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The Witches of Vardo

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The Witches of Vardo

By: Anya Bergman
Narrated by: Sofia Engstrand
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About this listen

 They will have justice. They will show their power. They will not burn.

'Three women's fight for survival in a time of madness' Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies

Norway, 1662. A dangerous time to be a woman, when even dancing can lead to accusations of witchcraft. After recently widowed Zigri's affair with the local merchant is discovered, she is sent to the fortress at Vardø to be tried as a witch.

Zigri's daughter Ingeborg sets off into the wilderness to try to bring her mother back home. Accompanying her on this quest is Maren - herself the daughter of a witch - whose wild nature and unconquerable spirit gives Ingeborg the courage to venture into the unknown, and to risk all she has to save her family.

Also captive in the fortress is Anna Rhodius, once the King of Denmark's mistress, who has been sent in disgrace to the island of Vardø. What will she do - and who will she betray - to return to her privileged life at court?

These Witches of Vardø are stronger than even the King. In an age weighted against them, they refuse to be victims. They will have their justice. All they need do is show their power.

'An intricately woven, timeless novel about prejudice, misogyny, freedom and the power and strength we can find within' - Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

'A passionate indictment of the patriarchy ... a vibrant exaltation of the resilience of women ... Anya Bergman summons a historic witch trial with breathtaking detail and immediacy' Hannah Kent, author of Burial Rites

'Brilliant and powerful. Haunting and beautifully written. A complex and gripping novel reclaiming and retelling the stories of the women accused of witchcraft in Norway. Hugely atmospheric. Read it!' - Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts©2023 Anya Bergman (P)2023 Bonnier Books UK Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Women's Fiction Magic Witchcraft Inspiring Heartfelt Scary Thought-Provoking Magic Users

Featured article: Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween


Throughout history, women have been branded as witches by people scared of their power, confidence and independence. In days past, accusations of being a witch – thrown at women for everything from being talented at working with herbs to being in the vicinity of a death – could result in banishment or even death. These 12 audiobooks, perfect for the longer nights, colder weather and the Halloween season, tell the stories of women through history, from goddesses to regular women, through a mix of horror, fantasy and historical fiction.

Featured article Witches in fiction: 12 historical fiction books to listen to this Halloween
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To know this story is based on real events in history is shocking and yet it paints such a vivid picture of events in this period that it is quite unbelievable and magical at the same time. It is an empowering tale that leaves me feeling that there is a littlest bit of Witchery in us all, caring, thoughtful, insightful and resourceful.

Colourful and captivating

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Unnecessarily repetitious misogynistic violence.

Also, and sorry to say this, but narrator has a tendency to run words together- “don’t you” becomes “don chew”, “and I” becomes “ a die”.

It’s me, but I found this distracting.

Interesting but too long,

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I gave up. I didn’t like the narrators strong pronunciation of the characters because I simply couldn’t understand! The story was very very slow to get going.

The narration

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This is a beautifully written, yet harrowing portrayal of the slander of women in a real place and time. The things women had to endure through no fault of their own, which forced them to belive in the supernatural as a survival method, is morbidly shared. We learn of the historic persecution and the brutal ways of Old in an endearing, yet sad story.

the magical elements of witchcraft

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I had high hopes for this story but it was very slow to get going. Setting the scene and getting to the heart of the action took a long time. Once there it does pick up and it was an interesting listen. The highlight was the narrator who has a lovely clear voice and brought the story to life.

Slow to get started

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