A story of two sisters, two sides of the same coin. Full of witches, complicated relationships and magic, perfect for spooky season. However I wish there had been more plot development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book!

I ended up enjoying this book, but not loving it. Yes, this is a witch book and we see wonderfully described magic cast by the two sisters, Minna and Kaija. The excel at different kinds of magic, Minna have a more "offensive" magic and Kaija having a more "defensive" magic. The book starts with the death of their grandmother, and with that Kaija feels it's time to leave and pursue a different life outside the woods. Minna has no desire to leave the safety of their home in the woods, and still bears scars from when their mother was burned for being a witch. Kaija starts a new life in the village, and Minna stays until she has a dream her sister needs her. This book is focused heavily on the relationship between these sisters and how the ones you love the most can be the ones who can hurt you the deepest. A good read for a character focused witch story.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me.

To begin with, the story is set in the late 1600s, but the language feels all wrong. Aside from the idea of witch persecutions, this could have taken place in any modern-day remote village. With stories like this, I want to be immersed in the past, which I didn’t get here.

I didn’t connect with either sister. Though the claim was that they were very different but loved one another, I didn’t feel like they even liked each other.

Nothing was really happening. Lots of time spent mulling over the same things, with endless internal contemplation. I began skimming early on, until I decided this book wasn’t for me and gave up.

DNF

*Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the eARC.*

The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen is a fantasy, though this could be a story of two siblings who are in search of something and sisterhood.

Set in Norway of 1600's , Kaija and Minna are two sisters who had to flee with their grandmother as young children into a forest to escape persecution as witches. They are taught by their grandmother, and they do not have any contact with the outside world. Both sisters are different from each other with different wishes. Each takes a decision that has devastating effects both to themselves as well as the outside world.

The landscape of this novel is picturesque. The winters, midnight sun, and what I suspect are Aurora borealis is stunning. There is not much dialogue in this book, and it is mostly the thoughts of these characters that make up the whole story. I enjoyed this story due to the reality clash of the book. The wants, desires, and fears of people force us to make decisions we regret later on. The forgiveness that both the sisters have for each other is beautiful.

CW: This book has some sensitive topics like animal killings, persecution of women

Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark, for this book.

A deeply engaging tale of two sisters (and witches) trying to make their way through the world in their own ways. They are continually pulled back together and their beliefs constantly challenged, yet their hope for and pursuit of what is best in this world remains true. I thoroughly enjoyed the magic in this one! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
A debut full of beautiful prose. The story of the two witch sisters is gritty and explores grief/emotional pain lyrically. I really enjoyed the setting, I could feel the isolation and felt transported into the forest and village. The writing style was interesting as this took an introspective view rather than the use of dialogue. I think this added to the atmosphere by creating this quiet place the world but with inner turmoil. The start is slow but by 30% I felt the pace became steady and flowed well. A great witch book, perfect for autumn.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This was an incredibly atmospheric witchy read. I loved the way Minna and Kaija's characters were written and the nuance of character development and plot. Overall I'm thrilled over this debut and can't wait to see what this author writes next!

Thank you Netgalley for providing an E-Arc for my honest review!

This book was what I would describe as my perfect October read. The writing was lyrical, the pace was slow but engaging, the sister relationship was realistic and moving, the Norwegian lore was fitting, and the witchy vibes were incredible!

This story follows two witch sisters as they come to a huge crossroads in their lives. One sister, Kaija, yearns to return for a less magical life in the village that many years ago burned their mother in a witch hunt, while the other sister, Minna, revels in spells, rituals, and even curses. When Kaija leaves Minna in the dark of night, the anger of betrayal leads her to cast a powerful curse that starts a terrible chain of events that even she will come to regret.

In alternating points of view, we follow both sisters in their completely different lives, their individual struggles, and the events that lead them back together.

My only complaint would be that certain points in the book were jumped over in between chapters. At one point Kaija is getting proposed to, and then in the next chapter, she is already married. I would have loved to know more about the details in between. However, I understand that time needed to pass in order to get to the main plot points of the story.

Overall, I was so pleasantly surprised by this read! So happy I was able to read it.

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced
4.25 Stars

I like the idea of the story, but in execution, it was rather boring. I didn’t really care for the characters, and the atmosphere, while compelling, wasn’t enough to draw me in.

