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.

This book was very hard for me to get into and I almost DNFd it several times

I do think the pace and story picked up more around the halfway mark, and I think this story has an interesting plot and concept.

Overall I would recommend this but if you have read Outlander I'd say this does not necessarily fill those shoes.

Still an enjoyable 3 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book before publication on Aug 20 2024.

This book covers the women of Cailleach (the winter deity) as they aid her they gain an extra life. It is a harrowing tale of fear and survival in Edinburgh during the witch trial and moves the battle to the current day and women's rights. Nellie and Jean's love which was not accepted in 1892 is finally reignigted in 2022 during their last life together.

I almost DNF’d this book around 40%. But I hate doing that so I kept reading and it picked up around half way through. Not a fan, could’ve done without reading this. I felt like this book portrayed men horribly. Not every man is a misogynistic prick. There are some decent men out there. But I do understand that there are situations in which women have been treated wrongly by a man. I could see multiple other points of this book but the above was what I kept seeing being repeated over and over. Basically, Angus’s main goal is to snuff out the beauty, happiness, joy, confidence of all the hags of Cailleach so that he can keep summer going on and on while Cailleach is not able to bring about creation of new things. And it is the duty of her hags “witches” to bring her honor by serving her and doing things of the earth so that Calleich has the power to bring winter so that creation can go on and on.

I must admit this is not a book type I usually turn to. But sometimes good books are like that, jumping out of nowhere, dragging you in and never letting go. The Last Witch In Edinburgh was a welcomed surprise, a challenge if you will.

The synopsis promised witches in an 1800's Edinburgh setting and a sapphic, feminist story and I would say it delivered, to some extent at least. There were a few plot holes I was not that happy to see, regarding the characters’ behavior and the villain, which was not that impressive nor convincing. However, the pacing was quick, helping the story develop smoothly and keep me engaged. The dual timeline was an interesting approach too, immersing us into two different worlds, following Nellie's progress from living during the witch trials, working in an apothecary owned by a group of women(witches) to her in the present, wanting to return to Edinburgh and face the past.

This was a heavy book, bringing forward many emotions and experiences which molded the main character and brought her to the present. It was a testament of hope and determination, if I think about it. And that might be the best aspect of the book. Despite dwelling into dark, grim matters, it still manages to light the darkness and make you feel hopeful for the future.

I did enjoy the setting and the vibes of the book. Lest is to say it was a beautiful, inspiring read, perfect for any reader in search for a good witch story.

Edinburgh is my favourite place in the world and this book was such a great escape. I love historical fiction and this was such a treat. Thank you!

This is a powerful story of love and empowerment set amid witch trials. It was incredible to see the stories of queer and trans people represented in this time period and to see the power of women when we rally together. This is going to be a beloved read for folks who loved Claire from the Outlander series!

Thank you so much to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!