Her Majesty's Royal Coven has an interesting concept and gender politics at play. It's another hidden magical world story, only in this case the power balance is (supposedly) flipped in favour of more magically powerful women (witches) over men (warlocks). Real world sexism still bleeds through though, from body shaming and stereotypical gender roles to domestic and gendered abuse and violence. It creates an interesting context for the plot's main conflict over the discovery and care of an unusually powerful teenager, who might or might not be the subject of world-ending prophecies.

The 'matriarchal' magical society of HMRC works as an interesting allegory for the feminist and Women's Liberation movement, in that it has a lot of promise and sees itself as a benevolent Sisterhood while falling far short of its own ideals. Even the posh, imperial-sounding name of the eponymous department is challenged directly through Diaspora, a rival coven of working-class, gender and sexually diverse witches and warlocks of colour founded by Leonie, the only queer, black protagonist. (Incidentally, I've seen some reviews complaining about the whiteness of the main cast, but I think that's rather the point. HMRC is implied to be a white feminist organisation, rooted in oppressive, colonialist institutions and fearful of the future and challenges to the status quo, despite its lip service to female empowerment. As opposed to the intersectional feminism of Leonie's smaller, more dynamic coven. I really enjoyed this aspect of the worldbuilding and social commentary, anyway.) (Also, the implication that women are more connected to the Earth Goddess and elemental power etc. is rooted in historic misogynistic discourses on our irrational 'primitive' natures used to justify our oppression, so I'm not sure how I feel about Dawson playing it up. Maybe we're reclaiming the narrative? I'm not sure.)

The central conflict over the possibly-world-ending “Sullied Child” dramatises the major tension between inclusive feminism and white-feministy exclusionary ‘feminists’ (especially TERFs) and foregrounds questions of gender and biological determinism. Particularly how fear and paranoia corrupt and skew even the most idealistic and principled of people. Dawson does a good job of maintaining the tension and sympathy towards all four of the protagonists; even when certain characters started to make objectively bad decisions, you can see where she's coming from (and why she's wrong). It made for a compelling but kind of depressing story. Unfortunately, for me, it took a while to get to that point, to the extent that I almost lost interest all together. That said, it does get exciting in the third act and the gender politics of the novel are interesting. However, the very last scene features a very effective plot twist that, unfortunately, is also a trope that I personally cannot stand, so I probably won't continue reading the series. That's a matter of personal taste, however, and isn’t a criticism of the book (or trope!) itself.

In short, I liked the concept and the ideas HMRC plays with though the execution of it dragged for me, especially in the first half. A plot twist revealed about a third to half way through the novel added a lot more intrigue and cast the personal politics of the main characters into a more interesting light, especially when certain characters started going off the rails. I'd recommend this book to fantasy fans who like some feminist political commentary in their fiction. And, of course, Nicola Coughlan’s narration was delightful; she does a great job of creating different voices and accents for the different characters. I would definitely pick up other audiobooks she narrates!

dont ask y why i waited so long to listen to this book!! i am absolutely baffled at myself. I absolutely loved this book.!! I am moving straight on to book 2. Juno has a way of writing her characters that just draws the rader in and keeps you gripped for the entire book!

Juno Dawson is a genius! Her Majesty's Royal Coven was written perfectly to encapsulate the modern, chaotic worldly experience with the magical. Nicola Coughlan was such a perfect choice for HMRC's narrator; she makes every character feel unique, and encapsulates the energy and emotion of every single scene. The dramatic twists and turns has me audibly gasping in shock at times - bring on the sequel!

One of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given. This was a delight from start to end. I hadn't expected how cozy it felt, and I loved the whole witchy vibe to the books. I also like how it tackled the issues presented however I will say if Babel's handling of its themes was a little too on the nose for you then this one might also have that issue. That being said I loved it for that. Dawson's writing was fantastic, and I loved how the transphobia bled into even the basic writing in one of the Pov chapters. Niamh as a protagonist was a fantastic lead, and her relationship to Theo, and the found family element I adored. I also loved her close group of friends (except 1) and I loved the bonds they had with each other. Overall this was a fantastic little read, that had a very interesting contemporary witchy world (very AHS coven, in the best way)

An incredible start to what will be a wonderfully action filled series. Taking on friendship, love, identity and responsibility this is a wonderful story and I look forward to see where the series goes.

A really good premise behind this book and really engaging storytelling. Some of the characters became confused for me but I liked the setting.

I enjoyed this novel that follows multiple members of a coven of witches in contemporary Britain, but it had its problems.

First, there were multiple characters to follow - 4 main ones really - but it made the beginning of the book very confusing to me. Listening to the audiobook (masterfully narrated by Nicola Coughlan) made it all the more confusing as you can't go back to see who did what. I actually re-listened to the first quarter of the book 3 times...which isn't a good sign...

The book is an interesting concept with the coven, but what we get for most of the plot is women fighting each other, not the supportive feminism vibes I was getting from the marketing. The demonisation of the trans character felt very relevant to current times and I enjoyed those politics and acceptance of this character, but I wish there'd been more positive bits about the relationship between all these women.

I think overall I would want to read the sequel, but my expectations might be lower...

I loved this book and the narrator was so easy to listen to, so I’d recommend it from that perspective. The world building was fantastic and I was definitely sucked in to their world, the women are so badass. Because I liked them so much I HATED the ending, to the point that it put me off reading the sequel! Not the narrator’s fault but whyyyyy did the author do that. It would have been five stars if it weren’t for that last little twist!

I apologise for taking so long to send this review but omg I loved this book I even brought the physical book and the second one. It was a loved the witchcraft and the humour that some parts actually made me laugh. But it was very compelling an can’t wait to read the next books

The concept of this book is so interesting but it was lost somewhere in the execution. The book is not fantasy/magic focused but acts as a socio-political commentary, with emphasis on institutional racism and transphobia. These topics were dealt with appropriately but a little subtlety or nuance would been better. It's so obvious and raging in it's narrative which left a sour taste in my mind.
The female friendship between the main characters was heartfelt. There's many queer characters, including a sapphic main couple. One of the primary characters is a young trans girl who plays an important role in the story.
Overall, a fun read which could improve upon it's narrative style.

Loved this! Full of action, character building and suspense!

I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the twist at the end. Looking forward to the sequel :)

I can not wait to read the sequel - finally something for grow ups HP fans. also, queer hp fans who grew up missing some magic in their life

Such a cool book! I have to admit from the get go that I’m a little put out by the ending (while avoiding spoilers, it’s a major cliffhanger and removes one of the main characters from the picture).

However, such a damn awesome concept and it just goes to show that fate is unavoidable, and by trying to avoid it you might just set things into motion which wouldn’t have ordinarily occurred.

I love LOVE that Juno included a trans storyline in the heart of this book. It was phenomenally done and felt so real, despite the obviously fantastical storyline.

I think in time, once the pain and shock of the ending has worn off, I’ll definitely come back to this series. Just need to heal a little first.

It’s been an age since I listened to an audio book and I’m so glad I broke my dry spell with this book.
I was engrossed right from the start and couldn’t wait to see how the whole story developed.

“Her Majesty's Royal Coven" by Juno Dawson is a captivating blend of magic, monarchy, and mystery. Juno weaves an intriguing tale of a secret coven within the royal family, adding an exciting twist to the traditional monarchy narrative. With well-developed characters and a richly imagined world, plus great narration the book kept me hooked until the very end. Dawson's writing style is engaging and immersive, making it a must-read for fans of fantasy and royal intrigue.

At this moment, not for me. (DNF)

Firstly, absolutely loved Nicola Coughlan as the narrator and secondly, this should have been the perfect book for me. I was ill and stuck in bed so ideal time to get lost in an audiobook. I’ve read quite a few books by Juna Dawson and enjoyed them.

I don’t know why this didn’t work out. I gave up at 15%, which is a good few hours of audiobook. I like the premise and I liked Niamh. There is a lot of pop culture references, and it just seems to take a while to get going. I’ve seen other reviews that they the second half of the book picks up pacing dramatically but at this moment that’s not big enough a carrot for me to spend another 10hrs listening to the audiobook. Maybe sometime in the future.

THE #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Juno Dawson is at the top of her game in this vibrant and meticulous take on witchcraft. Her characteristic wit and grit shine through'
Samantha Shannon

Hidden among us is a secret government department of witches known as Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.

They protect crown and country from magical forces and otherworldly evil, but their greatest enemy will come from within…

There are whisperings of a prophecy that will bring the coven to its knees, and four best friends are about to be caught at the centre.

Life as a modern witch was never simple … but now it’s about to get apocalyptic.

The storyline was unique and interesting, I was kindly given the opportunity to listen to the audiobook via #netgalley. I often struggle with the narrator. However, this was definitely not the case as it was brilliantly delivered and added extra dimensions to the characters.

What spoilt it for me was the constant and unnecessary language, I'm no prude, but I felt the swearing throughout was just totally unnecessary, and I found it really off-putting. I appreciate that the characters were relatively young and probably aimed at demonstrating immaturity, but did not need almost every sentence to include f*ck, in my opinion.

#HerMajestysRoyalCoven #NetGalley #junodawson

Juno Dawson's "Her Majesty’s Royal Coven" is an absolute must-read for anyone looking for a thrilling and bewitching journey into the world of witches and magic. The synopsis promises an epic story of ancient prophecies and modern dating, and it delivers in full force. Dawson's unique style of blending ancient magic with modern dating creates a truly captivating and immersive reading experience.

One of the standout features of this novel is the well-crafted characters, each with their own unique personalities and backstories. From the brave and loyal heroines to the cunning and ruthless villains, every character adds depth and intrigue to the story. Moreover, the world-building in this book is intricate and immersive, transporting readers to a mysterious and magical world hidden beneath the surface of our own.

As I listened to the audiobook, I found myself completely absorbed in the plot, unable to stop listening and eager to see what would happen next. Dawson's signature wit and grit shine through in every chapter, injecting humor and excitement into even the most intense scenes.

Overall, "Her Majesty’s Royal Coven" is a masterpiece of the sci-fi and fantasy genre, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling and captivating read. Whether you're a die-hard fan of magic and witchcraft or simply looking for a new adventure, this book is sure to cast a spell on you and leave you wanting more.

In an alternative modern day Britain, magic is governed by bureaucracy and politics. It is clearly designed to be compared to another witchy world, the parallels were striking. Her Majesty's Royal Coven is a much better alternative for today's world though because of the worldbuilding, diversity, intrigue and contemporary drama. Oh and let's not forget a touch of nostalgia with its 90s pop culture references. It was really good and I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy.

This was really great. I’m not sure anything I could say about it would really give a good idea of what it’s about.

I love the world Dawson created and how it relates to the current real world. How we struggle with difference and how people struggle with power and privilege and resist any perception of the loss of that power and perception, when that’s not what oppressed peoples and communities want.

It’s also a cracking good story.

The ending was a bit drawn out and unfortunately ends on a cliffhanger, so be prepared for that. Luckily the sequel is already out. I may just read it immediately.

The narrator (Nicola Coughlan) was fantastic and did all sorts of accents and inflections in addition to her native Irish.