Title: Her Majesty's Royal Coven
Author: Juno Dawson
Publication Date: May 31, 2022 by Penguin Books
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
My first new review of this year's #TransRightsReadathon is a book I've had my eye on for quite a while and finally picked up because another reviewer explored the transgender aspect - and might-read became must-read.
Her Majesty's Royal Coven is an urban fantasy about witches and women, sisters and mothers, history and identity, and the cycles of violence and oppression that plague the world. Juno Dawson has cast her spell over a work of literary magic that's as emotional as it is exciting, with a revelation I hoped was coming, a twist I hoped wasn't, and a cliffhanger that I didn't expect.
Helena, Niamh, Leonie, and Elle are childhood friends, witches one and all, survivors of a brutal war between witches and warlocks, who have since gone their own ways. One has risen to lead the royal coven, one has started her rival coven of diversity (welcoming women of all races, cultures, and LGBTQIA identities), one who has taken a step back to turn her powers to becoming a veterinarian, and one who has turned her back to become an ordinary housewife.
It's the problem of an out-of-control magical child that brings them back together, and while it's the prophecy of The Sullied Child that threatens their sisterhood, it's something entirely human that ultimately tears them apart.
Hatred. Fear. Prejudice. Intolerance. Call it what you will, the fate of witches (and possibly the world) rests on that pivotal child and a question of acceptance or rejection.
Theo is a quiet, reclusive child who is haunted as much by memories of their past as confusion about their present. We quickly learn they are an adept, not only more powerful than any warlock (man) alive, but any witch (woman) as well. What we don't learn until halfway through the book is that they are transgender, a woman in their heart and soul, who only wants to be seen and accepted for who they are. Spoilers
For a book of magic and fantasy, there are some very deep, very angry conversations about gender identity and gender politics, about whether Theo can ever be accepted as a 'real' woman, and it's to Dawson's credit that fictional characters can endear themselves to me as much as friends, and infuriate me as much as foes. She refuses to pull her punches or suggest there can be a middle ground. This is a story that demands you take sides, as it should, because to remain indecisive is to stand by and watch as Leviathan destroys the world.
Parts of the story are almost Hallmark-worthy, scenes of family tenderness, friendship drama, and will-they-won't-they romance. Others are the stuff of daytime talk shows, discussions around feminism, white privilege, gender discrimination, and more. Still others are the stuff of Gothic beauty, with a love and reverence for nature, while the final act is pure MCU territory, with magical battles that rival any big-screen superhero movie. It's a lot, and sometimes the transitions (or overlaps) are a bit intense, but when it feels preachy, you can tell it's from a place of frustration, and I can't quibble with any of it.
To say Her Majesty's Royal Coven was not what I expected is an understatement, but one that opened me up to an absolute delight. I loved this story, I felt this story, in ways that few authors can make me feel. There were moments that made me smile, moments that had me reading through tears, and still others that had me leaping to my feet in outrage or triumph. I am so very glad I gave this a read, and I ordered a copy of The Shadow Cabinet the moment I finished because I want to enjoy the anticipation for Queen B.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
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