Customer Reviews

The Druid King

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Norman Spinrad makes a fine debut in historical fiction, with occasional lapses into fantasy, in this riveting tale about the legendary Celtic chieftain Vercingetorix, the leader of Gallic resistance against Roman legions commanded by Gaius Julius Caesar. Spinrad does an excellent job in describing Druid religious rites, and the profound influence they play on the thoughts and actions of Vercingetorix. He also provides us with mesmerizing descriptions of Gallic leaders and of Caesar and his generals. I thought I could see and smell the Gallic towns and their people, as well as the bloody battlegrounds of the Gauls and their Roman invaders. Without question, Spinrad's sympathies lie with Vercingetorix and his relationship with the woman warrior Rhia and Marah, his potential queen of a unified Gallic state. Although this isn't Spinrad's best work of fiction, it is still among his finest novels, rich in the vivid detail and lyrical prose that he is noted for in his science fiction.

It is good to see the story of Caesar's wars with the continental celts with some attention payed to the celtic side of the story. Did find it at times somewhat juvenile. For example; when a character rides a horse in this story they constanlty make it rear up. This annoys any real horseman or student of iron age cavalry. This story is supposed to be about iron age celtic warriors on sturdy gaulish ponies, not a girl's fairy tale of knights on white stallions. And Vercingetorix is given as a name recieved from birth rather than a title he had been bestowed with(Ver means high,Cinget means warrior, Rix means king.Ver-cinget-rix high warrior king) he would have been given a simple name as a child and called Vercingetorix only after he took command of the Gaulish army. And Vercingetorix is portrayed very young even at the climax. I find the notion of a boyish Vercingetorix unable to grow a respectable celtic mustache leading an army implausible. I would recommend it to young readers interested in the story of gaul, but not to the more sophisticated enthusiast.

While not exactly famous, Norman Spinrad is well-known in the world of science fiction as a reliable veteran who has been producing stories for several decades. With The Druid King, he departs from that genre to tell a historical tale of Gaul during the last days of the Roman Republic.

The protagonist in The Druid King is Vercingetorix, a young man who is destined to become the King of Gaul. At the beginning of the story, however, he is merely the teenaged son of a Gallic chieftain. His father has visions of uniting the tribes to oppose Rome, but Vercingetorix's uncle ends that with murder. Vercingetorix is forced to flee and takes refuge with the Druids.

Meanwhile, Julius Caesar has his own ambitions, and the conquest of Gaul is a mere stepping stone for him. A master manipulator, he is able to defeat his foes as much with wiles as with force. Briefly, he makes Vercingetorix his protégé, but soon enough they are foes, leading opposing sides. Unfortunately for Caesar, Vercingetorix has picked up enough from his former mentor to become a difficult adversary.

This is a story of Rome vs. Gaul, but not just in terms of peoples but also ways of life. Much is made of the different approaches to battle: the Gauls believe in honor in battle, the Romans are merely concerned with victory. This difference in philosophy will prove to be a major problem for Vercingetorix as he realizes the Roman approach is necessary to overcome his foes, but his followers are less willing to break with tradition.

Spinrad is a good writer, but the edginess that makes him excellent in his science fiction is missing here. As a result, this is merely another good historical novel. Also, Spinrad's story suffers in comparison to Colleen McCullough's outstanding Roman history series (which also describes the Caesar vs. Vercingetorix battles). I can only give this book four stars as a result: this is not Spinrad's best work (he should probably stick with science fiction), but it is a good, entertaining read.

THE DRUID KIND is a sweeping, soaring, crashing, and enchanting historical novel by Norman Spinrad, a distinguished author best known for speculative or science fiction. In this book he creates a fictional life for Vercingetorix, who lived in what is now France in the First Century BC. Although a hero to the French, Vercingetorix is not well known in this country --- especially since so few of us now encounter the memorable sentence: "Gallia omnia divisa est in tres partes." That is the opening line of Julius Caesar's GALLIC WARS, which not only made Caesar's reputation in Rome but also made generations of young Latin students either love or hate him. What history knows of Vercingetorix --- and, for that matter, of the Druids --- comes largely from Caesar. The rest is legend ... but who can say that there is not in every myth a core of truth, or else why would these stories endure through the centuries?

Vercingetorix's historical truth is just this: He was a Celt, a warrior who managed to get the several fiercely independent tribes of Gauls to unite in a final battle against the Romans, led by Caesar, at the Siege of Alesia in 52 BC. Under the leadership of Vercingetorix, the Gauls came very close at one point to defeating the great Roman Army, but in the end the Romans won because of their well-organized battle tactics. Vercingetorix surrendered himself to Caesar, was taken to Rome in chains for exhibition in one of Caesar's triumphal marches, and was either assassinated there or allowed to kill himself by falling on his own sword --- the Roman death with honor --- six years later.

This is a stirring and heartbreaking framework for a novel, and Spinrad makes the most of it. He begins when Vercingetorix is fourteen and witnesses his own father's ill-timed and ill-fated attempt to crown himself King of Gaul, using the crown of Brenn. Brenn is another historical figure, a Vandal warrior who had sacked Rome on his way through before settling Gaul with his warriors. For his audacity, Vercingetorix's father is imprisoned and burned alive, an execution the boy witnesses before being rescued from a similar fate by the Archdruid Guttuatr.

