Hild

3.75 / 5.0 Stars

A remarkable story about a remarkable woman. This opening volume in a planned trilogy takes us through the early years of St. Hilda of Whitby. While most of the narrative is clearly made up by the author, it is also clearly grounded in an abundance of painstaking research. What Griffith has done here is to take the few known facts about a little-known figure from history, and fleshed out an intriguing character that resonates with personality and talent. Hild must have been a very special person. For a pre-teen girl in the 7th century to become adviser to her king is nothing short of incredible. Using her keen talent for observation and deduction, Hild 'predicts' the future and helps her uncle, King Edwin of Northumbria to become the overking of Brittania. She walks a lonely path as she grows up into a warrior-princess.

What I liked best: Hild, as a character. She almost literally comes to life on the pages. When the reader gets to spend time in her head, the book really shines. Many other characters are also fully realized.

What I found lacking: The convoluted familial relations were difficult to follow. There were times when family connections were integral to the plot but, for the most part, there was not enough clear explanation to bring those plot-points into sharp focus. The other issue I had was with the incredible level of detail about the surroundings... the weaving... the milking... the lighting... the drinking... the boasting... etc. At first, this really helped to create the world in which Hild lived. Toward the end of the book, it became somewhat redundant and I found myself wishing that Griffith would just stick to the story.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys historical fiction. I'm likely to read the first sequel when it's released.