Set in Ireland in the 13th-14th century, Bright I Burn follows the life of Alice, the daughter of a money lender and innkeeper, and then she is both of those by her own right. The novel weaves in and out of Alice’s life, as her wealth grows, as she marries, and buries, four husbands and as she draws the negative attention of those envious of her success. Ultimately, this is supposed to be the story of a woman who thrived in a man’s world, when she should not have. However, Alice was not very likable which made it hard for me to actually enjoy this. Interesting in that it is an era of history I know very little about, but for a solid ¾ of the book, I just did not like the main character.

Loosely based on the life of Alice Kyteler, the first woman accused of witchcraft in Ireland, Bright I Burn is a thoughtful exploration of what it is to be a woman in a world and society that are not built for you. Aitken does a fantastic job building the character of Alice, she's clearly done her research. The story doesn't go very far but I think for readers who are interested in a character study and engaging with the ideas in Bright I Burn, I think this will be a satisfying read.

This is an engaging reclaiming of the story of the first woman accused of witchcraft in Ireland, Alice Kyteler. It is clear that Molly Aitken has thought through the goals of her project, and done her research. It was interesting to read Alice's perspective of her society and the decisions she made to remain a strong woman. She witnessed the consequences of her mother's decisions to be compliant and subservient, and decided to take a different path. My main critique is the vagueness of the larger history's description. I had to turn outside the book to understand the events of Alice's life, especially as the book came to a conclusion. Fortunately, Molly stayed faithful to the few facts known of the real Alice's life so I was able to figure it out. The strength was really the characher of Alice. I enjoyed the straightforward way that she approached life, and she was very clear eyed towards her personal weaknesses.

I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy stories of women from historical eras where their voices are missing.

Thank you to NetGalley, and Knopf- Pantheon for providing an eARC for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this one, but it fell flat for me. I was so bored. The research was great, but the character development just wasn’t there.

Great concept and interesting to jump start further learning about the real Alice. I was excited to get this one as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review; but I ended up simply glad this one was short. I often found myself lost or the writing disjointed. I am not sure if it was the shortness of the novel or the writing, but I simply disliked the MC and about halfway through I was ready to be done.

I can see others enjoying this one, especially if they like fast paced, witchy stories.

<b>Aitken's story of a strong, crafty, fearless woman in 1200s Ireland is based upon the real figure of Alice Kyteler, whose power and wealth threatened the men in her community so deeply, she was the first woman in that country to be condemned as a witch.</b>

Molly Aitken's historical fiction <i>Bright I Burn</i> is based on the true story of a woman in Ireland whose professional and personal power threatened the men in her community so much, she was the first woman in that country to be condemned as a witch.

In 13th-century Ireland, Alice Kyteler witnesses her mother's difficult domestic life and lack of autonomy, and she swears she will find a way to take more control of her own life.

She's well aware that women in the 1200s aren't allowed much freedom, and she must wrest her power from her father, her husbands, and her limiting society. A powerful woman is resented and feared, and threatening accusations begin to fly regarding how Alice earns so much money and how her deceased husbands met their maker.

Alice is far from innocent, but Aitken builds a sympathetic case for her fight for power--if not the poison she keeps on hand in case her husbands must be dealt with. I loved Alice's awakened, consuming passion; her deep devotion to Roger, one of her husband's brothers and a childhood friend; her scheming; her adjustment to her ever-changing circumstances; and her doting love for her son.

I had a difficult time with the pacing of the book; it felt as though it drifted somewhat, but I was completely taken by the day-in-the-life details Aitken included of this time and place and by Alice's fight for autonomy.

The repeated strings of quotes that introduce each chapter--presumably from others in the community--offer a wonderfully powerful burst of gossip, resentment, supposition, and increasing momentum that is chilling to witness, while those who would be Alice's undoing (in particular, a priest who fears Alice's influence and freedom) creep closer to putting her under their thumbs.

I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of Knopf and NetGalley.

This was an interesting perspective of a woman in medieval Ireland- coming to a time where witches were beginning to be condemned by the Catholic Church. I always love historical books that offer a voice to the women. This was a quick and captivating read that showed the world through a woman’s eyes at a time full of misogyny. I think it brings to light the weight power, wealth, and status, had over the church- and even the government. While mainly focused on the survival of women, it also led me to recall some things we are seeing in current times with the elites and the government, and how women’s roles fit into them. I think this books holds some important underlying issues that should be evaluated in depth.

