Customer Reviews

By Darkness Hid (Blood of Kings, book 1)

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The Story. Achan Cham wears the orange shirt that marks him as a stray, as does the brand he bears on his back. For as long as he can remember he's worked in Lord Nathak's kitchen under the watchful eye and heavy hand of the cook, but all that changes when Sir Gavin chooses to elevate the boy and make him his squire.

Vrell also wears the orange, but she does so of her own choosing and in the guise of a young boy because she has gone into hiding in order to avoid a marriage neither she nor her duchess mother wishes for her.

Through an unlikely turn of events, Achan's and Vrell's paths cross, and they become the targets of greedy, power-hungry men who wish to kidnap and exploit them.

Strengths. By Darkness Hid is a fresh old-style fantasy. The story is captivating and unpredictable, with numerous well-foreshadowed twists. The characters are likable. Their motivations are clear and believable which makes them all the more realistic. I especially thought Jill hit a homerun creating Vrell, a girl masquerading as a boy. The things Vrell did to protect herself, the conscious ways she tried to mimic male behavior and to check her own natural actions and reactions made the character quite engaging.

The fantasy world of Er'Rets comes to life, including the innovative concept of a land divided between light and darkness, literally.

Williamson's writing is strong. She paints scenes using vivid prose so that a reader is transported into the barn of Lord Nathak's manor or onto the trail through Nahar Forest. She provides lots of tension and suspense, so the story's pace is fairly fast. There is a good amount of internal as well as external conflict, which makes the story more intriguing.

Recommendation. I just may have a new favorite fantasy series. This is my kind of story. For those who are drawn to epic fantasy or classic fantasy, this is a must read. For everyone else, I highly recommend By Darkness Hid.

Holy cow! I am in awe right now of Jill Williamson's phenomenal book, By Darkness Hid. Let me put it to you this way. I'm a fast reader. I always have been. And how fast I read is directly proportional to how much I enjoy what I'm reading. I do believe I devoured this 490 page book in approximately 24 hours.

The story centers around two young people. One is Achan Cham. Achan is a stray, worse than a slave, forced to work in the kitchens of a spoiled crown prince. The other is Vrell Sparrow, supposedly another stray but really a young woman in hiding because she doesn't want to marry the aforementioned spoiled crown prince. Both Achan and Vrell are adept at bloodvoicing. They can read other people's thoughts. They can project their own to others. And Achan is probably the most powerful bloodvoicer to come along in a generation.

Yet there's a fair bit of intrigue that both must face. Achan is selected by a knight named Sir Gavin to train as his squire (although it's illegal for strays to do so). And Vrell is taken from her hiding place to be the apprentice of a man named Macoun Hadar. While you know that these two will eventually cross paths, the how and why is simply breathtaking.

Can you tell I loved this book? Absolutely adored it. Williamson's characterizations are incredible. Your heart simply goes out to Achan as he is abused as a stray. You want Vrell to be able to go home to be with her family and marry the man she truly loves. Personally, I want to punch spoiled Prince Gidon in the face. Repeatedly.

The world Williamson created is vibrant and fun. The bloodvoicing is fantastic as well, especially as Achan discovers his talent for it. And the plot was great. I did see the surprise coming ... well, kind of. I had a sneaking suspicion what Sir Gavin was up to, but I didn't realize the full extent until the trap was sprung.

Probably the only gripe I have is that the sequel isn't in my hands already so I can read it. In the final author's note, Williamson reveals that she's working on it, To Darkness Fled. All I can say is, Jill Williamson, get cracking!

By Darkness Hid is a compelling debut fantasy novel which beautifully illustrates the battle between good and evil as well as the challenges faced by the faithful. The world Williamson creates is well crafted and so believable that at times it made me cringe. While reading this novel I was living in the land of Er'Rets and experiencing the peril she puts her characters through. For someone who is not normally a fantasy reader, this story not only kept me riveted to the pages, but anxious about the outcome as well. Oftentimes fantasy novels are hard for me to follow, but that was not the case with By Darkness Hid. Ms. Williamson really knows how to keep a reader's attention by putting her characters into impossible situations. Just when things look like they can't get any worse, they worsen further. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series. The only fantasy author besides Williamson who can hold my attention and keep it for the duration of the story is Stephen Lawhead.

Reminiscent of Shakespeare's romantic method of hiding his heroine in the guise of a man, Jill Williamson has taken her fantasy, In Darkness Hid, and filled it with twists and turns. Both hero and heroine are characters that will remain in my heart for a long time. Having swordplay, mental powers, romance, and a thrilling new take on the term "royal blood", I completely enjoyed this book.

It is rare for me to give five stars for books; this one surprised me.

I am often skeptical of Christian fantasy-- too often the Christian elements seem forced at the expense of the plot. I am happy to say this was not the case with By Darkness Hid. I opened the book, unsure of what to expect, and by the 4th or 5th page had forgotten who I was, where I was, and even that I was reading a book! I was completely engrossed in the story. The primary characters are well-drawn and lifelike, the setting is fascinating, and the pacing is skilfully done. I could not put down the book. I have begun reading the second book in the series and it promises to be equally entrancing. Let's hope Jill Williamson has more novels like this up her sleeve.

Rebecca Kenney

I'm an avid fan of fantasy, and a Christian, but I'm typically put off by the vast majority of Christian fantasy. Most of the authors simply try too hard.

Jill Williamson is different. I knew that right away when she jumped into the middle of her story and kept the pace moving with interesting plot developments. The characters had me a little confused at first, because Williamson switches between two different perspectives, but she keeps the story moving in such a way that one can quicly adapt to the perspective-jumps. Williamson also doesn't stop to explain everything right away in what i like to call extreme "infodumps." When she mentions a name, a place, a person, etc. she doesn't immediately stop to tell you everything about it, a habit most writers develop that can put off a reader. Instead, she continues to move the plot onward, and you can rest assured that anything and everything she mentions she'll get back to and explain for you. And she ends this first book with an excellent cliffhanger that will definitely leave you guessing at what will happen in the books to come.

