Wow…this was such a thought provoking read. Extremely dark but so descriptive, I honestly felt like I could imagine how these women lived in 990AD and how utterly their lives were influenced by the church and older tales of folklore. I’m still processing it but honestly, I loved it. So different from anything I’ve read before but I know this book will stay with me for a long time to come and I would highly recommend it to all. I really hope this book flies off the shelves when it’s published as is much deserved from the hard work and research that has clearly gone into it by the author. Amazing, thank you for this book!

I enjoyed this largely for the historical setting and the fascinating exploration of the blurry and shifting lines between paganism and Christianity. It reminded me of stories I’ve read of Avalon and Glastonbury and Arthurian legends.

I also enjoyed the fact that, as so often, the power of women is central but often forgotten over the centuries.

The downside of this for me was it seemed overlong and sometimes I felt I was desperate to get past a drawn-out death or conflict. The writing is lovely, but it should never feel like a chore to move forward.

I wanted to read this because I'm interested in folk stories (including folk horror) and, actually, I wanted to see what was being published in that genre now. So, I really wanted to enjoy this novel. The beginning, though, was tough going, heavy with description that slowed down the reading process. Some of it was truly poetic and often intensely effective, but heavy going. I think the coloured the rest of the novel for me, because I was too distracted by the style to follow the actual storyline. Towards the end (and yes, it was a battle) the muscularity of the prose settled down a bit. My grateful thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

So sublimely atmospheric it had my fingertips tingling and toes curling from the first page. I admit I came for the brooding marshland, but I stayed for the psychological drama that amid the increasingly isolated nuns. Think a tenth-century Black Narcissus x Lord of the Flies x Picnic at Hanging Rock (as always, sorry not sorry for the niche comparisons!).

‘Mere’, the debut novel from @daniellegileswriter, plunges us into the world of Sister Hilda, in charge of her convent’s medical matters, when wealthy, widowed Wulfrun arrives to join the community. During Wulfrun’s journey, a boy from her household goes missing on the marsh from which the nuns’ meagre landholdings have been reclaimed. His disappearance stirs old secrets and fears, and sets in motion a series of events that threaten the whole community.

The mere, with its mists and treacherous pools, broods ceaselessly in the background, matching the exquisitely escalating tension within the convent as things start to get serious. The sisters and their world are drawn with deft, sensory brilliance and tenderness: their lives and struggles feel almost tangible, while the exquisite writing, sprinkled with Anglo-Saxonesque phrases, kept the setting feeling appropriately historical without being forced or false.

For me, the meeting of pagan and Christian ways was also depicted extremely well, with the similarities between them often being as striking as the differences. I spent my undergraduate years studying early Anglo-Saxon Christianity, so this was a rare treat.

A warning though: it’s dangerously mesmerising. I found myself ‘reading while walking’ (a la Anna Burns’s ‘Milkman’, for those who’ve read it), and walking to the nearest marsh at that.

Out in April from @mantlepressbooks. Big thanks to them and @netgalley for the advanced review copy. [AD / PR copy]

Eerie and poetic, Mere is a haunting historical novel. I found the plot a little confused, as if the writer was not sure what she wanted her story to be beyond atmospheric. But it's a unique setting and the compelling characters hold it together. I was gripped by the drama and intrigue of the convent, with its paranoia and power struggles, a world of often brutal realism and mystical undercurrents. The mystery is propulsive, told with magnetic prose, even if it isn't entirely satisfactory in its conclusion.

Ominous and otherwordly, Mere is a memorable debut.

Absolutely stunning imagery, vibrantly told - if someone were to tell me the author had a looking glass back to the 10th century, I'd believe it. The female-centered answer to "The Name of the Rose."

Mere follows Hilda, an infirmarian at a crumbling convent in 990's Norfolk, as the community she lives in begins to fear a dark and strange power growing in the surrounding mere. After the arrival of Wulfrun, a mysterious woman with ominous visions, everything changes both for the convent and for Hilda.

I thought this was such a great, wonderfully written book. It was obviously so well researched and the historical elements, especially in depicting a time when Christianity and pagan religions still existed side by side, felt so convincing and made the world-building completely absorbing. I thought Hilda was a great main character and her strength and loyalty to those she loves made her hugely compelling. Her relationship with Wulfrun was also great and I think it progressed naturally throughout the story, making their love for each other feel genuine and so strong.

My favourite thing was definitely how the author showed the way this small, isolated community reacts and fear and the way they slowly turn on each other when they start to panic. The way they descended so quickly into religious extremism, suspicion, and violence was so interesting to read and seeing the main characters desperately trying to keep the community together while disaster after disaster occurs encapsulated the instability and dread created by the creature in the mere.

There were, however, a couple of problems with this book in my opinion. I didn't get on very well with the supernatural elements of this. I think the author should either have stuck to depicting the mere as a collective, evil entity, or have given more time to develop the idea of a separate malicious spirit living within it. By keeping the explanation somewhere between these two, it undermined the threat of the mere as a whole while also meaning that there was no real resolution with the entity that was tormenting these people. I also think the middle of this book went on a little too long. The pacing at the beginning and end was good but the middle took a while to get through and felt a little repetitive.

Overall, I think this was written so well, with vivid, disturbing imagery and incredibly well-researched historical elements. I loved the characters and the relationship between Hilda and Wulfrun in particular worked really well for me. I would recommend this if you enjoy atmospheric historical fiction and sapphic and horror elements.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with this eARC in return for my honest review.

I enjoyed it but if felt pretty quick- the whole book takes place in a few weeks. I both appreciated and was annoyed that there didn't seem to be a scientific explanation for anything.

I didn’t expect to love this book so immensely. We follow the live of a convent in 990 AD where our MC is the infirmarian Hilda. And what a character she is, absolute devoted to humans and healing, but after the arrival of another woman the story takes a sinister turn. This is a historical fiction set in times of young Christianity and old paganism still existing together in a small community. The hidden legend of a mere-devil waking to take a sacrifice is surfacing after years and our brave sisters have to try and save their community against the pestilence, hunger and floods of biblical proportions. Astonishingly written, this book has so much heart and soul, deep love and suffering, faith and sacrifice. The love between infirmarian Hilda and sister Wulfrun was so very touching. I cried my eyes out and I am so happy I had the chance to read this masterful piece of literature. A debut to be remembered. I will be first in line for every new book that Giles writes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with the ARC.

Danielle Giles' »Mere« is a spellbinding journey through 990 AD Norfolk, where the remote Fens set the stage for a haunting tale laced with fear, survival, and forbidden love. The story unfolds in a convent led by the no-nonsense Abbess Sigeburg, whose control is tested when tragedy strikes—a young servant boy falls victim to the dangerous waters of the mere. This incident triggers a chain reaction that unearths unsettling secrets hidden within the convent's walls.

The plot thickens with the arrival of Sister Wulfrun, whose ominous prediction warns of a looming curse. Hilda, the convent's healer, finds herself caught between her loyalty to Sigeburg and her growing admiration for Wulfrun's bravery. The book expertly examines power dynamics and social standings within the secluded community, as Hilda struggles to reconcile her feelings and the moral implications of her choices.

Giles skillfully creates an atmosphere that's both eerie and intimate. The Fens, with their sprawling marshes and treacherous waters, mirror the characters' inner turmoil and secrets. The air is heavy with tension and apprehension, yet there are glimmers of tenderness as Hilda grapples with her feelings for Wulfrun. The emotional depth of the characters is powerful; readers can empathize with Hilda's inner battle between duty and desire, making her journey relatable and heart-wrenching.

The writing style is poetic yet easy to follow, drawing readers into a world where every word feels significant. Giles' knack for evoking vivid imagery allows us to picture the stark beauty of the landscape while empathizing with the characters' burdens. While the pacing may occasionally slow during exposition, it ultimately helps deepen our understanding of Hilda's emotional conflicts.

Danielle Giles brings a wealth of knowledge to this story, with her background in history and literature adding authenticity and depth to »Mere«. Her exploration of historical themes through personal narratives prompts readers to reflect on larger societal issues while staying invested in the individual characters' stories.

»Mere« isn't just a historical novel; it's an emotional odyssey set against a backdrop of societal constraints. It challenges us to contemplate how love can blossom in darkness and how individuals can forge their paths amidst fear and uncertainty.