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stacyfrancesreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OMG, I just finished "Her Majesty's Royal Coven" by Juno Dawson and I am SHOOK! This book is an absolute must-read, and here's why:
First off, I need to shout out HarperCollins for sending me this gem. It's not my usual genre, but boy am I glad I picked it up.
Imagine a bunch of witches navigating a post-civil-war world, each with their own POV. You get to dive into the lives of Niamh, Helena, Leonie and Elle - childhood friends turned adults who are reunited by a doomsday prophecy. Like, talk about drama!
Let's talk about Leonie. She's formed her own coven called Diaspora for black, minority and LGBTQ+ witches. The way the book tackles discrimination and privilege within the witch community is so on point. It really opened my eyes to the issues marginalised groups face, even in a magical world.
And the transgender representation? Juno Dawson, being a transgender woman herself, writes with such raw power and empathy. The struggles of transgender people are portrayed in a way that makes you feel all the feels. It's clear these are issues close to her heart and it hits you right in the gut
Now, onto the theme of friendship. We all have those friends we've known forever, but sometimes, people change and it's ok to let go. This book captures that perfectly. The bond between these witches feels so real and relatable. It's a reminder that you need to surround yourself with people who let you be your true self.
The 90s nostalgia is everything! Spice Girls, Boyzone - it's all there. Plus, the contemporary witch vibes are hilarious. One of my fave quotes: "I'm doomed to float stationery. Great. Wicked witch of WHSmith." I mean, come on, that's gold. And the whole found family theme? These witches are more like sisters, and it gives you all the warm fuzzies.
Each character's POV is so distinct and well-written. You really get to know them and see the story unfold from different angles. The pacing starts slow, but once you're in, it's impossible to put down. And that ending? OMG. Totally cliffhanger. I NEED the next book, "The Shadow Cabinet", like yesterday.
Seriously, go read this book. Whether you're here for the 90s throwbacks, the witchy sisterhood, or the emotional depth, you're gonna love it. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster and some serious heart-stomping moments. 5 stars, hands down. Happy reading, witches!
First off, I need to shout out HarperCollins for sending me this gem. It's not my usual genre, but boy am I glad I picked it up.
Imagine a bunch of witches navigating a post-civil-war world, each with their own POV. You get to dive into the lives of Niamh, Helena, Leonie and Elle - childhood friends turned adults who are reunited by a doomsday prophecy. Like, talk about drama!
Let's talk about Leonie. She's formed her own coven called Diaspora for black, minority and LGBTQ+ witches. The way the book tackles discrimination and privilege within the witch community is so on point. It really opened my eyes to the issues marginalised groups face, even in a magical world.
And the transgender representation? Juno Dawson, being a transgender woman herself, writes with such raw power and empathy. The struggles of transgender people are portrayed in a way that makes you feel all the feels. It's clear these are issues close to her heart and it hits you right in the gut
Now, onto the theme of friendship. We all have those friends we've known forever, but sometimes, people change and it's ok to let go. This book captures that perfectly. The bond between these witches feels so real and relatable. It's a reminder that you need to surround yourself with people who let you be your true self.
The 90s nostalgia is everything! Spice Girls, Boyzone - it's all there. Plus, the contemporary witch vibes are hilarious. One of my fave quotes: "I'm doomed to float stationery. Great. Wicked witch of WHSmith." I mean, come on, that's gold. And the whole found family theme? These witches are more like sisters, and it gives you all the warm fuzzies.
Each character's POV is so distinct and well-written. You really get to know them and see the story unfold from different angles. The pacing starts slow, but once you're in, it's impossible to put down. And that ending? OMG. Totally cliffhanger. I NEED the next book, "The Shadow Cabinet", like yesterday.
Seriously, go read this book. Whether you're here for the 90s throwbacks, the witchy sisterhood, or the emotional depth, you're gonna love it. Prepare for an emotional rollercoaster and some serious heart-stomping moments. 5 stars, hands down. Happy reading, witches!
bookswithmeg_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Helena Vance is a trip. That is all.
jobro236's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
bookmarkedbyfi's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ecolh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I actually like the concept of grown adult women in their mid 30s being the heros of the story. The book also got more interesting with addition of trans rights in covens came into play.