Guttuatr spirits Vercingetorix away to the forest and educates him as a Druid. This part of Spinrad's tale, so far as I've been able to find out by doing some research of my own, is pure fiction. But never mind, it's a fine idea and makes for some grand reading. Better than grand, it's magical --- the Druids themselves couldn't ask for more. Guttuatr is a great character, much more true-to-life than Gandalf or Dumbledore.

At the banquet where his father had made the unfortunate proclamation, Vercingetorix met Marah, the fair-haired daughter of one of the Gallic chieftains whose tribe was being held together primarily by the widow, Marah's mother. Marah becomes the kind of woman most heroes have in their lives, the remote beauty worshipped from afar --- though she eventually proves not entirely unattainable. But Vercingetorix has another woman in his life too. Her name is Rhia --- she is an amazon who teaches him the martial arts and later becomes his faithful fighting companion.

There is historic precedence for having an amazon warrior alongside Vercingatorix. Here, as in the rest of his tale, Spinrad pushes the envelope of imagination, but not too far. He is extremely skilled in taking his readers right up to, but never over, the top. In the case of the amazon, those who like to check out the real history behind the story may recall that the Celts who settled France, England, Scotland, Ireland and parts of Spain and were in fact the remote ancestors of so many people who ultimately ended up in the United States, came originally from the steppes of Asia. They were nomadic horsemen. One strain of these nomads went East to become the Mongols, one went West and became the Celts, and along the way it is most likely true that a substantial body of women warriors broke off to remain in Asia Minor --- since called amazons. At any rate, Rhia is another wonderful character.

What is best about this book is the language, which will transport you. Spinrad tells a story that is chockfull of vivid details in which the Celtic, Latin and Germanic cultures are all accurately but never boringly brought to life. The battle scenes near the end of the book are particularly arousing, and Vercingetorix's ultimate surrender amid the bravery of his Celtic warriors is heartbreaking.

Norman Spinrad has been living in Paris lately. The French should be thankful to him, not only for making his home among them, but also for bringing one of their epochal heroes to life.

--- Reviewed by Ava Dianne Day

By 60 BC the might of the Roman legions had conquered most of the known world and to be fair had improved the lot of most of the defeated nations. Those who continued to oppose Rome were ruthlessly crushed.

Now Julius Caesar has turned his attention to the invasion of Gaul. He is seeking a victory that will give him the power to cast out the old guard and become Emperor of Rome the greatest city in the world. But a formidable foes stands against him, the Druid King, Vercingetorix.

The conflict that is about to happen will start to shape the future history of Northern Europe. The Gauls know that they must fight to the bitter end or face the destruction of everything they believe in. But can the tribes be brought together as one unit to fight this relentless enemy. More importantly can they gain a victory and save themselves from oblivion.

This books relates one of the most brutal military campaigns of all time.

The problem is that Norman Spinrad doesn't really believe in magic, and he's writing about characters who did. So he can't enter fully into the world of Vercingetorix. He deals well with the military aspect. I appreciated the clever generalship of both Vercingetorix and Caesar. But Spinrad sees Druid magic as symbolic, not real. This perspective would have been alien to Vercingetorix and the other Gallic Druids that he attempts to portray.

In Ancient Gaul, after watching treachery lead to the defeat and subsequent death of his tribal leader father, Vercingetorix flees, taking shelter with the Druids. The Arch Druid Guttuatr and the swordswoman Rhia become the lad's teachers training him in the art of magic and war.

Gaius Julius Caesar recruits the young man to become Rome's client ruler over Gaul. Vercingetorix accepts the position thinking that Caesar is now his mentor. However, their relationship abruptly changes when Vercingetorix learns that Caesar was the devious force behind the death of his father. Now Vercingetorix turns feral against his former benefactor leading his people in war against the Roman legion.

This exciting insightful historical fiction provides the audience with an interesting look at Ancient Gaul without the victorious Roman filter altering the view. The story line is very vivid as Norman Spinrad points quite a panorama. The hero is an engaging individual who comes to life in THE DRUID KING. Though Mr. Spinrad's loyal science fiction fans should be aware that this book is not anything like his Sci Fi tales, readers will appreciate the rest of the story from the loser's perspective as opposed to the victors goes the history books.

Harriet Klausner

The is the first Spinrad book I have read for many years, I used to admire his SF short stories in the early to mid seventies, but I was very disappointed by this unimaginative, badly researched and totally unconvincing work. Quite frankly it was embarassing to wade through. Vercingetorix surely deserves better.

The story was good. The only way that I can read history.

Unfortunately, my wish for more druidism was not fulfilled. And what the heck is a leggionare??

Like the fictional Hagar the Horrible and the real, post 911 e-mailer/apologiser Jo - now would be a good day to bury some bad news - Moore, Norman Spinrad sucks on a lemon and charges his way through the conflict between the realpolitik of an expanding Roman Empire and Gallic mysticism.

This should appeal to readers of titles by Tom Holt. And those who enjoyed Norman's, The Iron Dream.