This was a compelling and fast paced story with some well developed and fascinating characters and a great plot. I loved the premise of a coven of witches employed by the British Government to deal with supernormal issues and then this was built upon to flesh out a magical world of witches, warlocks, demons, civil war and apocalyptic visions that I really enjoyed. At heart, this is a story about sisterhood and acceptance and I found the relationships between our four key witches nuanced and interesting. I also loved the setting (being a Yorkshire girl myself)! My one criticism is that at times, the narrative did read a bit like a YA novel with swear words, but that never impacted my enjoyment too much. Overall, I would definitely recommend this and will be eagerly anticipating the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

HMRC follows four childhood friends as they navigate life as witches is a world where they must be kept secret and in the aftermath of a civil war that rocked their magic communities. As new threats rise, they must figure out who to trust and what to fight for or risk losing everything.

This is such a good book, I think it would have been quite easy to have a group of witches fighting evil be a YA book - and that would have been fantastic and just as good a book, I’m sure - it’s nice to see something of this vibe targeted at adults too. The worldbuilding is great, complex and sophisticated, fun and unique takes on old tropes and common themes, and I loved the political aspects of the plot too. It was really well paced and the tension was high throughout the whole book.

My one slight niggle was that sometimes I got a little confused between the characters. This could have totally been my fault for not paying attention enough to the audiobook, or down to the narrator and the way she voiced the characters, but I think they could have done with a little something to make their voices a little more unique. However, I loved how messy and complicated the friendships and histories between the characters were, and I really enjoyed the dialogue and pop culture references that were dotted throughout.

And I can’t review this book without talking about realistically it was written with regards to the trans character, in particular certain characters views and actions towards them. In the shit show of online nonsense that we see from one particular writer of magic, this is a very welcome antidote and the trans positive witchy book everyone needs to read to counteract that hate.

Altogether, an amazing book and I’m so excited for the next one in this series!!

It took me a few attempts to get into this read, but I'm so glad I persevered. Once I got passed all the characterS and was able to individualise them this book was ultimately a thrilling tale of acceptance through the guise of badass witches and other worldly battles.

I had a really good time with this book but it did take me a little bit of time to get in to it. I had to reread the first 100 pages as I felt like I had just not taken it in properly. Once I had done that I was very invested in the story and that ending has definitely left me wanting more! I appreciated the conversations that were had in this book that were really relevant to the real world even in this more fantasy setting.

Really on the fence about this one, it reads like chick-lit with a side of witches which just isn't for me.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK and the author.

I love Juno Dawson and there was lots of what makes her excellent in this book, however it did take me a long time to get into it and ultimately I don’t think fantasy books are my thing.

I really wanted to like this book. The concept is fantastic and usually Dawson can pull this off. For me, it fell flat. The plot felt off and the pacing wasn't for me. A shame as this author is usually one of my faves.

This is Juno Dawson's first book for older readers after several YA titles - and as far as I'm aware, her first foray into proper SFF. While this is one that has been polarising in my circles, it is one that worked really well for me. Set around a government organisation in the UK, a coven in this case, it draws on and is in conversation with current British politics and transphobic developments. This makes HER MAJESTY'S ROYAL COVEN a very localised book in many ways, I think, rooting it in sentiments permeating British society right now, and not necessarily travelling very well. It may not resonate as well with readers outside of the UK as they will not have been party to the same discussions - and that to me, is where this book's beauty lies. It takes current affairs, and packs that rage and, to an extent, helplessness, in a story about empowerment and magic. It is compelling and nuanced, and unlike most things on the market right now. Do read it and form your own opinion!

The way Her Majesty’s Royal Coven has been marketed makes it seem a feminist, fun, edgy, fresh read and I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, and I’m so disappointed to say this, the book wasn’t anything like I was imagining. The plot is essentially about the UK based coven, HMRC, trying to prepare for the attack of the demon Leviathan, the prophecy of The Sullied Child, and the destruction of witches. When HMRC capture and bring in Theo, a very magical child, a former member of the coven, Niamh, is brought into help to discover whether they are in fact the doom facing the coven.

