The life of Boadicea (Boudicca), queen of the Iceni, who led them and other British tribes in a valiant but futile revolt against the Romans in 62 A.D.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Before King Arthur, There Was Boudicca,
By Meredith Noire "Writer and Reader" (The Banks of the Wabash Far Away) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Song for a Dark Queen (Hardcover)
Considering the ripe market for Xena-Warrior-Princess-type juvenile fiction, it is rather astounding that SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN has never been reprinted. With a sleek new cover a la Keira Knightley from "King Arthur" and a small publicity push, this novel would do quite well. Not only is this story more plausible than those found in the usual girl power paperbacks, it is rooted in historical fact. This is the story of Boudicca (Boadicea), the Iceni queen who led the revolt that very nearly ended the Roman Empire's domination of Britain. It is told in the first person by Cadwan, harpist to the queen, who loves Boudicca without being blind to her faults. Because of his position within the royal household, Cadwan possesses an intimate knowledge of the Iceni's last queen and an understanding of her greater than anyone in the tribe besides only that of Boudicca's nurse Rhun. As a character, Boudicca is aloof. She is tragic, noble, and fearless in a manner very similar to Tolkien's elves. Rosemary Sutcliff gives Boudicca four very human moments: one as a young girl trailing after her father's war host, one as a young bride, one as a new widow, and one as a fallen queen being brought home after her final battle. The author reveals just enough to prevent her from becoming a cold cardboard figure, but Boudicca is always encircled with the mystique of legend, distanced from everyone else in the tale. In contrast, Cadwan is warm, though reserved, with an unflinching devotion to his queen and a heartbreaking bond with her doomed youngest daughter Nessan. The plot is fairly simple: The free tribes of Britain want to remain free under Roman occupation, and the Roman forces want their complete submission. The narrative would be flawless if it weren't for the letters of Gneus Julius Agricola, which first appear a third of the way through the book. This device was probably designed to supply certain historically details unavailable from anyone belonging to the Iceni, and although the Roman perspective does provide a greater background and prevents the story from being completely one-sided, it is more of a jarring interruption than a useful addition. These letters are set apart with a border and can be easily skipped without losing anything. SONG FOR A DARK QUEEN is closely akin in style and content to THE EDGE ON THE SWORD by Tingle, and it is a story that fans of Tamora Pierce's lady knight series or legends of old Britain such as Springer's Rowan Hood series could really sink their teeth into. Also, recommended is SONG FOR ELOISE by Sauerwein and PEREGRINE by Goodman.
17 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
You realize of course, this means war,
By
This review is from: Song for a Dark Queen (Hardcover)
I was drawn to this book, its armed queen gazing darkly at me from its cover. The plot focuses on the real Queen Boadicea (or Boudicca) who fought the invading Roman hoardes in Britain in 62 A.D. Told from the perspective of Boudicca's faithful harper Cadwan, the story follows the young queen from her birth to her death at the hands of the Roman hoards. It is a dark story, filled with images of bloodshed and violence. The book was certainly written with teens in mind. I myself was more than a little shocked when I found a particularly violent passage. In it (just prior to fighting back) Boudicca is whipped half-naked before the Romans whilst hearing her teen-age daughter screaming as they are raped. This scene is meant to be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back, forcing Boudicca to round up the different native tribes into her war host. Just the same, don't go handing this book to a ten-year-old who's interested in battlescenes. I'd even be a little hesitant to hand it to a fifteen-year-old, but that's just me. The author's writing is rather lyrical in its passages. There are beautifully evocative lines describing, "The dark, lifeless and lightless green of forest depths in late summer". At the same time, it can be rough going. Sutcliff is attempting to bring the reader fully into early Britain. In doing so, she makes no social comment on war and the cruelty of armies. Boudicca shows no mercy to the Roman men, women, and children she catches. This book is filled to the brim with blood, gore, and muck. It is difficult not to sympathize with the protagonist, but it is clear that she is just as depraved, in many ways, as the Romans she fights. Throughout the book the author dots her passages with letters a young Roman sends to his mother at home, giving the reader a glimpse of the opposing side's point of view. Admirable, admittedly. Yet in the end the book suffers from the greatest flaw of all. It's boring. Anyone who has read the author's preface at the beginning knows that Boudicca is bound to fail, and that it is only a matter of 181 some pages before she does. To slough through this story is hard going at times. When Sutcliff writes dialogue or action, she is excellent. But most of the book is bogged down in exposition, and I would be very surprised if younger readers take to the style. A good effort made to glorify a worthy subject, but in the end a poor showing.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Immoral, violent, and very dark book.,
This review is from: Song for a Dark Queen (Mass Market Paperback)
I wish I had not read this book because of the immorality and the depression. Boadicea is first a sweet, innocent child but the story grows darker and she turns into only the Priest-Queen, filled with bitter hatred and desire for blood. But even then there are glimpses (through Cadwan's eyes) of the human Boadicea making me want to scream because everything is so wrong. There is no Christian worldview to this book as it grows increasingly darker, at last ending in despair with no ray of light or hope. Other Sutcliff books are for more worth reading than this.
If you are interested in the Roman invasion of Britain and Boudicea, I recommend Beric The Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion (Works of G. A. Henty)
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