HMRC is a book filled with a tonne of great elements. The social topics regarding the LBGT community were very relevant to the current state of real life. Issues that are really important to be spoken about. I loved the book for this. My only complaint is I would've liked some more actual magic and witchy feels. I will definitely read the sequel. Overall very enjoyable.

ok conceptually, this was a really cool premise for an urban low fantasy. i was especially hopeful about queer and POC representation within a magical community.

however, the way that this book was written felt extremely “othering” in regards to diverse representation. 3/4 of the main characters are all cishet white women. the 4th is the token black biracial lesbian that covers a whole bunch of diversity in one fell swoop. and of course, harmful stereotypes (deadbeat black father, angry black woman, etc.) are perpetuated. any other diverse character, queer or POC alike, are very minor and underdeveloped side characters who are just carelessly written. (one of these side characters is non-binary and referred to as a “queen” in the very first sentence that they’re established as non-binary)

Really enjoyed the book with a different magic system that I've read before. The book deals with more mature themes and definitely very political in both the book setting and also bleeds over into real life. This book makes you consider people's opinions from different points of view. It’s mainly set in a small English town where witch Niamh is trying to live a normal life as a vet who may dabble with magic whilst trying to forget the war that witches fought years before. Niamh is asked by HMRC to look after a young warlock who has more natural power than they should. The book is filled with past localities, betrayal and also is full of feminism.

4 stars

[TBA: I received an ARC of the audiobook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I was not prepared for how much I liked this book!

Granted, it took me a little while to get into it and to make sense of all the characters, but at about a fifth of the way in, I was utterly invested.

We’re following the lives of four out-of-touch childhood friend witches in contemporary England, each of them with their own issues to deal with. But when a prophecy forecasts the rise of the demon Leviathan through the help of a young warlock with extraordinary capabilities, their world is about to be turned on its head.

Witches and intersectional feminism - what more could you want from a low urban fantasy? The book touched on so many topics, particularly trans issues, which were explored well. Not to mention all the millennial pop culture references that made me feel right at home.

The characters were great - well rounded and very easy to care about and/or be intrigued by. They were given additional depth by the wonderful Nicola Coughlan who narrated the audiobook I listened to. (Not only does she have a lovely voice, but she also does accents very well.)

I genuinely can’t wait for the next instalment of the series because I’m dying to know how the story unfolds!

Fast paced and well written, modern story of witches, womanhood, friendship and power.
We follow the story from the point of view of 4 friends - witches, who years ago joined the coven and sworn an oath to protect it. Years later after a civil war they grew apart but strange and dangerous events bring them together once again.

With thanks to Juno Dawson and Harper Collins for an advanced audio copy of this book.

5*

I loved this audiobook! I'm really glad I chose to listen to it rather than read, the narrator brings so much life and love to the story.

The powerful but subtle undertones of race, oppression and the all to present glass ceiling add a level of depth to what is a world full of fun characters, laughs, and dry wit. I especially love the "they see HMRC and continuing walking by", living in the UK that tickled me a lot.

Very much looking forward to the next instalment.

This is very much a me problem but I’m struggling! I’m quite a few chapters in and I still have no idea what’s going on. I’ve had to skip back a couple of times but it hasn’t helped. It’s definitely an issue with me and not the book because I’m really enjoying the narrator and the content! What I’ve heard so far I really like! It’s my first experience of Juno Dawson but I like her writing style and it’s translating well to audiobook.

I just don’t know what’s wrong with me, I think I’m just not in the right mood to try to read this genre right now.
I already have a hardback copy of this book and I’ll definitely be buying it on audible too (because I love the narrator) so IT WILL BE READ! Now is just not the time unfortunately.

I’m going to rate it 4 stars despite not finishing it because I think when I am able to read it, I’m going to love it and because the narrator is fantastic!

I won’t be sharing this review anywhere else, I’ll wait until I finish it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

4.25/5

The audiobook version of this was absolutely phenomenal - with fantastic narration that brings the characters to life.

HMRC follows the complex friendship of five women, who part of a secret minority of witches and warlocks living in modern UK. I loved the divergence between the two covens - HMRC & Diaspora.

The plot was well paced. I did find that there was some moments that were slightly disjointed, and I lost track of what was happening to who and where, but that could be more related to how I listen to audio than the story itself. However the ending of then novel packed such a punch that even going in aware of the spoilers, it still delivered and left me hungry for more!

The discussion on gender and belonging was engaging and moving. It is nicely balanced with plentiful 90s references.

I would love to see a spin off based on the five’s youth in the 90s, in the lead up to the war.

Would recommend if you like; The Power (Naomi Alderman).

TW: Transphobia.

Absolutely adore the narrator! She has a beautiful tone to her voice and loved how she was able to give each character a distinctive accent a voice of their own.

For me the story wasn’t what I was expecting. Although the idea of secret government witches was interesting and the magic system imaginative, I just could not empathise with the characters or buy into the story much.

What a book! What a story! I need more!

I was gripped from the beginning. This book has all my favourite things from YA fantasy (that I usually read) but in a much more mature and fascinating way. It is beautiful to see a story with so many diverse characters and see their reactions to events throughout the story. I could have listened to this book in one sitting, being so immersed in a world of witchcraft and magic. The use of magic, friendship and gender politics is an astonishing mix and the play on HMRC (Tax office, with a father who was previously a tax man) mingling the real world seamlessly with the magical one was done amazingly. I cannot wait to read number 2, The Shadow Cabinet, when it is realised in June 2023.

I’m not usually one for audiobooks, but when I saw that this was narrated by Nicola Coughlan, I had to pick it up!

It was very well narrated - Nicola has a soothing reading voice and it’s a good voice actor when it comes to different accents and giving each character a unique voice.

The story was engaging with a diverse group of several loveable main characters (and one not-so-loveable character.) And wow, the twist, cliff-hanger ending!! I can’t wait to pick up the sequel when it’s published later this year.

Absolute banger of a book - Was my 2022 book of the year. Narration is perfect and really adds to the story.

I was given the audiobook from NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I have to give so much praise to the narrator Nicola Coughlan for adding so much depth and emotion to this book.

Things I loved:
As an early 90’s born millennial, I LOVED the millennial references, it’s refreshing to read characters in an urban fantasy that are around the same age as me.

I thought the magic system was interesting and the idea that witches work for the government in secret was a good concept and from the book summary I did go into it believing that the plot would mostly be about witch spies working for the government and I suppose it is but they’re more the antagonists.

Questions this book seems to ask:
Can a lifelong friendship and familial ties survive against political differences?

What makes a woman a woman?

I enjoyed the plot but I feel it got lost occasionally with heavy handed discourse around current political issues. These issues could have been shown a lot more rather than told if that makes sense and would have had more of an emotional impact.

I’ve heard so many amazing things about this book, so I was excited to get to read it. I listened to it on audiobook and I can say I was pleasantly surprised how much that enhanced the story. I loved how diverse it was, especially the trans representation, which I thought was done well.

The only thing I struggled with was the writing. It was full of annoying cliches and didn’t always flow well when I was listening. Maybe I would have a different experience if I were reading the book. The beginning was slow, but it picked up at the midpoint. Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher, for a chance to review this audiobook.

I got this book as an ebook in 2022, and wanted to reread it anyone in anticipation of the second part coming this year.
Firstly Nicola Coughlan is not only a delightful actress in Derry Girls and Bridgerton, but a lovely narrator. She has a super pleasant reading voice, and she does different voices for different characters. I would absolutely listen to anything she narrates from now on.
Now for the book, this is a lovely queer, inclusive look at British witches. In short snappy chapters from different narrators, we learn more about the world the witches live in.
The book is a bit of a slow burn, but especially reading it a second time I didn't really mind it, as the world building is great. And we really get an in depth look at how the people relate to one another.
I cannot wait for the second book, and it is high time that more fantasy books embrace the LGBTQIA+ community. The book touches on a lot of real world issues happening.

Her Majesty's Royal Coven is engagingly read by Nicola Coughlan, who manages to bring to life the story of Niamh and her fellow witches. Operating to protect the country from sinister forces, a dedicated team of witches come face to face with a long rumoured prophecy that could spell the end to the quiet life that they lead. Long standing feuds and rivalries emerge and friendships are tested as new powers grow and new witches emerge from adolescence.

A nice book to get swept up in - nothing too challenging, but a narrative tale that will pull you along for the ride.

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.

Amazing! I absolutely loved the narrator for this audiobook, a perfect choice. I loved the range of accents that made it incredibly clear who's POV it was.

The author of this book is a fantasy genius! Creating such a modern yet unique magic system with witch covens and 21st century problems, mixing magic with the real life struggles such as LGBTQ rights and raqcism was such a fresh way to write an interesting yet realistic fantasy book. Everyone has a Helena in their life and I can't wait for the sequel.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven was one of my most highly-anticipated reads of last year. I was so looking forward to reading this but I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. No matter how many times I tried to read and/or listen I could not engage with this book.

There were many things I loved about this book. All characters’ gender, sexuality etc. were so matter of fact. It’s so refreshing to see queer representation that doesn’t feel like a marketing ploy or a defining character trait. It’s just part of who they are.
Additionally, romantic and familial relationships were well-established and interesting. You could almost see the roots between these characters, especially between Helena and her mother & Elle and her daughter.

Despite these relationships being so strong, I found the relationships between the friends so stilted and unfamiliar. I didn’t believe there was over 25 years of history between these characters when the dialogue read more acquaintances.

I also felt like the reader began the book on the back foot. I think I’d have preferred a little more world building in the first instance rather than being unceremoniously dumped in the aftermath of a war.

Overall, I wish I enjoyed this book more than I did. Whilst it won’t put me off reading something else from the author,
I think I’ll be giving the upcoming sequels a miss,

I got into this with no expectations and I absolutely loved it.
First, I listend to the audiobook and Nicola Coughlan did an amazing job! Highly recommended to listend to that story.

This book is an adult urban fantasy. The main characters are in there thirties, deal with their families, partners, children, lost of beloved ones and ... Witchy stuff!

This book is very diverse, one of the main characters is a black witch, there is female/female romance (as well as f/m romance) although the romance-part is merely in the background. There is also a trans-person who plays a major part in the story. Stating that I am a straight woman, I still want to say, I thought the author did a great job with this particular storyline! Loved every part of it.

What I did not enjoy as much, is the way one of the characters always saying things like "well, that was expected from a white woman" and so on, as if having a particular skin-colour would cause certain character trades ... I get the point but I do not like statements like that in any direction.
(Here am I, standing and sometimes doing the same thing when it comes down to old, white, straight men. Guess we all aren't perfect :) )
Also the way the author dealt with a certain character in the end was not really my jam. I think, this could have done better, eg. ending things in the "final battle" (opportunity was there) and not afterwards ...

Still, solid 4.5 stars, rounded up because I really adored the story. And desperately awaiting the sequel, since the last chapter really screwed things up ...