The Legacy of Arniston House is the fourth book in TL Huchu’s Edinburgh Nights series. This takes place a little after book three, and we find our protagonist Ropa Moyo in employment with England’s Sorcerer Royal. For the moment, it seems that Ropa is well on her way to making a better life for her grandmother, her sister, and herself, with steady employment and good prospects. But that all changes when her grandmother is murdered and Ropa becomes the prime suspect. She has days to clear her name and bring her grandmother’s killer to justice. But it isn’t easy because there is almost no one that she can trust. And while this is going on, Scotland is in a precarious position, with violent protests erupting constantly and England’s eye turning its way. Plus, the separation between the worlds of the living and dead seems to be growing weak, and spirits wander the streets, untethered to the everyThere.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed installment of an enjoyable series. Ropa is a realistic teenage character: she’s rash and makes mistakes, but she’s also smart and savvy and able to, for the most part, get out of tight scrapes when she has to. The supporting characters are also multi-layered and well-rounded, providing strong conflict and tension throughout the story. I also love the world that this is set in: a near-future Scotland after near-total economic collapse where the spirit world and magic are real. This book develops that world further, exploring how the economy collapsed and who was responsible. The themes of the pursuit of power and money are strong throughout the narrative.

I highly recommend this series to lovers of urban fantasy, and am eagerly looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to Tor and Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.

"A dangerous cult craves a dark power. The Legacy of Arniston House is the spellbinding fourth instalment of the USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu.

Ropa Moyo is a wannabe magician, can speak to the dead, and has officially given up being an intern. Leaving Scottish magic behind, she now works for the English Sorcerer Royal. But just as she adjusts to working for the English, an old enemy reveals a devastating secret about her Gran, and Ropa's world falls apart.

Outraged, she rushes home, but finds her grandmother dead - murdered - with no killer in sight. What's more, she's the prime suspect. In her quest to find the true murderer, Ropa becomes caught in the dark tendrils of a cult, hell-bent on resurrecting an ancient power. Ropa must use her wits, her magic, and call in all favors to stop the ritual - and clear her name."

I'm just saying, if Ropa was elsewhere and rushed home to her dead grandmother I really don't think that would make her the prime suspect...

Such a good addition to the series. This one expanded so much on the world of Ropa and the Scottish magic community. There were betrayals, death and huge revelations. I loved learning more about Ropa's grandmother and her place in the magical world. And of course there is a huge cliffhanger at the end!

What a fun romp with Ropa yet again! If you loved the first three books you're sure to love number four too. Ropa manages to get herself into all kinds of trouble and you just don't know if she'll find her way out of it.

In the fourth Edinburgh Nights book, Ropa Moyo has left her position with Sir Callender and thrown herself in with the English sorcerers. When she's framed for a crime she did not commit, she finds almost all of her former friends and allies have abandoned her and she must find out who has framed her and bring them to justice before she is caught or worse.

I've enjoyed watching Ropa grow as a character throughout this series and become more proficient with her magic. I was happy to see some of the loose ends from the previous books come together in this central plot and for Ropa to learn more about her world and her own history. There are still many question marks after this book though and I hope a fifth book will be coming soon!

I really enjoyed this fourth installment in this fantasy/supernatural series. I went into this book thinking it was the finale, and was a bit surprised that it ended on a huge cliffhanger. But that is ok, because to be honest I wasn’t quite ready for this series to end.

I have enjoyed following Ropa as she grows in her abilities and as she learns more about her past. Her devotion to her family is wonderful, and she will do anything to keep them safe, even at times doing the dangerous things that no one else is willing to do. She is also a very good thinker, and is able to put things together and figure out what is really going on. She is a loyal friend, even when those friends are perhaps not loyal to her. She goes through a lot in this story and I felt every bit of it along with her. Her ability to talk to ghosts and to take care of people who are possessed by them is really scary at times, but an important part of who she is.

The other characters in this book are also well done. I love Priya, especially the fact that she has never let her disability get in the way of doing what she loves. She is a fierce adversary and a loyal friend who always has Ropa’s back. The rest of the characters are a nice eclectic mix of old and young and very diverse. It is this diversity that makes this urban fantasy feel a little bit more realistic.

This book does feel a little bit slower than the other three, but I think that is because there is more backstory being given out not only on the characters, but also this world’s history. All of this was fascinating and it answered many questions I had from the previous books, but it did slow down the main story a bit. I do love the world building here, and the writing and dialogue are also excellent. The magical battles are well done, and I just adore the underground libraries, especially the Library of the Dead, where the books can kill you.

