Her Majesty's Royal Coven: A Novel (The HMRC Trilogy) Paperback – May 31, 2022

After seeing this book recommended on my Tt #booktok i quickly downloaded this book. I'm a huge fan of witchy fantasy and immediately recognized my favorite kind of read. The pure pleasure i felt when i saw all the LGBTQIA+ inclusivity is indescribable.BRAVO Juno Dawson, BRAVO.I'm headed over to check out your other work.To finally read a book that embraces the things i love in a book genre AND include relevant, inclusive, and accurate characters and situations.. amazing. I'm now recommending this book to everyone. ❤️

The book opens the night before five young girls officially become witches. The story then jumps and follows these same characters now that they’ve matured into their more powerful and responsible lives.The author does a great job at showing the different personalities, not so easy when there are a lot of characters. The women are no longer close like in childhood; there’s friction between the power-hungry head of England’s coven, the mild witch who pretends to be a simple housewife, the Black lesbian who started her own LGBTQ-friendly coven, and the veterinarian consumed with grief at the loss of her fiancé during the witch war eight years ago. There are spouses and lovers and children and parents and, new to the group, a trans orphan who’s terrified and lashing out in fear. The story is told from four points of view and the voices are distinct.I read reviews where the readers felt the race and gender issues overshadowed the story. I thought the author raised really important points relevant to current racism, homophobia, and transphobia. The transphobia was heavy-handed but it seemed realistic given what I read online.I liked it enough where I’m about to start the second in the series. I want to see what happens to these people.

With a real kick at the end. Not a cliffhanger, but a serious propellant towards the next book! Thoroughly enjoyable.

That I wish I had not bought.

Juno Dawson’s focus on representing an inclusive and intersectional coven in England is refreshing. The critiques on colonialism and white-washing magical cultures is much needed in this fantasy genre. Several queer relationships are present and inclusive language is used throughout the novel.That being said, if you’re looking for a *very* sapphic romance fantasy novel, this is not your book. The main sapphic romance is a mature relationship and they are settled. The other main romance that’s full of yearning (will they won’t they) is straight (sigh).One main character is a teenage orphan who discovers magical abilities (alluding to tropes from Harry Potter). And, in a nod to JK Rowling, this novel is unabashedly anti-TERF and shows how destructive TERF beliefs can be (long applause).Mixed into the book are contemporary references to pop culture (movies, tv shows on Netflix, etc) that remind us again, and again, (annnd again) that this book is set in our world here and now (just with some hidden magic sprinkled in). I’m not sure how much those (kind of obscure) references will hold up even 10 years from now, but it was fun reading them.Although this book had a slow start, the pace picked up halfway through and I couldn’t put the book down. There are quite a few main characters and Juno Dawson didn’t hold back developing each of them. I’m looking forward to reading the second book in this series!

Ok, I loved, loved this book except for the final, final twist. If this stays as is I’d be very unhappy. It would affect my appetite for the series. I mean, it’s masterful, but I have to think I’m in the majority here. I’d get the 2nd book because I’m an optimist but I’ll need hope in that volume. Anyone reading this review, just buy the book already. If you like well written, well edited Urban Fantasy, you’ve been waiting for this. Fans of Ben Aaronovitch will be very happy.

This book is really good - a girlfriends’ story with witchcraft included and a few touches of humor that made me laugh out loud.But…the ending!!

i'm a trans woman, and this book deals with a lot of queer and trans themes, as well as racism, and feminism, and other such themes.i won't lie, it was hard to read, there were some very accurate descriptions of transphobia, including misgendering, deadnaming, TERFery, etc... but it was realistic, and it's what trans people have to deal with every day of our lives.it's appropriate that i read this during Transgender Awareness Week.all i can say is that this book gets 6 stars from me. Highly, highly recommended!