Reviews for By Darkness Hid

The average rating for By Darkness Hid based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-08-22 00:00:00 Norman Greenhalgh I've been following Jill Williamson for YEARS now, and can't believe it's taken me this long to read one of her books! But here I am, finally, on the other side of By Darkness Hid. It's a deceptively small-scale fantasy story that's actually a part of a much grander scheme, as we find out in the end. What I Loved -Achan really grew on me. He has a relatable blend of strength, fear, dry wit, fledgling confidence, and heroism about him. Branded as a stray (orphan), he becomes a squire and begins to learn bloodvoicing--which is this world's version of telepathy--and as it turns out, he is very, very powerful indeed. He just... needs a little help controlling that power. -Vrell was great. Yes, she falls under the "girl dressing up as a boy to escape an arranged marriage" trope, but she's feisty and a smart herbalist to boot. -Our teenaged heroes are actually scared when they have good reason to be scared, and they cry in moments anyone would naturally feel overwhelmed. I don't know why I'm pointing that out, but I felt their reactions to things were realistic. -Speaking of realistic, I learned so much! Jill has really done her medieval research. I can't say for sure, because I'm not a historian, but this book feels like one of the most historically accurate medieval settings I've read about (even though it's a fantasy world). Not romanticized at all. -Bloodvoicing! As the book went on, more and more of the rules and methodology of this magic came to light. I loved how people can "jump" through other bloodvoicers and use it to spy on others. -The different religions were a nice touch. Achan has grown up believing in the goddess Cetheria, while Vrell follows Arman, the "father God." -I loved Sir Gavin grumbling about never having taught a squire before and not being very good at it. (You did fine, sir.) -That twist ending... I should've seen it coming, but it still took me by surprise. What I Didn't Love -The book at times felt a little long or slow-moving. But still interesting, somehow? I just wasn't always burning to turn the next page. (This was due in part to life being rather busy during the time I was reading it.) Conclusion I shall definitely be picking up the next two books in the series! This was a fun start to an adventure that's only just beginning.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-06-30 00:00:00 Nital Patel Did I just really find a new Christian Fiction series that is amazing? Yes, yes I did. I actually read this book a few months ago but just now decided to do the review. The kingdom of Er'rets is half covered in Darkness and the other half sees the sun. In a land full of ebens, poroo, and unique and terrifying creatures, there is the power of bloodvoicing. Some consider it a gift, one man thinks he's gone crazy. Achan Cham is worse off than an orphan, he's a stray. As a slave, he works in the kitchens of Sitna Manor and fulfills many different duties. He just wants his freedom. When a old knight requests that he trains with him to become a Kingsguardman, he great fully accepts. But sword training doesn't help him learn about the voices in his head that plague him. Is he going crazy? Vrell Sparrow is a girl disguised as a boy in hiding. She hides from powerful people who want her hand in marriage at all costs. She feels compelled to this boy who is just discovering his bloodvoicing ability. But if she helps him, her secrets may be revealed. Oh my, oh my. I loved this book so much. It was so good! It pulled me in from the start and never let me go. The mysteries about this new and exciting world was just the icing to the cake. The best part were the characters and their abilities and the plot. Let me just say everything was great! Achan is my favorite character, but that's natural for me since I love male protagonists better than female protagonists. He was so heartfelt. I loved how everything he did felt so natural and right. Vrell was so neat. She kept it together through all the ups and downs for the most part. She was so touching and caring. Their abilities were very cool; I can't wait to learn more about it! Sir Gavin is also another favorite. He can be harsh on the outside but he's really soft on the inside. The plot was amazing and it's still rolling out in the rest of the series. There's such a big revelation at the end, that is so electrifying! Well, I'd recommend this to those who love Christian Fiction and fantasy. This was really really fantastic. You can check out this review on my blog too, at: Thanks!