I try very hard not to DNF a book, especially, an ARC because I am alway so grateful for the books/audio that I receive. I love books about witches and gravitate to the genre year round. This is why I was so excited to read The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson. Unfortunately, this one was not for me at all. It was slow paced and. I could not connect with the plot or characters. I tried to push through but ended up DNF this one at around 30%

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for my gifted audiobook copy.

I was initially intrigued by this book. The narrator was great and created an appropriate atmosphere. However, I was disappointed by the story about half way. The love story was slow and felt forced. This book was ok and not quite my cup of tea.

This audiobook brought so much personality to an already outstandingly interesting read. Listening to this book at times felt like a warm hug - so much support of the female experience/suffering. A little raw, a little political, and a whole lot of feminism - totally worth the read/listen!

A unique blend of gothic and romantic with so many amazing witch-y elements. Poignant and beautiful with great historic themes that will please fantasy and historic fiction lovers!

The Last Witch in Edinburgh was captivating from the start. Marielle did a phenomenal job setting the scene and depicting the characters vividly. I feel like this book comes at a time when women need to remember their power and worth so I am very thankful for the copy. I am excited to read more books from Marielle Thompson!

This needs to be an audiobook staple every fall.
I was completely enamored with this entire story. One of the best in this genre I have ever read. Highly recommend!

This book is so Timely for the season and the current world state. I read this over the fall when I was actually preparing for a trip to Edinburgh, and the city itself being a character, when I got there I felt like I was stepping into the book. The descriptions of the characters and the setting were so brilliant. I liked that some of the main characters were prickly and not maybe immediately easy to love. I liked the diverse look into women's lives as wives, mothers, daughters, caretakers, and lovers. This book looks into a horrifying past, and a troubling present. With all the talk of witch hunts, sexual assault and harassment, and other dangers which are almost exclusively put on to women by societal norms and misogynistic views, this book also delivers hope. Hope that Community can change the world. Hope that love can keep you from getting lost in your hate and fear. Hope that life can be better for all. Loved this book. I've already recommended it to people.

The vibe and atmosphere of this book is amazing. There were a couple of things that I wish were different but overall, this was a very good read, and I would recommend it to anybody who wants a witchy vibe set in the past and present. 👏

In an alternate Edinburgh in 1824, women fear being hanged for witchcraft. Nellie Duncan finds refuge at an apothecary shop run by witches who empower women to embrace their independence and craft. She learns nature-based magic and falls in love with Jean Rae. When disaster strikes, Nellie goes into hiding for two centuries. With love and courage, she returns to confront oppression and awaken others to their inner strength in fighting against patriarchy.

Although not my usual choice of reading material, I am delighted that I decided to give this audiobook a chance. It is the perfect choice for the upcoming season! The audiobook was narrated with a heavy Scottish accent, which I initially found unusual but grew to love. The accent truly enhanced the story and overall feel of the book, making the narrator an excellent choice.

Having always held a small fascination with witches, particularly after living near Salem, MA, I have delved into the history of the trials and even taken a few tours to learn more. The author's thorough research is evident in this book, impressing me greatly. The book effectively illustrates how easily men accused women of witchcraft for illogical reasons, including something as innocent as love between two women. The story is beautifully written, and the addition of fantasy elements elevates it to a whole new level.

The eerie atmosphere described in the book reminded me of my visit to Edinburgh, a city I remember vividly. It is clear that the author has a deep connection to the city. You will be captivated by this compelling story, which feels timeless in its setting and explores the relationships between the characters.

This novel delves into the cultural fascination with witches, using witchcraft as a lens to examine gender politics and patriarchal oppression.

Thank you, Tantor Audio for audio ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Love the idea of this book but struggled to be sucked in. Unfortunately I found my mind wandering quite often only to realized I’d tuned out after important exposition. The narration was lovely & ideas nice, but the execution didn’t land.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing me with a copy of The Last Witch in Edinburgh. I went into this book knowing little about the plot, drawn in by the promise of an atmospheric setting. The novel's first half didn’t disappoint, immersing me in 1820s Edinburgh, where Nellie Duncan faces daily struggles, from caring for her family to avoiding society's dangers amid witch hunts. I was captivated by the historical details and Nellie's growth as she found a sense of belonging at Rae's Apothecary. However, the book's second half, which spans two centuries, fell flat for me. The time jump was unexpected, and the story lost its magical, historic feel. While I appreciated exploring feminist themes, they felt more forced and heavy-handed in the latter half, shifting the tone too drastically. Ultimately, the first half was a solid 4-star experience, but the second half felt more like a 2-star read, leaving me with an overall 3-star rating. Despite this, Marielle Thompson’s writing is beautiful, and the audiobook narration by Siobhan Waring is superb. I’d still recommend it, especially for those who enjoy historical fantasy with a modern twist.

Scotland, witches, women’s rights, love.

For some novels, listening to the audiobook is needed to get the full effect of the story. This is one of those.

I appreciate the setting and how the book sets it up.

The audiobook takes it to a whole new level.

This is an #ARC by #MarielleThompson, narrated by #SiobhanWaring. It was sent by #NetGalley and #TantorAudio.
The opinions expressed are my own.
#TheLastWitchinEdinburgh

I find this era in history fascinating and have researched the time period a lot. I did enjoy Nelli's character arc throughout the story. I do, however, feel that it should've been labeled LGBTQ. Perhaps it is labeled now, but it was not when I requested it.

Loved the atmosphere, I really felt transported into the world the author created. The story was very interesting, and the world building was good. The audio was very well done as well. That being said, there are some moments in the middle where the pacing struggles a bit, and it was a little hard to get through. Regardless, I would still highly recommend! Thank you for the review copy!

I listened to the audio version and absolutely loved the narrator as her Scottish accent was perfect for this Scottish tale of witches, friendship, and love across centuries. The narrator expertly adjusted voices and accents to accommodate for the various characters and locations, with expressiveness and interest. The book begins centuries before, with persecution of women for being witches due to their knowledge, occupations (midwife, healer, teacher), or acting contrary to cultural customs or challenging the power of the patriarchy. This is interwoven with Scottish myths about the Queen of Winter deity, the Cailleach, and the natural balance with summer, ruled by her son Angus and his bride. This introduces a struggle between good and evil, giving and greed, protecting nature vs worsening global warming. This is evident as the story jumps to present day (just a bit too abruptly, in my opinion), where conditions for women have improved, but there remains cultural and patriarchal control over women, their roles and their futures. The story inspires us all to support each other in being who we are meant to be, confronting those who seek to hold power just to harm others and join together to create a better environment, culture and future for women, children and all of humanity.

I have a deep love for Edinburgh and i feel like i lived there in my past life so this book literally called to me. I loved this book. The audiobook narrator did an incredible job of capturing the story to its full potiental. If you love woman empowerment, witchy magic, historical fiction, & LGBTQ+ representation- this book is for you. The atmosphere of this book was incredible, i felt like i was there with Nellie and Gene. 5/5 stars.

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.

“The Last Witch of Edinburgh” starts slowly taking readers to 1800s Edinburgh and to witch hunts and burnings, through the perspective of Nellie. As Nellie grows up she recognizes the world for what it is, one that both fears and despises women, criminalizing them for simply existing, and using witch hunts as an excuse to oppress women.

Half way through the book brings Nellie to modern day, living in fear and constantly moving. She still recognizes the patriarchal oppression of women that is widely accepted in society. At this point, though, Nellie must decide if she is finally willing to fight back or if she will continue to run to keep herself safe.

I really enjoyed this book, the feminist rage of women and how over 200-years while a lot has changed some things still need to. This was an excellent commentary of the history of witch hunts in Scotland and the current climate on gender equality.

I picked up this audiobook because it appeared as a historical fiction novel and was narrated by the incomparable Siobhan Waring who is always mesmerizing (she is one of my favorites)! Her narration was impeccable as usual with differing voices for all the characters.

The beginning of the story is set during the early 1800’s in Edinburgh at a time when women were accused of being a witch for a number of reasons including being left handed or being too pretty (in reality the witch trials primarily occurred a couple centuries beforehand when over 4,000 were killed in Scotland). The story focuses on Nellie and all the misfortunes that follows her. At about the midpoint, it fast forwards 200 years. I never understood why there was a need to change centuries. And it didn’t seem like Nellie learned much over 200 years of experience. Don’t get me wrong, I love dual timelines, but they are usually interspersed every few chapters, rather than an abrupt change midway through the story.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a novel I went into wanting to know as little as possible about the plot. I had heard it had incredible atmosphere, and that was enough to sell it to me.

As the story began, I was fully immersed. It actually kicked off on my birthday, the 18th of September, but in 1824. Obviously, we are in Edinburgh and we are following Nellie Duncan, a young woman at a perilous time in her life. Her mother is gone, she lives with her father, a drunkard, and her younger brother, who she tries her very best to care for. She's the responsible adult in their household. Unfortunately, Nellie loses her job after a misunderstanding with the lady of the house, who she once considered her surrogate mother. After that, Nellie is set adrift.

Not only is Nellie's personal life in turmoil, but society itself is also a dangerous mess, with witch hunts and hangings going on left and right. Nellie's misunderstanding with her past employer, and her growing beauty, make her afraid of attracting the wrong attention. She keeps very much to herself, just hoping to avoid any unwanted attentiveness.

It's while under the cover of darkness that she first comes into contact with the women from Rae's Apothecary. Nellie ends up finding purpose and place within their shop, and maybe a little more with the enticing Jean Rae. Thinking she's finally found a home, Nellie's heart is shattered when disaster strikes. She spends the next two centuries fleeing from the world.

Okay, so the initial set-up, I was so into it. I loved the setting of 1820s Edinburgh and all the dangers that Nellie was facing within her day-to-day life. I enjoyed learning about her family and felt real empathy for her position. Once she became enmeshed in the Apothecary, things began to slow down for me. I was still enjoying it, but didn't feel quite as engaged.

Then the shift. I didn't know the two centuries part. It is in the synopsis, I'm not spoiling anything by telling you this, but for me, I did not anticipate that time jump. Once I was no longer in 1820s Scotland, the magic completely disappeared for me. I appreciated the feminist topics explored, but while in the first half they were incorporated smoothly into the overall narrative, for me, the 2nd-half felt forced and too heavy-handed.

The experience for me was so split as to feel like two different stories. The first-half of the book was a solid 4-star read. The second-half, I was straight-up bored, NGL. If I had to rate the second-half of this book on its own, it would be a 2-star. Hence why I have decided on the 3-star rating. This seems the most fair way to explain it.

I will take the blame for this. I wanted the entire thing to be atmospheric and historic, full of lush settings and period-specific dangers. When it wasn't that, I couldn't help but be disappointed. I do think the author did a great job of creating the lore around this tale though. There are many strong attributes, so please don't let my slight disappointment derail you from picking this up. Even though this one let me down a little in the end, Marielle Thompson's writing is beautiful and I would absolutely be interested in picking up more of their work.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me a copy to read and review. I would highly recommend the audiobook, if you do choose to pick this up. It's fabulously narrated by Siobhan Waring.