Deep in the Scottish Highlands resides a captivating story of forbidden magic, forbidden love, and pacts with the fae. Shona Kinsella’s Daughters of Nicnevin is a wonderfully quaint tale of queer romance and witchy magic set against the backdrop of the Scottish Highlands in the 18th Century.
It features some deeply flawed and complex characters, and an ever-present dread brought about by the setting and the core premise, and delivers well as a romance, but also as a dark tale of forbidden magic in a time of God-fearing and beneath the spectre of the recently outlawed Witch Trials.
Verdict at a glance
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Genre: Historical Fantasy / Romance
Perfect for: Readers who love the gritty Scottish folklore of Outlander combined with dark, atmospheric witchcraft and perilous fae magic. If you crave slow-burn queer romance, morally complex characters, and high-stakes psychological tension, add Daughters of Nicnevin to your TBR immediately.
Daughters of nicnevin
Daughters of Nicnevin is a brilliantly executed slow-burn queer romance built on a dynamic that is beautifully complex and layered. It is precisely these nuanced power dynamics that lend the love between Constance and Mairead a profound, real-life grounding. They are not simple archetypes, but deeply human, authentically flawed women. The result is an exceptionally believable depiction of devotion under the most challenging circumstances. The way their initial, cautious dance to discover whether the other is a witch serves as a poignant allegory for the dangers of queer existence in an age of persecution is both clever and deeply moving.
The seamless integration of real historical events surrounding the Jacobite uprising, combined with the author’s evident and meticulous research, grounds the narrative in a palpable historical truth that elevates the fantastical elements.
Complex, fascinating witches
Constance is a truly fascinating protagonist. As the layers of her character are peeled back, her unpredictability and guarded nature keep you constantly guessing about her true motives and her awareness of the magnetic pull she has on those around her. Her vulnerabilities and internal struggles make her a wonderfully realistic character. Rather than a traditional, easily digestible heroine, she is painted with such uncompromising honesty that she commands your attention on every page. Constance is a deeply complex figure with endless narrative potential.
Mairead, by contrast, provides a grounding presence with her remarkable maturity and emotional stability. She is the anchor Constance so desperately needs, creating a captivating pull between complementary opposites that drives the emotional heart of the story.
The ever-present dread of things going wrong
While the core premise is simple on paper, the narrative direction never relies on predictable storytelling beats. It’s not an “if” things go wrong, it’s a “when”; this is something you can predict from reading the blurb alone. And so, the chapters are infused with an edge-of-your-seat tension and an ever-present sense of dread. As Constance and Mairead navigate countless obstacles to protect their home, every near-miss is charged with the gripping question of when will the proverbial bomb go off. This creates an immersive, breath-holding intensity that makes the book tough to put down.
When the climax finally arrives, it lands with tremendous emotional payoff, striking in ways that are both thrilling and entirely unexpected. Despite its beautifully focused premise, Daughters of Nicnevin reveals an expansive depth, offering ample room to surprise, delight, and deeply move its reader.
final thoughts: complex & Wonderful
Daughters of Nicnevin is a triumphant piece of dark historical fantasy that dares to embrace the messy, morally gray complexities of love and survival. By weaving rich Scottish history with chilling folklore and an intoxicating, slow-burn romance, the author has crafted an immersive world that lingers in the mind long after the final page. For readers who crave atmospheric tension, intricate character dynamics, and a deeply satisfying, emotionally resonant conclusion, this brilliant novel is an absolute must-read.