I highly recommend that you give this series a try, especially if you are into urban fantasy. I do, however recommend that you start with the first book. The world is full of magic and science as well as ghosts, and the characters are ones that you will easily find yourself rooting for.

I’ve been with Ropa Moyo since book 1, and for me, every book in this series has gotten better and better. While the alternate-reality/dystopian Edinburgh that forms the backdrop of most of the books is intriguing, Ropa is a true original. A survivor who calls her own shots and, although certainly willing to ignore the laws when it’s required, a good person at heart. She lives her code in all aspects of her life, caring for her grandmother and little sister, sacrificing her education to put food on the table for them, defending and protecting her friends, and taking down real bad guys.

And she does it all with this strong, compelling voice that just pulls me right into her world and her worldview. Once I start any Edinburgh Nights book, it’s like getting in a fast-flowing river. There’s no getting out, and it goes faster and faster until the end.

The Legacy of Arniston House delivered that same experience. I was pulled into the story, and caught up in it, and barely able to look away as events swirled around Ropa. In The Legacy of Arniston House, it’s soon apparent that the story is riddled with nods to prior events, and that gave me the feeling like things were coming together for an epic change in Ropa’s world.

I do not want to get into spoilers, because reading this was an experience that surpassed all the other Edinburgh Nights books, and my husband actually said at one point when I was reading, “I wish I’d had my phone out so I could have recorded that reaction.” I suspect anyone familiar with Ropa and her world will be 100% invested and stunned and have all the visceral responses I had.

I’m not sure what people starting the series here would think. I’d recommend they not; while I’ve started other book series part way through and been fine, all the nods to prior events and the character histories are relevant here, and the story doesn’t stop to give us a replay of everything that happened in the three previous books. The betrayal runs deeper because you’ve had three books of liking someone before they gut Ropa, and you, by extension. The loss runs deeper because you’ve had three books of enjoying their moments on the page.

For me, this was a gripping story with a blistering pace that reduced me to tears, broke my heart, and made my jaw drop.

And now, to address a spoiler, so avert your eyes here if you’d like to avoid it.
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I have to talk about that ending.

Throughout four books, I’ve seen Ropa come back from what seemed like impossible odds. So my thoughts on the ending are split.

It’s a hell of a way to close out the book. It leaves you with room for doubt, but I feel it’s possible Ropa is gone. That said, I also think it’s possible Ropa finds a way back. Part of me hates the thought of this being her end, but I respect the heck out of the decision to end the story this way. If Huchu never revisits this world (or if he does with a different protagonist) we can decide for ourselves what happened.

It is possible for a spinoff with Izwi or another character taking the lead. It’s possible we’ll have more stories from Ropa in a different realm. And it’s possible Ropa’s coming back. I haven’t done a web search. For me, the ending works with any possibility, and that’s part of the genius of it. Kudos to Huchu for not pulling any punches, for leaving it all on the page. This book has become a specter that’s haunting me now. I can’t wait to see what Huchu gives us next.

My thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this latest addition in a series of urban fantasy stories, set in a future Scotland, where magic is real, but people are still unfortunately the same.

A lot of books have been written, entire series based on the idea of magic being real. Sometimes this magic is known to the populace, sometimes it is a secret. Or people pretend not too know. That seems like a common thing in this world we find ourselves. A dash of magic isn't going to change people that much. I have read a lot of these books and enjoyed them, but it wasn't until I was a bout half way through this book that I realized the author gets it. Magic sounds wonderful, but in the hands of most it is a power. Worth keeping, and worth keeping away from others. Magic is also about change, and we all know how people love change. Even in magic people would cling to the old ways, the good old days. And would bring back the dead to make these days return. No matter how much might have to be destroyed. The Legacy of Arniston House is the 4th book in the Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu following the adventures of a young ghost talker, and burgeoning magician, whose just found out that much of what she knows about herself is a lie, a lie that might cost her everything.

The time is the future, in a Scotland where things collapsed, and magic became the only way to save the country. Cars have been replaced with old electric vehicles or carriages. Phones and electricity exist, but much of Edinburgh would be familiar from people from the 19th century. Ropa Moyo was once an intern to the most powerful man in Scottish magic, but has crossed over to work for the English, both to learn, and to help her Gran and sister live a better life. Moyo can communicate with ghosts, and over the last few adventures has found that the ghosts are not only restive, but acting in ways they should not. Moyo's Gran has the same ability, and trained Moyo in magic from her home in Zimbabwe, but there is much Moyo does not know about her Gran. Before she can find out, things go horribly wrong. Old enemies appear, and their is a battle building among the magical. One that will set friends against each other, cause much destruction and leave Moyo with very little hope for the future.

