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kallmekirby's review against another edition
5.0
I'd owned this book for over a year and I'm so upset I didn't read it sooner. The writing was absolutely stunning and the story was beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time. It was also based on a historical event I'd never even heard of - which is hard to do sometimes because I'm a huge history nerd. It was the perfect historical fiction novel for me and I can't recommend it enough. It's a new all time favorite.
miesebriese's review against another edition
4.0
very gripping and atmospheric, i felt like i could feel the cold ocean wind... despite barely any action it felt very urgent, somehow i felt on edge all the time while reading it, since there was a lot of misery the growing relationship between the two "main" characters felt even more bright and warm...
saskiajuliette's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"The Mercies" isn't a fairytale that kisses you on the forehead and offers a soothing happy ending. It’s real and raw, and not everyone will have the stomach for it. This story will make you share the grief and feel the pain of the women before you who had to handle things most of us can’t even begin to grasp. It tells a fictional tale set during the true historical events of the witch hunts, where religion, men with power, and the bonds (and venom) of sisterhood create an amalgam of terror. I'm deeply impressed by how Millwood Hargrave wove history and fiction together seamlessly. There's no romanticization or sensationalism for the masses. It is a brave thing to write this way, and I'm thankful for the experience. This book is a creation of horrible beauty.
caelizha's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
un roman très bien écrit ! une plume wow, bonne trad je suppose, l'anglais était dur à lire j'ai switch en français et j'ai bu le livre vrm mdrbfld je voulais savoir la suite bien que le plot entier du livre est prévisible (et il a pas été écrit pour surprendre). jsp, ct dans les détails/scènes que je voulais savoir cmt ca allait se passait et j'ai été convaincue. je me suis attachée aux persos, que ce soit maren ou ursa, qui ont chacune des défauts dans leurs façons de penser et d'agir mais ca les rend très humaines j'ai kiffé !! gros coup de coeur pour ma femme kirsten épouse moi bien sur. ça m'a fait ressentir des émotions c'est sûr, mais rien qui m'a touchée au point de vrm me secouer de l'intérieur mm si bcp de quotes mémorables à noter !! le seul moment où je me sentais vrm MAL ct lors de la scène de viol ch 9, moi j'ai considéré ça comme un viol gt archi pas bien. mais évidemment les scènes procès + exécution ca mettait mal qd mm, juste j'étais + en colère et frustrée qu'autre chose (mais positivement, pck la faute n'est pas dans l'histoire mais aux HOMMES). ya tellement d'opinions qui clashent entre elles ct bien à voir. jspr diinna heureuse là où elle est avec erik...... elle a bien fait de fuir....... la fin très réaliste but only PAIN putain séparées pck maren pouvait pas rester avec ursa en sachant qu'ursa est enceinte oah vrm c terrible. en somme je me dis lecture cool mais j'ai pas vrm été marquée par le livre, fin ct bien mais voilà, rien à dire. les lesbiennes par contre 🫶🫶🫶 love them mm si ct giga triste leur relation
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
katygalloway's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
contemporarymeepsie's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The Mercies is a fictional retelling of the real life storm of 1617 off the coast of Vardo, Norway and the subsequent witch trials that followed in the years after. We follow the stories of Maren Magnusdatter, a young woman of Vardo who lost her father, brother and fiancé in the storm, and Ursula Cornet, the wife of the dreaded Commissioner Absalom Cornet who played a big part in Vardo's witch trials.
Initially I struggled to get in to this book. I think I didn't associate with Maren as a character and I found the writing style hard to get in to. Regularly having to reread sentences to understand their meaning. But once Ursa was introduced, I found a character I liked and gradually as the story picked up pace I lost myself in the plot. The friendship that blossomed between Ursa and Maren is so well described and thoroughly genuine that I couldn't not love this book by the end. Every choice each character makes feels real and believable for that character. Every character had a realistic fully formed personality. Kudos to Kiran Millwood Hargrave for her first adult novel as I believe it was a success, and although I struggled to begin with, I do believe it was worth pushing through and I'm excited to see what she writes next. This is a book I have already recommended to a friend.
Initially I struggled to get in to this book. I think I didn't associate with Maren as a character and I found the writing style hard to get in to. Regularly having to reread sentences to understand their meaning. But once Ursa was introduced, I found a character I liked and gradually as the story picked up pace I lost myself in the plot. The friendship that blossomed between Ursa and Maren is so well described and thoroughly genuine that I couldn't not love this book by the end. Every choice each character makes feels real and believable for that character. Every character had a realistic fully formed personality. Kudos to Kiran Millwood Hargrave for her first adult novel as I believe it was a success, and although I struggled to begin with, I do believe it was worth pushing through and I'm excited to see what she writes next. This is a book I have already recommended to a friend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Rape, Racial slurs, Miscarriage, and Racism
Minor: Pregnancy, Blood, and Torture
katherine_hall's review against another edition
4.0
I probably should have read this faster than it actually took me to read because I liked the characters a lot, including a lot of the minor ones and I liked the setting and the town (1600s Norwegian village) it’s uniqueness was very appealing and interesting to me.
serinalovesreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
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? No
5.0
momma_nilsen's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0