Series: Edinburgh Nights #5
Release date: October 16 2025
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 400
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Synopsis
I’ve had my arse kicked more times than I can count
Ropa Moyo is dead, banished to the Other Place by the reanimated spirit of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville of Scotland. Turns out being on the losing side sucks worse than being skint.
Now, the Cult of Dundas intends to ascend to godhood, spreading their corrupting reach from Edinburgh to all of Scotland’s schools of magic. Ropa must find some way to escape the Other Place, save her sister and gather allies across the country before Edinburgh falls.
A royal plot, a family secret and a stolen body. As Scotland descends into petty in-fighting, Ropa’s only hope lies in her grandmother’s final the first school of magic.
An ancient power is returning . . . and is hungry for revenge.
Review
T. L. Huchu is back with the final instalment of the Edinburgh Nights series – and it’s a wild ride.
Following on from the events in book four, we follow Ropa as she finds herself dead and banished to the otherlands. The Cult of Dundas is determined to ascend to power, and Ropa must find a way to return from the dead, save the ones she loves, and stop the country from falling. But with so many secrets and so many lives at stake, will Ropa succeed?
I’ve loved every instalment in this series and Secrets of the First School is no exception. Fast paced and incredibly engaging, I couldn’t put this book down.
Ropa has such a strong narrative voice, and I have absolutely loved seeing her grow as a character over the course of the five books. She’s brilliant and sarcastic and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks, but she’s also loyal and brave too. She’s joined by a really compelling cast of characters, and I would love for there to be a spin-off series with some of the other characters.
As this is the final book in the series, I won’t say too much about the plot, but there were lots of twists, secrets finally revealed, and overall, the series comes to a really satisfying conclusion. I love the Edinburgh setting, but I loved that we traveled to new places in this installment, including the Isle of Iona, which is my favourite place to visit.
Huchu has done a magnificent job of bringing the series to a close, and if you’re looking for an engaging fantasy series full of adventure and mystery, I highly recommend the Edinburgh Nights series.
The third installment in T L Huchu’s thrilling Edinburgh Nights series follows ghost talker Ropa Moyo as she’s sent to help out at a magic convention at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Hoping she’ll get the chance to rub shoulders with the magical elite, Ropa finds herself in the midst of a dark mystery when a magical scroll is stolen and a librarian murdered. Can she uncover who’s behind it all in time to recover the scroll and help her mentor before its too late?
The Bibliophile Chronicles 