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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I love this book irrationally and completely. I won't hear a word said against it. (Not true. Let's discuss.)
I really can't even start to type out a review. The last (new) book that I loved this much was Jo Walton's [b:Among Others|8706185|Among Others|Jo Walton|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317792367s/8706185.jpg|6449955], which I said was so personal and so written-for-me that I felt a little embarrassed recommending it to other people. If you read either of these books, you will know an awful lot about me and how my brain works. This one especially because my brain has a lot of Old English rattling around in it.
I really can't even start to type out a review. The last (new) book that I loved this much was Jo Walton's [b:Among Others|8706185|Among Others|Jo Walton|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1317792367s/8706185.jpg|6449955], which I said was so personal and so written-for-me that I felt a little embarrassed recommending it to other people. If you read either of these books, you will know an awful lot about me and how my brain works. This one especially because my brain has a lot of Old English rattling around in it.
Oh, this book is lovely in so many ways. Lush of language, rich and immersive, a thrill from beginning to end. Hild herself is a marvelous character, smart, resilient, fearless, and very much a child. Trained by her mother to use her high intelligence and power of observation, Hild carves an invaluable place for herself in the court of her uncle.
The machinations of 7th-century power politics swirl around her; the lands are at a precarious tipping-point between Woden-worship and Christianity, and kings make their choices between them for political expedience, not for piety. The very young Hild sits in the middle of all of this, watching, listening, and deducing.
It is refreshing to read a book that takes place in this almost mythical era in which a character is ascribed magical powers that are fully explained by good old fashioned hard thought, plus a little clever marketing. In that way Hild reminds me of the main character of the TV show "Psych." She is performing the same magic trick.
It is just gloriously conceived and written, packed with smart, vibrant characters (both female and male). Read with Wikipedia to hand and you will learn a great deal about Dark-Ages England. Or just let it transport you to a copse by a brook, lying in the tufted grass beside Hild as she listens carefully to the patterns of the world.
The machinations of 7th-century power politics swirl around her; the lands are at a precarious tipping-point between Woden-worship and Christianity, and kings make their choices between them for political expedience, not for piety. The very young Hild sits in the middle of all of this, watching, listening, and deducing.
It is refreshing to read a book that takes place in this almost mythical era in which a character is ascribed magical powers that are fully explained by good old fashioned hard thought, plus a little clever marketing. In that way Hild reminds me of the main character of the TV show "Psych." She is performing the same magic trick.
It is just gloriously conceived and written, packed with smart, vibrant characters (both female and male). Read with Wikipedia to hand and you will learn a great deal about Dark-Ages England. Or just let it transport you to a copse by a brook, lying in the tufted grass beside Hild as she listens carefully to the patterns of the world.
I didn’t enjoy the story, the characters or the writing.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
long and technical and political and involved but so fun
This book came VERY highly recommended, but I’m convinced that if a book hasn’t gripped me at all by 100+ pages in….. it’s just not meant to be. Very dense and a steep learning curve with all of the place names, character names, and words in multiple languages. I had truly no idea what was going on politically. I was highly anticipating this read and it just didn’t hit.
I just wanted some lesbians in the Middle Ages, and i guess i wasn’t ready to work this hard for it lol
I just wanted some lesbians in the Middle Ages, and i guess i wasn’t ready to work this hard for it lol
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Could have done without the totally unnecessary incest. If you need a plot device to keep your romantic leads apart for most of the book, don't make it incest! It's gross!Honestly the whole rest of the book was excellent, so I'm still giving it three stars.
Almost gave up b/c it was slow moving and WAY too many descriptions of friggin' flying birds. Stuck with it, it was ok but not great.
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
