I sadly had to DNF this one. For some reason, the book couldn't keep my attention and longing to read further even though the start, the themes and setting of the book, the characters, and the concept interested me a lot.

The first quarter or so of the beginning of the book, I was truly immersed in the story. The atmosphere of 19th century Edinburgh and how it was and felt like to be a women back then, the constant fear, terror and violence, really gripped me and I was truly interested in seeing how the main character would navigate through all that, individually and with others as well, while knowing people truly had to go through all that. I always find it special to learn about such events through historical fiction, and grateful I can read about it and experience other's experiences without truly having to go through that myself, if that makes sense? I think the author did a really great job with that and the commentary she gave about womanhood, intersectional feminism, the patriarchy and similarities between the witch trials and misogyny in the modern world. I was highlighting a lot of quotes and scenes because they made me feel a lot of things, and some scenes and quotes even sparked some discussions between me and my boyfriend. I found it beautiful to see romance blossom and unfold between Nellie and Jane. It felt like a little spark of light and happiness shining through all of the dark that was going on. However, after their romance started, I somehow began to lose...not per se... interest, but, the story just couldn't hold my attention anymore. To me, it felt like the story started to become really slow and kept dragging on. To me, the pages started to feel so incredibly heavy. And of course, I understand this isn't a happy book, because...historical fiction. And I wouldn't change that. But, It just felt like the heaviness and repeating of it all was being forced and kind of shoved in my face instead of pacing naturally. What I mean to say is, It kind of felt like this book was written to be feminist and to be its topics/themes/events/history, instead of being its own story with the themes, topics or undertones of them. And that was overshadowing a lot and keeping me from wanting to read further. I think if I didn't feel so forced, and the story would have felt more natural, then I would have felt like I did want to read further. Because I still am interested somehow.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a very immersive, atmospheric powerful feminist story of love and empowerment amid the witch trials, representing queer and trans people, written with two timelines. I would advice to check the trigger warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 27% - I couldn't seem to get into this book even though it has everything that I normally love. The pacing felt very off and the main character's internal monologue was a bit frustrating to follow. EX: FMC dwelt on asking one character a question for several chapters before finally just asking the question and receiving the answers she was waiting for. I may try to revisit in the future, but for now a DNF.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

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Nellie is a young beautiful woman that is trying to keep her motherless brother alive and happy in 1824 Edinburgh. She encounters the Roe Women’s Apothecary and learns about the Cailleach and magic. After a fire destroys the shop, Nellie is adrift in the world, mourning for her lost love. After 200 years she finally returns to Edinburgh with her daughter and finds both friends and foes waiting.

My thoughts on this novel:

• Fear lingers over all with women being seemingly selected by random to be hanged as witches.

• This novel was historical fantasy, there were no witch hunts in the 1820s, but the author researched the witch hunts that did take place in Edinburgh and used the historical detail for this novel.

• The focus of the story was of men trying to keep powerful women down and to keep them from expressing their ideas and helping each other.

• The novel switches to modern times as witches live very long lives.

• The novel got very preachy at the end about the patriarchy. There were no good men in the story. I got tired by the end of only women being good and all men being evil.

• I didn’t like the turn in the story in the second half of the book. The first half of the book, Nellie’s brother was so important to her and then she just abandons him. It seemed out of character. I also didn’t understand why it took her 200 years to check back on who had survived the fire.

• The novel focused on social issues and feminism.

• A same sex romance was featured in the story.

• It was an engaging story, but the second half was not as good as the first half.

Overall, The Last Witch in Edinburgh was a good fall read and interesting historical fantasy.

This book was unique with its timeline and it surprised me so much it really pulled me out of the story. The story starts following Nellie in the 1800s trying to find a job and survive and not be labeled a witch. I loved this part of the book it was atmospheric and I was settled in for a slice of life city, then about half way through the timeline changes to 200 years later following Nellie as she finally comes back to Edinburgh. I hate spoilers so I tend to skim synopsis rather knowing less going into a book. In this case I think it hurt my experience as I got attached to the characters and the stories from the first part and when the timeline changed I felt like I was reading a completely different book. I understand this book was trying to make comparisons but felt jarring. I enjoyed the writing in this book and thought it was beautiful but a little slow paced as both timelines felt very slice of life. The characters in the 1800s I felt were well developed but when we got to the later timeline I had a hard time relating to the characters and they felt a bit flat. This was the first book I have read from this author and look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Enjoyed this one very much, another great gothic historical fiction from author Marielle Thompson. Never disappoints, highly recommend

4.25 / 5 stars
"we're going to be called witches no matter what. we might as well try to take word back a bit."

The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a mysterious atmospheric and emotionally filled book. I love how the author combines witchcraft, Scottish folklore and lesbians to create a magical story.

What I really enjoyed was how the book took time for personal growth and blended this with the witches as resistance. The pacing was slower at times, but it gave room for the characters to grow and 'sort out their shit'.

