Review: The Last Witch in Edinburgh

Author: Marielle Thompson

Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Supernatural

Rating: 4 / 5

Features:

• Historical fantasy set in Scotland

• Traditional witchcraft married with Scottish mythology 

• Focuses on female independence, power, and voice in a time of patriarchal oppression

• Women helping women 

• LGBTQ romance and explores themes of gender identity (mostly focused on femininity)

Though she had seen many women hanged for witchcraft, Nellie never truly believed witches existed. That is, until she saw a woman pop out of a grave the very day she had been hung. Whether by fate or circumstance, Nellie soon finds herself working side-by-side with the witch and her family in Rae Women’s Apothecary. However, the more she learns to embrace the independence and strength required of all true hags of Cailleach, the greater danger she finds herself in. For nothing in Edinburgh is more dangerous than being a woman. 

Like many witch stories, this book has a strong feminist message and explores what it means to have agency as a woman in a male-dominated world. The Last Witch in Edinburgh manages to find a good balance between oppressiveness and warmth and depicts female empowerment in a way that fits its dual timeline incredibly well. The magic itself is tied into Scottish mythology, which I thought was really cool. Though there are definitely some bigger ‘acts of magic’, as a whole I would say it is closer to magical realism and is explained in a simple but satisfying way. I love a good witch book and the only thing keeping me from giving this a perfect score is the main character Nellie. Though hard to connect to, the fearful lens through which she views her life is completely understandable and makes the earlier parts of this book extremely compelling. However, I did not feel like she ever really evolved past this point and it made her more and more annoying as the characters and story itself seemed to move on without her. Despite this, I quickly devoured this read and think it will make a perfect fall read!

A tale of two worlds

 From the very first paragraph, this book creates an Edinburgh that feels cold, oppressive, and isolating. Nellie’s fear and feelings of helplessness as she navigates this environment only enhances this feeling further. However, behind the doors of Rae Women’s Apothecary, there is space where all women, witch or not, can be heard and seen free from fear. The starkness of the world outside of the shop only serves to highlight the little things Nellie (and the reader) come to admire about the women in the shop and the purpose of their craft. This book truly stands out through its focus on creating a safe space for others and finding power in that space rather than more direct conflict. I think I found the modern parts of the book a little less compelling because it loses some of this aspect, but it still never loses the balance it creates.

Why Nellie?

In this world, witches or ‘hags’ get their abilities by serving the Cailleach. Though there are many ways to do this, one thing is key; the hag must ‘take up space’ and embrace her independence. As someone who is journeying into this world, one would expect to see Nellie start to reflect this new way of thinking and being. However, even though Nellie becomes more readily understanding and accepting of these qualities in others, she never really seems to embrace it herself. Since she never truly conforms to one of the key requirements to being a hag, it becomes hard to believe in her journey of becoming one. Ultimately, I didn’t feel like Nellie was ever fully invested in her own story and that made me question her as the lead character in a story like this. 

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Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!