Human Rites is already the conclusion to the Her Majesty's Royal Coven trilogy. And what a wild ride it has been. This book is a good conclusion to a strong series overall.

We start the book with the return of Niamh. Being raised from the dead isn't easy. Especially not when you bring something back with you. And Lucifer is making its final play. Even if nobody else wants to believe it.

It was easy to settle back into this book, this series and this story despite there being 2 years between books 2 and 3. The difference between each character makes it a good way to follow the differing story lines we follow. It is great to have Niamh back who I missed a lot in the second book. Theo is always a joy.

For those that believe this might be a harder read with the way lucifer and satan are very front and center. As is Gaia mentioned a lot.

As much as I enjoyed reading this book however I did have some points to squabble over. For one I feel that for such a gritty story this ends with a rather happy ending. It was a bit too convenient. Part of that was because of a story line around Leonie that is close to a deux ex machina. In that regard it was a little dissapointing. However it wasn't a last minute add either. A part of it was already set-up in book 2 so at least it had always been apart of the plans.

I still find it a strong ending for our characters and I enjoyed reading it. I would certainly pick up a next fantasy by Juno Dawson.

Picking up pretty much where we left off, Theo accepting their destiny of being the unsullied child and the resurrection of Niamh- my favorite. And of course, Leonie has returned with an unexpected surprise, Elle seems to finally come into her own, and Ciara is just being Ciara, but from behind bars.

This book felt like everything I’ve been WAITING for. A villain from book one I have been on the edge of my seat of the author would re introduce and I was happy to see. Niamh was thrust back into her life, without so much a hiccup- like I needed the integration of her with her friends. Not binge watching tv. I did feel some pacing issues in the beginning, as each character being on the edge of their seat for what was next felt dragged out- like if something’s going to happen, happen. Not multiple chapters of characters looking over their shoulder.

With this being the concluding book, every characters was brought back. Which I appreciated but also, a little whiplash from all the different point of views. There was a little too much with the Leonie side plot to try and follow, but I was glad to see Elle really getting a moment to shine and seeing her growth. Her little moments of reflection, like remembering being told to stop showing off when she was good at something, to not brag, to not outshine the boys. We also finally got a good back and forth between Ciara and Niamh, showing their sisterly bond, which was cohesive, believable, and made Ciara more root-able.

With as much as was going on this book, there was one particular point of view I was intrigued to see back from book 1 but was overall lackluster. I think this could have been 2 books. A good conclusion still to an overall fun coven series that had depth.

Human Rites by Juno Dawson is a dark and twisty paranormal story that will have you on the edge of your seat.
An intriguing read that pulled me in from the beginning. The story flowed well, and it was exciting.
This was truly masterfully done. Dawson somehow told a complex story with fully developed characters, but with a pacing that pulled you forward.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Book Review: Human Rites by Juno Dawson
(Her Majesty’s Royal Coven #3)

This was everything I wanted in a series finale and then some. Human Rites is bold, heartbreaking, magical, and just a little bit unhinged in the best possible way. Juno Dawson stuck the landing like a gymnast in glittery robes—dramatic, confident, and unforgettable.

The story picks up with our coven scattered, broken, and emotionally bruised—but not beaten. Niamh is back (kind of? sort of? not alone??), Ciara is imprisoned and still brilliantly complex, Leonie has a revelation I did not see coming, Elle is grieving something that never existed, and Theo… oh, Theo. She’s offered a devil’s bargain by Lucifer himself, and watching her navigate that choice made my heart ache. Her journey continues to be one of the most layered and moving parts of this entire series.
And yes—Lucifer enters stage left, and wow. Charming, manipulative, and terrifying, he adds this delicious tension to the plot that never lets up. His scenes practically sizzled off the page.

The magical system remains a standout—rich, layered, and evolving. There are so many nuances: power levels, magical types, and consequences that feel both mystical and deeply human. I absolutely loved how magic was used to reflect very real choices, flaws, and strengths. And the time-travel element? Totally unexpected and totally fun.

Even with all the action and apocalyptic stakes, Dawson never forgets the heart of the story: the bond between these five women. They're messy, complicated, fierce, and loyal—just like real friendships. The emotional payoff in this final installment felt so well-earned, and I found myself tearing up more than once. (Okay, more than twice.)

Yes, the political commentary is still there, and it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but this time it felt more woven into the fabric of the world rather than hitting me over the head. It was pointed but purposeful.

