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They Can't Burn Us All

The dark, captivating and magical new historical novel from the award-winning author of A Poisoner's Tale

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They Can't Burn Us All

By: Cathryn Kemp
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Iceland, 1655

When a land of ice and fire, legends and sagas is swept into the Protestant Reformation, a witch-hunting craze begins. Unusually, those condemned and burned as witches are not women, but respectable men of learning.

Þuríður Jónsdóttir has grown up praying to the old gods, and watching her father and brother practise rune magic. When the two men are accused of witchcraft and condemned to burn at the stake, Þuríður is helpless to save them.

But as Lutheran Pastor Jón Magnússon's accusing gaze turns to Þuríður, he will find that she is a woman prepared to fight back.

In an age of fear and persecution, whose side will the village take? Who will fight for justice?

Set against a backdrop of sweeping religious and social change, this is a story of the most famous witch trial in Iceland – where one woman stands up to the patriarchal forces against her.

© Cathryn Kemp 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Dark Fantasy Fantasy Historical Historical Fiction Renaissance
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Critic reviews

They Can't Burn Us All is a thrilling, fiery fable, full of compassion, rage and magic. Kemp brings 17th century Iceland to vivid life; a place of deadly storms and even deadlier curses, of long-hidden secrets and lingering resentments. A timely and important reminder of the enduring power of women's voices.
I utterly adored Cathryn Kemp’s debut, A Poisoner’s Tale, so I had high hopes for They Can’t Burn Us All, and I wasn’t disappointed! This is a haunting, mesmerising tale of C17th Icelandic witch trials, with descriptions so evocative you can feel the snow’s chill and hear the ravens’ cries and smell the fires burning. A dark, urgent tale of female agency and the power of both speaking out and refusing to speak.
I absolutely LOVED They Can't Burn Us All. Immersive and heartrending, TCBUA is a powerful and compelling retelling of 17th century witch trials . . . With breathtaking descriptions and meticulous historical authenticity, I was completely captivated by this vital work of witch literature
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