Thank you to NetGalley, Molly Aitken, and Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor publishing for the eARC

I adored this. Great historical fiction. The main character is so determined, so ruthless, so broken.

Bright I Burn by Molly Aitken was a fascinating look at a woman's life in the middle ages. Bright I Burn tells the store of Alice Kyteler, a woman of both means (we hear a lot about her accumulation of "coin") and desires. She works her way through a series of husbands, "assisting" them (to greater and lesser degrees) in their demises. Through it all, what Alice wants for herself and her son are paramount. I thought the writing in this book was excellent, and I especially appreciated the fidelity of historical details and ways of speaking and the way Aitken uses a variety of narrative techniques to take us through the phases of Alice's life. I wish there had been a bit more emphasis on the witch accusations at the close of the book, for although we felt this wave of public opinion gathering throughout the novel, I wanted to spend more time in the story as the wave crested and broke over Alice and her companions who were caught up in it.

Molly Aitken has written a historical novel based on the life of Alice Kyteler. Alice was the first woman in Ireland to be accused of witchcraft. She lived during the late 1200s and early 1300s. She was an ambitious lady who accomplished riches during a time when women depended on their husbands for everything.

While I always find history interesting (I wish that's what I studied in college instead of what I did), I thought 'Bright I Burn' just fell short. Aitken did well on research. She didn't develop Alice. The book seemed boring at times. In fact, I fell asleep a couple of times while reading it. It is written entirely from Alice's POV. I didn't care for that either.

Published September 10, 2024

Thanks to Netgalley, Knopf, and Aitken for the E-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

😊Happy Reading😊

#Netgalley #knopf #knopfpantheonvintageanchor #mollyaitken #brightiburn #arc

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy of this novel for my review. Unfortunately, this book wasn't what I wanted it to be. I was excited about the subject matter of the book. Having just visited Scotland and learned some about how witches were treated in that country, I was hopeful this Irish variation would be equally interesting. Instead, this story seemed rushed and too fast-paced for me. The writing was acceptable, but not amazing. Alice was not very richly developed as a character, and I found myself quite ambivalent about her.

Bright I Burn is a historical fiction novel set in the late 1200s, early 1300s primarily in Kilkenny, Ireland. It tells the story of Alice Kyteler, a financially independently successful woman and the first person accused of witchcraft in Ireland. This book is a short but brilliant imagining of Alice's life and her multiple husbands, reminiscent of Evelyn Hugo if divorce wasn't an option. I loved this book, devouring it in one day, and I strongly recommend picking it up.
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for this delightful ARC!

A wonderful historical fiction based on the story of the real woman, Alice Kyteler, who was the first Irish woman to be accused of witchcraft. The language, story structure, and atmosphere are wonderful. It was easy for me to read this book in small bits and pieces as this week was incredibly busy at my house. And medieval tales are my favorite, so I really loved the comings and goings of the life of non-royalty in the late 1200’s/early 1300’s. During this time, there was still plenty of mysticism and witchcraft around Europe, but the influence of the Christian religion was spreading and the accusation of witchcraft was essentially a death sentence.

It’s especially interesting to me that Alice isn’t a likable woman-please know that going into the story. She can be a bit selfish and she is always scheming to get what she wants. She trusted nearly no one and could not be trusted herself. Even so, her story is compelling as a woman with money and power during the 1300’s. When Alice’s father-a successful innkeeper and money lender-died, he left her his business, but customs indicated that she had to marry to take it over. She only married men who represented financial gain to her. Her continued success and ease attracting powerful men made her a target for hate and jealousy in her community, as did her many marriages. Molly Aitkin includes gossipy whispers from the townspeople in between her regular chapters, and I enjoyed their perspective on Alice so much, even though the speakers were never really characters in the story.

In a way, Alice reminded me of Eleanor from Karen Brooks’ wonderful book, The Wife of Bath, which is one of my favorite medieval stories. Like Eleanor, Alice is predisposed to have a very difficult life simply because of where/when she was born. All women did, especially non-royals. Eleanor was much more likable, though, and had to work much harder than Alice to be successful. But still, both stories are a wonderful depiction of the life of a medieval woman.

Lord forbid a woman have power.

Alice Kyteler had a problem: Her mother died when she was young, and her father raised her at his side as a moneylender. When he passed, his fortune and business passed to the experienced, well-taught, and cunning Alice (along with her new husband). Now Alice had all of the power and prestige of her own house and had joined it to that of her husband’s.

