The Light Bearer by Donna Gillespie

"First century tribes of northern Europe fought to maintain their primitive accord with earth, sky, wind and spirits while ruthless Roman invaders plundered their lands, burned their villages, and kidnapped their young men for the imperial army.
When the Emperor Domitian crossed the Rhine with four legions in 83 AD, the north's hopes resided in a woman.

Auriane, daughter of a powerful barbarian chieftain, was the chosen successor of her tribe's most revered prophetess. But war and necessity impel her to take the oath of a shield maiden, and head her people's army in their doomed struggle against the brutal encroachments of the Roman legions. As the only world she's known collapses around her, Auriane is captured and taken to Rome--and into a life of horror and glory no seeress could have forseen.

Set against her story is the tale of a philosophically inclined Senator and nobleman, Marcus Arrius Julianus. Through wit, daring and skilled maneuvering, he strives to check the murderous whims of the increasingly corrupt Emperor Domitian. When Julianus realizes his efforts are doomed, he orchestrates a delicately balanced plot to assassinate the Emperor.

The Light Bearer is the product of twelve years of research into the history, culture and mythology of classical Rome and the proto-Germanic tribes."

Without a doubt, the premier work of fiction on the Gladiatrix to date. Gillespie's lengthy novel is rich in research, and contains a compelling narrative.

It is the story of Auriane, a sacred warrior of the Germanic Chattian tribe who leads her people in revolt against the Rome. Inevitably, as the full might of the Roman war-machine is brought to bear, the Chattians are defeated, and Auriane finds herself in a Roman ludus, to be trained as a Gladiatrix.

Gillespie's sumptuous story telling brings the ludus to life, and her incredible research provides us with real insight as to what life must have been like for the women forced to fight in the arena. Gillespie also explores the attitudes of the Roman people, as Auriane becomes a popular fighter, adored by the fickle mob, who one moment are chanting her name, the next calling for her death.

The battle sequences and single combats are so engagingly written that one can smell the blood and taste the dust of the arena.

This novel is highly recommended; if you only own one work of fiction regarding the Gladiatrix, then this should be it. A sequel is promised, and is highly anticipated. There were also rumours that the Hallmark Channel had picked up the rights to the book, and have planned a mini-series; one can only hope that this is the case.

"The Light Bearer" is available from www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.com in the US and www.amazon.de in Germany.

For more on "The Light Bearer", visit Donna Gillespie's website at www.thelightbearer.com and www.donnagillespie.net