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Hild: A Novel (The Light of the World Trilogy) Hardcover – November 12, 2013

by Nicola Griffith (Author)

347 customer reviews

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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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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* In her first foray into historical fiction, Griffith explores the young life of Hild, the future St. Hilda of Whitby. Set in seventh-century Anglo-Saxon England, during the early years of Christianity there, the novel begins with the sudden death of Hild’s father, Lord Hereric. To secure the futures of her daughters, Hild’s ruthless and cunning mother embarks on a plan to hook their fate to the coattails of Edwin Snakebeard, Lord Hereric’s ambitious brother and king-to-be. Soon, Hild becomes Edwin’s trusted seer, and as the novel progresses, she attempts to stay in his favor, treading carefully among the large egos of the court and knowing that her survival depends as much on luck as it does on the accuracy of her predictions. Griffith expertly blends an exploration of seventh-century court life and a detailed character study of Hild as she balances a need for acceptance, love, and friendship and a desire to escape the strict gender roles of her time. While fierce battles and political intrigue feature prominently, so do the fascinating details of everyday life, particularly the lives of women. In short, Griffith triumphs with this intelligent, beautifully written, and meticulously researched novel. --Kerri Price

From Bookforum

Hild recounts the early years of an actual seventh-century English girl,[...] a remarkable child treated by those around her as though she possesses supernatural powers. [...] Griffith realistically represents the brutality of everyday life in this milieu. She is interested in exploring the costs of slavery for both parties to the trasnaction, the ramifications of illness or injury in an age of physical violence, and the effects of political change at the highest level on the lives of individual people. […] In its ambition and intelligence, Hild might best be compared to Hilary Mantel's novels about Thomas Cromwell. [...] [Griffith has a] sharp eye for what happens to plants and animals (especially birds) over the course of the seasons, as well as an understated and just-lyrical-enough prose style that delights the reader locally without ever distracting from the forward movements of character and plot. —Jenny Davidson

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Product details

Series: The Light of the World Trilogy
Hardcover: 560 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st Printing edition (November 12, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374280878
ISBN-13: 978-0374280871
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.8 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 347 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1238 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy
- #9852 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Family Saga
- #26500 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational

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Ms Mopsy

Slow slog through old England

April 23, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I like a challenging read, especially in historical fiction. My favorite books of all time are Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles, not the easiest books to follow, but definitely the most rewarding for me. I was looking forward to Hild, especially since I'd read Nicola Griffith before and enjoyed her work.

Sorry to say I'm finding Griffith's attempt at historical fiction to be a tad turgid and bogged down by the obviously well researched authentic names words, and events that defy the reader to have a smooth reading experience. She sadly sacrifices readability in her quest for authenticity. For instance, in the practice of two young girls forming a lifelong friendship/partnership the word "gemaecce" is used to refer to the two girls/women. I was not able to do any further research about that practice because that word is nowhere to be found on the Internet, at least on the search engine I used.

If an author is going to write about such things that are so esoteric and archaic that they have disappeared from general knowledge and readily available reference materials, then it's truly a dedicated reader that is able and willing to stick around for the whole of the journey unless that author is able to give a point of view that the reader can grasp. Didn't happen for me.

Another problem for me, in the early parts of the book, was the main character herself. This is a small child who's written by the author as though she's a grown woman. Yes, Hild is supposed to be an exceptional child, but giving her the actions and dialogue of an adult beggars the imagination, at least for me.

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Linda C.

Historical fiction brings ancient times to life

August 15, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Hild was one of those women who appear throughout history - strong, independent, smart, powerful and simultaneously feared and loved. Not defined by the men in her life, Hild plays a pivotal part in keeping her king in power while acquiring her own land and wealth.

Christianity is coming to their part of the world. Hild learns to open her mind to new beliefs while negotiating very carefully around the head of the church who is greedy for power.

This is a period of time that I knew nothing about. The novel made the time seem very familiar. She included details where necessary but left room for imagination to fill in the background.im looking forward to reading the second and third books in the trilogy.

I had to let the unfamiliar names and words slide on by. There is a pronunciation guide at the back of the book but looking words up was hard to do when I was enthralled in the story.

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Reader

Beautifully written, conceived with extraordinary imaginative power

October 27, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is an extraordinary novel, exploring the character if Hild with powerful imaginative detail, and based on careful historical research.

And it is a great story, pulling my reading along, hour after hour, with the struggles of its characters in a society beset with sometimes violent struggles for political and religious power.

Is it essentially a hero's quest? The classic heroic journey for personal destiny and spiritual awakening?

Or is it a merely the careful crafting, through the development of one young woman in a complex society, of a story about the very nature of what it means to be fully human?

At the very least, it is a fully imagined world, including detailed observations of the natural world, and the strategic thinking involved in political and military decisions. The novel revolves around the strengths od Hild, who seems to understand the relationships among the families and hierarchies who work together in a complex medieval society. To me, the characters felt like real whole people, with distinct temperaments and personalities, in other words fully developed rounded characters.

i plan to reread this novel closely, and will recommend it to many of my friends.
I will also tell my friends that this great story includes some quite compelling erotic scenes. Each is essential both to character development and to the momentum of the plot. As with the rest of the novel, these scenes are beautifully written.

Be forewarned however, it would seem there will be at least one more volume of this important imaginative 'biography' of Saint Hild.
Waiting for more might try our patience,

Frankly, I lack the confidence to label this novel "Great."
So many novels of the past labeled "Great" lack the insight into human nature necessary to earn that judgment, especially compared to some recent achievements in English literature. (I cannot judge works that I can read only in translation.)

That said, at this moment , I believe Nicola Griffith deserves the acclaim of the finest literary judges in the world for her great creation.

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