Customer Reviews

Warrior Queen: The Story of Boudica, Celtic Queen

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a brilliantly researched novel, well constructed and thought out. It was gripping, and gave me an interesting picture of Romano-British times. As a lecturer in ancient history, it's always useful to find out how a novelist constructs reality, and the author didn't stray too far from what is known of this dark period in British history. His characters were very true to life and his comparison between the court of the Emperors in ancient Rome and the somewhat chaotic world of post-conquest Britain was imaginative and enlightening. I strongly recommend this book to anybody interested in bringing history to life, especially the history of a long-misunderstood woman called Britannia.

This book was a surprisingly good read. A well researched novel of the life of Boudica, it tells not only her story, but the stories of emperors of her time, as well as the tragedy of the destruction of the Druids on the Isle of Mona. While some of the mythology seems a little mixed up (Lugh being portrayed as the murderer of Baldur and it being told as a British story?) it is otherwise a wonderful book and well worth picking up. The history of Boudica is slender at best, but this novel gives one a real feel as to what this legendary warrior queen might have been like.

This historical fiction novel brings to life the 1st century, AD, when Claudius and Nero were emperors of Rome, and Britain was being conquered by them. Assuming that the factual portions of the story are correct, he has done a good job of weaving a story around what facts remain about the rise and fall of Boudica. The way of life of the Celts are dramatized into a very readable book. I give this book a 4 star rating, mostly based on the enjoyment of experiencing life in the 1st century.

I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if it had been strictly about Boudica. However, every other chapter was about a Roman woman or Roman general or Roman emperor. I could have done without the incestous thoughts and ways of the Romans. Lots of it was irrelevant to the story of Boudica. Boudica, in this novel, is an arrogant person. She literally bit off more than she could chew. What really did not sit well with me, throughout the entire novel, was the fact that she catered to Rome and allowed them to rape and enslave and rob her people and enjoyed immense riches UNTIL they took HER stuff. Only THEN did she want to fight for her country. Only after they raped her daughters, stole her home, and publicily whipped her, did this woman lift a finger for her people. Nevermind that what had happened to her and her children had already happened to a thousand others in her country. So it was a story of revenge, not of honor.

From the depictions the Romans have given her, and even from modern documentaries, I had the permanent image of Boudicca as the wronged Queen, in a primal fit of rage and vengeance, leading a scrappy rabble of Britons on an ultimately failed rebellion which wrought some havoc amongst Rome, before being put down by a proper Roman army under Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. It seemed obvious from her tactics at the Battle of Watling Street.

But this book, by Alan Gold, convincingly presents to me a different version of said story.

Meticulously researched, the book must take a few liberties, however, with regards to Boudicca's life prior to her life as Queen of the Iceni. Aside from some seemingly pointless filler chapters involving Claudius and Messalina or Nero and Agrippina, it is utterly compelling, and manages to villainize the Romans in Briton from Boudicca's point of view, and gradually heroicize them under the likes of Gaius Suetonius Paulinus.


The author rarely attempts to romanticize some of the grittiness of everyday life, openly portraying Boudicca and Prasutagus as sexual beings, knowingly having extra-marital relationships and remaining happily married, and rather explicitly detailing Boudicca's awe with Roman plumbing, and how easily it disposes of her waste. And from Rome, it casually sets up sexual situations, including that of Claudius receiving a handjob from his niece, or Nero having sex with his mother.

From the rebellion onward, the book gains more focus, leaving aside Nero's random bouncing from flawed moralist to utter maniac, and drivingly tells of Boudicca's rebellion and the glory for the Britannic tribes it will fuel, and even the necessity for Suetonius Paulinus to defeat her, lest their defeat fuel the flames of rebellion and anarchy on every border of the Empire.


Where once, I thought of Boudicca as a good-intended, but ultimately "barbarian" warrioress, the book paints her as victim to the massive horde of Britons' innate lack of discipline and barbarity, as they grow careless of training, getting drunk every night and feasting on the spoils of the cities they've looted, while Paulinus invigorates his demoralized legions in a way reminiscent of Caesar.

Their final clash at Watling Street, where once I thought Boudicca stupid enough to bash her army against the Roman wall, the book paints her as helpless to stop her warriors' bloodlust as they foolishly rush head-long onto the Roman lines, and cause their own destruction by pressing in without any organization, while their wagons block off their escapes.

While Suetonius Paulinus and Boudicca are both heroicized, the book ultimately ends too early to contradict this depiction, as Paulinus deals so harshly with the subjugated Britons that even Nero is repulsed and removes Paulinus from his post. Other than that, it was a richly inviting and intriguing story.

This would probably be an excellent. Book if I had ever received it. This is the first time I have had a problem with Amazon. I am really disapointed. I really wanted this book. There are not many books out there about Boudica warrior queen. Maybe some day I will be able to read this book.

This didn't do it for me and seemed to be lacking a certain punch. It missed the mark & I considered it cheesey in places. The Eagle & the Raven by Pauline Gedge is a superior effort on Boudica and not too bad all round but sadly I am yet to find the novel that deals with Boudica as the main subject that fulfils all my expectations & that would go close to perfection as she is a subject that offers so many possibilities.

I love historical-fiction books about the ancient times and that is why I bought this book. The cover grabbed my attention and the synopsis on the back grabbed everything else. This was one. good. book! So good infact that after I was finished I started doing a search on the Web to find out more about Boudicia. I highly recommed this book yall!!

Love the story of a great female warrior in history. Alan Gold has a way of captivating the reader. Looking for more of his books.

As an ordained druid priestess, I'll be the first to admit that the amount we actually know about the ancient druids fills about 2 pages, and some of that was written by the romans themselves. Not exactly the best source for information. Everything else is speculation based on a few fragmentary references in Greek, Latin, and medieval Irish writings. What did the druids actually practice? Nobody knows!! So why try to create rituals for them in this book? Yes, OK, it's fiction. I get that. But gods, Cornwell did it SO much better in his Warlord Chronicles. I guess I'm spoiled by an actual author who IS a meticulous researcher.

Two stars (WHICH I CAN'T SEEM TO EDIT, HELLO???) instead of 0 for the roman bits that are correct. Everything else is completely fiction. I also rated this low for hokiness. Some of the dialogue is so ridiculous.