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A review by morganpearcy
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
adventurous
challenging
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? It's complicated
3.5
I mostly enjoyed this book. It was really refreshing to have a Trans protagonist - and a young one, at that - and to explore through fiction some of the Trans experience. If you like fantasy, witches, magical realism with a strong feminist flare, this is a solid choice.
I would like to point out that any time a character is living at an intersection of multiple marginalized identities, I typically check to see if the author has any lived experience part-way through the book. Especially if something feels off or the character seems to be 1 dimensional.
The Trans protagonist Theo was dynamic, flawed, loveable, relatable and believable. Juno is a Trans woman. That explains it and really made me happy.
Leonie, the Black, Lesbian witch, is not so dynamic or believable. The character felt off to me: flat and like a conglomeration of regurgitated Black women’s labor from Abolitionist spaces. The way she related to her white childhood friends and her partner felt really wobbly. I could tell the author was writing from a not-lesbian, white lens. Sure enough, Juno is white. This did not sit right with me and was a source of irritation and eye rolling throughout the book.
There’s a lot to like here. The racial overstepping is a pain point. I am undecided about reading the next in the series.
I would like to point out that any time a character is living at an intersection of multiple marginalized identities, I typically check to see if the author has any lived experience part-way through the book. Especially if something feels off or the character seems to be 1 dimensional.
The Trans protagonist
Leonie, the Black, Lesbian witch, is not so dynamic or believable. The character felt off to me: flat and like a conglomeration of regurgitated Black women’s labor from Abolitionist spaces. The way she related to her white childhood friends and her partner felt really wobbly. I could tell the author was writing from a not-lesbian, white lens. Sure enough, Juno is white. This did not sit right with me and was a source of irritation and eye rolling throughout the book.
There’s a lot to like here. The racial overstepping is a pain point. I am undecided about reading the next in the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Transphobia, and Deadnaming
Moderate: Racism and War
White writers attempting to write Black and other characters of color should be added as a trigger warning here.