Alice also had another problem: She didn’t trust anyone, she especially didn’t trust men, and she wasn’t too thrilled with the trappings of her gender. Life was hard enough without being a female on top of it. Money became the only armor she could reliably wrap around herself and those few she chose to protect, so extracting herself from relationships in which she had wrought most of the benefits from became her number one priority.

Times change though, and you don’t live that kind of life without making enemies. In Alice’s case, a lot of enemies. Mix the rise of the Catholic Church in Ireland with a lot of people looking for revenge on a female moneylender, and you can see the writing on the wall.

The writing in this book was absolutely lovely, interspersed with ballads, poetry, folk recipes, small stories, and pages of gossip being exchanged back and forth between townspeople that grow more and more vociferous the longer the book goes on. The prose is lyrical, with an elegant flow and evocative imagery. Some passages grow more heated or more violent, but even those are elegant in word choice and structure.

It’s a great autumnal read, but know Alice Kyteler isn’t a good person. There are no heroes or villains in this book: there are just people who are driven in certain directions by circumstance. That’s one of the things I liked the most about this book.

I was provided a copy of this title by the publishers and author via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Historical Fiction/Literary Fiction

2.5⭐️

I was promised a story about an Irish witch in the 13th century, and I only got that at the very end. The entire book is told in a very confusing literary prosaic way that made me feel like I was reading a required read for English class in 11th grade and I had to try to guess what the meaning behind every paragraph was. There were some good moments within the story that I enjoyed, but honestly the majority of it was just her having sex with all of her husbands.

Thank you to NetGalley, Knopf, and Molly Aitken for an advanced copy of this book.

There is SO much potential here in developing the characters and the reader's attachment to them. For whatever reason, the timeline for this book is fast-paced, with little time to grow comfortable in a particular period of Alice's life. I was especially disappointed that there wasn't more shown between firstborn Will and Alice, and he goes from a toddler to an adult in a matter of pages.

I am not entirely sure what the author is hoping to accomplish with this depiction. If it's to evoke the reader to do their research on Alice Kyteler and 13th century Ireland then she succeeds as I don't feel that I was provided much of an understanding of the societal norms, community expectations, or town workings to be immersed in the setting and families.

I appreciate the author's diction. It is light on its feet and helps pass through the otherwise lacking story. I do hope this author tries another story in the future, and gives it the time and space to develop versus rushing it along.

This was very different from what I was expecting, having thought it would focus on what we traditionally associate with witchcraft (i.e. spells, mysticism, healing). Instead this gave a succinct look at a little known historical figure that really was ahead of the times when it comes to feminism. She unapologetically broke gender norms by using men for her financial gain and sexual desires which of course ruffled some feathers, leading to accusations of her being a witch. This book was zippy and straight to the point at less than 300 pages. The author did not dabble in fantasy elements which could have built up more intrigue as far as plot, but instead chose to focus on the facts so as not to dilute the significance of Alice's actions. This book is not one that I could see myself recommending to a general audience, but will be a thought provoking and enjoyable read for those who like historical oddities or are tired of the same old historical fiction tropes.

For me, Bright I Burn was a beautifully written story, but not a story that really captured me. Unfortunately the plot didn't have enough going for it.

2.5 stars, rounded up
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With lyrical writing, Bright I Burn is an interesting story of witchcraft and terror in Medieval Ireland. Based on a real “witch,” this book gives her a voice in this fictionalize version of her life.

This is a funky little short story about Dame Alice Kyteler. I mostly liked this one, but wish it had stuck closer to her true life vs. fictionalizing it so much. It does utilize her important life moments, but in a very much fictional way. I guess that’s the point of the story, but her life was interesting enough without being so heavily made up. I think her real life and the untimely deaths of four husbands so young is what really made her so interesting to me. To take that out definitely affected how I viewed the story. Too much plot in too little a story. Expanding it would have made it more interesting to me.

The way the book is set up, through gossip and first person, made the book a little more interesting. But it also made it hard to see character growth and plot. Alice is such an influential person in the book, ruling over her own life in a time where women were expected to be ruled over, but the emphasis on this was really lacking to me because of how the story is told.

I wanted/expected to like this a lot more than I did.

Bright I Burn is an overly artistic attempt at a novel in a way that really did not work for me. The story was so fast and abstract that I felt I did not understand who the main character was or what was even happening. Time passed so nonchalantly and it was sometimes hard to tell when things were happening or were dreams. I was halfway through when I realized I literally had no connection to the main character, and I decided to DNF.

Thank you to Knopf and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!