I had somewhat of an ambivalent reaction to this one. I enjoyed the narrator's lilting voice, and she did a good job of holding my attention for the most part. However, I got a little lost somewhere around the middle of the book when it switched to the more recent timeline. This was partly my fault because I got distracted by the name of Nellie's niece. I could not figure out at first if her name was Johnnie or Charlie or something altogether different and it just bugged me for the rest of the book. In addition, the fight against the patriarchy became a little too political and preachy for me. That being said, it was reasonably well-written with an interesting take on witchcraft.

3.5 out of 5 stars!

This was my first time reading a book by Marielle Thompson and it certainly won't be the last time.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook very much, the narrator did such an amazing job by keeping the listeners engaged to the story and the plot was of course very griping as well.

If you love historical fiction, strong female characters, feminism and magic, this book is definitely a must read!

3.5 stars
I enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and fantasy in this tale! It’s a difficult time to be a woman- witches are being hunted in Edinburgh and no one is safe from the patriarchal eye. Nellie is trying to navigate a situation stacked against her— her father is an alcoholic, her mother died in childbirth, she’s taking care of her younger brother & trying to find a way to support everyone in the space where being a woman, and an attractive one at that, is a dangerous game. In a time of need, she makes the acquaintance of a local group of witches and things quickly grow more dangerous for all involved!

I want to start by saying I loved the narration in this book. The accent really set the story for me.
This book had so much going on. Starting with it being set in 1824 and set the scene of how difficult it was for women in this day and age. It was so interesting and I enjoyed the bisexual representation. The time jump to 2022 was not something that I was expecting or that the book needed. I feel as thought the book would have been better if it stayed as a historical fiction instead of feeling the need to force the time jump.

Historical Fantasy with Queer Romance

Okay, let's talk about The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson. I'll be honest, I was expecting a bit more magic and a little less misery. 🧙‍♀️✨

Nellie, our protagonist, is...well, let's just say she's not exactly my cup of tea. She's pretty, sure, but her character felt a bit flat. I couldn't quite understand why Jean was so smitten with her. Maybe it was the "chosen family" vibe, but I just didn't buy it.

The time jump was an interesting choice, but I wish we'd lingered a bit longer in 1824. I wanted to see more of the character development and the connections between everyone.

The focus on female rage against misogyny is a powerful message. But sometimes, I just want a book that makes me laugh and feel good. 🤷‍♀️

That being said, I can see why some readers might love this book. It's got a great historical setting and some interesting folklore. If you're looking for a book that will make you think and feel, this might be for you.

“The last witch in Edinburgh” is a dual timeline fantasy book following our FMC Nellie who is living in the time of witch trials. She begins working in an apothecary owned by a group of women who are in fact witches.

Fast forward to present day, Nellie is still alive and decides to return to the visually stunning Edinburgh.

I enjoyed following Nellies story across multiple timelines and seeing the shift in differences and similarities between both time periods.

I enjoyed the location setting and the apothecary aspects, I’m always a fan of learning about home remedies and medicines and the fantasy elements added a nice touch.

The witch trials have also been a topic of interest to me so I enjoyed the parts of the plot surrounding that.

This was a lovely read! The narrator did a fantastic job and with the local accent I felt like I had indeed been transported to the beautiful Scotland.

Thank you to Tantor Audio, Kensington publishing, Marielle Thompson and NetGalley for the ALC!

Publish date: august 20th 2024

I requested this book because the premise was interesting, and I thought it would get me excited for spooky season as summer winds to a close. However, this book was so much more to me. With larger themes of equality and power, it was such an exciting book to follow these characters through their journey to fight the patriarchy. I thought I could guess the entire plot at about 45% through, and was delighted to be incorrect. The narrator for the audiobook was also wonderful. A thought-provoking book I am so excited to recommend!

This wasn’t the book I was expecting it was so much more. It’s beautifully written & thoroughly researched. I was lucky to receive the audio version & the narrator brought all the characters to life. I really loved how atmospheric this was, the author (and narrator) managed to make me feel like I was walking through Edinburgh with Nellie. I loved the dual timelines and enjoyed both. The final chapters were unexpected & emotional.