The pacing is slow at times, but it works because it gives the characters room to grow and figure things out. It is a story about finding strength, reclaiming power and most importantly: embracing who you are, no matter the obstacles, and you might get a second life.

I really enjoyed the first part of this book which takes place in the 1800s. The magical, witchy vibes were perfect for a fall read. I also really enjoyed the found family aspect in Nellie finding her place at the apothecary. I found the second half of the book after the time jump felt like a very different vibe. There seemed to be a lot of lost years that we missed which made it feel a little disjointed. I ultimately fell somewhere at a 3-3.5 stars based on these feelings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh uses “witch” as a synonym for women in a tale of tragedy and hope.
In an alternate Edinburgh of 1824, every woman lives in fear because all it takes is to anger the wrong person and they can be hanged as a witch. Nellie Duncan, beautiful and unwed, keeps to herself until late one night in a graveyard, she meets an actual witch. From there she finds her place among the coven of Rae Women’s Apothecary. Jean Rae and the other women provide cures and teach others how to aid the winter deity, Cailleach. But as Nellie finds a place and a purpose at the shop, disaster strikes. Nellie flees and spends the next two centuries hiding from the world. But finally, she can no longer hide from the world, and she must face the foe she has been running from. Can Nellie find the courage to bring the women from Edinburgh together?
Though this book came out in August, I felt like this book fell into my hands at the right time. Marielle Thompson sets her book in Edinburgh, which she knows well. But its focus on women and their power has more universal overtones especially in “the most powerful nation on Earth.” Using a loose version of witchcraft, Thompson built female comradery while showing the danger women are in every day when women do not keep the status quo. The word “witch” stands in for “slut”, “bitch”, “single mother”, and “loud mouth.” The book could be nothing but misery, but Thompson takes the reader on a journey through time and gives them hope-- hope women desperately need right now.
The mythology is beautiful. I knew a version of the tale of the winter deity Cailleach that was very similar to what was used here. This local touch truly enchants the tales and makes this unique from just general witch stories. This makes the book both specific to the area while also being global in theme.
While there is greatness in this book there are some issues. The name is rather a misnomer, but I can forgive that for the story Thompson is trying to tell. What I don’t forgive, is, that in a book about the importance of women, an important woman in negated to a couple of pages and a tragedy. The set up of the book has past, present, and the liminal time between. During that time Nellie falls for a woman when she hasn’t bonded with anyone since she fled. How can this important of a woman's time be so short? The woman is of such significance that Nellie takes that woman’s child as almost her own. The story suffers from letting down a woman within its pages.
The Last Witch of Edinburgh is a tale of hope. And while the mythology is that of the region, the theme is one that many women across the world will feel within their bones.

Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

The Last Witch in Edinburgh was not really what I expected it to be.

I felt it got off to a fairly slow start, considering the topic. It started to pick up about 100 pages in, though.

The story started in 1824 with our main character, Nellie Duncan, and makes a jump to 2022, where Nellie Duncan has aged but has the long life of a witch.

In 1824 Edinburgh, women were again being hung as "witches," even though this practice is now illegal. All women in Edinburgh are living in fear. Especially those who may be deemed "different" because they don't conform to expectations for women or for those who are poor. After a catastrophic event, Nellie flees Edinburgh, but in 2022, she returns and finds that the hate towards women has just taken a new form.

This story introduced me to the idea of the Cailleach, a figure in Celtic mythology. A winter goddess ushering in the cold, dark winter months. The Cailleach has a son, Angus, the king of summer.

In this story, it is Angus who tries to reduce the power of women, so they can not help his mother bring in the winter. It's an interesting way to bring in the topic of misogyny and the patriarchy and the control of women.

I thought that taking these mythological take and weaving into the themes of patriarchy and misogyny were a great way to metaphorically speak to this issue. But, it's not really what I expected this book to be. It felt a bit like a lecture at times, but perhaps that's what we need to really stay informed about these issues!

I'd still rate this book a four star. It was well written and interesting.

Thank you to Kensington for the advanced digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh pulls you right into an eerie, spellbinding version of Edinburgh that feels both real and otherworldly. There is a mix of history and magic. There were a few slow spots, but the twists and turns kept me hooked, and the atmosphere just kept building. If you're into historical fantasy with a dark, mysterious edge, then I def recommend.

The vibe and atmosphere of this book is amazing. There were a couple of things that I wish were different but overall, this was a very good read, and I would recommend it to anybody who wants a witchy vibe set in the past and present. 👏

I thought I was really going to love this book, but it really went downhill fast for me. I really enjoyed the first quarter of so quite a bit. The atmosphere was incredible and you really got the horrible feeling of what it was like to be a woman back then, the constant worry and terror. The main character soon starts working at an apothecary and seeing the relationships between woman slowly blossom was beautiful, but also this is where it started to go downhill for me. It became sooo slow and dull here. The day to day felt really tedious and slow. She's slowly learning bits and pieces about her mom, but it wasn't enough to feel interesting and a relationship between her and another girl just comes about out of nowhere.

