Review: The Shadow Cabinet (Her Majesty’s Royal Coven #2)
The Shadow Cabinet (Her Majesty’s Royal Coven #2) by Juno Dawson
Published By: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Date Read: November 5, 2023
Genre: Adult – Urban Fantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 508
From Goodreads:
In the second installment of Juno Dawson’s “irresistable” fantasy trilogy (Lana Harper), a group of childhood friends and witches must choose between what is right and what is easy if they have any hope of keeping their coven–and their world–from tearing apart forever.Niamh Kelly is dead. Her troubled twin, Ciara, now masquerades as the benevolent witch as Her Majesty’s Royal Coven prepares to crown her High Preistess.
Suffering from amnesia, Ciara can’t remember what she’s done–but if she wants to survive, she must fool Niamh’s adopted family and friends; the coven; and the murky Shadow Cabinet–a secret group of mundane civil servants who are already suspicious of witches. While she tries to rebuild her past, she realizes none of her past has forgotten her, including her former lover, renegade warlock Dabney Hale.
On the other end of the continent, Leonie Jackman is in search of Hale, rumored to be seeking a dark object of ultimate power somehow connected to the upper echelons of the British government. If the witches can’t figure out Hale’s machinations, and fast, all of witchkind will be in grave danger–along with the fate of all (wo)mankind.
Sharp, funny, provocative, and joyous, Juno Dawson’s sequel reimagines everything you think you knew about her coven and her witches in a story that spans continents and dives deep into the roots of England and its witchcraft. Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo are fierce, angry, sexy, warm–and absolutely unapologetic as they fight for what they believe in, all in the name of sisterhood.
“A serial killer with a cause was still a serial killer.”
The Shadow Cabinet is a book that has been on my TBR since it first came out. I read and loved Her Majesty’s Royal Coven when it first released, but for some reason I just never jumped straight into the second book. I am definitely kicking myself for not reading this one sooner as this was so good! Juno Dawson is such a fantastic writer, and I’m so glad that she tried her hand at fantasy as this is fast becoming one of my favourite series.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven ended on one hell of a cliffhanger. I remember listening to the audio and covering my eyes (as if that would stop me from hearing it LOLZ) because of what was happening. Regardless of that ending, a part of me believed Niamh was going to make it… so started this book and discovering she was dead (It’s not a spoiler… it’s in the blurb) I was absolutely devastated. But as I listened to more of this book, the more I actually started to really like Ciara. In the first book, she is definitely made out to be the ‘evil twin’ and the first half of this book I definitely still viewed her like that. However, Juno did the impossible and made me end up absolutely loving her. Her story absolutely broke my heart and I will forever be a Ciara fangirl. I adore her.
This book is raw and dark and gritty… just as you can come to expect from a Juno Dawson book. I did find the pacing a little bit slow in the first half, probably due to me having a dislike of Ciara and it took me a while to warm to her as a protagonist and narrator but the second half is just magical. I don’t know what sort of drugs Juno wove into her words but I could not put it down. As I got closer and closer to the end, I was trying to find any spare minute to listen to my audiobook. I love this series so much, I really cannot recommend it enough. I loved every moment of this book and once again I was left with my jaw on the ground. So many twists and turns I did not see coming. Honestly… Juno is the Queen of twists, turns and cliffhangers.
The Shadow Cabinet was a phenomenal follow up to Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and I need the third book immediately. I am not typically a binge reader… I do not like reading more than one book consecutively but if the third book was out, I would be diving into it immediately. Instead, I will be diving into Queen B, the prequel, immediately. If you haven’t started this series, this is your message to do so… immediately!
“Love was like diarrhoea… it can’t be helped.”
K-Books
I’m Kayleigh, a teacher and blogger who is obsessed with all things bookish. I love reading YA books of all genres and I am happiest when sharing my love and passion for books.