his is a story about two witches in northern Norway who have lived alone in the woods with their grandma after the village people burned their mother alive years ago. When their grandma passed away, one of the sisters, Kaija, decides to start a new life by going back to the village, leaving the other sister, Minna, alone and feeling utterly betrayed.

As a whole, I liked this story and what it tried to accomplish, though I don't feel like it succeeded in everything. One of the major aspects of the book is obviously the sisters and their dynamic. While on their own, I liked both of their characters, their dynamic together feels a bit strange at some points in the book. There are times where I just couldn't see why they did certain things to each other, or feel a certain way for each other. And I just wish the book delved a bit more into that instead of the plot.

As for the plot itself, it was fine, it worked and wasn't too predictable. There's always something going on so there was never any dull moment, though I wish there were more slower moments focusing on the sisters' thoughts about each other and why they think the way they do. There were also some scenes spent with some side characters that we never really get to know that well that didn't really contribute much.

Finally, the writing style is rather simple and not distracting, with the occasional flourishes of style along the way. One thing that I noticed is the fact that the writer used a lot of Norwegian terms out of nowhere, which is fine by me because I speak Swedish so they didn't pull me out of the story, but if you don't know any Scandinavian languages, then it might be a bit distracting.

Iversen's writing is really spectacular, the descriptions were so vivid I had no trouble picturing the world and characters clearly. However, the story was slow to build and I kept losing focus after only a few pages.

I'm not sure who to recommend this to, but it is well written.

This is a strong 3-star read. I was bored and it was so difficult to not skim. The best thing about this book is the cover.

The Witches at the End of the World follows two sisters who choose very different lives for themselves after their grandmother passes and they are able to follow their own paths.

I personally had a hard time connecting to either character throughout the novel and Minna got on my nerves :/ I liked the concept of the book and the setting, but it just was not my favorite that I have read.

The Witches at the End of the World is set in the 1600s and features two sisters who are witches that have been shunned and fled from society with their grandmother. Now, after her death, one sister wants to attempt a life in town again, while the other sister wishes to remain wild in the woods.

The two girls appear to be complete opposites in the beginning- opposite uses of magic, personalities, and desires. The characters develop slowly over the course of the story, each coming to understand the other sister’s viewpoint and why she feels the way she does.

The atmosphere feels haunting through much of the story, and it is told at a very slow, internalized pace with not much dialogue or action. If you like character driven storylines, this one may be for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Available October 17th

Originally when I picked up this book I thought it was about witches in the apocalypse, but quickly realized the title was referencing the metaphorical end of the world, deep in the woods of Norway in 1677.

Following the alternating point of views of witches Kajija and Minna after the death of their grandmother, this novel is sprinkled with Norwegian works and references to spells and herbs that don’t overwhelm the plot or drag it out. This was more of a cozy read that didn’t put the characters in too much danger, but I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more from this author.

At the beginning of the book, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did, but once I got really into the story, I found that I was really enjoying it. The book centers around two young women, Kaija and Minna, who are witches in Norway in maybe the Middle Ages or so. They live in the woods after having fled their village when their mother was burned at the stake. From the start, the girls are portrayed as opposites - Kaija is sweet, domestic, practical, interested in healing magic, beauty, and domestic practical spells, while Minna is fiery, emotionally volatile, and motivated to become the strongest witch she can. They gave me Anna and Elsa vibes a little bit, not just due to them being in Scandinavia, but also due to their general vibes and desires/orientations in the world at the start of the book. Kaija/Anna begins the book with an innate drive to be part of a community and to be loved. Minna/Elsa is an introvert who wants to be left alone with her powers. Without revealing the plot, the thing I enjoyed most about the book was how the sisters each grew in ways that led to them becoming more like each other, directly leading to them being better versions of themselves. Their motivations change, and they become characters with more depth and nuance. They begin to appreciate the flip side of what they had originally thought they wanted. And they understand each other better as well, strengthening their bond and commitment to each other. There are many themes of the book, some expressly stated perhaps a little too directly for my taste, the most salient being that women and outsiders are scapegoated in ignorant communities to maintain the status quo; that we are stronger together and no one person will ever be able to do it all on their own; that the ones we love never truly leave us; and that revenge is never the answer. I’m not sure if the author knows this book has serious Frozen vibes, but I enjoyed the book, even without a talking snowman.

I was excited to read The Witches at the End of the World. This story of two sisters, and their lives after their grandmothers death, is set is a far reaching corner of the world in a time when fear of witches is prominent. These sisters, while having been through the same things and been raised identically, now have different wants and desires for their lives. Seeing the two sisters at such a dissident place was disheartening. The world that the author creates is clear and I was easily wrapped in the atmosphere of the bleak distrustful society. The sisters go through a lot, but I felt that ultimately, neither of them grew during the story. I wanted to see them bring about change or go through a personal growth that would have made their struggles worth while.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

BOOK REVIEW 📚of The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark & Chelsea Iversen for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

In a hut, deep in the wilds of Norways forests, live young witches, Minna & Kaija. After the death of their Grandmother, Kaija decides to return to the village where they grew up- and where their mother was burnt as a witch. Dismayed at her sisters wish to return, Minna casts a curse on the village, letting her rage and fury fuel her magic. Leaving Minna behind, Kaija forges a new place in the village for herself- with a new name, a new appearance and attempts to befriend the close-minded, Christian villagers. But despite her efforts and the forgoing of spellcasting, Kaija isn’t completely accepted and the village is slowly starving and besieged with a mystery illness. And when Minna has a vision of Kaija being burnt at the stake, she journeys to the village to save her sister from their Mothers fate.

The Witches at the End of the World is a historical fiction story combined with fantasy elements. Set in the 17th century, when the Salem Witch Trials occurred, Chelsea Iversen did a great job of providing atmospheric writing and imagery anchored in fact. Including Norse mythology beliefs and customs, the forest passages with Minna had a folk/fairytale undertone, and the magic use was very traditional ‘witch’- feathers and forestcraft. Minna, the antihero, was relatable in her emotional range, but I did grow a little bored with her solitary POV sections. There was little dialogue in this book, which isn’t my preference, but I do appreciate that this is personal taste. TWATEOTW is the perfect, emotionally haunting, spooky read for the Halloween Season🎃.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Enjoyable read that hit the spot for spooky szn as I love a witchy book this time of year. Interesting family dynamics and dual pov.
Plot was slow to start and it didn’t grab me as much as some other witchy books I’ve read recently but still a good one.

final rating: 4.25/5 <3

thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks landmark for this very witchy read!! this book blew my heart away. i 🖤 kaija + minna so much.

kaija and minna are two sisters, both witches, but complete opposites. kaija yearns for a quiet life away from the magic that bubbles within her. she dreams of making friends, falling in love, building a family - everything that a normal girl wishes for. minna, on the other hand, has always been simmering with magic, her anger just a spell away from wreaking destruction on anyone who has dared to wrong her. when kaija decides she's had enough of witching, she leaves minna behind in the darkness of the forest to pursue a new life in the village her mother used to live in. minna, in her outrage, casts a curse on the entire village to unleash her rage on everyone who has wronged her. but what minna doesn't realize is that this single act will cost the lives of those she loves, including herself. this is a magical story of the undying love of sisters and the consequences of leading a life led by anger.

the plot was good, if not a bit slow towards the middle, but enjoyable nonetheless! i very much enjoyed the dual pov and historical elements that went into this.
the characters were everything to me. <spoiler>i will never forget anne and jon especially. their scenes shattered me into pieces.</spoiler> and the character development???? i could sob at that (spoiler: i did).
this is the perfect book for autumn. going into this, i was expecting betrayal, pain, and heartbreak, but nowhere was i expecting <i>my heart</i> to break. this is definitely going into my sob-worthy shelf. please give this book a chance this october! i can't wait for it to put a spell on you as it did for me.

thank you, chelsea, for gracing us with this book. i'm honored to be one of your first readers, and will certainly keep an eye out for any future works you may release <3

The Witches at the End of the World is a story about two sisters who live in the birchwoods of Norway. Kaija is sweet and kind, Minna is mainly angry. Angry that her Mother was burned alive in a witch trial and determined to punish those responsible. When Kaija decides she wants to move back to the village and try to have a normal life, after the death of their Grandmother, Minna's thoughts turn darker still. She casts a spell to curse the very village Kaija escaped to, with devastating consequences.

