I adored this book and its audio narration. Upon finishing, I was compelled to listen to it again immediately. "Queen B" is a sapphic adventure tale centered on a coven of witches linked to Anne Boleyn during the period leading up to and just after her execution. The mix of both new and recognizable characters from Henry VIII's court is well-executed, and knowledge of the historical context is not necessary to enjoy the story. It's brisk and vibrant.

I really wanted to love this, and while I really liked some parts of it, the overall story felt lacking.

Nicola Coughlan narrates the audiobook and she does this perfectly. I actually feel like if it weren't for her stellar narration, I may have DNF'd it, which would've been a shame.

I understand why some reviewers are upset about how Anne Boleyn is represented, but I didn't mind this until towards the end. Let's just say there's a ritual which doesn't portray witches in the best way.

However, my main issue is with the plot (or lack thereof) and the character development. A lot of the chapters felt like unfinished snippets of a bigger story, so I struggled to really connect to what was happening and the characters didn't feel thoroughly developed. There were also quite a lot of characters for such a short book, which made it difficult for me to keep track.

All of that said, there were some pretty good scenes and the potential for so much more. It's definitely given me a taste for the series and I want to read more.

Overall, it didn't feel like a complete story, but there were a lot of good elements.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ALC

First thoughts about this book - "awww it's only a novella?!?" Secondly - how the hell did Juno Dawson manage to rewrite Tudor history into a sapphic witchcraft story in under 200 pages?!? The HMRC series is one of my absolutel favourites and this fit in perfectly as a historical segue before the final book of the trilogy (the cliffhanger at the end of book two was BRUTAL!!). The same wit and humour appears even in a historical setting and the story flips between time periods - from just after Anne Boleyn has been beheaded and the decade before this when her ladies in waiting were forming a coven and she was attempting to attract the atention of Henry VIII. As usual, Nicola Coughlan's narration is PERFECT and fits so well into this world of witchcraft and women.

I think as a Novella this is fine and fun, but I think I've come to expect so much more from Juno Dawson (again it is a Novella and there's only so much you can do). I genuinely LOVE the audiobooks for these though, I think Nicola Coughlan is the perfect narrator for these. It's filled a small hole for the Coven, but I'm so excited for the series to continue!

3.25⭐

This short prequel was okay. It wasn't as good as the two books in the main series.

The plot was lackluster and I probably would have preferred if it was told on a linear timeline, so the tension and romantic elements stayed consistent and easier to follow/invest in.

While I liked this book less that the main ones, finding it to be too rushed, I have to say that the historical aspect was done pretty well and Juno’s writing was amazing as usual.

As for the audiobook itself, Nicola was absolutely amazing!

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this book in return for an honest review!

3.5 stars. You have to suspend your disbelief for this one but once you do, its absolutely brilliant. I wish this had been a feature length book, we could have included scenes such as the field of the cloth of gold, the exploration of Anne's fashion or the rise of the Boleyn family as they could all have been accomplished with witchcraft. Thats the nature of a novella though, which is why I'd love a feature length! This book is researched well, with the ending of Kat being a very lovely touch. The writing and narratives were very approachable even if you have no knowledge of the tudor court in the 1530s. I also enjoyed the view of anne through anothers eyes, I will say however, the perpetuation of the miscarriage 'serpent like' myth wasn't my favourite, regardless of it being included in a more celebratory fashion.

Women in this era were victims of misogyny everywhere they turned, so to have a coven of women that historically speaking didn't have the easiest lives or ends is very cathartic- the idea of using magic to escape certain fates exciting. Im not usually a witchy person but this spoke to me across the centuries.
I hadn't read any other books by this author so its brilliant to have a stand-alone such as this. Very enjoyable!

*3.5* A sapphic, witchy retelling of Anne Boleyn and her ladies and waiting - the origin story of HMRC.

It follows HMRC and The Shadow Cabinet nicely, but it's definitely a lighter read - still fun, and I enjoy how Dawson pulled on 16th Century rumours of Anne Boleyn's supposed witchcraft for the narrative (although if you're a serious historian you might not!).

I would have liked a little more character development - I never really engaged with the characters enough to be totally engrossed, but I still had a good time.

Nicola Coughlan did a lovely job as the narrator of the audiobook.

A fun and interesting take on the beheading of Anne Boleyn, with some other Henry VIII wives featuring as well, amongst her coven and her ladies in waiting,

A story of love and betrayal and a very cleverly crafted blend of fact and fiction.

I haven’t read the other books in this series and this worked well for me as a standalone. The narration by Nicola Coughlan was excellent.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Juno Dawson and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

first of all, nicola coughlan's narration is always a delight.

the book itself is good and a fun dive into history, meeting many historical figures. there's plenty of yearning and vengeance throughout - i just wish this was a novel rather than a novella to properly show the relationships develop.

I loved this book, and the audio narration. I finished it and immediately wanted to relisten to it right away. Queen B is a sapphic adventure story about the coven of witches around Anne Boleyn in the time leading up to and immediately following her execution. It's especially timely for fans of My Lady Jane and also of the play, Emilia. The balance of new and familiar figures from Henry VIII's court is great, but doesn't impact the story if the history is unfamiliar. It's pacy and full of energy. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast paced adventure fiction/fantasy.

Thank you to Juno Dawson and NetGalley for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fine tale and I understood why Dawson wanted to write it in terms of adding to the HMRC lore but, sadly it didn't really add much for me and, in comparison to the first two books in the series, this felt more like a slog. I hoped to find something redeeming but for the most part, my most enjoyable part of this book was that it was more of a novella than a full story.

The writing, as always, was impeccable but it lacked something that can usually be found in a Dawson book.