Product Description

On the day of her birth, Auriane received a mysterious amulet from a priestess-and a doubleedged prophecy of doom and glory. The daughter of a Germanic tribal chieftain, Auriane witnessed unspeakable horrors committed against her people by ruthless invaders. And when tragedy tore her family apart, she took the oath of a warrior, and vowed revenge. Tales of her brilliant swath of conquest carried as far as Rome, to the renowned statesman Marcus Julianus-who felt his destiny intertwined with Auriane's, and wore about his neck an identical amulet

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37786 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 800 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780425143681
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Amazon.com Review
Quo Vadis for our times! Well, not exactly. It's been awhile since anyone tackled the Roman Empire as entertainingly as Gillespie has done in this book, a nearly-straight historical novel which should please readers of fantasy, too. Germanic Auriane is a combination of the noble, natural savage, and the heroine marked from birth for great deeds. Roman Marcus Julianus is the personification of the highest civilized, republican Roman values. Both are typical and atypical of their societies, fighting for what each believes to be just. Their individual struggles with the clashing Roman and Teutonic cultures are carried out in the Northern forests and in the salons and arena of Rome. Strongly- drawn characters, a setting both familiar and exotic (we all know something of imperial Rome, but very few of us are well-informed about it), a whiff of New-Age ancient mysticism, and a subdued but important romance subplot drive the sweeping novel of Auriane's growth and maturity and Rome's decadence.

From Publishers Weekly
Probably the greatest compliment to Gillespie's first novel is that at 800 pages, the book isn't too long. Spanning the years between A.D. 52-shortly before Nero's accession-and Nerva's accession in 96, the novel invokes tribal warfare, two tyrants, Domitian's terror, gladiatorial spectacles, blood vengeance, imperial intrigues and a mythic love. At the center is Auriane, the daughter of a Chattian chieftain fated to lead her tribe against Rome but also to disgrace it by murdering her father. On the other side of the Alps is Marcus Julianus, a philosophically disposed nobleman trying to salvage justice under the despotic Nero and Domitian. Marcus is haunted by his late father's vague records of a German warrior maid and the two finally meet when Auriane is captured in Domitian's Chattian campaign. Gillespie depends too much on the reader's indulgence when describing the lovers early meetings; they are portentous fated conjoinings rather than a naturally evolving attraction. But this is a quibble because the romance is secondary to the mature couple's greater, more pressing concerns. For anyone interested in this tumultuous period of Roman despotism and Germanic tribes, Gillespie's epic is an intriguing recording of everyday detail, national issues and, more impressively, overarching influences of religion and psychology. Advertising.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Donna Gillespie is at work on the third book in this series.

Customer Reviews

Aurinia Regina!
"Better a spirit that does not quite fit in this world than one that is broken."

Such is said by Baldemar, chieftain of the Chattian tribe on the border between the wild lands of Germanis and the ever-encroaching Roman empire. His daughter Auriane is our heroine for this rousing adventure tale, and she proves her father's words in spades.

As a young girl, Auriane wants nothing more than to be a happy wife and mother, like her own mother, comfortable and beloved by the hearthfire. But her first taste of battle leaves her unsatisfied with such a life; fighting awakens a dark passion in her that she does not quite understand. Adding to her confusion, the high priestess Ramis predicts that Auriane is also gifted with the powers of magic. Then Auriane is thrown into the middle of the Roman-Chattian war. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but let me just say that violence, treachery, danger, and true love abound.

Gillespie is talented at depicting her world. She is equally at home in the forests of Germania and the crowded streets of Rome, and she takes us along with her. She has the gift of a Margaret George or Kathleen Winsor for showing us historical detail we never could have imagined. She's obviously done her research on everything from Roman politics to pagan customs to battle tactics. But don't be deceived--this is no dry historical text! I was so caught up in the story I was yelling cheers at the good guys and obscenities at the bad guys, not to mention begging for more as I realized I was on the last page. My only gripe is that Auriane seems too good to be true at times--but maybe I wouldn't have liked the book so much had she not been "larger than life". It's hard to say.

Great portrayal of the paradigms of the times
One of the finest examples of HISTORICAL fiction I have read. There is a romance component to this novel, but it is very much in the sub-plot category. The characters are complex and developing throughout the book, the setting - including the warring psychology and belief systems of Rome and the 'barbarians' - are wonderfully described. I am still 'haunted' by some of the imagery and marvelous juxtapositions in this book (after a couple of weeks). On the other hand, the historical detail does not prevent this from being a page-turner - and a pretty easy read.

After reading this book, Donna Gillespie has made it high on my list of favorite historical fiction (loosely defined) authors, which includes Margaret George, India Edghill, Edward Rutherfurd, Steven Pressfield, Diana Gabaldon, Ken Follett, Irving Stone, and Sharon Kay Penman. All of these authors have varying styles, but what unites them is portrayal of the paradigms of the times about which they write through well-researched detail. The Light Bearer is a perfect example of this amazing talent. If you enjoy HISTORICAL historical fiction, and some of the authors above, this is a book for you.

Read the book, see the light
The old Roman Empire was a kind of nasty place to be if you weren't Roman. But for Auriane, a daughter of the Germanic tribes, it's become a hell on earth. All Auriane really wanted in life was to be like her lovely mother and have a good home. But being born to the warlike Chatti tribe as the daughter of the tribes' leader insures her life will different than she planned. From her first day on earth when a powerful seer/witch woman predicts she will cause the death of her father-the greatest sin a person can commit, Auriane is different. Over her short teenage years she becomes a daughter of the earth, a warrior women sworn to protect her people, and never know the touch of a man.

Yet all along a young man in Rome, Marcus Julianus, gutter rat who turned out to be the lost son of a Senator has been wearing a bag of dirt around his neck, a bag given to his father by a wise woman of the Chatti tribes, a bag that there is only one other like...around Auriane's neck.

Destiny collides in the fierce arena of the Roman imperial court and the terrile but lovely woods and bogs of Auriane's home. Auriane must fight for her life against the might of Rome and Marcus Julianus must fight for his own in the corrupt Emperors court...can these two people prevail?

This is a wonderful book. It's full of life, and the descriptions are so vivid I found myself wondering that I was reading a book, not falling back in time-and I am normally not a fan of ancient historical fiction at all. In fact I have purposly avoided it ever since I started reading historical fiction when I was a kid. But this book changed all that! the characters are all very real people (even the larger than life Auriane is insecure about her body) and the plot line is so vivid and realistic it's hard to stay still while reading. You will be running around, book in hand, screaming for the good guys and cursing the bad. This is probably the best book I ever read, bar none. And there is not one boring sentence in the whole book. Its chopped full of action, romance and adventure, and it's impossible to believe this is a first novel. I plan on buying another copy soon so I'll have one for mine falls apart. I'm sure I will read this book every year of my life.

I recommend this book to any one who loves history, drama, romance, or action. It has something for everyone, and I just received an email from the author saying the sequel is done (!!!) and it will be published in November of this year. Lady of the Light here we come...I'm preordering.

Five stars