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asthornton's review against another edition
DNF at 10%. Wasn’t moving fast enough for me 😒
hazellie's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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.
lnatal's review against another edition
5.0
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
wiggleallaround's review against another edition
5.0
oh my goddess i finally finished it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
okay, guys. get ready for a very journal-y, stream-of-conscious, probably-unedited, incoherent review...
so you know what's so great about this book, that brings hope and light into my life? it's the fact that i started reading this book in august or september 2014. yes, you read that right -- 2.3ish years ago!!!! and for someone who has book ADD and can read many books at once, but then gets distracted by other books, the fact that i picked up The Light Bearer again at least 3 significant times, gives me hope for other books that i loved/wanted-to-finish but then put away for that mysterious and elusive "another time."
plus, it's kind of cool to have widespread reading memories for the same book. like, what i remember most about books that i read is the feelings they give me and especially where i was personally, physically, emotionally when i read them. ya know? so september 2014 sara was so very different from december 2016 sara. but it's pretty cool to compare and contrast that sort of thing.
so anyway. The Light Bearer is this awesome historical novel about rome trying to colonize/conquer the chattian tribes of upper germania in the first century ce. the main characters are Auriane, a warrior woman of the chattian tribes who just wants to keep her land and traditions alive (but also is open to growing as a person and community aka learning stuff from the romans), and Marcus Julianus, this senator philosopher who is just trying to keep evil tyrannical emperors from murdering everyone in rome. so yeah, political intrigue, women warriors, pagan priestesses, clever battles, clever manipulations, gladiator manipulations, etc. etc. pretty badass, really.
Gillespie could have definitely benefited from some hardcore editing. i mean, it was for sure fun and awesome to read such a long book and learn a bunch about the roman empire (since my high school honors world history teacher read to us from the textbook... like, how did i not know there was a huge difference between the roman republic and the roman empire? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). the book only covers about 30 years -- from nero to domitian -- so a bunch of editing woulda been nice. but who knows. it's also cool to have a long ass book to read.
there was some other stuff i didn't like (insta-love), but for the most part, the stuff about old-school colonization and domination floated my boat fer sure. i like learning about power and corruption, especially if it's real life. also, how marcus julianus was working against a terrible ruler felt pretty inspiring and timely. and auriane was one of the coolest women characters ever - strong and rebellious and open-minded and family-oriented, but sometimes unsure and stubborn in the worst ways. she was awesome.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
okay, guys. get ready for a very journal-y, stream-of-conscious, probably-unedited, incoherent review...
so you know what's so great about this book, that brings hope and light into my life? it's the fact that i started reading this book in august or september 2014. yes, you read that right -- 2.3ish years ago!!!! and for someone who has book ADD and can read many books at once, but then gets distracted by other books, the fact that i picked up The Light Bearer again at least 3 significant times, gives me hope for other books that i loved/wanted-to-finish but then put away for that mysterious and elusive "another time."
plus, it's kind of cool to have widespread reading memories for the same book. like, what i remember most about books that i read is the feelings they give me and especially where i was personally, physically, emotionally when i read them. ya know? so september 2014 sara was so very different from december 2016 sara. but it's pretty cool to compare and contrast that sort of thing.
so anyway. The Light Bearer is this awesome historical novel about rome trying to colonize/conquer the chattian tribes of upper germania in the first century ce. the main characters are Auriane, a warrior woman of the chattian tribes who just wants to keep her land and traditions alive (but also is open to growing as a person and community aka learning stuff from the romans), and Marcus Julianus, this senator philosopher who is just trying to keep evil tyrannical emperors from murdering everyone in rome. so yeah, political intrigue, women warriors, pagan priestesses, clever battles, clever manipulations, gladiator manipulations, etc. etc. pretty badass, really.
Gillespie could have definitely benefited from some hardcore editing. i mean, it was for sure fun and awesome to read such a long book and learn a bunch about the roman empire (since my high school honors world history teacher read to us from the textbook... like, how did i not know there was a huge difference between the roman republic and the roman empire? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). the book only covers about 30 years -- from nero to domitian -- so a bunch of editing woulda been nice. but who knows. it's also cool to have a long ass book to read.
there was some other stuff i didn't like (insta-love), but for the most part, the stuff about old-school colonization and domination floated my boat fer sure. i like learning about power and corruption, especially if it's real life. also, how marcus julianus was working against a terrible ruler felt pretty inspiring and timely. and auriane was one of the coolest women characters ever - strong and rebellious and open-minded and family-oriented, but sometimes unsure and stubborn in the worst ways. she was awesome.
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