3.5 rounded up. This was a rough read. Understandably, given the time-period in which this is set and the historical figure it is about, there are a lot of trigger warnings. And they happen within the first few chapters continuing through the book to some extent. I think the story itself was really interesting, the characters definitely pulled me in, and you do get a feel for Iron Age Britain. That being said, I don't know if it was the contents of the first few chapters or just small things throughout the book, but there were times when certain characters suddenly seemed to be written very out of character, or when the pacing was just off enough that I had a hard time staying present in the story. So while this was a good read and I'm glad I picked up, it wasn't quite strong enough to reach the full 4 star mark from me.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Before I give my opinions on Boudicca, I have two conflicting confessions to make. First, I know the story of Boudicca exceedingly well. One of my majors in college was in ancient history, with most of my interest (and therefore most of my research and papers, probably to the annoyance of my professors) focusing on the Briton, Gallic, and Germanic tribes who fought Rome. Queen Boudicca has been a heroine of mine since I was nineteen, which means P. C. Cast had a high bar.

Second. P. C. Cast has been a favorite author of mine for quite some time. I was stoked when I heard she was doing a proper Boudicca novel. I was absolutely right to be stoked.

It's hard to write a review without spoilers when the bones of story is real history from nearly two thousand years ago, so I'm going to give the bare minimum of the inciting event (easily found on Wiki as well) and nothing else. Boudicca begins about a year after the Chief of the Iceni tribe of Britons, Prasutagus, has died. His beloved wife, Boudicca, was elected by the tribe and Druids (spiritual leaders, legal counsel, and counselors to the native British people pre-Rome) to lead the Iceni as Queen after his death. However, Rome had a treaty in place with Prasutagus giving them essentially partnership with his Queen, and Rome, rather notoriously, doesn't share power with anyone, especially women. Women are property, not partners. A tax collector called Decianus, a petty little man who won't be told what to do by any backwater barbarian woman, descends on the Iceni camp with a group of Roman soldiers. Many are killed, and to set an example Decianus has soldiers rape Boudicca's two young daughters while she herself is stripped to the waist, tied to a pole, and whipped to unconsciousness.

Yes, the first couple chapters are hard as hell to read, and here are the first marks of Cast's brilliance as a writer because they must have been hard as hell to write, too. She mitigates the sheer brutality of the violence by giving us glimpses and feelings instead of immersing us in the horror. The story is from Boudicca's limited point of view, so we don't see her children's assaults, though we know they're happening. What we experience as readers is Boudicca's rage, terror, and protective desperation as a mother fighting to save her daughters and her people. We experience her own pain and anger as she's flogged. We feel the shock and sorrow at the glimpses of seeing her people cut down, including her own mother, but in the middle of the battle it's written so well that it feels like it's happening too fast to process, just as it is for her. When Boudicca curses Decianus and the Roman soldiers who have unjustly and evilly wronged her, her daughters, and her entire people, the Iceni's patron Goddess, Andraste, hears her curse and puts the powers of a Goddess of War behind it. This begins the rest of the story: where a wronged Queen builds an army of vengeance and rebels against the Roman Empire. Boudicca's final battle occurred in 61A.D., during the reign of Nero.

P.C. Cast writes paranormal stories, and Boudicca is no exception. She weaves the small and large magics of the Druids, religious beliefs and worship of the Gods and Goddesses of the tribes, and the magics of Otherworld, Annwn, throughout the story of human trials and challenges. Not only is some of her supposition backed up by historical research (Roman accounts of Druidic magic and tribal customs included some commentary about the regular soldiers' real fear of what Druids could do), but religious and magical structure is a heartbeat of a society's worldview. It makes the Iceni and, by extension, the other tribes, more real and accessible. Her worldbuilding isn't limited to magic: Cast's carefully considered social structure around the leadership, succession, village layout, seasonal concerns, war and battle preparation, and both physical and mental healing all give the reader a well rounded world. My favorite is the seventh-day custom of the women tribe gathering to wash their hair together in a group, taking the afternoon to relax, share news, wash and beautify, share food, and enjoy each other's company. It's a lovely take on a spa day, only multi-generational in a way that shares customs and wisdom through generations as well as fostering kindness and bonding across the tribe.

