As a resident of Norfolk myself, I’ve made several journeys across the fens, so I could relate to the potential it has for being eerie and atmospheric, beautiful in its bleakness, yet with the ability to pose a threat. This book hooked me with the setting, historical timeline and great characterisation.

The nuns’ commitment to an unorthodox way of life appeals as much as it can divide. Their convent is juxtaposed with the local community it serves. Here the sacred and the secular, the Christian and the pagan rub shoulders, and fear and superstition abide.

When rich, widowed Wulfrun becomes involved with the nuns, her presence is disruptive and divisive. She desperately seeks to find her young servant boy who vanished into the marshy mere. Her anxiety, and that of the community itself, is heightened by a doom-laden prophecy she shares.

Is Wulfun to be trusted? Is she a prophet, a seer, or a distressed woman causing trouble everywhere? Magnetic, charismatic, bold and brave she might be, but not everyone sees things her way, especially when she stays, joins the community, and wants to be Abbess herself.

Wulfrun becomes enamoured with Hilda, the infirmarian. The feelings are mutual. Their secret love grows and binds them closely together. Although it also makes Hilda feel torn between her duties and her desire as she wrestles with conflicting feelings.

The darkness encroaches. Hunger stalks them. Death lies at their doorstep. The misty mere rises up and floods their land and things get seriously out of hand. Who or what can save them? And who is willing to pay the price of becoming the sacrifice? This is a slow paced novel where these questions eventually find their answer. Grateful thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC.

as a lover of historical fiction and anything folk leaning, i was really excited to pick mere up. unfortunately, this book turned out to be not for me. i found it boring and slow paced. not much happened, and i didn’t like hilda (the fmc). these things made it really hard to continue reading. one thing i did really like was the setting.

This is an absolutely beautifully written historical story of the power of faith, and love beside the harsh brutality of existence back then. Throw into the mix religion, superstition and mystery that give the whole thing an eerie gothic feel. Excellent.

"I lift no weapon, but kill more than the bravest warrior.
I live on women’s tongues and in men’s minds. I am a spilt pot, a razed city.
I am light as air, heavy as stone. No leechbook has cures for me, nor heroes swords against me."

Mere is an accomplished atmospheric debut novel by Danielle Giles. With lyrical writing, she imbues a sense of creeping foreboding and entrapment transporting the reader to an isolated convent surrounded by marshlands and ice-cold water and less than 200 souls. The novel explores themes of faith, superstition, manipulation, sexuality and politics, narrated in lyrical prose, revealing a unique new voice in English literature. Giles has innate talent in blending historical fiction and folklore elements, creating a compelling narrative with superb imagery that makes you feel the dampness of the mere and looming presence of an ancient power. “I feel no evil in it. No good either. It is vast and old and slow.”

Giles excels at character development, with each character having their own distinctive voice - a literary accomplishment. Abbess Sigeburg is a stoic, controlling woman who will "strangle you with scripture and punishment and insist that you thank her." Wulfrun, a mysterious woman who arrives at the convent under difficult circumstances, her past shadowed by pain and betrayal. Hilda, the four-decade-old infirmarian, is deeply absorbed in the convent’s life carrying for the ill but still keeps a sharp, observant mind and tongue. I could go on and on with the list of well-written characters, but as previously said, Giles' characterisation is superb. Her prose is rich and immersive, balancing historical detail with an almost fairy-tale quality.

Mere is a story about women navigating the confines of a convent at the borders under the looming presence of the mere. Despite the convent’s strict religious structure, older, darker beliefs simmer beneath the surface. The presence of the mere, its mythology, and the fear it instils create a sense of unease. The whispers of curses, omens, and unnatural forces blur the lines between folklore and reality playing an essential part in the story. Early, on the way of the abbess' return from Gipeswick with a small company of travelers and food rations for the winter, a kid is lost near the mere, and the sisters are quick to assign supernatural blame: "The other sisters say that a devil has woken in the marsh, taken the boy for his own." setting ablaze a series of events contributing to the mass hysteria soon to be unleashed.

Giles’ prose is vivid and immersive, seamlessly weaving folklore into Christian tradition. “I know better than to tell him otherwise, though from what I have seen the water-elf disease pales the nails and dampens the eyes, none of which afflicts Oswy. And so I gather together the needed herbs, mixing them with ale and holy water and singing over them a charm.” The dialogue is sharp, the characterisation layered and the themes deeply resonant. While some readers may find the pacing slow, it serves the purpose of creating tension and danger. The novel explores the power dynamics between the sisters—with a caveat. Giles also questions how faith is weaponised, how suffering is framed as divine will, and how people in power use faith to manipulate. The convent’s hierarchy is a constant source of tension, with alliances and rivalries shaping the fate of the sisters. ”She is a little serpent who thinks I do not mark her poison.”