The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen tells the life stories of two sisters. Their choices and how we all have darkness and light in us. These two sisters fled the village with their grandmother when they were small children and their mother was burned at the stake. Their grandmother raised in solitude and upon her death the sisters must decide how to carry on.

The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen was a fun, quick and magical debut.
I loved following Minna and Kaija’s story who are two witches but also sisters.
This was an incredible book. Iversen blew it out of the park.
From the characters to the sisterly love and bond.
This book was hard to put down, it had a steady tempo to keep you engaged and wanting more. My imagination ran wild and my dreams were vivid based on this book.
Chelsea Iversen has gifted readers with a wonderfully compelling tale centering around these two sisters who are thrust into the world of magic. 
A superbly entertaining read that is full of amazing magic and witches.
It’s the witchy read I have been waiting to dive into and it was freaking spectacular.
It truly is a spellbinding read perfect for readers of all ages.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Set in Norway, we explore magic that courses through two sisters. Kaija likes to keep hers hidden so she can integrate amongst normals, while Minna harnesses her power in every way. They both have a dark past that has kept them at bay but when Kaija decides to leave to live a normal life, this makes Minna so angry that she decides to cast a curse for everyone who has wronged them before. A curse so strong it threatens Kaija’s peaceful world.

This is a story filled with sister bonds, regret, deceit, vengeance, and of course magic. We see their different point of views and what they struggle with. I loved the imagery of the Norwegian forest and backdrop. The story at the end builds to self forgiveness and the power of family.

I liked the imagination of this story, and of course witches, I just felt it lacked in build. It was slow going at points that if I set them book down, I struggled to pick it back up. I also wish the sisters had more dialogue with others than themselves. But I did enjoy the concept the book was striving for.

Thank you so much for allowing to read this book it was absolutely perfect. I loved everything from the the characters, to the setting, to the dual POVs

Deep in the birchwoods of Norway, Kaija & Minna have lived with their mormor ever since their mother was burned for being a witch. However their mormor just died, and Kaija has no interest in being stuck up there all alone, just the two of them, even though that is what Minna wants. So Kaija packs up her things and leaves in the middle of the night, and sets off for the village - the same one in which the townspeople burned her mother. She knows she will have to change her name and appearance, and then quit using magic, so the villagers won't discover she is a witch. She is more than willing though, in order to be part of a community. Minna, enraged at her sister's leaving & still burning with a rage over what happened to their mother, casts a curse over the town, not realizing that curse will not only affect the townspeople, but Kaija as well.

This book started out as a really slow burn, and I will be honest - I almost put it down and didn't try to finish it, but I am so glad I dd. Once the story started picking up speed, the book got really good. - so good that I didn't want to put it down. I think part of the problem may have been all of the Norwegian words and phrases all throughout the book that you either needed to look up or puzzle over for a minute to decipher what they meant. Also, the first couple of chapters are just of the two women fighting about where they want to live and why, and no one is willing to give, so it gets a little tedious. The story is told in alternating chapters between the two sisters, so you get to see both of their lives as they are living apart from one another. This is a story of family, love, retribution, forgiveness, and of course.....witches. I highly recommend it!

•Dual POVs
•Slow Burn
•Written in First Person
•Revenge

The book is slow burn and the plot is intriguing. There are two sisters but their odyssey is different. One wants to take revenge so the other wants to live her life apart from shadows. Magic runs in both of them but the one is willing to sacrifice it in exchange of life so the other wants to take her revenge. Kaija is building a life in village while Minna is left alone in darkness entangled in rage. It’s been thirteen years. Their mother was accused of being a witch and burned alive. And the grandmother died too. The consequences of the curse that has been done by one of the sister are dire. Would it bring their life at stake? Or destroy the life Kaija has build? Will her attempt to connect with the community will go in vain?

The description of Birchwoods of Norway is pretty intriguing. I liked the characters. The author has done a great job by showing how different the sisters were but still at the end, they were there for each other

Thank you Netgalley, Author, and Publisher

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First off, wow. For a first time published author, I’m very impressed with Chelsea Iversen’s writing for The Witches at the End of the World. I didn’t know what to expect but the writing really flowed. Chapters are switched off with each sisters POV which had a nice flow to it.

