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.

A little while ago, I was given «The Last Witch in Edinburgh», written by, Marielle Thompson by NetGalley for an honest review, and I finished reading it this morning.

This story is set in alternative Edinburgh in 1824. Nellie Duncan lives with her drunk of a father, and a little brother she's trying to take care of. Her mother passed away while giving birth, and she's lost her post as a maid in a rich family's home after the man of the house couldn't take his eyes off of her. The lady of the house blames Nellie, and doesn't just make her leave her post, but also makes sure Nellie doesn't get a post anywhere else.

She then finds the Rae Women's Apothecary, where women can come for teas and potions for their problems. It doesn't take long before Nellie too works at the shop, and is taught the Cailleach.

Being a woman is a dangerous thing, though, and they live in fear that they can be the next victim of the gallows, hanged for witchcraft. Despite of this, Nellie embrace her newfound community, and also develops feelings for the strong and fierce Jean.

Nellie soon learns that the Cailleach has an ancient enemy. A diety that wants to strip the Cailleach for all the power, and wipe out all her witches, and create a world full of patriarchal violence and destruction.

This is a very feminist story, and I must advice you to check out the trigger warnings for it should you need them. I absolutely loved it, and I would love to read more from this author at some point.

I just finished The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson, and I’m obsessed! If you loved Practical Magic, this is totally up your alley. The Edinburgh setting is perfect (seriously, I could read any story set there), and the LGBTQ+ storyline was really well done. Plus, there are little hints that a sequel might be possible! It flips between past and present, and honestly, both timelines were so good they could’ve been two separate books. Highly recommend—such a fun and magical read!

If you love to read stories about witches then this is perfect. It can be a bit slow at times but hopefully you’ll love the characters like I did.
Scottish setting was beautiful. It made my desire to visit more strong.
If you love a unique modern take set in the past to take on the patriarch, then look no further. Grab a blanket and a hot beverage and enjoy.

“The Last Witch in Edinburgh” is take of the power of womanhood and the importance of kinship wrapped in a shroud of witchy power and enlightenment. The story leans heavily on the rich elements of Scottish folklore and the “witchcraft” trials that were inflicted upon women. This a tale of family and friendship and more importantly finding your inner power despite while battling the long history of misogyny and the patriarchal views of society. It’s a story that all women should read.

Despite this book having strong and powerful storyline and is beautifully written, I did knock a story off because I felt the pacing and the jump to modern times didn’t flow as well it could have and at times I felt a bit lost but I never lost the magic of the story!

I have recommended this to all my feminist friends to enjoy as a story of triumph and to my more traditional/conservative to (hopefully) ignite a new spark of feminist power within them.

Edinburgh 1820's, women are hunted just for being women daring to speak up. Rae's Apothecary seems to be the only safe haven for healers. It's here we meet our main character Nellie, apprenticing to become one of the witches in service of the Calleach, a higher power, looking after the health of Edinburgh's female residents.
This first part of the book is quite slow to my liking and several times I thought of giving up, but the women and their work are interesting, so I persevered. And am I glad I did!
Halfway through the book the story shifts from historical fiction to modern day. The transition was a bit rushed, but settles once we arrive in 2022. Here we see history repeat itself. The parallels between the two centuries are mindblowing. This time though women dare to stand up for themselves, without suffering the consequences they once did.

Overall a cleverly crafted story, well written and pleasantly paced, covering two important times in history. The characters are captivating, Edinburgh is gloomy as ever, the perfect setting for this beauty.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

*4.5 stars rounded up*

Ready to embrace some female rage?

Nellie has been struggling to find her place in 1824 Scotland with the fear of being hung as a witch hovering over her & every other woman in the city of Edinburgh. But then she stumbles upon an apothecary especially for women, & finds herself studying witchcraft while falling in love. Her new dreams soon shatter & we eventually fast-forward to 2022 where we see Nellie in the aftermath of almost two centuries of running. When she finally decides to go home to Edinburgh, she’ll discover that the patriarchy may not be hanging women but it’s certainly running rampant in other ways…

Sapphic romance, character development, genius linking in the plot between climate change & ancient legends, & oh yeah, just in time for spooky season: witches! I felt like the story moved a bit slow here & there, but was overall very happy to have had the chance to read this story that emphasizes feminism, activism, love, & the healing beauty of art (among other things).

Thank you very much to NetGalley & Kensington for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read The Last Witch in Edinburgh, I was immediately captivated by the story of 19th-century bisexual witches from Edinburgh fighting against the patriarchy, violence against women, and marginalized genders. The book is filled with powerful emotions—rage, helplessness, and moments of relief that resonated with me. Nellie Duncan and Jean, the protagonists, are joyful, inspiring characters who made me want to change the world for the better. I loved how the novel portrayed women supporting each other, even while those around them tried to silence them. Seeing the protagonist’s decisions and choices through her own eyes brought out the resilience of women, and it felt relatable on so many levels. However, I found that the plot lost momentum when it jumped into the 21st century, making it harder for me to immerse myself in the story fully.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

This book potentially had all the elements I love: Scotland, witches, folklore, feminism, and female empowerment.

However, the more I read, the more disappointed I became—not in the themes themselves, but in the way the story unfolded.
"The last witch in Edinburgh tries to tell so much, too much, and often fails to get to the point. Long paragraphs lead to almost nothing, followed by abrupt changes (like when the plot jumps from the mid-19th century to present days) without sufficient insight, and then another plot twist, all of it, frankly, without much soul. It feels as though the story was originally much longer but had to be cut and summarized for lack of space.

There's a lot of talking around, and many situations are handled with superficiality and haste. Some of them sound as overly simplistic, as if they were meant just to introduce magic and folklore or to reinforce themes of female empowerment, making those aspects even too easily predictable.

I found myself missing characters I could relate to and situations I could genuinely experience.
Instead, "The last witch in Edimburgh" felt like something deliberately written to be 'witchy,' politically correct, and feminist, without offering a story I could truly connect with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
I am usually not a fan of time jumps (and this one is pretty big), but I thought it was done well and I was excited to see how the city and characters would adapt to change. This story ticked all of the boxes for me, and I know quite a few people that I will be getting this for as a gift!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh was a story that I struggled to complete and not for anything in the writing or story but because I just don’t think that historical fiction (particularly the 17 and 18 hundreds) is something I enjoy. I did enjoy the second half much more than the first half but I think that this was also why I was not able to connect with Nellie or any of the characters.
Although I love reading about witchcraft and the tragedies and injustices of the women accused of witchcraft around the world for real I don’t seem to be able to connect with the fictional stories.
I found my self engaged in the second half of the writing and I am sure that if I had connected with the first half I would have been just as engaged. I do look forward to reading the authors other books in the future and I am sure that for anyone interested in historical fiction that includes a bit of politics, a bit of magic, injustice and justice then this is the book for them.

Ever since I was young, I was fascinated by stories about witches in the early centuries and unfortunately the witch hunts that were done on many innocent victims. The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson is an amazing historical tale of the fear and persecution women, young and old went through during those times. I'll admit a few times reading some of the verbal attacks and the horror they were put through made me think of today's events in how it feels as if women's rights are trying to be stripped away from us again taking us back to the dark ages. The story does progress 200 years later and once again, the feel of the political and social events going on today around us is written in there however it fit the storyline and what the writer was trying to convey (without giving any spoilers).

I really enjoyed this book and was wondering what was going to happen next and how it was going to progress and end. If you want a light read, this may not be the book for you. However if you like to read a book about a group of strong willed women fighting for their lives and for their freedom, with some magic thrown in there, you will really enjoy this.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.