This book continued to build on the characters we met in the first book; we see some powers grow, and others struggle with their powers, as well as meeting new characters and not knowing who can be trusted. There were twists and turns in this I did not see coming and it kept me on the edge of my seat. My only ‘complaint’ with this book is that I have to wait so long for the next book.

When I thought HMRC couldn't get better, Juno has absolutely gone and blown it out of the water. That ending?!? Talk about a cliffhanger. Superb characters, amazing world building, excellent story. This is fast becoming one of the favourite trilogies ever. I can't wait for the next one, get scribbling Juno

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for my gifted copy of this book!

HO👏🏽LY👏🏽 SH*T👏🏽 BALLS👏🏽

What a follow up to the amazing HMRC! I mean my heads 🤯

We join our friends after the battle of Hebden Bridge where not everyone is who they once were or should be.

I feel like this one starts out slightly less conspicuously however it has all the fantastic features that HMRC has.

I loved the acknowledgement that trans women no matter where they are in their transition can still take some getting used to being in their own skin. And like all of us women still question how they feel about certain situations and feelings they have.

I loved the travel to other lands and the albeit brief descriptions of other covens there.

There are so many parts that made me say “oh crap!” Or “OH MY GODDESS” but I don’t want to say what they are for fear of spoilers.

Let me just say that I am absolutely fuming that I have to wait for the next instalment 😭

Now I am even more excited to see what explosiveness the third book brings with it!

This was a brilliant follow up to Her Majesty's Royal Coven. Gripping from the beginning and well thought out in meaning. Can't wait for the third installment.

Juno Dawson has done it to me again, I think I need to have a lie down and an Anna nap after this. Yet again I’m on a cliffhanger with no idea when the next is going to be released, Whilst reading this I don’t think I caught my breath at all, the action, the reveals, story and twists and turns were just constant, I just couldn’t put it down and that final reveal, it’s going to kill me waiting for the next.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a great sequel to Her Majesty's Royal Coven. The character development in this book was great and I can't wait to see where these characters go next. The plot was compelling throughout and I really enjoyed seeing more of the world in this sequel. I definitely recommend checking this series out.

I honestly couldn't wait to read this as I loved the first book. And it truly didn't disappoint.

I absolutely love the story and all the characters. And cannot wait for the next book to find out what's next for the Coven.

The story is refreshing and a great spin on the traditional witch stories, but including lost of historical elements.

I don't want to spoil it for anyone but the story will truly grip you into wanting to find out what happens next. If you love audiobooks then its a fabulous listen with the brilliant Nicola Coughlan narrating.

After reading and loving the first book I couldn’t wait for this to be released.
It lived up to the first book and I cannot wait to see where this series goes. One of my new favourites!

Modern witches combined with ancient evils make this such a delight to read. The story is so accessible, I identify with the characters and the popular references, which make it fun to read as well.
The cast of characters are representative, flawed and badass.
This sequel really challenges assumptions, what you thought you knew about the covens and witches is wrong! I love how the ending of these books just makes my jaw drop,
Overall great story development and no middle book syndrome here.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

Yes! So happy that this second book lived up the the first! This was really good and justice the first kept me engaged and excited to read it throughout! The scenery setting, the characters with their different points of view the magic, thoroughly enjoyed!

What can I say? I loved this book so much! I originally started this series after receiving the first book in the Adult Fairyloot and was so excited to start this one after the cliffhanger of the first!

I think the story and characters developed so much more in this book and I was so impressed with how the twists and turns took us. I think Dawson approaches a very topical area with a fun and inclusive attitude which I completely loved! I’m so excited to see how this series progresses!

I loved how this book carried on from the last book. It tackles such in depth relevant issues and I think that is what makes this series a must read. I loved all the characters and the scene setting is immaculate!! Thank you so much for the eArc netgalley.

The Shadow Cabinet has absolutely managed to avoid 'middle book syndrome' and is thrilling the whole way through. Picking up immediately where the first book left off, there's immediate drama and tension as Ciara is trying to hide her identity and pretend to be her now-dead sister. Watching this through the perspectives of all the different characters both builds excellent tension and also twisted amusement as you see them write off these things rather than realise the truth - or Ciara rewrites it for them.

