I felt for these women, how cruel the men could be and the atrocities these women were subject to. A wonderfully crafted and atmospheric debut, loved it! Set in 1660s Norway, we follow two protagonists, Anna Rhodius and Ingeborg. Anna was once the secret mistress of the king of Denmark. Now, she has been exiled to a fortress on the island of Vardø.

Vardø is an island community in the far north-east of Norway. In the days before airplanes and motorcars, Vardø and the entire county of Finnmark were truly remote places. One of them, Ingeborg Iversdatter, confessed under interrogation that she and an adult friend had transformed themselves into cats so they could escape incarceration and take part in a Christmas celebration with Satan. The end of the trials Mari also confessed that witches were responsible for the great storm of 1617. She claimed that the witches had caused the storm because of neighbor conflicts at Christmas 1617 and made many men drown. They had also had sexual intercourse with devils and demons while their men were at sea. Sölve Nilsdotter, Margrette Jonsdotter, and two more women were burned to death in Vardø on 20 March 1663. This book tells the story of three women and their fight for survival against the persecution of witchcraft.This powerful work of historical fiction draws on the records of the witch trials in 17th Century Norway, focusing on the lives of a number of women caught up in these events.

The first is the doctrine of demonology. Begun around the 1620s by a Scottish governor, demonology spread throughout Europe. Its influence in Vardo is best seen in the story of a learned couple from the south of Norway, Ambrosius Rhodius and Anne Friedrichsdatter Rhodius, who were imprisoned at Vardohus in 1662. Ambrosius was an astrologer and physician (the two believing to be complementary sciences), but he was considered politically dangerous because he predicted the result of an ongoing war (we’re guessing it wasn’t favorable). Anne was known for being outspoken, and got into a disagreement with the governor. Anna Rhodius, ex-mistress of the King of Denmark, has been banished to Vardø for some unknown reason. She is convinced that the only way out of the godforsaken island is to provide information to the local Governor about suspected witches, whom he is determined to remove.

In the remote village of Vardo, this epidemic would rename the city as “the Witch Capital of Norway.” In just 99 years, between 1593 and 1692, there were more than 140 witch trials in the village. Some were isolated, focused on a single individual, while others were panics–consisting of successive trials over a short period of time. These panics were where children were most likely to be accused, with the doctrine of demonology stating that anyonecould be a witch. The three greatest panics were during 1620 to 21, 1652 to 53, and 1662 to 63. Notice how each panic spans two years? That’s because they were most common during the winter months.

I loved the book and it finished it within hours as I couldn't put it down. It had a strong start and really strong ending! Unknown (2016-04-12). "Where The Ice Burns: The Condemned Women of 1662 / 1663". Where The Ice Burns . Retrieved 2019-10-25. Kaarboe, Ragnhild. Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Oxford University Press. 2011-10-31. doi: 10.1093/benz/9780199773787.article.b00096617.I loved the folklore and magic within the story - stories told by the women gave hope and strength at times when all seemed lost and I loved the friendship and loyalty shown. The memorial was designed by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and Swiss architect Peter Zumthor. It was the last major work of Bourgeois, who died at the age of 98 in New York just a few months before the memorial opened to the public. Inside the Steilneset witch memorial at Vardø. Photo: Jarle Wæhler / Statens vegvesen