What I think worked:

Character-Driven Emotion:
The characters are complex, messy, and wonderfully human. Niamh’s grief is raw and palpable, while Theo’s arc is empowering and beautifully handled.

Queer and Feminist Themes:
This book tackles trans identity, systemic corruption, and the weaponization of tradition, all while remaining grounded in its magical world.

Expanded Worldbuilding:
The mythology surrounding the coven deepens, introducing new factions and magical lore that raise the stakes and broaden the universe without overwhelming the reader.

Pacing and Plot Twists:
The story moves at a strong pace, balancing introspective character moments with shocking reveals and tense confrontations.

Sharp, Witty Prose:
Dawson’s voice is confident, sarcastic, and emotionally intelligent. The humor cuts through the heaviness in the right places, making even the darkest moments more accessible.

What Might Not Work for Everyone:

Heavy Emotional Weight:
The book deals with serious trauma, grief, and identity struggles. It can be emotionally intense, particularly for readers sensitive to loss or social injustice.

Complex Structure:
With multiple POVs and interwoven political/magical plots, some readers may find the structure initially hard to follow, especially if there's a long gap between reading the first book and this one.

Less Focus on Action:
Though the story is full of tension, the emphasis remains on personal transformation and ideological conflict rather than traditional magical battles. Those looking for nonstop action may find this slower.

Final Verdict:
The Shadow Cabinet is a daring, thoughtful fantasy that blends magical rebellion with timely, real-world resonance. It’s a story about fighting for what’s right — even when the system is rigged against you — and about the power of chosen family, identity, and collective resistance.

The Anti-Narrative Continues with Detail-lacking Government References
Juno Dawson, The Shadow Cabinet: A Novel: Book 2 of the HMRC Trilogy (New York: Penguin Books, June 20, 2023). EBook: $11.99. Paperback: $17. 528pp. ISBN: 979-0-593511-14-5.
**
This is the second book from the HMRC Trilogy: “a group of childhood friends and witches must choose between what is right and what is easy if they have any hope of keeping their coven—and their world—from tearing apart forever.” These platitudes are absurdly abstract, and can apply to any book in any genre. There are almost 200 appearances of the word “right” across this volume, but most are as vague as they are predicted to be in this summary. For example, after a character is reported to be “with child”, Miranda says, “Something isn’t right.” She is worried her twins are in danger, but her friends are saying these worries mean she is “mad”. Biddy insists that as the mother Miranda’s intuition is lightly to be right. In this context, “right” is used as a synonym for positive, or non-deadly, so almost anything can be “right”: this is why this term is too vague to clarify just what the broad story is about. In another place “right” is used to note that “mourners” wearing “black… didn’t feel right” because the characters used to play happily in the place where they are now mourning. This is just absurd, as mourning a death should not be done in bright outfits just because a character was once happy as a child.
The blurb continues: “Niamh Kelly is dead. Her troubled twin, Ciara, now masquerades as the benevolent witch as HMRC prepares to crown her High Priestess. Suffering from amnesia, Ciara can’t remember what she’s done—but if she wants to survive, she must fool Niamh’s adopted family and friends; the coven; and the murky Shadow Cabinet—a secret group of mundane civil servants who are already suspicious of witches.”
It is a common mistake of formulaic fantasy to use amnesia or other reasons for a lack of knowledge to explain why magical rules, or character details are not offered not only at the beginning of a novel, but frequently not even at the end. Ciara still has amnesia near the end of the narrative, as she has taken over as the High Priestess of the HMRC coven. Ciara is even unable to “speak” despite continuing to say empty phrases, such as: “Nothing. I don’t remember anything.” Though as she says the latter, she is conscious that the man she is speaking with is threatening to hurt her, if she confesses that she remembers something negative about her. Before this point, Ciara keeps trying to “learn the why of all this. Why she was resurrected, why Niamh and Irina had to perish, why, why, why?” The lack of these simple answers is used to drive anticipation in readers to figure out what is going on. The amnesia or lack of knowledge is the driver of the mystery and the plot. Returning to the fact of a lack-of-knowledge becomes repetitive the more it is used through the narrative, instead of offering some new or exciting events, or dialogue that would have been more difficult for a writer to develop.
“While she tries to rebuild her past, she realizes none of her past has forgotten her, including her former lover, renegade warlock Dabney Hale. On the other end of the continent, Leonie Jackman is in search of Hale, rumored to be seeking a dark object of ultimate power somehow connected to the upper echelons of the British government.” Hinting at malevolent involvement of the government probably attracted some readers, but the body of the text offers almost no specifics about this. For example, a letter from an Assistant to the High Priestess mentions: “We’ve also had a formal summons from our government liaison in the Shadow Cabinet” in connection with an upcoming coronation, but no details are given as to why the government has any connection with witchcraft. In the middle of the novel, there is an explanation that this Cabinet contains “mundanes” who are “briefed on the existence of witches”, after an 1869 treaty that required this information-sharing. The “truths” revealed apparently include those “about Diana, Lord Lucan, UFOs, BPV—oh, the so-called ‘vampire virus’…” This is pretty curious, but none of these things are mentioned again. There is a note about a “vampire book” elsewhere, but no repeat of just what this vampire-virus was about. This means the author did not have to elaborate on just what witches could have had to do with the “Loch Ness experiment”. Obviously, it would have been very difficult to explain why witches were needed to place a giant strange fish in a lake and then breed it magically, or some other deep nonsense. Thus, this rare reference to specifics is non-informative, or offers details that suggest a coverup without any rational reason for it, or an explanation for the relation between science-fiction concepts and witchcraft.
The blurb continues: “If the witches can’t figure out Hale’s machinations, and fast, all of witchkind will be in grave danger—along with the fate of all (wo)mankind.” This sequel supposedly: “reimagines everything you think you knew about her coven and her witches”, but it really does not give enough new information, unless it must reimagine because the first volume failed to imagine. Though it is likely that this “story… spans continents”, it clearly does not “dive deep into the roots of England and its witchcraft…”
This is a very poorly written fantasy that is not recommended for readers who want to be entertained, amused, or excited.
Pennsylvania Literary Journal: Spring 2025 issue: https://anaphoraliterary.com/journals/plj/plj-excerpts/book-reviews-spring-2025

