Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an early copy of this book.

The cover is gorgeous, and I enjoyed Margaret and Isobel’s story. They were compelling as characters, magic is always intriguing, and the setting of Scotland is beautiful to imagine. I’m always captivated by historical fiction, so I couldn’t have gone amiss with this.

However I would have preferred the option to be able to download it to my kindle - reading on my phone is bad for my eyes, my posture, and my motivation to read.

A chance encounter leads teenaged Margaret into the circle of Isobel Gowdie, a "cunning woman" who practices magic and travels in the fairy world. But Scotland is aflame with wars over religion and "correct" belief-English against Scots, Catholics against Protestants-and in the Scottish Highlands, the witch craze is at its height. When Margaret starts to meet with Isobel to learn magic, Isobel is accused of witchcraft, and Margaret becomes a suspect, too. Can Margaret's tutor, Katharine, a Christian mystic, affect the outcome? Bitter Magic is inspired by the true story of the witchcraft trial of Isobel Gowdie in 1662. A great read but would of preferred for it to be downloaded to kindle.

Interesting take on a fascinating topic. Curiosity is always where it begins and it was interesting to see it from this perspective. My "witchy" readers will enjoy this title!