Boudicca is one of my top five books of 2024. It's everything nineteen-year-old me wanted to write about my hero when I first read about her in dusty old Roman comments huffing about uppity women daring to rebel against Rome, only better. I can't wait for it to come out so I can get a copy for my library, and I'm grateful to P.C. Cast for loving her and giving her the tribute she deserves.

Boudicca is available now for pre-order and hits shelves on January 21, 2025.

While I enjoyed this title, it struggled between being a realistic portrayal of the period and trying to check off elements to spice it up without any real reason or emotional depth. The title starts shortly before Bouddica's people, the Iceni, are raided by the Romans. Swearing vengeance, Boudicca sets out to regain what was taken from the Iceni, her daughters, and take a stand against the empire creeping into Britain.

The title evokes a sense of the period, traditions, and beliefs plus creates a compelling narrative of Bouddica's loss and desire to seek retribution for her people. There are not many books about Bouddican that manage to capture a sense of her spirit without feeling anachronistic. Cast writes the character with a weighted sense of maturity and the intricacies of being a mother in this situation. She does not gloss over Boudicca's age or experience, but instead makes it a cornerstone of her story in a way not often seen in similar titles.

However, the title loses itself about midway through the book. It starts to focus less on the Iceni and their motives for vengeance and introduces romantic elements into the plot. While these relationships are minor in the grand scheme of things, it does takes away from Boudicca's journey and her relationship with her daughters, which was the core of her emotional journey. The added romantic elements feel like it was borrowed from another story to make it interesting for a certain romance interested audience, but ultimately the ending feels like it scrambles back to the original narrative with less impact. All in all, the book should have focused on Bouddica, her daughters, and her clan rather than trying to chase the romantasy pipeline.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. I really enjoyed this book. I haven't enjoyed a PC Cast book like this since one of her earlier books, the Goddess of Spring. This book reminded me of that series in a way. I also love that it was about the strong warrior queen who defied Rome. The writing made this book come alive and I was sucked in it. The world felt real and I appreciate the care that the author took to keep as much historically accurate as possible while also keeping it very much a female book. Amazing book and should be read by those who love a strong female lead.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to like this book. I’m not well versed in the Boudican revolt, but the concept of a Celtic warrior queen felt right up my alley. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t connect with Boudicca as a character. The book is narrated in first person, and yet I never felt like I knew what was going on with her. There’s many scenes of Boudicca and her advisors talking about how they feel, but I never connected emotionally. The story was well-crafted and I can tell a lot of effort went into researching for the novel, I just wish I had a more enjoyable reading experience.

I didn't know the story of Boudicca before I read this book. I really enjoyed this and it has caused me to gain an interest in historical fiction books. It has also made me look more into the actual story of Boudicca as well.

Boudicca by P.C. Cast is a fantasy retelling of the historical figure of Boudicca, the warrior queen who led a rebellion against the Romans in Britain around 60 CE. This novel explores the battles she led, the relationships she tended, and the ultimate outcome of her tribe’s strikes against Roman rule.

I throughly enjoyed this book. There is a cast of strong female characters from Queen Boudicca to the leader of her queens guard Briallen to the high Druid Rhan. These characters are both brutal in battle and tender towards one another. They are respected by their elders and the men of their tribes. I don’t know how you could read this and not feel empowered by the way they live their lives.

The fantasy elements were minuscule compared to the battle scenes and relationship building, however I thought sprinkling them in the way Cast did was right and helped move the story along. Having the Briton’s goddesses make appearances helps the reader understand why and how Boudicca and her tribe keep fighting.

I gave this story 4 stars because some scenes were a little drawn out, although the writing was well done in describing the setting and emotions of the characters.

