As a lover of all things Norwegian, the premise of witch sisters in Norway in the 17th century seeking revenge for the death of their mother seemed like an obvious must read.

The Witches at the End of the World is told through two separate points of view - Minna and her sister Kaija. Although Kaija had a bit more personality than her sister, both seemed almost interchangeable at times and I had to frequently check to see whose chapter I was reading later on in the story. Both sister's points of view were written in a blocky, stream of consciousness style with little to no dialogue which for me, was very hard on my eyes and I often found myself having to go back and reread paragraphs because my mind would wander.

As far as the plot, the novel had a few exciting moments near the end, but I felt like those were rushed through. Overall, the storyline was fairly predictable and forgettable.

For those who love witch/sister stories, however, I do think the majority of readers will enjoy this one. There are not too many historical novels that take place in that time period of Norway, so unless you grew up in a Scandinavian household, I think the atmosphere and the historical information will be unique and interesting enough to keep one's attention. I did crave my grandmother's homemade lefse while reading it!

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Chelsea Iversen for an advanced readers copy in exchage for an honest review.

3.75 I really like the writing style in this book. It’s beautiful and expressive, floral almost at times. I liked the opposing dual povs of the sisters. Both responding to their trauma in opposite ways.


Thank you Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Witches at the End of the World is about two sisters with magic who want very different things in life. So when Kaija leaves, Minna does the unthinkable, unleashing something that will effect both of them deeply. But they don't know it.
There was a real dichotomy established between the two sisters from the onset; Kaija with her natural magic and focus on healing, and Minna with her much wilder and chaotic energy. The two have a strong connection, but both are so different, I wondered how their relationship would play out.

I felt the author really caught the relationship of two sisters well, giving them each a voice but ensuring they were very different and told their own stories.

When Kaija resolves to leave magic behind and travel back into the village that brought their family so much pain many years ago, the story kicks into gear. Minna is left at home, to hunt and survive, whilst Kaija yearns for a much calmer, more normal life.

The description of the Nordic village, along with its traditions, such as the mangelene used for marriage proposals, are so absorbing and vivid. The normality of the village contrasts with the wild life Minna is living in the woods, and I found myself rooting for Kaija and being swept up in village life.

The characters are diverse and well -rounded, with some extremely likeable ones like Olen, who I instantly was rooting for. The theme of good and wicked continues amongst the people in the story: from characters with no magic, such as Astrid the village scold and the shallow, jealous ones who let dark superstitions take hold.

There were moments of visceral darkness in this book that made me gasp, moments where I raged at the narrators, and moments where there was hope, friendship and light.

Whilst I tend to prefer true and real historical fiction, I do like historical fantasies that are well-crafted and where magic is woven as a thread throughout. This book certainly achieved that in a realistic way. And of course, as we all know, magic has to have consequences, which this book certainly demonstrated.

It's the first book I've read in a while that's left me fizzing and I would absolutely recommend this one. It's going on my list (that needs to be created) of top reads of 2023.

This was such an interesting story with really great characters. I liked that we got to see how they both use magic and what they choose to do with it.

Norway, 1667. Women, sisters, witches, and curses. Thirteen years ago, Kaija and Minna were forced to flee their home when their mother was burned as a witch. They’ve lived quietly in the birchwood learning magic with their last living relative, but after their grandmother’s death, Kaija decides to return to their old community. Enraged at her sister’s decision, Minna casts a curse upon the village. She doesn’t expect it to affect her sister until she has a vision: Kaija on a pyre crying for help. Now Minna must follow her sister into a realm of men and suspicion.

Unfortunately, the plot and characters feel underdeveloped. It’s hard to have empathy for the sisters as their personalities are opposing extremes, one full of rage and one submissive in hopes of fitting in. Both sisters are going through the motions of daily life, and there isn’t a lot of plot. Minna is constantly berating Kaija for leaving, while Kaija tries to hide her witch powers and follow the rules of Norwegian society. The two simply don’t communicate or try to understand the other’s reasonings. Instead, they react intensely to assumed slights and betrayals. They’ve grown up together and learned magic together, so where is that history in the story? Why does Kaija insist on leaving while Minna is so full of rage? As Minna performs spells, it’s never really explained how magic works and what the cost is, other than an itchiness under the skin if it’s not used. Where do the words come from and what are some of their rules? This book is full of potential and a strong historical setting; however, more time spent on character development and world-building is needed. Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-witches-at-the-end-of-the-world/

This was a pretty good read. A first for me from this author.

