Step into a world where women are hunted for whispers and where a hidden coven fights back with ancient magic.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh isn’t your typical witch tale. Forget Salem, this is 19th century Edinburgh, where every woman walks a tightrope between piety and the pyre.

Nellie Duncan stumbles upon the Rae Women’s Apothecary, a haven for ostracized women who wield a different kind of power – the power of healing and the cunning of witches. Here, they serve the Cailleach, a fierce winter goddess who grants them freedom in exchange for their defiance.

Yet, a darkness stirs. A powerful enemy seeks to extinguish the very spark that flickers within these women. Fear grips Nellie, and she flees, vanishing for two centuries. But the Cailleach’s call echoes through time, drawing her back to a world where the fight for female autonomy continues, albeit in a different guise.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for the #arc

It’s 1824 in Edinburgh and the witch trials have returned once more. Nellie Duncan, as a poor and unmarried woman, knows the risks as well as anyone. When Nellie has a chance encounter with the women that run the Rae Women’s Apothecary, she learns about their mission to aid the feared Cailleach and must leave behind her fear and embrace her agency and independence at last. However, the world is never safe for women or witches, and when tragedy hits the Rae women, Nellie vows never to return to Edinburgh. But, when fate pulls her back at long last, Nellie must face both her ancient enemy, and those that she left behind.

Although I am Scottish and have lived here my whole life, we are taught very little about our folklore and mythology, so I was immediately intrigued by this one. I loved the inclusion of the Cailleach and her story and it has definitely encouraged me to learn more. I always love a feminist retelling, and it was an interesting idea to include a time skip, as this allowed for an exploration of marginalisation (gender, sexuality, etc.) across time. This made it a different read from other similar stories. However, at time I did feel that the story dragged a little, and was maybe a bit repetitive. The focus is definitely on the cycle of oppression and persecution, and as such the magic is not really the main point of the story, and there is no big battles, so I would bare this in mind if you’re a die hard fantasy lover. Overall, this was a very decent historical feminist fiction, and a good entrance into Scottish mythology!

‘The flame of anger pulsed through her blood with each step, and she felt - she knew - that an angry witch on Scottish soil with everything to lose and nothing to fear was exactly what Angus most wanted to prevent.’

As a Scottish witch this book called to me like no other! The dual timeline starting with the witch trials in the 1820s all the way to modern misogyny and hatred of women was such an amazing parallel to read.

I’m obsessed with both Nellie and Jeans growth throughout this and with the found family of all the women in the apothecary

If you’re interested in witches, feminism or Scottish history this is an absolutely amazing read

This story encapsulated a lot of issues, feelings, reactions, and studies of the patriarchy and misogyny. While grim and dark, it is also a story of hope. This is a creative feminist tale that blends Scottish folklore, history, and magical realism with realistic events. It is a little on the nose at times, but I think that makes it a great read also for those who are less familiar with these themes to feel and gain a better understanding of them. The story has 2 timelines, an apothecary, and found family. There is LGBTQIA+ and chronic pain rep.

Fans of The Once & Future Witches, When Women Were Dragons, Weyward, and The Lost Apothecary would enjoy this book!

The title doesn’t lie. It is set in Edinburgh, and when the story starts we’re in the year 1824 where we follow main character Eleanor “Nellie” Duncan go about her life. She’s a witch and she’s connected to other women who also practice witchcraft.

There is an interesting storyline about body snatchers and witches that doesn’t really get picked up. A big part of the story is a metaphor (I think!) – the Tuatha dé dannan = the patriarchy. That's at least what I got from reading the book.

I wanted to like this more than I did, but I lost interest as there is a major time skip to the 2010. I think the foundation is there but the rest did not interest me a lot.

Although this is a fantasy novel, it is based on the Lore of the Cailleach (Deity of Winter) in Scotland with us starting in the 1820's. The tale portrays the oppression of woman over centuries with found family and takes on the story of Nellie and Jean, and their survival of the evil that strives to take over Edinburgh for centuries.
Nellie is flight, whilst Jean is fight - and although this story is based on them, it also tells a confronting yet beautiful tale of people coming together for the greater good.
🌟🌟🌟

'The Last Witch in Edinburgh' wasn't what I thought it'd be.
There weren't enough witchy things for my liking and the story, while written perfectly, left me a little bit unsatisfied.
But I can honestly say that this book and the story behind it resonated a lot with me. I really liked the Edinburgh setting (excited to visit someday!) and the feeling of sisterhood/solidarity it had.
Nellie was an interesting main character because she made some bad decisions based on her fear (as we all have done in our lives), but I think the most important thing here is that she learned from it and grew a lot.

3.25 stars from me

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC.

I saw someone describe this as "a witchy love story to feminist rage and the fight against misogyny," and I thought, "yes, that's the exact kind of story I want to read."

Did it deliver on that front? Sort of? If you want to read something that is only feminist rage against misogyny with witchy elements and absolutely no plot, this is for you. This has absolutely beautiful writing, everything is lyrical and pretty but the story is held together by the characters' interactions with each other, but their motivations for doing so are completely absent. It takes place in 1824 Edinburgh, Scotland at the beginning of the witch trials, and the protagonist, Nellie Duncan, is terrified. Nellie witnesses a hanging and later that evening, while taking her alcoholic father's graveyard watch - sees the same woman who was hung come back to life. It leads her on a strange journey to learning about what she believes to be the myth - the hags of the Cailleach - are actually real, and she starts to work with them.

At the very beginning of the book, Nellie's main motivations for work and everyday life are earning money to protect her family, especially her younger brother, Tommy. However, within the first 5 or 6 chapters her motivations shift drastically and she gives no thought to her brother at all. She knows her mother is dead but she goes on a journey to learn about whether or not she could actually be alive because someone who hasn't seen her mother in years using the wrong tense when referencing her. Then when Nellie begins working in the apothecary she never goes home, knowing full well her Dad is just at some pub getting drunk and leaves her 11 year old brother at home by himself... after she's made several references about how he doesn't know how to light a candle, or start a fire in the hearth, or cook. Does she bother to teach him those things? No. But does she also leave him to fend for himself because she wants to draw pictures and fawn over pretty girls? Yes. That's a HUGE morality shift we see from who she was established as a character when she was introduced - and I don't think one can argue that it was fear, because she's acting pretty bold and not afraid.

The early nineteenth century saw Edinburgh, Scotland, as a dangerous place for women. Witch hunts are on the rise again, and it seems that nobody is safe. Twenty-year-old Nellie Duncan is living in fear when she meets the Rae family and friends. These women are all dedicated to the Cailleach of Scottish lore, the one who will bring winter that will refresh and balance the earth. Her son, Angus, wishes to control the seasons and works to make it summer year-round. To weaken his mother's power, Angus attempts to spread misogyny and rid the world of the women who attempt to aid the Cailleach. This time, he has taken the form of the commissioner in charge of witch hunts.
I'll stop here to avoid spoilers. The book is perfect for fans of romantasy and magical realism. The author points out the harm of misogynistic attitudes and how quickly they can be spread, taking away a woman's agency. The novel is also very inclusive regarding gender identity and sexual preference. It's a good read, and will remind you how much women need to stand up for one another.

One thing about me, I’m a sucker for anything witchy and I will read anything that has witches which is why I requested this book even though I’m not the biggest historical reader. I did love this book so much though so I’m so glad I gave it a chance.

I love how the story was told, the writing was phenomenal and the setting was so atmospheric. I was completely enamored with this book!

The Last Witch In Edinburgh
By: Marielle Thompson

5 Stars

This is a sweeping historical novel that paints a different type of picture. You get witches as well as a story of passion, destruction, change, and renewal. This story was filled with history, and the writing is captivating. This was a powerful story for women and the horrors that many faced, and still face, just due to their sex. The unseen, the silenced. It really brings out the emotions of the time period. The story moves to one of redemption and finding your true identity. The story is meant to make the reader delve deep and really see the truth. The hidden truth.

I was completely enamored by this story. By the characters that grow and change as much as the years that go by. I have always wanted to go to Scotland, and this story painted such a glorious picture of Edinburgh, both past and present. This is a book that tells more than one story. It tells thousands. It is one meant to be read. That needs to be read.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Review

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

A tale that begins in 1824 Edinburgh during a time women swung from the gallows, and ends in 2022 where women are still persecuted, hunted, and sometimes killed. Deeply atmospheric and laced with history of the Scottish witch trials we follow Nellie and the group of Rae women who are daughters Cailleach. Witches. A crone goddess. By serving the women of Edinburgh they strengthen the Cailleach. However, Angus, the god of summer, wants Cailleach and her daughters eradicated, and all women submissive so as not to rise up again. This is a gorgeous story that includes, sisterhood, finding one’s personal strengths, sapphic love, motherhood, community, the bonds of ancestry, misogyny, and mythology. It also has trans representation.

As a witch myself I appreciated the witchcraft elements were spot on and not fantastical.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalleyfor this eARC.

I was both pleasantly surprised and satisfied with this book. Granted I went in blind but I didn’t expect queer witches which was a huge plus to me.

Nellie’s struggles and story are the stories of almost every women. It had topics of feminism and misogyny. As well as hope and resilience.

The author had beautiful prose and I’d love to see more works of hers soon.

Nellie Duncan is a normal lower-class woman trying to survive in an 1800’s Edinburgh that is hostile towards women. After an encounter in a graveyard, her life is changed forever when she learns of supernatural forces at work, and has to decide if she wants to continue her life as it is or be brave and fight for the good of herself and her fellow women.

I enjoyed this read, especially after my recent trip to Edinburgh, but it wasn’t without its flaws. Mostly there were a lot of plot holes that were explained away by the characters pulling things out of thin air or assigning emotions to characters without seeing them develop. In one scene we’re told that it’s too dangerous to try turning women into witches but two chapters later the characters do just that without addressing the reasons they gave earlier. Or we’re told how scared the women of Edinburgh are without actually seeing much beyond the main characters’ perspective. The villain himself has very little discernible motivation, and some of his machinations seemed a little too far-fetched to be believable in context of the story.

The pacing is fairly quick which makes for engaging reading, but there was very little levity, humor, or lighter moments to counteract the incessant trauma and danger all the characters found themselves in. I do think the second half reads a lot quicker than the first, and there’s some great character development for all main characters involved. The magic system is vague enough to be interesting without getting too complicated, and I liked the deity-worship aspect of it. All in all a good read if you love the city of Edinburgh and/or witchcraft and want to read a feminist-heavy story with good character development.

Huge thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for this Advanced Reader Copy! This review is my honest opinion and offered voluntarily!

This book is important in today's world where many women feel like they have limited ownership of their own bodies and choices. But, it's not just for women - it's for anyone who has ever been held back by the patriarchy. systemic racism, classism, ageism, even feminism. Heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, bisexual, transexual, nonbinary, person of color, it's for anyone and everyone. Chapter 38 demonstrated that point perfectly, The value and the power of the quiet who are many. The boiling point when fear becomes anger, and anger becomes the fuel to a call to action. It brought me back to the way I felt at the first Women's March in 2017. As someone afraid of being in such a large public gathering, but feeling nothing but support and camaraderie from, and of, those around me. The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a stressful (because, come on!! the way some of these chapters end with foreboding of what's to come. Hello, anxiety!) and poignant yet empowering story, told through the lens of the witch hysteria of days long ago which is always fascinating. Nellie is such an understandable main female character, but it was Jean who really pulled me in. Some things were glazed over - Rachel felt too quick, Ari not making a comeback, everything with Tommy - but as a whole I enjoyed the plot and story development and how it lended to Nellie's growth. 4.5/5 for me! Will highly recommend to my book friends. Thank you Marielle Thompson, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC! I will update this review as soon as I post my Goodreads and Instagram posts!

The Last Witch in Edinburgh was a really good book. The visuals and history was really enjoyable to read. The way we went from the 1800s to the 2000s was very neat to read in a book especially since it was about the same woman Nellie. I liked how she met Jean again after all those years. All the women in this book was strong even throughout all the Witch hunts going on. I love the found family aspect of it alot

Edimburgo, metà Ottocento. Essere una donna è una condanna. Qualcuno punta il dito, si urla alla strega, la forca è pronta. In mezzo al delirio di un'inquisizione informale, una famiglia matriarcale soccorre le bisognose e persegue una silenziosa battaglia in nome di Cailleach, dea gaelica regina dell'inverno. Per caso, o per fortuna, Nellie Duncan viene ammessa all'interno della loro erboristeria e messa a parte dei misteri del culto per prendere parte attivamente alla loro guerra svantaggiata.
La storia si sviluppa su due piani temporali e, nonostante il salto sia repentino e difficile da adattare, questo permette un enorme crescita dei personaggi - che non sempre danno il meglio di loro. Tuttavia, la trama non è originalissima e in alcuni punti è ripetitiva e noiosa. Ad accendere il mio interesse e la mia curiosità è stato il culto di Cailleach che non conoscevo e da cui sono rimasta affascinata - però l'autrice ha deciso di distorcerlo per adattarlo alla storia, non sfruttando al massimo il suo potenziale. Sottilissimo e velato l'accenno al cambiamento climatico e al riscaldamento globale, altro punto su cui si poteva lavorare meglio. Di punta, invece, argomenti caldi come il patriarcato, femminismo, l'abuso, il femminicidio. In questo fantasy storico, si calca su come sia difficile essere donna e di come certi schemi siano immuni al tempo e all'evolversi della società.
Ci sono stati momenti di stallo, ma anche molti momenti cozy e confortevoli che rendevano i momenti brutti ancora più indigesti. In generale, poco fan dello stile di scrittura, ma molto affascinata dal folklore.
Consigliato a chi ama il folklore e la mitologia, agli amanti del queer, a chi si interessa di femminismo ed ecofemminismo e a chi non disdegna un fantasy dalle vibes magiche.

I liked the premise of this book, but it failed to live up to its potential. The biggest issue for me was the main character. I found her repetitive and frankly a little annoying. She also didn’t have much of an arc, which was very disappointing. Another thing I could have done without is the time jump. It left a lot of loose ends and seemed to me more of a gimmick than something done with narrative purpose. The prose was pretty basic as well, but I could have let that go if not for the other glaring errors.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

An immersive story about queer witches, ever present evil, found family, fear, love and women taking back their power.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh follows Nellie as she stumbles through Edinburgh in 1892 terrified of being hanged as a witch and struggling to balance providing for her family and finding her own place in the world. After certain terrifying events Nellie makes the decision to leave behind her new family of witches and lives an unfilled life on the move.

After centuries of honing her craft and running from her past Nellie returns to her home in Edinburgh to realize that not much has changed. Women still live in fear and are still being oppressed by the same evil that has always existed. But this time Nellie has something more to live for. This time she won't run in fear. With the help of her fellow witches she finally makes a stand for women and their rights.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson is a captivating blend of fantasy, historical fiction, and LGBTQ+ themes set against the atmospheric backdrop of an alternate 19th-century Edinburgh. This lush and immersive novel weaves witchcraft, queer love, Scottish folklore, and a powerful narrative of resistance against patriarchy into a propulsive and emotional story.

In 1824 Edinburgh, every woman lives under the constant threat of being hanged for witchcraft. This perilous environment sets the stage for Nellie Duncan, a beautiful and unwed woman who strives to remain unnoticed. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers the Rae Women’s Apothecary, where Jean Rae and her circle of women practice cures and empower each other under the protection of the Cailleach, a winter deity symbolizing independence and agency.

Thompson's novel excels in exploring themes of misogyny and female empowerment. The alternate history where witch trials persist into the 19th century provides a unique and compelling twist on the genre, highlighting the continuous struggle of women healers against patriarchal oppression. The inclusion of the Cailleach, an ancient Gaelic deity, adds a rich layer of mythological depth and a refreshing element of goddess worship not commonly seen in similar narratives.

Nellie's journey from fear and obscurity to finding her voice and purpose is beautifully rendered. Her blossoming romance with Jean is tender and authentic, offering a poignant portrayal of queer love in a time of great peril. The dual timeline, shifting between the 19th century and the present day, cleverly links modern feminist issues with historical struggles, reminding readers that the fight for women's rights and freedom is far from over.

The rich Scottish folklore and the vibrant setting of Edinburgh further enhance the story's immersive quality. Thompson's prose is elegant and flowing, effectively conveying the beauty and brutality of Nellie's world. The depiction of the apothecary and the women’s home remedies is fascinating, adding an element of practical magic that grounds the fantastical elements in reality.

Nellie Duncan is a compelling protagonist, embodying both the vulnerabilities and strengths of women across centuries. Her development as a character, from a frightened young woman to a powerful witch, is believable and inspiring. The emotional weight of her journey, coupled with the atmospheric setting and the rich tapestry of folklore, makes this novel a standout.

Overall, The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a feminist call to arms, urging women to stand in their power, be heard, and embrace their love and rage. Marielle Thompson has crafted a beautiful and thought-provoking tale perfect for fans of The Lighthouse Witches and The Lost Apothecary. This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in historical fiction, folklore, witches, romance, and magical realism!

**Review is scheduled to post on my blog on August 19th, 2024!**