Queen B is a really fun side story related to Juno Dawson's HMRC trilogy and in this we go all the way back to the 1500s and the time of Anne Boleyn who we know from the main trilogy was a witch. We follow Grace Fairfax, a young woman in court and part of Anne Boleyn'c coven reeling from the devastating execution of Anne and the growing threat of witch hunters.

This was fun as a fan of both HMRC trilogy and also a big fan of Tudor history. I do think a prior knowledge of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII and his wives etc would be best going into this book and really understanding some of the tensions and the threats and also as a way of appreciating how Juno Dawson fine tuned history to fit in with her witchy story.

I would have liked this to be a longer, full-scale novel as I don't really feel; I truly got to know who the characters were. I feel like we didn't have enough to really understand Grace's affection for Anne, and in turn Cecelia's affection for Grace. I feel like the relationships were suppose to be integral to the story but we barely got to skim the surface of them, and because it was novella we missed out on some of the slower paced building up of these relationships.

I'm all here for more HMRC novellas though and would love more in Queen Elizabeth's time as well - and even more interesting would be some set in the time of King James and the English Witch Trials of the time.

I loved Juno Dawson's last 2 novels and so was so excited to read Queen B! The characters were great, but I think the element of magic and humor were missing from this. That being said it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next HMRC installment

It was great novella.
It gave us some info about how the coven started, and it was a delight to see the prequel was also queer !
It waas easy to read, the main characters managed to be fleshed out, the secondary, were, well not as developped as the rest...

I like how the plot unfurls, and how it links to the main series. This novella really was needed to explore the worldbuilding with more depth.

I was a big fan of the first two Witches books, but Queen B felt like a big misstep in my opinion. Personally, I feel the biggest mistake was writing this book as a novella and not a fully-fledged novel; it didn’t give itself enough time to establish the story or setting, and it didn’t suit the story’s dependence on flashbacks at all.
The concept of the book is fantastic, and a Tudor setting is an incredibly evocative and enticing idea. However, given Queen B’s short run time, there’s not enough time to explore the setting or era at all, making it feel chronically underused and somewhat dependent on the reader’s basic knowledge of Tudor history. The eventual plotline and characters felt pretty surface level, and didn’t give me a lot of reason to particularly care about any of the characters.
The main misstep for me was the regular and persistent use of flashbacks to before the death of Anne Boleyn. The sheer frequency of jumps back and forth is way too jarring to form a cohesive plot, and gives off the overall impression of a lack of substance. I’m at least relieved that such a novella didn’t take place during the modern-day plotline - it sounds harsh, but I’ll probably forget that this background novella exists at all.

A novella in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series, this story is set in the court of King Henry Vlll. Anne Boleyn plots to become Queen and to provide safety for her coven. Lady Grace Fairfax is a lady in waiting to Anne and a member of the coven. When Anne is beheaded she knows that they have been betrayed and is determined to find the traitor. The writing in this novel is fantastic as you would expect from this author and I was only disappointed that the book wasn’t longer. In a time when women hold no power the novel explores how difficult it is for them to be truly their own person, making their own decisions and choices of how they live. I flew through this book but having now been to an event with the author I now believe there is a clue concealed within the book that leads to repercussions in the final part in the trilogy- I think I’ll have to go back and re read the book again. I can’t wait for the final book in the trilogy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel in return for an honest review.

Set in the Her Majesty's Royal Coven's universe, Queen B is a short taste of how HMRC developed, with Anne Boleyn being the HWIC (head witch in charge). It's a clever conceit, as at the time she was considered to have bewitched King Henry VIII. adding another 100 pages would have made the story richer, but it was a fun read - just don't expect the depth and complexity that make the HMRC books so engaging.

I loved this so much I had to go and buy a physical copy for my shelf ! It throughly captivated me from beginning to end. I will be telling everyone I know about this book

Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

I really enjoyed book 1 and 2 of HMRC and this a fun read into the history of the organisation. Not at all what I expected to be honest but it was interesting. I felt the pace was fine, the characters were alright the story was good but nothing beats the story and character growth a afforded in a full length novel.

I'm glad I started the series with this book. Now I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy! Without delving so much into Anne Boleyn's history, it still managed to lay the foundations and back-story of the coven, which I think will really give me a more in-depth understanding of the series.

22. Queen B by Juno Dawson

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gosh I loved this! I love how cleverly it all linked into real names from history to bring these books to life.

⚡️ Witches and magic
⚡️ Treason and betrayal
⚡️ Love and vengeance

I actually would have loved this as a full novel!

I received the ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


From the imagination of Juno Dawson this is, I believe her first take on “historical fiction”?, bringing some very well known historical figures such as Anne Boleyn into the world of “Her Majesty’s Royal Coven” series. I absolutely love the series. Well written, packed full with action. This one is a little slower paced than the rest of the series, but still packs a punch.

I only wish it was longer. Highly recommend

I have no idea why I have held off diving in this world. It has everything I love: witches, urban fantasy, representation, the idea of corruption of power, found family. And yet, for one reason or another, I have always held off (even though I own the first book in the series, Her Majesty's Royal Coven, on Audible).

