Folger Book Club convenes on Thursday, June 5 with a discussion of Queen B by Juno Dawson. To get ready for the conversation, we compiled some introductory information on this propulsive prequel to the Her Majesty’s Royal Coven trilogy.
On View: Dominick Porras
What is Queen B about?
The next spellbinding installment of Juno’s “irresistible” fantasy series Her Majesty’s Royal Coven (Lana Harper) takes us back to the reign of Henry VIII and the origins of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven under the beautiful, the bewitching, Anne Boleyn.
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.
In this gripping, propulsive, sultry short novel, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty’s Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood.
Critical Reception
“Giving the reader the space to feel who these characters are and why they do the things they do makes Queen B shine.”—Grimdark Magazine
“By seeing through multiple lenses of the court and of Anne Boleyn herself, Queen B manages to balance historical fiction and fantasy deftly.”—Utopia State of Mind
Why did we choose this book?
The Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection explores not only Shakespeare’s life and works, but also the plays’ historical context, source material, critical and performance histories, and the ways in which they inspire and are adapted by contemporary novelists.
Queen B offers a fun, fast-paced origin story for the popular ‘Her Majesty’s Royal Coven’ series set in the court of King Henry VIII. The mother of Queen Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn would have been remembered by Shakespeare’s audiences and her time on the throne is shown in Shakespeare’s play, Henry VIII.
About the author: Juno Dawson
From Penguin Random House
Juno Dawson is a bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and journalist. Juno’s books include the global bestsellers, This Book is Gay and Clean. She also writes for television and has multiple shows in development both in the UK and US. An occasional actress and model, Juno appeared on HBO’s I May Destroy You.
Content Transparency
Queen B includes potentially sensitive subjects. Expand below for a full list of content (may include spoilers).
- Death
- Grief
- Miscarriage
- Fire/Fire injury
- Misogyny
- Classism
- Animal death
Support the Folger Shop
Folger Book Club selections are now available through the Folger shop! Purchase online or in-person at the Folger Shakespeare Library located at 201 East Capitol St SE.
We would like to thank the following organization for its generous support of this program
Join us for an upcoming event
On View: Dominick Porras
Virtual Folger Salon with Margherita Malerba and Hassana Moosa
Not Just Another Day Off 2026
Award-winning poet María Fernanda—whose works explore the intimacy of sisterhood, the anchor of intergenerational coexistence, and grief—will also present historic passages, speeches, and a selection of poems written by herself, June Jordan, Nikki Giovanni, and other notable voices.
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