It's difficult to do justice to how much I loved this book - it is definitely one of the best reads of the year for me.
★★★★★
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I want to thank NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the opportunity to review this book.

Enthralling historical fiction of the Scottish witch trials and it’s ties to the patriarchy. I loved this story, especially how the immortality of our main character mirrors the age old story of the oppression of women. Fantastic characters and beautiful writing! Not to mention perfect casting for the audio.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was the perfect witchy book to get me in the season. This book was pure magic!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook. I was initially expecting a fantasy about witches, but instead, I encountered a profoundly moving narrative about the treatment of women through the ages. The story reveals that it wasn't just witches who were burned, but women. Although much of the book is set in the 1800s, its themes resonate strongly with contemporary issues. I admired how Nelly ultimately finds her voice and love, confronting Angus and silencing him, if only temporarily. The narrator's Scottish accent added depth to the experience. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends.

Not at all what I had expected but just what I needed. The way this story made me feel so many emotions, from angry and sad to hopeful and defiant and so much more.
It’s such a powerful story, and so important.

It’s a story for everyone who’s ever had to choose between safety and the mundane freedoms of everyday life that should be for everyone.

The narration by Siobhan Waring was flawless and added even more atmosphere to the story.

Thank you, NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy of The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson!

'There is little opponent for an angry woman.'

The atmosphere in the beginning half of this story was unmatched. Edinburgh in 1824? Bisexual witches? Gothic atmosphere? It had it all!
In many ways, this book had my attention from the beginning. Towards the middle and later half, I slowly began to lose interest.

PROS:
- The narration was FANTASTIC! OMG, the narrator's accent made me feel like I was right there with Nellie (our Main Character) the entire time.
- Writing & prose was full and beautiful.
- The description was so well thought out and detailed I felt like I was right there in Edinburgh.

Things I wasn't a fan of:
- The romance in the beginning half of this story felt so well-crafted and fit the characters and their arcs. As the story progressed and the stakes grew higher and higher, the ongoing romance felt so misplaced. In scenes where we were in the midst of the conflict and at the peak of the story it would shift to, "But, does she *like* like me though?" I wish the story had stayed more focused on the 'end of the world' problem at hand.
- It felt like this book tried to do too many things at once. I loved the representation of women and the LGBTQIA+ community! But balancing that as well as the story at hand, Witches in Edinburgh trying to destroy an evil entity, it felt like the story was being eclipsed.
- I would have preferred it if the first half and the second half of this book were developed separately.

All in all, this was not a bad book, and I'd recommend it for the spooky gothic atmosphere, the representation it brought, and the witchy vibes.
2.75 ⭐️ (rounded up)

Anyone else ready for Fall? I read this book at the end of August, but it immediately transported me with witchy vibes. The story is seeped in setting. I loved learning about the witchy folklore in Edinburgh through this novel. Some plotlines felt rushed and unresolved. Despite the few loose ends, The Last Witch in Edinburgh's compelling theme of resistance against the patriarchy make it a satisfying read for fans of feminist witchy stories.

I thought I would be the audience for this and wanted to love this, but I could just not get into. I was lucky enough to get both the ARC and ALC and did DNF and 70 percent. It was lovely lyrical writing, but I just did not care about the characters to continue. I may go back and finish but just not at this time.
Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.
2 stars

Girly really needs to hold onto her stomach because it truly is falling out everywhere.

I have dichotomous feelings about this book. The first half of the book is set in 1824, while women in Edinburgh are being hanged for the accusation of being witches, and Nellie, our main character, obviously is in fear that she's going to be the next to be hanged. I LOVED this half of the book. It has a great introduction to Scottish history and folklore, it's well-written (the entirety of the book is), and I found myself really loving the relationship between Jean and Nellie. This half of the book is at least 4 stars, if not 4.5.

After a pretty pivotal scene, Nellie flees Edinburgh, and the book decides to do a time skip to 2022, so 200 years from where the story has started, and it seems Nellie has not changed at all in the 200 years she's had to live. At times, the point that the book was trying to drive home was way too heavy-handed, even though I agreed with what it was trying to say. Yes, women are still under attack even 'til this day, yes, unfortunately most women and trans/GNC people have unfortunate stories of sexual assault and violence against them, which is especially compounded if they are POC, but at times it felt that the author was beating me over the head with it, as if I couldn't surmise what she was trying to say if she didn't write it into every sentence. You can 100% assume your reader is smarter than this and will get the imagery that you're putting forth. This half of the book for me is probably around 1.5, maybe 2 stars.

And so it sits at 3 stars, I guess? I definitely appreciated the diversity of characters and the commentary on patriarchy and intersectionality, but I think there are better ways it could have been done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson is a spellbinding audiobook that completely drew me in unexpectedly. The story weaves together elements of witchcraft and rich Scottish folklore, all set against the backdrop of an alternate 1824 Edinburgh. Nellie Duncan’s journey from a reclusive woman to a powerful witch fighting patriarchal forces is both inspiring and heart-wrenching, making for a truly compelling narrative.

What truly elevated this audiobook was the amazing narrator, Siobhan Waring, who brought the characters and setting to life with such skill and authenticity. Her performance was so immersive that it felt like I was walking the cobbled streets of Edinburgh alongside the characters. If you’re looking for an audiobook that offers both a gripping story and an exceptional listening experience, The Last Witch in Edinburgh is a must-listen and definitely one to add to your list!

This book was released August 20th, but I received my audio arc on 8/27. Thank you to Net Galley #netgalley and Tantor Audio for my advance audio. Here is my honest review: The story begins in Edinburgh in the 1820s and it is not safe to be a woman. If you are left-handed or cause upset to someone, especially someone in power, or if someone becomes ill after speaking to you, you can and will be accused of being a witch and you will hang for it. The main character, Nellie, and her love, Jean, are both bisexual and there is a transwoman witch as well. The witches are accepting of all people as they are and that is a huge theme in this story - coming together, women supporting women. They, of course, have to show extreme caution, but danger lurks and eventually discovers them culminating in an enormous fire. Nellie flees and for two hundred years wanders the earth before returning to Edinburgh in 2022. In this current timeline, women need to come together to support each other to protect each other from the danger that still haunts Edinburgh. As the women come together, they discover their voices and their power. I gave this book 4 stars.

The narration was compelling and well done. Our Scottish main character, Nellie, is highlighted with a Scottish accent. But the narrator does a great job switching accents throughout. High praise for Siobhan Waring’s talents.

The story itself utilizes witchcraft and the historical perspective of witches to highlight the misogyny then and now and why modern feminism is so important. Additionally, if you’ve ever taken a guided tour in Edinburgh, you’ll find all the information included in this book. We follow the Journey of a fearful Nellie encountering witchcraft and falling in love in 1820’s Edinburgh. We take a time hop to the 21st century where we continue to see that despite feminist advances, we still have a long way to go in fighting the patriarchy.

I would have preferred a bit more character development and nuance regarding the overt feminist themes. I can appreciate that this book exemplifies how change happens slowly in small moments, but my heart was aching for grand “fuck the patriarchy” moment.

Thank you Marielle Thompson, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for this Audio ARC

Promising start, but ultimately disappointing. I enjoyed the first half, set in 1824. But then around the halfway mark, the story jumps ahead two centuries, and that's when it went downhill for me. Nellie seemed to not have grown at all over the almost 200 years in between, and I grew more and more bored and exasperated with her. The writing was lyrical and beautiful, but the pace, especially in the second half of the book, was just too slow for my taste. Instead of telling a compelling story, and conveying a message through plot and character development, the book just reiterated its message (patriarchy is bad) over and over again. The message is a good one, but that doesn't make it less boring how repetitive the book got about telling it. Over all, there was entirely too much telling and not enough showing in all aspects of this book for my taste.

The audiobook narration was good. I didn't like the accents the narrator chose for the dialogue of some of the characters in the second half of the book, particularly Chani and also some of the uni students. But overall, the narrator had a pleasant voice and was comfortable to listen to.

4 stars for the first half and 2 stars for the second half adds up to 3 stars.

Thank you to RBmedia / Tantor Audio for providing a review copy of the audiobook via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.