Reviews with content warning for Self harm - Her Majesty's Royal Coven

Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

9 reviews

fae_sarelfi's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense 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? No

5.0

The description is misleading. The story is less about in-fighting and more about intersectional feminism/inclusivity/bigotry. It surprised me, and I was THRILLED. In the end, I think we don't get to know the Chosen One character as much as I would like, and I also think it doesn't stick the landing in the climactic moment as far as the integrity of its themes. Arguably, theme development depends a little too much on preaching and not enough on fruition. But the plot is developed well and the writing is mostly good. Characters are unique individuals, but many feel flat. The magic is fun, a little lacking in pizzazz. I look forward to the sequel.

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elys3's review

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adventurous emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

For a book about feminism and sisterhood none of these girls are a girls' girl.

Not enough witchy vibes. This feels like X-Men super powers in every fight scene. I want more spells, cauldrons and the actual 'craft' in witchcraft.

Way to many PoVs and characters all at once. 35% of the book just to establish the story and characters.

Even after reading the whole book I'm confused about the organisational structure that is HMRC and how it functions.

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ninaleonie's review

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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alexiab's review against another edition

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challenging funny tense 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

5.0

I'm breaking my self imposed review hiatus for this book because I am ABSOLUTELY LOSING MY MIND OVER HOW GOOD IT WAS. Every single aspect is just OUTSTANDING.

While there are a ton of excellent commentaries happening throughout this story about racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism there is also an INCREDIBLE fantasy plot with exciting action and heartstopping twists. I can't BELIEVE the exciting and emotional way it ended, and I am champing at the absolute bit for the next book. I'm obsessed with this writing, the balance of character study/women's fiction aspects, world building, and fast paced plot is fabulous. I would read another one of these books for the characters alone, but THAT PLOT! OOOOH THAT PLOT SHE IS SPICY SHE IS EXCITING SHE IS DESTROYING MY VERY SOUL FROM THE INSIDE OUT.

And god, the social commentary on trans women and their place in women's spaces? The white feminism and how it doesn't benefit women of colour? The raging white women fighting for "women's rights" but only women who look like her?! GOD. JUST AMAZING.

A huge part of me thinks this book was written as a direct response to JK Rowling and her bullshit TERF rhetoric, and my god is it incredible. The setting, the fantasy elements, and the themes work so beautifully together and paint the biggest "fuck you" to every TERF out there, I couldn't be more thrilled.

A huge part of me expected Helena's story to go a very different direction, and I am SO thrilled that this didn't remotely pander to the "we're better than them, show them kindness" bullshit that some people spew. every TERF deserves to burn in hell, I'm not sorry. RIP Helena, you crusty bitch.

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th18's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Heres a few points I noted down whilst reading:

Fast pace and seemed more YA than anything, too many modern references for me personally but each to their own.
This also felt like the second book of the series at the start there was just so much unexplained things thrown in.
Whilst the book did deal with modern topics such as race and trans rights, I wish it also talked a bit about harmful beauty standards due to Elle literally hiding her true self from her husband.
I feel like the amount of swear words was also unnneeded.
I love the idea of queer witches and empowered modern women but I feel like the talk about adulthood was very bleak
The writing and worldbuilding also felt quite underdeveloped which was disappointing
Finally the use of the d slur was completely unneeded

Although I've only mentioned the negatives, I did have an okay time reading this and it was quite engaging but it could definitely have been better.

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rhensie's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Edit: put down to a 3 because if Unseelie deserved 4, then this doesn't deserve to be anywhere near it

Ehhhhhhhh… The first half of this book was bad. Nothing relevant happened. Yeah, the battle at the end was cool, so that probably gives it its 3.5 instead of 2.5. But the craft, the plot, the pacing, and at times the writing, were all off. There were a bunch of punctuation mistakes in the ebook that took me right out of the story. Leonie felt like diversity points. I love Theo (and she’s named after one of my favourite characters!), but we don’t see enough of what she is actually like. At times, I hated the way the book did it’s representation.

Talking about goth girl cutters, whining about how hard it is for cos people to use correct pronouns, calling Theo a him over and over again even by the characters who weren’t meant to be the TERFs.

The idea is great but the execution was not it for me. Idk if I’ll read the sequel, this ends

on a cliffhanger that feels shoe-horned in for the sake of having a cliffhanger

and I’m not a big fan of that.

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