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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: Grief, Gore, Outing, Child abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Transphobia, and Violence
extinctpanda's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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? No
3.75
It was a bit too good vs evil for me, I like a bit more nuance. And I didn't love the writing style, though it grew on me as it went on. However, I did find the story fun, and I liked the characters. I think it also covered some important/interesting themes that I haven't seen in fantasy very much at all, especially adult fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Transphobia
Moderate: Cursing, Outing, War, Kidnapping, Death, and Blood
Minor: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Abortion, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Car accident, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, and Death of parent
grrrlbrarian's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Abortion, War, Torture, Self harm, Outing, Murder, Gaslighting, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Eating disorder, Vomit, Racism, Terminal illness, and Dysphoria
wyrmbergsabrina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
4.25
I don't read a huge amount of contemporary adult novels, so one about witches in our world, I was up for. I'm going through a big witch phase at the moment and a large dose of nineties nostalgia, so this felt right.
Meet five friends (yes, I'm not miscounting) who have, as time has passed, drifted a little. They are still (mostly) friends, but they're older now and we all know being friends as teenage girls is never quite the same once you pass 25. And they are all witches. So far, straight forward.
But then there's this prophecy looming, end of the world stuff and judgements are made in fear and a lot of the shit that goes down could have been avoided if people weren't well, people. Yes even witches are still human.
There's a lot of talk about women and what that means, and how you are a woman. HMRC is written by Juno Dawson know there's going to be these conversations. And frankly it's handled as you'd expect, really well. Arguments are torn down and anyone reading this would wonder why we still need to say Trans rights, but of course, people are people. And people do shitty things when they don't want to be the ones in the wrong.
Which nicely sums up the last third of this book.
This is the start of a series, and I'm looking forward to where this goes. The current politics are very on the nose; nice dig at the PM (who is never named but we all know who it is) and I'm pretty fond of the main characters already. And this is just the beginning of the big nasty that's been foreseen. (Because oracles always get everything nice and clearly, don't they)
Yes there are some tropes, but all good books have them (that's why they are used) The pop culture references are there, but I've read a lot more in other books, and frankly, this is my generation being written about. I was that 16 year old singing along to Say You'll Be There. It was our short hand to life, and that's what it's in here as, recording a moment between friends, a moment in our lives when things were simpler.
Over all I really enjoyed HMRC. How close this world is to our own, how it could easily be real, right now. The friendships between the women feel real (remember they aren't teens) yes we do behave like this, but the world of sisterhood felt special, something that we should really be aiming for in our world. And maybe that's why I'm going through a witch phase. I want the support of my sisters in the world.
Anyway, HMRC, bottom line - enjoyable, political, building up.
Meet five friends (yes, I'm not miscounting) who have, as time has passed, drifted a little. They are still (mostly) friends, but they're older now and we all know being friends as teenage girls is never quite the same once you pass 25. And they are all witches. So far, straight forward.
But then there's this prophecy looming, end of the world stuff and judgements are made in fear and a lot of the shit that goes down could have been avoided if people weren't well, people. Yes even witches are still human.
There's a lot of talk about women and what that means, and how you are a woman. HMRC is written by Juno Dawson know there's going to be these conversations. And frankly it's handled as you'd expect, really well. Arguments are torn down and anyone reading this would wonder why we still need to say Trans rights, but of course, people are people. And people do shitty things when they don't want to be the ones in the wrong.
Which nicely sums up the last third of this book.
This is the start of a series, and I'm looking forward to where this goes. The current politics are very on the nose; nice dig at the PM (who is never named but we all know who it is) and I'm pretty fond of the main characters already. And this is just the beginning of the big nasty that's been foreseen. (Because oracles always get everything nice and clearly, don't they)
Yes there are some tropes, but all good books have them (that's why they are used) The pop culture references are there, but I've read a lot more in other books, and frankly, this is my generation being written about. I was that 16 year old singing along to Say You'll Be There. It was our short hand to life, and that's what it's in here as, recording a moment between friends, a moment in our lives when things were simpler.
