By Darkness Hid (Blood of Kings Book 1)

An exciting and intriguing beginning to the "Blood of Kings" trilogy, By Darkness Hid is a fabulous fantasy novel! An imaginative world, dastardly villains, and.
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• By Darkness Hid (Blood of Kings, Book 1)
• Kindle Editions
• By Darkness Hid (Blood of Kings, #1) by Jill Williamson
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• By Darkness Hid

May 03, Leah Good rated it really liked it Shelves: When a famous but enigmatic knight shows an interest in training Achan, the young man jumps for the opportunity. Maybe someday he can make something of himself after all. Starts like that never bother me. Especially the slave one. And By Darkness Hid soon leaves any such complaints in the dust.

Feb 01, Claire Banschbach rated it really liked it. This book had been on my to-read list for a while and then I conveniently convinced by younger sister that she also wanted to read it.

We both really enjoyed it. It's got adventure, a little mystery, and a daring escape or two. I did get a little confused at some parts when the author would drop a new word or phrase as if expecting us to know what it meant and then not explain for a few pages. The female character Vrell grated on my nerves, although she did improve as the book went on.

Those are This book had been on my to-read list for a while and then I conveniently convinced by younger sister that she also wanted to read it. Those are really the only reasons that a star got knocked off.

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I loved the main character, Achan, especially when he decided that he didn't care about anything anymore and put on his sassy pants. He had me dying of laughter a time or two. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, fantasy, and book with a Christian theme. My sister ordered the second book the other day. I'm looking forward to stealing it from her when she's done. Sep 16, Sue rated it liked it Shelves: I enjoyed this book quite a bit and like the characters alot. That being said, I really didn't like book 2 and haven't decided whether I will even bother to read book 3.

The books left the entertaining realm of fantasy and became very, very pushy on religion and duty. I stopped even liking the characters at that point. This book isn't really a stand alone book, it is meant to be part one of a series. I would not recommend the entire series, so it is hard to support the first book, which I'd orig I enjoyed this book quite a bit and like the characters alot.

I would not recommend the entire series, so it is hard to support the first book, which I'd originally enjoyed. Sep 01, Carman rated it it was amazing Shelves: I am floating on a cloud. By Darkness Hid is a book any fantasy reader will love. Filled with action, deceit, and bravery, you will not want to put it down. I am anxiously awaiting book 2. Mar 30, Michelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: I don't normally like fantasy, but this story was incredibly well done and held my attention.

In fact, it more than held it. I was entrenched in the characters' world. I could not stop reading this book because it was so edgy and exciting that I had to know more. Think Dragonspell, but even better! May 05, Vernona E rated it it was amazing. Jill Williamson has created a world of amazing details, unpredictable twists and turns, and characters that jump off the page and threaten to drink all your coffee. A must-read for fantasy lovers This novel features several strong protagonists, one of which is an orphan boy serving as a kitchen helper in a medieval stronghold.

Another is a young woman of noble birth, heir to a powerful Duchy. We don't find any sorcery, although the Royal family and their descent do have a power to communicate by some sort of telepathy. This book features almost constant action and struggle as evil men attempt to seize the throne for themselves. Honest and upright men and women fight to restore order, against seemingly immense odds. However, it seems they have a hidden ally.

Aug 08, Samuel Blake rated it it was amazing Shelves: I loved the part where he finds out about himself. And the blood voice ability is pretty cool to have. I wish I had it. This was a really awesome book. Sep 27, Judy Rogers rated it it was amazing. Couldn't put it down. Although I was a tad frustrated here and there Eagerly grabbed the second book though! And by the way have read the whole series more than once.

It's not often I re-read a book. She, too, has the gift, and there are those who want her secrets—and her service. Many citizens follow pagan idols, but Vrell serves the one true God, known in this world as Arman. The teen protagonists may make this a young adult novel, but I fully enjoyed it as an adult, and look forward to finishing the series.

By Darkness Hid is book 1 in the Blood of Kings series. Jill Williamson has also written The Kinsman Chronicles and other speculative tales. For more about the author and her work, visit jillwilliamson. This debate can apply to secular speculative fiction, as well. I took up the argument that, sometimes, yes it did. Williamson tells a story that is believable and has a sense of authenticity, despite it's fantasy elements; and she also makes no use of pointless swearing, sexual innuendo, gory violence, or scatological references to do so.

There are some darker elements, but they are presented tastefully, and not in a gratuitous manner. More on this in a few moments. Yet this is impossible, he knows, for strays can never be anything more than what they are, especially since some of them were implicated in the murder of the king nearly two decades earlier.

He wonders why Gavin would risk the trouble of breaking the law against training strays for knighthood , and if Gavin truly can pull him out of his bad situation. In another place in Er'rets, a young woman named Avarella is pretending to be a boy named Vrell Sparrow. The current Crown Prince wants to marry her, but not out of love. Instead, he wants the power of her mother's land and money. If this were not bad enough, the Crown Prince is a cruel and heartless young man, who mistreats and abuses all those around him. Vrell and Achan are about to meet as a story begins that will change both their lives, and the lives of everyone else in their land, forever.

