BOW DOWN WITCHES
It’s 1536 and the Queen has been beheaded.
Lady Grace Fairfax, witch, knows that something foul is at play – that someone had betrayed Anne Boleyn and her coven.
Wild with the loss of their leader – and her lover, a secret that if spilled could spell Grace’s own end – she will do anything in her power to track down the traitor.
But there’s more at stake than revenge: it was one of their own, a witch, that betrayed them, and Grace isn’t the only one looking for her. King Henry VIII has sent witchfinders after them, and they’re organized like they’ve never been before under his new advisor, the impassioned Sir Ambrose Fulke, a cold man blinded by his faith. His cruel reign could mean the end of witchkind itself.
If Grace wants to find her revenge and live, she will have to do more than disappear.
She will have to be reborn.
In this gripping, propulsive, sultry novella, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood. With beautiful illustrations from Emma Vieceli throughout.
It’s no secret that I absolutely adored the first two novels in Juno Dawson’s Her Majesty’s Royal Coven trilogy. With the conclusion to that trilogy, Human Rites, coming out next year, 2024 offers readers a prequel novella to enjoy in the meantime. Dawson’s trilogy is set in a world very much like our own, but one in which witches and warlocks exist. The history of the Coven has been touched upon in the first two novels, but Queen B provides the origin story in more detail as Dawson takes us back to the mid-16th century and the beheading of Anne Boleyn – witch and second wife to Henry VIII.
The novella takes a dual timeline approach, showing the arrival of Lady Grace Fairfax at the Tudor court and how she befriends Anne Boleyn and her coterie, while the second shows the time from Boleyn’s beheading and Grace’s desire for revenge. Grace is a fantastic character. She’s aware of her power, but doesn’t use it any more than she needs to, very much aware of the price of being labelled a witch. Like calls to like, however, and the witches in Boleyn’s court – including the Queen herself – soon recognise her for what she is, and she’s introduced to the Queen’s inner circle. I love the way in which Grace’s relationship with Anne gradually develops, and while Anne is conscious of her duty and the need to provide the King with a male heir, she and Grace become lovers.
Grace’s respect and love for the Queen come to fuel her desire for revenge after Anne is betrayed by another witch, resulting in her beheading, although it’s clear that the King’s wandering eye has already been caught by Jane Seymour by that point. Grace’s rage is a thing to behold, and I loved seeing her hunt down those she held responsible. One can’t help but wonder how far she’ll go in her desire to mete out justice, and while it’s dangerous for Grace, it’s fantastic to see her embrace her power in full and use it anger.
Moving things back to the 16th century introduces some obvious differences to the previous novels in the series, but I felt that Dawson successfully captured what was it was to be a woman – even one with hidden power – at that time. She also highlights the dangers in being labelled a witch, and the rise of the witchfinders in this period of history, and who come to play a part in The Shadow Cabinet. While Dawson has played with history to make it fit the world of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, I felt that the additions introduced fit in seamlessly. It’s so cleverly done and the novella is clearly well researched.
If I had any slight problem with it, it’s that I wanted more! Grace is a fantastic character, and I’d have loved to have seen more of her history – how she discovered her powers and her initial, tentative exploration of her capabilities, as well as the loveless marriage that she found herself in prior to leaving for London. Despite that, this is an enjoyable addition to the trilogy, and I loved discovering how the coven was initially formed. Recommended to anyone who’s enjoyed the first two novels of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.
Book 12 of 20 Books of Summer.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven:
Jo's Book Blog 
Fab review Jo, glad you enjoyed it! x
Thank you, Nicki! x