There's potential in this book: it's well written and I loved the setting. I couldn't care about the sisters and I found their relationship quite toxic.ù
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

There's a lot of things I enjoyed about this book: the sister's relationship, the plot that almost mirrors itself in a way, the lyrical style of writing, the character development, and the true witchy vibes.

It did take me a long time to read this book even though its not very long. Mainly because I found the plot a bit plain. I think certain themes and plot points could have gone into more depth and the supporting characters could have been developed more.

Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for witchy sisters figuring out what they want out of life and making some mistakes.

Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy reading that novel.

The plot was quite flat in comparison with what I was expecting from the synopsis. I thought that the story would have more drama, more angst. I did not feel like it was as developed as it could have been. Also, the pacing was rather slow, and I do prefer faster paced stories.

Minna was a way more interesting character than her sister. And her personality was more appealing to me. She seemed more adult than her older sister (the older sister is twenty-three but behaves and thinks like a sixteen years-old). And her personal story was more interesting to me.

But overall, it did not make the impact that I was hoping for. However, if you’re looking for a slow paced story with sister witches, I recommend it to you. It was just not a book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

3.75 stars rounded up

This was a quick read following two sisters, Minna and Kaija, as Kaija wants to go back to the village that they left after their mother was burned after mourning their grandmother. From there we see that one sister embraces "the witch inside" while one hides it until things start going wrong in the village where she has settled.

I really enjoyed this read, it was quick and left me wanting more Norwegian lore books. I recommend it overall.

What would have increased the rating here for me:

- Less use of the statement "the witch inside me" - MINNA WE GET IT. I'm equating this to the "released a breath I didn't know I was holding" repetition we see. The amount of times it was used was unnecessary

- More description of place. Iverson gave us a ton of description of the hut and woods that the sisters lived in, but once Kaija ventured to the village, we got little to no description of that place.

- More character building of the side characters close to Kaija in the village

- Backstory of their mother and grandmother in the village

- Explicit explanation of the difference between the Sami, the Norwegian, and the witches as there was none. If you didn't know the Sami are indigenous people, you're left confused.

Overall: Special thanks to NetGalley and SourceBooks for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Content warnings: gore, death, killing of animals, religion, religion fanatics, prejudice/racism

Rep: sister bonds, witchy vibes, small towns, angry girl

Thoughts
Neutral thoughts:

This was interesting 🤔 this story follows two sisters, who are witches, as they grapple with what happened to them as children and the death that recently happened. The plot of the story is in response to this.

The writing was very simple, but not in a bad way. It definitely got straight to the point and I really felt the emotion that each of the sisters were feeling. I do think that Minna was a more flushed out character, which is weird to say because for the majority of the story, she’s just angry. Kaija, on the other hand, is more soft-spoken. She has a lot more going on in her plot line than Minna does, and I don’t know if this is just something about me but I just understood Minna better than I did Kaija.

This story is very much a slow burn. While there are things that happen, there are some twists and turns, but overall, this is a very slow story. I would say that this is more of a character development kind of book, opposed to some thing that’s action packed.

The historical aspects of this book are really good. I felt like I was in the time period and I felt like I could see everything that was being described to me.

As a side note, a lot of this book focuses on religion, specifically Christianity. The presence of Christianity is not overbearing though. I feel like it’s more of an entity, which is kind of weird to say, but it just felt like something that was there, but there was no preachy moments about it.

Told from two perspectives, this is a tale of two sisters trying to find their place in the world. We follow Minna, a wild tempered witch that decides to stay hidden in the forest and live a solitary life, and Kaija, a softer soul that goes to live in the village and has to hide her true witchy self.

I really enjoyed reading about these witches, their spells and their sisterly bond. The pacing is slower, even more so in the first half, but it isn't boring or redundant. You read about their everyday lives and the ways they're dealing with their own troubles and it's actually quite interesting. I loved both of them, as well as the side characters. Their development was gradual and the ending was very satisfying. I would highly recommend this to everyone who loves more atmospheric and a bit slower books. Most of the story is told through their thoughts, there wasn't much dialogue and I surprisingly didn't mind!

While reading this, I recommend listening to some Viking and Nordic playlists, the songs tie it all together! ⚔️ This is a debut novel (!!) and I would love to read whatever this author writes in the future!

This was not your typical light witchy read, it was so, so good. The character development of the two sisters and dual pov was great. I'm usually not into books that take place so long ago, but this was different, it had me so intrigued.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a story of sisterhood, and witchcraft, and being an outsider. Dual-POV chapters allow us insight into the thoughts of both sisters Minna and Kaija as they diverge on completely different paths after the death of their grandmother. I found myself more drawn to Kaija's voice, who wanted another life for herself and wanted to deny her inner witch.

Exploring themes of grief, anger, revenge, love, longing and overcoming the many obstacles thrown at the characters, The Witches At The End Of The World is an easy to read, at times very beautifully written story which transports you to the coast of Norway, in a time when the threat of witches felt very real to the people who lived there.

Iversen's writing is really spectacular, the descriptions were so vivid I had no trouble picturing the world and characters clearly. However, the story was slow to build and I kept losing focus after only a few pages.

I'm not sure who to recommend this to, but it is well written.

This is a strong 3-star read. I was bored and it was so difficult to not skim. The best thing about this book is the cover.

The Witches at the End of the World follows two sisters who choose very different lives for themselves after their grandmother passes and they are able to follow their own paths.

I personally had a hard time connecting to either character throughout the novel and Minna got on my nerves :/ I liked the concept of the book and the setting, but it just was not my favorite that I have read.

The Witches at the End of the World is set in the 1600s and features two sisters who are witches that have been shunned and fled from society with their grandmother. Now, after her death, one sister wants to attempt a life in town again, while the other sister wishes to remain wild in the woods.

The two girls appear to be complete opposites in the beginning- opposite uses of magic, personalities, and desires. The characters develop slowly over the course of the story, each coming to understand the other sister’s viewpoint and why she feels the way she does.

The atmosphere feels haunting through much of the story, and it is told at a very slow, internalized pace with not much dialogue or action. If you like character driven storylines, this one may be for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Available October 17th

Originally when I picked up this book I thought it was about witches in the apocalypse, but quickly realized the title was referencing the metaphorical end of the world, deep in the woods of Norway in 1677.

Following the alternating point of views of witches Kajija and Minna after the death of their grandmother, this novel is sprinkled with Norwegian works and references to spells and herbs that don’t overwhelm the plot or drag it out. This was more of a cozy read that didn’t put the characters in too much danger, but I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.

At the beginning of the book, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did, but once I got really into the story, I found that I was really enjoying it. The book centers around two young women, Kaija and Minna, who are witches in Norway in maybe the Middle Ages or so. They live in the woods after having fled their village when their mother was burned at the stake. From the start, the girls are portrayed as opposites - Kaija is sweet, domestic, practical, interested in healing magic, beauty, and domestic practical spells, while Minna is fiery, emotionally volatile, and motivated to become the strongest witch she can. They gave me Anna and Elsa vibes a little bit, not just due to them being in Scandinavia, but also due to their general vibes and desires/orientations in the world at the start of the book. Kaija/Anna begins the book with an innate drive to be part of a community and to be loved. Minna/Elsa is an introvert who wants to be left alone with her powers. Without revealing the plot, the thing I enjoyed most about the book was how the sisters each grew in ways that led to them becoming more like each other, directly leading to them being better versions of themselves. Their motivations change, and they become characters with more depth and nuance. They begin to appreciate the flip side of what they had originally thought they wanted. And they understand each other better as well, strengthening their bond and commitment to each other. There are many themes of the book, some expressly stated perhaps a little too directly for my taste, the most salient being that women and outsiders are scapegoated in ignorant communities to maintain the status quo; that we are stronger together and no one person will ever be able to do it all on their own; that the ones we love never truly leave us; and that revenge is never the answer. I’m not sure if the author knows this book has serious Frozen vibes, but I enjoyed the book, even without a talking snowman.

