This is book four in the Edinburgh Nights series. Ropa is now working for the English Sorcerer Royale Lord Samarasinghe. The Library of the Dead is attacked and Ropa suffers both a devastating friendship betrayal and the loss of her beloved Gran.

This was a heartbreaking chapter of Ropa’s story. She has so little family that losing her Gran felt like too much for even a heroine as resilient as Ropa to deal with. The ending ties up nothing and leaves me impatiently waiting for the next book.

In this book, we learn a lot more about what led to Scotland’s collapse. We also get more details about Ropa’s Gran’s past and Ropa’s father’s past. I loved getting the deeper insight into their world.

The last book was a bit of a miss for me as the plot moved too slowly and I missed the Edinburgh setting. I’m happy to say that this one reminded me why I love the series. The plot moves along quickly and we get to enjoy seeing Edinburgh through Ropa’s eyes.

This series is a must read if you enjoy urban fantasy. It has a great setting and Ropa is the kind of character you can’t help but root for.

Ropa is now in the employ of the English Sorcerer Royale, and the novel opens with her dealing with a aurprisingly challenging exorcism against a powerful ghost who has hijacked the body of a young woman. Ropa is left shaken but she heads home to the safety and love of her Gran.

The pressure is off Ropa, a little, as she's making decent coin for her ghosttalking work for Lord Samarasinghe, she's getting therapy, and Izwi is at boarding school. And much as Ropa misses her, she's a bit relieved that life is a little easier.

Then, an enemy lets her know that he knows more about her family than she does, intimating that her Gran and father were much more involved with the magical community than she thought. She's upset, and wants answers from the older woman. Unfortunately, Ropa is too late to learn more; she returns home from yet another ghosttalking assignment to find her Gran dead. And before she can even process what she is seeing, she's messaged by her old boss Rob to get out as the police are after her for her Gran's murder.

This isn't the only shock Ropa has to deal with. Not only must she hide from the law, the Library of the Dead is ferociously attacked, with precious books stolen, a prisoner escaping, and Ropa experiences shocking, personal, heart-rending betrayal. No one has her back seemingly, as now even Sir Callander wants her arrested for Gran's murder.

It's not till Priya finds her that Ropa can begin piecing anything together from previous events, and with some information about Gran from Isfandier, Sir Callander's husband, Ropa learns how little she knew of the fierce, powerful and incredibly compassionate woman who loved and cared for not just her and Izwi, but for so many others.

And then, all hell breaks loose. The criminals who escaped after the events at Dunvegan Castle have amassed more allies, all of whom want to return Scotland and its magic practices to some supposed better period (faulty nostalgia-poisoned reasoning), and the story closes with a massive, terrifying duel, and an even darker ending.


This is an absolutely heartbreaking entry in this terrific series. Ropa loses so much, including the solid and loving presence of her Gran. She's on her own, running scared, but also determined to take on the criminals she identified at Dunvegan Castle.

Thank goodness for River and Priya! Their solid presence may not have stopped the evil that occurred, but they unconditionally have her back. Unlike so many of the people she has met since she got involved with Scottish magic, who turn on her, choosing their own petty, cruel and dastardly aims over doing the right thing. Huchu shows that knowing magic doesn't make one special, or a better person. It only exacerbates or highlights traits already present. So those who crave power and influence, and who practice magic, have a very powerful tool at their disposal that allows them to change society for their own ends, and to oppress and harm those they disdain. Whereas someone like Gran, after the events of her youth, went in another direction, choosing instead to help those who needed it, to support and to love. This love actually works in Ropa's favour, as there are a few individuals who lend her a hand during her flight and give her a few moments of peace and time to grieve.

This whole story is so tension-filled, and felt like it was building to something dark and tragic, which it does. In fact, my first thought, when I got to the halfway point of this novel was, this is the “Empire Strikes Back” part of Ropa Moyo's story. She encounters obstacles and reversals and tragedy, and instead of a happy wrap-up at the end, author T.L. Huchu leaves us with the heroine fleeing, lost, and more terrible things to come.

I love Ropa, and her tough-as-nails persona, and gotta keep going attitude. She just keeps getting up and dealing with each new problem. But this time, there was no time for her to regroup or catch her breath. At least she had one night to grieve….

This Scotland may be somewhat in shambles, but money is still critical to what is happening over the course of this series. And the idea that only a select few can have access to magic and power, and that people like Ropa who live in caravans (RVs to us North Americans) and have to constantly hustle for basics aren't deserving of opportunities, is a big part of the story T.L. Huchu has been telling since Ropa appeared on the page. This is a darker instalment than all the previous, and despite the frequent humour present in each outing, none of these stories has been light. The very fact that Huchu's main character is a young, Black woman who has to work hard for everything she has, and is told, repeatedly that she doesn't have the right background, etc., to be or to hope, and who is actually often more ethical than her supposed betters, is a statement. It is also sad and infuriating, but it gives this series the extra depth and texture that makes me love it so.

Kimberly Mandindo again narrates the audiobook (she has since book two) and conveys all of Ropa's sass, grief, exhaustion, anger and humour beautifully. I like her voicing of Priya and Gran also, two hugely important people in Ropa's life, and their love and kindness comes through well in Mandindo's voice. Her Dr. Maige's prissiness and Lord Samarasinghe's unfortunately timed amusement are a hoot, too.

And now I have to wait to find out what happens next. It's going to be extra hard to be patient, as I am so worried about Ropa and her very few allies.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I have been a dedicated fan of this series since I was approved to read an ARC of the first book years ago. I’ve been amazed at Huchu’s creativity throughout this series. In addition to crafting a dystopian version of Edinburgh, Huchu also develops an awesome magic system, incredible characters who commonly have to walk a morally gray line, and a mystery in each book that consistently surprises me.

This book has a far more emotional Ropa, as she faces events that broke my heart and hers. Her Gran is so important to her in so many ways: she turns to her for assistance with magic, family support, and a sense of home that comes from having been raised so significantly by her Gran. But with Izwi away at boarding school for magicians, and their grandmother murdered, Ropa is the prime suspect, just as things are going well for her, everything gets jammed up.

It’s obvious that Ropa isn’t responsible for the death, but she’s forced to watch everything she values be taken from her. Ropa doesn’t expect to have very many allies in her corner anymore, even as she is building a connection to English magic. She’s used to tough times, though, and she knows how to make use of any advantages or opportunities that arise.

There’s been an overarching storyline that runs throughout the series, of something larger pulling the strings, and we inch closer to the solving the underlying mystery. But it’s written so wonderfully that I was simply unable to stop reading. More often, I try to piece together all the clues and figure things out on my own, but I’m consistently blindsided by the plot twists, which seem to be a specialty of Huchu’s.

Ropa is my favorite character in the story, but Priya is a close second. Priya has all the coolest and most helpful magical skills, and she embodies all the best characteristics of a best friend. She’s wheelchair-bound, but the wheelchair has some pretty awesome tricks up its sleeve as well, making her easily the most badass of side characters.

The audiobook is narrated by Kimberly Mandindo, and while she does have a Scottish accent during the reading, it wasn’t so strong that it would interfere with my ability to understand what she was saying. The audiobook was fantastic, and I honestly can’t find any fault with the book or the narration.

Overall, this is a strong addition to the series, and I found myself unable to put it down. I flew through this story, and if you haven’t started the series already, the next best time to do so is now. It’s easy to visualize this dystopian version of Edinburgh, and there’s just something about Ropa that I adore. She’s the kind of person who hasn’t ever had anything handed to her, yet she isn’t afraid of hard work and doing whatever she can to survive. The depth of emotion that this book brought out in Ropa was outstanding, and I really loved seeing Ropa growing emotionally. The story leaves off on a cliffhanger, and I know I’ll be biting my nails during the wait.

I am a huge fan of the Edinburgh Nights series and as a librarian often recommend it when conducting reader’s advisory. I was dying to read/ listen to this book and I was not disappointed. My favorite thing about this book is how it kept me on my toes. It took me places that I never would have expected. I absolutely love Ropa as a character and being given more of her family’s backstory was especially intriguing. The story begins with Ropa going to work for the English Sorcerer Royal and she finally feels like she is getting her life on track. Then everything falls apart…like a bomb implodes her life.

This book begins with Ropa starting her job with the English Sorcerer Royal. You cannot quite tell if the English Sorcerer Royal is up to no good or if he is merely a selfish Royal. Ropa sees this new position as the answer to all of her hardships and feels this is the change she needed to support her sister and her Gran. Unfortunately, just as her life begins to turn around, she is dealt a huge whammy that implodes her whole life. She loses so much, but still perseveres to take on the sinister cult, with only her wit, fledgling magic, and her small cohort of friends.

I personally loved this book. I received an ARC of the book and the audiobook. I loved both, but the audiobook is always the more enjoyable experience for me. The narrator is amazing and always brings the character of Ropa to life for me. I feel like Ropa herself is telling me the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys magical alternative worlds. I love to hear about places that I have visited in Scotland, it really brings the book to life for me. An amazing book that I would recommend to a variety of readers.

The fourth in a series and we are still going pretty strong.

On the heels of Dunvegan Castle, Ropa finds herself drawn further into the magical world and a bit more into the political unrest which has been growing for the past few books. there has always been tensions between England's and Scotland's magical users, but it seems to be more clear as we work through more books and situations.

Ropa's friendships are strained in different ways and so are some of her relationships with others. Ropa is growing a a character but she still does have some growth and learning still to do. Personally, I thought this one was a bit weaker in plot than the third in the series which felt fairly cohesive and well rounded. This one felt like we were wandering a bit and I wasn't certain what we were working towards until closer towards the end. I am still a huge fan of this series and author so I am looking forward to more.

