soph (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sophia_sol) wrote2014-03-20 09:52 pm
sophia_sol) wrote2014-03-20 09:52 pm
Hild, by Nicola Griffith
There is a lot that I love about this book! There is also a thing that I do not love.
okay so things I love:
- bisexual main character!
- delightful nature porn a la Sutcliff! (she also borrowed Sutcliff's "redcrest" terminology for Romans :P)
- excellent worldbuilding!
- Hild!
- gemaecce!!!!!!!! (aka: important formally-recognized lifelong platonic female friendship!!!!!!)
things I do not love:
- gdi, incest is one of my few major squicks WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO THERE. I was okay when there was some sort of unacknowledged something between Hild and her half-brother, but as soon as the text made it clear that she was definitely sexually attracted to him and definitely aware of her attraction to him, I was like NOPE NOPE NOPE. And then at the end they get MARRIED auuuuuugh. I mean yes it is for political reasons, and also the half-brother does not know he's related to Hild, but Hild knows and Hild is pleased that the political reasons mean she can have guilt-free sexytimes with her half-brother. Augh no thank you no no no WHY DID THIS BOOK HAVE TO GO THERE.
While I was reading the book I was mentally composing my book thoughts post, as I often do while I read, and for most of the book everything I was composing was pretty complimentary. But the last scene was Hild and her half-brother's wedding night, and ending on that note just makes it really really hard for me to muster up the squee that everything else about the book was inspiring.
SIGH.
(the other problem I had while reading the book is something I don't bear the book any ill-will for: I kept getting the names of people and places confused, so most of the politicking went right over my head. Which is too bad because I enjoy that kind of thing!)
okay so things I love:
- bisexual main character!
- delightful nature porn a la Sutcliff! (she also borrowed Sutcliff's "redcrest" terminology for Romans :P)
- excellent worldbuilding!
- Hild!
- gemaecce!!!!!!!! (aka: important formally-recognized lifelong platonic female friendship!!!!!!)
things I do not love:
- gdi, incest is one of my few major squicks WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GO THERE. I was okay when there was some sort of unacknowledged something between Hild and her half-brother, but as soon as the text made it clear that she was definitely sexually attracted to him and definitely aware of her attraction to him, I was like NOPE NOPE NOPE. And then at the end they get MARRIED auuuuuugh. I mean yes it is for political reasons, and also the half-brother does not know he's related to Hild, but Hild knows and Hild is pleased that the political reasons mean she can have guilt-free sexytimes with her half-brother. Augh no thank you no no no WHY DID THIS BOOK HAVE TO GO THERE.
While I was reading the book I was mentally composing my book thoughts post, as I often do while I read, and for most of the book everything I was composing was pretty complimentary. But the last scene was Hild and her half-brother's wedding night, and ending on that note just makes it really really hard for me to muster up the squee that everything else about the book was inspiring.
SIGH.
(the other problem I had while reading the book is something I don't bear the book any ill-will for: I kept getting the names of people and places confused, so most of the politicking went right over my head. Which is too bad because I enjoy that kind of thing!)