I was excited to read The Witches at the End of the World. This story of two sisters, and their lives after their grandmothers death, is set is a far reaching corner of the world in a time when fear of witches is prominent. These sisters, while having been through the same things and been raised identically, now have different wants and desires for their lives. Seeing the two sisters at such a dissident place was disheartening. The world that the author creates is clear and I was easily wrapped in the atmosphere of the bleak distrustful society. The sisters go through a lot, but I felt that ultimately, neither of them grew during the story. I wanted to see them bring about change or go through a personal growth that would have made their struggles worth while.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW 📚of The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark & Chelsea Iversen for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

In a hut, deep in the wilds of Norways forests, live young witches, Minna & Kaija. After the death of their Grandmother, Kaija decides to return to the village where they grew up- and where their mother was burnt as a witch. Dismayed at her sisters wish to return, Minna casts a curse on the village, letting her rage and fury fuel her magic. Leaving Minna behind, Kaija forges a new place in the village for herself- with a new name, a new appearance and attempts to befriend the close-minded, Christian villagers. But despite her efforts and the forgoing of spellcasting, Kaija isn’t completely accepted and the village is slowly starving and besieged with a mystery illness. And when Minna has a vision of Kaija being burnt at the stake, she journeys to the village to save her sister from their Mothers fate.

The Witches at the End of the World is a historical fiction story combined with fantasy elements. Set in the 17th century, when the Salem Witch Trials occurred, Chelsea Iversen did a great job of providing atmospheric writing and imagery anchored in fact. Including Norse mythology beliefs and customs, the forest passages with Minna had a folk/fairytale undertone, and the magic use was very traditional ‘witch’- feathers and forestcraft. Minna, the antihero, was relatable in her emotional range, but I did grow a little bored with her solitary POV sections. There was little dialogue in this book, which isn’t my preference, but I do appreciate that this is personal taste. TWATEOTW is the perfect, emotionally haunting, spooky read for the Halloween Season🎃.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Enjoyable read that hit the spot for spooky szn as I love a witchy book this time of year. Interesting family dynamics and dual pov.
Plot was slow to start and it didn’t grab me as much as some other witchy books I’ve read recently but still a good one.

final rating: 4.25/5 <3

thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks landmark for this very witchy read!! this book blew my heart away. i 🖤 kaija + minna so much.

kaija and minna are two sisters, both witches, but complete opposites. kaija yearns for a quiet life away from the magic that bubbles within her. she dreams of making friends, falling in love, building a family - everything that a normal girl wishes for. minna, on the other hand, has always been simmering with magic, her anger just a spell away from wreaking destruction on anyone who has dared to wrong her. when kaija decides she's had enough of witching, she leaves minna behind in the darkness of the forest to pursue a new life in the village her mother used to live in. minna, in her outrage, casts a curse on the entire village to unleash her rage on everyone who has wronged her. but what minna doesn't realize is that this single act will cost the lives of those she loves, including herself. this is a magical story of the undying love of sisters and the consequences of leading a life led by anger.

the plot was good, if not a bit slow towards the middle, but enjoyable nonetheless! i very much enjoyed the dual pov and historical elements that went into this.
the characters were everything to me. <spoiler>i will never forget anne and jon especially. their scenes shattered me into pieces.</spoiler> and the character development???? i could sob at that (spoiler: i did).
this is the perfect book for autumn. going into this, i was expecting betrayal, pain, and heartbreak, but nowhere was i expecting <i>my heart</i> to break. this is definitely going into my sob-worthy shelf. please give this book a chance this october! i can't wait for it to put a spell on you as it did for me.

thank you, chelsea, for gracing us with this book. i'm honored to be one of your first readers, and will certainly keep an eye out for any future works you may release <3

The Witches at the End of the World is a story about two sisters who live in the birchwoods of Norway. Kaija is sweet and kind, Minna is mainly angry. Angry that her Mother was burned alive in a witch trial and determined to punish those responsible. When Kaija decides she wants to move back to the village and try to have a normal life, after the death of their Grandmother, Minna's thoughts turn darker still. She casts a spell to curse the very village Kaija escaped to, with devastating consequences.

It was a slow burner for me and it took some time to get into, but it is a great, well plotted story that gathers pace as it moves on. The sisters are both narrators, each telling the story from their own perspective, and I found myself drawn to both of them. The voices are distinctive, so you don't lose track of who is narrating, which is vitally important in a multi-person narrative.

Witchcraft based novels are very popular at the moment but this one stands up to others I've read and will no doubt be popular once it is released in October.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. Have you ever been stuck in the middle of a family fight where you have to hear both sides of a polarized argument? That is what this is like, having to hear the rationale for bad decision after bad decision. The two sisters in the story eventually mellow out by the end of the story and realize how much they love and need each other.