In the quaint setting of the small Scandinavian island, Berggrund, during the early 1800s, we delve into the lives of Pastor Silas and his two distinctly different daughters, Ulrika and Beata. The exploration unfolds in Anna Noyes's debut Gothic noir fiction, "The Blue Maiden," where the siblings share an intriguing connection through their shared belief in the supernatural, an element deeply rooted in the island's historical backdrop.

Berggrund, notorious for its history of witchcraft and the haunting events on the uninhabited Blue Maiden island, presents a stark contrast between its picturesque name and the dark occurrences that transpired there. The mist-shrouded islet shores play a role in reflecting the ethereal colors of the sky and ocean, adding a layer of mystique to the atmosphere.

Raised by their stern and parochial father, the sisters harbor a fascination for the fairytales and legends that surround the area's dark history. Both daughters yearn for the love and affection absent in their relationship with their father and the companionship of other children during their formative years.

In examining "The Blue Maiden," it becomes apparent that the writing style of the novel presents a notable challenge for readers, including myself. The narrative unfolds with a choppy and jerky quality that significantly hindered my ability to seamlessly follow the plot. However, I enjoyed its vivid portrait of familial complexities intertwined with the supernatural, capturing the essence of a historical period fraught with mysticism and intrigue.

The cover of this book is stunning, and the story itself was quite interesting. I particularly enjoyed the well-developed characters and the intriguing lore. However, I found the book to be somewhat disjointed, especially in the beginning, as the author switches between two narrators in a way that is difficult to follow. Thankfully, in the second half of the book, the author sticks with Bea as the narrator, which made it more enjoyable and easier to connect with. Overall, I believe this book had a lot of potential that unfortunately got lost in its attempt to be lofty and aloof. I hope future books from this author prioritize clarity and conciseness in writing because I believe the core idea was simply lost in translation.

The Blue Maiden by Anna Noyes

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the opportunity to read the ARC ebook.

This is a debut Nordic Gothic read and I don’t think this was geared for me. I found it to be disjointed and a confusing story (at least for me) that left me with a feeling of disappointment upon finishing. I’m not sure if it was the writing or story or both. I did enjoy some of the dialogue between the father and his daughters. This is Anna Noyes debut and I would probably read a future book of hers.

I only rated a 2 star, and I just want to remind you, this is my opinion and others have rated it higher.

The synopsis of this sounded right up my alley. However the story didn't fall together as well as I had hoped. Too much info packed into a novel too short, I felt..

With some editing, this book has the potential to be higher rated. But as of now, it's a bit disjointed, which makes it difficult to follow and I had to keep going back (which isn't normally a thing for me) which toon away from the overall experience. It does have some excellent things going for it particularly around the characters. It may also be this way for me bc I'm normally a fast reader. Anyway, overall it was enjoyable.

The Blue Maiden had a choppy and jerky writing style which made it difficult for me to follow the plot. I struggled to finish reading this book for that reason. I think if the writing had better flow, while still keeping the natural almost earthy pagan atmosphere that the author did a great job at evoking, then I think I would have enjoyed the story.

Unfortunately this was a did not finish for me. I got about halfway through the book and it was just not sticking. I am going to give it a 3 star rating due to it just being personal preference

The descriptions, the tone, the characters - I couldn’t get enough of this book and thoroughly enjoyed my time with it.

Seeing Bea and Ulrika’s relationship change as they grow up and observing them navigate the joys and losses of adulthood sucked me into the wild world of Berggrund Island and their little village. I also didn’t foresee the main plot twists, which is always exciting!

It was clear that Bea was the main narrator, but the line blurred between the two sisters at times in the beginning. This narration style reflected to me what it is like to grow up and develop an identity, so I enjoyed the ambivalence.

At first I expected an atmospheric, sweep-out-of-my-feet setting-centered tale that would transport my body into another place and time. It did, wonderfully. The details are immaculate, like I could breathe the same salty, mossy air of Berggrund island as the characters. Even if the color palette is kind of bleak (or especially when?), I took delight on the colored garments, food, plants, and scenery of the rural Sweden setting. The way those details are delivered is also smooth and charming in its Gothic-creepy way.

The story opens with a 1600s witch trial that accused women to be allied with the Devil. After that it jumps to 1800s, carrying the same patriarchy theme except it's in more modern setting when the Blue Maiden has become a mere myth. I had a slow, hard time in the beginning since the plot has little development. It kicked off halfway through, and although this is not the first book that has such structure (inciting incident in the middle) I would prefer it for short stories instead of a full novel. I felt I have invested since the beginning, hoping to find the answer of 'what The Blue Maiden has to do with Ulrika and Bea's story' but then nothing really happened. In short stories, the length is shorter so I can put two-and-two together faster.

Speaking of short stories, the subtlety and deep POV are dominating and masterfully done. But again, I think it would work best on short stories. I craved exposition, clear links between this event with that event, like what the true nature of the character is or how much time actually passed. I hope it's a 'it's me not you' case but the characterization felt thin. Maybe because it took too long to the heart of the story? I could truly grasp who Bea and Ulrika are after Augustus came back to the island.