Trigger warnings for sexual assault, violence, death, and a few spicy scenes.

Thank you to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and Book Club Girl for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley, P.C. Cast, and HarperCollins for my ARC.

P.C. Cast's "Bodicca" is a thrilling historical fiction novel about the legendary Celtic queen. Boudicca is a strong and determined leader who fights against Roman oppression. The book is full of exciting battles and vivid descriptions of ancient Britain. While some readers might find the romance a bit distracting, it's still a great read for anyone interested in history and strong female characters.

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you, NetGalley and publishers.

Boudicca is a historical romantasy based on the life of the real Celtic queen. It is a story of magic and love and hope and family, both by blood and choice. It is also a story of war, brutal and cruel. It is not the story of what happened but rather what could have happened. Perfect for those who loved the Mists of Avalon!

dnf at 25%

the story starts out so powerfully and did a fantastic job capturing my attention but it quickly pivoted after a pretty gruesome r*pe scene involving a mother and her children. the writing didn’t pause to convey a tone of sympathy or allow a moment of grief while these characters were undoubtedly processing and this was in addition to no content warnings at the forefront of the book so it was very jarring to stumble into unawares.

i read (and loved) p.c. cast’s books in high school so it does make me a bit sad that this new project did not meet my expectations

*would prefer not to rate since i didn’t finish, but sadly i can’t submit a review without doing so. my rating is reflective of the first quarter of the book and not in its entirety*

thank you to the team at William morrow for a digital arc to read in exchange for my honest thoughts.

A beautifully written book. I absolutely enjoyed everything about it. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Queen Boudicca and her Iceni village are brutally attacked by Romans, leaving most of her people slaughtered, her daughters attacked, and herself whipped. Her goddess, Andraste, promises her vengeance, and Boudicca works to unite the numerous Briton tribes to oust the Romans from their home.

Honestly, kind of a devastating book from start to finish, and I’d check the content warnings on review sites before beginning it. And while it was tagged as a romance, I would not consider it one myself. The story much more revolves around Boudicca growing into her own strength as she unites and leads Briton tribes against the Romans and has really strong themes of resilience against an unbeatable enemy, and the fortitude of women against a society that sees them as less. I liked Boudicca as a character a lot, she had so much faith in Andraste to guide her, and throughout the book you see her really concerned not only with what is best for her and her family, but for all the tribes. Because she’s guided by the goddess, you never really question if she’s making the right decisions or not. The other characters aren’t exactly flat, but no one else is really going through a major growth, their stories are really only about how they’re propping up Boudicca. I think all of the violence, especially the sexual violence, might keep me from widely recommending this book, but might suggest it to those who watched Game of Thrones and loved Daenerys Targaryen (pre-turning on her own people).

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Favorite quote(s):

“They aren’t monsters. They’re just men from a people who do not value women.”


“You have a choice to make that will shape your future as well as your tribe’s. Your destiny, my beloved Boudicca, and your people’s are irrevocably woven together.”


Review:

This book was beautiful. I have always held a fascination with all things ancient Celtic or relating to those nations. I only knew a bit about Boudicca going into this book. I knew she was a Celtic queen who fought against Rome and their urge to conquer and control. I loved how this book wove history, fiction when necessary, and magic in one book. There were so many amazing characters that I loved. There also were those who annoyed or angered me. I felt so many emotions reading this book and this version of Boudicca and her stand for her people and land. She was fierce and strong. I loved how it showed the differences in cultures, how those of the ancient tribes had women leaders and saw them as strong whereas the Romans saw women as lesser and unfit to lead. This book did have dark moments. It opened with Boudicca and her people being attacked and killed and her daughters raped. While brutal and hard to read, it was historically accurate. I loved the fight scenes and the training. Seeing how they did it was interesting and fun to read. I sometimes found this book slow, but I think it was intended and did fit the storytelling. The writing was beautiful, pulled you in, and painted a vivid story picture. This book was such a good read and I enjoyed it so much.

