Mere: The Darkly Atmospheric Historical Fiction Debut of 2025

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Description

Norfolk, 990 AD. Deep in the Fens, isolated by a vast and treacherous mere, an order of holy sisters make their home. Under the steely guidance of Abbess Sigeburg they follow God's path, looking to their infirmarian, Hilda, to provide what comfort and cures she can. But when the mere takes a young servant boy, Sigeburg's grip falters and Hilda quickly realizes this place holds secrets darker and more unholy than she can fathom. Then proud Sister Wulfrun, a recent arrival to the convent, has a vision: a curse is upon them, and change must be brought. Is she saint or serpent To Hilda, Wulfrun is a signal bolder and brighter than any fire set - one she cannot help but follow . . . Mere by Danielle Giles is a strikingly beautiful historical novel about fear and survival, power and position, and a love that takes hold in the darkest of places.

Reviews

A dark and disturbing tale set in an East Anglian abbey in Dark Ages England, where the old pagan Gods are meeting a fledgling Christianity. A supernatural mystery, a political power struggle, a romance, a woman bringing compassion and healing to a brutal world, and fenland ripe with stagnant secrets. Beautifully written, you will be drawn into the claustrophobic world of the mere, where sinners fear the retribution of both God and the devil. -- Laura Shepherd-Robinson, bestselling author of The Square of Sevens
It is rare for an author to fully recreate the strangeness of the past, but Danielle Giles has done exactly that. Through eerie, beautiful writing, she takes readers on a mystery in Medieval Norfolk, until, like the proud, resourceful women of this novel, one can't help but be swallowed into one of the damp mouths of the mere. This is a gem of a novel. -- Costanza Casati, bestselling author of Babylonia
Chilling, dark and immersive, I raced through Mere. I loved the originality of the story and the brave and unexpected use of language. Such a treat of a novel -- Rosanna Pike, bestselling author of A Little Trickerie
This is an artful and atmospheric novel that reveals uncomfortable truths about the way we lived then and, for the thoughtful, the way we live now -- Annie Garthwaite, author of Cecily
This is historical fiction at its most captivating. Mere is a story about fear and survival, each page crackling with intrigue . . . Simmering with secrets and ultimately love, I was swept away by this book -- Molly Aitken, author of Bright I Burn
Danielle Giles has created a captivating world that pulls the reader in as strongly as the mere itself, and the characters feel imprinted on my mind. This is a book filled with gentle magic, gentle horror, gentle love, and I adored it from beginning to end -- Elizabeth Lee, author of Cunning Women
Atmospheric, gorgeously mystical, Danielle Giles spins the tale of Mere with poetic perfection. A beautiful story of hope in the midst of darkness and decay. -- Isabelle Schuler, author of Lady MacBethad
Mere is a deftly written, stirring debut novel and a folk tale I'd yearn to hear around a campfire. Haunting and beautiful, it is a deeply affecting read that will stay with me for a long time to come. Even in Mere's brutality, there is a rare tenderness to be found -- Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb
Dark, evocative and atmospheric - I loved it! -- JJA Harwood, bestselling author of The Shadow in the Glass

Author Bio

Danielle Giles is a writer and researcher based in Bristol. She has been published (writing as Danielle Vrublevskis) in Extra Teeth and Dear Damsels, shortlisted for the Bristol Short Story Prize and the Brick Lane Bookshop Short Story Prize, and longlisted for the Galley Beggar Press Short Story Prize. She won the Local Prize in the 2023 Bath Short Story Award. MERE is her first novel; a second historical gothic is currently in the works.