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160th out of 354 books
—
448 voters
Island of Ghosts
Ariantes is a Sarmatian, a barbarian warrior-prince, uprooted from his home and customs and thrust into the honorless lands of the Romans. The victims of a wartime pact struck with the emperor Marcus Aurelius to ensure the future of Sarmatia, Ariantes and his troop of accomplished horsemen are sent to Hadrian's Wall. Unsurprisingly, the Sarmatians hate Britain--an Island o...more
Paperback, 384 pages
Published
May 15th 1999
by Tor Books
(first published August 1st 1998)
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Mar 10, 2009
Abigail
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Readers Who Love Historical Fiction / Anyone Interested in Roman Britain and/or the Sarmatians
Shelves:
fiction
Review Temporarily Removed.
12 likes · like · see review
view all 17 comments
Like several others here, I'm sure, I first learned of the Sarmatians after watching the 2004 movie King Arthur. While the historical accuracy of many aspects of that film is subject to debate, it piqued my interest nevertheless.
Now, on to the actual book. Being a historical-fiction lover, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of Gillian Bradshaw before, especially given all the raving reviews she's received. However, now I know them to be true, and will definitely be looking for more of her books!
Some...more
Now, on to the actual book. Being a historical-fiction lover, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of Gillian Bradshaw before, especially given all the raving reviews she's received. However, now I know them to be true, and will definitely be looking for more of her books!
Some...more
I found this to be a fascinating book, appealing on so many levels. The history behind the story is fascinating, it inspired me to do more research into the Sarmatian people and how they fit into British history. There are elements of mystery and romance in the story which I found balanced things very well. Bradshaw shows herself to be a master of character development; I found all the characters to be well-rounded and sympathetic to a point. The Orlando Sentinel calls the characters, "likable b...more
This book was about some groups of Sarmatian horse warriors who came to Northern Britain after being defeated in their homeland near the Danube by the legions under Marcus Aurelius. The narrator is the head of one of these groups, Ariantes, and he tries to do the best for his men without becoming too Romanized. The trouble is, the head of another group has been seduced into trying to help a descendant of Queen Bodica overthrow the Romans. I really liked learning about the Sarmatian way of life....more
Bradshaw is a noted historical novelist, but I find this one of her best. The nomadic horsemen, defeated by Rome and sent to the far ends of the earth to serve Rome's army, give us a realistic portrait of the Empire at its height, and also the teetering quality of its apogee.
The displacement of the Sarmatians, their fierce pride, and "barbarian" honor shine in this tale. The historical discovery of Sarmatian auxiliaries on Hadrian's Wall that underlies the story is so neatly explained that one...more
The displacement of the Sarmatians, their fierce pride, and "barbarian" honor shine in this tale. The historical discovery of Sarmatian auxiliaries on Hadrian's Wall that underlies the story is so neatly explained that one...more
Once again, Gillian Bradshaw does a wonderful job of bringing to light the details and nuances of life in the provinces of the late Roman Empire. The person and situation of Ariantes, a Sarmatian (today Ukranian) prince beautifully encapsulate many of the manifold stresses and inward decay, strenth, and pluralism that both ultimately brought down the Roman Empire and ensured it lasted so long. Island Of Ghosts is particularly poignant in the portrayal of the push-pull stresses of assimilation a...more
Apr 28, 2012
Isis
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Isis by:
Kay
Shelves:
historical-fiction
This is a classic fish-out-of-water immigrant story: Ariantes the Sarmatian warrior (a pre-Slav people) is sent as part of a treaty deal to be a soldier in Roman Britain. It's got adventure, romance, and political intrigue, and probably my favorite part is the evolution of some of the minor characters and their relationships to Ariantes. The major characters, particularly the villains, are not particularly fleshed out, though. The language is - well, it's not quite modern, but it feels much more...more
This one is my favorites so far of the Gillian Bradshaw books that I've read, although they all have been good. This one is about a group of Sarmatian cavalry who are sent to become Roman soldiers in Britain. It may sound like the movie King Arthur, but that is the only similarity. This is a much better story in my opinion. What I liked so much about it were two things: I liked seeing how the Sarmatian leader was trying to retain his people's culture while at the same time adjusting to the Roman...more
It took me a while to get round to reading Island of Ghosts, but I'm so glad I finally did. I remember finding one of Gillian Bradshaw's other books slow but compelling: I read this all in one day, though I wouldn't call it a quick read. It is a compelling one, though, just as expected. I wasn't sure exactly what was so good about it, but by the time I was a quarter of the way through, I was determined to finish reading it today.
One of the factors is the main character, Ariantes. Full of honour,...more
One of the factors is the main character, Ariantes. Full of honour,...more
3 likes · like · see review
This book attracted my attention (from Rachael's list) because when I studied abroad in London, I also spent the semester studying Roman Britain and Latin with one of my favorite professors from BYU and really loved it. This book reminded me how fascinating (and advanced) the Roman empire was and of its power to merge culture and customs (and, often, language) from the people they conquered.
That being said, there were still some things that bothered me about it. Bradshaw has a background in Clas...more
That being said, there were still some things that bothered me about it. Bradshaw has a background in Clas...more
My first Bradshaw, and not half bad. A barbarian prince, in the time of Marcus Aurelius, is despatched to Hadrian's Wall with his men. Adventure and trouble ensues. In the end the attempted rebellion is crushed and the good guys (including out protagonist) are rewarded.
