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They Can't Burn Us All: The dark, captivating and magical new historical novel from the award-winning author of A Poisoner's Tale
Not yet published
Expected 13 Aug 26
Westfjords, Iceland. 1655
Þuríður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic.
But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, fuelled by the Protestant Reformation. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, those condemned as witches here are not women, but men of learning. And when Þuríður’s father and brother are accused of witchcraft and condemned to burn at the stake, she is helpless to save them.
As Lutheran Pastor Jón Magnússon's accusing gaze turns to Þuríður herself, the first woman to be called ‘witch’, he will find that she is no ordinary woman.
She is prepared to fight back. But at what cost?
And in an age of fear and persecution, whose side will the community take? Who will fight for justice?
Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, They Can’t Burn Us All is a feminist retelling of Iceland’s notorious Kirkjuból witch trials.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic.
But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, fuelled by the Protestant Reformation. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, those condemned as witches here are not women, but men of learning. And when Þuríður’s father and brother are accused of witchcraft and condemned to burn at the stake, she is helpless to save them.
As Lutheran Pastor Jón Magnússon's accusing gaze turns to Þuríður herself, the first woman to be called ‘witch’, he will find that she is no ordinary woman.
She is prepared to fight back. But at what cost?
And in an age of fear and persecution, whose side will the community take? Who will fight for justice?
Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, They Can’t Burn Us All is a feminist retelling of Iceland’s notorious Kirkjuból witch trials.
404 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 13, 2026
About the author
Cathryn Kemp
20 books116 followersCathryn is a Sunday Times bestselling ghostwriter and journalist, with a prolific career writing celebrity, inspirational, true crime, addiction and nostalgia titles.
A Poisoner's Tale, published by Transworld/Penguin Random House on July 11th, 2024, is her first foray into historical fiction.
When not writing, Cathryn can be found braving the waves off the south coast or restoring her glorious Victorian wreck with her son Leonardo and cat Gingey.
A Poisoner's Tale, published by Transworld/Penguin Random House on July 11th, 2024, is her first foray into historical fiction.
When not writing, Cathryn can be found braving the waves off the south coast or restoring her glorious Victorian wreck with her son Leonardo and cat Gingey.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 29, 2026
There are many novels covering the wide spread witch trials across Europe in this period and the role of religion but this one stands out to me for several reasons.
Firstly witch trials in Iceland were predominantly of educated men accused of sorcery so this book starts from the perspective that women can’t be witches, because they are too weak. We see a society where women go from being entirely safe from accusations of witchcraft, to one women being overwhelmingly persecuted based on the ravings of one man. This change comes as a complete shock to the community, but as the reader with knowledge of witch trials in the period it’s heartbreaking to know what is coming.
Secondly the decision to make the main character mute following the trauma of losing her mother was a really clever way to highlight how little voice women had during this time.
Finally, I wrote my dissertation (more than 20 years ago) on the role of the Althing in Icelandic saga and I’ve visited Thingvellir, so a witch trial book set in Iceland, with a pivotal moment taking place at the assembly really added to the atmosphere for me.
What this book has in common with other stories of witch trials is the resilience and solidarity of women, and the harsh truth that those in power (usually men) can make the most outlandish claims, even bordering on impossible, and not enough people will stand up to them.
This is excellent historical fiction which absolutely adds to the genre.
Firstly witch trials in Iceland were predominantly of educated men accused of sorcery so this book starts from the perspective that women can’t be witches, because they are too weak. We see a society where women go from being entirely safe from accusations of witchcraft, to one women being overwhelmingly persecuted based on the ravings of one man. This change comes as a complete shock to the community, but as the reader with knowledge of witch trials in the period it’s heartbreaking to know what is coming.
Secondly the decision to make the main character mute following the trauma of losing her mother was a really clever way to highlight how little voice women had during this time.
Finally, I wrote my dissertation (more than 20 years ago) on the role of the Althing in Icelandic saga and I’ve visited Thingvellir, so a witch trial book set in Iceland, with a pivotal moment taking place at the assembly really added to the atmosphere for me.
What this book has in common with other stories of witch trials is the resilience and solidarity of women, and the harsh truth that those in power (usually men) can make the most outlandish claims, even bordering on impossible, and not enough people will stand up to them.
This is excellent historical fiction which absolutely adds to the genre.
July 5, 2026
What a marvellous read!
This is not your average witch-hunt story. In this story, based on the Icelandic witch trials of which I’d never heard before reading this book, it’s educated men who are being accused of witchcraft and killed. This is something I’ve never seen before in a witch-hunt story and I really appreciated this aspect of it.
The historical aspect of the story was really interesting and I appreciated the author notes that helped me to better understand it.
The story was rich and beautifully descriptive, and as my first impression of Kemp’s work I have to say that I’m truly impressed!
For me, there were parts of the story that were a little repetitive and the language was something I struggled to remember and get my head around, it took a while to get used to it all, but other than that I really enjoyed this book!
I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants a unique witch-hunt story and lovers of historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is not your average witch-hunt story. In this story, based on the Icelandic witch trials of which I’d never heard before reading this book, it’s educated men who are being accused of witchcraft and killed. This is something I’ve never seen before in a witch-hunt story and I really appreciated this aspect of it.
The historical aspect of the story was really interesting and I appreciated the author notes that helped me to better understand it.
The story was rich and beautifully descriptive, and as my first impression of Kemp’s work I have to say that I’m truly impressed!
For me, there were parts of the story that were a little repetitive and the language was something I struggled to remember and get my head around, it took a while to get used to it all, but other than that I really enjoyed this book!
I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants a unique witch-hunt story and lovers of historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free arc in exchange for an honest review.
Want to Read
January 10, 2025"Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, this is a story of the most famous witch trial in Iceland – where one woman stands up to the patriarchal forces against her."
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
***Contains Slight Spoilers***
I LOVED Cathryn's book, A Poisoner's Tale, and so I've been keeping an eye out for her follow-up.
I've read quite a number of witch-related historical books so there is a lot of competition. Although this looks at the witch trials from a male perspective, men accused of witchcraft, which gives it a whole new viewpoint which I found fascinating. I didn't realise that men were ever accused of witchcraft but in Iceland apparently it was quite normal.
It's based on the Kirkjuból witch trials, which I had never heard of and which sent me down a googling black hole.
Our main character of Þuríður (Thuridur) is mute which was an interesting choice. I can't find any information about her in detail, so I can't say if this was true or something Cathryn decided to do. And I'm a little on the fence. On one hand I do get the logic behind it, it puts this weird amount of power on this woman in a time where women were subservient. But on the other hand, I really struggled with it. I felt that without her voice, she wasn't a deep enough character to invest in and so I was missing that connection.
Cathryn has such an ability to put you in a time and space. I know little about Iceland, and even less about 1600s Iceland, but everything was given so much care and attention and focus that you're practically in this world yourself.
Iceland has been made into a character of itself. The harsh, raw environment is so atmospheric and makes everything feel so claustrophobic and eerie.
It is a bit topsy turvy when it comes to pacing. It starts off with a bang and the ending is good, and there are moments where it really kicks off, but then you get really slow passages. I don't mind a mixture of slow and fast bits, that's what makes a novel enjoyable. But I found some scenes particularly slow, and I found myself occasionally losing focus.
I didn't enjoy it as much as The Poisoner's Tale. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, I did, it's got everything I wanted - great research, inventive plot, full of atmosphere and a sense of space and time. She's a fabulous author, I can't argue with that. But I can't quite put my finger on it, but it didn't have that same spark.
Having said that, I finished it in a matter of hours, as compelled by the story as I was.
Overall, it is still a wonderful book. Cathryn is a fantastic storyteller. Her historical research is to worthy of admiration. The sense of space and time and environment and atmosphere is second to none, and she's given us a completely different viewpoint of a rather overdone plot, but I felt the pacing needed tidying up and a bit more character to develop to make it as good as A Poisoner's Tale, but I still highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction.
***Contains Slight Spoilers***
I LOVED Cathryn's book, A Poisoner's Tale, and so I've been keeping an eye out for her follow-up.
I've read quite a number of witch-related historical books so there is a lot of competition. Although this looks at the witch trials from a male perspective, men accused of witchcraft, which gives it a whole new viewpoint which I found fascinating. I didn't realise that men were ever accused of witchcraft but in Iceland apparently it was quite normal.
It's based on the Kirkjuból witch trials, which I had never heard of and which sent me down a googling black hole.
Our main character of Þuríður (Thuridur) is mute which was an interesting choice. I can't find any information about her in detail, so I can't say if this was true or something Cathryn decided to do. And I'm a little on the fence. On one hand I do get the logic behind it, it puts this weird amount of power on this woman in a time where women were subservient. But on the other hand, I really struggled with it. I felt that without her voice, she wasn't a deep enough character to invest in and so I was missing that connection.
Cathryn has such an ability to put you in a time and space. I know little about Iceland, and even less about 1600s Iceland, but everything was given so much care and attention and focus that you're practically in this world yourself.
Iceland has been made into a character of itself. The harsh, raw environment is so atmospheric and makes everything feel so claustrophobic and eerie.
It is a bit topsy turvy when it comes to pacing. It starts off with a bang and the ending is good, and there are moments where it really kicks off, but then you get really slow passages. I don't mind a mixture of slow and fast bits, that's what makes a novel enjoyable. But I found some scenes particularly slow, and I found myself occasionally losing focus.
I didn't enjoy it as much as The Poisoner's Tale. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, I did, it's got everything I wanted - great research, inventive plot, full of atmosphere and a sense of space and time. She's a fabulous author, I can't argue with that. But I can't quite put my finger on it, but it didn't have that same spark.
Having said that, I finished it in a matter of hours, as compelled by the story as I was.
Overall, it is still a wonderful book. Cathryn is a fantastic storyteller. Her historical research is to worthy of admiration. The sense of space and time and environment and atmosphere is second to none, and she's given us a completely different viewpoint of a rather overdone plot, but I felt the pacing needed tidying up and a bit more character to develop to make it as good as A Poisoner's Tale, but I still highly recommend it for fans of historical fiction.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Unable to speak since her mother’s traumatic death, Þuríður Jónsdóttir communicates with facial expressions and hand gestures. Those that take the time to understand her, see depth; those that see the surface feel threatened. One such person is the local pastor, Jón Magnússon who holds her father and brother responsible for cursing him as witch fever invades Iceland, the pastor’s persecution leads to them being burnt as witches.
What is taken for witchcraft is actually tradition and old lore, so called white magic, used for good not evil. Brought up with this tradition, Þuríður Jónsdóttir helps women in childbirth, which in this newly febrile atmosphere leaves her open to accusations of witchcraft when a mother dies and the child lives.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir is trapped in a twisted circle, where superstition and accusation are enough to change minds and point fingers; but with a deadly price to pay.
This is an atmospheric read where the raw harshness of the Icelandic scenery is a character in its’ own right. I was left impressed by the sheer resilience required to survive in this isolated land of ice and biting winds, where fish is relied upon for everything from food to clothing (fish skin boots) and lighting (fish oil!)
I did not know in Iceland, men were considered witches and up to a point, women considered above suspicion. This is a dark book of struggle, polarised belief, and injustice. However, the end is uplifting and one cant help but be left with the impression that if things were left up to women, the world would be a saner place. A stunning read, in every sense of the word, and not to be missed.
What is taken for witchcraft is actually tradition and old lore, so called white magic, used for good not evil. Brought up with this tradition, Þuríður Jónsdóttir helps women in childbirth, which in this newly febrile atmosphere leaves her open to accusations of witchcraft when a mother dies and the child lives.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir is trapped in a twisted circle, where superstition and accusation are enough to change minds and point fingers; but with a deadly price to pay.
This is an atmospheric read where the raw harshness of the Icelandic scenery is a character in its’ own right. I was left impressed by the sheer resilience required to survive in this isolated land of ice and biting winds, where fish is relied upon for everything from food to clothing (fish skin boots) and lighting (fish oil!)
I did not know in Iceland, men were considered witches and up to a point, women considered above suspicion. This is a dark book of struggle, polarised belief, and injustice. However, the end is uplifting and one cant help but be left with the impression that if things were left up to women, the world would be a saner place. A stunning read, in every sense of the word, and not to be missed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
They Cant Burn Us All by Cathryn Kempis a haunting, atmospheric work of historical fiction that vividly reimagines the Kirkjuból witch trials in 17th-century Iceland.
