Thank you to Marielle Thompson, Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

"If there was one thing Edinburgh had learned about itself in the past three months, it was that its people loved to see a witch swing."

4.5 stars.

I simply adored it, I practically fell in love with it. I agree with those who say that the change between 1824 and 2022 was a bit abrupt and took us out of the story. This was also the case for me, but despite everything I really enjoyed this novel.
I loved the atmosphere of Edinburgh in 1824; it's dark, almost eerie and oppressive. There's something about the author's style that really brings out the magic of this city. There is a perfect mix of fantasy, historical fiction and Scottish myth and folklore.
I really enjoyed the first part of the book. Very few novels manage so well to make me forget the outside world and project myself into a different environment.

All the characters have personality and a presence that gives them dimension.
The feminist aspect is really well marked and I enjoyed watching these women evolve in a world where they refuse to be silenced and let themselves be victimised by men and by the patriarchy; it's a slow evolution for Nellie, the central character, but she ends up having as much courage as the other women in this novel.
The notion of community is also very strong, and the transformation of each woman after contact with another is a pleasure to read. The strength that emerges from these exchanges is heart-warming.

There are a few downsides of course, such as the speed with which events unfold in 2022, the repetitions in the last quarter of the story, particularly in Nellie's thoughts, and the resolution, which I almost found too quick.
Despite all this, it's a book I'm thinking of buying to add to my bookshelf.

"You cannot apologize for what you want, even if the world says someone like you shouldn’t have it."

The book begins in the past when witches were tried and burned in Scotland. However, the author creates a sinister fantasy plotline that is connected to the patriarchal sentiments that prompted witch-burning to begin with and often resulted in the deaths of innocent women. Part of the fantasy plotline is that there is a male supervillain who can influence sentiments of male superiority and foment a culture in which violence against women is not only tolerated, but encouraged. As a result, there is a spike in domestic violence, rape, verbal assault and sexual assault of women. A homophobic intolerance of lesbians and trans women is also included in these acts of violence. However, an (actual) group of witches who practice healing and inclusion through herbs and also a bit of arcane magick, manage to build their own small group of resistance. In Scotland, though, this resistance is too late, and the group disbands, scattering around to different areas of the world. The protagonist of the story escapes and raises her own child into the beliefs and spiritual practices of the Scottish witch community only to confront the same villain who is still using similar tactics even in a modern-day setting.

The fantasy elements include resurrection, medicines created both naturally and through magical techniques, the ability to live longer than usual and maintain youth due to spiritual practices, which allows the protagonist and other women (as well as the villain) to transcend time and exist both in the past and in the present. The book is mostly about the ancient struggle of women to exist within a violent patriarchy and resist through the power of love and sisterhood. However, the LGBTQ+ is included and there is even mention of men who reject the violent ways of other men affected by the villain. While the book is fantasy, it is rooted in some historical knowledge and also allegorical for acts of violence that women experience today such as college rape/violence and the lack of reporting systems that work. The book also delves into the ways in which women resist through protest and civic awareness activities. It can read very anti-male, but only because it's intended to be a book through the eyes of female experience specifically in relationship to violence against women, committed due to patriarchal notions. It was still an interesting read, albeit a little didactic and unrealistic in places.

I really wanted to love this book. I loved the premise, and the character was just a strong lead, but there was just something lacking.

Almost any book set in Edinburgh is going to pique my interest. I really love Edinburgh and the blend of historical and present that you find as you move through the city. There's even a whole city under the city. I can also see the foreboding and isolating atmosphere that Marielle Thompson created in The Last Witch in Edinburgh.

I have some mixed feelings on this book. I really loved the premise, and the atmosphere the author created. She really captured how one person and the right blend of whispers and actions can create a community that's willing to turn on one another and that keeps people from being part of the community. The story line and the blend of myth and belief was really fascinating, and I learned about a goddess that I did not know much about prior to this book. I also appreciated the inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, and the secrecy and hiding that paralleled the secrecy and hiding of the "hags." There was also the aspect of finding the right community and being able to express joy and love when in the right community.

Normally I don't write spoilers, but I am going to be discussing some things that will give away certain plot points as they are part of the things that gave me mixed feelings about the book. I'm going to be honest... until the very end I really did not like the main character, Nellie. Nellie's character development over 200 years was minimal, and I soon got very tired of hearing how fearful she was and how every action she took was driven by her fear. If I had to hear about her fear one more time, I almost put the book down. There was little to no character development, which sure are people allowed to not change? Yes... but this was excessive. She was a hard character to keep reading about. Jean was on the page far less, and yet we got more of her development as a person than the main character's. I also believe this book was potentially better served split into a trilogy, or at the very least two books. There was the first phase in Edinburgh, Nellie's wandering life for 200 years, and then her return to Edinburgh. There was enough to flesh out I think more of the middle and then the return to Edinburgh. It was both a really long book to read and one where there was rushing through. We have Nellie wandering the earth for 200 years and get barely a blip of what happened over those years. It felt like that section was just an after thought in order to get another character introduced quickly and then move on to the final arch.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but it's probably not one I'd read again. The subject matter and topics were really interesting and poignant. The overall arch worked well. I would recommend people read it for that portion, and the subject of witch trials is always a fascinating topic. There were portions that broke my heart, and others that gave me hope. So again, I would recommend.

