Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman

11 reviews

hannahrhian's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Child death, Rape, Torture, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Confinement, and Blood

scrumblebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a brutal, dark, emotional read based, in part, on real people and events. A harrowing tale of life for women in 17th century Norway and how any misdeed or slip of the tongue could land you in serious peril. Difficult to read at times, though definitely worthwhile and the addition of occasional small folk tales and myths as well as hints of magical realism were welcome. I would certainly recommend this insightful book, although I would line up something decidedly lighter and altogether fluffier to read next.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicide, and Death

Moderate: Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Torture, Miscarriage, Sexism, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Animal death, Blood, and Pregnancy

madamelacy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A powerful, exhilarating read. I felt so angry at the way men treated women who weren’t submissive enough, as they were so afraid of the women’s power. However, the female characters all find a way of being, beyond the control of men.

This book was beautifully written and I could absolutely imagine the landscape, freezing weather, dirt and foul smells! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual violence, Grief, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Sexism, Child death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Rape

ninamanon's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A harrowing feminist tale about sisterhood, power, and justice. I loved Ingeborg and Maren instantly; they drew me into the story. I had a more difficult time getting through Fru Anna’s chapters, as she reads as haughty and annoyingly delusional, a sort of pick me girl. She irritated me greatly in the beginning, but the strength of the book was that the further you got into her story, the more you understood how she became the way she was, and in the end I couldn’t fault her and merely felt sorry for her, as I did for every other woman in the book. As for the ending,

I loved it: I loved how the conflict was resolved, how it ended with a shimmer of hope, how every single girl and woman was liberated in one way or another. I especially loved Maren and Elisa’s future: it is so beautiful to find a queer historical story that doesn’t end in misery. I will think of them often.

The prose was beautiful; I did have to get used to the first person narrative, and I struggled a bit at around the 30% mark, as Anna was boring me a bit with her tedious stories of her past lover, but as I said, I now understand their purpose. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexism, Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Pregnancy, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

vbzshenanigans's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexism, Murder, Animal cruelty, Death, Infertility, Classism, Blood, Death of parent, Rape, Sexual violence, Confinement, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Violence

bookwyrmdancer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Confinement, Child death, Suicide, Pregnancy, Murder, Rape, Violence, Blood, Death, Torture, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

arayo's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Violence, and Rape

Moderate: Confinement, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Blood, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Child death, Torture, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Excrement

tigglez's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Rape

lilyadams's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicide, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Excrement

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This is a haunting slow paced fictional tale inspired by the real persecution, and murder of those considered witches in Vardø in the 17th century.
The superstition so far north in the kingdom of Denmark and Norway was kindling for the fires that burned so many innocent women, children and the ones, like the semi-nomadic sámi, that didn’t fit, that worshiped other gods.
Here we have a mix of past and present women’s strife in a lyrical narrative telling the interwoven story of a three women and three children arrested for being witches, and that of one noblewoman sharing the same castle exiled by the king for being too outspoken and not going into the shadows as old women are meant to.
The story is told in mostly two POVs, that of one of the teens, sister and daughter of other accused, and the other the noblewoman’s. With some Nordic stories in between parts.
As the author says this book is one to give voice to the thousands of innocents murdered by the fearful, hateful and petty that manipulated the minds of the superstitious and aggrieved, and to make them echo into the present and future, forever living in the hearts of the people like them.
It’s slow going especially in the beginning but so worth it to push forth and dive into this dark, cold, violent, vibrant and fiery story where women suffer, die, but also persist and find happiness, searching inside for their inner lynx, their fierceness and royal-ness.



P. S.: The mention to the Sámi made me research them and find they’ve been always persecuted and pushed to conversations, it made me want to find more and read from their natives and hear their songs. To make their voice heard louder. They who’ve withstand, these natives to the Laplands with their gods and reindeers, with their songs and colors.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Misogyny, Death of parent, Child death, Grief, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

Moderate: Hate crime, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Torture, and Racism

Minor: Animal cruelty