'immersive and heartrending . . . I was completely captivated by this vital work of witch literature' ANYA BERGMAN
From the award-winning author of A Poisoner's Tale comes a dark, feminist retelling of the most famous witch trial in 17th-century Iceland, perfect for fans of The Witches of Vardo and The Mercies
Westfjords, Iceland. 1655
Þurìður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic.
But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, fuelled by the Protestant Reformation. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, those condemned as witches here are not women, but men of learning. And when Þurìður's father and brother are accused of witchcraft and condemned to burn at the stake, she is helpless to save them.
As Lutheran Pastor Jón Magnússon's accusing gaze turns to Þurìður herself, the first woman to be called 'witch', he will find that she is no ordinary woman.
She is prepared to fight back. But at what cost?
And in an age of fear and persecution, whose side will the community take? Who will fight for justice?
Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, They Can't Burn Us All is a feminist retelling of Iceland's notorious Kirkjuból witch trials.
| ISBN: | 9781787637160 |
| Publication date: | 13th August 2026 |
| Author: | Cathryn Kemp |
| Publisher: | Bantam Press an imprint of Transworld |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 416 pages |
| Genres: |
Historical Fiction Witchcraft Narrative theme: Social issues Fiction based on or inspired by true events Dark fantasy |
'immersive and heartrending . . . I was completely captivated by this vital work of witch literature' ANYA BERGMAN
From the award-winning author of A Poisoner's Tale comes a dark, feminist retelling of the most famous witch trial in 17th-century Iceland, perfect for fans of The Witches of Vardo and The Mercies
Westfjords, Iceland. 1655
Þurìður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods and watching her father and brother practise rune magic.
But now, a witch-hunting craze is sweeping across the land of ice and fire, fuelled by the Protestant Reformation. Unlike elsewhere in Europe, those condemned as witches here are not women, but men of learning. And when Þurìður's father and brother are accused of witchcraft and condemned to burn at the stake, she is helpless to save them.
As Lutheran Pastor Jón Magnússon's accusing gaze turns to Þurìður herself, the first woman to be called 'witch', he will find that she is no ordinary woman.
She is prepared to fight back. But at what cost?
And in an age of fear and persecution, whose side will the community take? Who will fight for justice?
Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, They Can't Burn Us All is a feminist retelling of Iceland's notorious Kirkjuból witch trials.
They Can't Burn Us All features in the following genres: Historical Fiction, Witchcraft, Narrative theme: Social issues, Fiction based on or inspired by true events, Dark fantasy
They Can't Burn Us All is available in Paperback, Hardback
They Can't Burn Us All was written by Cathryn Kemp and published by Bantam Press an imprint of Transworld
They Can't Burn Us All has 416 pages
£18.00