I found this an enjoyable and fun read, but not overly engaging. There seemed few surprises, good guys v bad guys. Very little grit. Or maybe I am just getting old and cynical?
I found this an enjoyable and fun read, but not overly engaging. There seemed few surprises, good guys v bad guys. Very little grit. Or maybe I am just getting old and cynical?
Ariantes is a noble Sarmatian warrior, forced to serve Rome as part of the peace treaty between his king and the Emperor Marcus Auerlius. Sent to Britain to man Hadrian's Wall against the Picts, he must tread a fine line between working with the Romans for the good of his troop and Romanizing to the point that his men will no longer respect him. And when Ariantes becomes aware of a British plot against the Romans, he must decide which side to fight with.
Ariantes is a strong leader, and I really...more
Ariantes is a strong leader, and I really...more
You will learn so much about the history of Rome, Europe & Britain by reading this book. Fascinating, and fun. Great characters. The first I read by her, and then I read all the other historical ones. Such a fantastic historical-fiction writer. Wish she had a dozen more books out there. She's my favorite author over the last few years of reading I've done.
This is simply the best piece of historical fiction I've read on Britain in years, by one of the only handful of authors who get it right in the challenging field of writing historical fiction. Evocative and haunting (couldn't resist), it is not as broad as some of her works' scope like Imperial Purple or The Beacon at Alexandria, but is nonetheless excellent.
This is a fascinating historical fiction novel based on evidence of Sarmatian "barbarians" being stationed in Britain by the Romans. The Sarmatians are forced to find new roles in Roman society after they are defeated and traded to the Romans for guarantees of peace. There's intrigue, educational bits and just excellent story telling!
A wonderful story. A few days ago, when I picked it up and glanced at the first page, I wound up reading the whole thing . . . again.
All about belonging and identity . . . with adventure, romance, and really everything you could possibly want. A wonderful story!
All about belonging and identity . . . with adventure, romance, and really everything you could possibly want. A wonderful story!
This book is one of the first historical fiction books I've read in my current streak of reading historical fiction. The really interesting part about it for me was that it focuses on a culture that I'd never heard of before, and really manages to bring it to life. I definitely recommend this book.
For a book full of Roman soldiers, Sarmatian "barbarians", uprisings, and even a planned overthrow of the Roman government there's a disappointing lack of actual action in this book. I kept waiting for something to happen and the final duel to the death at the end was quite anticlimactic. I wish Bradshaw had written about the events that lead to the capture of the Sarmatian soldiers and their way of life instead. I was more interested in the main character's dead wife and the life he left behind...more
This was enjoyable historical fiction that brought up interesting dilemmas and characters. In the end for the sake of a clean and happy story it simplified some of the moral decisions and characters but overall it was excellent.
A fascinating look at a relatively unknown facet of Roman Britain, plus a great story about how we can reinvent ourselves as adults.
Good read but for whaever reason not lastingly stored in my memory
Loved it! What a rich exciting story about loyalty and love.
One of Gillian Bradshaw's best. Highly recommend.
Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this book. I have a number of friends who read it and thought it was wonderful but I don't agree. I craved more historical description. I wanted to be immersed in this time period and that didn't happen. I also wanted more emotionally complex characters. In my opinion, most of the characters were one-dimensional and when they did have a change of heart it appeared to come out of no where.
Very pleased to have found this high quality author of historical fiction.
good story and an interesting look at the people who manned Hadrians wall
Un grato descubrimiento este libro. Desde hace unos años tenía interes en leer algo de los poderosos jinetes sármatas y este libro probó tener una buena historia, detalles históricos y culturales interesantea y sólidos personajes. La narrativa de Ariantes, comandante del cuarto dragón de caballería sármata en Britania y la pugna entre su proceso de romanización y la fidelidad a su cultura.
This isn't what I'd call classic literature, but it was highly enjoyable. Even if the history is rather filled in and the honorable main character not quite believable, I read this book like it was going to get snatched from my hands at any moment. I'm obsessed with those crazy Romans, so I really enjoyed this somewhat unusual perspective on their society in Britain. Woohoo for historical fiction!!
Re-read 6/30/09. Still fantastic: I love how Bradshaw carries the themes of death and rebirth through the novel. And Ariantes remains a great character. Bradshaw never makes the mistake of pretending her protagonist has the same ethics as a modern Western liberal; Ariantes may be the hero, but he is still also a Sarmatian. The supporting cast is also excellent; I especially like Longus and Facilis.
Aug 28, 2007
Julie G.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
read-in-school-and-liked
It's a little bit of historical ficton. It's a well written book. Very good characters. It's set in the time of the Roman occupation of England. The Sarmatians were a group of nomadic warriors who had recently been defeated by the Romans and were being taken away from their native area to England. The story follows one Sarmatian Prince through his time as a roman soldier.
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Born in Arlington, Virgina, Gillian Bradshaw grew up in Washington, Santiago, Chile and Michigan. She is a Classics graduate from Newnham College, Cambridge, and published her first novel, Hawk of May, just before her final term. A highly acclaimed historical novelist, Gillian Bradshaw has won the Hopwood Award for Fiction, among other prizes. She lives in Cambridge with her husband and their four...more
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