Customer Reviews

Lady of the Light

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Light Bearer is such a broad epic, I didn't think there was anything more this author could "do" with these characters, but she proved me wrong. Lady of the Light opens out into a whole new realm, showing us up-close the private lives of Auriane, Marcus and the Roman townspeople in a small first-century Roman province, while maintaining all the wildness, the color, the unpredictability, of Light Bearer. The gut-wrenching choices Auriane must make grabbed my sympathies. She's forced to choose between two absolutes - what she owes to her tribe, and what she owes to her family - and the way this is resolved at the end is totally unexpected. Marcus's dilemma is just as dire - he is being systematically hunted down by a madman desperate to kill him in revenge for the Emperor Domitian's assassination. Most compelling is the aurochs hunt where the assassin strikes - it's described in such lush detail, you will feel you were there. In some ways this book is more deeply psychological than Light Bearer - yet the author manages this without ever slowing the brisk pace. The two books, in my opinion, accomplish two entirely different things, and do both wonderfully. Lady of the Light takes you down roads traveled rarely or never, and it's chock full of delicious details of some very obscure places in history - and it all seems so real. I particularly enjoyed the way this book delves deeply into women's mysteries in this ancient era. The prophetess Ramis, who looms large here, is a striking character, and she reveals much more of herself than she did in Light Bearer. The chapters in which Avenahar is initiated by the forest seeresses drew me into a magic world that I didn't want to leave. The ending was tantalizing - it left me eager for the next volume.

"Lady of the Light" is the long-awaited sequel to "the Light Bearer". Around eight years have passed between the end of the last book and this book. We find Auriane living comfortably with her family in a villa on the Germanic frontier. All seems to be well, but Auriane is keeping a few secrets from both her "husband" Marcus Julianus and her daughter Avenahar. The secret she is keeping from Marcus could cost them both dearly, for she is secretly supporting her Chattian tribe with weapons so they could defend themselves from the Cheruscan invaders. The secret she is keeping from Avenahar is not as threatening, it seems, but Avenahar is a rowdy young woman, not quite unlike her mother was. Auriane is afraid to tell Avenahar who her real father is (Decius) because Avenahar hates all Romans (except Marcus of course). Meanwhile, Marcus Julianus is in some trouble of his own; the Emperor Trajan has been turned against him by his enemies. As for Auriane's daughter with Marcus, Arria Juliana, she is the unfortunate object of a pervert neighbour's desire. Eventually the secrets are revealed and Auriane's family is broken up. Auriane is once again thrown into her unwanted fate of becoming the next Veleda, but that is all I will reveal because everyone should discover for themselves this wonderful book.

I waited it seemed forever for this book to come out and it was worth it. There is never a dull moment in the book and if I did not have so much school work to do I would have finished it in a couple of hours. I did not want the book to end because I was enjoying it so much. I was also seriously hoping that I would not have a serious freak accident (or die, or go blind) before this book came out. Yeah, that's weird, but that is how much I wanted to read the book. Now I cannot wait for the next book to come out. My only rants are that this book was too short and I did not get to find out what happened to a few characters from the first book, such as Sunia, Thorgild, and Coniaric. It was nice though, that some other old characters returned, such as Witgern, Ramis, and Decius. I also felt it was more about Auriane and Avenahar, which I had no problem with, but it would have been nice to see more of Marcus and Arria. I especially enjoyed the parts with Decius because he is one of my favorite characters in the series. I also feel like I can relate a bit to Avenahar because I myself am a "half-breed" and sometimes feel like a stranger in both of my worlds, just like Avenahar. To sum it up, the writing is smooth, the characters are so believable, and the plot is very interesting. I highly recommend this book and "The Light Bearer" to any historical fiction fan or Ancient Rome fan.

I loved this book! It's even better than The Light Bearer, first of Donna Gillespie's still to be completed trilogy! It shows Aurriane growth beyond a woman warrior to become a leader torn between her family, half Germanic half Roman, and duty to her tribe. Hardly second to Auriane's voyage is her daughter, Avenahar's. Seeking to succeed her mother as a warrior and support her leadership, she reals from the blow of discovering, during her coming of age ceremony, that her own father is the enemy. Rebelling against this fate, she joins the Wolf Coats a band dedicated to driving the Romans and other tribes from her motherland. And the unpredictable ending thrusts the reader into the next stage of Aruiane and Avenahar's journeys.

Donna Gillespie's first book, The Light Bearer, literally changed my life back in 1994 when I first read it. It's the type of novel that speaks individually to each reader and opens paths to their inner self-knowledge; I was always astounded at how I'd struck by deeper and deeper insights at each reading.

Personally, I thought Donna could never outdo herself with The Light Bearer. It has everything any human being could want - thrilling adventure, forbidden love, soul-devouring danger, stark honor, difficult sacrifice, etc. Keep in mind I read it prior to becoming a mother myself.

Now, 12 years later, The Lady of the Light is released. Let me tell you, I have no idea how the author accomplished this but the impact of this book knocked me figuratively flat on my rear. I've been a mom myself now for over a decade, and never never never NEVER have I read a book that speaks to women and men as does this.

You see, Lady of the Light transcends your typical book reading experience. The Light Bearer did too, of course...from a different viewpoint. TLB is a mansion of masterful rooms, each described robustly and fully and coming together beautifully in the end. Each component was described fully and in detail (horrific war, dangerous love, impossible training, hidden treachery, fanatic deceit, etc.)

Lady of the Light, in comparison, had a much more targeted focus... it is the hidden sanctuary that all women, mothers and daughters have secret within their fragile-strong souls. It draws readers into matters of the mind and heart while allowing the tightly-packed action scenes to take the background... leaving instead the center stage to the more subdued yet far more draining struggles of women finding their true inner peace.

Men too, for that matter, will find the material just as resonating; the main character, Marcus, was given not only a stalwart soul but also a woman's understanding as well.

In closing, I have probably re-read Lady of the Light a dozen times by now, and The Light Bearer times past counting. Not because I forget the material, mind you....but each reading simply reveals more about myself to me. I still have no idea how Donna accomplished this. It's uncanny... I've never seen another author with this particular gift. I highly recommend the series.

Some books shoot you along at a rapid pace with their words, and their words are not worth dwelling on and you don't miss much by reading quickly and greedily to get to the next plot turn. Gillespie's book is different. Hurry yourself and you'll miss the richness of her prose. I linger over paragraphs, re-reading sentences remarkable for a quality of prose rarely found in stories of this nature. Same was true for The Light Bearer. Gillespie has a way of constructing a scene so that you feel like you are sitting in a movie theater watching a film--she's that good. History buffs will find themselves completely satisfied with Gillespie's rich and well-researched detail about both Roman and tribal life. I got so involved in the characters' lives I at one point wanted to call Gillespie and demand an answer as to why Auriane made a certain choice! You can't go wrong with this one. The book can stand on its own, but I highly recommend reading Gillespie's first book, The Light Bearer, as well, for an exceptional treat. If you like being fully immersed in worlds you can never go to in time and space, you'll love Gillespie's books.

Donna Gillespie has done a magnificent job of producing a truly worthy sequel to her bestseller "The Lightbearer".

Set several years after the conclusion of her original, and set totally in Roman controlled "Germania Superior" (The Rhine), you have but to wait 10 pages for the action to fly thick and furious off the page. It is this action that see's the start of the unravelling of Aurianes peaceful, secure and stately family life with Marcus and their two daughters Avenehar and Arria.

Donna uses the difficulty of balancing conflicting loyalties such as that owed to self, family or ones people of origin to drive the books plot unlike the original where plot was "revenge" driven. The love and loyalty Auriane feels towards Marcus is offset by her need to syphon monies from her Gallic estate bequeathed to her by him. Without her help to fund them, the Chattian people will lack the necessary weapons to fight off their tribal enemies, the Cherusci. A potentially life forfeiting risk as Roman Law forbids her tribes arming with iron weapons.

This loyalty dilemma of family over culture is beautifully detailed in the two children. Avenehar (13)is truly her mothers child. As impetuous as she was at the same age. A liberation seeking Chattian dreamer. Arria (Marcus true child with Auriane at age 9) is the Roman culture loving "fathers" girl. Donna's portrayal of the two girls frictional relationship with each other and their parents is truly masterfull characterisation by a masterfull writer and will have any parent or person who had sibling rivalry smiling. They play a pivotal part in the story. For Auriane is duty bound to them and when her duplicity towards Marcus and Roman law closes in on her she cant simply and selfishly melt away into the Chattian forests as in book one.

She is caught in a world where she is neither comfortable or wholly accepted within the provincial community as a Roman citizen , and wrestling with the belief she is not doing enough to save her own people from the northern menace; the fabric of her new life is finally shredded when someone else is accused of her own life forfeiting crime. Someone dearer to her than anyone outside family.

The deep and superb characterisation and interactions of the main stories players, unpredictability of the plot and uncertainty of what outcome will prevail are all prevelant in this superb work. Couple this with the descriptive imagery of life for the peoples of the cold Rhine lands and provincial Roman settlements and its an absolute page turner of a book. The richness of Donna's writing is once again vividly evident. Its not as "epic" as book one which was a book that could stand alone but thats only because this book is designed to leave you deeply anticipating the third instalment. I know i am and I am sure you will be too.

By 105 CE, years have passed since Germanic Chattian tribe "princess" Auriane was taken prisoner by the Romans and survived as a gladiator, before meeting and marrying Marcus Arrius Julianus (see THE LIGHT BEARER). They live a comfortable life with their two offspring Avenahar and Arria Juliana in the Germania Superior province.

However over the years together, Auriane has funded the Chattian resistance movement by stealing from her wealthy husband. Now her tribesmen plead with her to return home to lead them in war against another Germanic tribe, the Cheruscans. She wants to, but decides not to; however, her seditious activity is uncovered and Auriane goes on trial and is convicted for acts of treason at the same time her teenage daughter Avenahar, who learns she is not of Marcus' seed, joins the Chattian resistance and a political adversary abducts their other daughter.


This is an exciting historical fiction that continues the saga of Auriane and sets up the next warrior woman generation Avenahar for a future tale. The tale is filled with action while also bringing to light life on a frontier province of the Roman Empire. However, the LADY OF THE LIGHT predominantly is owned by the larger than life heroine who must choose between the love and loyalty to her family especially her spouse or her heritage.

Harriet Klausner

Donna Gillespie has crafted another excellent novel in the second book of the Light Bearer trilogy. Lady of the Light is a suspenseful saga rich in historical detail and elegant prose. Gillespie uses her extensive knowledge of Ancient Rome and Germania to seamlessly transport the reader to another time and place without ever bogging-down the reader with minutiae of research. As the novel opens, Aurianne, the "retired" Chattian warrior-priestess is living the comfortable life of a Roman matron. She is, however, secretly supporting the Germanic rebel tribes under the noses of the Romans. This loyalty to her people brings disastrous results to her otherwise placid domestic life, and energizes several intriguing plot lines that engage and tantalize. Beautifully written and intricately plotted, Lady of the Light is a worthy sequel to The Light Bearer. Not only does Lady of the Light provide an informed and entertaining read, but functions well as an allegory of contemporary themes of empire and defiance. Highly recommended.

From the moment I finished reading my all time favorite book "The Light Bearer" for the first time two years ago I have been waiting for the sequel to come out. I was desperate to find out what happened with Auriane and Marcus Julianus living together in a sort of no mans land between the roman lands and the Germanic territory. I wanted to know what happened to Decius, Auriane's first lover and father of her elder daughter, Avenahar, and if Avenahar ever forgave Auriane for essentially missing her early childhood because she was a captured prisoner of war in Rome. I also wanted to know about the baby Auriane was pregnant with at the end of the book, and a few other things.

