Island of Ghosts · A Novel of Roman Britain

From Publishers WeeklySet during an uneasy, second-century alliance between the marauding, scalp-taking Slavic Samartians and the Roman empire, Bradshaw's fifth historical novel (after Horses of Heaven) is a vivid, atmospheric work that follows the Samartian prince Ariantes and his cavalry troops to Britain, where they are to serve under Roman command. When Ariantes discovers that some of the Samartians plan to support a Druidical uprising against the provincial government by the British queen Bodica, he forms an alliance with the newly emergent Christian sect in order to foil the plot?while saving his life and the lives of his loyal troops. Fluidly written, well researched and luxuriant with colorful authentic detail, this fact-based chronicle of a proud tribe of legendary horsemen and their gradual assimilation by the empire will engage readers with an interest in the history either of Rome or of its most exotic outposts. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library JournalYA-Making good use of the classic storytelling elements of fantasy and legend, Bradshaw creates a believable ancient world populated by compelling characters. Cultural diversity poses some serious operational challenges for the Roman Empire. Picts raid the northern borders while outlawed Druid sects (even as they feud among themselves) forge subversive alliances with the Picts and with the (also outlawed) Christians. Roman administrators have married into local families of questionable loyalty, and the occupying army itself consists of units drawn from some of the Empire's farthest reaches-and they don't get along with one another. Into this volatile situation, the Empire sends 8000 fierce and unpredictable barbarians. Proud and independent, these Sarmatian horse soldiers have pledged their service and loyalty to the Empire in a recent peace settlement, but they have no idea what it actually means to submit to Roman military discipline. It falls upon a prince named Ariantes to find a route through this treacherous political territory and bring his troops to safety in their new lives as Roman soldiers in a strange land. The tale of how noble and clever Ariantes becomes "Romanized" while remaining true to his Sarmatian values is fascinating while the background story of warfare, treachery, and romance in the brutal and distant lands should appeal to fans of swashbuckling adventure. In writing about Sarmatians, about whom little is known, the author has much latitude in creating fictional history while, as a classics scholar, she commands a richness of detail that brings the known facts vividly to life.Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.