I hereby crown Mere Gay Nun Book of the Year. [some spoilers, I guess?] That sounds sarcastic and mean, but hey—we had Lauren Groff's Matrix (2021), now we've got this, this is starting to look like a subgenre. What's interesting about Mere, which otherwise has a fairly standard tussle for convent leadership at the centre of its plot, is that it takes the supernatural, and the tension between pagan worship and an imperfectly Christianised populace, seriously. It's obvious from early on that there's something inexplicable about the behaviour of people who get lost in the marsh that surrounds this East Anglian convent, something that isn't attributable to simple disorientation or the aftereffects of exposure. Those who don't die return changed, apparently able to perceive far more of the natural world around them, and able to pass that perception on to anyone who physically touches them. If Mary Stewart's Merlin novels count as fantasy—and she won the Mythopoeic Award for two of them—this certainly does too. For the most part the medieval setting is evoked effectively. There's a sensory and sensual groundedness that the best fiction of this kind has (I'm thinking of Nicola Griffith's Hild, or Sylvia Townsend Warner's The Corner That Held Them, or Stewart's Merlin novels again, or Mantel's Wolf Hall) that Mere doesn't quite have, although there are definitely extraordinarily evocative moments: the scene of the whippings administered to errant sisters on Christmas Eve, for example. The lesbian nuns feel more right than Groff's, though; it's not just about sex but also about emotional connection and intensity. Well worth picking up.

Was completely sucked into the world of Mere. Eery and haunting. The setting is vivid and immediately places you so clearly at the Abbey and among the bog lands. Hilda was well rounded, spiky and full of experience. Her position as Infirmarian was intriguing and placed her at the centre of all events in the book. I really enjoyed the hierarchy of the Abbey and the quiet, unspoken things between each character. Wulfrun in her knowing and quiet ways. Loved Tove and Sweet. Bloody in parts, gore-filled and with the devil looming quietly just beyond.

This historical fiction story is set in the Fens of Norfolk in 990 AD. Set amid this area is a community of nuns and those living nearby. There is a fear of the fens and the dark bogs, pools and unclear pathways. Some will forage around the edges, and those who know some of the pathways.

Having visited Norfolk, the Fens and the surrounding area when I went camping with my family as a child, I remember the warning I was given about sticking to the pathways. I know the landscape has changed obviously between the time of the story and when I visited, but the atmosphere of wandering the paths and not walking at night in the area added a huge sense of dread, fear and suspense.

There are some key characters in this story and these are very easy to remember as the story of the community unfolds. There is a fear that the land that is used for farming, foraging and fishing is not producing what it once did. Times are getting harder, and there is a young boy who gets lost in the fens. He was the latest arrival to the community, along with Wulfrun, who is to join the order. It is Wulfran's arrival that upsets the balance, and along with this comes a huge change to the way things are.

The author uses the iron will of the Abbess to maintain control, but there are whispers in the corners about a curse. While this is a Christian community, there are also the old ways that are intertwined into everyday lives. The details of their living conditions, the daily life and chores, and how society treats women who are discarded by husbands or parents are interesting.

The sense of fear and mistrust of change that is shown through the story is intriguing and adds a huge amount of suspense. There are mentions of romance and also how treatments and natural remedies are used in the infirmary.

This story has a lot of detail about the life and times in the area and I found it interesting to read and the main storyline to be very addictive. This is not a fast paced book, and everything is timed with the way of life and the seasons, so it is a very fitting pace. But it does allow the author to explore her characters more.

If you are a fan of historical fiction then this is a book that might very well interest you. It took me a little longer to read than normal, but I do tend to notice this more with historical fiction. I would definitely recommend it.

Mere by Danielle Giles

England 990 AD. Lying at the edge of a mysterious and sinister mere, sits an austere convent. What evil emanating from the adjacent murky waters, is fuelling mishap and misfortune on the ailing sisterhood? How will the suspected curse be overcome?

This book reminded me of Black Narcissus and Hammer films of the 1960’s with its swirling misty and brooding atmosphere. It is a patient read, but imbued with characters, both well drawn and whose fate you come care about.

#docs.reading.room

Mere by Danielle Giles is a haunting and atmospheric historical tale set in Norfolk, 990 AD. The novel is rich with tension and beautifully written, offering a deep exploration of fear, survival, and power in a world both religious and superstitious.

The story is set in a secluded convent, isolated by the dangerous mere, where a group of holy sisters lives under the stern guidance of Abbess Sigeburg. Their existence seems peaceful at first, but when a young servant boy is taken by the mere, dark secrets begin to surface, and the convent’s once stable foundation starts to crack.