I’ll start with the positives first:
- The concept is interesting, the UK coven, the historical revisions of Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I etc with witchcraft, it’s well built up and has a lot of potential.
- The representation in the book - I don’t particularly think it’s a huge spoiler but Theo identifies as being trans, this is revealed partway through the book. I have more to say on this all in the negatives in the way that it was down however I also understand that not enough books, or in fact authors, can be so honest about real issues, and create characters that are not just the standard white, cis, and write dialogue that may even challenge some readers.
- Lastly, I adored Niamh, she’s a vet who starts the book speaking to an old horse, telling the horse it’s ok to pass away and leave their owner, and it’s a really tender moment that instantly made me love her. She has an interesting backstory, losing a fiancé, she’s maternal but fiery, she’s Irish (and even more Irish when she’s angry) and she’s an all round badass, and I really enjoyed her romance with Luke

That said, here come the negatives:
- this book is marketed as feminist, a sisterhood of powerful women, however it also falls into a depressing cliche of women clashing and fighting each other - while groups of women do in fact work together, it’s actually to fight other women, why didn’t feel as empowering as I’d hoped. Why so powerful, successful women always have to compete and fight?? The book follows a group of women who have known each other since school; Helena, Niamh, Elle and Leonie.
- while the book is feminist, it’s also, at times, really unhelpfully misandrist. There are only a handful of male characters in this book, Luke is very sweet but he’s a prop, not a supporting character, in fact no male character is really given any depth or feels very real. The warlocks seem kinda redundant, I’m fact the only promising male character is Hale. Of the 2 husbands referenced in this book, dead and alive, one is a cheat and one was abusive. Men are casually blamed for most things in this book and, of course, as a feminist I recognise the role of patriarchy in both current and historical suffering of women, it doesn’t always feel helpful.
- the writing style, I don’t know if Juno was doing this for some particular reason but the pop culture references were just too much, literally I was just rolling my eyes come the end. There’s quite a common Spice Girls theme, with the group of women often compared to each member, it starts off mildly cute, it gets old real quick. My main issue with pop culture is how it ages the book, yes it highlights that these are women clinging on their past together, that’s why so many references are stuck in the 90’s, but this doesn’t matter to a reader, a reader who might not know what Geri’s UN Ambassador look looked like or who Stephen Gately was. There was also a reference to Nicole Kidman’s post-divorce face which is VERY specific and will probably not age well. Alongside all this, the specific references continue into the descriptions to the point I thought maybe Juno was getting sponsorships. They’re not just eating crisps, they’re eating M&S crisps, they’re not just sitting on a sofa, it’s an ikea sofa, not just a supermarket, it’s a Sainsburys, Elle doesn’t just put on some pants, she puts on Kate Hudson’s Fabletics yoga pants, it’s just cringe the more the book goes on.
- the ending - this ending, without giving spoilers, reads like the most lazy, most dissatisfying, most wtf ending that changes everything in 1 paragraph (with a terrible last line) and that 1 paragraph is enough for me not to bother with the sequel.
- Now here’s the big one. I’ll start by making it very clear, I’m an ally, I have zero issue with reading about trans people and the representation is one of the few positives in this book. However I didn’t love the approach the book took. There is no mention that this book is essentially a political message of whether a trans girl can be in an all woman coven, and I don’t necessarily know who the audience is. There are repetitive, passionate, aggressive conversations and arguments between characters about how trans women are women, and a transphobic character who refuses to believe it. The POV from the terf is difficult to spend time with, it must be triggering to some people. Also it’s disappointing that Theo doesn’t get a POV, yes possibly this changes in the 2nd instalment but in this book really all Theo’s character comes down to is being trans, we don’t hear how she feels or learn much else about her which was such a shame.
- There are also numerous attempts at addressing racism into this book, again it feels quite forced, at one point, in an exchange between Leonie and her partner Chinara about Helena, we get the line “they’d underestimated a vindictive white woman” - yes Helena is white and boy is she vindictive but I don’t know, it just felt out of place and distracting, especially by a white author in a scene not motivated by racism. I’d feel this theme more natural an inclusion if Leonie had been written with more depth, she has broken away from the HMRC coven as it’s so white centred she didn’t feel represented or like she belonged so she created her own inclusive coven. That alone should be exciting and interesting, this additional coven, and yet we know so little about it, in a book arguing that it’s always about white people and white magic.
- Lastly, the characters. Like above with Leonie and Theo, they just don’t always feel believable or explored enough. Niamh is, yes, but Helena turns into a dastardly villain and it made no sense to me. Literally one moment Niamh and Helena are saving each other in a fight with another witch, then Helena is plotting death. She can push past the darkness to know to save her daughter, the love in her still there, but not her sister like friends? And throwing in a random, unexplored abuse backstory? What’s with that??