Please be advised I received an Advance Readers Copy (ARC) of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting book taking on the themes of being a woman in the 1800s...and well, it would seem even today. Descriptive and evocative.

"The Last Witch in Edinburgh" is a novel by Marielle Thompson, detailing the life of Nellie and her adopted daughter Chani. It's a deep and emotional story of life, found family, love, and the battle between good and evil. I really enjoyed the LGBTQIA+ representation in the book, it's so refreshing to have historical fiction that touches on acceptance of the transgender community. The villain in this book isn't particularly scary but is very evil. There are content warnings at the beginning, and even though the descriptions aren't necessarily graphic or gory I highly suggest going through them before reading, especially if violence against women is triggering. There's a lot of it because the villain hates specific women but loves to whisper that hatred as general misogyny in men's ears. All in all, it was a captivating read and a great story! Thank you to the publisher for letting me read this and give an honest review!

I usually dont love stories written in third person but if its time jump included i can see why Nellie in 1824 is seen as different person as the older version of her is retelling the story in a way
And even when it catches up with her older self, I truly don't mind the POV

This is a beautiful book about being a woman in the world and how to carry on even when stronger forces try to bring you down. It shows several different ways of comping with womanhood and the repercussions and how even with the hardships people can find joy their safe haven and joy in life.

I appreciate being able to receive an arc for this book, and I really wanted to love it. The storyline itself is solid and strong in women’s strength and feminism. I also loved the raw and real portrayal of witchcraft hysteria that plague women who were considered different than the “homemaker, knows-her-place, docile wife”. I also liked the villain in the first half of the novel. He was subtle and ominous-hunting with ease and playing on fears anonymously. With that being said, I really didn’t connected with Nellie. She starts off young, naive, and fearful, which is well suited for introducing the reader to her and her situation; It’s not a good one, and she is desperate for connection with other women. But the constant, repetitive fear and inability to grow and change makes her a very stagnant, and not really likable. She lets fear drive every decision of her life and never moves past it, even when 200 years passes; Jean was a much stronger character and was emboldened with determination and gumption. I also didn’t see the need to jump that far into the future with no context for the in-between. I think the story would have been more effective staying within the original parameters of the plot, while hammering the point of solidarity among the followers of Cailleach.

This story had a ton of promise but ultimately fell flat. But I am still glad I read it and learn a bit of history surrounding Edinburgh and women murdered for supposed witchcraft.

Beautifully written story. I love everything witches but this book was about more than witches. It was about strong, powerful women standing up for each other against the control of men. Worth reading.

A very well written historical novel about witchcraft. One of my favorite tropes. This is a new author for me, and look forward to more.

This books prose were incredible to read. Stunning, suspenseful and easy to grip into.
I really loved the main character and the arc she had, and with the back drop of Edinburgh this book was nothing but perfection and gorgeous.

I want to thank the author and netgalley for this ARC. A really good read and good pace. I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you for the ARC! I loved this story, it was extremely well written. I love historical fantasy so I was very interested in this one. Will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author!

Different than anything I have read and so unique. I think the author set out to write something new, and it shows.

I enjoyed most of this book. The story was great and well written. It was a story about women rising up against men and the patriarch so it had a powerful message. I fell in love with all the characters. The story is first in 1824 Edinburgh and then jumps to present day about halfway through. The author is an incredible writer, Every sentence was beautiful. I am definitely a fan of this author.

I think it was a bit too long for me and some of it was redundant. There were a lot of long paragraphs that I think could have been condensed to help the story speed up a bit. Otherwise it would have been a 5 star.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington publishing letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed the feel and the vibe this book gave me. The writing is beautiful!
The characters were incredible and I really connected with them.
I have a strong interest in historical fantasy and this book gave all the feels
Thank you.

I should have read more of the description. There are a lot of things about this book that I would thoroughly enjoy; however, I just don't care to read about queer lover and the potential for sexually explicit scenes.

So I'm not a big AU type but I was pretty interested in anything set in the Victorian era or thereabouts. I was pleasantly surprised by how the story was told and the world/character building

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I loved Alix E. Harrow’s Once and Future Witches and this book actually lived up to the tagline “for fans of.”
This book is excellent. I loved how deeply researched and rich the historical aspects are and yet that it has that alternate history setting that creates a new and interesting story.

This fantasy is deeply based in the history of women and witchcraft in Scotland, creating an alternate 1824 Edinburgh where women are still being hanged for witchcraft. Nellie is a motherless young woman trying to support her little brother and abusive father in a society that wants women to be meek and obedient. The story unfolds with twists and turns that show that women's liberation is an ongoing struggle, a cycle without end. It is an interesting exploration of women's history and fantasy blended in a neat little balm.