I seem to be having some bad luck with somewhat misleading book descriptions. First A Half-Built Garden and now Her Majesty’s Royal Coven. The covers’ promise a really interesting plot, but it tends to be secondary to discussions of contemporary political divides in a very jarring way.

The premise sounded fun, there’s a part of the government which is basically a coven of witches, who deal with supernatural threats to the realm. There’s something on the horizon, but clearly that just turns out to be prejudice.

I can see what the author was trying to do with this novel, tackling some contemporary race and gender politics, through the lens of change within the Royal Coven. But it does it all with the sophistication of a spat on Twitter. It was so cringe. I have a feeling that the novel won’t age really well, they never do when you reference things that are too contemporary.

I also think some of the characters are mistreated, as they are supposed to be super smart and powerful but then do incredibly stupid things. I suppose the novel needed its straw-man (or witch) in which to hammer its very blunt message home. But it felt out of character with the first part of the novel. It just didn’t sit right.

The strength of the book was that it did have some very likeable characters, and I liked the essential conundrum (can a trans witch be a witch), but I wish it was just handled with far more tact than what was given. I also liked the world building, with the different types of witches with their individual powers. At sometimes though it just seemed like they had super powers, which felt at odd with how their practice was supposed to be like.

Inconsistency was a real problem with this novel. Even what happens at the very end (to set up book 2) seemed completely nonsensical and reading spoilers, also a set up for book 3. However, I was so annoyed by the ending I’m not even going to get to book 2.

Anyway, maybe it’ll float your boat, but definitely not for me.