But the twist after twist after twist? Chef's kiss.

I liked little things woven into the story, things that people may not find important but here are surely embedded with love, and how subtlety shows the mastery of the craft. I wish the plot would take off sooner and more engaging from the start. 3.5 stars for Blå Jungfrun.

This book was…interesting. I very much enjoyed the characters and the mysterious lore, but this book as a whole felt very disjointed at times, especially in the beginning. The author seems to switch between two narrators but it is done in a way that is hard to follow, but in the second half of the book she stuck with Bea, which made the book more enjoyable and accessible. Overall, I feel like this book has a lot of potential that is lost due to a desire to be lofty and aloof. I hope more books that come from this author aim for clarity and conciseness in writing, because truly I think the idea was just lost in translation.

Growing-up on the small Scandinavian island of Berggrund in the early 1800s, local widower and Pastor Silas’s two daughters, Ulrika and Beata, are nothing alike in height, size, features or nature—except for their haunting beliefs in the supernatural realm that has existed there for generations in Anna Noyes debut Gothic noir fiction, “The Blue Maiden.”

For this area is known for its history of witchcraft and the burning days associated with these atrocities and horrors that took place across the harbor on a uninhabited island called, the Blue Maiden, by locals and sailors. This lovely name, in contrast to what occurred there in past years is due to the prevailing mists that shroud the islet shores and reflect the colors of the sky and ocean upon its atmosphere.

The sisters, who are raised by their stern parochial father, are fascinated by fairytales and legends of the areas dark history, and learn that they are linked to it through their deceased mother, and generations of females, in their mother’s line, when they discover an ancient red grimoire filled with botanical recipes for healing, as well as darker remedies that foreshadow ill intentions.

Both daughters long for the love and affection that they have never received from their father nor from friendships of other children as they grew. When a prominent and promising suitor for the elder sister, Ulrika, arrives on Berggrund the outcome is not as Pastor Silas or Ulrika hopes. However, this stranger brings with him dark secrets from decades past that will haunt all of their present and future.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Anna Noyes, and Publisher Grove Atlantic / Grove Press for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

This was such a beautiful and enjoyable read. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perfect for fans of Molly Aitken's Island Child!

I thought this book was very gripping. From the first page, I was hooked. It really reminded me of Molly Aitken's "The Island Child." The presence of the island, its past, and her past weaving together as this almost tangible being, peaking into windows and carrying you away at night. It touches on grief, secrets, sisterhood, memory, cycles, and what it means to be a woman, in all stages of life. These topics are bracketed with cruelty, religiosity, and spirituality. I found the ideas the author wrestled with interesting, but I wasn't tonally satisfied with the result. This feels very debut. Not a bad debut, but a debut none the less. I would recommend this book if you like morally gray main characters, small atmospheric communities and landscapes, and explorations of grief and sisterhood.

I have to warn others that this book does contain an off-screen sexual assault. It happens to the main character's sister. After this, she is clearly changed. This assault, her change of behavior, and vengeful actions leads to the main character othering her sister and becoming close friends with her sister's attackers. Her assault is never mentioned again beyond this plot point. There is also an bullying scene with off-screen violence. If that bothers you, do not read this book. The way Ulrika's assault was handled was actually super disappointing for me.

I'm sure it would be done anyways, but please, please, have another copy editor read through this book. There's no reason for there to be a 2 sentence long paragraph in which both sentences make mention of a couple's 60-year marriage. It just isn't necessary. Please pick one. I'm casting my vote for the second sentence as it was much more impactful. There were a few other little things that felt almost... anachronistic. I don't know how much of that is due to how untethered life on the island seems. Besides the witch hunt, both time periods feel identical-- but also as if they could have happened on a similarly isolated island less than 50 years ago? but maybe that was the point? I don't know.

The biggest issue to me were Bea's visions. She was lost-- and so was I! I don't expect them to be crystal clear, but they felt messy and confusing enough that they just became blurs-- which sucks. I think the author was making a connection there as the original priest had visions, her father has visions, and her son has visions; but they are so fuzzy to me that mere hours later I can barely remember them.

I kinda feel like the author left herself too little time to satisfactorily tie together enough of the loose ends. After spending so long cataloguing her decaying relationship with August, we are left with no resolution after the climax and he is only tangentially mentioned afterwards. Instead we see Elias again??? Then we're treated to more millisecond time jumps through the seasons until the end. It felt rushed, messy, and unsatisfactory. The last page on the Blue Maiden was very strong. It was the kind of ambiguous ending you sink your teeth into and ponder for days-- so what came before it pales even more in comparison.

Also, the cover is a little deceptive. The book is light on the herbalism. It's vey much a background element in Bea's story. It's just the prop that artificially connects Bea's (mainlander) mother to the island women burned for witch craft and a wise woman "godmother-esque" figure named Bruna. It's really about a book that divides the sisters, and in some ways, defines their paths. I actually think the cover might lead to some disappointment. That's a pretty big promise not to deliver on.

Thank you for the arc provided kindly by Netgalley. This story was so atmospheric, full of nostalgia and pain. The sisterly bond was tender and very well written. It is a perfect read for the fall season.