Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman

32 reviews

katiemcdo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Dark historical fiction that gives powerful voices to those women impacted by the Vardo witch trials. Very well researched, I particularly enjoyed the use of Sami and Norse folklore. Good use of POVs and well build characters. 

It took me a little while to get into it and the middle third of the book felt a bit long but it does help to emphasise the long, torturous winter experienced by those on trial. The pacing really picked up in the last third of the novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Torture

dwellthebraveatheart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

domigaia's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No

DNF 90%

I think I greatly misunderstood or was mislead in suggestions of this book. This is a historical fiction or historical retelling of tragedy. Pure brutal tragedy. The feminist uprising I was expecting does not seem like it is going to happen.

 Imo “these witches of vardo refuse to be victims, they will have justice. They will show their power. They will not burn.” Is a little misleading ? They do burn, and they don’t really get justice? 

I feel like I am constantly waiting for the ‘justice’ bit and showing their power

The writing of the Sami people, and the atmospheric setting the scene was great. 

But..
MAJOR SPOILERS/
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horrible scene of SA :( , and then her mother is burnt, and I read ahead that her sister jumps off a bridge. And from reading ahead they are still pretty much in the same position? 

And Anna is STILL talking about her useless king who betrayed her. 

Started with wonderful writing a premise but was not my type of book. Not rating because I didn’t finish. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

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

rubywhatashmoo's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Miscarriage

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Domestic abuse

d0nt_be_so_rude's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.5

This story is based on true facts which made it even more impactful. For me, I could think of current events that seemed similair like nothing has changed since the witchs hunts. At the same time the way Ingeborg and Anna think about themselves, witches and the devil really pulled me into the past.
There is one thing that made me almost dnf this book. Ingeborg and Anna tell their story from different perspectives. One from first person and the other from third person. Every chapter I had to take a moment before I could read further because I could not really get into the story this way. After a while, about half way through, I got used to it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

annaelisabeth6's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

bookwyrmdancer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

anapthine's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

 

Thank you NetGalley and Bonnier UK Audio for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Oh my word, this was amazing. It was gripping from start to finish. The stories of the women were full of emotion, vulnerability and strength - the characters were so well written. The narrator really added to this already great novel.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity