3.75⭐️ 🎧I went into this book blind and enjoyed listening to it. The narrator Siobhan Waring was a great choice and really helped me feel immersed in Edinburgh with her authentic accent. She embodied the FMC Nellie and I could envision her with thick, curly red hair. This book felt like a different view/telling of the long-lived suffering of women and their fear of becoming labeled as a ‘witch’ for little-to-no reason. The ‘ancient enemy’ embodies a male body each time and focuses on the hatred of women and constantly suffocates any attempt at their independence by instilling fear into the public and so comes about the hangings of women in the early 1800s. The story builds (without giving away too much) and you fast forward to modern times and how misogynistic tendencies are still here, though sometimes masked because women have been able to push forward in their place in society. The book ends nicely with a HEA of sorts and overall I thought it was a good read. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The history of witches is the history of women's suppression and subjugation. With that in mind, this novel still surprised me with openly naming patriarchy as the system used to abuse and murder women over centuries. How women are turned against each other. It felt a little too on the nose at times, but otherwise Nellie's narration of her story, her grief, her fear through her life resonated. The slow budding of hope within her as she returns to Edinburgh and reconnects with her past is rewarded in the end and the reader too can feel the warmth spreading.

My only gripe is tied to the story of the Cailleach, I would have liked more dedication to the Hag's mythology. More time spent on a witch's second life, how and when it's bestowed.

The narrator did a fantastic job differentiating character voices.

This is a book of survival, about how overcoming fear letting love guide us.
The catch for me was how this connect women to a divine level. Women are indeed capable of understanding each other’s experiences because we are women. We know the fear, the obstacles and the strength needed to be a woman and this book, so well written, tells us how this was real in 1824 and how this is still real 200years later.
Bravo 👏🏼 a piece of art that needs to reach as many as possible!

4,5⭐️

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading the premise I went in kind of cautious, and it did take me a time or two to get through the first part but I am so glad I did!

This story is so rich in so many things, there is magic, love, tragedy, love found again, and so much history depicting what it was like back in the days when women were commonly accused of being Witches, something as little as tripping and landing on your left hand is a death sentence if the wrong person sees.

The love story was so refreshing, I don’t think I really knew that this was going to be a Queer love story but it was such a pleasant surprise, the FMC discovering who she was and who she loves, and what is important to her.

I think this story has a lot to say in terms of women’s rights, showing that even in the modern day, women are never really safe, there is always a male figure around thinking they have a right to do whatever they want. And it is up to us women to help protect each other, the female friendships depicted in this book were lovely and made me kind of wish I was a Witch in Edinburgh too lol

This book was wonderful and will hold a special place in my heart 💕

Thank you to the Author Marielle Thompson for writing this book, and to Siobhan Waring for narrating this incredible story! 5 ⭐️’s

Big thank as well to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for my no cost audiobook copy of “The Last Witch in Edinburgh”.

I received this advance review copy at no personal cost and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed the first part of the story and the epilogue. Spelling binding story about witches and the patriarchy. Feels appropriate to read in this day and age. Fabulous narrator.

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader's copy of The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson!
The narration what can I say, it was AMAZING. To me narration can make or break it and this one 100% made the book.
I really liked the premises of the book, I’m pretty intrigued with books and things on witches and witchcraft The characters were strong however spanning over 200 years was a lot for one story.
I loved that it showed how a women can survive even in the hardest of times, the strength that made Nellie move forward everyday shows just how strong and proud she was.

The last Witch in Edinburgh

is a captivating novel that masterfully transports readers to the hauntingly beautiful city of Edinburgh. The audiobook version, with its evocative narration, brings the story to life, immersing listeners in a world of witches, magic, and forbidden love. The historical setting, where women faced persecution for their gender and their strengths, is depicted with both sensitivity and depth.

Nellie's journey to becoming a witch is both enchanting and profound, and her return to the present day provides a powerful commentary on the progress made since those dark times. Yet, the novel also starkly highlights how traditions and oppression have evolved but remain ever-present, offering a poignant reflection on the persistence of patriarchal constraints.

The beautiful narration adds an additional layer of charm to the story, skillfully capturing the essence of Nellie. Overall, I thought it was a compelling and thought-provoking read that beautifully blends historical intrigue with contemporary relevance.

Starting in Edinburgh in 1824 the fear or witches is running strong. Every woman’s worst fear is being accused of witchcraft and hung. Nellie Duncan has kept to herself, afraid like everyone else, until she comes across the Rae Woman’s Apothecary. There she learns about becoming a witch. When the enemies strikes Nellie flees. Jump ahead two centuries to present day and Nellie finally returns to Edinburgh finding something she never expected. This time around she isn’t going to run, ready to find her true inner power.

Going in I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, the description was intriguing and I was excited to see how it all played out. I enjoyed the storyline of this book and thought the world setting and descriptions were great. The characters were complex and helped drive the story. I thought the pacing of this story was good, it was quick and interesting which made this longer book go quickly. The jump from 1824 to present day was a fun twist in this book and I enjoyed how it broke the story up. I did find myself getting a little lost at a few points, but it was easy enough to get back into the story when that happened. I don’t think that had as much to do with the book itself as it did with whatever I was doing while listening to the audiobook. Overall this was an intriguing historical read that I enjoyed and recommend to anyone interested in witchcraft and historical books.

As soon as I heard the audiot this novel really did transport me to Edinburgh. Witches, Magic and forbidden love in times when women were persecuted by their gender and who they loved.

Has society changed that much? These are the types of questions I was mulling over towards the end. Witch trials are (thankfully!) a thing of the past. How man feel entitled to treat women…. Not so.

Definitely worth a read/listen to and I will be checking out more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this title. The narrators accent truly helped bring this story to life for me.

The narrator was fantastic, instantly drawing me into the story.
The first part of this book was ok. It's what I expected in a book set in 1824 about witches.
The main character, Nellie, finds herself in the position of mother figure to her little brother and bread winner due to the loss of her mother and her father being a drunk and loosing his job. She ends up working at an apothecary where she befriends Jean and her mother, both Witches.

For me this book goes downhill shortly after some bad things happen. It felt like the author forgot Nellie had a little brother to care for once she had her own life. Then skip ahead 200 years. What?! What just happened? I thought maybe something happened to my audiobook, but no, it was written this way. I was hoping the author would travel back in a later chapter but that also didn't happen. I was frustrated with this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the Audiobook.

A story of rising up against the tradition and inequality, takes place in a time “witches” and powerful women who think for themselves or use the left hand are synonymous. There’s no way to win for women. Be too pretty and you’re a witch for enticing men, too ugly and you’re a witch because, well you’re ugly.

Witches are being hung for their “witchcraft” and Nellie tries finds her purpose in the world she finds herself in. She wants to keep to herself but stumbles across an apothecary where meets Jean and learns the ways of the “witch.” They soon find out that Edinburgh is following old practices and outside of the city there is no more hanging of witches, but someone has taken over the town and punishing both “witches” and women by hanging for petty crimes. When the war between the patriarchy and the witches gets to be too much, Nellie runs away, for centuries.

She comes back later when her niece joins college back in Edinburgh and finds that hanging isn’t the only form of violence and oppression against witches, but this time she’s going to fight. She runs into the same villain she faced in the 1800s despite her will to stay away and hidden.

I loved Nellie’s journey to become a witch and the return to present day, seeing the advancement that’s been made but how traditions and oppression remain in different form. This book has adventure, some light romance, and good vs evil vibes. This was a unique perspective with the jumping time periods and I loved the POV of Nellie through each one.

Thanks to NetGalley and RBMedia for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book is out now, released August 20!

It was a very sweet interesting and powerful story. I loved to learn about the Cailleach which before this I’d never heard about, though I’ve always been interested in learning about the witch trials. This story was pretty enjoyable I just felt like I would’ve enjoyed more of what Nelly was thinking as the 200 years passed. What did she think when the woman suffrage was happening? Did she take part? What about the wars and the coming of technology etc, it sped through the centuries and it felt like so many potentially interesting things were skipped.

