Getorix: The Eagle and the Bull

by Judith Geary

Book Overview

Getorix (15) has one last opportunity to earn his father's regard and welcome into the Otherworld He must face death with courage at the end of the Roman triumph. Instead the gods throw him a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193215874X
• ISBN13: 9781932158748
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Claystone Books
• Length: 280 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.3" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Spectacular!

Judith Geary has the rare talent of using words to evoke powerful emotions in the reader. From page one I was absolutely absorbed in the story, and I stayed absorbed all the way to the end. The characters are human, with human faults and virtues - and souls. It's not often I see a book in which I can identify with a character as thoroughly as I do in this one. The setting is also very well done - I could see the blood on the ground and smell the stink of the Roman Sewers. Ms. Geary's research was obviously meticulous and thorough, giving the book actual educational value, as well. I wish best of luck to Ms. Geary, and hope for more!

Getorix review by Maggie Bishop

Fifteen year old Getorix, the son of a Celtic leader, is captured and is eager to be sacrificed with honor. To his horror, he is selected as a slave to a boy his age. Talk about a major attitude adjustment! The setting is Rome, a hundred years before Christ. The time is before Julius Caesar. Geary's storytelling weaves history and details of the city of Rome into an easily read adventure story of two boys forced to be together who navigate a relationship through culture clashes, status expectations between owner and slave and the bull-headedness of youth. Getorix even takes you through the sewer system of ancient Rome. This is the type of book you recommend to friends.

Getorix: The Eagle and The Bull

Getorix: The Eagle and the Bull is a story of a young boy's adventures in Rome that is comperable to the Harry Potter novels in that the concept is equally as fascinating. Geary's attention to historical detail paints a vivid image of Rome during a time period that is educational as well as entertaining. Getorix's incessant stubborness in fufilling his promise to his father emphasizes the cultural difference between the Celts and Romans and is the foundation of an unlikely friendship in the end. This book leaves the reader awaiting a young adult adventure series that has the potential to be brilliant.

A Perfect Novel. I could not put it down!

This is a beautifully written, riveting tale of a Celtic boy on the cusp of manhood, who along with his father, was captured in battle by the Romans. The boy, Getorix, is determined to honor a vow to his father made just before the father is executed. He is spared by General Catulus and given to his son, Lucius, as a slave. However, Getorix will be no one's slave, especially not a slave to a Roman enemy. His growing friendship to a boy who would be his master, and his desperate need to become a man his father would have been proud of sends him on a journey of pain and self-discovery which will ultimately chart his course in life. I see this book as a young adult book only in that there are no scenes of sexuality or obscene language. It is a wealth of insight into the life and politics of Rome before Julius Caesar and has been meticulously researched. The author, Judith Geary, speaks to an intelligent reader with language that propels the reader to another time and commands the reader to experience a slice of history along side her richly developed characters. I was hooked from the first page to the last and can not wait to read it's sequel.

A thoroughly captivating and intimate story of a young man's struggle with identity and pride

Judith Geary's debut novel, Getorix: The Eagle And The Bull is set in the days of the Roman Republic (rather than the later Roman Empire) and is the story of a young Celt named Getorix. Following the adventurous life of Getorix which includes the depressing defeat of his father in a battle with the Romans, Getorix: The Eagle And The Bull deftly carries readers through a Celtic family struggles and Getorix befriending a Roman soldier who has spared his life. A superbly written novel whose author has taken great pains to be as historically accurate as possible in the little details so important to background settings and plot developments, Getorix: The Eagle And The Bull is very strongly recommended as a thoroughly captivating and intimate story of a young man's struggle with identity and pride. Written for a young adult readership, Getoix: The Eagle And The Bull is the first installment of a three volume trilogy and will leave the reader looking eagerly toward the next two titles in this superbly crafted and original series.