No interviews this week, just reviews. No photos of pets reading Hild, either (pity--I like those). Instead, lots of email from readers (male and female, old and young, American and not) telling me how much my work means to them, and in what ways Hild (and Aud, and Lore, and Marghe--yes, all this week) has helped them see the world differently. I am deeply touched. Thank you.
Previous roundups here. Enjoy.
REVIEWS
io9.comHild and the triumph of the skeptical fantasy novel, Annaleen Newnitz
"By the time you've finished this engaging, absorbing novel, you'll feel like you understand the political machinery moving beneath the hide of history. And the great St. Hilda will have come to life in your mind, not as a blessed Saint, but as a real human being with decidedly secular talents. This is one of the truly great novels of the past year. Griffith will seduce you with her lush, fantasy-epic prose, and keep you mesmerized with her well-wrought tale of politics in an age of superstition."
Respiring Thoughts
Book Review: Hild by Nicola Griffith,
"There is an elegance and beauty to this book that’s rather mesmerizing at times. Hild is a dense, involved read, but it’s worthwhile for the authenticity that Griffith brings to the table. It’s the kind of book that you immerse yourself in, that you somehow experience rather than simply read."
Story Studio Chicago
January Booklist: What we’re reading
"A wonderful telling of the early life of St. Hilda of Whitby, circa 650 AD. But this Hild is a unique creature who must pay attention to detail in order to survive. The language is transporting, and Griffith writes in an intense, close 3rd person that leaves Hild haunting you long after the book ends. I think this will be next year’s Booker winner. –Jill Pollack"
[Emphasis theirs.]
Literary Lindsey
Review: Hild, Lindsey
"This is the sort of book you want to live inside. Nicola Griffith has meticulously created a world on the verge of chaos. We readers get to enter 7th century England from a unique position. Hild gives us eyes and ears into both the weaving rooms with the women of the court and on the road to battle with the kingdom's warriors. But no one knows who will be in power next and everyone's motives are suspect. Hild travels with the king, from one town to another as they broker support for his rule and suppress uprisings."
Peace Moon Arts
Hild: a review
"This book offers a window to the lost world of 7th C. Britain, almost unknown even to those of us who love the Middle Ages. I was immediately enchanted…"
This blog has moved.
My blog now lives here:
http://nicolagriffith.com/blog/
