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Summary: Reading this was like watching a really satisfying movie...
Review: "Island of Ghosts" was my first experience with Gillian Bradshaw - now one of my favorite authors to date. The best way for me to describe this book is that reading it was a lot like watching a really satisfying movie. Strong characters, dramatic and suspenseful plot, well-researched details... And it did what I love most about historical fiction: it taught me a lot. I love history, but I am not one for history books. I love getting a feel of history through reading, and "Island of Ghosts" gave me an excellent feel for what these people and times were really like. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction! It is good solid reading. No sappy romance and it is not bogged down with battle either. It's perfect.
If you decide to read this and enjoy it, I also recommend Bradshaw's "The Sand-Reckoner" and Robert Harris' "Pompeii."
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Summary: Great stuff
Review: Excellent. Gillian Bradshaw takes an obscure historical footnote and turns it into a real human story. A vanished, fascinating people are really brought to life. My only complaint is that it wasn't twice as long and didn't end with the promise of a sequel.
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Summary: Island of Ghosts
Review: Gillian Bradford's tale of Ariantes and his Sarmatian comrades-in-arm delights in its smallness and arouses in the largeness of its message. Ariantes has swore an oath to the Roman Emperor and as a man who does not take any promise lightly, he would rather die than submit his name to dishonor. However, as a prince of a conquered people, Ariantes finds himself reduced to leading his squadron of men in the strange world of the Romans where diplomacy and deceit walk hand in hand. Ariantes' simpler life of breeding horses, making war and caring for his family disappears in the blink of an eye as he and his troops make camp on the not completely Romanized isle of Britain, near Hadrian's Wall. Yet Ariantes adapts; he finds himself negotiating for his men in matters of pay, rations and privileges and devising schemes to keep the hot headed Sarmatians from fighting amongst themselves to avoid the stricter penalties of Roman justice. As Ariantes manipulates the Roman system to better accommodate his men, he struggles to understand the customs of his conquerors and of the British tribes he and his men have sworn to simultaneously protect and keep down. Above all Ariantes remains true to himself and to what his people believe in. When he finds himself embroiled in a plot involving druids, the Pict tribe, an ambitious woman and two of his Sarmatian brothers, his true nobility is put to the test.
Like her other historical novels, Island of Ghosts provides an interesting glimpse into a world where inner strength defines true courage. This portrayal of a man uprooted from his home and his assimilation into a foreign place with different values speaks universally to anyone coming in contact with a new environment. Recommended to all who love historical fiction and a strong male character who will not knuckle under political forces.
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Summary: An interesting perspective of Roman Britain.
Review: Gillian Bradshaw has done some fine work on early nomadic horse tribes (Horses of Heaven). I could be wrong, but I'm guessing that Island of Ghosts is a historical prolog and rationale leading into the Arthurian epic, the premise of which would be that the Pendragon (chief dragon) tradition came down originally from the Sarmation cavalry that came to Britain in the second century to fortify the legions. The cavalry units were called "dragons", you see. It's an entertaining story with a wealth of historical detail, some of which Ms. Bradshaw is at pains to explain in the Historical Epilog at the end of the book. While this reader wondered at the (rather smug) documentation regarding use of stirrups in the first century and the Romans' employment of sailors vs. galley slaves, the publisher might want to get some expert editorial/biological advice about horses. Ms. Bradshaw has her characters breeding horses in the fall, with foals arriving in the spring. The gestation period of horses is actually about 11.3 months. Presumably this would not have changed much in 1900 years.
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Summary: Jack Whyte Fans Take Notice!
Review: Having read all the Jack Whyte Arthurian series, I was glad to "discover" Bradshaw. Although "Island" is told from a different perspective--that of a semi-barbarian commander, forced by circumstances and honor to soldier for Rome--the setting is also Roman Britain. But don't mistake this for "romantic fiction." It's easy enough to read; but holds the interest because of a solid story line and ring of truth. As a historian, I appreciate Bradshaw's careful use of fact and fiction, her gentle treatment of exotic practices, and her explanations (instead of footnotes.)As a reader, I loved the sensitive first-person narrative, the carefully-built characterizations of protagonist, his friends and lover. I was grateful for names that made ethnicsense but were mostly manageable. My only complaint would be: too many minor characters with no personality. I plan to take a careful look at Ms. Bradshaw's back list, and look forward to her new book.
