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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.