Review of Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper
Fierce Iceni warrior Solina faces captivity in Britannia and Rome with resilience and cunning, building a viable life and earning respect from her enemy.
Story
Britain, AD 60. Boudicca (Catia), queen of the Iceni, trains her daughters as warriors, despite her husband favouring a peaceful pact with Rome. After his death, Roman soldiers rape her daughters, so she launches a war on the occupying forces, with fatal consequences. Her surviving daughter (Solina) is captured by Roman commander Paulinus and taken by him to Rome.
There, proud Solina learns to use guile rather than her sword to carve out some sort of life far from her people and culture. But Rome is unstable, and plots against the emperor put Solina’s fragile existence in jeopardy.
Setting
The marshy, misty homeland of the Iceni is beautifully captured, as is the detail of daily life, from roundhouses to feasting to weaving to Druid ritual. The gods of the Britons are ever-present, just the other side of the veil.
Structured Roman society, with its laws, luxuries and endless plotting, is more familiar yet utterly believable.
The author has based the story on the historical facts, such as they exist. Boudicca did sack Colchester while Paulinus was governing Britannia, and he did return to Rome after her defeat. But little is known of Boudicca’s daughters. So Elodie Harper has conjured up a proud, resourceful warrior in Solina, who holds the book together, while Boudicca (aka Catia) and Paulinus contribute their own voices.
Characters
Solina is a fierce and forceful woman, an instinctive fighter more at home on horseback with a spear in her hand than in a domestic setting. Her belief in her gods is sincere and shapes her choices. Outspoken and contrary, she subverts the stereotype of women of the classical/ancient era, which is joyous.
Catia, aka Boudicca, is a war leader yet also a mother, willing to sacrifice all to avenge the violation of her daughters and the destruction of her people.
Paulinus at first encounter is a cold and calculating Roman general, capable of inflicting horrifying cruelty on the Iceni. Yet, after spending time with Solina, he comes to respect her fierce nature and warrior ethic and regret his former actions in Britannia.
My opinion
I was most engaged with the early scenes of the Iceni, and the insight into their mythology and rituals. Whilst Rome was well depicted in all its corrupt decadence and amoral politicking, I longed for more Britannia. Both locations had an extensive cast of characters, so the list of people in the front of the book was invaluable.
For me, Solina is the stand-out character, a true British warrior woman: capable of killing men in combat with sword or spear, determined to maintain her battle-ready fitness in captivity, and willing to take fateful risks to survive. She is never cowed by Paulinus’ power over her, and reacts to danger with a feline calculation, never fearful for herself. At the end of the book, I was willing her to return to Britannia and seek out the remnants of the Iceni tribe – but perhaps that is for the sequel!
The action and violence can be frenetic; this is more adventure thriller than literary fiction. But if you like fast-paced action with the ultimate feisty female protagonist, this is for you, with a chance to learn about the Ancient Britons during the ride.
Author website https://www.elodieharper.com/
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