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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Vivid and visceral depiction of the era. Interesting reflection on the spread of Christianity. Did not see that ending coming, tbh.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Abortion, War
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I picked this up on the recommendation of a few people and I loved it. Great historical fiction that also doesn't feel as long as the book is. I will definitely read book #2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Incest, War
Minor: Death of parent
Having finished "Menewood," I realized I also needed to come back and write a review for "Hild" as well. I hope someone makes a television series of this, because it would absolutely demolish Game of Thrones.
"Hild" drops us directly into the world of seventh-century Britain, where many small kingdoms are vying for power and Christian priests have arrived to convert the people to a new and unfamiliar religion. Hild, the central character, is far from an ordinary child. She is keenly curious, determined, and possesses a unique way of interpreting the world around her. Hild's ability to observe and understand the intricacies of both nature and human behavior makes her exceptional, even supernatural, in the eyes of those around her.
Hild is Edwin King's youngest niece, and with her mother's encouragement, becomes indispensable as the king's seer. She makes innumerable correct predictions about the future; however, the stakes are high, and Hild must always be careful not to anger the king (who may have been responsible for her father's death).
As we follow Hild's journey from childhood through adolescence, we witness the daily hardships and brutal violence commonplace in the early medieval age. Though Hild is young in this first novel, her character is far from innocent. She navigates a world where she is not shielded from the harsh truths of adult life and the brutality of war. Hild is also isolated from many of those around her who believe she possesses magical or mysterious powers, and is often puzzled by the loneliness she faces as a result. She is also endearing and relatable in the missteps she makes as any young person might in growing up and coming into her own as a person. The circumstances of her era do not translate to what a modern reader faces on a daily basis, but her feelings and choices are humanizing.
The world of this novel is beautifully and richly detailed, and Griffith draws the reader in with storytelling that builds tension where it feels that anything could happen with each turn of the page. Griffith is to be commended for the extensive research that building this world and these characters evidently took, as well as for taking a very thin historical record and breathing life into it.
"Hild" drops us directly into the world of seventh-century Britain, where many small kingdoms are vying for power and Christian priests have arrived to convert the people to a new and unfamiliar religion. Hild, the central character, is far from an ordinary child. She is keenly curious, determined, and possesses a unique way of interpreting the world around her. Hild's ability to observe and understand the intricacies of both nature and human behavior makes her exceptional, even supernatural, in the eyes of those around her.
Hild is Edwin King's youngest niece, and with her mother's encouragement, becomes indispensable as the king's seer. She makes innumerable correct predictions about the future; however, the stakes are high, and Hild must always be careful not to anger the king (who may have been responsible for her father's death).
As we follow Hild's journey from childhood through adolescence, we witness the daily hardships and brutal violence commonplace in the early medieval age. Though Hild is young in this first novel, her character is far from innocent. She navigates a world where she is not shielded from the harsh truths of adult life and the brutality of war. Hild is also isolated from many of those around her who believe she possesses magical or mysterious powers, and is often puzzled by the loneliness she faces as a result. She is also endearing and relatable in the missteps she makes as any young person might in growing up and coming into her own as a person. The circumstances of her era do not translate to what a modern reader faces on a daily basis, but her feelings and choices are humanizing.
The world of this novel is beautifully and richly detailed, and Griffith draws the reader in with storytelling that builds tension where it feels that anything could happen with each turn of the page. Griffith is to be commended for the extensive research that building this world and these characters evidently took, as well as for taking a very thin historical record and breathing life into it.
Had no idea what I was getting into with this book, but it was enjoyable to read. It has what I call a "slow burn" where the story kind of meanders, but it didn't feel slow or boring. I didn't realize it was the start of a series (or maybe just two books, I'm not sure), but I look forward to the next installment.
This book is being marketed as a fantasy, but I'm not sure anything magical actually ever happens in it. Our heroine claims to be a seer, and that's literally what she is. She is trained by her mother to observe and draw insights from what happens around her. This intuition and analytical ability are seen as magical by those without the means to do it, notably the king, who becomes her patron.
But Hild has a continuously rocky relationship with the king, who is also her uncle. Being a king makes one paranoid, it seems, and rightly so- most of the time they really are out to get him and much of Hild's prophecy is in the form of warnings of betrayal. That paranoia keeps him from trusting Hild entirely as well, especially since her half-brother could possibly have a better blood claim to the throne than he does. No one's quite sure of who Cian's father is, though, and that-barely- keeps him safe.
Hild also makes predictions based on her knowledge of the weather and wildlife. There are many beautiful passages in the book of her seeing the world around her and marveling at it.
I got to read this book while on vacation, and I think I'm lucky there, because the book is quite long and somewhat cyclical. If I was grabbing moments with it here and there, I might have grown frustrated with the repetitive nature of Hild's relationships and skipped ahead to the end. However, I had time to immerse myself in the book and enjoy it at leisure, and enjoy it I did.
In tone, the book reminds me a lot of one of my old favorites, The Mists of Avalon. It's the same female view of politics set during medieval times, using intuition and knowledge to leverage one's position in the world to further their own aims and the people's good. There's less religious conflict in this book, although it exists. Hild is quite young, and it's sometimes possible to get impatient with the bit of drama that she occasionally throws. But I fell utterly in love with the meticulously researched world created by Nicola Griffith, and will grab her next book without hesitation. Then I'll find a weekend where I can read the whole thing at once!
But Hild has a continuously rocky relationship with the king, who is also her uncle. Being a king makes one paranoid, it seems, and rightly so- most of the time they really are out to get him and much of Hild's prophecy is in the form of warnings of betrayal. That paranoia keeps him from trusting Hild entirely as well, especially since her half-brother could possibly have a better blood claim to the throne than he does. No one's quite sure of who Cian's father is, though, and that-barely- keeps him safe.
Hild also makes predictions based on her knowledge of the weather and wildlife. There are many beautiful passages in the book of her seeing the world around her and marveling at it.
I got to read this book while on vacation, and I think I'm lucky there, because the book is quite long and somewhat cyclical. If I was grabbing moments with it here and there, I might have grown frustrated with the repetitive nature of Hild's relationships and skipped ahead to the end. However, I had time to immerse myself in the book and enjoy it at leisure, and enjoy it I did.
In tone, the book reminds me a lot of one of my old favorites, The Mists of Avalon. It's the same female view of politics set during medieval times, using intuition and knowledge to leverage one's position in the world to further their own aims and the people's good. There's less religious conflict in this book, although it exists. Hild is quite young, and it's sometimes possible to get impatient with the bit of drama that she occasionally throws. But I fell utterly in love with the meticulously researched world created by Nicola Griffith, and will grab her next book without hesitation. Then I'll find a weekend where I can read the whole thing at once!
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
WELL. I cannot rave about this book enough. Did I love this novelization of the early days of Saint Hilda of Whitby because I too want to spend my days running through fields and fens, and stabbing anyone I don’t like with my own seax? Perhaps. But also I know almost nothing about 7th century Anglo-Saxon Britain and the political machinations and conflicts between the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Picts, Welsh, Irish, and others were fascinating. I love a watchful heroine whose super power is her observational skills and intellect, and I love a colorful cast of supporting characters as well. This book truly deserves all the stars.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Incest, Sexual content, Slavery, Blood, Pregnancy, War
Moderate: Animal death, Incest, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes