Do I need to read the Her Majesty's Royal Coven series before this book?

This story functions as a prequel and can be read independently by newcomers, though it provides foundational lore for the broader series universe.

Is this book written in a single timeline?

The narrative structure alternates between two timelines, contrasting the immediate aftermath of Anne Boleyn's execution with non-chronological chapters detailing her earlier rise to power and her relationship with Grace Fairfax.

Are there any visual elements included in the book?

The physical edition features interior illustrations by artist Emma Viecelli throughout the text.

Queen B

Reader reviews of Queen B

Mae · 2026-07-26T19:26:15.000000Z

Format: audio 🎧 🎙️: Nicola Coughlan Genre: Queer Historical Fantasy Novella 📍 Tropes/Themes: Set in 1536 England; Secret Forbidden Sapphic Romance Subplot; Found Family; Betrayal; Multiple 3rd Person POV ⚠️CW: violence, gore, abuse, harassment, misogyny, sexism, self-immolation, death by fire 🔥: 🌶️ 💭Thoughts: A book I definitely wish I had read a physical copy for instead of listened to but I just love Nicola Coughlan too much! It’s a bit difficult to remember what year and whose perspective is being narrated, but wowza, Juno Dawson has done it again! This story is gritty, full of love and betrayal, trust and loss, want and sacrifice… a fantastic listen

Contemporary Literature Young Adult

Published: 2024
Language: English

Synopsis

Queen B is a prequel novella to Juno Dawson's Her Majesty's Royal Coven trilogy, set in the Tudor court and telling the secret history of Anne Boleyn as a witch queen. After Anne's execution, her lover Grace Fairfax, a young Yorkshire noblewoman, hunts for the coven member who betrayed her — knowing the traitor is one of Anne's own ladies-in-waiting.

Grace and Cecilia de la Torre, a former lady-in-waiting to Katherine of Aragon, are drawn into a fight for survival as King Henry VIII's advisor Sir Ambrose Fulke organizes witchfinders to hunt down what remains of the coven.

The novella reframes Tudor history through the lens of the HMRC series' modern witchcraft mythology, threading in queer relationships and questions of female power and betrayal within the court.

3 reviews