Due to having to flee their Norway village after their mother was killed for witchcraft, sisters Minna and Alaina are raised by their grandmother in the middle of the forest. Although raised and taught the same about their magic, one sister has darker thoughts of the village while the other dreams of a life there being a normal girl.

Although slow a few times, the story definitely had me pulled in. When I wasn’t reading it, my mind was wondering how the story would go and how would the book end. There are books out there about witchcraft and witch trials but what about the loved ones who are left after persecution? This story shows a side we don’t always get to read about. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves this type of genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC.

Witches seem to be popular this year but this is a very different sort of witch tale. Kaija and Minna are haunted by the fact that their mother was burned as a witch. They react differently and both of them tell their stories in this quiet and powerful (albeit slow in spots) tale of sisters and magic. Much of this rises on the connection between the two, Know that Norwegian words are scattered throughout but they are always understandable thanks to context. I liked the atmospherics (how often do we get a book set in 1677 Norway?) and the characters feel very real. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

? Would you choose to live in fear of being a witch and having to live in the forest so you could practice without having to be drowned or burned alive?

In this book you will follow two sisters that have lost their mother at a young age due to her being a witch in a village that fears all things they deem evil. This is during the era of witch hysteria in Norway and really all around the world during this time and later that we had this hysteria. You will see how these sisters handle the death of their parents and how they choose to move on in their life, as well as how they handle their choices, the good and the bad.

I liked the plot; it was something different for me; one sister who wants to forget everything that she is to be normal and one who will do anything to protect what she is the life that she must live. You will get to see both of their POVs with this book, and it will help you to understand what each of them are going through and how they’re feeling. I loved that they were so close, yet they wanted different things but, in the end, it always comes back to family and what makes you feel safe. I enjoyed that this author did their research on the common practices of the pagan witches in that country at that time, I love seeing when authors get things right because they take the time to learn about it before making the book. I know that I have done a lot of research on pagans, but I have always loved Norse mythology and you will see parts of that throughout the book. You will enjoy the pace of the book, it’s not fast but not slow, there are slower times throughout the book, but I promise those will pass and you will see how this book is perfect at the pacing. You will get a feeling of something just isn’t right, feeling of foreboding, more so in the beginning of the book but you will see it throughout the book as well here and there.

The characters are what did it for me in this book. I found myself able to connect with more Minna than I did with Kaija, but I think it’s because each sister handled things and I find myself relating to Minna more. The hot-headed temper, the rage, but after some time the calm and level headed, then right to “oh no I have to fix this”. I did enjoy getting to see Kaija live the life that she wanted to. However, you will see small things that make her think and wonder hmm… is this right? All she wanted was to live a normal life; fall in love with a man, live in the village where she used to live with her family, to do things like other normal people. Then you have Minna who is happy living in the wild, away from everyone else, practice her magic without the fear of someone calling her a witch and killing her. You will see how she handles the curse that she put upon the village and why she changes everything.

You will watch two sisters who love each other but want something different drift away for some time but in the end doesn’t family always need family again? I like that this book had magic, lessons learned, finding oneself, and forgiveness

I thought this was a great debut novel and I can’t wait to see what other books Iversen will give us.
I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to review this book.

I absolutely love this cover and I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the setting of the northern portion of Norway and the historical references to witch trials. The story follows two sisters who initially appear to be as different as night and day. However, as their story unfolds, will these two sisters find common ground or forever have their relationship fractured by the consequences of each of their actions. Overall, this is truly a book driven by the characters and their relationships. It has themes that examine good vs evil, especially when it comes to religion and feminism. If you love historical fiction that is atmospheric and character driven, then this is a great read for the month of October!

Thank you @bookmarked for allowing me to read this book ahead of publication in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! I thought I was going in for a book about witches and I got that but also so much more about being women and family and love. I loved the way this book took place over quite a long span of time but the writing just made it flow so well and nothing was lost in moving quickly through the story at times.
The characters were so well written and fleshed out. I loved them and wanted to shake them at times. These women deserve all the happiness.
I will be recommending this book to everyone especially as a perfect autumn read! And I will read whatever else Chelsea Iversen writes next!