What I found most compelling about Mere was the way Giles weaves together the sacred and the sinister. The mere itself, with its treacherous waters and ever-present mist, becomes more than just a setting. It is an ominous, almost sentient force that mirrors the dark tensions bubbling within the convent. The eerie descriptions of the marshes and pools add to the novel’s chilling atmosphere, creating a sense of impending doom throughout the story.

The characters are equally well-crafted. Hilda, the convent’s infirmarian, is a figure of compassion and quiet strength, yet she is also torn between loyalty to her sisters and the growing sense that something darker is at play. Sister Wulfrun, with her pride and mysterious arrival, adds a fiery spark to the narrative. Her presence disrupts the convent’s routine, and her enigmatic nature draws Hilda in, leading to a slow-burn tension that is impossible to ignore. The question of whether Wulfrun is a saint or a serpent looms large, and the dynamic between the two women is one of the novel’s most engaging aspects.

The writing is another highlight. Giles' prose is rich and evocative, with a lyrical quality that immerses the reader in the historical setting without feeling forced. The inclusion of Anglo-Saxon-inspired phrases adds authenticity to the world without overpowering the narrative, and the sensory descriptions of the convent’s interior and the surrounding marshlands are vivid and haunting.

3.5/5.

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Nuns are having their moment and I am HERE FOR IT. I’ll read a thousand books about nuns. This was perfect, beautifully written and filled with constant suspense and plot twists. This is historical fiction as I love to read it - immaculately researched, with characters that feel alive and who I care about, and with just a touch of mysticism. Oh and also queer elements. I adore!

As a resident of Norfolk myself, I’ve made several journeys across the fens, so I could relate to the potential it has for being eerie and atmospheric, beautiful in its bleakness, yet with the ability to pose a threat. This book hooked me with the setting, historical timeline and great characterisation.

The nuns’ commitment to an unorthodox way of life appeals as much as it can divide. Their convent is juxtaposed with the local community it serves. Here the sacred and the secular, the Christian and the pagan rub shoulders, and fear and superstition abide.

When rich, widowed Wulfrun becomes involved with the nuns, her presence is disruptive and divisive. She desperately seeks to find her young servant boy who vanished into the marshy mere. Her anxiety, and that of the community itself, is heightened by a doom-laden prophecy she shares.

Is Wulfun to be trusted? Is she a prophet, a seer, or a distressed woman causing trouble everywhere? Magnetic, charismatic, bold and brave she might be, but not everyone sees things her way, especially when she stays, joins the community, and wants to be Abbess herself.

Wulfrun becomes enamoured with Hilda, the infirmarian. The feelings are mutual. Their secret love grows and binds them closely together. Although it also makes Hilda feel torn between her duties and her desire as she wrestles with conflicting feelings.

The darkness encroaches. Hunger stalks them. Death lies at their doorstep. The misty mere rises up and floods their land and things get seriously out of hand. Who or what can save them? And who is willing to pay the price of becoming the sacrifice? This is a slow paced novel where these questions eventually find their answer. Grateful thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the eARC.

as a lover of historical fiction and anything folk leaning, i was really excited to pick mere up. unfortunately, this book turned out to be not for me. i found it boring and slow paced. not much happened, and i didn’t like hilda (the fmc). these things made it really hard to continue reading. one thing i did really like was the setting.

This is an absolutely beautifully written historical story of the power of faith, and love beside the harsh brutality of existence back then. Throw into the mix religion, superstition and mystery that give the whole thing an eerie gothic feel. Excellent.

"I lift no weapon, but kill more than the bravest warrior.
I live on women’s tongues and in men’s minds. I am a spilt pot, a razed city.
I am light as air, heavy as stone. No leechbook has cures for me, nor heroes swords against me."

Mere is an accomplished atmospheric debut novel by Danielle Giles. With lyrical writing, she imbues a sense of creeping foreboding and entrapment transporting the reader to an isolated convent surrounded by marshlands and ice-cold water and less than 200 souls. The novel explores themes of faith, superstition, manipulation, sexuality and politics, narrated in lyrical prose, revealing a unique new voice in English literature. Giles has innate talent in blending historical fiction and folklore elements, creating a compelling narrative with superb imagery that makes you feel the dampness of the mere and looming presence of an ancient power. “I feel no evil in it. No good either. It is vast and old and slow.”

Giles excels at character development, with each character having their own distinctive voice - a literary accomplishment. Abbess Sigeburg is a stoic, controlling woman who will "strangle you with scripture and punishment and insist that you thank her." Wulfrun, a mysterious woman who arrives at the convent under difficult circumstances, her past shadowed by pain and betrayal. Hilda, the four-decade-old infirmarian, is deeply absorbed in the convent’s life carrying for the ill but still keeps a sharp, observant mind and tongue. I could go on and on with the list of well-written characters, but as previously said, Giles' characterisation is superb. Her prose is rich and immersive, balancing historical detail with an almost fairy-tale quality.