So, when I saw this, a prequel novella, I knew I had to jump at it. But then, of course, I kept putting it off. I really like Juno Dawson (I really enjoyed her debut YA novels, Hollow Pike and Cruel Summer, and have fond memories of reading these), so I suspected that I might put this on a high standard and then be sorely disappointed. But when my local library had the audiobook version, narrated by Nicola Coughlan, I decided to jump on it fast!

And, after a long month of DNFing (both novels and audiobooks), I think Queen B might have broken the curse. As it was a hoot!

This was a delicious little read with queerness and magic, starting at the moment of Anne Boleyn's beheading and the messiness and complex women of Anne's coven (oh yes, she's a witch in the alternative history) in the days/weeks after this (as well as the dual timeline of Anne's rise to power, not only as Queen of England but as Witch Queen).

Now, I have seen many people say that they wish this was longer, and I do agree. We got very little description of the world in Henry VIII (but then, we all know this through TV show/movies/history lessons in our school days) and if this was a longer novella or even a novel, we could have seen the slow burn of romance and danger.

Also, I have seen people question if this was necessary read for the series. As someone who hasn't read the series yet (soon, honest), I can't say, but to me, this was a nice gateway into this world and it was fun (reading for pleasure should be fun!).

Very excited to dive into this world!

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release. All opinions on the book are my own.

Do I wish this was book 3 in the HMRC series? Absolutely.
Am I annoyed its not full length? Absolutely.
JUNO what are you doing to me?

This was an enjoyable read, but I do feel that it was partly filler to keep us excited prior to the release of Human Resources. I waited for the audiobook to come out as Nicola Coughlan does a phenomenal job of narrating, but even then this book still left me wanting more - it’s a prequel and one that happens quite some time before the first book - Tudor times to be exact and the fact we have so much unfinished business in the current timeline I did feel a bit like what's the point, what will this add?

This novella jumps round a bit so it is hard to build caring relationships for characters when you aren't sure how the build up will tie them all together and in such a short space of time made it feel like an impossible job - Now Anne Boleyn as a Witch Queen was fun but doesn’t focus on this it is more about the women around her - I wish this was a 500 page book so I could learn to care more about the stakes, but I didn’t really connect with it.

But that saying this was a fun filler whilst I wait for the main event in the series , can be skipped if Historic retellings aren't for you, - call me intrigued.

Loved this! I really like this series so getting to read this little prequel was super fun. I also love how Juno has integrated it so well into history, and I felt like I was learning things as well as enjoying the story. SO interesting to imagine Anne Boleyn as a witch! And to see the history of the coven/how they came to be such an official part of the government. I actually gave this 4 stars which is pretty rare for me because it was just so easy to slip into. 4 starts for pure enjoyment - this was such a nice taster to keep us going waiting for the next book. Can't believe we have to wait a whole year for the next installment!

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

It is 1536 in the middle of Henry VIII reign and the Queen Anne Boleyn has just been beheaded for witchcraft. She was betrayed by someone in the coven, and her closest ladymaid is determined to find out who and get justice.

I love this world so much. Strong women being badass witches will never get old. Although this story was not really necessary for understanding the world it was a nice background story. Novellas will almost never blow me away but it was an enjoyable read.

Juno Dawson's "Queen B" is a sharp and thrilling dive into the cutthroat world of royal hierarchies and social power plays. With biting wit and a keen eye for character dynamics, Dawson crafts a story that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The protagonist's journey through a labyrinth of rivalry, magic, and self-discovery, making for a page-turner that's as engaging as it is insightful. "Queen B" captures the essence of ambition and the quest for identity, offering readers a compelling mix of drama and reflection that resonates well beyond the final chapter.

. Queen B focuses on the origins of the HMRC and focuses on the high priestess Anne Boleyn and her ladies in waiting who act as her coven
An enjoyable novella part of the HMRC set in the Tudor court definitely will tide you over until the 3rd installment of the series

The Her Majesty's Royal Coven series is one of my absolute favourites! While I love the idea of a novella to tide me over while waiting for the third installment of the main series, I ddn't think this one quite hit the mark. I liked the idea of a historical set novella surrounding the founding of HMRC (Anne Boleyn! Sapphic witches! Court intrigue!), however I just wasn't able to fall in love these characters. With the book only being 164 pages long, there was no chance for these characters to develop and I didn't care as deeply for them as I do for Niamh and the crew. While I did eventually warm to the story, but it was a little underwhelming.

Overall it's a fine story and I'm glad I read it, but it isn't one that is necessary for a readers of the series to pick up.

Queen B follows Grace Fairfax, a witch close to High Priestess Anne Boleyn, before and after the queen’s tragic end. Full of the same action, power and strong characterisation as the main series, Queen B puts a doomed romance at its centre that had me wanting to rewrite history. For a novella, it was absolutely packed with plot and detail, cleverly weaving fact and fiction that brought out the dormant Tudor nerd in me. I highly, highly recommend it as a starting point to Juno’s witchy world, and dare you not to be invested in what will become of the witches of the modern day in the HMRC series.

Honestly, I found this difficult to get into, and the monotonous tone didn't improve as it went on.
Dawson's writing style here reads like it wants to be Non-Fiction, but that genre's authenticity proves unachieveable in this effort, and the work just falls flat, unaided by its jarring misuse of language; barely a quarter of the way in, I was totally turned off by the use of C U Next Tuesday.