Two sisters alone after losing their grandmother. One decides to move away to the town that years earlier burned their mother as a witch. These two girls are witches and have fairly powerful magic. You follow each one’s story throughout and learn a bit about each sister. At first I thought it was the youngest sister who moved away but I was wrong. Needless to say they didn’t see eye to eye on living in the town.

This book was written so beautifully. Told in a way that makes you feel what each sister is feeling. Told from each ones POV. It’s a very enjoyable read. This author has a gift without a doubt. I enjoyed this one from start to finish.

Thank you #netgalley, #ChelseaIversen, #SourceBooksLandmark for this arc. This is my true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars and I highly recommended it.

This was a very entertaining historical read with a nordic setting, with pretty good conflict but i also feel like a expected more ??
I don’t know but i had a lot of fun reading this
Thanks net galley for the arc 🩷

The Witches at the End of the World is a story that blends historical fiction with fantasy. It follows the lives of two sisters, Minna and Kaija, who are both witches in Norway during the 17th century. The novel is written in alternating first accounts detailing the thoughts and lives of each sister. Minna and Kaija are polar opposites and life takes them in separate directions. Kaija leaves their home, the birchwood, for a fresh start in the village. Kaija's departure fills Minna with feelings of resentment and betrayal, leading Minna to use magic to cast a curse with disastrous and heartbreaking consequences.

The themes of magic and witchcraft, combined with the pace of the storyline, make The Witches at the End of the World a wonderously cosy fall read.

Kind thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of The Witches at the End of the World in exchange for an honest review.

Witches at the End of the World is a supernatural story about two sisters who struggle against their own desires and the pressures of the world around them. With plenty of magic, strife, and the politics of a small town, this book explores our relationships to one another and how quickly people can turn on one another when times aren't perfect. I gave The Witches at the End of the World three stars out of five because I enjoyed it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to a friend or read it again.

The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen is such a dark yet enchanting story of two sisters trying to find their own ways in their world. After the death of their grandmother, Kaija sets out to try to incorporate herself back into a life where being a witch is frowned upon. However, she wants to try to fit in and not feel so isolated from the rest of civilization. Minna, on the other hand, is full of rage and magic which itches at her skin to be released. After her sister abandons her, Minna's ability to temper her revenge is nearly unquenchable.
I give this novel a solid 4* for the magic and angst we see on both sides of the fence from each sister. The bond they share through trauma and isolation is a crutch to one and a limitation for the other. I was intrigued by the premise and the conflict between the sisters. I do wish I had encountered more plot but that is, perhaps, my own opinion. Overall, I think it was a strong presentation for a debut novel and I hope to see more from this writer. I think she does well with imagery and scenery, we may just need to dig a little deeper for plot and character interaction to give a more developed story.

Such an entertaining novel about sisterhood, magic, revenge and flaunting societal conventions set in ancient Norway and perfect for fans of books like The weaver and the witch queen by Genevieve Gornichec. Great on audio narrated by Liz Pearce and Amy Scanlon. While I did have trouble keeping track of which sister's story was which at times, overall this was a great look at the conflict between living the quiet life one dreams of and battling the forces that seek to extinguish women's limited power. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!

Happy to include this title in my recent round-up “The Haunted Bookshelf,” highlighting spooky Halloween season-themed reads for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

Incredible debut novel from Chelsea Iversen! Just in time for Halloween comes a story of two sister witches and their journey to discover the true pull and consequences of their magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel from Chelsea Iversen. In honor of Halloween in a few days, I felt I needed a good witch story. And I got one! I read a review that said they were turned off because they felt most of the book was just thoughts in the sister's heads but, being alone in the woods for so long and then having to be alone in their heads with the thoughts they couldn't share with those around them, I felt it made sense and worked to get the events across. I look forward to reading more from this author.

There’s a lot of discussion about trust, betrayal, self reflection, growth, honoring your ancestors and paving your own path forward. Kaija and Minna are complete opposites and seeing how they balance out each others motives and personalities was handled wonderfully. Even the supporting cast of characters felt well developed.
I loved the world building and the magic use as well. The juxtaposition of the duel location story lines never felt like it was taking the momentum of tension away. There were some focal points and pacing hiccups I found that needed some finessing and that I believe, given this first example, Iversen will lock down eventually. For a debut this was pleasantly well rounded and I have no doubt Iversen could become a force to reckon with in the fantasy genre.

3.75/5 stars

Quick and Dirty ⁣
-witchy historical fiction/fantasy⁣
-1600s Norway⁣
-sister story⁣
-full of Nordic folklore⁣
-lots of social commentary ⁣
-witchy level 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛/5⁣
⁣
Thoughts ⁣
I LOVED this book y’all!! Few books hit like this one (IMO): witchy AF, full of intense emotions, complicated relationships, trauma response, personal growth/change, historical setting, and lots of cultural commentary. Fair warning: it’s slow and very character-driven, so if that doesn’t work for you this will likely be a challenge. But if you want to step into the world of 17th-century Norway when witches and Sami (local indigenous people) are hated and hunted for just existing, then this book is perfect. I really appreciated the messages about cultural assimilation vs acculturation and ethnocide. But most of all, I loved the story of the two sisters and how they lost and found each other throughout the book. The ending was SO perfect, it twists until the very end. Overall, this book scratched my witchy itch and then some. I highly recommend to lovers of The Great Witch of Brittany!

This book is definitely not plot driven; despite quite a bit happening in the story I couldn't really see why anything happened or why it was worth telling a story about. The writing and characterizations are good, but not enough motivation for the characters' actions to make me understand why they were doing what they did and why the central conflict of the story even comes to pass. There was a bit of romance but the love interests, particularly Jon, were very underdeveloped. Reads a bit more like YA than adult fantasy. Not bad for a debut but I hope future endeavours by this author have a stronger plot.

A little slower to start, this dual POV of two sisters, Kaija & Minna whose Mother was burned at the stake is a book filled with magic, sisterhood, redemption and coping with grief. The girls are forced to leave their home in search of new beginnings. Minna dwelling in the need for revenge for her mother, filled with rage and power; Kaija leaving her one night alone in the forest in search of a new life, (albeit to the same old town in disguise) even if that means its magic-less.

Opposites to their core, they both simply want to move on after their loss and have very different approaches in dojng so. Both routes of an action fraught with consequence the story picks up midway with some twists and turns and a good amount of magic.

I did have slightly higher hopes for this one - I feel like it lacked some more fuller of a story, as it felt as if it was more the thoughts and recollection of the sisters experiences rather than a full story itself.

Overall I am satisfied in what it did give, as it was written very descriptively and thus easy to fall into the forest and village surroundings. The ending played a huge role in being content with this one. It finished stronged for sure.

Really well done for a debut novel.

I felt a bit hesitant about this after I started because this has one of my biggest pet peeves, which is 2 1st person POVs. While I don'T think that particular part wasn't done to where I could say I enjoyed it, all the other parts of the story I enjoyed enough to not mind.
I really liked the plot, themes and characters and I think following 2 very opposite sisters is just something I really like.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to read this book. My usual reads have an intense plot driven story, and this was more of an internal character driven tale of two sisters, their struggles, and their bond. It's very slow, almost like a slice of life story but of one sister struggling to fit into society and then on the flip side, the other sister struggling to survive on her own. They each discover in their own way that they can't hide what they truly are, witches. Both sisters go through a transformation of sorts.

The entirety of the book is living in each sisters head, and there's hardly any dialogue. It's mostly their thoughts, fears, hopes, and honestly, a lot of naivety. Which I can understand somewhat as they were raised in the woods in isolation. But some things were just crazy obvious to me.

There is some romance but it is not heavily focused on.

The magic was interesting, and I enjoyed the different ways each sister made their magic manifest, but there were several moments where each sister conveniently "forgot" or "blanked" on their magic in desperate situations. It felt anti-climatic, and at one point I wondered what was the point of making this story about witch sisters. It very easily could have just been a story about women who choose to live different lifestyles, or were just different, or were outsiders, and were accused of being witches. After all, most of the witches who burned in history were innocent. The book even mentions those innocents that were tied to the pyre.

I was honestly just looking for more plot development from this story. It has an atmospheric setting, and the two sisters are interesting in their own ways, but I don't think that this is my cup of tea.