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.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy. I was very excited to listen to this, as I love all things Scotland and witchy. The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a novel that weaves witchcraft, the city of Edinburgh, Scottish folklore, and the relationship of two women that span many life times. It is not only a story about witchcraft and love but a story about standing up for the rights for a whole part of society that tends to get beaten down and ruled over. I wanted to like the story more than I did but I found that there was just too much going on, that it wasn't necessarily about witches but more of a political aspect and about the patriarchal society that we tend to live in, I also feel the character's were flat. There wasn't much of a developing storyline, however I feel the portrayal and writing of the women and the LGBTQ community was very well done. I did love the narrator- I think that was my favorite part and why I continued to listen to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC of The Last Witch in Edinburgh!

1824 Edinburgh - Nellie Duncan is beautiful but meek; struggling to keep herself and her younger brother alive since her father is to drunk on grief and beer to care about them. But in this Edinburgh any woman can be deemed a witch for any offense and her employer just turned her out since her employer's husband couldn't keep his hands to himself when Nellie was working. Desperate to keep her father from losing their only source of income, his job as the night watchkeeper at the graveyard, Nellie takes his shift since he is too drunk to go. While there, she sees the unbelievable and the next day uses the only clue she saw to find Rae Women’s Apothecary and her life changes forever. There she discovers the power of women as a group and finally begins to feel loved and part of a community but the evil lurking in Edinburgh makes its way into the homey shop and the women's lives. Nellie's fear causes her to flee until centuries later she makes her way back to Edinburgh only to discover that same evil has returned as well.

Overall I enjoyed this book. Some parts were repetitive and the political themes were very heavy-handed (not that I disagree with them, I just didn't enjoy having them beaten over my head). I didn't see what Nellie saw in Jean Rae other than someone who continued the cycle of anger and withholding of love that her father put her through. The premise of the story was interesting and I enjoyed reading it but it wasn't one of my favorites.

The narration was good although the accent made it a little hard to understand at times. I'm still unsure what Rachel's daughter's name is.

I really enjoyed the writing and vibes in this book. I absolutely flew through the first half of it. It slowed down and lost a lot of the witchy vibes toward the second half when we entered the modern day. I'm generally all for feminist plots, but this one was a bit too in your face and on the nose, almost preachy, towards the end.

Overall, it was a pleasant read with some witchy vibes and bi representation. The narrator did an excellent job.

I had high expectations for this book and Marielle Thompson went above and beyond. I loved the atmosphere in the first half of the book. I loved the relationships between all the women and support they gave to each other. I appreciated the commentary about the patriarchy and misogyny over the centuries. Thompson did a great job of showing how a lot hasn't changed on this front while also providing a hopeful view of the future.

I can’t wait to read more from Thompson as her writing is beautiful. The narrator for the audiobook was amazing as well.

Coming from Edinburgh I loved listening to this book not only for the plot but the setting. I could picture every area the narrator was talking about. I love how this story propelled the witchy history of Edinburgh and spun it into a fantastic feminist survival story. The running theme of fighting the patriarchy got me emotional near the end. Not a usual book I would gravitate to but I’m glad I gave it the chance it deserved!

4.5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and Siobhan Waring did a wonderful job as narrator bringing the characters and the story to life.

Spanning 200 years we start the story in 1824 in Edinburgh where women are being persecuted as witches. In what is definitely a 'witch hunt' no woman is safe if the patriarchy says they are a witch their word is final, no trial, just death. Women live in fear and I felt that fear as Nellie does everything she can to survive and keep her brother fed. I could also feel the hate that seemed to emanate around the town from men and women whether family or friends it is fear that feeds the hate, and jealousy.

This is speculative fiction, the women who become a vital part of Nellie's life follow the winter deity, the Cailleach who has an ancient enemy intent on stripping the power of the deity and all her witches, leaving a wake of patriarchal violence and destruction. These powerful forces played a major part in 1824 and the present day and it was scary how easily the fear and hatred could seep into the people and spread. But it was also very believable because our politicians and media play the part of the ancient enemy daily in our present and have done throughout history, keeping us in line by keeping us afraid of each other while they play their games in the name of power.

After the events that send Nellie running and hiding for close to 200 years, we only get snippets of her life and her struggles until the present day when events see her returning reluctantly to Edinburgh where she is once again pulled into the ancient enemy's plans. It is only on this return that Nellie truly comes into her own and takes back her power and grows stronger in order to fight for a future where women no longer have to fear.

The true magic and power is when people come together as one to fight for a better future for all and maybe one day we will see that happen in the real world.

There were some parts I found a bit repetitive, especially Nellie's thoughts at times and I wanted to yell at her, but overall this was a really enjoyable novel and I'll be looking out for what the author puts out next.

Thanks to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for a digital copy of this audiobook.

Narration was great and kept me engaged throughout the book. Witch elements mixed with feminism in an incredible story is a perfect combination. Good character development and poetic writing. Would recommend to readers interested in the history of witches and fantasy lovers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this advanced copy.

3.5 ⭐️

I don’t know why this book didn’t capture my interest, it had all the makings of something truly wonderful: witches fighting the patriarchy, magic, historical Edinburgh, LGBTQ+ representation… but something just didn’t quite click.
I think it maybe it was the main character. Nellie can be a little annoying at times, and there is a tendency to repeat thoughts over and again. I also found the ending a bit cliché and maybe too easy. I also found the time jump jarring.
On the plus side, some passages of writing were truly beautiful, and at certain moment I really enjoyed where it was going. It’s overall not a bad book at all, but maybe not for me.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting but I loved it! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job of keeping you engaged and the plot was great! The book is really well written! Absolutely love Nellie’s character!! If you love a good witchy book, definitely give this one a time!!

I love reading witch themed books and I have never read a Scottish one. This was an interesting take on witchcraft and the lore behind their beliefs. At the very end of the book, the author tells you about the different ideologies and lore she referenced.
The story takes place way back In the day and evolves with time. The main character, Nelly, learns about the craft due to a strange incident she observes In the graveyard one night. After that, her world isn’t the same.
Nelly ends up learning about how the women learn the craft and where their magic comes from. She learns that there is a man that incites violence and discourse in the town that leads to the death of women. These women were said to be witches, even if they weren’t.
The whole book they are running from this man. Nelly is torn between her own self preservation and the solidarity with the witches.
Overall I think this was a good book. I think some of it could have been sliiiightly shorter but the point was really driven home.
The reality of the women is paralleled to the women of today and the lives women have to live in a world where men just do what they want, in fear of a woman’s power.
I do recommend this book, especially for the cultural difference. Most witch stories are in the Americas or UK.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars.

While at the surface this is a story about what society did to women (and witches) during that tragic time worldwide, it felt a lot like a tribute to the trauma, death, and torture men commit against women. As if, they could've been anyone, witches, housemaid, vampires, grandmothers, or schoolteachers, the story of men domineering, fear-mongering, and killing women throughout history was the point. However, this incorporates folklore to raise the opposing sides above mortals. Nellie and Jean have personalities that follow flight or fight, respectively, as the survival instinct kicks in. PTSD and the way the brain devises defense mechanisms to protect us are fascinating to me, and I didn't appreciate the judgment and ridicule Nellie received when she fled for her life. Few of us today live through the type of oppression, abuse, and constant fear of torture and death. But it is just another way women are pitted against one another to their great detriment.

It's an empowering story about how much better we are today at defending ourselves, but the fight is not nearly over. I wondered if some undertones of climate change were hidden in the plot, but only the author knows.

My problems with the book were the pacing and the anticlimactic victory. After hours and hours of reading, over and over being told about the patriarchy and a woman's body not being her own, the end felt woefully inadequate. Alas, this is also realistic.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh follows Nellie, who is fired from her job because the man whose home she serves pulls a move on her, and his wife is unhappy about it. Nellie, who is essentially the only one providing for her family, eventually finds her way to an apothecary who offers her a job, and teaches her about the wonders of feminism and witchcraft.

This book is very progressive for being historical fiction, with the main character being queer and a side character being trans. The author is extremely forthwright on her opinions on these things, making the book feel preachy. I would rather the author show that being queer or trans is fine through storytelling and character development than preaching that trans women are women at us. (I would note I fully agree with the author's sentiments, I just think it is extremely othering to make a big show about how these characters are different than the others). Because of this, I felt significantly less invested in this book than I anticipated. I think this book would be a lot more enjoyable to a younger audience.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed every bit of this book. It has a wonderful and heartbreaking sapphic love story, themes of balance and unity, and just the right amount of witchy touches. You get to dip your toes into old Scotland and see more than just the rolling hills of Heather. Angus, the big bad, leaves a sour taste in your mouth, but Jane and Nel both acknowledge that there has to be balance, and he is half of the balance needed.

It also handles hard topics like women's inequality, rape, abuse, starvation, class systems, and persecution in a way that leaves you with an impression without being a crutch for the whole story.

This book wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, it was so much more. The narration on the audiobook by Siobhan Waring with her Scottish brogue brings our main character Nellie to even more vivid life than the writing already does. I could listen to that voice all day! Nellie is the eldest daughter of a widower who is an alcoholic in the early 1800s. She struggles to provide for herself & her younger brother during a Scottish Witch hunt in Edinburgh. Two ancient forces are battling and the tool of one is the patriarchy and misogyny.

If you don’t already scream out “F*ck the Patriarchy” when listening to ‘All Too Well’ this book will get you there. If you do, well this book will help strengthen you in battle.

There’s history, there’s modernity, there’s sapphic romance and there’s every woman in history’s story of struggle for independence. This book has all the features of one that will stand the test of time & bring awareness to the state of the world & the difficulties faced by women in this period to future readers, much like Jane Austen did in her novels.

This is an excellent read for both women & men who want to broaden their perspective & be allies.

I realllly wanted to love this book and sadly, I did not. I felt that it had so much potential had it just stayed in the past. I loved the Edinburgh setting, witches, etc. But it just took. weird turn to the modern, while still dealing with a past conflict. I understand the underlying message here - f the patriarchy, etc etc

DNF 67%. I liked the first 40% of the book then, for some reason, we jumped forward to 2021, and that’s when the book lost me. I thought I was getting into a historical fiction in 1820s Edinburgh and instead I got talks on Roe v. Wade and rants on how women are treated by the medical field. Which are important topics, but not what I signed up for. My biggest issue with the book was how it handled its feminist themes: it felt like it was written to be feminist rather than be its own story with feminist undertones. First of all, the main character and her discourse on women in the 19th century felt way too 21st century to be believable for a woman of rather low standing at that time. Of course, she would think it unfair that women would be hanged for being smart of simply women, but the way she put it truly felt on the nose and convoluted, Nelly’s entire character was a big anachronism personified. Then entered the deities and that also took away some of the nuances that should be in a book discussing women’s oppression for the sake of having a big bad guy. I feel like we could’ve had the same ideas but with actual humans, because this is a very human problem and having deities fighting each other instead seems like a disservice to the message the author wants to share with the reader. And for a book set in Edinburgh, it lacked the very characteristic atmosphere of the city which didn’t help in terms of immersion.