I honestly should've DNF'd at this point, but I kept slogging on hoping or the best. Once the timeline shifts I completely lost interest. Where before the feminine rage felt truly justified and you FELT how horrible it was to be a woman, always looking over your shoulder and second guessing your actions, it all became so heavy handed I felt like it was being constantly shoved in my face. I was no longer enjoying the story on any aspect here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This book started decently. Nellie Duncan in a young woman who has lost her job and desperate to take care of her little brother. Edinburgh is a rough city, where women are taught from the cradle that they have no worth. Any woman who dares to defy that is seen as a witch and punished dearly. The first half of the book deals with Nellie discovering power in a group of women she stumbles across and the lessons they teach her about what it really means to harness her feminine power. If the book had stayed on the track it set during the first half, it would have been much more enjoyable. Instead, it splits, with one half in 1824 and the other two hundred years later, and that's when it all went to hell.

The book was too long. It was also a little repetitive and the characters not fleshed out quite enough. If I had to read about Nellie's stomach swooping one more time, I would have thrown my kindle. Her stomach swooped a lot. Nellie was also almost fanatically obsessed with Jane. It was billed at a love for the ages, but it didn't fit for me. Jane is borderline abusive in how she treats Nellie. Nellie simply takes basically being called stupid and weak and so on while greedily taking every grain of affection she gets. It felt icky to me.

All in all I wanted to love this book but it was a struggle to get through. The second half was just not up to par and unneeded, frankly. It was just meh for me.

Queer characters in an alternate version of 1800s Scotland, with some witchcraft and other shenanigans? Say no more! This novel was a whirlwind and so rich with detail and character building. I was intrigued from page one. I've read a lot of good books lately and this is a highly recommended read.

I love stories about witches, especially in the autumn. I had trouble connecting to this story and would have preferred more character development.

“the last witch in Edinburgh” was a magnificent talk of the power of sisterhood throughout history. I loved learning about the deity’s and her “hags” @ the metaphor with toxic masculinity, patriarchy and violence towards any group of people who are different than what it’s considered their “norm”. It was as relevant in the 1800’s than in 2020. everything was beautifully written and I cannot recommend this book enough, i’m really thanking the author because i loved every moment of this reading and moreover, it’s history with a big H. we need to hear about their voices. and the author through fictional settings and reality has done an amazing job at it.

I love stories of witches, this story is fascinating, it shows how women were killed and accused of doing witchcraft and spells in the 1800 and how they were condemned.
Beautiful female characters and well written story overall a Story full of magic, love and tragedy. Perfect for this spooky season.

Book Review: The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson

Rating ⭐️: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy 🌶️: 🌶️

I am grateful to have received this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

🚨Spoiler Alert 🚨

I really enjoyed this book, I love the plot of witches in the 1800s, how they become witches was a beautiful piece and how it involved nature. As the Cailleach brought on the colder months, created the mountains and lakes and did so with the help of her hags. Her witches practice the craft and protected women, heal them with herbs and teas and if they wanted or were brave enough they would teach them the Cailleach ways.

It was written about witches and women being hung for witchcraft and for just existing, there was an element of romance from the main character Nellie, who had feared all men and desired only one woman. The spice was mild. The book starts off in the 1800s then near the end it’s in modern day 2022. The shift was well written and very interesting to see the same female issues that happened year ago, still happening today.

I loved Nellie has a main character I bonded with her, she had lost her job as a maid and had come across the Rae shop and was intrigued ok what they where doing. The girls took Nellie in for her artistic skills. This was when she fell for Jean. I found Jean very rude and I just couldn’t take to her. When the Rae women took Nellie in and taught her the craft, she found a home with them until Nellie was in danger, they kick her out for her own safety but I still felt Jean should of fought for her to stay, like she told her she wanted to be with her for the rest of her life. The the true witches of the Cailleach got two lives.

When Nellie left the Cailleach enemy build down the Raes shop and Nellie’s thinks Jeans has died so she runs away in fear. Then when near the end Nellie finds out Jean didn’t die in the fire and knew she was alive all those years and was rude to her when she came to the shop.

I enjoyed the ending very good as Nellie over came her fears to protect her niece and all the women of Cailleach came together to fight off her enemy once and for all.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this novel more than I thought that I would.

There are so many novels about the Salem Witch Trials but not many about the witch trials that preceded it in Scotland that this was a refreshing read from what I was used to. Marielle Thompson puts a modern spin on what witchcraft is and the reality of what the women were facing when they went to trial.

It's not hard to fall in love with the Nellie, Jean and the rest of the witches as they try to stay alive and fight the patriarchy both in 1824 and again 200 years later. This story would make for a great book club pick, especially during Women's History Month.