So, did this book answer my questions? Yes. Set about nine years after the events of the Light Bearer we are launched into a time of intense change for our main characters. Auriane is being pressured by her people to come back and help them defeat another encroaching tribe, and will not return, though she has been secretly sending them money to buy swords with for years. Additionally she is pressured to take up the spiritual leadership of the tribe, but refuses (as previously) to do so. Marcus Julianus is finding out how having engineered the assignation of an emperor (Domitian in the last book) affects the way the current emperor and those high in power view him. Avenahar, who is very proud of her Germanic heritage, just wants to run off to war and has no idea who her real father is-she thinks he's a tribesman. Arria, Auriane's and Marcus' daughter is wholly Roman and is almost nonexistent in this book, except for a very small side plot that I felt could have been much expanded upon. And of coursse, Decius comes back, and I loved him here. He's funny and sympathetic. Give him a chance.

In the end five stars. Donna Gillespie is not capable of writing a bad sentence, let alone a bad book. This is a great continuation of the series and provides a picture of a very different, grown up cast of characters who have matured and evolved and changed with their new lives, and so this is a different kind of book. There are more small characters and more points of view in this book then in "The Light Bearer", where Auriane and Marcus were essentially the only view points we ever heard. That doesn't diminish the "super-sized" impact of Auriane (who we all know and love) in any way) while the Auriane of "lady of Light: is very different from the Auriane of "The Light Bearer" because she has chosen to guard her people from afar and her family from up close, but she as compelling a character as always and remains my favorite fictional person. I love this series, and all of its characters, more than I can say. These two books mean so much to me.

Now lets all hope the third book takes less time to come out then the twelve years this one did-"Lady of Light" has so many cliffhangers in it that I just have to know how this all ends.

As a side note-In "The Light bearer" it says that Auriane was born two years before Nero became Emperor, or AD 52. In this novel, which is set in 105 AD, Auriane is 40. This doesn't make sense. She should be 53. It also implies that Avenahar was born when Auriane was 27, which confused me a little because I don't remember that much time passing in "The Light Bearer" between when Auriane became a shield maiden at 16 and when she became pregnant. It really didn't seem like eleven years. But I think perhaps the author did some time condensing to fit in all the emperors' reigns she wanted in her book and left out some stuff. If you can figure the time thing out let me know.

This book is beautifully composed and artfully put together. I found not a wasted sentence. There is polished beauty to the scenes that shows a new mastery on the part of this author. The forward movement of the story is brisk and relentless and calamity lurks at the end of every chapter - I never felt a slowing of tension throughout the whole book. This family struggles to stay together as they are ringed by wolves. This story is put together like a puzzle box - every piece matters. I had to read it twice to appreciate how this was done. The reviewer who called this book a study in economy really got it right. The rich background of each scene somehow never intrudes on the action. The characterizations, too - possibly even lusher and fuller than in Light Bearer - are seamlessly developed along with the action. The dialogues are inspiring - so many characters have quotable lines that I almost lost track. Here is that sort of novel it's so difficult to find these days - a solid work of adventure that is also deeply meaningful. I agree with others who pointed out that the portrayal of the powerful position of women in early Germanic society is utterly convincing and makes this book a rare gem. I ardently wanted to believe that there was once a great teacher called Ramis dispersing wisdom with roots reaching back into archaic times. And there is such honesty and intimacy in the portrayal of Roman life. This volume beautifully complements Light Bearer - it fills in precisely those details of Marcus' and Auriane's lives that I was so avid to know and manages this with such deft storytelling that those details always felt necessary to understanding the continuing crises of the present. This book has it all - horror, mystery, psychological tension, betrayal, horrific battles, sweet victories, tragic love. If this book doesn't become a classic there is no justice.