Something I think Dawson does really well throughout this series is using the multiple POVs to keep the reader included on everything that's happening and have the inside knowledge whilst still keeping the relevant characters in the dark, which enables you to keep the element of mystery but also that frustration where you know exactly what is needed to fix the problems but have to watch the narrative play out anyway.

I don't think there was a single POV in this book I didn't thoroughly enjoy - I loved getting to read Theo coming to grips with her new identity and continuing to work through past trauma, Ciara grappling with her sense of self and trying to work out both what happened and what kind of person she wants to be, and the twists of characters that both Elle and Luke went through, neither of which I would have expected but absolutely loved both.

To be expected, the last 10% was filled with so many twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat and I now can't wait for both the upcoming prequel novella and the final book in this trilogy.

Okay so I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy and this second instalment did not disappoint!!

In an effort to keep this spoiler free this will be a punchy review but all you need to know is that the action is ramped right up for this book! There’s plenty of nitty, gritty magic, demon worshipping, secret covens, magical artefacts, witch finders and some epic battles! All on top of what Juno did so perfectly in the first book by tackling a ton of contemporary issues within her fantasy world.

I loved being back with the main characters from book one as well as getting a few new POVs in this book. The very last page of this book made my jaw drop!! Give me book 3 now!!!

Thank you to Harper Voyager, Juno Dawson and NetGalley for my early review copy in exchange of a fair and honest review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this sequel after HMRC ended on such a mind blowing cliffhanger with one of my favourite characters not making it through.

I didn’t want to like Ciara at all but I suppose it’s a testament to Juno’s writing that I do. Juno is incredibly good at making it very clear that there is no such thing as good and evil, only bad choices vs good choices. Learning more of why Ciara came to be who she was really made me feel for her. It was great to get some of Theo’s pov in this book and understand the struggles she has with her new identity. It was also an interesting twist with Luke and I enjoyed seeing how other people view witches.

That ending though! Were the signs there for the twist? Yes but it still took me by surprise. I need the next book.

It's been a few days since finishing the shadow cabinet and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about it, maybe feels like a 3 star I think. I knew going in this would lack a certain someone ( keeping this spoiler free ) but I didn't expect the story to lose so much of what I loved about the first one because of it.

Without going into too much detail the things that let this down for me was the connection that Theo and Niamh had was so wonderful in the first book the found family trope was beautiful and it was definitely missing from this one and the main witches are off battling there own things which made me miss them so much as a group. Then there's Ciara who I did eventually come to like but not as much as Niamh.

I will say these all feel like me issues and not so much the book being at fault so I will rereading this in the future probably just before 3 comes out and I do think it will probably end up a 4 star maybe even 5 upon re-read because I adore these characters so much Her Majesty's Royal Coven is in my top 5 Favourite of this year and I'm so excited for where this series is going after that ending. I just think my expectations for this were maybe a bit too high so it ended up falling a little short.

Thank you so much to the publishers via netgalley for the e-arc which I voluntary reviewed.

Let’s get a few things out of the way first. The story deals with a transgender witch and while the plot isn’t centred on Theo’s journey, it is one of the main threads running through the story. There is also a fair amount of swearing – and we’re not talking about the minor curse words here. So if either or all of the above is offensive to you, then don’t pick it up – you won’t enjoy it.

That said, I generally don’t like the use of swearier language and yet this time around, I was okay with it. Because it was used in situations or by people who regularly resort to those words. Dawson is good at writing repellent characters. Also, the quality of the writing is superb. Her prose sings off the page in a welter of smart, original phrases that would be perfectly at home in a literary novel – except this is a fantasy adventure about a coven of witches confronted with coping in contemporary England.

As you might have gathered, there is nothing cosy about this read. Each of the main characters is confronting a major personal crisis – and it’s a testament to Dawson’s writing that I found each one completely absorbing. In the middle of the heart-stopping action, which is vividly depicted, I was always holding my breath – because Dawson isn’t afraid to off main characters I care about and I didn’t know who’d be safe and who isn’t.

I also very much appreciated how Dawson manages to comment upon the stress points in modern English society, without being remotely preachy. It’s clever and sharp and often wickedly funny. In fact, in a book full of terrible happenings and heartbreak, there is also laughter and a strong celebration of women’s friendship. You might have gathered by now that I loved this one. Any niggles or annoyances? Nope. I’m aware this won’t be for everyone, but it’s one of my favourite reads of the year so far. And I can’t wait to see what happens next to this group – particularly to poor Ciara, who I hated at the start of the book and I’m now rooting for. While I obtained an arc of The Shadow Cabinet from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10

The sequel to one of my favourite books last year and it did not disappoint! The cast of characters is great again, with some really fun nuances that really separate the characters and make them true individuals. Looking forward to part 3 already!

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. HarperVoyager for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Shadow Cabinet’ by Juno Dawson. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Irish actor, Nicola Coughlan.

This is Book 2 in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven Trilogy. The premise is that HMRC had been founded by Queen Anne Boleyn and throughout the centuries its member witches have used magic to protect Britain from various supernatural threats. I was pleased that Dawson opened with a few maps and a ‘Who’s Who’ that provided details of the trilogy’s characters and served as a handy reminder for returning readers.

Given that the trilogy has a continuous plot, the books do need to be read in order. As a result, just a few details for context in order to avoid spoilers for both novels.

The first novel, ‘Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, had focused on the fortunes of five friends, each a witch. As teenagers they identified with the Spice Girls. Now in their thirties, Helena had risen to become High Priestess of HMRC; Leonie had left HMRC to found Diaspora, a inclusive coven for witches of colour; Elle had embraced a mundane life as a housewife and mother; Niamh had semiretired and become a vet; while her identical twin sister, Ciara, has been in a coma for nine years.

The narrative follows their differing responses to a prophecy about a ‘Sullied Child’ and the novel had ended with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger.

Book 2 opens with a flashback thirty-five years previously as Miranda, the mother of the twins travels to the island of Inishmaan in Galway, Ireland. She is there to consult Old Biddy Needles and receives a chilling prediction about her unborn daughters. Then we rejoin the action in the present day, shortly after the events in ‘Her Majesty’s Royal Coven’.

As in Book 1 the narrative point of view moves between various characters. These and their locations are indicated at the start of each chapter. There are also the occasional flashbacks that fills in details about characters and events.

I found ‘The Shadow Cabinet’ a more satisfying read than ‘Her Majesty’s Royal Coven’. The quibbles I had remain - in the form of the witches teleporting and flying and the use of the term ‘warlock’ being used rather than the gender neutral term ‘witch’ for all practitioners of witchcraft. (Warlock is a term reserved for oath breakers). Still, I had come to terms with these aspects of the trilogy before embarking on Book 2 as after all the author is writing fantasy in the vein of ‘Charmed’ and other pop culture portrayals of witches.

However, I was pleased that Dawson had chilled on the more political aspects of the first novel and focused more upon the women, their loved ones, and community. There’s still plenty of action along the way and some great revelations. The teenage characters do seem to take a back seat in this volume though there were some indications that they will have a bigger role in Book 3.

Juno Dawson ends with another fantastic cliffhanger that left me wanting the next book in my hands. While at present there’s no publication date for ‘HMEC: Human Rites’, I will be looking out for news of it.

With respect to rating, ‘The Shadow Cabinet’ was a solid 4 stars, though again I so appreciated Nicola Coughlan’s narration of its audiobook edition to give it 4.5 stars, which I have rounded up to 5.

I had the opportunity to read Her Majesty’s Royal Coven previously so when I saw the Shadow Cabinet was available I jumped at the chance to continue the series.
Personally for me, this sequel was even better than the first book. The character growth continued, we saw depth to them all, and individual quirks which were missing in the first book. I also felt there was a more tangible plot which developed steadily and has various subplots interwoven through it too. The younger characters were so much more developed. Lastly there were some really interesting twists which were unexpected and left some further questions. The end did not shock me, it had been an undercurrent throughout but I definitely want to read the third one too now.