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.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance audiobook and reader copy of The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson in exchange for an honest review. I really needed to read this book at this moment in time. It really spoke to me and about the history of women and all those oppressed in life. I started out reading it thinking it was a historic paranormal fiction book and about halfway through it changed and really got my attention. Thank you Marielle Thompson for writing this beautiful story. I highly recommend reading this book.

If there is a book about witches taking place in the 1800’s Scotland I’m right there ready to read!

I really enjoyed the first part of this book that took place in Scotland in the 1800’s. We follow Nellie who is a poor young girl with an alcoholic and unreliable father, and a young brother who she cares for. Nellie begins working at an apothecary store and begins learning about the local witches. I liked following her story and seeing her grow and learning about the Cailleach history. At about the 50% mark the story abruptly skips to present day and Nellie has a completely new life. After that the book lost its charm for me and I didn’t enjoy the last half of the book. I wish the author kept the book in the 1800’s and showed Nellie becoming a strong female witch.

Thank you Tantor Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for provding me with a copy of the audiobook! This started off good, then just went downhill fast. It starts off very witchy in the 1800s with a found sisterhood for the main character, then flashes ahead 200 years to modern times, and of course, today's modern problems. I hate social commentary in books. I read books to escape problems of today, not to completely encapsulate myself in it. Feminism has such a different meaning today than what it used to. All it is today is man hating and showboating how the majority of men are evil and look down upon us unless they define themselves within the group of being a feminist as well. This is where the book took a huge turn for me. I do appreciate the noting of sexual assault and how it affects everyone involved, but again, I do not want to read a witchy book for social issues. I should have DNF'd but tried to stick it out to see if it would redeem itself, but sadly, it didn't. I don't think I will read the author's other work

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this ALC.

This is a beautiful, hopeful story of empowerment, fight for one own’s place in the world and finding one’s own voice. This is a story of character development, of finding the courage to fight for what and who matters most. I liked the FMC and her story, even though it is sometimes hard to feel for her and route for her actions, but the second part of this book gives her a nice redemption arc. She’s used to running away at the sign of danger, but once she has what to protect, she realizes that it does not matter how far you run, nothing will change.
The book is masterfully crafted, the descriptions of Edinburgh through time are beautiful. The LGBTQ+ representation is very organic here and adds to the story. I loved how spirituality was described as well.
The narrator Siobhan Waring is amazing in bringing the characters to life.
Overall it’s a beautiful read, and I certainly recommend this book.

This book has a really strong start but I wasn't a fan of the significant time jump halfway through the novel. I feel like it became a very different book and, in glossing over literal centuries of the FMC's life, we lost a lot of context. I admire a lot of what the book tries to accomplish, I'm just not sure that it pulled it off entirely. While I certainly agree with fighting patriarchy, I think this book gets a bit heavy-handed in its messaging. I also felt like reducing the source of misogyny to a boogie-man diluted the significance of a lot of very real struggles depicted in this book, particularly in contemporary college campuses.

That being said, the 1820's Scotland depicted in the first part of the book where Nellie and her friends are trying to escape the hangman's noose for being witches is a very strong setting, complimented by Siobhan Waring's excellent narration and (of course) Scottish brogue. I think it could've been stronger without the fantasy elements, and yet, they are what make this book stand out compared to more strictly historical accounts of witch-hunts.

I absolutely loved this story. I love how the hysteria around witch hangings and the women of Edinburgh turned into the helplessness of spiked drinks and well we can't let your accusations ruin that nice young man's life of the present day. I love the contrast between Nellie and Jean and how they dealt with the conflict throughout their lives. The writing is beautiful and the themes are amazing and well done.

The narrator did a nice job (though her attempt at Chanis American accent wasn't always successfully lol it was cute how her Scottish sometimes bled through).