| Island of Ghosts: A Novel of Roman Britain | 
 enlarge | Author: Gillian Bradshaw
Publisher: Tor Books
Category: Book
Buy Used: $8.86
Used (9) from $8.86
Avg. Customer Rating:  31 reviews
Sales Rank: 223770
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.8 x 4.2 x 1
ISBN: 0812545141
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9780812545142
ASIN: 0812545141
Publication Date: May 15, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Text is clean and bright, binding is tight. Very little edge/shelf wear.
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Product Description
Ariantes is a Sarmatian, a barbarian warrior-prince, uprooted from his home and customs and thrust into the honorless lands of the Romans. The victims of a wartime pact struck with the emperor Marcus Aurelius to ensure the future of Sarmatia, Ariantes and his troop of accomplished horsemen are sent to Hadrian's Wall. Unsurprisingly, the Sarmatians hate Britain--an Island of Ghosts, filled with pale faces, stone walls, and an uneasy past.
Struggling to command his own people to defend a land they despise, Ariantes is accepted by all, but trusted by none. The Romans fear his barbarian background, and his own men fear his gradual Roman assimilation. When Ariantes uncovers a conspiracy sure to damage both his Roman benefactors and his beloved countrymen, as well as put him and the woman he loves in grave danger, he must make a difficult decision--one that will change his own life forever.
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A thoughtful and compelling novel of the clash of cultures as Roman conquerors sweep across second-century Europe, written by the acclaimed author of "Horses of Heaven" and "The Bearkeeper's Daughter".
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| Customer Reviews: Read 26 more reviews...
More fine historical fiction from Bradshaw April 30, 2008
Gillian Bradshaw's Island of Ghosts is crisp, entertaining, and well-researched, on par with the excellence of her other historical novels such as The Sand-Reckoner, Render Unto Caesar, and Cleopatra's Heir. Bradshaw is a smooth storyteller who sets a brisk pace and flavors her prose with just the right amount of authentic detail. She deserves the readership of authors in the genre such as Bernard Cornwell and Stephen Pressfield.
Island of Ghosts is about Ariantes, a Sarmatian prince who leaves behind his homeland to serve Rome in Britain, after his people are defeated by the imperialists. He struggles to maintain his cultural identity while adjusting to Roman customs enough to keep his men safe. It is an interesting story of assimilation, one that must have been enacted repeatedly as Rome overtook Gaul, Britain, and Germania. These barbarians stood up to Rome until they were forced to kneel and accept Roman dominion. How did they adapt to Roman ways? How did they reconcile their beliefs with Roman ideals? Bradshaw responds to these queries in her story of Ariantes.
 excellent historical fiction February 12, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
this is a totally engrossing book about a very interesting period in history. I won't go into the plot since other reviewers have already done so; I just wanted to say that this book was very difficult to put down. For those who enjoy reading about Roman Britain, I also recommend Rosemary Sutcliffe's books. She is pigeon-holed under young adult fiction, but is a satisfying read for adults as well.
Excellent historical fiction June 28, 2005
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
In the Caucasus Mountains, in the little republics of the Ossetians, the inhabitants still tell stories about their medieval ancestors the Alans and their greatest heroes, the Narts. One of the Nart heroes is said to have been mortally wounded in a great battle. Knowing death was near he told one of his warriors to heave his magical saber into the Sea. The warrior departed with the sword, but intent on keeping it did not throw it into the Sea. The dying Nart does not believe him when he claims that the sword simply sank into the waters, so he angrily demands that the warrior obey him. At the final try, the warrior tells the hero that when the saber hit the waves the water roiled and boiled red, rushing upward in a great gush. Satisfied, the hero dies.
How could modern Ossetians be telling stories that sound so much like the story of King Arthur and his magical sword Excalibur? This novel contains the answer, as does the recent movie "King Arthur". "Islands of Ghosts" tells it better.
Before ending up in the Caucasus the Alans had been part of the great Sarmatian tribal confederacy, horse nomads of the steppes of southern Russia and Ukraine. At the time of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius they were defeated in a great battle north of the Danube (remember the opening scene in "Gladiator" -- that's it). As tribute they had to provide 5,000 armored horsemen, their peculiar specialty (much like the Riders of Rohan) for service in the Roman province of Britain where they would face Pictish invasions and Celtic rebellions.
"Island of Ghosts" opens with a squadron of Sarmatians near revolt when they first spy the English Channel: they believe that somewhere to the West, on the Great Sea, lies the Island where the dead reside. Now they are convinced the Romans are sending them there deliberately. Given that the Roman officer now in command of them heartily wishes that his Sarmatian charges actually were dead, the Sarmatian leader, Prince Ariantes, has his hands full. As he leads his troops across the sea to Britain and north to the great Roman Wall, Ariantes will have to come to terms with what it means to be a loyal servant of the Empire, perhaps against the wishes of his own people. He will face enemies inside and outside the empire, the horrors of army bureaucracy, begin to become literate, and above all face the dilemma of reconciling the free warrior code of his past with his life as a soldier for civilization.
Gillian Bradshaw has written a terrific historical novel about a little known corner of Roman history, one that explains how Sarmatian stories could well end up in Britain and in the Caucasus. Her characters are drawn with considerable imagination and sensitivity. By the end of the story the reader identifies with Ariantes and his people. The fact that his solution to his problems goes a longs way towards explaining the complexity of the ancient world's heritage in modern Europe is important. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a good read about the Sarmatians and Rome. Even though it leaves out one curious fact: the Roman given command of the Sarmatians in actual fact was named Lucius Artorius, or as we would say, Luke Arthur.
One of the Best Books I've Ever Read (from a Non-Gusher) February 6, 2005
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
While Bradshaw's works always maintain a high level of excellence in writing and historical detail, this semi-classic is my favorite. It's the story of a company of Sarmatians (of what? Yeah, I'd never heard of them either) who, having been conquered by the Romans, have no choice but to join the Roman Army, and are sent to garrison the semi-rebellious Isle of Britain. History, a little romance, some great fight/action sequences, and a happy but not sappy ending. Great characters, great writing, great book! (I'd give it 5 stars, but only Jane Austen gets 5 stars from me: everybody else must bow to innate genius and be content with what I can given.)
A fine novel by an author who deserves a wider audience October 23, 2004
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Island of Ghosts describes the Claudian invasion of Britain from an unusual point of view, through the eyes of a Sarmatian auxiliary soldier. The scholarship is impeccable (as in her other novels), and the story is an appealing account of military life, and a love affair between people from different backgrounds. In her other books (including A Beacon at Alexandria, Cleopatra's Heir, and Render Unto Caesar) she has presented a many-sided view of life in ancient Rome. She doesn't simplify the ancient world into cardboard characters that represent stereotypes; her characters seem alive and complex. And she gets the details right... even that controversy about the use of stirrups in ancient times. I read her novels with great enjoyment, but her background in classics and history adds educational value.
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