All in all, I thought this was an excellent read, and I highly reccommend it to anyone, teen or adult, looking for a new fantasy series, or a good Christian fantasy series. Two thumbs up to you, Williamson!

I'll start right off by admitting that I'm not a big fantasy reader. I can't remember the last fantasy book I actually read. It's not that I have anything against fantasy or spec fiction--in fact, I just may have to start adding it to my reading list now that I've been completely captivated by Jill Williamson's debut novel, By Darkness Hid.

By Darkness Hid portrays a speculative world of danger as it lives out the age-old battle between good and evil with swords and the gift of bloodvoicing. (Intrigued, yet?) So many times, as I was reading, I forgot that Er'Rets wasn't real. That's the true mark of great fantasy, in my opinion.

I felt myself tense up at important scenes and wanted to shield my eyes at others--nope, not going to tell you what they were. Some of the danger and extreme situations would have been over-the-top and unbelievable if they weren't crafted so well.

The underlying Christian message is that of God's light prevailing in the darkness. That message is skillfully weaved throughout the book without being overdone.

If you have a teen who enjoys this genre, or even one who doesn't, this is a must read. I'd actually encourage readers of all ages to pick up all three books from the Blood of Kings trilogy as they're available.

My Synopsis
Achan Cham is a stray. In the feudal caste system of Er'Rets a stray is the bottom rung of society. Without family, he is forced to work in the kitchens and serve an abusive master.

An offer from a charismatic knight to train for the King's Guard lifts Achan's spirits. And yet, as Achan grows more capable with the blade and confident in himself, he hears voices in his head. Despite his new found courage gained from his sword training, he fears he has gone mad.

Meanwhile, Vrell Sparrow, a girl dressed as a male stray hiding from an arranged marriage that will unite her to the most horrific of lords, works in the household of a friend of her family's. And a powerful man, who covets her strong blood voicing powers which enable to hear other's thoughts, sends men to fetch her. Though Vrell is admired by a few of her captors, it looks as if she is on her way to the dungeon.

Both Achan and Vrell meet as they get caught up in the whirlpool battle for the highest seat in the land. As century old lies crumble and cruel secrets melt, shocking secrets are revealed about their families, their identities, and the world as they know it. In the end Vrell and Achan are required to run for their lives into the land which is by darkness hid.

My Review
I have to admit, as a writer this book sent me into a long depression - or writer's block -- whatever title you want to slap onto it. As I read the last page of BY DARKNESS HID and closed the book, I said aloud, "That's it. It's been written. The perfect fantasy tale has been written and it is called BY DARKNESS HID."

Okay, rest assured that three weeks later I emerged from my self-pity and am writing again, and after you've assuredly rested go and buy this book.

These characters are alive, loveable and as real as any I have seen. Without endless narrative, you feel like you are in middle of the medieval fantasy world. All that is medieval and fantasy is painted and portrayed in entertaining brilliance.

The action is fast paced without being choppy; the conflict is flashy without being violent. It is my favorite book to date. Aye, my fellow fantasy fans, I said it: This is my favorite book to date!

What more to say? We can look back in admiration at Tolkien and Lewis as they forged the road. We can honor Jordan, Whedon, Lucas, as they constructed their footsteps. But I say, Jill Williamson will be the hero of our time.

You decide. Pick up the book.

There are a number of great things to be said about this book--unique and engaging characters, an imaginative story world, and a story line filled with intrigue and action. But I feel the strongest aspect of this novel is how real it feels; everything is thought through and filled out, which made it quite easy for me to forget I was reading a novel. It is this fullness that I think is part of what drew Library Journal's comparison to Tolkien. Unlike Tolkien, however, Williamson doesn't risk bogging her readers down with too much detail. My only real complaint about this book is that it took a few pages for the story to grab me; I like to get sucked into the story right off the bat. But it didn't take too long for the story to take off. In summary, I loved By Darkness Hid, and I think it would make a terrific movie. But my anticipation for book two pushes all dreams of a film version to the back of my mind.

Since he has no family to protect him, Achan Cham is an orphaned stray with fewer rights than that of a slave. He survives at Sitna Manor because he can feel what others think so he knows when abuse is coming and can elude it in spite having to drink the slave tonic. With no hope for a future except kitchen duty serving Lord Bathak and Prince Gideon, Achan is stunned when Sir Gavin a knight observes his uncanny skill of handling two bullies and selects him as a squire. He begins life as a squire being trained with hopes to become a Kingsguard Knight, something almost impossible for a stray to achieve. However, since he no longer takes the tonic, he begins to hearing voices that are driving him crazy.

To avoid a marriage to the prince she loathes, Vrell Sparrow hides out as a male stray. When she realizes what is happening to Achan with the bloodvoicing, as she has the same skill Vrell concludes he is the heir to the throne. However, before they can pursue what she learns, a wizard is aware of her bloodvoicing ability and sends henchmen to abduct her. Only Achan can save her if he believes in her mentally calling him for help.

Rotating perspectives between Achan and Vrell, BY DARKNESS HIS is a super coming of age fantasy thriller with an underlying inspirational message of the one voice of God is the light in any darkness. The story line is fast-paced from the onset and never slows down as the lead couple struggles to survive in a world filled with enemies whom mostly they do not know. Jill Williamson provides a strong sword and sorcery thriller starring two fully developed heroes and the mentor guiding them as villains search for them.

Harriet Klausner