“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.

This is a book I would have adored when I was a teenager. There’s a strong focus on sisterhood which I loved and it had fantastic lgbtq+ representation which I feel is missing from a lot of young adult fantasy. I also really loved the Yorkshire setting, being from there myself I could vividly picture some of the descriptions. I just feel like it felt ever so slightly too adolescent for me, which isn’t a critique on the book itself but just on my ability to connect with it on the level I wanted. I think Juno is an incredible writer and the narrator Nicola Coughlan really brought this book to life !

I truly enjoyed this. The story was fantastic and went in a direction I wasn't anticipating at all. The audiobook was really well done as well. Loved the narrator, really brought the characters to life. Very excited for The Shadow Cabinet

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this story! I really wish I had, but it wasn’t for me. I loved the premise, the narrator was brilliant.
Hence why I’m not giving it a low rating!

This band wagon is so full to bursting already that my input won't even make the wheels wobble, but I'll jump on board anyway.

The audiobook for this novel is sensational - I am so pleased that I listened to it rather than read the "tree" book because it made the experience so much better. The story premise is fun, witchy and feminist with a catalogue of likeable characters, clashing cabals and covens, and a little bit of romance. I wouldn't say it was at all like the stories the blurb claims it's similar to - unless having witches is all it requires to be a similar book - and actually this does a disservice to the complexity of the story because it really is quite different to anything I've read before, particularly with such a large cast.

Having said that, I'm ready to jump off the band wagon now purely because, despite the incredible narration and easy writing style, there was no real connection for me with the characters. They're well developed, although simple in design, they're likeable too, but I just didn't like any of them enough to want to revisit them. I think some of the language used in the book was a bit unnecessary and detracted from my enjoyment a bit (I sound so stuffy and old, I promise I'm not!) and the story wasn't something I'm excited to revisit again sadly.

So, not for me overall but I still had a really fun ride.

I did enjoy this and I loved the story. I'm not some of the swear words were necessary and I'm really not a fan of the c word. If I had read this, rather than listened I may not have been so bothered but it definitely put me off any more by the same author. Well written and a good story though.

Four Stars!

Such an interesting modern day look at witches through the eyes of diversity and gender.

I absolutely adored Nicola's narration of the book. She gives every character such a distinct voice and brings so much vibrancy to the story.

The levels of representation in this novel is hugely commendable. There is quite a bit of LGBT representation, with Leonie being a lesbian and Theo a trans witch. From the small snippets of their relationship we see I loved seeing Leonie and her girlfriend together. Of course, there are some difficult moments to read, and a lot of transphobia which is quite difficult reading. On a much smaller note, I loved that Niamh was Irish. It's a pull factor in books for me, especially when done well.

Fantasy is not usually my genre, which is a reason I had some trepidation going into this book. There was nothing to fear. I've loved Juno's contemporaries, and this was just as impactful and beautifully written.

I can't wait for the second instalment. Maybe I am a fantasy fan after all...

Thank you for this advanced reader copy.

This is fantastic. Completely original and so unlike anything else I've read/listened to. I loved the narrator and how she was able to completely change her voice for the different characters. Eagerly waiting for the next instalment!

I found the concept of a government funded witch coven quite camp and fun and enjoyed the satirical use of bureaucracy and red tape which makes the magical mundane. I thought this was a good way to explore how institutions operate, particularly those of the UK, and criticise their fundamental flaws and prejudices. I found it empowering that women were dominant in this particular field. Although this book promised magic and conflict with dark forces, I found that to be secondary to the political satire. I appreciate the book as a response to JK Rowlings transphobia by centering a trans girl in a world of witches, but I don’t feel that is how the book is advertised. Maybe it is designed that way as a Trojan horse to introduce possible JK fans to the reality of transphobia and trans rights.

I loved the concept of this book but it fell very short for me.

However, I did really like the narration! Read the book beautiful, accents were prefect.

I really enjoyed this book and I’m so intrigued to see where the story goes. It did take me a little bit of time to get into it at first but after the first 100 pages I was invested. And after that ending I cant wait for book 2.
I also really loved the narrator.

A gorgeously intimate story of friendship and sisterhood.

And honestly, a secret coven of witches is as good an explanation of the world since 2016 as any I've seen

A brilliant start to the Royal Coven series. Dawson wove a brilliant web for readers to get caught up in. I was gripped from the start needing to uncover the witchy secrets and find out what would happen.

I finished this book over a month ago (sorry for the slow review) and I am still thinking about it. I have had the hardback for a while but hadn’t gotten to it, but when I saw the audiobook narrated by the one and only Nicola Coughlan, I just had to nab it on Netgalley. I was not disappointed.

Even if you’re not into fantasy, I guarantee you can get into this book. With a chaacter base who grew up in the 90s, facing similar societal issues to us now, but from a witchy perspective; it was so easy to become immersed in their world as if it was a friends story you were catching up on over coffee.

The story is well paced, littered with pop culture references and zingy one liners, and it genuinely made me snort laugh out loud on the train to work multiple times - which is a feat in itself on the London Underground.

Dawson has created an array of nuanced characters dealing with personal and community responsibilities in different ways and Coughlin brought them to life beautifully in the audiobook.

The second book in this series is due out in June 2023 and I think I’ll be nabbing myself a Hardcover and the audiobook. This is the modern, feminist coven that we all need right now.