Historical fiction and witch trials this is my kind of book. Beautifully written and I was immediately transported back to the 17th century. So atmospheric and this author knows how to set the scene. A touch of romance and a very eye opening insight into these women's lives and how they were treated. It certainly did not pay to be a woman of strong character in this book. Loved it and almost five stars.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

So, as usual, I had no idea that this was an actual thing that happened before I read the synopsis of the book and trust me, the fact that the witch trials were real just made me sadder.

The book starts right off the bat with the horrific storm that took the lives of almost all of the men of Vardo. It leaves behind the women who have to start working on their own to survive the winter and it is so vividly shown in the book. The desperation, the grief, the fear of everyone who lost someone. Then there’s the divide between the women as some of them slowly start to actually work and the rest of them are fearful of God not deeming it a womanly task and fearing the God’s wrath in return.

Still, the women still work and start to actually look after themselves without too much struggle when the word comes that Absalom Cornet is coming to their village to put it to rights. Absalom is a god-fearing man and absurdly strict about how things should be. He comes from Scotland and he already has a plan as to how to make the women of Vardo see sense. He’s also a ‘witch-finder’ which is not a well known fact around Vardo.

The main character, Maren, is one of the women from the village. She lost her father and her brother along with her betrothed to the storm and Absalom’s wife, Ursa, is the second main character. Where Maren is still trying to wrap her mind around the grief and loss and the politics of her village, Ursa comes from a genteel home and hasn’t had it easy either. She’s trapped in a loveless marriage with Absalom and doesn’t know what to do about it.

Coming from completely different places in their life as well as a societal place, Maren and Ursa find themselves comfortable in each other’s company and even though their haven is very limited in its strength, it’s nothing compared to the different kind of storm that Absalom is about to bring to the village.

It is written with such a vivid imagery that we can see the desperation of the women, the poverty they are facing if nothing is done about the fishing. It is not a happy read but it is absolutely worth reading at least once because it’s hauntingly beautiful and it is based on the real events that happened, too. It’s actually a little bit more horrifying once you remember it while you are reading.

Well this book pretty much broke my heart from start to finish in the best ways.

The darkness in this book is within the rumors of witchcraft, not the 'witches' themselves but what people do when they throw around such a dangerous word in the 1600s. I could not believe how starkly written this was, it's like the minimalist of novels but while giving you enough details to paint this beautiful, albeit sad, portrait in your mind.

Hargrave gives us a love story to deepen the emotions of this novel, it is a perfect love story, a touch of tragedy and joy, of the emotional rollercoaster of what it means to love, and the perfect way to make readers weep with the beauty of it. I know, I sound dramatic but it is 1 am and I am sat here overwhelmed by the love in the story.

It's a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of witch trials, love, and the cruelty of people and the sea.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for an eARC of this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a sumptuously written debut adult fantasy/historical fiction story. Like with The Deathless Girls, Hargrave’s writing had me spell-bound. Every word felt like it had been delicately chosen to then have the most impact. It’s such a well-crafted story of small town claustrophobia, paranoia and witchcraft that I struggled to tear myself way from.

Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Bergensdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Northern town of Vardø must fend for themselves.

Three years later, a sinister figure arrives. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty evil.

As Maren and Ursa are pushed together and are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence.

Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1620 witch trials, THE MERCIES is a feminist story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.

In Marin and Ursa, Hargrave has crafted two unforgettable characters - quietly strong women struggling to survive in an oppressively patriarchal society, where the slightest mistake leads to a tangled web of accusations and rumours. I really liked how slowly the net drew in, despite being able to see its edges early on. It created a sense of oncoming dread that kept me utterly hooked.

In addition to this, at the heart of this story there is a beautiful, slow-burn f/f romance that I loved watching build subtly. The little hints and glances culminate in a lovely scene that I really enjoyed.

Full review to come on my blog.

Christmas Eve, 1617. A storm comes to the Norwegian island of Vardø. All of the islands men are lost to the sea. In time, a new way of life emerges for the women left behind, and they adapt to a world without men. But soon enough they realise that the mainland has not forgotten them, and a new commissioner is sent to regain control, bringing with him his new bride and a singular agenda - to destroy the evil he believes has taken over Vardø.

The book follows the perspective of two women - Maren, a native of the island who lost her father, brother and fiancé in the storm; and Ursa, the commissioners new wife, a sheltered young woman who is stunned by the independence the women of Vardø experience. Ursa is not introduced until a little way into the novel, by which point I must admit I was struggling a bit. I’ve never read anything by this author before, and perhaps because of the time the book is set in it did take some time to get used to the writing style. But what I as first read as stilted and awkward soon became lyrical and beautiful, so if you’re only a short way in and a bit unsure I would definitely recommend continuing! To me, the book really picked up once you begin to get Ursa's perspective as well as Maren's, as her chapters offer something completely different to Maren's.

Okay, in this next bit I will be discussing an aspect of the plot that is a bit of a spoiler – I’ll be as vague as possible, and to hide the relevant bits with a spoiler warning, but I would still please ask you not to read on unless you read the book, or unless you’re happy to have part of the plot spoiled for you.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

So, as other reviewers have commented, their is a romance in this one, and it is of the instalove variety. Personally, I didn't see this as an issue, as if felt less like traditional YA instalove, and more of a case that the speed and intensity of the attraction was due to the circumstances and environment they were in. I did see another review where it stated that it was a tad predictable to have a lesbian relationship in a book like this, and I will admit that I do agree. But while it was a bit predictable, it didn't feel overly forced, just a bit flat and 'oh of course'.

I also felt like more of the focus could have been on the witch trial element of the novel - this was sort of thrown in at the end, and if I'm honest it was this element of the novel which I found most interesting, so it was a shame that it didn't have the full focus of the novel. I think this is because more of the witchcraft part of the book is told at the same time as the romance is, and sadly more of the focus is on romance not witchcraft. What I really wanted was for the commissioner to come in earlier, so that more of the book could have been seeing how the divides in the town gradually escalated into accusations and paranoia. But that it just due to my own strong interest in books about witch trials, so more of a personal preference that a real criticism.

All in all, this was definitely an enjoyable read. It's completely different to anything I've read before, and while it was a tad sluggish at the start, it did hugely improve as it went on. While I enjoyed the feminist twist on island life and the mindset it encourages in its inhabitants, it did feel a tad stilted at times, but it is still one that I would recommend for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

*Sighs into infinity*

Rightio, I was really excited to read this book. I feel like Hargrave has the coolest sounding books and I'm always really pumped to read them.

HOWEVER, I felt the same disappointment reading this as I did reading The Deathless Girls in that it didn't live up to the premise or my expectations.

This book is based on the true story of the Vardo storm and ensuing witch trials. I'll be completely honest and say I had never heard of these events so I can't say how accurate the plot is to real life.

The book reminded me a bit of The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea and Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Not just because of the Scandinavian-esque feel to it, but it covered some of the same themes of brutality, patriarchy and prejudice.

The book suffered from exactly the same issues I have encountered in Millgrave's other work. The book starts strong then has a huge plot sag in the middle which made me lose interest. I got to around 40% before the creeping death feeling started and I stopped looking forward to reading it.

The main relationship felt like a rehash of the same relationship in the Deathless Girls. Two people with barely any chemistry experience instalove and get themselves into some real bother. Sadly they don't even turn into vampires in this one.

I think I may have to say 'it's not you, it's me' to Millgrave. I can't say this is a bad book by any means but it just wasn't for me sadly.

This book took me out of my comfort zone. Set in 17th century Norway it follows the story of Maren and Ursa. Maren lives in a remote area of Norway, where a great storm has decimated their men, and Ursa is married to a man who is sent to Maren's village to bring order to the predominantly female inhabitants. For me the story was slow at the beginning but I'm pleased I persevered. I loved the author's description of the lives of the women and the impact of Ursa arriving in the village with her husband.

**Review**
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Eighteen months after a devastating storm takes the men of Vardo, a sinister figure arrives to take control of the village and its woman.
As a book inspired by real life historic witch trials, it instantly caught my attention. I really enjoyed this book. I loved the development of the two main characters and their relationship.
It did take me a while to get into and I think that was partly due to the writing style, but after about 30% I became familiar with it and I was hooked. It is a steady story with no real dramatics until the end section. I can see that some may view this as a slow burner, but I really enjoyed the steady development and unraveling of this historic tale.
I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction that enjoy a little romance and bags of developing tension.

Two years after its hotly competitive 13 way auction, Kiran Millwood Hargrave's highly anticipated The Mercies, is finally being released.

On a remote island off the coast of Norway, a remote fishing village, Vardø, is ravaged by an unforeseen storm. All of the village's men are lost, save the very young, and so alongside their mourning, these women must defy the morals and social mores of the time to survive the bleak conditions and permanent darkness of winter. Meanwhile, influences from King James mean that the village will soon be subject to the rule of men who seek to maintain traditions, and persecute those who do not abide. These women, who are fighting for survival, are now at the mercy of those who would deem them witches, and see them burnt for their supposed crimes.

From the initial crack of the storm, this story is seductive and entrancing. There is simultaneously a pervading sense of mystery and magic, as well as a grounding sense of realism. The main narrative follows the perspectives of two very different young women, Maren, one of the villagers, who struggles alongside her family, and Ursa, a young woman from the town Bergen, who is whisked away from her sheltered life when she is married off to the commissioner who brings his witch hunts to Vardø. The tale that unfolds is a moving, heart breaking account of female agency, friendship, love, and belief. Millwood Hargrave has cleverly infused the novel with a strong sense of feminism, without falling into the trap of preaching or becoming didactic.

The research behind the novel is evident, as the tale is packed with history and culture, from the tales of witch trials to the beliefs of the Sami, with runes and rituals. The story treads a fine line between magic and reality, never confirming or dispelling the possibilities posed. It holds a mystery throughout, and is refreshingly original, keeping you guessing until the end. The Mercies is an absolutely stunning work of feminist fiction which will captivate your mind as well as your heart.

The beautiful, lyrical writing in this novel makes the shocking events even more visceral and the glimmers of love and hope are very much needed.
Thank you to netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of this book.

I feel as if I was holding my breath as I was reading this incredible book. Set in a remote north Norwegian community in the 17th century, it is based on a real life witch hunt. The novel opens with a freak storm, the like of which no one has experienced before, that kills the men of Vardø as they head out to sea. Now inhabited almost entirely by women, the dynamics of Vardø change. Some, such as the strong and capable Kirsten, become natural leaders, helping the community survive. Others draw back into the security of the church and wait for men to come and save them. And a man does come in the form of Absalom, a Scot chosen to come to this land because of his prominent role in a witch trial in his home country. He brings with him a new wife, Ursa, from Bergen who is a stranger to him and completely unprepared for life in the North. Maren who loses her father, her brother and her betrothed in the storm, forms a friendship with Ursa, as she teaches her household skills so she can cook and keep warm in the bleak environment. For Maren, who really cannot spare the time, it is at first an escape from the cramped and miserable home she shares with her now grieving mother. In a room attached to Maren’s home lives Diinna, her brother’s widow and their baby. Diinna, a Sami without the protection of her husband and depressed after the birth of her son, iis one of the first to fall under suspicion of witchcraft as the community fractures. Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s brilliant storytelling carries the reader through this dark tale.. The sense of time and place is beautifully evoked and there are also strong parallels with today in its depiction of intolerance and hatred of difference. There is a heartbreaking love story at its centre which lightens the story without diminishing the gravity of the subject.

Based on true life, this is the story of a remote island people in 1617 Norway, and how they are persecuted following a freak storm that results in all their menfolk being killed.
The women are left to quietly look after themselves until the arrival of a new commissioner, Absalom Cornet. His job is to ensure that all the women go to church, and those that don’t he seeks out as witches.
Absalom’s new wife, Ursa, has been taken from her home in Bergen, and a relatively comfortable life, to the harsh living in Vardo. She makes friends with Maren, a young women who lost her betrothed in the storm, and they support each other.
It is very easy to imagine the bleak setting and the struggles the women have. As the tensions on the island increase Ursa and Maren have some difficult decisions to make.
A beautifully written story in a brutal and unforgiving landscape.
Thank you to Kiran Millard Hargraves, Net Galley and the publisher, Picador for an ARC.

A brutal, harsh and uncomfortable read about two women caught between a merciless sea and equally merciless men. There's so much beauty and tenderness at its heart, I loved it.

I could not put this book down. It is brilliant and bought up all sorts of emotions when reading it. From the way the women are treated and the absolute blinded way that Christianity was forced upon people during that time of the world was shocking. Highly recommend this book. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Christmas Eve, 1617, and the women folk of Vardo, Norway, are left devastated after all their men are killed one night in a terrible storm while out fishing at sea.  Life wasn't exactly easy before the forty men died and now the women have to find ways to carry on by themselves. 

Meanwhile, Ursa is living in Bergen with her invalid sister and merchant father.  Ursa's mother passed away a few years earlier and life has taken a downward turn for the family both emotionally and financially. But suddenly Ursa is to marry Commissioner Absalom Cornet.  A god-fearing man originally from Scotland who has during the last few years travelled from his homeland 'doing god's work'.  And, unbeknown to Ursa, hunting witches. 

Immediately after the marriage the couple set sail for the Commissioner's new post on the island of Vardo, where he has been told there lives a group of women sorely in need of god's guidance. Suffice it to say no one in Vardo is prepared for the Commissioner's arrival.  And poor delicate Ursa is definitely not prepared for what awaits her on that stark little island. 

This is an extremely bleak but beautifully written story, inspired by true events.  A heartbreaking story about women and their bonds of love and friendship and also about the cruelty done to them by others and to one another.  An unforgettable read.

Christmas Eve 1617 off the coast of Norway and Maren watches as 40 fishermen, including her Father, brother and betrothed are fishing. In a sudden storm their boats are swamped and the men all drown. The women have to learn how to survive alone in their village, and do so for 18 months. They take up the tasks the men previously performed, they learn to fish and provide for the other women of the village. They see why trousers are preferable to long skirts. This is a desolate environment and very simple lifestyle and the sense of that is expertly conveyed.
Ursa, daughter of a merchant lives with her Father and sister who is unwell. Brought up in the city and looked after by maids, Ursa’s life is not that of a spoilt young woman, but she can expect to be waited upon. Apart from her younger sister, she lacks a female role model, her Mother having died. This means she is unprepared when he Father suddenly announces he has selected an appropriate husband for her and marries her off to Absalom Cornet. Cornet is being sent to the Norwegian village as he has made a reputation for himself and the authorities are pleased with his work.
On arrival in the village, the women once more have their lives turned upside down when men arrive and assume dominance. Ursa has to learn to live, not only as a wife, but also on her own, never having been taught housekeeping tasks. Maren offers to help, and the two women thrown together each help one another in different ways.
This novel is inspired by real events and subtly demonstrates the racism of indigenous people – the Sami or Lapps as well as the sexism, completely normal at that time. It is a novel of women supporting other women, although also damning them once men arrive on the scene. Before modern day women judge, many of us would not be able to survive the way these women did four hundred years ago.

This is a fascinating tale, inspired by the witch trials that followed a devastating storm in  1621 off the northern Norwegian coast. Vardø is a small island on the far northeastern edge of Norway and is almost a character itself in this book. 

This is a tale told from the POV of two women. Maren is a local to Vardø and her betrothed was one of the 40 men to drown in the storm, she is strong and resilient and is doing just fine thank you very much until a Scottish commissioner and his young wife from Dresden appear and everything changes.

Ursula, this young wife and our second POV and is utterly unprepared for life in Vardø. The two women form an unlikely friendship and support each other as things take a much darker turn.

This is a book where all the men are either downright evil or alternatively ineffective and weak.  The women are either strong and resourceful or bitchy and jealous.  It shows quite graphically how the women of this time where utterly dependant on their menfolk and how to be independent and self-reliant was seen as unnatural and repugnant, and something to be strongly discouraged. 

This also shows how medieval Christianity attempted to suppress the old religion of the region's nomadic people and how the everyday usage of protective runes and other folk magic was interpreted as a sign of witchcraft.

At its heart, this is a love story, not a conventional one, and as you would expect from the setting it does not end well but watching our two pov characters get closer provides a welcome contrast for what is happening in the town and surroundings.

The characters of the two women are very well rounded and very much three dimensional.  The character of the commissioner was also fairly strong, and he makes a very convincing villain.

The ending provided a lovely touch of hope, to make it not totally dark.  Its all down to how optimistic the reader was feeling, and I like that.  
Overall this is a strong transition into adult literature, and I will be looking out for more from her.

I did plan to read this over Christmas, as it opens on Christmas Eve. However, after reading a bit more about the plot and realising it’s the story of a massive storm that drowns loads of people, and is based on a true story, I thought I’d leave it to the New Year.

Maren is a young Norwegian woman who lives on the remote island of Vardø in the mid 17th century. She, her mother and sister in law are witness to a freak storm which blows up in the harbour, drowning most of their men and leaving only the babies and the old. Well, that’s what it says in the beginning, although I don’t remember there being any old men in the story.

Aside from her brother and father, Maren also loses her betrothed, and the promise of a new house, out of the cramped family home. The lack of men brings new challenges though, as the women need to learn to fish, to trade and barter with the visiting sailors and sellers in order to survive.

A man is assigned to the island to ensure that the rules are followed, that no improper conduct is taking place and most importantly – no ‘witchcraft’ is being practiced as the villagers share their land with the native Sami tribe. This is where the trouble begins, and where Maren meets her match.

I enjoyed the story, and the fact that it was based on true events was both interesting and chilling. The wider narrative around women’s rights and what they should and shouldn’t be allowed to do was compelling, especially in light of the politics of today, where the question still persists around what women should and shouldn’t be ‘allowed’ to do.

The lesbian relationship aspect felt just that, in all honesty. It didn’t have to be a lesbian encounter – it felt more like they were two lonely women looking for affection, and not that they had awakened their own true sexuality. The story was not really improved for it’s presence, and would not have suffered without it – they could easily have been close friends and found solace and comfort in each other’s company. On the other hand, I am still thinking about it a week after finishing it so maybe there is something else to it.

I would recommend this for fans of books set in historical times – not necessarily accurate though, as the author herself advises in the acknowledgements! I would also be interested in reading more of this author’s work.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Pan Macmillan, for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I thought this book was a little slow to start but I was still engaged with the story and it definitely ramped up towards the end. It's nice to see a (mostly) female story set in this time period, and the addition of an LGBTQ+ angle was also good. The belief that women, particularly women who manage to survive and thrive without men, have some sinister or witchlike qualities persists across the world in all time periods, so hearing a new angle on this based on historical fact is definitely very worthy. I thought the characters of Ursa and Maren were well-drawn, though I would have appreciated more time with Kirsten!

A fictional account of religious persecution set on a remote island in the Arctic circle in the17th century. A storm suddenly appears on Christmas Eve and the menfolk are our fishing and all are drowned. The womenfolk retrieve the bodies from the sea , have to bury the bodies and set about the tasks that need to be done to survive. It is felt that the storm was a result of witchcraft that is believed to be rife on the island culture. A Scotsman Absolum Cornet a renowned and sinister witch hunter is sent to the island . He arrived with his new wife Ursula who is totally unaware of his dark background. She is lonely and befriends an islander Maren. She tries to fit in to this strange life and is caught up in the strife.
The book is a slow burner giving an insight into the beliefs of the island people, their way of life set against religious persecution and supernatural beliefs. This is all related with feminist twist