It was a slow burner for me and it took some time to get into, but it is a great, well plotted story that gathers pace as it moves on. The sisters are both narrators, each telling the story from their own perspective, and I found myself drawn to both of them. The voices are distinctive, so you don't lose track of who is narrating, which is vitally important in a multi-person narrative.

Witchcraft based novels are very popular at the moment but this one stands up to others I've read and will no doubt be popular once it is released in October.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review,

Thank you net gallery for the advanced copy of this book. Have you ever been stuck in the middle of a family fight where you have to hear both sides of a polarized argument? That is what this is like, having to hear the rationale for bad decision after bad decision. The two sisters in the story eventually mellow out by the end of the story and realize how much they love and need each other.

While I did really enjoy reading this book and found the journey both sisters took to find exactly who they are and where they belong to be satisfying and poetic, I found the writing style to be a little redundant. There were times where I felt like I was reading the same emotions or situations over and over again. This didn't happen all that often though and I was really pleased with the portrayal of magic being in the mundane and magical. There were scenes that had me close to tears and others that filled me with rage for the injustices that the women of the village faced in the name of fear. In my opinion, any book that can move me emotionally is one that I can rate highly, as it gave me a gift I can always bring with me going forward. This novel taught me that not everything is as one-dimensional as it might seem, and that there is no bond stronger than the one between sisters...I think I need to call mine now.

I was drawn to this book by the cover and synopsis. I love witchy stories so was excited to read this one. After trying to get into it for over a month, I had to dnf the book at 30%. It was to slow paced for me and I wasn't connecting with the characters. I would put it down and have no desire to pick it back up again. Unfortunately this is one qitchy book that didn't do anything for me.

I wanted to love this book - witches, female leads, and the hot topic of grief and trauma is just right up my alley. I had a hard time keeping my attention with this book, and I'm not sure if it was the pacing or that I just didn't connect to the characters but I just really snail paced through this read.

I do think this is a good read, and I wouldn't tell someone not to read it - it just wasn't for me.

A poignant tale unfolds as we delve into the lives of two sisters, Kaija and Minna. Despite their stark differences, they share a common struggle with anger and their magic. Witnessing their journey from their perspectives offers a unique insight into their contrasting paths. Kaija's yearning for acceptance drives her to forsake her true identity, while Minna, bereft without her sister, succumbs to her anger and seeks vengeance.

However, the crux of the story lies in forgiveness, as the sisters realize their mutual dependence for survival. Through their divergent experiences, they learn to forgive and support each other, culminating in a heartwarming conclusion.

Set against the backdrop of Norway's witch trials, the narrative also delves into the palpable fear stemming from naivety and superstitions among the townspeople, which profoundly impacts the lives of both sisters and another marginalized group.

Kaija and Minna were raised by their grandmother in the woods after their mother was burned for being a witch.  Kaija yearns for a normal life in the village, while Minna wants nothing to do with that place.  After their grandmother passes, Kaija jumps at the chance to return to the village and start a family. 

It was interesting and different that the witch inside was described as a separate entity.  It showed up when it wanted to, and energy needed to be released to appease it.  It was pretty unique.  This story is more about sisters than witches, I feel.  The witch part was a little anti-climatic, but the way the sisters fought, were different, had different wants, but came together in the end was touching.  We got to listen to both perspectives through the book, which was nice because they were both so different.  I related to parts of each sister.  We got to see them grow and develop as well. The writing was decent, but the plot was slow and hard to get into at times.  If you like stories about witches in the 1600s, then this would be for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The concept of this is really cool. I have a best friend from Norway, love witchy stuff, and am from MA where the most notorious witch trials took place.
Unfortunately this book could not keep my attention, and I didn’t feel that invested in the story or characters. Maybe it just didn’t pick up fast enough for me and the vengeful sister feeling spiteful to the other sister who was just trying to live a different life wasn’t doing it for me.
I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book though so thank you, it just didn’t work out for me!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy of this book!

This is a unique witchy historical fiction book with really strong magic and “witch vibes.” I also liked the dual POV and sister story aspects. However, it was a little slower moving and hard to get into since there wasn’t much dialogue and was mostly just Kaija and Minna’s thoughts. I think if someone is a lover of more lyrical writing and historical fiction, this would be great for them, but it wasn’t really for me.