I came into this without any knowledge of the series, and within a few pages I was swept in. Huchu is a very good writer, one that in a few pages gives enough information to not feel lost, and want to know more. Ropa Moyo is a very interesting character one with a past, but a past it seems was not the one she thought. There is a lot of diversity in the story, which I think gives this book a strong feeling of reality that is missing in a lot of fantasy books. Huchu understands that magic is a resource, and a technology that would be controlled, and gatekeeped to make sure it stays in the hands of the few. Money here is important. A quote from the book is "Money is the ultimate magic". Even in this time of magic and wonder, there are slums, police used to keep the status quo, people have to pay for treatment, and even the idea of the whole problem that made the future so dark is tied, to money, and speculation. One can see in the cult that wants to return Scotland to the old way, their fear of the future, to go back to when things were great again. This was rare in a lot of the fantasy I grew up with, this kind of worldview. I am glad that different voices are creating art to reflect a world that might be full of magic, but still has humans being humans.

A very good story, with a good plot, characters one cares about, and a world that seems more possible day by day. I started with the 4th book in the series, and had no problem, but I would recommend starting with the first book, just to enjoy the story unfolding. If one is daring like me, start here, one won't be disappointed. I look forward to more books in the series.

Unfortunately the weakest of the series so far. While I continue to love the characters, some of the decisions made regarding plot and character action seemed to be hastily made. I did love the portrayal of the relationship between English and Scottish magic, and the atmosphere and character voice remain top tier.

I was surprised to see this was not the last book in the series, and ends on a massive cliffhanger at that. I really enjoyed this book, as it not only filled in some of Ropa's background, but that of her grandmother as well. I also am glad we see the effects of her magic and life events on Ropa as a person. It's easy to forget she's a teenager. I would have liked a reminder about Izwi's age, and some more insight on her magic, but not having that didn't take away from the story. This book, while dealing with Ropa's devastating loss, ties up several loose ends in an interesting way. It started a bit slow, but once I became caught up in the story, I stayed up late to finish it. A solid addition to a wonderful, inventive series!

This is book 4 in a series "Edinburgh Nights" in which the reader follows precocious- but now almost grown up- Ropa Moyo and her adventures with Scottish Magic.

As always, Huchu is imaginative, and writes amazing epic nagical battle scenes. The world building remains on point and I appreciate the detail required to build not only a Post "The Catatrostophe" apocalyptic world, but also the magical realms as well. Ropa remains her cheeky self, though she sobers through the book with the nefarious passing of someone close to her.

As the story opens Ropa's left the society of Skeptical Inquirers, but can she really leave? She's looking to give every advantage to her sister and Grandmother and so she'll pretty much do any job and go with the highest bidder. This seems to be even when the highest bidder is obviously *Not A Good Guy* at all. The boiling concern of the destiny of Scottish magic once again takes the forefront and Ropa must decide where she stands. Will she make a choice she can live with? You'll have to read to find out.
There is a LOAD of backstory in this novel and then it certainly does end on a cliff hanger. We are treated to appearances of most- if not all- of our favorite side characters.
I think these books are a good alternative to JK Rowling's HP series. They are very different- but both are tales of kids rising up against evil and insurmountable odds, and both contain elements of magic and mayhem. Huchu, however, adds in more history, realism and that touch of horror that will delight some readers. Huchu's work is frankly, better written/constructed as well, and is much more inclusive
Thank you to MacMillan for the advanced copy. It was a joy to see the progression of both Huchu and Ropa in this series

Give me a book in this series any day! Ropa and friends are back--except, alas, for Gran--in this newest installment of Huchu's series of magic and mystery in a dystopian Edinburgh. Ropa's tired of being bounced from one job to another, one master to another, and when she's fed up enough, she strikes out on her own to deal with the evil plotters and murderers who make her life hell. There's a turncoat friend, a very smart fox, and a lot of ambiguously-acting allies. Prepare for twists and turns and a great read.

Each installment only deepens the mystery. It feels the series gets stronger as it goes along. I find myself extremely invested in this series and recommend it often.

The only thing was was weak to my was some repetitive telling about how characters feel.

This was a fantastic installment in the Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu. I love the characters and their relationships. The world building is really good and consistent throughout the series. Scottish magic is almost its own character.

This book has a lot of characters and plot points from the rest of the series, so I would not start here. Library of the Dead is the first book in the series.