This was a terrific, incredible read. For this, Williamson deserves high praise. She can pull the reader in without having to use childish gimmicks or devices.

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To put it in perspective by comparison to secular writers, she is probably closer to writers like Brandon Sanderson than Terry Goodkind. It is largely this series that has reminded me that, yes, an author really, truly can be realistic without tons of sex, swearing, and what not. They can reference, but need not be referenced in graphic detail. Williamson exhibits the writing chops to pull this off. It was interesting and captivating. I personally reccomend it to all YA fantasy lovers. The first character is Achan. For as long as he can remember, he has been serving in the kitchens for the royal family.

As a stray, he has almost no friends, no family, no mo I. As a stray, he has almost no friends, no family, no money, no future A little confused - strays aren't aloud to become squires, so why is he choosing him? Little does he know what lays ahead. Our second character is Vrell. Vrell is a young noblewoman, disguised as a teenage boy to avoid marriage to the self-righteous future king, Prince Gidon.

The two characters' stories don't intersect until later on in the story, maybe about halfway.

Jill Williamson combined the two cleverly, and it fits neatly with the plot. All the characters are well developed and high quality. I feel a personal connection with them, and I actually care about them. The author did did a wonderful job. Achan was my favourite character. He is witty, snappy, humorous, reckless, amusingly naive at times, and of course, brave.

His personality was highly entertaining. I found myself laughing at the dialogue multiple times throughout all three books. One of the reasons why I like this story so much is because of the bloodvoicing. Basically, it's mind reading. The person who possesses the gift is able to read other people's minds, just by imagining their face. That means if your mind is left "unguarded", anyone with the ability can be poking around your mind, and you wouldn't even realize it.

Almost all the main characters have the gift, including Achan and Vrell. Bloodvoicing is essential in the plot, and I really like the element. There isn't much romance the first book, but it is obvious that Vrell is attracted to Achan's physical features. As we move on to book two, Vrell's feelings grow, and it is also obvious that she's feeling jealousy. Achan is completely oblivious to her growing attraction, because he still thinks Vrell "Sparrow" is a boy. At the end of To Darkness Fled , however, things start to take off.

The begining of By Darkness Hid is rather slow. By slow I mean no action, because it certainly is interesting. Things start to pick up at about a third of the way in, however. And from there, action, action, action. Jill has obviously done her research on swordplay. Things really get interesting near the end, when view spoiler [Achan is presented before the council as the real Prince Gidon, and they have to run away if they want to stay alive.

I did not see this coming. I read the trilogy exactly one year ago in July , and it is still one of my favourites. Aug 09, Jeanette rated it it was amazing Shelves: What can I say but "Bravo! Williamson has done a masterful job of bringing the characters to life and drawing the reader in to care deeply about each of them. I long to re-enter the world of Er'Rets while I wait for the sequel to be published. Is the second book finished yet, Jill?

The first character we meet is Achan Cham, a stray or an orphan with no remaining relatives to care for him or her. In the land of Er'Rets, strays are considered lower than slaves. Above slaves are servants, then peasants, then nobility, royalty, and council members. Teenaged Achan suffers many cruel punishments and circumstances ever since he can remember. He is forced to drink a noxious tonic every day and is beaten regularly.

Early in the story, he meets Sir Gavin, an Old Kingsguard as opposed to New Kingsguard knight, who begins to train him as a squire--unheard of for strays in Achan's time. We are then introduced to the story's heroine, Vrell Sparrow, in a parallel timeline. She is a noblewoman who is disguised as a stray boy in order to avoid a revolting marriage. She is, however, in another part of the land of Er'Rets, in which strays are not treated as cruelly as they are in Sitna, Achan's home.

This does not mean that she does not suffer her share of cruelties. Despite the challenges, she remains true to her only God, Arman, and is drawn to a shared journey with Achan. Both of them share the gift of bloodvoicing, the ability to hear others' thoughts and speak to those who share the gift. Although I had a bit of a challenge getting into the story initially, once I became familiar with the new culture and time period, the story swallowed me. One of the things that kept me from really getting into the story was that I noticed that there weren't any simple verbs such as "walked" or "ran.

I know that the mark of a good writer is descriptive wording, but in this case, the descriptive wording slowed me down by having me notice them rather than the story. Once I got used to the author's style, however, I was able to dig in. Having said that, every time a character "scurried," which was often, I felt like I got yanked out of the story.

That was unfortunate, but I am a forgiving reader--especially when the story is so good! My other note is that the proofreader missed a very noticeable error. In the latter part of the book I don't remember which chapter it was , the word "taut" was meant as in the character's mouth being taut , but the word "taught" was printed.

