Hello, Book Nerds! Welcome back to Reading Has Ruined My Life or welcome if you are new. As always, my name is Hannah and I am your captain on this journey into my bookcases.
I’ve been blessed. Today is a very special review because I was oh so kindly sent an ARC by Kensington Publishing; they aren’t paying me for my review they just sent me the book for free. I won this book in a giveaway so thank you very much for drawing my name, Kensington Publishing. It always means the world to me when someone wants to send me books. Thank you, thank you.
And what title did they send me? They sent me something right up my alley. Please give a warm welcome to The Last Witch in Edinburgh by Marielle Thompson! The Last Witch in Edinburgh is set to release August 20, 2024.
Alright, let’s crack in. As always, a spoiler alert is in order. If you’ve read any other review I’ve written then you know I love to spoil the entirety of the books I read. This is your one and only warning. I also must issue a content and trigger warning. This read deals with sexual assault and rape. It’s the main topic of conversation in the second half of the read so it’s unavoidable. I suggest skipping this read if the topic will be triggering in any way. There are also mentions of abuse throughout the text. Again, this topic is unavoidable so I suggest reading this book at your own discretion. With that, let’s get to the synopsis.
Nellie Duncan lives in fear, just like every other woman in this alternate version of 1824 Edinburgh. During this time all it took to be arrested and hung for a trumped up charge of witchcraft was to draw the anger and/or desire of the wrong person. That’s why Nellie keeps to herself. Her goal is to stay under the radar and earn an honest living so she can provide for her younger brother since their father is more concerned with getting drunk at the pub.
Then one night Nellie meets Jean Rae and the women of Rae Women’s Apothecary. It’s there Nellie learns witches are real and Nellie can be one too should she choose to embrace and aid a winter based deity known as the Cailleach. And choose she does. Nellie soon finds herself employed at Rae Women’s Apothecary, learning the natured-based craft, helping other women, and learning the history of the Cailleach.
Though it may seem that things are looking up for Nellie, things are actually far from perfect. The man leading the witch hunt happens to be an ancient evil and enemy of the Cailleach who is set on destroying all of the witches in Edinburgh and then the world. And this man has found Nellie and the Rae women. So he tries to kill them all by burning down the apothecary.
The good thing about being a witch who serves the Cailleach is that Nellie ages insanely slowly and gets a second life upon her death. Nellie fortunately escaped the fire with both her first and second life. So she flees Edinburgh believing all her new friends are dead. For 200-years she travels the world, never returning to Edinburgh, and never staying in the same place for too long as her old enemy still walks the earth. For 200-years she doesn’t get close to anyone. That is until 2006 when she loses her girlfriend and first life in a car crash leaving her with one life left to live and an adoptive child to care for. In 2022 she is forced to return to Edinburgh because her adoptive daughter is accepted to Edinburgh University. Back in Edinburgh she learns her old enemy is still around as is her first love Jean Rae.
Can Nellie and Jean rekindle their love? Can they move past their history? And most importantly, can they put an end to their ancient enemy and save the Cailleach? Find out in The Last Witch of Edinburgh.
Feminism, history, and witches. Sign me up! I’m sold. When I received this book in the mail, I thought I had been sent a book perfectly tailored to my preferences. I mean I was. I received a book that ticked a lot of my boxes. But the book fell short for me as I was reading it.
The Last Witch of Edinburgh was very heavy handed. Especially in the second half. A lot of this book is a historical deep dive on misogyny, the patriarchy, and gender based violence. But when the author went off on tangents regarding these topics, it comes across more as the author harping on about how bad misogyny is bad instead of actually saying anything on the topic. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say those reading this book don’t need the hand holding this feels like. The terminology is very Feminism 101 while the subject matter really isn’t.
And honestly that issue really only appeared in the second half of the story. The first half is set in 19th century Edinburgh, and the author conjures up a beautifully gothic backdrop and tension filled scenes. Seriously, the tension and fear all the woman of Edinburgh lived in was palpable. It leapt from the page and made me scared. I wish the whole story could have been set in this time period cause the modern day half didn’t do it for me.
I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character. Nellie is scared for her life at the start. She could easily be called a witch and killed at a moment’s notice. No wonder she and every other woman live in fear. But Nellie never moves past her fear. In fact her fear controls her even after 200-years. While I don't need her to fully overcome her fears, she's ends the book in the same place she began the story. Nellie is a very stagnant character. On top of that, she’s also very selfish which is pointed out to her by nearly every important character. Her selfishness is something else she doesn’t overcome or work on. Like I said, Nellie is a stagnant character.
Despite all my qualms, I did like this read. It was a fast paced read and the plot was enjoyable. While it took me awhile to read through, I was never once bored. I don’t believe The Last Witch in Edinburgh is perfect, but it is enjoyable and that’s what really matters.
Thank you once again to Kensington Publishing for sending me an ARC of The Last Witch in Edinburgh. I greatly appreciate being sent a copy. It truly means a lot to me when someone out there wants to send me books. Thanks again.
With that, I must bid you all adieu. I shall see you next week with another new review. Hint, it’s another witchy read! If you can’t wait till next week then you can always check out my podcast Nothing to See Hear. Allow me to tell you a spooky story or you can listen to me and my two friends talk Scooby-Doo, Disney, weirdos of history, and just about everything in between; you’re bound to find something you’ll enjoy.
Until next time, stay safe, wash your hands, and read some good books for me.