Final verdict? This book is spellbinding. Human Rites wraps up this witchy feminist trilogy with power, punch, and heart. I’m honestly sad it’s over, but so satisfied with how it ended. If you’ve been holding out on starting the series—now’s the time. Trust me, the magic is real. ✨

What more can I say about a series that I have adored and will rec to anyone that will listen?

The way that I am so unwell that I finished this book and now the series is done…I just can’t. While Human Rites was not my favorite of the main trilogy (👀 Queen B), it was still a well deserved 5⭐️ banger.

Many a L was OL’d and tear was shed (the last part of the acknowledgements? Come ON!). I agree that things got a bit *much* at times but I felt the sense of urgency and chaos. I would liken a lot of this book to Avengers: Endgame - you got a time heist, people staying in the past for love, and ultimate victory over evil (I mean we all saw that coming, right? No spoiler).

I feel like this series was tailor-made for elder millennial oldest thought daughters who were obsessed with pop culture and suffer from constant imposter syndrome and mild anxiety. Even if you don’t fit any of these categories - I almost guarantee you will enjoy these books. But if you don’t, DON’T TELL ME!

CW/TW: death, war, murder, sexism, misogyny, grief, violence, miscarriage, transphobia, death of parents, infidelity

So thankful to have been gifted this arc, I absolutely love this series. The final installment of this series lived up to the rest of the series. I’m so sad to say goodbye to the coven!

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking/Penguin Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
This final book of the series has completely cemented my love for Juno Dawson and her writing. She had some big shoes to fill with me loving her first two books of this series and she did not disappoint. Not only does she write about a diverse community of witches but she infuses so much love and understanding. You definitely have to read at least the first two books in this series prior to this one or you will be totally lost. The novella was a bonus but not necessary to understand the story. It did give some great background, though.
It's hard to review a third book in a series without giving anything away. That being said, Dawson continues to amaze me with her well developed characters and incredible plot line. I loved all the different points of view we got in this book. It made the story so much more immersive.
The pacing in the book was quite fast. There was a ton of action and also some great scenes showing the characters' growth. A lot happens in this book. Sometimes it was tough to keep up. But I loved every second of it. And the emotional journey of the characters was quite something. I laughed, I cried, I did both at the same time. I really didn't want it to end. Dawson's writing is so descriptive. She really shows you what is going on and you feel like you are in the thick of it with the characters.
And while I hoped things would end on a good note, I actually was never sure if this would happen or not. I didn't know which characters we would lose. So many of them wanted to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. And the confrontation between good and evil in this book really gave it that extra punch.
The one thing that confused me a bit were the time jumps. I don't want to get into it, but there is some time travel introduced and, while I usually love time travel, it seemed odd for this series to introduce it in the last book. I feel like I would have understood it better had it been introduced earlier.
I loved the relationships, the pop culture references, and the growth that happened throughout this series. If you love a found family, queer representation, and magic, pick this series up.

There is for sure good stuff here, but that's somewhat inevitable given the sheer amount of stuff generally happening simultaneously.

Thank you to Juno Dawson, PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin | Penguin Books, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Human Rites in exchange for my honest review.

Human Rites is the grand conclusion of the Her Majesty's Royal Coven trilogy. This book follows several POVs as they all try to beat Lucifer. This book picks up shortly after the end of the second book, with many of these characters struggling. In some ways, I liked being able to see these characters go on this emotional journey, but in other ways, it hurt my heart. We got to see Ciara come so far in this last book to just be hated when her secret is revealed. Do I get it? 1000%. Do I with we got to see more of her though? Absolutely. This book will pull at your heartstrings from all angles. These characters are put through the ringer, and not a single one is left untouched by the end of the book.

While there was some magnificent character development, not only for this book but for the trilogy as a whole, the plot was even grander. This is definitely a plot-focused series with sprinkles of character development thrown in there. While the concept of "defeating Lucifer" is not new per se, this book does take a fun twist on the topic. This book took me on a journey, and from the very beginning, I was unable to predict where we was going next with the plot. When the plot twists, we reveled, some of them made sense and I could have seen coming, and some came out of left field. I could not put this book down from the moment I picked it up through the very end. The ending as a whole was bittersweet. I thought the ending fit the emotional roller that we were put through and made sense for the series as a whole. However, some of the things made me so sad to see. I wanted to see certain things for certain characters that I was unable to see happen. I get it 1000% I think it would have felt too easy if those wishes happened, but I can still dream? Overall, a great conclusion to a great series.

It’s bittersweet to bid farewell to the witches of HMRC. These books have provided such an enjoyable journey, and the conclusion of the series was no exception. This final installment was filled to the brim with excitement! I genuinely believe it wrapped everything up nicely. I always appreciate a strong female-centered narrative that champions social justice. Truly, they embody the spirit of girl power, even when they’re embracing their mischievous sides.

