I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Sisters Minna and Kaija live a solitary life in Norway, in a small cabin away from other villagers and people in general. Their mother was burned as a witch, and their grandmother whisked them away in order to keep them safe from the villagers and their thirst for blood. This story is familiar, but the difference is that the family ARE witches, and Minna and Kaija are brought up to hone their powers under grandmother's watchful eye. When she dies, their differences pull them apart: Kaija seeks a "normal" life in the village, whereas Minna's anger at the injustice done to their family and Kaija's perceived betrayal of their bond fuels her magical rage and power. This story explores familial bonds, prejudices, and forgiveness.

I enjoyed the setting of the story of course, but the real excitement for me was that I could actually understand both sisters actions and feelings. I sympathized with both, even though they were dramatically different. Definitely an enjoyable read.

Whimsical and compelling. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and the characters are well-rounded and interesting. I loved the unusual setting in a Scandinavian country and the author truly manages to make the characters come to life. I would recommend it!

While I enjoyed listening to the narrator, it was sometimes hard to follow the narration, especially when it came to distinguishing internal dialogue from external. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

"The Witches at the End of the World" by Chelsea Iversen is a captivating tale that weaves a spellbinding narrative around the two sisters, their enchanting journey, and the profound lessons they discover. I found myself utterly engrossed, as the magic infused into every page kept me on the edge of my seat, eager to unravel the next twist in their mystical adventure. The sorrow and growth experienced by the characters were portrayed with a heartbreakingly beautiful touch, leaving a lasting impression. Iversen's storytelling prowess shines through, creating a world where the bonds of sisterhood and the magic within us resonate long after the final page is turned.

The narrators were perfect for the characters.

Set in 17th-century Norway, The Witches at the End of the World is a supernatural tale of two witch sisters with very different perspectives of the world around them. Having watched their own mother burn at the stake for witchcraft when they were children, Minna is filled with rage and wishes to continue living alone in the wilderness, while her older sister, Kaija, yearns for a normal life back at the village. The premise is undoubtedly interesting, and the audiobook narrators do an excellent job of embodying the sisters, but the story sadly does not rise to its potential. It treads water for the first half of the book, with hardly anything of real significance happening. The story then picks up considerably during the second half, but whatever momentum is gained is dashed by an underwhelming ending. Kaija and Minna give off strong Sansa and Arya vibes, and their frayed relationship is at the core of the story, yet they mostly live in their own heads and don't interact much with each other. Like many other supernatural novels, The Witches at the End of the World also occasionally dips into the habit of romanticizing the pagan lifestyles of centuries past as a bygone feminist era, lost and corrupted by the modern age. Perhaps that's more fun, but it is a bit of a tired trope.

Minna and Kaijia are sisters, raised in a magical, secluded birch wood in northern Norway, by their grandmother, after their mother is burned at the stake. Their grandmother nurtures and grooms the witches that resides within each girl. Kaijia is older, and gentle and she and her inner witch learn the magic of healing and protection. Minna has a fiery and powerful inner witch, and she is full of anger learns the magic of power and chaos.

After their grandmother passes, Kaijia leaves the wood and tries to begin a new life in the village of her youth. Minna stays alone and rages at Kaijia and the village church and the villagers who murdered their mother.

Minna’s rage sets off events and catastrophes that can end more than either sister could have imagined and the worlds they have created.

This lovely tale has the feel of a fairy tale retelling. I love the idea that their magic is a separate personality, with needs and demands and wants and desires. I love the sisterly love and forgiveness, but also grudges and jealousies.

Iverson builds a clear time and place, with all the perils of a dark Norwegian winter.

Well-written and well-narrated, I thoroughly enjoyed my time listening to this audiobook.

ARC reader for NetGalley

It was an enjoyable filler book, but for me it wasn’t as captivating as I thought it was going to be. The dynamic between the sisters just seemed off. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it. I’ll re read at a later time.

