Been putting off this review since July, because sometimes you just like a book too much. I am right about this! Also I’m just really impressed by this book, and I wanted to make sure I did it justice, which is just way too much pressure for a book review. Can’t handle that, procrastination is the solution.
It’s so rare for a second book in a series to get better, but this one does. It continued with everything I loved from the first book, got better at the things I didn’t, and addressed some major issues that I had with the series as a whole AND managed to make the POV of a certain character I was dreading reading from into one of my favorite things to read! Not to mention it’s really killer with the plot twists. There were two big ones in here, and I didn’t see either of them coming.
I’m not going to be going much into the plot here because it’s basically all spoilers for the first book. All you need to know is that there are modern day witches governed by Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (started by Anne Boleyn, a witch*), and there’s a prophecy about a Sullied Child who will bring about the return of a powerful evil entity. In the first book, they think they’ve found the Sullied Child and feel they must protect them, and/or prevent them from fulfilling the prophecy. There is also a group of friends who have known each other since they were children, and now that they are adults they have to navigate the truly adult conundrum of what you do when you outgrow the people you thought you’d be friends with forever.
*Hey, Juno, I wouldn’t mind an Anne Boleyn prequel! Just saying.
This is also a very queer book, and it’s worth mentioning that Juno Dawson as a trans woman knows how to write about these sorts of issues in a way that is heart meltingly compelling.
Ugh, this review. I’m not saying what I want to say so I’m just going to stop and say that if you like fantasy and witches and female friendships and books that explore how hard it is to be a woman in the modern world, you should read this series!