Sarah's Reviews > The Lantern Bearers

Britain, late 4th Century A.D.
Aquila is in the Roman Army. When word reaches Britain that all troops have been recalled to fortify the city of Rome against continental barbarians, Aquila expects to ship out with the rest of the soldiers. But the young man can’t bear to leave his elderly father and younger sister, so he slips away and runs home, lighting the beacon at Rutupiae (present-day Richborough) for the last time.

Our hero feels guilty for abandoning his post, but he feels no connection to Rome. If he must die, he would rather perish protecting his family. No sooner has he returned than the Saxons invade, killing his father and servants, carrying off his sister Flavia, and leaving Aquila himself tied up for the beasts to devour. From here he is found by a Jutish raiding party and brought to Jutland (now Denmark) in chains, saved from death but forced into slavery.

After three years, Aquila is brought back to Britain to serve his Norse warlord master. He schemes to escape, avenge his father, and rescue Flavia if she still lives. But this Britain has nothing in common with the Britain he left behind…

Content Advisory
Violence: Several battles, none overly graphic. Usually the reader only hears about the deaths rather than see them happen. One of the fatalities is Aquila’s father’s dog, who defended her human to the last. That part made me cry.

It’s implied that Flavia was raped after being taken captive. When her brother offers escape, she decides to stay with the Saxon man who took her for a wife, and the child they have together.

Flavian the younger gets flung from his horse and grievously wounded.

Sex: Nothing. (view spoiler)[When Aquila and Ness have a baby, it seems shocking because it’s not even clear until then that their marriage was consummated. (hide spoiler)]

Language: Nothing.

Substance Abuse: Much boisterous boozing at feasts, as befits the setting.

Nightmare Fuel: Sutcliff manages to make an owl flying out of the woods sound terrifying.

Politics and Religion: The most moral character in the book is Brother Ninnias, who removes Aquila’s slave collar and beseeches him not to seek vengeance, a lesson our protagonist has to learn for himself.

Conclusions
Every entry in Sutcliff’s Dolphin Ring saga is more impressive than the last. The Lantern Bearers might be my favorite so far.

When Aquila bails on the army and flees back to the ancestral farmstead, I assumed he’d get a few chapters with his dad and sister while Sutcliff lulled her readers into a false sense of security. He doesn’t even get one whole chapter. The family we got to know so well in the first three-and-a-half chapters are torn asunder by the fourth.

The speed of the book testifies to Sutcliff’s storytelling skills. The novel is short, and even the small characters like Thormod and Rowena are memorable.

And so many twists! I really could not predict the directions this story took.

The message is sad, the journey Aquila takes on is profound.

While it’s labeled “juvenile fiction” and contains no sex or gore, the subject matter is not particularly appropriate or accessible for children. Warmly recommended for teens and adults. And look out for a fun Arthurian cameo!