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.
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.
Title: The Shadow Cabinet (Her Majesty's Royal Coven #2)
Author: Juno Dawson
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
Reivew:
I would love to read and review but I cannot read the version sent to my Kindle as it has paragraphs that are chopped up and appear on different pages. Usually I can make it work but this particular version is unreadable, Happy to read if a better version is offered.
New version noted and reloaded!!!! EXCITED TO READ!
Updated review:
Thank you for allowing me to read and review this egalley. I was so happy it was fixed so I could read this book.
Please note if you have not read the first book in this series, you will be lost. Also you may see spoilers in this review.
I adore Dawson's writing. This book was no different. It picks up right where the first one left off. Devastation and destruction from the fight at the end of book one, The book is told from the POVs of the same witches: Elle, Theo, and Leonie plus we see some information coming from Luke (not who we thought he was!) and Chinara. And now we have Ciara's POV rather than Nimah since she is in her body. I love the idea of seeing this story from all these points of view, it gives a more grand sweep of what is happening.
Overall the story moves fast. The witches are looking for Dabney Hale, trying to stop him from whatever destruction he is bound to reek on the world. But we also see a new group of witch hunters from Luke's POV and come to find out his background is much more sinister than we could have imagined! So now there's much at stake from several areas.
At first I thought I'd hate Ciara, after all, she did kill Nimah and take her body. But I did find that I rather liked her overall. Plus she has some great growth, realizing her mistakes (though still with some power hungriness to her) and wanted to correct those wrongs. I am was a little surprised at how easily Leonie and Elle were ok with who she was and what happened. They seemed to join with her rather quickly considering what she did but I can also see they may have some forgiveness since part of how she came back was from the death of the previous high priestess who was possessed.
Theo's character also showed immense growth during this book. I love how she comes into herself, figuring out how to function in society as a female. Her friends showing her respect and acceptance. She has many complicated feelings she tries to explore. She's especially worried about her acceptance into a family as she was tossed around to many foster homes and wants to feel she has security in that.
The ending! UGH! I did not see it coming, I will be honest. I was a bit confused, like were all their memories altered about Milo and his past? How was it that no one remembered what had happened to him, including his mother? And why did his dad know? I hope it gets explained better in book 3 because I felt it was a bit of a plot hole even at the end.
And that naked foot, I have a feeling who it is, but don't want to say and I'm chomping at the bit to see in book #3! It was definitely a cliff hanger.
Overall, I think I may have enjoyed this book more than the first! Quite a few new characters and many of the ones we already know. I'm excited for this series to continue!
Queen of Teen 2014 Juno Dawson is the multi award-winning author of six novels for young adults. In 2016, she authored the best-selling World Book Day title: SPOT THE DIFFERENCE.
Her next novel is the beautiful and emotive MARGOT & ME (Jan 2017) which will be followed by her adult debut, the memoir THE GENDER GAMES (Jul 17).
Juno also wrote the bestselling non-fiction guide to life for young LGBT people, THIS BOOK IS GAY. In 2016 a follow-up, MIND YOUR HEAD, featured everything a young person needs to know about mental health.
Juno is a regular contributor to Attitude Magazine, Glamour Magazine and The Guardian and has contributed to news items on BBC Women’s Hour, Front Row, ITV News, Channel 5 News, This Morning and Newsnight concerning sexuality, identity, literature and education.
Juno’s titles have received rave reviews and have been translated into more than ten languages around the world.
Juno grew up in West Yorkshire, writing imaginary episodes of Doctor Who. She later turned her talent to journalism, interviewing luminaries such as Steps and Atomic Kitten before writing a weekly serial in a Brighton newspaper. In 2015, Juno announced her intention to undergo gender transition and live as a woman.
Juno writes full time and lives in Brighton. In her spare time, she STILL loves Doctor Who and is a keen follower of horror films and connoisseur of pop music. In 2014 Juno became a School Role Model for the charity STONEWALL.
Her next novel is the beautiful and emotive MARGOT & ME (Jan 2017) which will be followed by her adult debut, the memoir THE GENDER GAMES (Jul 17).
Juno also wrote the bestselling non-fiction guide to life for young LGBT people, THIS BOOK IS GAY. In 2016 a follow-up, MIND YOUR HEAD, featured everything a young person needs to know about mental health.
Juno is a regular contributor to Attitude Magazine, Glamour Magazine and The Guardian and has contributed to news items on BBC Women’s Hour, Front Row, ITV News, Channel 5 News, This Morning and Newsnight concerning sexuality, identity, literature and education.
Juno’s titles have received rave reviews and have been translated into more than ten languages around the world.
Juno grew up in West Yorkshire, writing imaginary episodes of Doctor Who. She later turned her talent to journalism, interviewing luminaries such as Steps and Atomic Kitten before writing a weekly serial in a Brighton newspaper. In 2015, Juno announced her intention to undergo gender transition and live as a woman.
Juno writes full time and lives in Brighton. In her spare time, she STILL loves Doctor Who and is a keen follower of horror films and connoisseur of pop music. In 2014 Juno became a School Role Model for the charity STONEWALL.
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