Picking up right at the end of HMRC, Ciara is now in her sister Niamh's body, with little memory of her life leading up to her own coma.
From there's she's trying to remember how she wound up in the position, she knows she's a bit of a bad witch, as she does have some general memories, but she's busily trying to play catch up with current events and figure out how she got body swapped in the first place.
From there's a bit of a confusing mish mash of differing character view points... Theo is adjusting to her new body/life, but seems to have lost control of her fading powers.
Leonie's gone haring off to find her brother who's gone off to find Hale...
Luke's got a whole new back story line (was thins hinted at or perhaps I forgot about it?)
Elle has a discovery about her marriage that leads to a personal disaster...
But all the messiness does come together in the end rather nicely, it just took a bit to get there.

This book was ok. It was entertaining but I liked the first book much better.
I can’t recommend it.

Oh my goodness, this ending to this book was not what I was expecting. It took a little while together, but it was so fascinating to watch the twists and changes. I have no clue how this series will end!

I have to dnf this book. I absolutely *adored* HMRC and was so excited to get back into this world with TSC. However, all my favorite aspects of book 1 are gone in this sequel. I don't know if this is a 2nd book in a trilogy syndrome issue, but I just can't force myself through this absolutely depressing slog. It's slow, every character has had a personality change, and I don't want to be in any of these people's heads. I'm very disappointed in this continuation as I don't think I'll be finishing the series.

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

It's so very rare that I am not disappointed by a sequel and this book really proved me wrong. I love when a book (mostly fantasy for me) can have a wonderfully woven plot line that addresses real life issues and conflicts in a very subtle way. Excited for the next book in this series!

**Title:** *The Shadow Cabinet*
**Author:** Juno Dawn

**Rating:** ★★★★☆

**Review:**

*The Shadow Cabinet* by Juno Dawn is an intriguing fantasy novel that delves into a world of political intrigue and hidden magic. The story follows a group of characters navigating the complex power dynamics of their society, where secret alliances and dark forces shape their fates. Dawn’s world-building is immersive, creating a richly detailed setting that enhances the story's tension and stakes. The characters are well-developed, with their personal struggles adding depth to the overarching plot. While the narrative can be intricate, *The Shadow Cabinet* is a captivating read for fans of fantasy and political drama, offering a compelling mix of suspense and intrigue.

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson is a captivating read for fans of magical realism, LGBTQIA+ representation, and feminist politics, who will be drawn into a world of witches, magic, and self-discovery, where the lines between good and evil are blurred and the power of female friendship and resilience is on full display.

I absolutely loved this sequel! The characters, the plot, the world, are all so well developed and I am INVESTED

The Shadow Cabinet picks up where the last book left off, and boy was that the cliffhanger of the century... At least until you get to the end of this one... Let's say not only did I not see what happened coming AT ALL, my jaw may have literally dropped, but we were left with another cliffhanger ending that makes me happy I was lucky to get an arc of book 3 Queen B.
I did pick this one up last year but wasn't able to really get into it, but I think it was due to the death of a certain character. Then that person not somehow being brought back in the next book, and we are following the person that killed her, and throughout the last book, we were told what a horrible person she was I had a hard time wanting to read from her POV. However now that some time has passed, and the third book's release coming up soon I really wanted to try this one again, and I'm super happy that I did. Not only did I come to really like this person, I also enjoyed the bit of a darker tone her POV offered. and this time this book had me in its grips from the beginning. I found the pacing perfect, and all of the major moments and reveals happened at the perfect time with enough foreshadowing for me to need to know what was going to happen next. So much happened there wasn't a dull moment and I can't wait to see how this trilogy is going to wrap up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Why, self, did you read this book before the trilogy was complete when you knew good and well that Juno would leave you hanging from the highest cliff??? Take my advice. Read this book. Read the one that came before it. But if you value your sanity, wait until the trilogy is complete. I guess I’m just stuck in the woods with the rest of the coven (those that are left) until we get the next book.

WOW WOW WOW!!

I remember distinctly being annoyed while reading Her Majesty's Royal Coven because it felt like it was trying to add every "woke" talking point while also being funny/cool. As a very liberal millennial... it just didn't work for me whatsoever. It felt like it was trying too hard. I still enjoyed the story, but was worried about the second book being more of the same.

TURNS OUT I WAS WRONG TO WORRY! Still not a 5-star read for me, but that's because that's a bit of a higher pedestal to land on. The only reasons I didn't like this book even more were the following:

1. No Niamh ): I knew she wasn't going to be there, but ugh I'm a sucker for a really nice character. Someone who just genuinely wants to help others (though I wonder if more will be revealed in the final book of the trilogy)
2. A bit more of the same with the jokey dialogue that tried to through liberal humor in at every given opportunity (I HATE TRUMP TOO BUT DON'T NEED TO SEE MORE ABOUT HIM! I'm just being picky at this point because it really wasn't that bad this time around.)
3. Needed more Theo and more Luke. I KNOW THEY'RE NOT TECHNICALLY PART OF HMRC BUT I LOVE THEM!

Overall this was a blast and actually had quite a few moments where I did NOT see a twist coming, so highly recommend this one even if you have to struggle through the first.

The Shadow Cabinet is the fantastic second book in the HMRC series. I loved everything about this book; the characters, the plot, the flow, even the cliffhanger. I can't wait for book 3.

I am so glad I continued with this series. I loved how it came together in the end, and I'm excited to read more books in the HMRC world!

The Shadow Cabinet is a continuation of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, picking up with the coven now faced with the possibility of having their coven and world ripped apart.

I am just so in love with every single one of these quirky characters. There are so many interesting dynamics and character arcs within this series and I enjoy reading every single one of them.

Juno has created a world and characters that feel incredibly vivid and infused with magic yet relatable at the same time. Each character navigates their own unique challenges, heartaches and setbacks with some humour along the way.

I appreciate how witchcraft is explored through the lens of social justice and loved where this book picked up where the first left off.

The second installment of Her Magesty's Royal Coven did not disappoint! I really enjoyed it, watching Theo on her journey of getting used to her new form and dealing with first crushes and loves. I maybe even started liking The Bad Twin a bit, too. I really didn't like her at all in book 1.

This book does kind of have a feel of "I really need to get from book 1 to book 3 but need to get some stuff in place first" kind of book, but I didn't care--sometimes those books feel boring, like nothing is going on, one of those "this should have been an email" work meetings everyone hates so much. But we got to learn a lot about our characters, with some really big surprises coming out about a few of them. The only disappointing storyline in the book was Leonie's search for her brother. That just felt like it didn't really start or end anywhere.

Oof, this was a sequel! I didn't really know where Dawson was going to go after the twist at the end of the previous book, but she really goes deep. Loved diving back into this world.

The Shadow Cabinet is the second book in a modern fantasy trilogy by Juno Dawson. Released 20th June 2023 by Penguin Random House on their Penguin Books imprint, it's 528 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a NA selection, very well written but oddly paced. There are long swathes of internal dialogue where nothing much is going on in terms of action. The plot itself follows hard on the cliffhanger from the first book, and although the author/publisher have helpfully provided an abbreviated dramatis personae at the front of the book, readers coming into the read entirely cold will be lost and frustrated from the start. Additionally, if read out of order, the *major* spoilers for the ending of the first book will make reading them out of order literally anticlimactic.

There is a huge cast of characters. The author does a good job of writing a spectrum of voices, gender identities, and ethnicities. As stated, the book includes a short list of characters and a very brief description of their relationships, but without prior familiarity, most readers will struggle to keep up.

It's well written, but (as with much NA lit), there is a significant amount of unnecessary drama and hopping over or forgetting unforgivable transgressions out of necessity to plot progression. For readers who hate cliffhangers, it might be worth it to wait until the next book is out, because this book (and the first) end on *huge* cliffhangers.

Three and a half stars. The big deus ex machina subplot resolution as well as the "oh well, business as usual" reaction to Niamh/Ciara dinged the overall impression a fair bit.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.