ARC Review: Edinburgh Nights #5

Secrets of the First School by T.L. Huchu

Publication Date: December 2, 2025

Summary from NetGalley:

“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 secret: the first school of magic.

An ancient power is returning . . . and is hungry for revenge.

ARC provided by Tor Publishing via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

If you are looking for a dystopian urban fantasy series with a lot of heart, then look no further. The Edinburgh Nights series has a complex magical system, political intrigue, a cast of characters that you will fall in love with, ghosts, and a main character that you will have you rooting for. This final installment starts off a bit slow, but soon picks up until the wild ride that is that ending. I enjoyed this series and am a little sad that it is over, but satisfied with the ending.

Ropa has lived a very tough life, and now she is back for a second time. The book starts pretty much where the last one left off. I loved the depiction of the Other Place and her journey through it. Ropa finally meeting her father starts her on an unexpected journey to discover her origins and her role in the events that brought Dundas back from the dead. Ropa finally discovers her true powers in this book as well and becomes what she was always meant to be. Ropa is an amazing character and her growth throughout this series was well done. Her love for her sister is palpable and never wavers. I also adored her friendship with Pryra which never wavers throughout their journey.

The start of this book was a little bit on the slow, and confusing side. But once I got into the story, I was hooked. As this is the last book I don’t want to give too much of the story away, but things get complicated. There are lots of betrayals, political machinations, ghosts that tell secrets and of course magic. There are a couple of scenes here that are border on the horror side, so those of you who are squeamish should take care. But other than that the story was well done. The ending was a bit rushed and there is maybe a hint that there might be more stories set in this world which I would love.

This is the fifth book, so if you haven’t read the others in the series, please do not start here. Go back to the beginning, The Library of the Dead, which was a great start to this series. Those of you who are here for the ending, you won’t be disappointed.