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That was the only major flaw that I noticed. Several typos or misspellings were noted, but nothing more than any other novel in its first printing would have had. All in all, I highly recommend this book. I don't know how many books will be in this series, but I eagerly await each of them. I may just have to re-read "Book I" over and over until the sequels are available! Dec 24, Karen Deblieck rated it really liked it. Williamson has a wonderful and unique style of writing that is very beautiful.

I enjoyed the original descriptions and pictures that she painted with words. She also has a wealth of knowledge about castles and medieval weaponry that comes out in her writing. Sometimes I found the story line got weighed down by the in depth descriptions-I admit to some skimming to see what happens next.

Both Achan and Vrell were believably portrayed. It was a wonderful and enjoyable read - I would As a Writer It was a wonderful and enjoyable read - I would recommend this book to adults and young adults alike! This book is definitely Christian in nature. What is wonderful is that Williamson weaves this into the story in a way that is not overt. I enjoyed finding the references to God because I did not feel like it was being shoved down my throat.

I really appreciated this as the plot and the crafting of the story really had a chance to shine without being bogged down by the author's agenda.

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I would give this book to my own children without hesitation. There are some allusions to the marriage bed and mistresses but nothing explicit. Definitely a story for those twelve and older adults will enjoy this book as well. I enjoyed this book and I look forward to reading the second in the series. Williamson is a wonderful writer with a bright future. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Jan 03, Doug Winenger rated it really liked it. I've been in a 'drought' for good fantasy story for a while.

The plot intrigued me so I ordered the Kindle version of the book about a week ago. The reading level is fairly easy for an adult as this book is geared a little more toward the young adult crowd. However, the story is compelling and fun.

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The characters are easy to relate to and the pace of the book draws you in until the very end On the continuum of 'original' to 'already been done', this story lies in the middle. Certainly, many of the plot devices Williamson uses have been done before: The appeal to this book lies in the development of the characters and unique twists on the fantasy aspects magic, abilities, etc Williamson introduces. The book also shows a Judeo-Christian influence in the plot aspect of the 'one-true-god' as believed by the 'good side' and the idols and false gods as believed in by the 'evil side'.

I gave it four stars for being a fun and enjoyable read. Had the plot had more originality and complexity I would have bumped it up to the full five. I look forward to the sequel. Jun 01, Daphne Self rated it it was amazing Shelves: Martin with his Game of Thrones series. She succeeds them with her Blood of Kings trilogy. Follow the whirlwind journey of Achan, a young man whose status is lower than a slave, who not only discovers that he is the long lost heir to the throne, but also th By Darkness Hid, To Darkness Fled, From Darkness Won: Follow the whirlwind journey of Achan, a young man whose status is lower than a slave, who not only discovers that he is the long lost heir to the throne, but also the one anointed by the One True God.

Not a believer at first, Achan soon walks in fellowship with Arman.



Gifted with the legacy of bloodvoicing, Achan is the strongest one of all. He is befriended by Sir Gavin. Before long, Achan is thrust into a terrifying war to claim his birthright and destiny. Knights, Giants, a boy who is really a girl, Duchesses, Dukes, and demons are only a few of the companions and foes.

Temptations, daring rescues, torture and cruelty, and thieves bombard Achan and his knights. This is a story about false idols, love, the One True God, and honor. Superbly written in a fast pace, it will honestly keep you up for hours until you turn the last page. Especially with the twists and turns thrown your way. Williamson's books break the thin line between young adult and adult fantasy. Entertaining and thought provoking By Darkness Hid 57 24 May 26, Christian Fantasy actually exists 18 50 Feb 24, Videos About This Book. Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms and the award-winning author of several young adult books including By Darkness Hid, Replication, The New Recruit, and Captives.

How hard could it be? But she worked hard, and four years later, Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms and the award-winning author of several young adult books including By Darkness Hid, Replication, The New Recruit, and Captives. But she worked hard, and four years later, her first book, By Darkness Hid, was published and won several awards. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant, who was raised in Alaska.

She loves teaching about writing, which she does weekly at www. She lives in Oregon with her husband, two children, and a whole lot of deer. Sir Gavin disappears, and Achan begins to be plagued by voices in his head and the disturbing ability to read minds. Princess Vrell, must pose as a 14 year old boy—even a stray to avoid the evil intents of Prince Gidon. Also gifted with the power of mind reading by the true God, Vrell is forced into the services of the duplicitous bloodvoicing Master Macoun Hadar.

Destiny draws the two strays together, but Lord Nathak holds a secret over Achan, and Prince Gidon is bent upon intrigue and revenge. By Darkness Hid is the tale of the underdog who never giving in, never giving up slogs his way up from the bottom of society, with courage, skill and an endearing cynical wit.

Jill Williamson has created a fascinating story world, an interesting heroine, consistent characters and a riveting plot filled with surprises. This allegory conveys excellent spiritual truths in the tradition of Lewis and Tolkein. By Darkness Hid is a Christy Award winner. Your email address will not be published. Fantasy Marcher Lord Press Series: