Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, by Juno Dawson

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven is the official advisory body to the British government on magical matters but is largely a secret unknown to ‘mundanes’. The feminine power of witches dominates the magical world and five women who were inducted into the coven together in their teens are among the most powerful. A civil war sparked by a rebellious warlock has divided the five friends in different ways. Eight years later a new dark threat could draw them tighter again or drive them further apart. Ostensibly a dark fantasy tale, it soon becomes clear that this is actually a highly political novel that cleverly tackles the modern culture war over trans rights. It is a gripping story that occasionally tips into overly educational, while trying give an understanding of all points of view. This sometimes comes at the expense of plot – the total ignorance of mundanes to all things magic is hard to swallow, especially given the official government role.