This book spans over 200 years of witches with the first chapter beginning in 1824. It takes a huge leap into the current century where things have not really changed when it comes to men feeling the need to keep a woman in her place. The enthusiasm that the author felt for her book was apparent in the writing, not a bad thing, but sometimes too much of the same thing over and over. Different than other books of witches I have read--this was definitely a book of war and strife, no silliness or funny stuff--I still enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the complimentary ARC. This review is my own opinion.

I was very moved by this book. It's such a great portrayal of the Witch trials and the kinds of things that happened during them. This author did plenty of research for this book, and it shows. I loved the section at the end of the book, where she explains the history and sources she used. The story itself is very well thought out and provides an accurate depiction of how the patriarchy continues to come after women's rights. I also enjoyed the inclusion of gay and transgender characters as a lot of witches are from these marginalized groups of people. A must-read for anyone who enjoys queer romance, the history of witches, Scottish folklore, and fighting the patriarchy.

I’m adding this to the list of books that has deeply affected who I am as a person because, wow.

I was not anticipating the powerful while somehow also subtle feminist themes. To be honest and probably dramatic, it healed something in me to see the women in this book work together despite their differences.

Pieces I loved:
-The gothic historical fiction tied in with fantasy was beautiful! The fantasy was subtle enough that I almost expect to go to Edinburgh and meet these witches in real life. To add to this, the villain personifies patriarchy and violence toward women in a really powerful way
-The attention to herbal knowledge with accuracy made me want to become an herbalist. These small details really filled out the story for me.
-The way that current events were tied in left me feeling empowered and hopeful in a way I haven’t in a while.
-Nelly didn’t become some crazy strong female leader and that was fucking powerful. She was timid and careful and I think that balanced well with Jean’s ferocity.
-Queer love
-Bisexual representation
-Trans representation
-Chronic illness representation
-A wide range of ages were also represented which was refreshing when most books seem to be about young 20 yr old women. I love the young women perspective but also seeing the world through the eyes of elderly women brought such a richness to the story.

Final thoughts: Simply? Everyone go read this book. It’s a perfect fall read because somehow it is both cozy and heart wrenching, subtle yet powerful.

I read this as an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson in exchange for an honest review. I really needed to read this book at this moment in time. It really spoke to me and about the history of women and all those oppressed in life. I started out reading it thinking it was a historic paranormal fiction book and about halfway through it changed and really got my attention. Thank you Marielle Thompson for writing this beautiful story. I highly recommend reading this book.

First part set in 1824 Edinburgh as Nellie gets a job at the apothecary and learns the practices of followers of Cailleach, all while witches are being persecuted. Then fast forward to the present and Nellie has traveled around but ends up back in Edinburgh and realizes the same evil is still there causing trauma. Overall, the older timeline was more engaging than the present timeline. This book is full of difficult topics and it was hard to read at times as bad things kept happening constantly with seemingly little hope of change.

A gothic blend of the beauty and darkness of Edinburgh, this story viscerally brings the capital of Scotland to life to explore the dark past and present day.

This story is great if you are craving some ‘female rage the musical’ as it explores myth and legends and witchcraft …. But ultimately this book is womanhood, and how the patriarchary has treated women from past to present. I have highlighted so many quotes from this beautiful and powerful story. I want to give this book the justice it deserve in a review but fear I would not be able to be as eloquent as the book is.

This books gives ‘they’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one’. A historic look at the abuse and violence towards women in guise of witchcraft isn’t just a witchy story, it’s a statement and reflection of society hundreds of years apart

3.5 stars
I enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and fantasy in this tale! It’s a difficult time to be a woman- witches are being hunted in Edinburgh and no one is safe from the patriarchal eye. Nellie is trying to navigate a situation stacked against her— her father is an alcoholic, her mother died in childbirth, she’s taking care of her younger brother & trying to find a way to support everyone in the space where being a woman, and an attractive one at that, is a dangerous game. In a time of need, she makes the acquaintance of a local group of witches and things quickly grow more dangerous for all involved!

I thought I would be the audience for this and wanted to love this, but I could just not get into. I was lucky enough to get both the ARC and ALC and did DNF and 70 percent. It was lovely lyrical writing, but I just did not care about the characters to continue. I may go back and finish but just not at this time.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.
2 stars

This Scottish fantasy rages against the patriarchy in the best possible way! The book starts in Edinburgh in 1824, with a beautiful young woman fighting for survival in a world where men take what they want. When she stumbles across an apothecary full of women serving the Cailleach, she carves out a life for herself that feels, if not comfortable, at least hopeful. An ancient diety strips Nellie of everything she knows and loves, and she flees Scotland, determined to save herself. But after two centuries on the run, she finds herself pulled back to her homeland, where she's forced to fight the evil force that destroyed her life. This is a powerful, poignant story of a woman drawing on the magic of nature and eventually embracing her own power.

2 stars
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Soft DNF @ 61 %

I tried really hard to like this, but I just couldn't finish. The original story of 1864 Edinburgh is beautiful and could have been developed into it's own book but once we time jumped, I lost interest. I understand Nellie's hesitate towards men, but it was extreme. The pacing fell off, the storytelling got repetitive and it just didn't suck me in enough to keep going.

I might come back to it, but I'm not in a rush.

I loved the themes of found family, community, and smashing the patriarchy, enjoyed the world building, and cared about the characters. However, I did struggle with the pacing. Most of the book was slow—there were a lot of repetitive thoughts and feelings from Nellie and the characters tended to opt to wait and see rather than take decisive action. Though, oddly enough, the time jump went the other direction and felt rushed.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it. But it’s definitely not something I’d consider to be a read in one sitting story.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

I tried to stick with this book, because the themes and ideas were great: actual witches living undercover in 1824 Edinburgh! Resurrection! A "blossoming romance" between women! Unfortunately I started skimming about halfway through the first section, and stopped completely when it skipped a hundred-some-odd years ahead.

But the execution (pardon the pun) fell flat. There is very little character development for Nellie, and the same plot points are repeated over and over: women are being hanged as witches with no evidence, Nellie is beautiful and in danger for it, Edinburgh is not safe for women, everyone is eager to name a witch. Even the language was repetitive. Every time Nellie's stomach swooped I started to feel nauseous myself, and she ran her hand down the front of her skirt so. many. times.

The relationship with Jean was also a disappointment. It was the same insta-love that we see so many times in YA novels, which is really just lust and also usually loneliness, instead of something lasting.. There's person the character spends time with, they talk a few times, et voila! Love. And once this romance starts, Nellie's brother Thomas is almost completely forgotten (and later, definitely completely forgotten).

There's a good story here somewhere, but it required focus and more showing than telling. I do have to saw the cover is beautiful, although it reminds me a great deal of Alice Hoffman's The Invisible Hour.

This had a beautiful historical fiction setting and the themes it tackled are very relevant to what women are experiencing today!
Our protagonist is extremely likable and you find yourself cheering her on as we go.
There were a few moments that made me scratch my head because some things happened off page and then were only talked about and it got a little confusing for me at times.
I did enjoy this overall. Feminism, witches with magic, deity folklore, sisterhood, and sapphic love….all things I love in a book!!

What an interesting and gripping book! We’re all so used to the Salem witch trials but I never knew about the Scottish ones. Nellie’s, our main character, story spans over two centuries and it’s interesting to watch her develop as a witch. I loved how Scottish mythology was interviewed in the book.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thompson's writing style is thoughtful and poetic without being cumbersome or over the top. She really takes the time to develop her characters into layered, lived-in characters, flaws and all. Her descriptions are rich and vivid and make it easy to envision what's happening and what it's supposed to look like.

I did like getting to experience Nellie's story in two separate time periods, and I thought Thompson was effective in showcasing how people are a product of their time differently in both.

I would have liked a little more build-up where Jean and Nellie's love story was concerned, but their characters were fleshed out enough that once they *were* together, their dynamic made sense given how different they are.

I felt like Thompson did a lot more telling instead of showing, and while both have their place, it did get exhausting after a while just being told things rather than being shown how we got there.

Some of the messaging regarding the way the patriarchy impacts women and marginalized communities felt a bit heavy-handed toward the end. It's necessary and generally well done and effective, but it's one of the areas I wish we'd had more "show" examples instead of "tell."

I wanted a little more of the interlude in the early 2000s with Rachel and Chani and/or more of Nellie's experience in raising Chani. I wanted to connect with Chani more, but I found it difficult, and given that she's Nellie's top priority in the second half of the book, I needed that.

The ending felt a little anti-climactic, but the antagonist's introduction was sort of handled with the same abruptness, so it at least matched.

Overall, the first half of this book felt stronger than the second, but it's beautifully written, and I'm looking forward to reading more from Thompson.

[NetGalley was kind enough to provide me with an ARC for this title.]

I felt like it was a little bit hating on men until the end. I wish the "bad guy" was actually gone for good.

◦◦,`°.✽✦✽.◦.✽✦✽.°`,◦◦
✰ ✰ ✰ ✰
'Time is perhaps an illusion, but cruelty, it seems, is just as enduring.'

(thank you netgalley for the arc)

❁ nineteenth century bisexual witches from edinburgh in the never-ending struggle against patriarchy, violence against women and marginalised genders? absolutely sign me up;
❁ i was close to tears reading the last chapter and epilogue, this story is so so beautiful and you feel the characters emotions so clearly, whether it be rage, helplessness, or the well-deserved relief they get;
❁ nellie and jean were a joy, everything about them had me rooting for them to change the world for the better <3
❁ i think i enjoyed the first half slightly more, but both were wonderful;
❁ i recommend reading the authors notes at the end as well, the research she did and her experiences are so lovely to hear about and how she drew from it all to put into the book.

Nellie has been caring for her household as long as she can remember. Her mother died bringing her little brother into the world and her father spends most of his time exerting his dominance over his children and drinking.

When Nellie loses her post as a lady’s maid because of the lady’s husband’s roving eyes and hands, she’s desperate for work to support her brother. She finds it in a lady’s apothecary. But this work is dangerous as a fever is sweeping the city into a frenzy and leading to the deaths of many women for being a little too independent. However she can’t refuse the sisterhood, love, and knowledge she finds among the women of the apothecary.

When terrible things do happen Nellie runs. And stays running for 200+ years with the extended life she’s been granted.

But home will always call to her.

Ultimately this a book focused on toppling the patriarchy with a veneer of magic.

What an absolutely beautiful read!! I honestly loved every second of this book. The folklore entwined with the witch trials, the beautiful relationships Nellie had over her years, and the union of women coming together as one to stand against what Nellie had feared her whole life?! I’m obsessed. Definitely one of my favourite reads of the year. Thank you so much for the ARC read. I am so grateful.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh follows Nellie as she lives through a witch hunt and faces her greatest enemy centuries later. I loved the setting, the premise, and the narration. I struggled with the pacing a bit, and ultimately this book reminded me of another and paled in comparison. If I had read this book first, I believe I would have enjoyed this one more.

Narration by Siobhan Waring was outstanding!

I received an ARC and ALC from Kensington Publishing | Kensington and Tantor Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.