This was absolutely lovely to listen to. The story of two sisters, different to the core and still so similar that they cannot be without one another, of their mistakes and their wishes, their dreams and how they change throughout the course of their journey.
I loved the depictions of witchcraft in this book, it was well-written, understandable and honestly, just made sense.
Just like every bit of the development of the two main characters, who both want to be somewhere they don't quite belong, even though those are very different places, and have to make their own belonging.
Kaya and Minna have gone through so much, fleeing their hometown after experiencing the burning of their mother, to be raised by their grandmother in the depths of the woods, experiencing her rage towards the villagers that killed her daughter every day. It's hard to form your own view on the world when one specific one is presented to you every day of your life. But Kaya still feels the pull of the village, her home, yearning for the life she never got to lead. But Minna couldn't feel any more hate towards that very place, that place that took away their mother. So when Kaya leaves for the village after their grandmother's death, Minna's resentment turns towards her sister as well, even though the witch inside her is still calling for their connection.

Every part of this, from the sisterhood, to the witching, to the society, the abandonment and the pure female strength was wonderfully enjoyable.
I definitely recommend this to everyone who enjoys a good historical feminine-centered story that doesn't completely revolve around romance, with a light touch of fantasy.

Some sisters have a bond so beautiful, so aligned. Others share a bond of blood but all else seems against them. So is the story of Kaija and Minna, two witches who feel the shun of town yet one, Kaija, acclimates voluntarily and with all her heart to the local community while Minna deeply holds disdain for her sister’s decision and commits herself to a life of isolation, far away from those who discriminate her kind.

As much as Kaija tries to blend in, she is what she is and the potential danger of being a witch isn’t as far removed as she may think.

I loved the idea of this novel, though, there were some slow burn areas where I felt eager to move on, pick up the pace. The plot didn’t excite me as much as I hoped it would, personally. Overall, I was enthralled with the sisters’ relationship and this is definitely worth reading for those seeking a witchy tale of revenge and watching how the dominos fall!

I adored this audiobook and the narration was excellent. it showed the difficulties of family and society in such a lyrical way.

I think this book would suit readers who enjoyed Once and Future Witches. At the start I was hoping for a little more of the dark fantasy side, like Juniper and Thorn but it’s not that dark.

This is the story of two sisters who have no other family left. One wants to stay hidden in the woods where they have been safe since their mother was “convicted” (we all know how ridiculous that is) of witchcraft. The other wants to return to their village, pretending to be someone else so she can fit back in to society. The story has a lot of themes in curses, love, loss and grief.

The one thing I didn’t enjoy about this is the motivations at the start of the book don’t make sense to me for the actions the characters make. I never felt like the driving force behind the characters was strong enough and spent a lot of the book feeling unconnected to either of the sisters.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an advance copy of this audiobook.

In late 17th century northern Norway, two sisters are living in an isolated hut deep in a birch wood, eschewing all social contact. But they have not done this by choice. In the fishing village a few days away on foot, where their lives had begun, the always harsh climate had worsened and brought several winters of disease and near starvation. Turning to folklore, superstition and gossip for solutions, the villagers blamed the devil, who performed his evil deeds through sorcery. Those suspected of any tinge of black magic. The sister’s beautiful mother, a gifted herbalist who secretly practised a soft and healing magic, was accused and burned at the stake as the girls and their grandmother (Mormor) watched. Minna, the younger sister, burned her hand severely when she rushed to save her. The older girl, Kaija, wanted only to forget.

The three survivors fled to the woods, taking refuge in a rough hut. Mormor refused to pass on her witching skills and warned the girls always to resist all urges, even to conjure helpful magic. Their survival depended on their self-reliance and isolation from the community.

Years later, they are doing relatively well, if each burdened in different ways by their memories. Minna’s hand has healed, thanks to Mormor’s ministrations, but she is headstrong, angry and vengeful.

Her grandmother often warned Minna she would end up « at the wrong end of a spell. » She thought that meant as a victim, but soon discovered that the spell she cast against the villagers she hates hurts those she most loves.

Meanwhile, Kaija, the gentle sister who rejected the magic that killed their mother, returns to the village—and unwittingly to the magic that took down her mother, in order to escape that fate—a fate entirely her sister’s doing.

Their estrangement ends when Minna swallows her pride and Kaija her anxiety, and they are able to go together, peacefully and hopefully, into a different life.

