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karney92's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Domestic abuse and Racism
maaikereadsbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and Juno Dawson for the advanced audio copy of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
If you’re looking for something light-hearted and flippant, this ain’t it! This book is deep, political, and heavy hitting. I’m not normally a fan of low/urban fantasy but I was very much gripped by this narrative and the narrator absolutely sealed the deal for me. There is obviously no accent/dialect that Nicola Coughlan can’t do.
When it comes to people politics, this book covers A LOT. At times it felt like Dawson was perhaps being a bit over-ambitious in trying to force too many issues into one book. However, in the end it was all balanced well, and the issues were raised for a reason and not just for clout.
The book does end on an absolute cliff-hanger, so be warned.
Note: this is very much an adult book, with graphic discussions of abuse, violence, sex and a LOT of swearing!
Spice: 3/5
Trigger warnings: Ableism, Abusive relationship, Animal abuse/death, Blood/Gore, Cheating, Child abuse, Death, Death of a family member, Drugs, Homophobia, Misgendering, Misogyny, Murder, PTSD, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Violence
Rating:
Story: 4.5/5
Audio: 5/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Transphobia
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Racism, and Violence
anapthine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
4.75
Thank you Net Galley and HarperCollins Audio for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
First off, Nicola Coughlan was incredible at narrating this book. I was in awe of how well she portrayed the many characters just by voice. The accents were amazing, the way she made me feel when listening to this audiobook, how she made you sympathise with each character - just everything was perfect.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is a low fantasy novel set in a small Yorkshire town in the UK. Niamh comes across a child who is misunderstood and shields them from the dangers. This book is about friendship, trust, love and understanding. The diversity and LGBTQIA+ representation in this novel is beautiful, along with the many different stories told. The trans rep is compelling and gorgeous. I loved this novel so much. Also a complex villain? That makes it even better.
I would recommend this to everyone, I think there is a bit of everything. Do read the content warnings before starting as there are some major mentions of transphobia, racism, violence, (and white supremacists).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Infidelity and Vomit
jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition
challenging
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? No
4.25
A great witchy and queer book. Incorporating not only political aspects but also bringing a trans witch into the picture which I’d never seen in a book before as it’s almost only ever exclusively gendered witches and warlocks.
Dealing with coming out, queer identity and also transphobia and homophobia this book is very well written by an own voices author.
It also openly discussed race issues in parliament especially in the uk and I can only say this is accurate to real life - I love how it questioned what people haven’t been willing to change in the past. In the name of making their world more intersectional. With a smashing ending I can’t wait for the next book and shocked by who the villain turned out to be.
Dealing with coming out, queer identity and also transphobia and homophobia this book is very well written by an own voices author.
It also openly discussed race issues in parliament especially in the uk and I can only say this is accurate to real life - I love how it questioned what people haven’t been willing to change in the past. In the name of making their world more intersectional. With a smashing ending I can’t wait for the next book and shocked by who the villain turned out to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
booknchaoswithmarz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, Transphobia, Violence, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Confinement, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Colonisation, and Classism
clowngirl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Transphobia
Minor: Deadnaming, Death, Homophobia, and Forced institutionalization
travelseatsreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Sometimes a book comes along that I'll keep pushing to the back of the pile as I'm nervous my review won't do it justice. HMRC is definitely one of those but I really want everyone to read it & love it as much as I did so here goes nothing!
Witches, Spice Girls, LGBTQ+ characters and a jaw dropping cliff-hanger this book has absolutely everything you could dream of in a perfect fantasy novel & is a must read for someone who is considering delving into the genre.
Dawson has created a fantastic blend of fantasy & social discourse which is absolutely captivating from beginning to end. The world building is so flawless & beguiling, set in current day locations such as Hebden Bridge & Manchester, that while it is completely entrancing it also maintains a feeling of being based in reality & feels fully plausible that this is all occurring right alongside our mundane lives.
While spinning the most bewitching tale Dawson has also used the narrative to look at some deeply entrenched flaws within society including TERFism, racism & homophobia, while simultaneously shining a light on intersectional feminism & found family & why they are such important concepts. She really portrays the need to empower everyone equally & not just those who it suits you to fight for.
The above topics might all sound a bit heavy to have combined within the pages of one book & yes, while Juno doesn’t shy away from some of the very in your face flaws she somehow still manages to do it with such subtlety that it doesn’t feel uncomfortable & overly confrontational. In fact to be honest I found the whole book to be like a soft luxurious comfort blanket that I wanted to stay cocooned in. I also just could not get enough of the pop-culture references scattering the pages, who doesn’t love a bit of Spice Girls and Buffy!
Juno has created a whole band of characters, each so well developed that just like the Spice Girls everyone will have the one they want to be and the one they absolutely dread & quite often I found myself wondering which witch would I be or which power would I prefer. While there are a lot of characters to get a grasp of, each completely stands their own ground and has the ability to carry their own story, which I hope we see develop over the series.
I can’t finish without mentioning the absolutely superb narration from @nicolacoughlan I can’t imagine anyone else being able to convey each character, their accents & their personalities so well while also building the magical excitement and tension of the story.
With the combination of Dawson’s writing & Coughlan’s narration, I was so firmly entranced under their spell that I found myself excitedly jumping into the car to go to work just so I could keep on listening! Don’t think about it any longer, get your earphones and have a listen!
Witches, Spice Girls, LGBTQ+ characters and a jaw dropping cliff-hanger this book has absolutely everything you could dream of in a perfect fantasy novel & is a must read for someone who is considering delving into the genre.
Dawson has created a fantastic blend of fantasy & social discourse which is absolutely captivating from beginning to end. The world building is so flawless & beguiling, set in current day locations such as Hebden Bridge & Manchester, that while it is completely entrancing it also maintains a feeling of being based in reality & feels fully plausible that this is all occurring right alongside our mundane lives.
While spinning the most bewitching tale Dawson has also used the narrative to look at some deeply entrenched flaws within society including TERFism, racism & homophobia, while simultaneously shining a light on intersectional feminism & found family & why they are such important concepts. She really portrays the need to empower everyone equally & not just those who it suits you to fight for.
The above topics might all sound a bit heavy to have combined within the pages of one book & yes, while Juno doesn’t shy away from some of the very in your face flaws she somehow still manages to do it with such subtlety that it doesn’t feel uncomfortable & overly confrontational. In fact to be honest I found the whole book to be like a soft luxurious comfort blanket that I wanted to stay cocooned in. I also just could not get enough of the pop-culture references scattering the pages, who doesn’t love a bit of Spice Girls and Buffy!
Juno has created a whole band of characters, each so well developed that just like the Spice Girls everyone will have the one they want to be and the one they absolutely dread & quite often I found myself wondering which witch would I be or which power would I prefer. While there are a lot of characters to get a grasp of, each completely stands their own ground and has the ability to carry their own story, which I hope we see develop over the series.
I can’t finish without mentioning the absolutely superb narration from @nicolacoughlan I can’t imagine anyone else being able to convey each character, their accents & their personalities so well while also building the magical excitement and tension of the story.
With the combination of Dawson’s writing & Coughlan’s narration, I was so firmly entranced under their spell that I found myself excitedly jumping into the car to go to work just so I could keep on listening! Don’t think about it any longer, get your earphones and have a listen!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and War
kilic's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Transphobia, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Outing
supernova_reader's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well done. I picked it up because I was told it is an interesting and insightful portrayal of female friendships and how they evolve with age and though life. I wasn’t let down in the slightest. Also pleasantly surprised at the serious topics covered in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and War
meliroo's review against another edition
dark
tense
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, and Murder