The novel is also unflinching in its portrayal of sexual desire - and some Christians may find it blasphemous even. The relationship between Hilda and Wulfrun is charged, sensual, and depicted with powerful language. "When I slide my face between her thighs and taste her sour-sweet cunt, I feel as if I would not care if they heard us all the way in Gipeswic." Giles does not shy away from rawness, and these moments of intimacy stand in stark contrast to the rigid, punishing atmosphere of the convent. Toward the end, secrets unravel and long-held resentments come to a final climax igniting a fiery rebellion. The final part is brutal, gripping and utterly satisfying, if eerie and subtle. It will require a moment of reflection to grasp the full meaning of this incredible novel.

Mere is a stunning, evocative novel that lingers long after the final page. It is a novel of power, faith, and manipulation told with exquisite prose and an unflinching eye for historical and emotional truth. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate historical fiction blended with folklore and queer representation.

Disclaimer: Thank you, Pan MacMillan and Danielle Giles for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Norfolk, 990. Hilda came as a bastard child to the convent that is lead by the strict abbess Sigeburg and is now the infirmarian. One day the proud Wulfrun joins them while she is searching for a missing servant boy Eadwig in the marshlands around the monastery. His disappearance sets in motion a series of disastrous events and Wulfrun begins to rebel against Sigeburg.

Mere begins as a strong story with the mystery of the missing Eadwig, rumors of a monster in the mere (marshlands), a curse and ongoing struggles in the monastery. But as quickly the story becomes a mess and I must admit I felt little sympathy for the characters. All the men are assholes in the book, the nuns are sex-crazed, no one takes responsibility and that makes for a lot of useless deaths. I don't really understand the moral of the story either I guess - the ending was one big question mark for me.

This is Giles' debut novel and it is certainly not badly written, I liked reading it. But the plot goes nowhere for me. Or maybe I should read it again to appreciate it more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

An eerie and moving gothic that often highlights the hypocrisy of organised religion. I enjoyed the perspective of the protagonist, Hilda, who after being raised in a convent is both naive and jaded in turn. Her often witty commentary on the struggles of her sisters with sin and propriety was a joy to read, and the ending was very satisfying. There were some unexpectedly heartbreaking moments, I wasn’t expecting such a rollercoaster of emotions. Wonderful book!

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC

I am not sure why it took me so long to read this book. 400 pages is usually the work of a 2 or 3 days for me. But this one took me 5. It's a compelling story about a convent in the Fens in 990AD; very atmospheric with a few excellent characters including the infirmarian Hilda and the newly arrived Wulfrun. The still early days of Christianity saw the people still worshipping and taking part in old practices alongside their Christian beliefs. It is not a Christian book. Not a lot really happens, but one assumes that such was the way of a cloistered life back then. What does happen is interesting and engaging although the couple of "sex scenes" were unneccessary in my opinion. I recommend this book. And thanks to NetGalley, the publsher and the author for the e-ARC to read and review. One last pont - I do think that the bright cover gives the wrong impression of this quite dark and gloomy story.

There's a lot to like abo0ut this book, a debut from Danielle Giles, but ultimately it misses the mark. Set in 990 AD in East Anglia in a remote convent in winter, it's atmospheric and conveys the hardships of the lives of the nuns and the rural community that surrounds them. A young boy goes missing in the marshlands that surround the community (The Mere) and old legends about the beast that lurks deep within the marsh resurface, leading to a supposed curse, death and devastation. Some of Giles' prose is beautiful -more like poetry in fact- when describing the countryside and the harsh conditions the nuns endure after flooding and fire destroy their winter food supplies. Unfortunately , that is just not enough to make up for its glaring faults. Faults that could have been corrected quite easily. It's clearly far too long, such that the lovely prose passages become something to survive rather than enjoy. They put a drag on the action, and encourage page flicking. You dont need them - get rid. The focus of the narrative slips around from one thing to another. It's hard to hold on to a narrative arc, character motivation and development. Some of the details of the plot are, frankly, ridiculous. I'm quite prepared to believe that old country pagan beliefs coexisted with Christianity in remote communities and it's also obvious that sexuality found expression here, even when the dominant religion tried to suppress it. However, it's a bit of a stretch to believe that there were regular drinking sessions and drug taking amongst the nuns, sexual relationships were rampant, and that the possession of a leather crafted dildo was just a bit of fun. Did nobody (the moral police of the nunnery for example) ever hear anything during the long dark nights? Or were the nuns just well-versed in silent drinking and sex sessions? The main problem though is that by the last third of the book, I just didnt care about the fate of any of them. I just wondered why it couldn't have been resolved 100 pages earlier. Danelle Giles can clearly write, and we will hear if her again, but a tighter edit is needed , I think. Again, I won't publish this review on my blog. Debut authors need public encouragement, not criticism.