Iversen gives each sister her own alternate chapter to disclose the plot. Their voices are distinct, one brash and over-confident, the other afraid and self-limiting. Just as they seem about to lose each other, they make the compromises their grandmother tried to impress on them. And this mitigates all their losses.

The story is filled with strands of Nordic folklore and Norwegian songs, and the landscape is starkly beautiful. Much of what goes on, even for the extravert Minna, is internal, the girls talking to themselves in their isolation. This makes for a slow pace, but also enriches each character’s development. It’s a sometimes harrowing tale, but just as often one filled with lessons that surpass differences in perspective, time and place.

Witches at the End of the World is an engrossing, magical story of the Norwegian Witch Hunts and two persecuted sisters who desperately need each-other, but struggle with anger, betrayal, and revenge. I love a good witch book and this is a good witch book.

This review contains spoilers that were entirely predictable so read at your own risk.
When I see a book title called "The Witches at the End of the World" I think dystopian adventure or the world is literally ending. No, this was set in 1677 Norway. There are two sisters whose mother was burned for being a witch, and they had to grow up with their grandma in hiding in the woods, as is natural and proper for all true witches. But are they witches? Or do they contain a witch inside of them? This confused and annoyed me throughout the entire book, as the phrases "the witch within" or the "the witch inside of me" were used constantly and the witch seemed like a separate person with her own agenda for both sisters.
The book was pretty boring at first as older sister Kaija returns to the village following her grandmother's death to try to live as a normal person. (Spoiler, she can't, she has a witch within her). Her entire life goal is to get married and have ten babies. I guess that's on point for 1677, but also, yawn. It was around this point when I was like, I think I might dnf, but I looked and was already 25% in, so I soldiered on.
It started to pick up when Minna comes to town, thinking she is going to save Kaija from disaster, but is shocked when Kaija doesn't want her help. A bunch of bad stuff happens that was entirely Minna's fault, and Kaija get's called a witch. (gasp) The villagers are going to burn her if she doesn't escape! Also she literally stole her new friends' fiancé and that part doesn't get enough attention.
This book was mostly internal thoughts, and while there were nice atmospheric details and it never stalled out, it was underwhelming to say the least. Not a lot of action until the end, and still confused about the title. Unless... checks map... is Norway the end of the World? They probably thought so in 1677.
The witching in the book itself was rune based, with blood and incantations. It was never super well explained and it kind of seemed like they could make it up whenever it suited them. It had some ritual element to it, which was kind of interesting. I think the book could have benefitted with more information about the mother, their life in the village before they fled, reasons why Kaija wanted to return/Minnie didn't (all we get is that she's super angry, doesn't remember). And maybe a more interesting end goal than Kaija wanted a bunch of kids. Overall, a decent story if you enjoy witches, witchy secrets, and people cutting themselves to perform magic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC!

From the outset, tragedy envelops Minna and Kaija, and it is something these sisters can't escape. The story, told in dual POVs, renders the exposition repetitive. There is a lot of telling vice showing. The reader needs to have the opportunity to become immersed in the story as the characters rehash events. Instead, the plot falls flat due to sameness throughout. In simplest terms, Kaija is light and hopeful, while Minna is dark and dismissive. The communication is not there, not even in their inner monologues.
The tragic events that led to Minna and Kaija's isolation are classic witchy ones, but it is disappointing to see that their witchcraft is only used as exposition and excuses. Exploration of choices and resulting conflict have only a passing glance. Character development is thin, with expected changes predictably arriving in the third act. The story's bones are steeped in legend, but the narrative does little to distinguish itself from other tales in this genre.
Disappointing.

I was a little worried from the title that this would be a fantasy book. But its really just more of a natural, witchy story.

The book tells the story of two sisters who left civilization after their mother was burned for being a witch. Now grown up, Kaija plans to return to the village under a new name and new disguise. But Minna hates the village and refuses to join Kaija. The sisters are separating. One learning how to fit in with a suspicious town and the other full of fire and rage.

Both narrators did a great job voicing Minna and Kaija. They were similar like sisters would be but distinct enough to easily tell who was narrating. Both voices are very calming and cozy!