What makes this a 4.5-star read is Kemp’s ability to flip the typical witch-hunt narrative on its head. In this setting, it is the educated men of learning who are targeted and burned, while the protagonist, Þuríður Jónsdóttir, finds herself fighting back against a tide of religious persecution.
What I Loved:Immersive Setting: The "land of ice and fire" is practically a character itself. You can feel the biting cold and the claustrophobic tension of a community caught between old rune magic and the strict new Protestant Reformation.Feminist Perspective: Þuríður is a compelling lead—resilient and defiant in a world determined to silence her. Watching her navigate the dangerous gaze of Pastor Jón Magnússon is incredibly tense.
Historical Detail: The research shines through, grounding the more mystical elements in a very real, terrifying historical reality.The Half-Star Deduction:The middle section occasionally slows down as it builds the political and religious backdrop. While essential for the world-building, it briefly dipped in pace before the high-stakes finale.
Overall, it’s a powerful story of resilience and shared strength. If you enjoyed the atmospheric dread of The Mercies or The Witches of Vardo, this is an absolute must-read.
What makes this a 4.5-star read is Kemp’s ability to flip the typical witch-hunt narrative on its head. In this setting, it is the educated men of learning who are targeted and burned, while the protagonist, Þuríður Jónsdóttir, finds herself fighting back against a tide of religious persecution.
What I Loved:Immersive Setting: The "land of ice and fire" is practically a character itself. You can feel the biting cold and the claustrophobic tension of a community caught between old rune magic and the strict new Protestant Reformation.Feminist Perspective: Þuríður is a compelling lead—resilient and defiant in a world determined to silence her. Watching her navigate the dangerous gaze of Pastor Jón Magnússon is incredibly tense.
Historical Detail: The research shines through, grounding the more mystical elements in a very real, terrifying historical reality.The Half-Star Deduction:The middle section occasionally slows down as it builds the political and religious backdrop. While essential for the world-building, it briefly dipped in pace before the high-stakes finale.
Overall, it’s a powerful story of resilience and shared strength. If you enjoyed the atmospheric dread of The Mercies or The Witches of Vardo, this is an absolute must-read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
|| Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review ! ||
My final impression is rather mixed.. while the story itself and the historical period are fascinating, I struggled to stay engaged because the pacing was so slow, and at times, the narrative felt hollow and flat.
Þuríður is a compelling character : her backstory, her inner feelings, and her steely determination to fight despite her mutism are all striking. However, the fact that her mutism stems from trauma makes her POV sections truly frustrating; you just want her to take action, speak up, explain her feelings, and stop relying on others. Fortunately, things improved significantly toward the end.
The rest of the story was poignant, though it also suffered from slow pacing and frustrating moments. There were certain POVs or descriptions that didn't add much value, and some characters were infuriating enough to warrant a much stronger punition than the narrative provided. The events described in the synopsis don't actually unfold until the 30% and 50% marks, making the lead-up a bit of a struggle. Still, the story itself remains fascinating, as it sheds light on an aspect of the witch trials I hadn't known about: the targeting of men in Iceland, specifically due to their faith for the Norse gods and the ancient language of runes and sigils.
My final impression is rather mixed.. while the story itself and the historical period are fascinating, I struggled to stay engaged because the pacing was so slow, and at times, the narrative felt hollow and flat.
Þuríður is a compelling character : her backstory, her inner feelings, and her steely determination to fight despite her mutism are all striking. However, the fact that her mutism stems from trauma makes her POV sections truly frustrating; you just want her to take action, speak up, explain her feelings, and stop relying on others. Fortunately, things improved significantly toward the end.
The rest of the story was poignant, though it also suffered from slow pacing and frustrating moments. There were certain POVs or descriptions that didn't add much value, and some characters were infuriating enough to warrant a much stronger punition than the narrative provided. The events described in the synopsis don't actually unfold until the 30% and 50% marks, making the lead-up a bit of a struggle. Still, the story itself remains fascinating, as it sheds light on an aspect of the witch trials I hadn't known about: the targeting of men in Iceland, specifically due to their faith for the Norse gods and the ancient language of runes and sigils.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They Can’t Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp
This book is set during the Icelandic witch trials of the 1600s. What makes these different is it was men that were tried as witches.
After watching her brother and father be burned for witches Þuríður Jónsdóttir finds herself also accused of witchcraft. Unable to speak since a young age this makes her more of a target. This is a story of endurance and struggle.
I don’t know if I can say I enjoyed this book as I felt rage at time reading it and the horrors that people went through during the witch trial times. However I thoroughly recommend this book. I like the way Catheryn Kemp writes and find her stories to be engaging and keeps me hooked on the story. She has become a favourite author of mine.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cathryn Kemp and Random House UK, Transwprld Publishers for this ARC.
#netgalley #witchtrials #theycantburnusall #cathrynkemp
They Can’t Burn Us All by Cathryn Kemp
This book is set during the Icelandic witch trials of the 1600s. What makes these different is it was men that were tried as witches.
After watching her brother and father be burned for witches Þuríður Jónsdóttir finds herself also accused of witchcraft. Unable to speak since a young age this makes her more of a target. This is a story of endurance and struggle.
I don’t know if I can say I enjoyed this book as I felt rage at time reading it and the horrors that people went through during the witch trial times. However I thoroughly recommend this book. I like the way Catheryn Kemp writes and find her stories to be engaging and keeps me hooked on the story. She has become a favourite author of mine.
Thank you to NetGalley, Cathryn Kemp and Random House UK, Transwprld Publishers for this ARC.
#netgalley #witchtrials #theycantburnusall #cathrynkemp
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
They Can’t Burn Us All has a setting and premise that immediately grabbed me. The Icelandic landscape, the witch trial history, and the sense of simmering tension. As a lover of history with a keen interest in witch trials, this is a book for me.
However, despite how much I liked the concept and premise of the book, I found some of the chapters incredibly difficult, and momentum did slow. Instead, I found myself flipping pages, hoping the story would finally spark to life. When it does get going, there are strong moments, emotional beats, striking imagery, and powerful characters, but the pacing made it hard to stay fully invested.
Overall, I appreciated the world, the themes of the novel, but for me it slightly missed the mark. Readers who love slow burn historical fiction may connect with it more deeply, but for me, the journey to get there felt longer than it needed to be.
However, despite how much I liked the concept and premise of the book, I found some of the chapters incredibly difficult, and momentum did slow. Instead, I found myself flipping pages, hoping the story would finally spark to life. When it does get going, there are strong moments, emotional beats, striking imagery, and powerful characters, but the pacing made it hard to stay fully invested.
Overall, I appreciated the world, the themes of the novel, but for me it slightly missed the mark. Readers who love slow burn historical fiction may connect with it more deeply, but for me, the journey to get there felt longer than it needed to be.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
They Can't Burn Us All is a richly atmospheric, haunting work of historical fiction that reimagines the most famous witch trial in Icelandic history.
But unlike the rest of Europe, the witches in Iceland are not women, but educated men of learning.
Enter Þuríður Jónsdóttir , who's Father and Brother are accused and condemned to burn at the stake. But that's not all, soon Þuríður is also accused and so she must risk everything to fight back.
Want to know more? Be sure to pick your copy up to find out.
So this was right up my street.
The storyline is wonderfully descriptive, immersive and vivid, so much so that the harsh Icelandic settings becomes a character all in itself.
The research the author has put into this is obvious to see. There's so much brilliant detail, tradition and lore.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
But unlike the rest of Europe, the witches in Iceland are not women, but educated men of learning.
Enter Þuríður Jónsdóttir , who's Father and Brother are accused and condemned to burn at the stake. But that's not all, soon Þuríður is also accused and so she must risk everything to fight back.
Want to know more? Be sure to pick your copy up to find out.
So this was right up my street.
The storyline is wonderfully descriptive, immersive and vivid, so much so that the harsh Icelandic settings becomes a character all in itself.
The research the author has put into this is obvious to see. There's so much brilliant detail, tradition and lore.
5 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 's from me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 ⭐️ - I really struggled with my review for this one. I enjoyed the history and learning more about the witch trials at that time. The authors note at the end really clarified and helped understand the realities of what happened. I hated Sira Jon and the witchfinder. I wish I had more insight into the FMC and her mother. Check triggers before reading as the burning scenes are graphic.
