It took me a long time to read this book, because it is a long book. It is way, way, way, way, WAY too long! The story is great, but there were many times when I found myself wanting to shout a the words in front of my eyes, for page after page, "Just get on with it!" There was a long period during which reading this book reminded me of my marathon running days. I thoroughly enjoyed the overall experience, but it was sometimes a labour of love: between the 21 and 25 mile points. I suppose that equates to about pages 600-720.Also, I knew what was going to happen. Most of the storylines are predictable. And the underlying love story is pretty dire.Having said all of that, this is a great work of historical fiction. My benchmark is always to ask myself if the characters and dialogue and actions bring the history to life for me. In this case, they certainly did that job extraordinarily well.Clearly, a huge amount of research has gone into this book, and the detail comes shining through.But, as I said at the top of my review, it is far too long. Donna Gillespie would have made a much better job of it if she had condensed the story to, at most, half of its final length. The strength and power of her story-telling would have been much more compelling, and it would have gripped my attention until I had finished. If you are interested in this period of European history, and want some colourful, graphic descriptions, and you have stamina, pick up this book and read it.In my opinion Gladiatrix and Roma Victrix are much better reads than The Light Bearer. These two books are just about right in length, and the are fast-paced and dynamic. There are a lot of shocks and surprises in both stories, and Russell Whitfield's writing certainly stirs the emotions. I am still grieving for some of his characters now!I agonised over my rating for The Light Bearer. If ever a book deserved exactly 3.5 stars, in my opinion, this was the one. Do I like it (3 stars), or do I really like it (four stars)? In the end, I decided that the quality of the writing, the detailed descriptions, and the excellent research could persuade me to round my rating up to four stars.
I first read this book in 1994, and I've loved it ever since. Initially, I re-read this book every year, but in the last five years, I've only read this book twice. I've had so many new books to read that I don't need to re-read as much as I used to, but once in a while I would miss Auriane and Marcus, and want to read about them again. This time, I wanted to savor the story and read it slowly, I wanted to study Donna Gillespie's writing and maybe learn something from her. But as I read, I forgot about the writing and got engrossed in the story. When I remembered, I would try to concentrate on the writing again, but then forget again as the story pulled me in. Eventually, I just gave up trying to study anything and just enjoyed reading the book. That's how good Gillespie's writing is, that's how good the story is. It makes you forget everything else except the story. Everything else fades away. The Light Bearer has been a favorite book ever since I was just 11 years old. There are many things I love about it, but among what I love most is that it features a very strong female protagonist, Auriane, who was a huge influence for me as I was growing up. I also love Marcus, and I love how wise they both were. I love how they outsmarted their enemies, how they solved their problems, and I love how exciting the whole thing was. This is one of the most underrated books I know, and I wish more people would know about this book and read it. It's amazing.
Do You like book The Light Bearer (1996)?
I'm eating this book up. I supposed to be reading reference books right now due to an upcoming class I'm teaching, but can't put this one down!It's an epic story about Ancient Rome and the destruction of the tribes of Germania with wonderful characters. I actually came to tears or shouted a "YAY!" at a few points while reading this, and dear readers, that is a rare occurance for me even if I'm enjoying a book.A richly-embroidered tale of war, vengeance and spiritual transcendence, of palace intrigue and pagan ritual.
—Eileen
I rarely give books five stars, even if they're spectacular or have changed my life. I have strict criteria for the five-star book, and this is a perfect example of it. This book captured my imagination like none other, with a sense of realism and fantasy intermixed. When I read this book, I felt that the events taking place might possibly have really happened, even though there was a touch of fantasy! I was 14/15ish when I first read this book, and while I was probably a little young for some of the adult themes presented, this novel helped shape my mind for an interest in historical fiction. In fact, it's safe to say that I might not be the kind of curious, articulate person I am today if I hadn't read this when I was young. This book isn't quite as long as Margaret George's novels are, so that makes for an easier time re-reading, which I still love to do. I actually had to go out and purchase a new copy, as my original had sadly worn to pieces from my frequent readings.
—Aiyaruk
This book beautifully illustrates the mores of both Roman and Germanic society. Auriane is a girl from the Chats (one of the Germanic tribes), who can feel the gods and goddesses surround her. The rushing of the wind through the trees is the laughter of Freya, the thunder in the sky an answer of Wodan. Rituals and divination are intertwined with day-to-day life, in the continuous battle against the Roman empire. Auriane has ideas to help them, but they lead her away from the normal life and normal religious dogma.Romans are more casual with their gods, worrying more about the future of the empire. Former slave Marcus Arrius Julianus tries to salvage the empire, a route that leads him to Auriane, with whom he has a strange connection. This book reads easily, despite its length, and combines history, myth, war and romance to a beautiful tale.
—Judith
