I’d like to thank NetGalley and Zaffre UK for approving me for an ARC of this book. This was one of my highly anticipated read of 2023 and it did not disappoint.

Told from two POV we follow the lives of Anna and Ingeborg as they both try to survive during a time where every woman can be suspected of witchcraft. Out of the two women’s stories I felt more drawn to Ingeborg’s. After losing her father and brother she becomes the glue that’s holding her family together. Her mother is withdrawn and her younger sister Kirsten depends on her for survival. Even before the main action of the story started Ingeborg showed her tenacity and strength in the face of adversary, I feel we all have a little of Ingeborg in us, waiting to be unleashed.

Anna was an interesting woman with an even more interesting background. I loved her knowledge of herbs and medicine and how she helped others through their ailments. My heart broke for her when she experienced her own heartbreak and I think it is these events that made her come across as quite cold at times. She soon finds herself in a difficult situation, one no one wishes to be in.

This story is seeped in history, magic and family. It explores the complex relationships between mothers and daughters and how fellow women treated one another. Loyalty and unity are truly tested and female empowerment is at the forefront of this story. I was captivated from the first page and barely came up for air whilst exploring this dark and twisted part of history.

Based on true events The Witches of Vardø is heart wrenchingly beautiful and perfect for the witchy fans out there.

The story is inspired from the real events of 16th Century in Vardo (the easternmost town in Norway). With glimpses of actual history run Ning in parallel with the storyline is this book that will take you in world filled with real atrocities of male dominance.

Though there is no mention of actual magic or witchcraft, the book is narrated from multiple PoVs showcasing how the most ordinary occurance could make into the checklist of being a witch. To name a few: Drinking Alcohol, Dancing, sharp tongue e.t.c. The book was overall quite engaging but it lost me after the first half somewhere with a mixture of different narratives told together. But it got me back towards the end when it started tying the loose ends and something very unexpectedly sad happened 🤫🤐

Personal thought:
I really think that when men have forced physical relations with maidens claiming ' The girl/women lured them into it because they were witches pissed by Devils charms'.... Those men should have been burned on stakes too! It enrages me to read such things and the more I read, I feel the lesser aware I was about the history of this world 🌎🌍


Thankyou @netgalley @manilla_press and for the amazing Digital ARC

Genre: #historicalfiction #womensfiction
Rating: 4/5 ⭐

⚠️ Please read the trigger warnings