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Summary: A fine novel by an author who deserves a wider audience
Review: 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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Summary: This is the kind of book you wish were longer.
Review: Island of Ghosts falls into what I call the Mary Renault School -- historical fiction that is so compellingly good that you end up believing this is how it actually happened. Gillian Bradshaw has taken a historical "footnote"--the arrival of Sarmatian cavalry in Britain--and turned it into a rousingly good story. I sat down and read this book in one afternoon, then re-read it the next day. Characters and their motivations are for the most part quite believable (although the villainess was just a tad extreme) and I found myself caring about what happened to them. This book is a great example of historical fiction, with just a little romance thrown in for good measure. I am quite a fan of the author's -- I have read all of her work -- and while I might not rate this as the best of her books, it's right up there near the top. If you read this book, you will not be disappointed -- I swear on fire.
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Summary: Solid Historical Fiction
Review: There's a lot of junk out there in the realm of historical fiction. But this book is not one of those. ISLAND OF GHOSTS is a tightly written tale of Sarmation cavalry (from the historical land of the Scyths in what is today southern Russia) drafted, through defeat in battle, into the Roman occupying forces in Britain. Tautly told, this one traces the entry of these troops, after a lengthy and unpleasant trek across Europe, into the Roman province of Britain where they are confronted by their uneasy Roman hosts and bitter rivalries and conspiracies among the locals. The hero, a somewhat disheartened Sarmation commander named Ariantes, must manuever and scheme to save his men and their honor in a foreign and markedly hostile environment, in the face of a plot to oust the Romans in favor of a Druidic revival. How he navigates the rock-strewn path he finds before him, in the face of his own sense of a living death-in-exile, and learns to accept others for what they are make up the bulk of this well-wrought story. The tale, though a might predictable and peopled by the usual cast of stock characters one would expect to find in such a book, is still immensely entertaining and keeps you turning the pages. The view of the Romans and Britains of the time also rings true while the voice, though contemporary in its phrasings, is subtly enough rendered that you barely notice. It never really seems to slip into anachronistic modernisms despite its fealty to the conventions of modern fiction. Indeed, while on reflection, I thought some of the turns of phrase out of place, I barely noticed these as I was reading and so felt quite comfortable with the narrative as it drove relentlessly onward to a most satisfying conclusion. If I thought that Ariantes seemed a bit too modern, too sensitive, indeed, too enlightened, for a "barbarian" commander who was accustomed to scalping his enemies, I must happily add that it did not bother me in the reading. And that is testament enough to a well turned tale. In sum, I liked this one and read it in two days without ever feeling a need to come up for air. A good strong narrative in an historically compelling setting. If you like historical fiction, this one's worth your time. SWM
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Summary: One of the Best Books I've Ever Read (from a Non-Gusher)
Review: 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.)
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Summary: Excellent for Jaded Readers
Review: Yup. That's me - a jaded reader. I suppose I've just spent too many hours reading lousy books and that, combined with an extreme lack of time, has made me extremely choosy about the books that I choose to spend my time on these days. If you're like me you'll probably enjoy this offering from Gillian Bradshaw. Ariantes is the honorable commander of a group of semi-barbaric Sarmatians who have been beaten, and then recruited by, 2nd century AD Romans. Unlike the other army commanders he cares enough about his men to Romanize a bit if that's what it takes to keep them alive in their new posting - far-off Britain. I found this novel to be a pleasant romp through ages past - not too deep, and just suprising enough to be satisfying. Bradshaw does an admirable job of evoking Ariantes' barbaric mindset, even if he is a bit too self-sacrificing now and then. The main characters are nicely fleshed out, though the villain is a bit too one-dimensional for my tastes - but then it's a very rare book that can satisfy me in that regard. I'm a historian - not a historical nit-picker - and found this book to do a good job of representing the past. The plot wasn't complex enough to give me a headache, which I like. Plus, I rather enjoyed reading about someone who excelled in administration. Not the most glorious of occupations, for sure, but don't worry - there's enough fighting and action in here to mix things up if that's more to your taste.
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