Human Rites is the conclusion to Her Majesty’s Royal Coven trilogy, starting immediately after the absolutely illegal cliffhanger from Shadow Cabinet, the prior volume. Reading Queen B before is not necessary.

I won’t spoil anything, but this does provide a satisfying ending. However, as some other reviewers have pointed out, there are a lot of loose threads to tie up and a lot of POVs, so we get to spend relatively little time with many characters. This lessens the emotional impact and makes some of the resolutions feel too quick. In particular, the commentary on girl power and gender dynamics felt rather rushed and muddled. A large portion of the book is also dependent on a particular dynamic – a witch ability we haven’t seen before– and it didn’t feel developed and integrated into the rules we know about the world.

Still, this is probably my second favorite book in the trilogy, first being Shadow Cabinet. If you enjoyed the other volumes, you’ll likely enjoy this one too.

The third and final book in Juno's Royal Coven series did not disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate it!

Human Rites” by Juno Dawson is a powerful and satisfying end to a brilliant trilogy. Every character goes through real growth and transformation—and honestly, who doesn’t love witches? Especially queer witches. A perfect read for Pride Month. 🏳️‍🌈🧙‍♀️

I am still attempting to give this book a fair rating. The series started off strong but with each book my interest is slowly warning. All the characters are amazing but the continuation of this plot is no longer for me. Thank you so much for the arc!

First, thank you to the publisher for a chance to read this book early. What a fun read! This series was a WILD ride full of bonkers plots, real-world problems, and a group of friends who are so fun. Lots of twists and turns, some of which you can see, some of which are just WHOA! (true of the whole series). Anyway, grab a cup of tea, a cozy blanket, and curl up in your favorite reading spot for this one.

The coven is back together, but it isn’t whole. Lucifer chose Niamh, Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo to fulfill a prophecy and they have been changed in different ways. Each of these witches must overcome what was broken to discover the strength they need to help the prophecy end in the witches' favor. What will each of these women endure along the way?

Human Rites is the third and final book in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series. My thoughts about this book are mixed. The overarching story was interesting, yet it felt like Dawson had a checklist (or a story bingo card) that she was trying to cover along the way. The story was also hard to follow with the different points of view and time travel interspersed. I would have given it a higher rating if the extraneous items were removed and the story more concise.

Human Rites, the third and final book in the HMRC trilogy, ends the series on a bang.

It's hard to review the last book in a series without spoiling the books that come before it, but let me just say that the last 35% had me in a CHOKEHOLD! I had to interrupt reading this book for work trips so many times, but once I finally had uninterrupted time to sit and read I flew through the back half of this book.

Pick up the HMRC series if you love
- queer found family
- sisterhood
- milennial pop culture references
- growth and healing after trauma
- motherhood in all its forms
- self discovery

Thank you to Penguin for the eARC and the opportunity to leave an honest, voluntary review. Human Rites is out July 1st wherever books are sold!

Oh gosh I really have loved this series and I've been DYING for this final book but whew there were a lot of plot threads to resolve here and I wished I'd re-read the first two before this. (And/or that books had a "previously on..." feature! There were SOME reminders built into the text but gosh a lot has happened to these girlies!!!)

Still a very satisfying conclusion!

Absolutely amazing, I loved every single second of this book! Perfect ending to one of my absolute favorite book series ever!

"With Her Majesty's Royal Coven in shambles and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the sisterhood of friends and witches must find a new way of putting together the pieces if (wo)mankind is to stand a chance, in this final chapter to Juno's "irresistible" series (Lana Harper.)

Niamh, Ciara, Leonie, Elle and Theo. Five very different witches with one thing in common: they were unwittingly chosen by the dangerously charming Lucifer, the demon king of desire, to fulfil a dark prophecy: Satanis will rise and the daughters of Gaia will fall.

The coven is reunited - but broken. Niamh is back from the dead...but she hasn't come back alone. Elle mourns a son she never had. Ciara languishes in a prison for witches, and Leonie reels from a very unexpected surprise.

Meanwhile, Lucifer offers fledgling witch Theo a deal: if she helps him, her coven - her family - will be spared. But the magic he asks for will take her out of London - out of time, entirely.

The final confrontation between good and evil in the spectacular conclusion to the saga of Her Majesty's Royal Coven."

If, like me, you loved the Doctor Who episode this season "The Interstellar Song Contest" well did you know the writer of that episode writes awesome books too? Yeah, this is her!