Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

15 reviews

aseel_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

For the first part of the book, I was very confused about the plot but I was here for the vibes! Using witches to talk about sexism, racism, transpobia etc is a sure fire way to make me love a book. But as it kept going, I saw the plot unfolding and I'm super keen to see where this series goes and I hope it's a long one! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

wishbea's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This was definitely a step down from book 1 for me, I was disappointed. I hoped Ciara would make for a compelling POV read, but I preferred Niamh and missed the found family vibes of Elle, Holly, Niamh, Theo and Luke from the first book.

We get Theo, Chinara and Luke POVs here. I liked Theo's a lot, but found Luke's so boring that I started skipping his POVs when they came up (except for the very last one).

You can really feel the loss of the characters who died in the last book. I found it difficult to care about the characters or the plotlines, Ciara's one was okay, but Leonie's was boring, Theo's was just to set up the cliffhanger and Elle's was for shock value.

Hale took a dive from a potentially interesting villain in book 1 to a generic evil-doer that is hard to take seriously in this book.

I do think my main issue is Ciara. I don't know what to make of her. She has a lot going on mentally, yet I feel like she lacks depth and she isn't compelling to read. Also she
rapes Luke multiple times (he thinks she is Niamh) and that is treated as okay within the narrative.
I disliked her immensely and hated how Dawson seemingly wants the reader to root for her despite all the reprehensible things she does. 

I felt like I had a good grasp on how the magic works in book 1, but there were points where I was incredibly confused by it in this book.

I've completely lost interest in this series and will not be reading the third book when it comes out.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

kateyhb's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

Oh my goodness, I adored HMRC and this was no different. Lighthearted but heartwrenching. Fun but spooky. I think this book added on to the series so well and I can’t wait to read the next one when it comes out. 

I am so sad that Niamh never made a return in this book. I was holding on to hope that Juno wouldn’t kill the best character. Seems that’s the case. BUT Ciara’s character arc was a pleasure to read. She just needed so much more love than she got. No excuses for the terrible things she did, but it goes to show that if you tell someone they are “bad” enough times they will start to believe it. Heartbreaking.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

adancewithbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark slow-paced

3.5

Thank you to Penguin Books and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway. 

The ending of Her Majesty's Royal Coven was quite the ordeal. With two of our main characters dead and the whole of the royal coven in disaray, it is quite a feat to pull this all back together. Spoiler: they don't. 

One of the things that drew me to Her Majesty's Royal Coven was Niamh and the way she managed to do the right thing, regardless of what was on the other end. Whether this was her sister or one of her best friends, she would always do the right thing. Her relationship with Theo was the high point for me. 

But that was completely gone with the ending of the last book and it put us on new footing. Footing I didn't particularily like. Ciara, Naimh's replacement, is quite the opposite, despite being her twin. And this whole book was Ciara's redemptions arc. I didn't nessecarily care for that.  Again, the book is another slow build-up that dragged a little. 

I also cringe at the choices that were being made. Steps back for certain characters, as if to even the playing field to show that Ciara isn't all that bad either. Or just weird typical plot points. It didn't work for me. I also missed seeing more of Theo and hated how Ciara treated her. Leonie had her hero moments there and I think she grew on me more this book. 

Yet, like with the first book, the ending was spectaculair. Just enough for me to want to continue on reading with the series. And yes I have a good idea of that very last bit to the ending. Which is why I want to read on with the series.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

meliemelo's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny 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

4.75

An excellent sequel! The new points of views (especially
Ciara's, but also Luke's
) really open up the story in sometimes hilarious, although dark, ways. The storyline works really well on its own and brings up very, very interesting developments to the overall arc. Will the references read as dated in a few decades (and perhaps much sooner)? Yes, probably, but that's ok.

I don't know when the (I assume) final book will be out, but I really can't wait for it!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...