It fell short for me when the writing seemed disjointed, as though Dawson had a different style every time she went back and edited the book.
There are a couple of instances that made me uncomfortable when speaking about human rights, with the implication being that no one would choose to be transgender...which doesn't sit right with me as a catch all statement about trans people. I will say that this is never said by any of the trans characters in the book, but by the cis ones, so perhaps the following books will address it, but it's unlikely that I'll find out for myself.
It fell short for me when the writing seemed disjointed, as though Dawson had a different style every time she went back and edited the book.
There are a couple of instances that made me uncomfortable when speaking about human rights, with the implication being that no one would choose to be transgender...which doesn't sit right with me as a catch all statement about trans people. I will say that this is never said by any of the trans characters in the book, but by the cis ones, so perhaps the following books will address it, but it's unlikely that I'll find out for myself.
mitziatratum's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
annemoon's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
theimaginaryworldoffaith's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
cukrkandl's review against another edition
2.0
Oh God, this was SO disappointing. This book sounded absolutely amazing--the exploration of gender and transphobia in a matriarchal witch society in modern England? Imagine my surprise when there was none of that. I mean, sure, it IS there, sort of, but this book was so painfully boring from the beginning, I genuinely thought I picked up the wrong book. You learn almost nothing about the witch society, it's all just boring normal-people stuff, and I have enough of that in real life. And then I got to the 50% mark (!!!), and something finally happened. It didn't make the book better, though, it only just got worse. Be careful what you wish for, really.
There are four main characters but not really. They're all boring, completely flat, and it took me way too long to be able to distinguish between all of them. Leonie had the potential to be interesting, but she also gets the least amount of chapters, and they're all very stilted and don't seem very genuine. Elle is just boring. So is Niamh. Helena is such a pitiful, caricature-esque portrayal of avillain , it's laughable. Theo is by far the most interesting and compelling character, but we know absolutely nothing about her . NOTHING. She might as well have not even been there, seriously. This book would have been so much better if it was from her perspective.
I was under the impression that this book was mainly about gender and transphobia, and that was not it. I'm not really sure WHAT exactly the book was about, to be honest. When you finally get to the trans storyline, everything is just completely black and white, good vs. bad, no gray areas whatsoever, absolutely no nuance. What's worse, at times it felt like I was supposed to feel bad forHelena ??? When Niamh is telling her, for the last time, that either she accepts Theo or it's over between them, it was randomly revealed that her dead husband had been abusive, and it's implied that THAT'S why she hates trans people? Or trans women. Or cis men, I don't even know what the message was there. And the same thing happened with Snow--when she tells her mother about Theo, she corrects her multiple time when she misgenders Theo, but then her mother is killed and she's obviously entitled to her grief, but the way it manifests is... transphobic slurs? Like, okay... Interesting.
Anyway, this was really not what I was expecting, which sucks, because I was genuinely hoping this book would be amazing, especially since there are obvious parallels to one particular British person well-known for her transphobia. But nope. It was just disappointing.
There are four main characters but not really. They're all boring, completely flat, and it took me way too long to be able to distinguish between all of them. Leonie had the potential to be interesting, but she also gets the least amount of chapters, and they're all very stilted and don't seem very genuine. Elle is just boring. So is Niamh. Helena is such a pitiful, caricature-esque portrayal of a
I was under the impression that this book was mainly about gender and transphobia, and that was not it. I'm not really sure WHAT exactly the book was about, to be honest. When you finally get to the trans storyline, everything is just completely black and white, good vs. bad, no gray areas whatsoever, absolutely no nuance. What's worse, at times it felt like I was supposed to feel bad for
Anyway, this was really not what I was expecting, which sucks, because I was genuinely hoping this book would be amazing, especially since there are obvious parallels to one particular British person well-known for her transphobia. But nope. It was just disappointing.
sammytee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25