I enjoyed this witchy take on Anne Boleyn – filled with sapphic yearning, complicated relationships and a hefty dose of manipulation. It’s a fun and engaging story that adds history and further context to Dawson’s ongoing series.

A novella about Anne Boleyn and her own coven, this story features strong female characters, flashback chapters to help develop relationships, and tension with betrayals and witch hunters. Oh, and it's sapphic.

I had quite a bit of fun with this one! I thought the characters and their relationships with one another were the standouts, and Grace was a wonderful lead character. She was multifaceted, and I loved getting into her head - she felt so well developed, especially considering this was a novella that didn't have a lot of time to develop.

All of the women felt like multi-dimensional characters in the little glimpses we got of them. The fact that they wanted power, and the contrast with the other coven - in this novella, we support women's wrongs.

Where this could have packed more of a punch is by giving Anne a bit more dimension. Yes, the character work was a highlight for me, and I did like the look into this version of Anne Boleyn, her scheming, her love for her daughter, and everything with it, but I feel like for a character who is meant to be the driving force of the story, the emotional motivation for every other character, she was a bit lacking.

While I had fun reading this, I don't know that it'll be particularly memorable. Is this essential reading for the Her Majesty's Royal Coven series as a whole? Perhaps not, but it's a fun bit of alternate history with witches and well-done character work, and that's really all you need sometimes.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperVoyager, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This short, sharp novella was a quick read and a nice filler whilst we wait for the 3rd book in the HRMC trilogy. It does not hit the same spot as the other two books but I was not expecting it to. The description makes it clear it is a prequel and tells us the story of how and why witches created and became HRMC.

Queen B is a fast-paced prequel to Dawson’s ‘Her Majesty’s Royal Coven’ series which has a modern setting, however this story takes the coven back to its origins in the Tudor court through the eyes of Jane Fairfax, a young lady sent to join Queen Catherine’s ladies.

This novella absolutely can be read as a standalone - I haven’t read the rest of the series but I am intrigued by it now. Jane has spent her young life repressing her powers for her own safety, but realises on her entry to court that there are several other women there like her, including Anne Boleyn. The courtly ladies form a coven and Jane ends up a staunch support and friend to Anne Boleyn as she rises in the ranks and catches King Henry’s eye.

I thought there was a reasonable amount of character development for a story that comes in at less than 200 pages, and Jane’s explorations of her feelings for Anne was sweet, yet the intensity was palpable.

The themes of the patriarchy and men’s distrust of female power were clear through the novella and I thought the addition of warlocks in the world-building and their unstable alliances made for an interesting tension that I assume is picked up in the main novels.

I thought the historical details were done well overall - in any YA I expect some anachronisms and a more modern sensibility in the characters, and I’m looking forward to ordering the two current books in the series to see how the coven has evolved.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Juno Dawson for an advanced copy of this book for review. Queen B is out on the 18th July, preorder it now!

I will post my review on my instagram @charlottereadshistory on 12 July and on Amazon on publication day.

We dip into the past of Juno Dawson's wonderful series and learn how Her Majesty's Secret Coven was first established under the aegis of the doomed Anne Boleyn. It's a pacy little number, full of Dawson's usual wit and imagination as well as her anger and her ability to get right at the heart of the matter. It's not quite the heart-thumping saga of the second volume and we don't have time to get to know and love the characters as well as their modern counterpoints but I loved the historical setting and the extra depth this gives to HMRC's world. It was the perfect snack to stave off the hunger for volume 3 of the main story.

This series gets better and better! I loved HMRC 1 and 2 and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. Loved the Tudor history wrapped up with the original coven backstory. Can’t wait to see what comes next!
Thanks for the NetGalley ARC! <3

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
In this gripping, propulsive, sultry novella, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood. With beautiful illustrations from Emma Vieceli throughout

I was waiting for this prequel as I wanted more details, and this book totally met those expectations.

I think I just wanted to go back to this universe, and even if it wasn’t with the usual characters, I didn’t mind, as it’s a very compelling story. Seeing HMRC being created and the reasons made the whole story even more believable, and it helped build this universe.

Starting this book, I struggled a little with all the characters. Still, as we went through their POVs, I quickly overcame this problem and seriously devoured this book. It’s more than just a group of women who want to build a coven to protect themselves; it’s also the struggle to do the right thing to protect what they have, and sometimes, it’s not as easy as expected.

As it happened during Henry VIII’s reign, you obviously have some political schemes and restrictions the era imposed on women. Let me tell you, I was sometimes so mad about it that I just wanted to throw my tablet.

I was so immersed in this book that I was disappointed to have finished it, even though the ending was great; now, I can only wait for the next instalment.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending me a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Pure excitement for the devotees of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, but this book was enjoyed and finished too soon!
This is a prequel to HMRC, and tells the story of Anne Boleyn as she is beginning to gain both the power and loyalty of her witch coven, whilst catching the eye of King Henry and his Tudor Court.
The narrator is Lady Grace Fairfax, who is newly arrived from Yorkshire to serve as a lady- in - waiting to Anne Boleyn. There are six members to Anne’s coven, the others are, Cecilia de la Torre, Nan Hobbs, Lady Jane Rochford, Lady Temperence Wycliffe and Lady Margaret de Leon.
Told in dual time lines of 1526 and 1536, we follow Anne as she is in high favour with the King, indeed, Henry has switched his attention from her sister Mary, and hopes to make Anne his second wife.
When Anne is executed upon trumped up charges of adultery, the coven realise that a trusted member has betrayed the late Queen.
Lady Grace was romantically involved with Anne, and resolves to seek out the betrayer, but they now have Witchfinders to contend with and other powerful factions that have aligned themselves with Lady Jane Seymour.
This is a thrilling, sapphic adventure that is based upon the swirl of accusations used at Queen Anne’s trial regarding her use of Witchcraft and other magic to bewitch the King. It is pure enjoyable fun, a definite alternative viewpoint of such a crucial timeline in Tudor history, one that changed the course of religion in the Kingdom and beyond.
Anne was a Lady who probably enchanted a King and gave us a strong female ruler in her daughter Elizabeth, she should be respected for these achievements.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers HarperCollinsUK for my advance copy, freely given in exchange for my honest review. A five star read.
Hopefully, Book three will be available soon? I will leave copies to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

A fast-paced novella set in the court of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. It gives some idea of the origins of the Royal Coven, but I would have liked a little more detail. However, it was a great read, perfect for fans of historical fiction and witchy novels alike! Recommended.

