Nicola Griffith

Possessing uncanny powers of observation that elevate her influence in turbulent seventh-century Britain, Hild, the king's youngest niece, is established as a seer and compelled to advise the king correctly at the risk of her loved ones. By the Nebula Award-winning author of Ammonite. 75,000 first printing.

A Novel

Hild

britt

** spoiler alert **
           so fun fact! i only read this because i thought the cover of the sequel was beautiful. 

and i never imagined there being sister-brother incest AND IT BEING HILD HERSELF. like i was more so expecting cousins or something if there was because royals are wack like that. 

i’m having a hard time rating this because the incest is definitely off putting, but this was a good book. all i know is that i will be reading menewood.

Sheila

I guess I should explain my 3-star rating. Thing is, I've read a lot of historical fiction in my life. A /lot/. Hild sounded exciting because a) Tudor England + historical fiction is done to death & b) nobody thinks about the British Isles before 1000! The prospect of reading about one of the most well-known women in pre-Viking invasion Britain is way too exciting to pass up...if you're a person with interests like mine I guess. >_>

Now, to the issues. This book is a little hefty, but that's not normally a deterrent. The problem is how much of that heft is spent on Hild's childhood. Like, okay, I understand that in order to create the character of Hild in Griffith's piecing together of non-existent history, development is key in the character's childhood. That way, you can set precedents for behaviours & actions later in Hild's life. 

The problem with child characters is that they're dull as fuq. Throw in some early Middle Ages living standards and some butter churning & you've pretty much got the first 300 pages of this book. The only light is Hild's scheming mother Breguswith; while she might seem like a conniving fox, she truly has to be in order to secure the future of her children and herself as a widowed woman with no claims to land or title.

Once Hild finally grows up (and learns to masturbate...apparently), the book gets more interesting as it's Hild herself doing more of the scheming, rather than running around in trees & inappropriately lusting after her half-brother Cian (oh yeah, did I mention the incest? there's incest, because no book about the Middle Ages is complete without a little family ~action). The action & fighting sequences in the book are clunky, but again I didn't mind because Hild was actually doing! something! 

I suppose I did get sucked in, because I found myself feeling truly saddened about the forceful banishment of paganism and the introduction of men's Christianity to the British Isles and, consequently, Europe of the Middle Ages. Griffith navigates Hild's way through it well, but the fact that the story ends well before Hild becomes an Abbess (when the legit historical documentation about Saint Hilda begins) is irritating. 

Anyway, tl;dr this book was alright, but I expected more. :\

Ashley Dotterweich

A great read for anyone who loves The Once and Future King. Some plot/character quirks that took me out of the story a bit, but nothing that would deter me from recommending it as an entertaining work of medieval fiction.

Lisa Miller

Heavy historical fiction. And Political. If you liked Pillars of the Earth you will like this. If you liked Mists of Avalon you will like this. If you like House of Cards you would like this.

Elli

This is my desert island book - so far I've read it 3 times and I love it more every time. I love Hild, the time and setting are exquisitely rendered. I'm not a historian, but to me, it seems really well researched. This is the definition of a slow-paced book, but I love being in Hild's life and world so much. It's not about the plot for me it's about being immersed in the world and watching Hild grow. 

Judy Hudgins

b.andherbooks

Lush, dense, and immaculately detailed portrayal of the early years of the future Saint Hilda. Little is actually know about Hild's early life before she joined the hierarchy of the burgeoning Christian church, but Nicola Griffith does an amazing job filling in the gaps. The amount of research that went into this endeavour is so apparent, but in the best possible way. 

The best part of Griffith's story was how Hild's mother maneuvered her into becoming an integral part of King Edwin's court, as his seer, and how Hild continued to pull this off as she grew older. Everything about this was based in reality however, and not magic. Griffith simply showed that Hild was taught from a young age to be observant, to listen, and to grow a network of spies and people that she could rely on to maker her 'predictions' and soothe the egos of powerful men.

Since this tale ended way before the actual time of historical record for Hild (before she became a Saint), I'm sure there will be more to come!

Hild A Novel

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