[ARC] Queen B by Juno Dawson

By Liz on June 30, 2024

(Reading time: 2 minutes)

Book in the HMRC series: #0.5

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.

CW: violence, miscarriage, death

Rating

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review

I was waiting for this prequel as I wanted more details, and this book totally met those expectations.

I think I just wanted to go back to this universe, and even if it wasn't with the usual characters, I didn't mind, as it's a very compelling story. Seeing HMRC being created and the reasons made the whole story even more believable, and it helped build this universe.

Starting this book, I struggled a little with all the characters. Still, as we went through their POVs, I quickly overcame this problem and seriously devoured this book. It's more than just a group of women who want to build a coven to protect themselves; it's also the struggle to do the right thing to protect what they have, and sometimes, it's not as easy as expected.

As it happened during Henry VIII's reign, you obviously have some of the political schemes and restrictions the era imposed on women. Let me tell you, I was sometimes so mad about it that I just wanted to throw my tablet.

I was so immersed in this book that I was disappointed to have finished it, even though the ending was great; now, I can only wait for the next instalment.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins to send me a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own