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Hild: A Novel by Nicola Griffith
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Hild: A Novel (original 2013; edition 2013)

by Nicola Griffith

Series: Light of the World (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
1,5659511,323 (4.01)180
A brilliant, lush, sweeping historical novel about the rise of the most powerful woman of the Middle Ages: Hild In seventh-century Britain, small kingdoms are merging, frequently and violently. A new religion is coming ashore; the old gods are struggling, their priests worrying. Hild is the king's youngest niece, and she has a glimmering mind and a natural, noble authority. She will become a fascinating woman and one of the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby. But now she has only the powerful curiosity of a bright child, a will of adamant, and a way of seeing the world--of studying nature, of matching cause with effect, of observing her surroundings closely and predicting what will happen next--that can seem uncanny, even supernatural, to those around her. Her uncle, Edwin of Northumbria, plots to become overking of the Angles, ruthlessly using every tool at his disposal: blood, bribery, belief. Hild establishes a place for herself at his side as the king's seer. And she is indispensable--unless she should ever lead the king astray. The stakes are life and death: for Hild, for her family, for her loved ones, and for the increasing numbers who seek the protection of the strange girl who can read the world and see the future. Hild is a young woman at the heart of the violence, subtlety, and mysticism of the early Middle Ages--all of it brilliantly and accurately evoked by Nicola Griffith's luminous prose. Working from what little historical record is extant, Griffith has brought a beautiful, brutal world to vivid, absorbing life.… (more)
Member:ut.tecum.loquerer
Title:Hild: A Novel
Authors:Nicola Griffith
Info:Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2013), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 560 pages
Collections:Your library, To read
Rating:
Tags:Fiction

Work Information

Hild by Nicola Griffith (2013)

  1. 30
    The Corn King and the Spring Queen by Naomi Mitchison (debbiereads)
  2. 31
    Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (wandering_star)
  3. 10
    Credo by Melvyn Bragg (gennyt)
    gennyt: Another historical novel covering the religious and political upheavals of 7th century Northumbria.
  4. 32
    The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (kiwiflowa)
  5. 00
    Revolutionary by Alex Myers (GreenVelvet)
    GreenVelvet: Both brilliant historical fiction novels with strong female characters who chafe against the gender roles of their eras
  6. 00
    Absolution by Murder by Peter Tremayne (BookshelfMonstrosity)
    BookshelfMonstrosity: These historical novels feature Hilda of Whitby, who strongly affected the course of British Christianity. Hild focuses biographically on her youth, while Absolution by Murder is a mystery set in the context of the crucial meeting at Whitby that Hilda influenced.… (more)
  7. 00
    Oswald: Return of the King by Edoardo Albert (gypsysmom)
    gypsysmom: Both these books take place in Northumbria around the same time period.
  8. 00
    The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson (wandering_star)
  9. 00
    Against a Darkening Sky by Lauren B. Davis (thesmellofbooks)
  10. 00
    Sistersong by Lucy Holland (Anonymous user)
  11. 00
    The Story of Silence by Alex Myers (GreenVelvet)
  12. 13
    The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (kiwiflowa)
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» See also 180 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 94 (next | show all)
This is an engrossing book that drew me in deeply. The level of detail that Griffith weaves into the story is impressive, but never gets in the way of the narrative. Anyone who is interested in early medieval history will enjoy this novel. (It is only the fact that, in accordance with my rule, I have not yet re-read this book that prevents me giving it 5 stars.)

[Audiobook note: the reader, Pearl Hewitt, does a fantastic job.]
  Treebeard_404 | Jan 23, 2024 |
I only made it 30% through before my library loan expired. I don't think I'll check it out again because I was having trouble following the plot. Beautiful writing and great premise. Just too complex to work as an audiobook for me.
  LibrarianDest | Jan 3, 2024 |
I love how much Griffith trusts her readers. I loved being catapulted into an ancient world I didn't understand, and learning about it as I went. I loved the characters - they all felt like complete humans and their interactions and behaviors were accordingly believable. Reading this was like eating a steak. I had to set it down often to let my brain catch up. But I was happy to be challenged in this way. I'm not giving full stars because I don't know how I feel about the ending and Hild's internal struggle of the last part of the book. ( )
1 vote MrsHammyMax | Dec 31, 2023 |
As a young child growing up in what is now England in the 7th century, Hild has been told by her mother that she has purpose as the light of the world, the seer that gives advice to her uncle, King Edwin, after her father, Hereric, is poisoned in exile. Navigating the court is no small feat, but Hild has powers of observation that she uses to influence her uncle and survive all the changes brought by the Christian religion being introduced to the country.

This detailed, immersive historical fiction begins when Hild is seven, and as she grew into her own, made friends, and worked to observe and influence even as a young age, I started with a lot of interest even though I have very little knowledge of the place and time period. However, as Hild grew older, I had a harder and harder time following the thread of what was happening - this character here, this other one there, this current threat to Edwin, or that one. I was less interested in her growing romantic attachments, and it became less of a clear plot and more of a list of political machinations of various small kings trying to consolidate power. ( )
  bell7 | Nov 25, 2023 |
Hard to follow. But an impressive piece of work. Felt very true to 7th century. The only anachronism that jumped out at me was mention of a 'mosquito' (preferable would have been 'midge' or 'gnat'). The concept of "gemaecce", two women in a formalized friendship, had me searching the internet, and led me to the author's blog. Her tiny author bio, and the book's appendix, had already given a glimpse of her personality and voice - she seems super fun and clever. ( )
  Tytania | Nov 25, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 94 (next | show all)
Hild is a pulse-pounding page-turner. It is a rich and inspired work of fiction. It is a book that fills both the urge to be taken away and the urge to be brought closer, to be called, as the jackdaws call, both outward and home.
 
Hild is a book as loving as it is fierce, brilliant and accomplished. To read it felt like a privilege and a gift.
added by karenb | editNPR, Amal el-Mohtar (Nov 4, 2013)
 
In short, Griffith triumphs with this intelligent, beautifully written, and meticulously researched novel.
added by DorsVenabili | editBooklist, Kerri Price (pay site) (Oct 1, 2013)
 
Griffith goes boldly into the territory, lingering over landscape, wallowing in language, indulging the senses, mixing historical fact with feminist fiction in a sweeping panorama of peasants working, women weaving, children at play, and soldiers in battle: the Dark Ages transformed into a fantasy world of skirt and sword.
added by DorsVenabili | editPublishers Weekly (Jun 24, 2013)
 

» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Nicola Griffithprimary authorall editionscalculated
Balbusso, AnnaCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Balbusso, ElenaCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Eoff, KarlaCopy editorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Hewitt, PearlNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kagan, AbbyDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Strick, CharlotteCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ward, Jeffrey L.Map artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
Dedication
For Kelley, my warp and weft
First words
The child's world changed late one afternoon, though she didn't know it.
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Dogs own space and cats own time.
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Wikipedia in English (1)

A brilliant, lush, sweeping historical novel about the rise of the most powerful woman of the Middle Ages: Hild In seventh-century Britain, small kingdoms are merging, frequently and violently. A new religion is coming ashore; the old gods are struggling, their priests worrying. Hild is the king's youngest niece, and she has a glimmering mind and a natural, noble authority. She will become a fascinating woman and one of the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages: Saint Hilda of Whitby. But now she has only the powerful curiosity of a bright child, a will of adamant, and a way of seeing the world--of studying nature, of matching cause with effect, of observing her surroundings closely and predicting what will happen next--that can seem uncanny, even supernatural, to those around her. Her uncle, Edwin of Northumbria, plots to become overking of the Angles, ruthlessly using every tool at his disposal: blood, bribery, belief. Hild establishes a place for herself at his side as the king's seer. And she is indispensable--unless she should ever lead the king astray. The stakes are life and death: for Hild, for her family, for her loved ones, and for the increasing numbers who seek the protection of the strange girl who can read the world and see the future. Hild is a young woman at the heart of the violence, subtlety, and mysticism of the early Middle Ages--all of it brilliantly and accurately evoked by Nicola Griffith's luminous prose. Working from what little historical record is extant, Griffith has brought a beautiful, brutal world to vivid, absorbing life.

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Book description
Before she became Saint Hilda of Whitby, Hild establishes a place for herself at her uncle Edwin of Northumbria's side as he plots to become overking of the Angles during the Middle Ages, and she is able to use her amazing skills as a seer to protect her family and help others.
Haiku summary
Hild, the light of the
world: king's seer, butcher-bird,
pawn – and lonely girl.
(passion4reading)

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