On Christmas Eve, 1617, the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø is thrown into a reckless storm. As Maren Magnusdatter watches, forty fishermen, including her father and brother, are lost to the waves, the menfolk of Vardø wiped out in an instant. Now the women must fend for themselves. Eighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives. Summoned from Scotland to take control of a place at the edge of the civilized world, Absalom Cornet knows what he needs to do to bring the women of Vardø to heel. With him travels his young wife, Ursa. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa finds something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty and terrible evil, one he must root out at all costs.

What another astonishing read this is. Set in Norway, we begin with village devastation as the men die and we end the read with the darkness and desperation of witch trials. Hargrave does a spectacular job at bringing to life the feelings of loss, anguish and torment and I was living all the emotions the characters were experiencing. This is darker than Hargrave's other books but rest assured it is just as gripping and absorbing. We also have the beautiful illustrations that I have come to expect in Hargrave's books and always love.

There is a lot to this plot and I loved immersing myself in all of its dark glory. This is incredibly exciting and I loved following all the events. Of course, artistic licence is used but it still reads as true and fitting to the time. What a location this is as well, perfectly reflecting the gloomy atmosphere and the desperation of the characters. It is both beautiful and eerie.

Hargrave's characters are equally as stunning. Getting to know them was a joy. They are a hardy bunch of women who go through a lot in this book and the reader goes through everything with them. There is a good mix of status and personalities and they all bring excitement to the read.

'The Mercies' is another sensational read from Hargrave. A stunning location with a desperate, twisting plot that you just know is going to end badly. What a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for an advance copy.

This is a dark compelling read. It shows the best and the worst in humanity. This is a dark period of history when people were accused of being witches. In this story the accusers were probably trying to save themselves. This book is really well written and has obviously been very well researched. There are some strong interesting characters and it will stay in my head for some time.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The Mercies is a strong, suffocating tale made the more so by the direct, simple approach to the storytelling and the undeniable horror of the events in the book.

Set in early 17th century isolated Finnmark, the story starts simply enough, with a direct approach reminiscent of children's writings. Men drown, women survive, and the story quickly becomes darker and more sinister.

Maren, the main character, is a strong young woman making her own way in her restricted life, having lost father, son and fiancee in an unnatural storm. We read about her friendships, family and loves as she rails against the dour and strict expectations of the times.

Events in the book are based on factual records of the time, but the author brings these facts to life in a devastating and disturbing way, highlighting the horror and the distress of the characters in the mundane and the less mundane events that happen around them.

The sinister tone is so well-maintained, and the women in the book are subjected to actions that they hadn't seen coming and that are so devastating to many of their lives.

Given the time and strangeness and distance between us and the events in the book, the author does an amazing job of showing how these women must have led their lives. By the end of the book you really care for the characters and want to see them settled, whilst realising this is probably not going to happen.

Overall the story is beautifully told, the story is so evocative, and the book stays with you long after reading.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the pleasure of reading an advance copy.

Gosh this is a good book! I devoured it. It's tense and atmospheric without being flowery - the author creates a bubbling cauldron of emotions with very few words. Beautifully written and gripping from start to finish.

** spoiler alert ** Set on an island left grief stricken when 40 of the men folk die at sea,and the women are left to fend for themselves.
Which was tough,back in the day when wearing trousers was considered to be a sin.
Excellent central characters,both struggling to adapt to their circumstances,finding friendship with each other (my one grievance is I wished it had just been friendship)
Set against a backdrop of social climbing,overly religious women and witchcraft,the book has tension and pace a plenty.
Really rather good.

In one freak storm, almost all the men and fishing fleet of Vardo were wiped out, leaving the women to fend for themselves. Despite the disapproval of their priest, they began to do the work that the men had done in order to survive. But the new Lensman, a Scot, has appointed another Scot to come and oversee the community - and Absalom Cornett is not sympathetic to the women. He was involved in witch trials in Scotland, and is determined to root out any hint of non-conformity in the village as witchcraft - particularly relating to the local Sami traditions.

Maren saw the storm, and she supported Kirsten as her friend became the unofficial leader of the village. It's also Maren who befriends Ursula, Absalom's new wife. Ursula is the daughter of a merchant from Bergen and is unprepared for the realities of life in a small house with no help in Vardo. She's also lonely, and gets little comfort from her husband. But when Kirsten is accused of witchcraft, and divisions in the village grow, is it possible for Ursula and Maren's friendship to survive?

I know little about the background in Norway at this time, but this was a fascinating read. As a picture of how easy it is to divide a previously tight-knit community, quickly riven by jealousy, it's compelling, and although it was obvious what must be going to happen to Kirsten I was still shocked when it did. The sense of place in the book is strong, and the characters are well drawn and appealing. I'm still thinking about bits of it!

I've enjoyed Kiran Millwood Hargrave's other books, and if this is an example of her writing for adults then I look forward to more of it!

A gorgeous, totally atmospheric and compelling story. The characters were so fully-fleshed that I found myself holding my breath at times. I loved the eerie element in the background, along with the suspicions and fears. the bleakness of the Norwegian setting was so strong, and I enjoyed reading a book from an era with events I knew little about.

What a powerful novel this is. I had no previous knowledge of the witch trials in Vardo, Norway. The Salem witch trials are widely known about but these events in Vardo seem to have been overshadowed.
The author really brings this whole sorry period in human history to life with powerful characters, description of the area and meticulous research.
It is a book that will stay with me. The mark of any good historical novel for me is when I want to learn more about the actual events and this novel does just that.
My thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for this copy.

This was a fantastic atmospheric novel about the repercussions of the witch hunts encouraged by King James VI and enflamed across Europe, right down to a tiny Norwegian village. I understand from the author's notes that this book was partly inspired by the Witches' Monument, a memorial that stands in rememberance of the women and men who were persecuted and killed during this dark time.
I was fascinated with the relationships in this book. The women are all such strong characters and even though as a modern reader one knows that the verdicts always end in tragedy it was a real joy to follow the development of each person in the village. From a stranger to a holy man to a husband to a zealot, Absalom is a genuinely terrifying character by the end. That said it is the women, with their strength and their flaws and their enduring love that make The Mercies a heartbreakingly compelling work.

The storm brings more than just rain! A thrilling tale of change, independence and control! A fantastic narrative with inspirational female protagonists who work to defy the odds!

Wow! What a truly heart wrenching novel. Never before has a book so utterly destroyed my soul, and based on true events ,no less!
Maren is such a complex and deep character, whose emotions play with my own. I especially loved seeing how her relationship with the other women on the island changed over the 18 months after the storm. Her friendship with Diinna was especially interesting to see, as Maren truly adores the cold hard sorcerers daughter.
Another element in this book that I loved was all the talk of omens and signs, Maren’s dreams with the whale were truly haunting.
I’d say my favourite scenes were the ones at the beginning where Maren visits the boathouse to see the swelling bodies of the dead men, they were chilling and so upsetting to see her loved ones bodies so destroyed and ruined.
This book goes straight to the top of my favourites list and I’d recommend this book to anybody who wants an empowering and beautiful novel to read.

Kiran Millwood Hargrave's latest book shows just how violent men can become when women attempt to claim their equal share of power and control. When a preternatural storm sinks an entire fishing fleet, the surviving women have no choice but to take up oars and fish for themselves. This break in tradition prompts the church to call in a witchfinder. While he holds daily meetings with the village gossips, his new wife forms a bond with one of the grieving women.
Milwood Hargrave skilfully brings Medieval Norway to life; the text is peppered with Norwegian words and references to religious and spiritual practises that are part of the village's daily life. Hargrave avoids 'infodumping' and instead allows us to adjust to village life slowly through sights, sounds and smells. Just as we have become familiar with the village, the witchfinder and his wife arrive along with their 'big city' prejudices. We realise how small and dark the village looks to an outsider, and how suspicious the women (with their carved runes, woven poppets and men's trousers) must seem. Many authors idealise 'rustic' living; Hargraves confronts the hardships that her village women face without judging their 'provincial' way of life. The wealthy burghers' attempts to keep the village ignorant and under the spell of the church begin to fail as the women become more self-sufficient, and their only recourse to power is torture and burning. The book demonstrates how much those in power fear those without, and what lengths they are willing to go to to make sure they remain at the top at the pile.

Kiran's writiting is so beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was interesting to read it as I had taken my daughter to hear her speak at the Southbank Festival. I can't wait to read her next book.

Some books linger long after you finish them; the scenes and characters replaying endlessly, thoughts of what might happen next haunting you. The Mercies is one of those books and although it’s a fictionalised account and the characters are indeed not real, it’s based on true events.

It’s Christmas in a remote part of Norway (which may now be Finland) and the women of a small village on a small island watch in horror as a storm blows up out of nowhere and wipes out all the menfolk. Their grief divides them, some turning to the church and piety tinged with malice and suspicion, others in time choosing action and self-sufficiency. But their king is watching James VI in Scotland with admiration and decides it’s time to weed out witchcraft in his own kingdom. The north of his country, where the Sami practice their ancient religion is the obvious place to start. And when the Commissioner he puts in place hears about a village full of women he knows there’s only one reason for the unnatural storm: witches.

The story follows two different women, Ursula has been married to the new Commissioner’s newly installed overseer, a zealous, sadistic man. She’s left her comfortable home in Bergen and her poorly sister to try and eke out a living in a harsh landscape she doesn’t understand. But in this landscape she makes a friend, Maren, a woman who lost her father, brother and fiancé in the storm. The two women grew ever closer but when Marron’s friends come under suspicion and her Sami my sister-in-law refuses to when attend church events overwhelm them.

This is a compelling, uncomfortable book about grief, friendship, love, hatred and what happens when differences divide us. Knowing it’s based on a true story makes reading and understanding the cycle of events even harder, even as vivid writing pulls you deeper in. Haunting, beautiful and devastating, this is that this is an unforgettable read.

I found this quite hard to read, the stylised writing almost too complex to easily enjoy, every sentence needed 'chewing' because of the amount of words. Almost felt like it was trying to be too clever, so whilst I tried to focus on the convoluted descriptions the story began to get lost - I had to read lots of it twice to ensure the words had gone in and then the plot.
It was interesting and I enjoyed the unravelling of the relationships between the women - lots of deep-seated emotions and history - and the setting was great, really stark and bleak - but again the amount of different descriptions to describe it started to get tiresome.
Still I am sure because of the fascination with the Nordics and Scandis right now I'm probably in the minority.

As a fan of Kiran Millwood Hargrave's middle grade novels, I was curious to see how she would approach an adult target audience. From the opening pages, it was clear the transition would be seamless, losing none of the magic of her children's fiction.

This is a wonderfully crafted Nordic novel, atmospheric without ever losing touch of its human heart. It's not a sweeping historical epic, despite its majestic and brutal setting: instead, 'The Mercies' explores the themes of suspicion and trust, love and fear, through the eyes of two women caught up in the insular politics of a small town at the edge of the world. Character is at the heart of the storytelling here, and I felt I had a real sense of how these characters lived, and how their world could shape and break them.

Simply put, 'The Mercies' is as poetic and powerful as the casting of a spell. It's one of those stories that will stay with me.

Well written and compelling story.

This book isn’t one you just forget about once you have read, the story lingers and the more you think about it the better you realise it is.

A island of Women,
Ok Christmas Eve a storm suddenly appeared and changes things forever, 40 of the men are killed in the storm whilst fishing with the desperate Women watching on from the land unable to do anything. The year is 1617 and we are in island off of Norway called Vardo. However you can learn that from the books description what you won't learn is how great this book is, how well written, how hooked you will be once you turn to the first page
Maren is a local who lost her Dad, Brother and fiance in that fatal storm and hence her world along with many other women is changes forever. They are forced to do jobs only men should like taking the boats out to fish. Only men should according to the religious rules of the country but stomachs won't be filled waiting for someone to swop in and save the day. The Church Minister seems to disprove (he also used to fish with the men even though he didn't have to), but in truth he knows it is to survive as opposed to the breaking of the rules or traditional customs that far too many hold on to even today.
After 18 months Absalom arrives (the same name as the son of King David that arose up to try and take his crown in the Bible). He has a mission and has been hand picked for the job. On route he collects a wife from a ship owner in Bregon. She is young and beautiful Ursa but has to leave behind her sick 13 year old sister which is a wrench but she has little choice. Vardo is a big shock to her system and were before she had servants now it is her duty to wash and cook which she has never had to do before so doesn't know how. And she arrives without a coat to cope with the severe weather in Vardo. As with most groups of people there are two camps and here is no difference the religious fighting the none, most go to the Church but that doesn't stop some being labelled witches and we'll you need to read this to find out what happens
What follows is a captivating novel that is totally believable and one you will not regret buying in my opinion. And one you won't want miss out on.

Thank you to Picador and NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

I had previously read Hargrave's YA novel and enjoyed her writing style but The Mercies sees Hargrave transition seamlessly into adult fiction.

This is historical fiction at its best and would make for a wonderful Winter/early Spring read - it is atmospheric and the landscape is described beautifully and you can truly imagine yourself there. The life and hardship of the women fits well with the setting and the relationships between them feel very real and true to form.

I cannot wait to see what Hargrave does next.

4/5.

Maren, a young Norwegian woman, betrothed to a fisherman in the tiny island of Vardo, witnesses a literal storm which destroys half of her village and a metaphorical one which lays waste to her future. Ursa, the well-bred but naive daughter of a Bergen merchant is handed over in marriage to a dour Scottish witchfinder who takes her to Vardo where she meets Maren and finds her only ally in the troubles which ensnare them both.

I read this novel in barely three sittings, spellbound by the horror and the raw beauty of the setting as well as the gorgeous, visceral prose. Hargrave is unsparing in her narrative but full of empathy for the innocents caught up in the madness of 17th century witchcraft hysteria. I will defintely look out for more from this writer.