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!

If you’re looking for an eerie, atmospheric read where the environment is just as much a character as the people, this is the book for you. It was so moody and creepy, I absolutely loved the way the story was constructed, it was a slow burner and I thought the ending felt very well deserved. The characters were really well written and the side characters were very developed as well. My favourite part about this book was the way the scene was set through the descriptions of the marsh and the effects that it had on the characters. The environment lent itself perfectly to the story that was told and the setting of a convent in 990 AD was so unique to read about and really interesting! Beautiful prose and so lyrical, definitely a great read!

Through the forest a small monestery of nuns work... The mere looks on holding secrets. A group travelling the mere lose a young boy and so starts a mysterious set of circumstances that bring about the decline of the fragile peace holding them all. This was a bit different and I enjoyed finding out what bought the different women to this secret place. With a lot of strange events befalling members if the household and visitors it is up to the women to keep the mere and its secrets from ruining all they have built together.

In her debut novel, Giles’ lyrical prose brings to life a waterlogged and forgotten corner of medieval England where the ever-present mere threatens to claim lives and incite madness, where the tenderness of love, friendship, and the renewal of life cling on to existence wherever they can. Centred around a convent and the nuns and lay people living there, Giles weaves a chilling tale in which an unsettling and sinister presence lures the reader in, unable to escape until the truth is revealed. The convent faces a crisis: risk a descent into chaos with the hope that salvation will come after, or preserve the status quo and risk death. Female power and female relationships are explored, often subverting the ideas traditionally held about medieval nuns; the novel examines what happens when women turn on each other versus when they unite in a setting not often utilised for such a theme. Giles’ crisp details of the natural world and the visceral realities of medieval life evoke the brutal and oppressive setting of the marshes in winter, a reminder that perhaps humans aren’t in control despite a fervent belief in God.

This was an original, atmospheric novel that I genuinely enjoyed. Set in 990 AD and following Hilda, the Infirmarian in a remote, troubled abbey, this tells the tale of a possible curse and perfectly captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of an isolated community of women in increasing danger, both physical and spiritual. This was a captivating read and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction and tales of the uncanny. Danielle Giles writes beautifully and I'm looking forward to reading whatever she writes next!