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Extraordinary . . . Some of the best prose I’ve read.
— Elaine Feeney, author of How to Build a Boat
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A gorgeous, blazing novel, that makes history crackle to life. Fans of Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet or A.K. Blakemore’s The Manningtree Witches will love Aitken’s complex, sensual anti-heroine.
— Clare Pollard, author of Delphi
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A lushly fevered tale of marriage, murder and moneylending . . . Haunting and powerful.
— Jane Healey, author of The Beantown Girls
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An incandescent story, ablaze with the passion and determination of a woman centuries ahead of her time.
— Polly Crosby, author of The Book of Hidden Wonders
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Spellbinding . . . A stunning rendition of one fierce Irish woman’s voice pitted against the patriarchal power constructs of Medieval Ireland.
— Anya Bergman, author of The Witches of Vardø
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Aitken is a distinct, singular, stunning voice in historical fiction, and Bright I Burn is a triumph. It took my breath away.
— Jenny Mustard, author of Okay Days
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I was captivated. Every sentence reads like poetry. A stunning, magical, beguiling book.
— Huma Qureshi, author of Playing Games
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Beautifully told, full of passion and fire, Aitken evokes a vivid sense of time and place through her powerful depiction of a woman determined to maintain her position in a society driven by men. Stunning.
— Jenny Quintana, author of Missing Girl
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Darkly atmospheric, this beautiful novel transported me straight to Medieval Ireland.
— Haleh Agar, author of Out of Touch
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Gripping, poetic, a glorious story of a remarkable woman’s passion and her revenge.
— Louisa Reid, author of The Poet
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This is lustrous elemental writing, full of rich earth, smouldering flames and roiling waters—which left me gasping for air. It consumed me like a fire.
— Katie Hale, author of The Edge of Solitude
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Exciting and triumphant . . . There’s poetry here, in this lyrical, deeply human, fiercely feminist story. A book that burns brighter than even its title suggests.
— Nydia Hetherington, author of A Girl Made of Air
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Aitken’s beguiling lyricism reminds us of the deeper truths that linger in the shadows of the riverbank, at the edge of the woods.
— Karen Powell, author of Fifteen Wild Decembers
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Bright, bold and riotous . . . The prose is distinct and memorable from an author who is unafraid to breathe life and humanity into history and legend.
— Sophie Parkes, author of Out of Human Sight
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A story of power and destruction, that surprised me at every turn . . . We need narratives like these, which bring the past to life in new ways and challenge us to think differently about women and their influence.
— India Rakusen, producer
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Molly Aitken gives a powerful voice to Alice Kyteler, weaving a haunting and lyrical story from the strands of history. This was a beautiful, fascinating novel about an extraordinary woman that will linger in readers’ memories for a long time after they finish it.
— Jennifer Saint, author of Atalanta
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Aitken’s beguiling lyricism reminds us of the deeper truths that linger in the shadows of the riverbank, at the edge of the woods.
— Karen Powell, author of Fifteen Wild Decembers
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Bright, bold and riotous . . . The prose is distinct and memorable from an author who is unafraid to breathe life and humanity into history and legend.
— Sophie Parkes, author of Out of Human Sight