all their POV’s, but Niamh was my favourite, and I was glad her character had more of a presence in the book than the others. Niamh is such a wonderfully complex character who is a very kind-hearted woman at her core. She is willing to take a stand to do what is right even when it is hard. She is also really bad as a witch when she wants to be, which I just loved. The fight scenes that she is in had me at the edge of my seat.

Juno does a great job creating this secret witch world that exists alongside the mundane (muggle) world. The history that is described in the book is rich and full of wonderful details. I loved how she linked real-life examples (Salem witch trials, natural disasters, etc.) with the coven’s history. It is always interesting seeing how each author puts their own uniqueness on the paranormal world. This book has similarities to other witch books, but it is different enough to keep its readers interested and wanting to learn more about the world within this book. Juno does spend quite a bit of time focusing on social and political issues centred around the 2SLGBTQ+ community. This actually becomes the primary catalyst for conflict in the second half of the book. The book’s first half focuses on a prophecy that says an unknown child will bring about the end of days. Then in the second half, the main conflict change to whether a transgender child should be allowed in the witch’s coven. I loved how Juno focused on issues around the 2SLGBTQ+ community, but the overall story felt a little disjointed. I felt like there were two competing storylines one that was around this demon that was set on destroying the world and another around transgender issues.

Overall, this is a great book and the cliff-hanger at the end of the story will have you going online to see when the next book is coming out.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a book that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Thank you, Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Listen, I love a book that calls TERFs out while exploring the ideas of morality, family, duty, and loyalty. Reading fantasy is relatively new to me, and I've found that the more high fantasy something feels, the less rooted in something that can ALMOST come across believable, the less I can get into a story. Her Majesty's Royal Coven is that perfect sweet spot between fantasy and reality, where it feels like you could just about step into the world and find your way.

On top of that I really enjoyed the writing style, the sentence structure and dialogue all felt natural and smooth. Our customers are going to eat this one up! Juno Dawson's style is exquisite!

I absolutely adored this book! It's urban fantasy taking place in a world where a coven established by Queen Elizabeth I helps manage affairs.
The book focuses on four witches who grew up together and are following different paths. A prophecy has been put forth about a so-called Sullied Child that could prove to be the end of the world as we know it. The Sullied Child in question is actually a transgender teenager with a lot of power.
I loved the history involved. Elle is a descendant of one of the Pendle witches, the diversity involved and the social issues presented. It could have been preachy but instead it's just an absolutely amazing story. I can't wait for the next book in the series..

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!