Over all I really enjoyed HMRC. How close this world is to our own, how it could easily be real, right now. The friendships between the women feel real (remember they aren't teens) yes we do behave like this, but the world of sisterhood felt special, something that we should really be aiming for in our world. And maybe that's why I'm going through a witch phase. I want the support of my sisters in the world.
Anyway, HMRC, bottom line - enjoyable, political, building up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Kidnapping, Outing, Violence, and War
Minor: Emotional abuse and Infidelity
jamieleepilk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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? No
4.75
Thank you so much to Harper Collins for sending me this proof.
UK Release - 27/7/2022.
The first book in what is set to be a very exciting series!
In 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' we meet a group of witches who grew up as childhood friends. As a dreaded prophecy seems to be coming true their friendship & powers will be tested to the limits.
Spoiler Free review. Wow. What a book.
I'm a sucker for a witch book anyway so as soon as this was announced it sounded right up my street. I throughly loved it. The characters are all (well mostly all, if you know you know) extremely loveable and we get very attached to them very quickly.
I loved the magical system in this and the fractions of the different covens. Juno brilliantly weaves real day, real life issues into a world that isn't that different from our own.
I love a book where each character has there own storyline that eventually all comes together.
Niamh Kelly is a brilliant main character, the story is largely set through her eyes and her struggles.
Leonie & Chinara's relationship was so lovely and felt extremely real. Hopefully in the rest of the series we get a POV from Theo?
I also can't tell you how chuffed I am that this book is largely set in the North of England. The base for HMRC is in Manchester which was just an incredible added detail, also the shopping centre I work at is mentioned which made me insanely happy!!!
I'm honestly so excited to see where Juno takes this series and these brilliant characters.
UK Release - 27/7/2022.
The first book in what is set to be a very exciting series!
In 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' we meet a group of witches who grew up as childhood friends. As a dreaded prophecy seems to be coming true their friendship & powers will be tested to the limits.
Spoiler Free review. Wow. What a book.
I'm a sucker for a witch book anyway so as soon as this was announced it sounded right up my street. I throughly loved it. The characters are all (well mostly all, if you know you know) extremely loveable and we get very attached to them very quickly.
I loved the magical system in this and the fractions of the different covens. Juno brilliantly weaves real day, real life issues into a world that isn't that different from our own.
I love a book where each character has there own storyline that eventually all comes together.
Niamh Kelly is a brilliant main character, the story is largely set through her eyes and her struggles.
Leonie & Chinara's relationship was so lovely and felt extremely real. Hopefully in the rest of the series we get a POV from Theo?
I also can't tell you how chuffed I am that this book is largely set in the North of England. The base for HMRC is in Manchester which was just an incredible added detail, also the shopping centre I work at is mentioned which made me insanely happy!!!
I'm honestly so excited to see where Juno takes this series and these brilliant characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Transphobia, Violence, and War
Moderate: Body horror and Blood
Minor: Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
This was a wild ride. Read 80% in one sitting because I couldn't stop.
Rep: white Irish-British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, Black-biracial British lesbian female MC, sapphic Nigerian-British refugee side character, Black-biracial male side character, white trans girl side character, queer Latina trans woman side character, queer BIPOC nonbinary side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, blood, animal death, car accident, confinement, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping, murder, outing of trans character without consent, toxic friendship, violence. Moderate: classism, death of parent, fire/fire injury, infidelity of one MC's husband, misogyny, racism, sexual content, sexism specifically cissexism, war.
This was a wild ride. Read 80% in one sitting because I couldn't stop.
Rep: white Irish-British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, white British cishet female MC, Black-biracial British lesbian female MC, sapphic Nigerian-British refugee side character, Black-biracial male side character, white trans girl side character, queer Latina trans woman side character, queer BIPOC nonbinary side character.
CWs: Alcohol consumption, blood, animal death, car accident, confinement, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping and attempted kidnapping, murder, outing of trans character without consent, toxic friendship, violence. Moderate: classism, death of parent, fire/fire injury, infidelity of one MC's husband, misogyny, racism, sexual content, sexism specifically cissexism, war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Animal death, Car accident, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Outing, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Sexism, and War
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