So, as you may recall, Menewood, the sequel to Hild, is due out in early October this year.
Here’s a cover reveal post at tor.com. I do like this cover. Better than the one for Hild, I think.
Do you recall who Hild was? Here:
Hild, today remembered as St Hilda, was born in 614, in Anglo-Saxon England, after her mother had a dream about her unborn child being a jewel that brings light to the land. She was the niece of King Edwin. She was baptized in 627, she left England for Gaul in 647, she was recruited to the church by Bishop Aidan, and she became a powerful advisor to kings and a teacher of five bishops.
Hild was, as you may also recall, one of my favorite-ever historicals and quite possibly my favorite novel of 2015. Wow, 2015! Always a surprise to see how much time has passed. Anyway, this first book took Hild from childhood up to young adulthood.’
Menewood picks up where Hild left off:
Hild is no longer the bright child who made a place in Edwin Overking’s court with her seemingly supernatural insight. She is eighteen, honed and tested, the formidable Lady of Elmet, now building her personal stronghold in the valley of Menewood. … Hild … must find a new strength, the implacable determination to forge a radically different path for herself and her people. In the valley, her last redoubt, her community slowly takes root. She trains herself and her unexpected allies in new ways of thinking as she prepares for one last wager: risking all on a single throw for a better future…
I can’t recall how many years this second book will encompass. Definitely not that many years of Hild’s life; Nicola Griffith has said that much.
I know Nicola had a lot going on in the past few years, but I will selfishly hope she completes the third book in less time. However, I’m definitely looking forward to this one regardless, and I guess I had better plan on re-reading Hild before October. It’s a book to read slowly and savor, so this won’t be a hardship.
If you haven’t read Hild … I guess I would say … if you loved Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond series, maybe you should try Hild. It’s very different, but similarly immersive.
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