I loved this so much! Boudicca is a figure I didn't know as much about and I loved how Cast brought her to life. The first 3rd of the book drew me in so much. It did get a little slower, just in terms of the story. I'd like more on this topic and Britain as it stood then.

I was really excited to receive an ARC of "Boudicca" by P.C. Cast, as I loved the House of Night series by this author when I was in middle school, and the concept sounded interesting. I did appreciate that the protagonist was a fierce female warrior and leader. However, I think the marketing for this book does it a major disservice. It is advertised as a romantasy, which I did not find to be true. This sets the reader up with expectations that will not be met, and inevitably, many readers will be disappointed.

I also have to note that there absolutely should have been trigger/content warnings. There is a pretty graphic description of a violent sexual assault of children and its aftermath that left me feeling sick to my stomach. I would have never read this book if I had known about this content.

Beyond my issues with the content and marketing, I still was not wowed by this book. The pacing was off, and the story ended up dragging for me. It also felt like the author was trying to write the dialogue to sound more “historical,” but it ended up clunky, and there were a lot of words that were way too repetitive.

I do think this book could appeal to people who are interested in the history of Boudicca, and I think you might have a different experience than I did if you go into it with the expectation that it is historical fiction with a sprinkle of fantasy.

I didn't know the story of Boudicca, and lately I'm very fascinated by fantasy/books or legends or historical figures, so what good time if not reading this story. Also, a nice bonus, I would add, it is written by PC Cast, if this name doesn't ring a bell, run to the bookstore to read the saga of the house of the night. I was obsessed with it when i was a teenager.
Starting with this spirit, the story is definitely a bit demanding, we are not talking about a 1000 page book obviously, but still. The main topics covered are a bit heavy, I wouldn't label this book as a romantasy or a normal fantasy, it is not acotar so to speak. But i'd say it is a "tough" fantasy. Not for all readers. Boudicca was a queen of the Iceni tribe, a population that lived in eastern England around 60 AD. Boudicca was the leader of the largest anti-Roman revolt of the island tribes of those times.
I was tempted not to finish the book a couple of times, because it was a bit boring at times, but my love for the author resisted and won over everything.
Thanks to the publisher William Morrow Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this book in preview in exchange for an honest opinion.

I didn't know the story of Boudicca before reading this book, but this book has inspired me to research more. I have long loved the writing of P.C. Cast and this is another great story from a favorite author who excels at writing strong female characters. This is the story of a mother, a queen, a warrior. A woman who had to do everything she could to protect her family and her people.

i would say a thank you for sending the arc of this book. Vikings and a period piece and P.C. Cast. This book was a great ride. Slow ride but a great ride. And a ride I would ride again.

The Vibes:

—revenge

—female rage (but legit)

—prophecy and "the gods are real" style mythology

—I mean... it's Boudicca

The Review:

So here's what I'll say about this one: I suspected that advertising it as a romantasy would perhaps underscore exactly why I complain about the romantasy marketing scheme... Because this isn't at all a romance.

Nor is it a fantasy.

It is, simply put, a pretty solid if not spectacular historical fiction novel that I think could've been spectacular, but settles for "solid". Aside from some things you may or may not be able to see coming and the interference of the gods, this really is a historical fiction novel. I mean, I've actually read a lot of historical fiction in the past wherein the gods in which the leads believe are real and involved. Where prophecy is real. They just weren't marketed as fantasy, because the genre lines were more solidly drawn at that time—in my opinion.

This is romantasy in the way that Margaret George's Helen of Troy is a romantasy, in that it is a) not b) about a heavily mythologized (if, in this case, based more on reality and fact) controversial woman reclaiming her story c) there is a romantic subplot, it's not huge, but it offers our heroine some depth and additional motivation.

While the action and the drama of it all stayed on point, and I do think Cast dealt with some pretty hard content sensitively (TW TW TW TW all around for this—please read up on the history of the real Boudicca if you have questions as to why) the character depth was lacking. I didn't object to either of Boudicca's love interests...

Because yes! She has more than one, and not in a "love triangle" way in a "non-monogamy" way. Which I liked a lot. However, because neither of those love interests was particularly well-developed, I kinda felt like "... okay cool I guess" about the relationships themselves. And that was where the impact of the book generally fell for me. I just didn't care as much about these people as I wanted to.

But it could be a taste thing, it could be because I as a romance reader want a bit more OOMPH to my emotional drama. And a lot of people will probably enjoy what was done here. I liked it; I just felt like something couldn't taken it to another level.

That said, the me of 8ish years ago who read nothing but woman-centric sometimes-mystical historical fiction? Probably would've loved this.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The very mention of Boudicca’s Revolt is enough to thrill even the most casual fan of British history. Boudicca was the queen of the Iceni, a tribe of native Britons who chafed under Roman colonization. After the death of Boudicca’s husband King Prasutagus, Rome violated the terms of the will he had made that was meant to give half of his kingdom to his daughters. After Boudicca was flogged and her daughters assaulted by Roman troops, Boudicca united several neighboring British tribes and led a violent revolt that destroyed several settlements and nearly drove Rome out of Britain. The revolt ultimately failed, however, when the British army engaged the Roman army on Rome’s terms. We don’t know what happened to Boudicca and her daughters afterward. The few records we have of the event come from Rome well after the fact, and the primary accounts– that of Tacitus and Cassius Dio- conflict with each other on multiple points. But whatever the details, most will agree that the story of Boudicca’s Revolt is a fascinating tale that would make for an exciting novel.

Unfortunately, PC Cast’s Boudicca is not that novel.

Though it is somewhat historically accurate, pulling its plot points primarily from Tacitus’ account of Boudicca’s Revolt (which was written down just a handful of years after it happened), that is the best I can say about this book. It is both over-written and badly written, with clunky dialogue more reminiscent of a thirteen-year-old’s first fanfiction than an author with multiple books already under her belt. It reads like Cast was trying for ‘ye olden times’, but doesn’t have the writing chops to pull it off. We are treated to such phrases as “The ancient servant’s words caused Arianell to share a smile with me, and I hastily returned the conversation to our topic” or “My hand fisted around a fallen branch”. The word ‘Iceni’ appears 397 times, and is used to describe everything from an Iceni queen to Iceni chickens, as though Cast thought her audience wouldn’t be smart enough to remember what tribe Boudicca was part of if she didn’t mention it a few hundred times, as well as making it seem like there would be a drastic difference between Iceni chickens and the neighboring Catuvellauni chickens.

The magical elements are poorly done as well. In this fantastical version of the past, the ancient British gods are real. Andraste, goddess of victory, exists and influences the lives of her people, and Boudicca is her special girl, while the Iceni are her special people. It’s too bad that she’s only willing to actually aide her people when they decide, for some reason, to travel nearly 200 miles across the entirety of the island of Great Britain to, essentially, vacation in Wales in the middle of their great revolt. Andraste helps them fast travel there, but when it comes to the Iceni’s dire need at the end, she throws up her hands and effectively says, “It’s a canon event and cannot be changed”. So much for the great and powerful gods of Britain. Andraste might be beloved of the Iceni, but in the end she only cares about her one special girl.

And while this book is listed as a “romance”, the romantic elements are about as strong as the fruit flavor in a LaCroix sparkling water- like someone suggested romance in an adjacent room. The romantic elements fall out like this: Boudicca is attracted to a man, so she sleeps with him. Boudicca is attracted to a woman, so she sleeps with her. The end.

Had I not received the ARC for this book, I would have quit reading within the first twenty percent. Alas, I felt obligated to complete this slog of a novel and so I dragged myself through it to the bitter end.

Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni has inspired people to fight for their freedom for centuries. Though we don’t know a lot about her, her story is fascinating and deserves far better than this.



Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book.