What do readers think of The Witches at the End of the World by Chelsea Iversen? Write your own review.

This book was very tiring to read. Very slow beginning. The plot almost reminds me of sibling rivalry. The characters were not well developed. Written in a beautiful setting and a and time of much superstition it fell short of my expectations. Youth readers might enjoy this.

I can't decide in which genre this novel belongs. If it is a YA (Young Adult) novel, I would rate it higher than if it is in adult fiction. The mostly flat characters, the predictable plot and the happy ending are all elements that appeal to young readers. Those characteristics are also the ones that do not appeal to me as an adult reader. The sisters were polar opposites, representing good and evil until the very end when they finally had some blurring of their back and white edges. l I found the plot was plodding through more than half the book. The ending invites a sequel, for which I am sure many younger readers would be grateful.

The story begins with 2 sisters living in the wilderness hidden from people by their grandmother when their mother was burned as a witch in the village where they lived. The sisters practice magic but each has a particular kind. The older sister Kaija practices calm spells that keep things even and managed to help their survival in the wilderness, but her younger sister is more impetuous and unpredictable. They describe themselves as having inner witches like they are separate entities from themselves. Kaija has good memories from her life in the village and misses the community of people and does not like the isolation and solitude of the wilderness. The younger sister, Minna practices a darker form of magic with more dramatic outcomes and seems to be more out of control. Her inner witch seems impatient, unpredictable and seeking revenge from the outside world over the death of their mother.
It was an interesting story. I liked the Nordic setting and the time period. The story itself was fairly basic and predictable. There could have been more details about their life in the village and about their mother and how she was suspected of witchcraft. I would have liked more character definition. I could not easily picture the people. With a bit more tweaking of the plot it could be a very good story. It needs more detail and definition to make the characters more distinct and identifiable. The timeline was confusing. It was hard to tell if the events happened in days, weeks, months…events moved very quickly All said it was a good first novel.

The main characters in this novel are two witches who are sisters. They are not Disney witches, nor fairy tale witches, nor even scary witches. They could be called earthy witches as they live and survive through their knowledge and interaction with the natural world in very primitive conditions. The time frame is when people believed in the occult and burned witches at the stake. Thus these witches live in total isolation from any other humans. One of the sisters is satisfied to remain isolated and one yearns for a more normal life. One is portrayed as a good witch and one as an evil witch. We learn something of their history thru reminiscences between the two.
The conflict begins when the good witch runs away and becomes involved with regular people in a village. Her sister performs spells as revenge upon the village resulting in unforeseen consequences for all.
I could not feel like cheering for or against either girl. Their magic was not magical enough and they didn't really arouse empathy for their situations. The story was fairly routine and most of the outcomes predictable. The attempt to arouse the reader with gothic description of setting went too far and became skimable.
I think that the last of the witches should be witchyer.

This novel had all the potential for a good "witchy" book. Unfortunately, for me it fell flat.

The two main characters (sisters) were unlikeable and whiny. It was somewhat clever how opposite they were and how they sort of changed rolls toward the end. However, it was told to us. As readers, that was unnecessary...we could figure that out on our own.

I would have liked a more accurate historical account. Of course we know witches were burned, but what was really happening in that place during that time?

The settings were accurate and described quite beautifully. I especially enjoyed the feeling of the birchwood where the sisters lived.

The witchy elements were there. I appreciated the spells/charms, the moon and nature, the legacy and lineage of the womanhood/witchery, and the sisterhood bond.

What irritated me most was the overkill of "the witch's itch". Too redundant!