Druid King (Paperback)

Vercingetorix's historical truth is just this: He was a Celt, a warrior who managed to get the several fiercely independent tribes of Gauls to unite in a final battle against the Romans, led by Caesar, at the Siege of Alesia in 52 BC. Under the leadership of Vercingetorix, the Gauls came very close at one point to defeating the great Roman Army, but in the end the Romans won because of their well-organized battle tactics. Vercingetorix surrendered himself to Caesar, was taken to Rome in chains for exhibition in one of Caesar's triumphal marches, and was either assassinated there or allowed to kill himself by falling on his own sword --- the Roman death with honor --- six years later.

This is a stirring and heartbreaking framework for a novel, and Spinrad makes the most of it. He begins when Vercingetorix is fourteen and witnesses his own father's ill-timed and ill-fated attempt to crown himself King of Gaul, using the crown of Brenn. Brenn is another historical figure, a Vandal warrior who had sacked Rome on his way through before settling Gaul with his warriors. For his audacity, Vercingetorix's father is imprisoned and burned alive, an execution the boy witnesses before being rescued from a similar fate by the Archdruid Guttuatr.

Guttuatr spirits Vercingetorix away to the forest and educates him as a Druid. This part of Spinrad's tale, so far as I've been able to find out by doing some research of my own, is pure fiction. But never mind, it's a fine idea and makes for some grand reading. Better than grand, it's magical --- the Druids themselves couldn't ask for more. Guttuatr is a great character, much more true-to-life than Gandalf or Dumbledore.

At the banquet where his father had made the unfortunate proclamation, Vercingetorix met Marah, the fair-haired daughter of one of the Gallic chieftains whose tribe was being held together primarily by the widow, Marah's mother. Marah becomes the kind of woman most heroes have in their lives, the remote beauty worshipped from afar --- though she eventually proves not entirely unattainable. But Vercingetorix has another woman in his life too. Her name is Rhia --- she is an amazon who teaches him the martial arts and later becomes his faithful fighting companion.

There is historic precedence for having an amazon warrior alongside Vercingatorix. Here, as in the rest of his tale, Spinrad pushes the envelope of imagination, but not too far. He is extremely skilled in taking his readers right up to, but never over, the top. In the case of the amazon, those who like to check out the real history behind the story may recall that the Celts who settled France, England, Scotland, Ireland and parts of Spain and were in fact the remote ancestors of so many people who ultimately ended up in the United States, came originally from the steppes of Asia. They were nomadic horsemen. One strain of these nomads went East to become the Mongols, one went West and became the Celts, and along the way it is most likely true that a substantial body of women warriors broke off to remain in Asia Minor --- since called amazons. At any rate, Rhia is another wonderful character.

What is best about this book is the language, which will transport you. Spinrad tells a story that is chockfull of vivid details in which the Celtic, Latin and Germanic cultures are all accurately but never boringly brought to life. The battle scenes near the end of the book are particularly arousing, and Vercingetorix's ultimate surrender amid the bravery of his Celtic warriors is heartbreaking.

Norman Spinrad has been living in Paris lately. The French should be thankful to him, not only for making his home among them, but also for bringing one of their epochal heroes to life.

--- Reviewed by Ava Dianne Day