Book Review: Bog Queen by Anna North

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“A colony of moss does not experience emotions like fondness or intimacy, but if it did, it might say this: We held her. We kept her safe under the surface, in our bath of earth, for many times her lifespan. That we give her up now may seem to be purely random, an accident of excavation. In fact, the hour of her service is at hand.”

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After a bog body is unearthed in northwest England, American forensic anthropologist Agnes is called in to investigate. Unlike any body she’s examined before, this one is almost entirely preserved, and the bones indicate it was buried during the Iron Age, more than two thousand years ago. What was the woman’s story, how did she die, and how did she come to be entombed beneath the peat?

To solve this ancient mystery, Agnes must excavate the bog and exhume whatever artifacts remain. The stakes are sky-high, as standing in her way are destructive, corporate peat-cutters and a group of preservationist activists. Can Agnes find her place in the world, prove her talent and self-reliance, and bring to light the land’s dark stories before it’s too late?

Moving between timelines and points of view, Bog Queen is a beautiful and devastating tale that gradually unfurls primeval secrets and ageless struggles through the past (a European Celtic druidic order at the start of the Roman era), the present (England in April–May 2018), and the unique, timeless vantage point of a moss colony. The narrative imparts an omnipresent sense of urgency, juxtaposing the heartless essence of capitalist destruction, the desperate fight of preservationism, the enduring perils of politics, and the all-seeing wisdom of nature. These elements seamlessly combine to form a storyline pulsing with weight and realism, imparted via two women attempting to navigate their lives and utilize their skills in fraught and mysterious environments.

Gorgeous writing, concise chapters, and a cast of vulnerable, believable characters make for an arresting and binge-worthy account that transcends time. The gravity of each woman’s challenges feels relatable and universal. How does one balance personal struggle and aspiration amid larger issues — warring civilizations, clashing communities, dying planets — and can a contemporary society truly understand or avenge a woman who lived so long ago?

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing for sharing a physical ARC of this incredible forthcoming novel (won via Goodreads giveaway), which releases on October 14, 2025. It’s a quietly powerful, deeply resonant reading experience that utterly enraptured this reader.

🖤Amanda

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