Mere is a story about women navigating the confines of a convent at the borders under the looming presence of the mere. Despite the convent’s strict religious structure, older, darker beliefs simmer beneath the surface. The presence of the mere, its mythology, and the fear it instils create a sense of unease. The whispers of curses, omens, and unnatural forces blur the lines between folklore and reality playing an essential part in the story. Early, on the way of the abbess' return from Gipeswick with a small company of travelers and food rations for the winter, a kid is lost near the mere, and the sisters are quick to assign supernatural blame: "The other sisters say that a devil has woken in the marsh, taken the boy for his own." setting ablaze a series of events contributing to the mass hysteria soon to be unleashed.

Giles’ prose is vivid and immersive, seamlessly weaving folklore into Christian tradition. “I know better than to tell him otherwise, though from what I have seen the water-elf disease pales the nails and dampens the eyes, none of which afflicts Oswy. And so I gather together the needed herbs, mixing them with ale and holy water and singing over them a charm.” The dialogue is sharp, the characterisation layered and the themes deeply resonant. While some readers may find the pacing slow, it serves the purpose of creating tension and danger. The novel explores the power dynamics between the sisters—with a caveat. Giles also questions how faith is weaponised, how suffering is framed as divine will, and how people in power use faith to manipulate. The convent’s hierarchy is a constant source of tension, with alliances and rivalries shaping the fate of the sisters. ”She is a little serpent who thinks I do not mark her poison.”

The novel is also unflinching in its portrayal of sexual desire - and some Christians may find it blasphemous even. The relationship between Hilda and Wulfrun is charged, sensual, and depicted with powerful language. "When I slide my face between her thighs and taste her sour-sweet cunt, I feel as if I would not care if they heard us all the way in Gipeswic." Giles does not shy away from rawness, and these moments of intimacy stand in stark contrast to the rigid, punishing atmosphere of the convent. Toward the end, secrets unravel and long-held resentments come to a final climax igniting a fiery rebellion. The final part is brutal, gripping and utterly satisfying, if eerie and subtle. It will require a moment of reflection to grasp the full meaning of this incredible novel.

Mere is a stunning, evocative novel that lingers long after the final page. It is a novel of power, faith, and manipulation told with exquisite prose and an unflinching eye for historical and emotional truth. Highly recommended for readers who appreciate historical fiction blended with folklore and queer representation.

Disclaimer: Thank you, Pan MacMillan and Danielle Giles for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Norfolk, 990. Hilda came as a bastard child to the convent that is lead by the strict abbess Sigeburg and is now the infirmarian. One day the proud Wulfrun joins them while she is searching for a missing servant boy Eadwig in the marshlands around the monastery. His disappearance sets in motion a series of disastrous events and Wulfrun begins to rebel against Sigeburg.

Mere begins as a strong story with the mystery of the missing Eadwig, rumors of a monster in the mere (marshlands), a curse and ongoing struggles in the monastery. But as quickly the story becomes a mess and I must admit I felt little sympathy for the characters. All the men are assholes in the book, the nuns are sex-crazed, no one takes responsibility and that makes for a lot of useless deaths. I don't really understand the moral of the story either I guess - the ending was one big question mark for me.

This is Giles' debut novel and it is certainly not badly written, I liked reading it. But the plot goes nowhere for me. Or maybe I should read it again to appreciate it more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

An eerie and moving gothic that often highlights the hypocrisy of organised religion. I enjoyed the perspective of the protagonist, Hilda, who after being raised in a convent is both naive and jaded in turn. Her often witty commentary on the struggles of her sisters with sin and propriety was a joy to read, and the ending was very satisfying. There were some unexpectedly heartbreaking moments, I wasn’t expecting such a rollercoaster of emotions. Wonderful book!

Thank you to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC

I am not sure why it took me so long to read this book. 400 pages is usually the work of a 2 or 3 days for me. But this one took me 5. It's a compelling story about a convent in the Fens in 990AD; very atmospheric with a few excellent characters including the infirmarian Hilda and the newly arrived Wulfrun. The still early days of Christianity saw the people still worshipping and taking part in old practices alongside their Christian beliefs. It is not a Christian book. Not a lot really happens, but one assumes that such was the way of a cloistered life back then. What does happen is interesting and engaging although the couple of "sex scenes" were unneccessary in my opinion. I recommend this book. And thanks to NetGalley, the publsher and the author for the e-ARC to read and review. One last pont - I do think that the bright cover gives the wrong impression of this quite dark and gloomy story.