Dies ist technisch gesehen der dritte Teil der Serie, aber es ist ein Prequel zum Rest der Serie. Ich habe es gelesen, weil mich der Aspekt der Hexenköniginnen und des Tudor-Hofes interessiert hat. Ehrlich gesagt, eine solide, unterhaltsame Sommerlektüre. Wenn man die anderen Bücher gelesen hat, kann man hier wahrscheinlich etwas mehr erwarten, aber ich hatte eine okaye Zeit.

She forgot sometimes that they were not as the others. They were not women, or ladies, or girls. They were something primeval; something fundamental; as unforgiving as the desert sun or frozen tundra. They were witches. [loc. 1107]
This novella is a prequel to Dawson's 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' series (of which I've read and enjoyed Her Majesty's Royal Coven, the first book). Queen B is set in 1536 and begins with the beheading of Anne Boleyn, mourned by the remaining witches in her coven. Lady Grace Fairfax is determined to wreak vengeance on the woman she holds responsible for Anne's death; Jane Rochford, Anne's sister-in-law, is now the de facto leader of the coven; and the traitor witch who claims to have Cromwell's ear is fleeing for her life.

The story alternates between 1526, when Grace first came to court, and 1536, when witchhunters such as Ambrose Fulke stalk the ladies of the coven. Court life, with its machinations and alliances, is vividly depicted, though the witches also venture into the slums of Bermondsey to hear a prophet speak.

I found this rather disappointing. It didn't have the verve of the modern-day setting, and some of the dialogue was horribly anachronistic ('show ponies', 'see you later for a bevy', 'it's OK'). If the book had been longer, perhaps the characters could have been explored in more depth: as it was, only Grace, Jane and Cecilia really came to life. The ending -- with Grace assuming a new name to care for the infant Elizabeth -- is intriguing, and might be the start of a new series. Queen B, however, doesn't really explore the genesis of the covens. An overly narrow glimpse of an interesting world.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance review copy, in exchange for this full honest review. UK Publication Date is 18 JUL 2024.

As much as I really wanted the next book in the series, I am so glad we got this prequel. It tells the story of Anne Boleyn's coven. It starts with her beheading and you see how her coven dealt with it, and through flash backs see how Anne herself was. I loved the way it used facts and added the witchcraft in there.

Was so keen for another of Juno Dawson’s witch series. The first were pure escapism when I read them at the start of the year and I appreciated this short prequel to tide me over before the next instalment. It didn’t quite hit the spot in the same way the main series does but I loved the interweaving of some historical fact and figures. I love the recent wave of new interpretation Tudor women are getting

A prequel to the HMRC series, we go back to the time of Anne Boleyn and her untimely demise at the order of Henry VIII

We flash forward and back through the eyes of Grace, mainly, strong witch and close confident to the Queen

Grace is trying to figure out who betrayed the Queen, and her Coven, and won't stop until she does. But she is also being pursued by a witch hunter so needs to watch her step....

I really enjoyed this jump back in time to when the order started, and I like the tales of the 6 wives so was nice to see this dotted in

Really recommend, especially if you enjoy the HMRC series

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyger for the early review copy, all opinions my own... out July 18th

I really enjoyed this and I’m not really a novella person but I love the world of HMRC, Juno Dawson is a really good writer and I’d pretty much read anything they wrote. This had a slightly different tone as it is historical fantasy but I loved it. I only wish it was longer.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this prequel to my most loved and most anticipated series of HMRC.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book. I think if you had more of an interest in the tudors then maybe you'd enjoy this story more, but I expected it to have more of a link to the main series, and as someone said on the sotrygraph this was almost a pre prequel. Im still interested in the rest of the HMRC series but this one wasn't for me

Interesting entry in the HMRC series with a glorious look at Anne Boleyn. I was a bit surprised the story was told from a different perspective, and the back and forth confused me a little, but the characters were fully fleshed, the pacing was great and it’s a great scene setter for the current series.

Well another wonderful witchy novel by Juno Dawson. This short novella, a fast-paced fantasy prequel to Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and The Shadow Cabinet gave us an introduction to the origins of HMRC.

Set during the Tudor era and the reign of Henry VIII, this story follows the exploits of Queen Anne Boleyn and various ladies of the royal court.

This novella is full of witchcraft, love, friendships and sisterhood but laced with tension, witch-hunters, revenge and the struggles of women in society.

I loved the depiction of Lady Grace Fairfax (Lady of the Bedchamber) and her relationship with Anne Boleyn.

This was a 4.5 star read for me, I just wanted this story to go on and on.

I am very grateful to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for this ARC.

This is a short story in the "Her Majesty's Royal Coven" series. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series so was excited to get to this one.
Queen B is an historical fiction story - going back to the time of Henry VIII and his 5th wife, Anne Boleyn.

I have to say, I liked this extra detail and the "origin" story of the coven - I would be interested in carrying on this part of the story into Queen Elizabeth I's life and how that can be incorporated into the overall series.

I read this one very quickly - it is only around 200 pages so fairly short. I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books in this series, though.