I really enjoyed the story because I'm obsessed with all things witch. I like that this wasn't so fantasical that it didn't seem realistic. I would definitely read more if this became a series and I would read more from the author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Chelsea Iversen, and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to The Witches at the End of the World. I have written this review voluntarily.

This book follows two sisters, living in the era of witch hysteria in Norway - did you know there were witch-hunts in Norway (or Finnmark at the time) in the 17th century? I didn't but this book sent me on google deep dives and the ancient knowledge of the Sami people who lived high in Norway's North in their old but unchristian ways made them an easy target for these witch hunts.
The plot was so well done, two sisters processing the same trauma: their mother burning at the stake and them being expelled from the village with their grandmother, differently. There is a couple of years age difference between them and consequently their memories differ. One longs to be a part of the village in the company of people and small comforts the forest life doesn't offer, the other mistrusts people and wants revenge. Using dual POVs to highlight the differences between the sisters worked well to move this story forward. I really enjoyed the use of Norse Mythology and Norse beliefs and practices around dealing with everything from food to childbirth and death.
I enjoyed the theme of sisterhood overcoming differences and adverse circumstances.
I did enjoy this book a lot - in part I listened to the audio which was very well done as well, the two narrators for the two sisters made the story come to life.
My husband's Norwegian cousins came for a visit two weeks ago and I was able to use the lovely and very Norwegian chocolates they brought for this picture.

I received an ARC for this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
I have to admit, it was hard for me to find the appropriate rating for this book. Even though I loved the writing and prose, I found it lacking in other aspects.
For me, the writing was truly the best part of the book. Atmospheric and magical, it creates fascinating images that will transport you to the beauty of norwegian nature. Chelsea Iversen truly has a way with words and for that reason alone I would definately pick up any future work of hers.
As for the plot, it is where the book kind of lost me, although it definitely had potential. I liked the dual POV and seeing how each sister dealt with their mother's loss as well as their relationship both with eachother and other people. Personally, I found the characters a bit one-dimentional and I felt like we spent more time reading the thoughts of each character, whereas I would have enjoyed a bit more interaction and dialogue. It felt a bit more like a long narrative and the pacing was quite slow for my taste, only picking up in pace towards the end of the book.
All in all, a very good debut novel, especially for fans of historical fiction as it gives a great insight of how the witch hunt evolved in closed communities during the 17th century and how devastatingly easy it was for it to get out of control. I can safely say I enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

If you love earthy witch magic, sisterly bonds, feminine rage, and character that are torn on which kind of life they wish to lead, this book is for you. This take on witches and more earth, based magic gave me Salem Witch hunt type vibes as the sisters had to hide their magic from others in order to stay alive. The Witches at the End of the World is filled with poetic, atmospheric writing as we follow two sisters who followed two different paths after the loss of the two magic-wielding matriarchal figures in their lives. While reading this, I felt myself wondering what I would do in each sister’s shoes, which path would I take? Is there a right or wrong way to live when it comes to happiness when happiness is not a guarantee? What would I do for a beloved family member? These questions, and many more, fueled my reading journey. I giggled, I gasped, I even cried a little! If you love a more historical, familial vibe with your magic reading, The Witches at the End of the World is 100% for you. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC opportunity, I loved this book!

Two sisters, Minna and Kaija, have grown-up in the woods far away from even the closest community. They are, of course, witches. They have been raised from a young age by another witch "guardian" who was able to remove them from the town following the murders of their parents. But when their guardian passes, Kaija wants to go back to the town that claimed their family, and deny herself her witching abilities in hopes for a normal life. Meanwhile, Minna, could not even fathom such a sacrifice, and lives for her witching abilities. When their disagreement, and Minna's rage, goes further than either anticipate, they must determine how they wish to move forward... separately, or together.

Although the story-line seemed promising, I had a hard time relating, or feeling invested in either sisters story. Because of this, I found that it was hard to keep invested in the story and found myself wanting it to just hurry up and be done. The story was also somewhat easy to anticipate, which added to the difficulties I felt keeping invested in the novel. However, I did like the historical aspects of the story, and some of the "wilderness" and roughing" it parts. Overall, it was not a bad book, but I'm not sure I will rave and recommend it to everyone I know.