Thank you to Danielle Giles, Pan Macmillan | Mantle, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The historical setting was rich, descriptive, and absorbing. Pacing at the beginning was a little slow but I devoured the last half. Characterisation was almost perfect but the attraction between two of the main characters felt a little insta-love-esque and wasn’t believable, which was a little disappointing as it underpinned later decisions. Unsure how I feel about the answer to the curse and heartbroken about Mildred.

Very magical debut ft crowned goats and horny nuns. Around a 3.75.

Unfortunately I really couldn’t get interested in this book. I found it slow and I couldn’t take to the characters at all. Anyone who enjoys books about that era would probably like it.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Mere wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I can’t deny that it’s an excellently crafted debut! Playing out in a convent in the wilderness of the 10th century Norfolk fens, it’s a moody and often bleak slice-of-life tale that revels in testing the faith and superstition of its characters. Fans of old English historical fiction should definitely pick this one up!

I personally struggled with Mere on account of the slow pacing and the early character development, both of which meant I struggled to get into the story at first. The book has a slow start in my opinion, but does build momentum over the course of the story. Similarly I felt the characters started to shine a little more once the plot started to put them through the wringer. I found that as the story progressed, we got a closer look at each main character’s relationship with faith - what is off limits, what is ok if followed by confession, and which morals are first to be dropped when times get tough. In both pacing and character work, the book falls flat at first, but does come into its own the further you progress.

I think the building of the location was a real highlight of Mere for me. The setting of the dreary, isolated mere surrounding the convent is excellently described, and builds an unsettling sense of fear and danger. Since we follow the story from the medic’s perspective, we get to see a bit more of the environment through the collecting of herbs for healing salves and remedies, which itself helps to immerse you in the era of the story. This story is by no means a cheerful read, though there were moments of light and humility that shone through the bleakness in a really nice balance.

A fabulous debut; thank you to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the opportunity to read this book.
Set in 990AD Norfolk, we follow the lives of sisters in a convent, almost completely surround by the perilous mere, from the perspective of their infirmarian sister Hilda.
The first half of the book is very slow but it just suits the atmosphere and mood perfectly, it’s a vibe! I could feel the cold and isolation, smell the sweat! I was gripped in the second half even before having any idea where the plot was going. I wouldn’t exactly call this a sapphic romance but there are elements, the book is a complete vibe! Highly recommended!

Mere follows a failing convent in the fens in Norfolk 990. When a new sister arrives sinister twists begin as Hilda and the other women try to save their convent.

This is my first time reading a historical fiction set so far back. I love shows such as The Last Kingdom so was very excited to read Mere by Danielle Giles. I’ll have to admit, at times I was a little confused. I think this is mainly due to the style of writing which is out of my normal genre and comfort zone. That being said, I highly enjoyed Mere and would definitely read more from Giles again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a digital copy of Mere by Danielle Giles in return for an honest review.

Mere is set in the Fens of Norfolk in 990AD. Abbess Sigeburg is head of a convent of Christian nuns who live, work and pray together. The old ways - legends of giants, devils in the marshes, sacrifices and suchlike still exist, alongside their Christian beliefs and I expect it was exactly like this in these times. Hilda, one of the main characters, is the infirmarium; the healer of both the sisters and the local people. Having an interest in Medieval times I found this part really interesting. I went to the British Library’s exhibition on ‘Medieval Women - In Their Own Words’ recently and it was fascinating and so interesting. In Medieval times, women were not free and most had little say in their lives.

This book is so atmospheric, it is almost possible to feel the claustrophobia and the isolation created by the mere as it encroaches due to the floods. Hope, survival and love are the feelings it evoked in me. It is eerie, dark and compelling and I enjoyed this book immensely.

REVIEWED ON GOODREADS, FABLE AND WATERSTONES

Set in a Norfolk convent in the 10th Century, Mere is a hauntingly dark novel of mystery, eeriness and the mingling of early Christianity with the local paganism. Strong women and weak men are all under the spell of the Mere, as they perceive things, and the Fenland casts its shadow over their lives in no uncertain terms.

I didn't like the novel - and yet I was hooked and had to continue reading to discover what the author intended. Things come to a climax, both in the lesbian sex scenes but also in the escape of the two main protagonists as they wander the Mere to run away. Hilda, the convent's Infirmarian, is a very strong character and narrates the story. Yet I was not sure I really and truly knew her - was she actually deceiving her readers or was she as wonderful as we are led to believe?

This is an interesting debut novel, about dysfunctionality in the convent, tenth century historical beliefs and attitudes, and the grip of folklore and wisdom. Although I read the book and wanted to know how it ended, I can only be honest and say that had I know in advance about the lesbianism I would probably not have chosen to read this book.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was incredibly excited to start this book, as it very much fulfils a number of tropes I love. Primarily being the sapphic romance, which is tender and sweet, and laced with its own faith. Awe and devotion, worshipping at the altar of her hipbone, Hilda’s love and admiration for Wulfrun is wonderful to read.

The romance is not the sole focus of the novel, which I also liked. Being set in a convent, the cast of characters is predominantly female, and the dynamics between them all were incredibly compelling. I loved reading how Hilda interacted with each of them, from Sideburg to Sweet, from Ava to Mildred. There is love and resentment in equal measure, as is often the case with family, and it felt very real, especially in the face of strife.

The second trope I love to see well written is faith itself, and how differently it manifests in each individual. Giles did a wonderful job at presenting the complexity of mortals in the face of both the holy and the unholy. What gives one woman the hope to continue in this life may also instil instil such inexplicable fear in another, from which her only escape is confession and punishment. Faith and survival, hand in hand, bind these women together, and it is both beautiful and horrifying to see what they are driven to because of it.

I knocked one star off due to it being a very difficult read for me at first, not because Giles is a bad writer — in fact, faaaar from it! — but because, like many folk tales, the buildup is slow and drawn out. I found myself trudging through it, much like the mudbanks of the mere itself, but the second half made the ache worthwhile. In fact, the second half of this book is so turbulent and mysterious that I could not put it down. It took me three weeks to read the first half, and two days to read the second.

The prose is downright beautiful, the characters were all compelling to me, and truly I am so grateful to have been able to read this book early. I cannot wait to see what else Danielle Giles comes out with in the future, because this was an amazing debut!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC. I absolutely recommend this book, especially to any fellow sapphics!

I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this book and probably should have read the description a little more carefully. However, I enjoyed the style of writing but not the premise, it’s ideal for lovers of Lord of the Rings and other fantasy titles. Good luck to the author on publication - a lot of readers will enjoy this title

Apologies for the semi-short review, but unfortunately, my experience with Mere wasn't a spectacular one. But it did have some positive aspects.

The book starts off with an overwhelming, yet underlining sense of sadness and grief. It was quite gripping, but soon after, it became stale. We never seem to get past this opening feel or vibe, and so when I was reading the book, it felt like one long prologue of a novel. It's incredibly slow-paced, with a lot of the writing taken up by building the (albeit wonderful) atmosphere and not much else. The setting of the fenlands and the time period of 990AD were totally believable and led well into the mystical side of the story. But beyond that, I never felt engrossed by the narrative. It felt emotive, which I loved, yet it was also curdled with a sense of sluggishness that is never dispelled.

The characters were also a problem for me. They never felt distinctive enough from each other and blurred all into one. Hilda, the main character, was quite mundane. I commend Danielle Giles for having a sapphic relationship, but I also never completely found it believable. For me, it came out of nowhere somewhat. Hilda and her interactions with other characters also felt a little off-kilter. These character interactions made it a bit of a tiring read. Too many times we as a reader had to "read-between-the-lines" to try and understand the dynamic these characters had with one another.

Ultimately, I didn't become engrossed with the story, either. I can tell a lot of effort went into creating the book, but fundamentals needed to be more finessed. The hundreds-and-thousands were sprinkled, but the flour was missing from the cake. The plot wasn't enough to carry the story, and nor were the characters. The atmosphere and setting were chefs-kiss, however.

I really wanted to like this novel set in the Fens in 990s but it was a chore. Firstly, i was irritated by not knowing how to pronounce many of the presumably Old English words that were used throughout and this prevented me from being immersed in the plot ( I pronounce words in my head while reading). Maybe there will be a glossary in the final print version?

I found the lead character who was called Hilda very unsympathetic and the story was all over the place. I felt it was unsure whether to be fantasy or historical fiction and felt very muddled. While it was good to be so women centred being set in a convent, this didn't override the utter nonsense of the story. None of the characters caught my sympathy and I was glad when I finished it.

I may be alone in this as I can see loads of 5 star reviews but I have to be honest and compared to the other 5* books I've read recently this wasn't a patch on those ( writing, story, setting, characters). I am sorry as I hate to leave a less than glowing review for a debut as getting to this stage is an achievement in itself but I felt this novel didn't know what it was.

Having lived near the fens and knowing how remote and bleak they can be, it was easy to take myself back to 990AD.
An isolated convent ruled by the Abbess with the aid of her most senior nuns. Sister Hilda, the infirmarian, does her best to keep everyone as healthy as possible with her limited means. The Mere takes a young child and confuses his mind, a curse appears to be brought on the convent and the sisters discover a darkness that has surrounded them.
I found this book a slow read but very atmospheric and supernatural. I think it's a book you'll need to read again to understand it fully. I certainly will.