I really wanted to like HMRC, like I said the potential was so strong and a lot of people clearly did like it and I’m glad for them. But it just wasn’t for me. I know this is the first in a series so of course many of my criticisms could be explained or rectified in future instalments, such as Leonie and Theo’s development. Unfortunately the ending just put me off giving it a go (unless I read a spoiler to find out IT WAS ALL A TRICK)

In more positive news, the audio book is really well done. Nicola Coughlan narrates this story and she’s a master at getting the accents on the page, I sometimes struggle with an audio book for that very reason, hearing someone trying too hard to sound like different characters, but she’s a natural and it’s actually really relaxing and enjoyable listening to her!

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for my honest review

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

I've read a few of Dawson's books, my first being the Wonderland, and that made me desperate to try her other works. When I found out she was writing her first adult novel, I was intrigued. When I found out it was going to be about witches, I was SOLD!!

And she didn't disappoint.

Witch books have been a growing trend recently, and one I am loving. It's great seeing new life being brought into the narrative today, and I devoured this book in a span of a few days. The themes of sisterhood, bigotry and friendship are handled so well, and the twists and turns the story takes leaves you on edge until the very last page, and even then you'll be begging for more.

While there is a growing narrative arch in the background, I liked how Dawson took the time to focus on out group of friends, learning about their lives and their personalities. It helped to ground the story in reality, as it can be easy to get lost in the magic of things to remember that the characters are the driving force, but you never lose who is the focus of this story. You see their struggles and their hardships and how it leads to divisions, but you still see the fun times where they are enjoying their witchy lives.

This is one of my favourite books of the year, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next instalment. Dawson has truly and utterly bewitched me.

I enjoyed HMRC, but admittedly not as much as I usually love Dawson's stories. The whole story felt a little too unrealistic and long for me.

As young girls, Helena, Elle, Leonie and Niamh joined HMRC, a secret government department founded by Queen Elizabeth I. Decades later, Helena is High Priestess of the coven but the others have left the outdated organisation behind. Now a powerful warlock has been captured by authorities and causes a huge problem for Helena. Can the four witches come together to do what’s right? Or will tradition be more important? This heart-rending, unique witch book explores transphobia and sisterhood. There are some great characterisations, dealing with themes of bigotry, acceptance and fighting for what’s right. It leaves us on a huge cliffhanger too, so I can’t wait for the next instalment!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really excited to read this and it didn't disappoint. A hidden coven that works adjacent with the government? Yes, please. However, I would have liked to see more of that, more of how the coven works alongside the government instead of just being their to keep witches in line so to speak. I really enjoyed the magic system too. It wasn't too difficult to follow. Having been born and raised in London and now living in Leeds, I also appreciated that I knew where some of the locations this was set it. It helped me better visualise the story.

It's multiple POV which I love in a book, but I think there may have been too many cooks in this kitchen. It was often hard to remember where one character left of by the time the POV went back to them.

This book is set around a group of 5 young girls and then it jumps to who they are in present day. From the beginning it was obvious who the Villain was going to be I would have just liked to have seen a bit more on how she got to that point. Leonie, a POC lesbian witch, seemed to only have those two character traits which was a bit frustrating. There's more to a character than their ethnicity and sexuality. I also think as a friendship group they weren't good friends to Elle. At least two of the group knew that her husband was sticking it in to someone else and willingly chose not to tell her. That didn't sit right with me at all. As her friends they should have told her so she doesn't get blindsided.

This book explores a number of important topics including; White cishet privilege. Transphobia. The representation for the LGBTQ+ community and I think the approach to these topic was beautifully done. I think the approach to the character of Theo was done incredibly well. We don't often see teens going through the whole 'trying to figure out who you are and what you want stage', so to see it here with Theo was really great. Especially because Theo's journey is a lot more than that.

The ending, although I kind of knew it was going to somewhat go that way, was still frustrating to me! And I absolutely need to know what's going to happen in the next book. Overall I really enjoyed this book, was there too many pop culture references? Yes there was but I enjoyed them all the same. Whilst there are aspects of this book that could definitely be improved on, I think the approach to the political and social issues was done well, the pacing of this was really good and a majority of the characters were written well. 5 stars.

A terrific tale for Dawson who writes like she's telling you a story in your favourite bar as you sit sipping warming tonics by a crackling fire. He prepared to spit said tonic everywhere as there are a few surprises.

Oh my god I love Juno so much and I was so excited for this book.However, I just don't think I'm the target audience! I prefer her teen stuff which is a little more lighthearted and humorous. Having said all that - I enjoyed the book, just not my fave Juno!