There's a lot to like abo0ut this book, a debut from Danielle Giles, but ultimately it misses the mark. Set in 990 AD in East Anglia in a remote convent in winter, it's atmospheric and conveys the hardships of the lives of the nuns and the rural community that surrounds them. A young boy goes missing in the marshlands that surround the community (The Mere) and old legends about the beast that lurks deep within the marsh resurface, leading to a supposed curse, death and devastation. Some of Giles' prose is beautiful -more like poetry in fact- when describing the countryside and the harsh conditions the nuns endure after flooding and fire destroy their winter food supplies. Unfortunately , that is just not enough to make up for its glaring faults. Faults that could have been corrected quite easily. It's clearly far too long, such that the lovely prose passages become something to survive rather than enjoy. They put a drag on the action, and encourage page flicking. You dont need them - get rid. The focus of the narrative slips around from one thing to another. It's hard to hold on to a narrative arc, character motivation and development. Some of the details of the plot are, frankly, ridiculous. I'm quite prepared to believe that old country pagan beliefs coexisted with Christianity in remote communities and it's also obvious that sexuality found expression here, even when the dominant religion tried to suppress it. However, it's a bit of a stretch to believe that there were regular drinking sessions and drug taking amongst the nuns, sexual relationships were rampant, and that the possession of a leather crafted dildo was just a bit of fun. Did nobody (the moral police of the nunnery for example) ever hear anything during the long dark nights? Or were the nuns just well-versed in silent drinking and sex sessions? The main problem though is that by the last third of the book, I just didnt care about the fate of any of them. I just wondered why it couldn't have been resolved 100 pages earlier. Danelle Giles can clearly write, and we will hear if her again, but a tighter edit is needed , I think. Again, I won't publish this review on my blog. Debut authors need public encouragement, not criticism.

Thank you to Danielle Giles, Pan Macmillan | Mantle, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The historical setting was rich, descriptive, and absorbing. Pacing at the beginning was a little slow but I devoured the last half. Characterisation was almost perfect but the attraction between two of the main characters felt a little insta-love-esque and wasn’t believable, which was a little disappointing as it underpinned later decisions. Unsure how I feel about the answer to the curse and heartbroken about Mildred.

Very magical debut ft crowned goats and horny nuns. Around a 3.75.

Unfortunately I really couldn’t get interested in this book. I found it slow and I couldn’t take to the characters at all. Anyone who enjoys books about that era would probably like it.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Mere wasn’t quite my cup of tea, but I can’t deny that it’s an excellently crafted debut! Playing out in a convent in the wilderness of the 10th century Norfolk fens, it’s a moody and often bleak slice-of-life tale that revels in testing the faith and superstition of its characters. Fans of old English historical fiction should definitely pick this one up!

I personally struggled with Mere on account of the slow pacing and the early character development, both of which meant I struggled to get into the story at first. The book has a slow start in my opinion, but does build momentum over the course of the story. Similarly I felt the characters started to shine a little more once the plot started to put them through the wringer. I found that as the story progressed, we got a closer look at each main character’s relationship with faith - what is off limits, what is ok if followed by confession, and which morals are first to be dropped when times get tough. In both pacing and character work, the book falls flat at first, but does come into its own the further you progress.

I think the building of the location was a real highlight of Mere for me. The setting of the dreary, isolated mere surrounding the convent is excellently described, and builds an unsettling sense of fear and danger. Since we follow the story from the medic’s perspective, we get to see a bit more of the environment through the collecting of herbs for healing salves and remedies, which itself helps to immerse you in the era of the story. This story is by no means a cheerful read, though there were moments of light and humility that shone through the bleakness in a really nice balance.

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!

Mere follows a failing convent in the fens in Norfolk 990. When a new sister arrives sinister twists begin as Hilda and the other women try to save their convent.

This is my first time reading a historical fiction set so far back. I love shows such as The Last Kingdom so was very excited to read Mere by Danielle Giles. I’ll have to admit, at times I was a little confused. I think this is mainly due to the style of writing which is out of my normal genre and comfort zone. That being said, I highly enjoyed Mere and would definitely read more from Giles again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a digital copy of Mere by Danielle Giles in return for an honest review.

Mere is set in the Fens of Norfolk in 990AD. Abbess Sigeburg is head of a convent of Christian nuns who live, work and pray together. The old ways - legends of giants, devils in the marshes, sacrifices and suchlike still exist, alongside their Christian beliefs and I expect it was exactly like this in these times. Hilda, one of the main characters, is the infirmarium; the healer of both the sisters and the local people. Having an interest in Medieval times I found this part really interesting. I went to the British Library’s exhibition on ‘Medieval Women - In Their Own Words’ recently and it was fascinating and so interesting. In Medieval times, women were not free and most had little say in their lives.

This book is so atmospheric, it is almost possible to feel the claustrophobia and the isolation created by the mere as it encroaches due to the floods. Hope, survival and love are the feelings it evoked in me. It is eerie, dark and compelling and I enjoyed this book immensely.

REVIEWED ON GOODREADS, FABLE AND WATERSTONES