I think my main issue with the book was the blurb gave too much away that didn’t actually happen in the book until 30-35% in. It ruined the suspense for me and I was just frustrated it hadn’t happened yet.
Ultimately I would recommend - very interesting and thought provoking.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the arc.
I think my main issue with the book was the blurb gave too much away that didn’t actually happen in the book until 30-35% in. It ruined the suspense for me and I was just frustrated it hadn’t happened yet.
Ultimately I would recommend - very interesting and thought provoking.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My first introduction to Cathryn Kemp’s writing and work. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Whilst historical fiction is not usually my first choice, the writing by the author made this a book that was hard to put down. Following witch trials in 1600s Iceland and the trials and tribulations of a daughter who is suffering the sins of her father and brother.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir suffers a lot throughout the story but is a strong FMC and fits perfectly for the story.
If historical fiction is for you this is definitely worth a read, and the way it is written makes it easy to follow and keep track of what is happening at each stage of the main characters journey.
Whilst historical fiction is not usually my first choice, the writing by the author made this a book that was hard to put down. Following witch trials in 1600s Iceland and the trials and tribulations of a daughter who is suffering the sins of her father and brother.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir suffers a lot throughout the story but is a strong FMC and fits perfectly for the story.
If historical fiction is for you this is definitely worth a read, and the way it is written makes it easy to follow and keep track of what is happening at each stage of the main characters journey.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
They Can't Burn Us All is fascinating in the way Cathryn Kemp explores Iceland's darker history. We follow Þuríður Jónsdóttir, mute since the death of her mother, whose brother and father are accused of witchcraft during the witch hunts fronted by the Protestant Reformation. It explores the battle of religions, or rather the Protestant's attempt at the stomping out of the worship of the old gods.
This is a terribly interesting, atmospheric read and a phenomenal rendering of the history of witches and sorcery.
P.s Fu- the witchfinder. Had to get that in there.
This is a terribly interesting, atmospheric read and a phenomenal rendering of the history of witches and sorcery.
P.s Fu- the witchfinder. Had to get that in there.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This historical witch fiction breaks common genre tropes and establishes an atmospheric and folklore-ridden world of 17th century Iceland. It's dark, compelling and ominous, with a unique narrative voice. Some plot elements and characters didn't entirely work for me - but certainly will for other readers.
This is perfect for fans of C.J Cooke, and those who enjoyed Anya Bergman's The Witches of Vardo and Hannah Kent's Burial Rites.
This is perfect for fans of C.J Cooke, and those who enjoyed Anya Bergman's The Witches of Vardo and Hannah Kent's Burial Rites.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the advance copy
4.5⭐
I was only ever familiar with the Salem version of witch hunts, and I was surprised to learn that in Iceland the accused were men; women weren't even considered smart enough to do magic. The inversion, and the fresh setting described so immersively, hooked me fast.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir, mute since childhood, is a quietly formidable character to follow as the craze closes in on her family, and then on her. For me it was an emotionally difficult read, but I was thankful for the soft, sweet moments sprinkled through the overall building dread. I was often angry at the book, at the entitlement of men who assume the right to rule others, at their indignation over the faintest hint of defiance. Which is to say the story worked as intended.
The half-star speaks to my own experience rather than any flaw in the craft, as I said it was just difficult for me to read, so it wouldn't feel entirely honest to give five stars. I'm definitely glad that I didn't put it down halfway.
4.5⭐
I was only ever familiar with the Salem version of witch hunts, and I was surprised to learn that in Iceland the accused were men; women weren't even considered smart enough to do magic. The inversion, and the fresh setting described so immersively, hooked me fast.
Þuríður Jónsdóttir, mute since childhood, is a quietly formidable character to follow as the craze closes in on her family, and then on her. For me it was an emotionally difficult read, but I was thankful for the soft, sweet moments sprinkled through the overall building dread. I was often angry at the book, at the entitlement of men who assume the right to rule others, at their indignation over the faintest hint of defiance. Which is to say the story worked as intended.
The half-star speaks to my own experience rather than any flaw in the craft, as I said it was just difficult for me to read, so it wouldn't feel entirely honest to give five stars. I'm definitely glad that I didn't put it down halfway.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Review to follow nearer publication date.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews