The Lantern Bearers (The Roman Britain Trilogy, 3)

The Lantern Bearers is the fourth in Rosemary Sutcliff's loosely-connected series about a Roman family in ancient Britain. The story begins when the last Roman legions are leaving Britain. Beseiged by wars with Germanic tribes on the European mainland, the empire can no longer afford to spend any of its military capital fighting off Saxon invaders on this remotest of its territories which it had by now largely abandoned, anyway. Young Aquila, a cavalry officer in the Roman army, is spending a rare leave with this father and sister on his family's homestead when he is urgently recalled to duty. Immediately upon his return he learns that preparations are being made for the last boatload -- literally -- of Roman legions to leave the island of Britain forever.Over the ensuing few days Aquila wrestles with his thoughts and feelings and finally, at the last moment, realizes that, though he considers himself a Roman, Britain is his home. His family has lived on the island for generations, he knows his father and sister will never leave, and he decides that he cannot leave either. So he hides in the lighthouse on the coast and watches while his ship sails off without him, then makes his way back to his family's villa.Just three days later his world is forever turned upside down when Saxons raid his home, burning it to the ground, killing his father, carrying off his sister, and leaving him tied to a tree in the woods for the wolves to find. By an ironic turn of events he is rescued and taken to the homeland of the Jutes (present-day Denmark) as a slave. Desolate at the loss of his beloved father and sister and the only life and world he has known, beset by bitter loneliness in a strange land, the desire to find his sister is the only thing that keeps him going.Thus begins The Lantern Bearers, a story that traces Aquila through the ensuing decades of his life as he journeys through hatred, grief, desolation and bitterness in a quest first to find revenge and then to find some measure of peace. At the same time the story traces the story of Britain as it gradually loses the influence of Rome and descends into the Dark Ages.As always, Sutcliff's writing is lovely, detailed and evocative, whether she is describing the British countryside, or a battle scene, or the physical decay of society in the wake of Rome's departure from the island. Unlike her earlier books in this series, The Lantern Bearers really isn't about a young man's quest for honor or bravery, and doesn't involve adventure per se. Instead, it explores, through the life of Aquila, the painful overtaking of an older culture (in this case the Romano-Celts of Britain) by invaders (the Saxons). The bitterness, hatred, crossed loyalties, fragile peace and uneasy acceptance that Sutliff so skillfully depicts resonated with poignant realism; I am sure this is how it was in the many times in Britain's history (and that of other parts of the world as well) when two vastly different peoples battled for the same piece of ground, and their cultures (as inevitably happens) uneasily merged.The book also introduced the character of young Artos; the amount of attention given him, and the fact that he was a Romano-Celtic young man who was a charismatic battle leader, made it obvious that he was the King Arthur of legend. I look forward to reading the next book in this series to see how Sutcliff develops his story.

so sad she died so young. I would read her books forever! this, ending of her trilogy for YA readers is truly for adults as well. I love her books. Read OUTCAST first and now this trilogy...I hope to read ALL her books before I die! what a sad, affirming, tragic, moving, real, wonderful book. It is different from the first two...a bit darker...a bit sadder...a bit tougher to read...and worth every word and the time it takes to read it...just like the first two. I am so happy to have discovered these books to read now. I recommend these books with all my heart.

I truly enjoyed this novel. I felt like I was blind and I was being told moment by moment the events that transpired. The main character is very well described and the changes in his life clearly lead to changes in his heart.I also enjoyed the descriptions of Artos, the Bear Cub and am looking forward to finding out his ultimate destiny.I rather enjoyed the lack of romance. Rather, Ms. Sutcliff focused on the love of family and on duty and on the shifting alliances Aquila finds within himself.

This writer is never what you expect, and if you think you know how her adventures end, guess again. Her characters grow as you read becoming of themselves unpredictable, now warm and gentle and then cold and hard under her hands. It is well worth reading more of her books to savor her genius.

The third volume in Rosemary Sutcliff's Roman Britain Trilogy, THE LANTERN BEARERS is set roughly 300 years after her first, THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH in around 427 AD. 18-year-old Aquila is just starting out on life, and has spent a year as a commander of the Rhenus Horse Auxiliary Cavalry. What happens in the first few pages of this novel changes him for life, from an open-minded pleasant young man to someone who is not well-liked.But Ms. Sutcliff has done such a wonderful job in showing us Aquila's life both before and after, that even though he is not a likable character, one cannot help rooting for him.By and by he acquires a wife and a son, but nothing can take away the awfulness of what happened to him. Eventually, however, he finds a certain kind of peace, and the last image of the book is both consoling and realistic. This book won the Carnegie Medal in 1959. More than just a fictional account of history, this book engages the reader at a deep level, forcing us to feel the agony of the difficult choices Aquila has to make. Five stars.

Most people know the drill already regarding Rosemary Sutcliff: she wrote beautiful, melancholy children's books on key moments in British dark ages history that are so complex and beautiful that they appeal to adults as well. As many reviewers have noted, "The Lantern Bearers" is just such a "children's" book, but will appeal to readers of any age who enjoy rousing tales based on both fact and legend. This book follows the adventures of a Roman soldier who decides to stay in Britain when the legions depart in the early 5th century. He is quickly captured and enslaved by the invading Saxons but manages to escape and join the Romano-British resistance to the Saxon onslaught. This is one of Sutcliff's finest--surpassed only by its adult-oriented sequel, "Sword At Sunset"--and her prose captures the sadness of seeing the end of an era. But like many of her books, it also has a message of redemption and hope and ends on an uplifting note. The action is gripping, the characters are three dimensional and interesting, and the historical detail is astounding. Highly highly recommended.

Rosemary Sutcliff was a prolific writer of historical fiction for children, but enjoyed a wider readership. The Lantern Bearers shows why.This is set in the middle of the 5th century as Celts and Saxons struggle for the future of Roman Britain or, as the title implies, we entered the Dark Ages . The central character is Aquila, who we meet as a young soldier serving with Imperial forces in Essex. We follow him as he matures and ages through adventures, battles and personal trials.There is substantial detail about daily life and the relationships between the warring parties and peoples who contested for control. Very little is known of this period for certain, of course. Rosemary Sutcliff followed one quite credible version, including a take on the myth [or not] of King Arthur.There is little vivid violence – still less sex; the contrast with recent television offerings like Britannia could hardly be greater. She is strong on moral choices and doing the right thing. One downside for today’s child would be the small parts given to female characters; it does feel like a “book for boys”.

As the last legions are withdrawn and the darkness of barbarism falls over Roman-Celtic Britain a brave band of warriors fight to be the lantern bearers of civilisation, and a young soldier struggles to survive his own psychic wounds.Almost unbearably harrowing at the start and emotionally devastating by the end, this novel is even better than 'The Eagle of the Ninth' but immeasurably darker and sadder.Any scene Sutcliff writes, she sees it and makes you see it. 'The wind caught the crest of the blaze and bent it over in a wave; and Aquila's shadow streamed out from him across the parapet and into the night like a ragged cloak.' 'The hut was full of sunlight that slanted in through the doorway and quivered like golden water on the lime-washed wall beside him.' 'There was a swelling of thunder in his ears, and the wild, high song of the hunting-horn as the great arrow-head of wild riders hurtled down upon the battle. At the shining point of the arrow-head, Artos swept by, his great white horse turned for a flashing moment to silver by the burst of sunlight that came scudding down the valley to meet him, the silver mane streaming over his bridle arm, and the sods flying like birds from the great round hooves.'A disproportionate number of the best books in English over the past century have been ostensibly written for children rather than adults. It isn't surprising: there's more pressure to tell a tale well rather than be self-indulgent, and more license to be interesting rather than dreary. Still it's somewhat mysterious how a book as good and mature in theme as this comes to be classed as one thing rather than the other. I suppose it's something to be celebrated, as children deserve the best, and it will mean the book is read. Anyway, Rosemary Sutcliff was simply one of our great writers.

I Love Rosemary Sutcliffe. Ideal reading for my 12 year old son. We read it together and I enjoy it a great deal too. THe vocabulary is a little more challenging, so it's able to stretch the reading potential of the 11-14 age group. It's the third in a trilogy (Eagle of the 9th; The silver Branch; The lantern bearers). Deeply historical, grounded in fact, but elegantly woven fictional characters that have compelling stories. By this means, the history of Roman Britain, and in the Lantern bearers the decline of Roman Britain and the rise of the Saxons is brought to life for older children, young adults and older readers like myself. Won't spoil it by revealing the plot, but it knocks Harry Potter for six ;)

The third book in Mary Suttcliff's trilogy about Roman Britain. It takes place at the time of the Anglo Saxon invasions at the end of the Roman occupation of Britain with the replacement of the Romano British culture, just after the last legion has left Britain's shores. As usual, the tale is told in an appealing child like manner with references to the natural unspoilt world at the time before the pollution of the modern era. The book, in my opinion is not quite as good as her first book in the trilogy, "Legion of the Ninth", but it does give the flavour of the period with the barbarian hordes attacking coastal villages. Buy the trilogy together.....

Bought for someone else and they were absolutely delighted at the really high quality binding and slip case. Although nominally a children's book, the recipient is far from that and wanted to re-read it. Folio Society binding elevates it above the paperback if it's to be seen as a quality gift. One of a trilogy so look for a full set at the right price.Otherwise you can always get individual volumes as I did in this case and it was exactly as described, well packaged and delivered in very good time. Wouldn't hesitate to go to Ken Spelman books again.