I am certain there will be another book on the horizon for us. We are not quite done with Ropa's story yet because this does end with quite a few unresolved issues.

Don't even bother getting into this until you've read the first three books of the series. There are a LOT of characters and a LOT of plots carried through each book. In this one, we're finally getting some backstory for Ropa's grandmother and parents, uncovering major villains and losing a beloved character.

I got an ARC of the audiobook and struggled to stay focused. The narrator has an authentic Scottish accent to voice Ropa which is pretty cool. However, the plot moves so quickly and there are so many characters I couldn't remember who they were to put anything in context, so I tuned out a LOT. I think in the print publication you have an index of characters you can refer to (these don't work in audiobooks.) The narrator did read through it at the beginning of the book, but I couldn't look back at it to figure out who was who as I went. I would definitely recommend reading the print versions of these books for this reason.

My favorite character in these books is a magical scarf and sadly, it didn't get enough of a role in this one, but it did get an origin story as does Ropa's grandmother. In this book she is working on the mysteries of her grandmother's past, developing her powers and fighting evil magicians. I think I'm too lost now to continue this series. I've lost the plot over the last two books and am not really sure what is going on with these magic librarians anymore.

This latest book keeps up the action and magic, and I loved diving back into Ropa’s world. She’s fearless and quick-witted, dealing with battles, facing her anxieties, and uncovering shocking family secrets. The world-building is incredible, and the Scottish slang adds so much personality to the story. That cliffhanger ending left me so ready for the next book! The narration for the audiobook was great, would highly recommend this one 👍🏻

I really love the concept of this series. I really love the narration of the books. And yet I struggle with each, largely I suspect because there is SO much going on and it is so wholly original that I cannot keep all the pieces straight in my head in the interim between books. I really need to sit down and read - and then listen - to all four sequentially. The work is marvelous and the language lyrical and, yes, magical. But it also requires attention to detail and an ability to keep a lot of information about a lot characters and plot lines in your head simultaneously...

Ropa is such a strong heroine. She faces so much adversity and just keeps going. This fourth book has enough going on that even the short battle scenes are not boring.

Holy cliff hangers! This book stopped right in the middle of all the action. I cannot wait for the next title.

This was another great addition to this series. Salty, resourceful Ropa is again bungling her way through life making hasty decisions in the interest of earning money and is usually at least a little bit on the wrong side of the law. The diversity of the characters in this series doesn’t have that performative feel that so many books do nowadays and has an intensely Scottish dialect that is heavy on the slang that makes this series’s unique. The world building is very thorough and complex and I appreciated that it didn’t have the lecture-y feel the third book had.

You would not need to read the third book to understand this one, but definitely either the first or second or you would be lost.

Fantastic audio narration! I really love this narrator.

Ropa Moya is back again, and our favorite self-taught girl genius from the slums is here to save the day!

Seriously, these books do not disappoint. We have tons of action, magic, political intrigue, philosophy, religion, history, it's all there.
Ropa is dealing with her anxiety and panic attacks through therapy, she has left Scottish magic for Brittish, but then she gets the shock of her life - her grandma is murdered, she is blamed, and while she is on the run she learns the truth about some of her families past.
This book ends on quite the cliffhanger, so I am already eagerly looking forward to book 5.
Thank you for the ARC!!

I really didn’t know how to rate this one so I went right down the middle. Why? Because I listened to the audiobook and there were major problems.

I am thankful to have gotten an audio ALC for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio) to enjoy which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

If I was just rating the audio book I would have had to give it 1⭐️ unfortunately.
The narrator recited the book in almost a monotone voice and Was not engaging at all. It made is really hard to pay attention to the prose. Usually I can at least look past a bad narration. But it was impossible with this.

I won’t comment on the book as while I listened to the whole thing I can’t may an opinion as I would be too harsh on it

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

This is book four in the Edinburgh Nights series, set in a near-future Scotland, where magic and ghosts are commonplace and Scotland is deeply divided between the haves and the have nots. So not too unbelievable. Ropa Moyo experiences such tragedy in this book, and the ending... WTF how am I going to be able to wait for the next one? Put me in cryo-sleep until it's released, ok?

Ropa is an incredibly well written character, and having been reading this series from the beginning, you really feel her highs and lows. She suffers so much loss in this book and you feel every ounce of the pain she feels. It has a heart that is sometimes missing from dystopian-type novels, and I heartily encourage you to read the series from the beginning. It's absolutely worth your time.

Seriously. Cryo-sleep me. K?

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!

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!

Kimberly Mandindo is the perfect narrator for this series and makes the listening experience so much fun and feel so authentic to the underbelly of a dystopian Edinburgh.