The Coven is reunited but broken…
Niamh is back from the dead… but she hasn’t come back alone. Elle mourns a son she never had. Ciara languishes in a prison for witches. And Leonie reels from a very unexpected surprise.
Five very different witches with one thing in common: they were unwittingly chosen by the dangerously charming Lucifer, the demon king of desire, to fulfil a dark prophecy.
But Lucifer has a deadly offer for fledgling witch Theo: help him and her coven – her family – will be spared as the rest of humanity perishes in a hellish new reality. Save the ones she loves? Or save the world? The choice is hers…
The final confrontation between good and evil is about to commence in the spectacular conclusion to the insatiable Her Majesty’s Royal Coven.
As regular readers will be aware, I absolutely adored both Her Majesty’s Royal Coven and The Shadow Cabinet as well as the prequel novella Queen B. To say that I’ve been eagerly awaiting this third instalment doesn’t quite convey the level of excitement I’ve experienced in waiting for Human Rites to be published. While there’s always a vague niggle that a book can’t possibly live up to those expectations, I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest – Juno Dawson has delivered another absolutely superb novel and a satisfying end to the trilogy.
While there is a who’s who and what’s what at the start of the novel – something which I was extremely appreciative of, it having been nearly two years since I read The Shadow Cabinet – you really do need to have read the first two novels before tackling this one. Additionally, there are elements to this novel that I can’t explore without revealing parts of what happened in the first two novels, and so if you have any intention of reading them – and you absolutely should! – look away now.
Human Rites picks up immediately where The Shadow Cabinet ends as Niamh makes an unexpected return, thanks in no small part to Theo. While I felt that the individual helping Theo here may have an ulterior motive, I can’t say that I was disappointed. I adore Niamh, and her return to the land of the living was an extremely welcome plot twist. I missed her in the second novel, although her twin sister, Ciara, went someway to fill that gap – literally as she pretends to be Niamh for much of that novel. While these two are quite different to each other, I can’t deny that I love them both, albeit in different ways. While I adore Niamh who is smart and clever and kind, Ciara is pure badass, and it’s hard not to like that about her.
Making up the coven are Elle and Leonie. Elle has been put through the wringer by recent events, and while she doesn’t believe herself to be strong enough to keep going, her hand is forced as it becomes clear that she’s needed. I love the fearsome new Elle that emerges in this novel – she’s so much more capable than she realises, and it’s so wonderful to see this bold, brave side of her emerge. Leonie also has some things to deal with as she’s presented with an extremely unexpected surprise. Leonie is an indomitable spirit and one of my favourite characters in the series.
Throughout the series, I’ve loved the relationship between this small group of women. To have that network to rely upon and know that they will always be there for you and will know instinctively what you need in any given situation is no small thing. These are ladies of a similar age to me (I think!) and I’d love to be a part of their group. They are brilliant and flawed and utterly human despite their extraordinary abilities. Dawson brings her characters to life brilliantly and they are a huge part of what makes this series so outstanding.
As the final instalment in the trilogy, things come to a head in this novel as the prophecy around the so-called sullied child becomes clear. There were several loose threads from the previous novels, but Dawson brings everything together in a satisfying manner. Questions are answered, plot threads are resolved, and the climax is incredibly tense. Dawson has shown that she’s not afraid to kill her darlings – even if they occasionally come back afterwards – and so the outcome of this novel was far from predictable but I absolutely loved it.
This whole series has been absolutely brilliant throughout, providing me with sheer escapism and utter joy. I love Dawson’s sense of humour and her pop culture references (which are very much aligned to my own pop culture references!) While these novels are a lot of fun, she also tackles some big themes throughout, particularly around the inequality and prejudice that some individuals face, and she does so with aplomb. I honestly can’t recommend this series enough to anyone who loves fantasy and tales of witchcraft.
Book 8 of 15 Books of Summer.
Jo's Book Blog 
Fab review, Jo, glad that it lived up to your expectations! xx
Thank you, Nicki! x
Amazing review, Jo. Looks like you enjoyed this as much as previous books.
Thank you, Yesha. And yes – very much so!