Her Majesty's Royal Coven was a captivating book with many points of view that kept me glued to the page from beginning to end. I really liked the setting and the idea of different societies standing for different things.
One of the points of view was unbearable to read but I think that just made the whole book more interesting.
I also found the characters captivating, there were all very different and layered, though at the very beginning, since I was listening to this, I kept confounding two of them. But that didn't last very long.
I thought it made some very interesting points and I'm really interested in seeing where things go next. Definitely a great adult debut for Juno.

Before I get into this, I want to suggest you seek out other reviews for Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, specifically reviews from Black and trans folks. Juno Dawson herself is trans, and it influences the book quite heavily. There is a Black woman POV character, and as always it’s important to read the voices of others when a book like this deals so heavily with identity. That said, there are also content warnings for the book, including a lot of deadnaming and misgendering. One of the POV characters is a flat out TERF, and at times it makes for uncomfortable reading. But this is really a very good book, and I’m going to tell you why.

Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle are witches, and at a young age they take an oath to join Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. As young women, the four girls find themselves on the front lines of a civil war among witches. Still reeling from the war, they go their separate ways – Helena becomes the High Priestess, Leonie starts her own inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora, Niamh is a country vet and Elle is pretending to be a normal housewife. But years later, and another threat is on the horizon, one that draws the women back briefly back together, but the questions over the threat drive them apart once more, including what link the teenage Theo has to the so-called ‘Leviathan’.

I have to admit, I was a bit uncertain about the book for the first section. But once Theo is introduced, the book really picks up. It’s a story of friendship, survival, gender, and letting go, and an excellent reflection of the lengths some people will go to to keep the status quo. It’s hard not to read it and feel it’s a rebuttal to Harry Potter. This is what that world could be, in a sense, while retaining elements of it and having the characters challenge the rigid, unending world in which Hogwarts lives. In this world, witches and warlocks are separated, with witches being more powerful than their male equivalents, and the HRMC feeling very much like the Ministry of Magic. Even the language used feels like it’s leaning towards the Wizarding World while skirting around it – mundane instead of muggles, for example. And with the comparisons, Dawson has created a world that will very much appeal to those who loved HP and Hogwarts but hate what the author has become.

There are very uncomfortable moments in this book, but uncomfortable in a way we allies have to sit with and acknowledge. The bitterness and anger exhibited by the witches who do not want a teenage trans girl joining the coven is very much taken from real life TERFs, and is underscored, too, in the way Leonie and her own coven are treated by the establishment. Things in this world are complicated and messy and each of the POV characters are dealing with their own trauma. Dawson invites us to understand the actions committed by bigoted characters, and outlines how they get this way, without ever excusing it, and it works so well. This is a really good book, that uses very real-world events to emphasise what the women here are facing.

HMRC is definitely worth reading, not just for the issues it tackles but because Dawson creates an intriguing, wonderful narrative in this world, that sweeps the reader away while forcing us to look at our own actions and thoughts, as well as others, and showing the power in tackling evil.

Following the lives of a group of witches from teenagers to grown women, some of who work for Her Majesty's Royal Coven. A secret society who work side by side with the government. The time has come when a prophecy of a child who will bring forth a war is being brought to life and those witches in the HMRC call for help from their friends who chose a gentler way of life, healers or just being a mother and house wife to assist in changing the future. While it was a pretty good story of the importance of friends. I felt the witches aspect was circumstantial. However, I will be recommending it to those who don't normally read horror and want a witchy book with drama

Thank you so much to NetGalley, HarperCollinsUK and Juno Dawson for this digital copy!

THIS BOOK!

Excuse me but Her Majesty's Royal Coven is everything! And it may even be one of my favourites of 2022 so far, if not my outright favourite?! I am completely blown away by the entire thing. The friendships, the sisterhood, the magic, all of the representation, the magical world building, the pop culture references, the action! I honestly cannot convey how much I adored it from the first page to the last. Just wow.

I was a little worried going into this as I wouldn't tend to read a lot of fantasty/magical books but HMRC flowed from chapter to chapter. It was so engaging and really brought you on an emotional rollercoaster. There is definitely a lot to unpack here in terms of gender, identity, race and class, all against a magical background. It is so well written and laid out. The characters are each their own person and I loved going on this journey with them. And that last chapter?! One of the biggest cliffhangers I've had in a while! I can't deal. I need book two like yesterday!

* Please research any trigger warnings before reading *