A big theme in this book is what it means to be a woman, is it biology that makes you one, or can you choose to become one at will.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven: The magical SUNDAY TIMES number 1 Her Majesty’s Royal Coven: The magical SUNDAY TIMES number 1

Sides have been picked, battle lines have been drawn and the friends will need to decide whether it's worth dying for what you believe in. Ok, so I know that was more than one question, but seriously the ending of this book just blew my mind. The certain characters belief's had me steaming with rage, something I'm noticing more and more with fantasy these days and loving, but please beware going in that their thoughts and actions could be extremely triggering to some, but especially to any trans readers. Against the backdrop of this epic fantasy world Dawson takes a razor-sharp but nuanced look at the political and social landscape of the UK, broaching everything from power structures and discrimination to feminism and transphobia. She really showed the intricacies of family, how you can love someone and hate them at the same time, and I loved reading all the interactions between our four MC's.Still recovering from the last war Niamh, Elle and Leonie lead their own lives, separate from the Coven, but Helena is quick to draw them back in when trouble rears it's head. They live and work among us they look just like us but they are witches, members of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven a secret organisation protecting us from the dark creatures of nature. After splitting from the Coven and starting her own, tensions between her and Helena have been a little high, but Leonie did what she needed to make every Witch feel welcome. There are whisperings of a prophecy that will bring the coven to its knees, and five best friends are about to be caught at the centre. The launch book in a trilogy, the first half is largely world-building and the cliffhanger ending is pure torture.

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven – HarperCollins Publishers UK Her Majesty’s Royal Coven – HarperCollins Publishers UK

But what Dawson does brilliantly is show the physical use of magic through her descriptive writing, every scene where it was used be it in battle, or a more mundane task was effortlessly brought to life and I almost felt like I was watching the scenes like a movie in my head whilst reading. The magic in this book was incredibly well written and pretty commonplace for anyone who is used to reading witchy books. She knows how dangerous Warlocks can be after the High Warlock started the last war, and knows that men are the problem.It’s the first time I’ve read anything by Juno and I’m thrilled to discover her writing…am very much looking forward to HMRC 2 … oh and the ending of book 1! Ebooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook). It's utterly fantastic, every character makes you connect with them and feel something different for them. Helena is the new leader of the HMRC and has set views on who should be allowed to join the coven, views that get tested and questioned throughout the novel.