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.

Boudicca, Victory. Warrior queen indeed, and the author does not shy away from the challenge of why she needs to become one. (Trigger warnings for SA, SA of minors, threat of SA in this book.)

Boudicca is a masterful and beautiful way to build a world we know little about because the victors tell our history. Cast gives insight into how the Iceni regarded the natural world, theirs gods and goddesses, and their Druidic leaders and lets these guide what could have happened when Boudicca defeated the Romans. Seeking to drive the invaders from their land, Boudicca becomes Andraste’s, her goddess’s, Victory for herself, her daughters, and her people.

Overall, this book is feminist with a strong character-driven story. I appreciated that there wasn’t a large focus on the battles—what we know most about historically. The focus is on life in Briton, who the Iceni are, and what it felt like to be conquered and rebel against it. I highly recommend for historical fantasy and mythic retelling lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I was so excited to read this one.

As Boudicca's story is, or I suppose should be, well known I'm not going go into the synopsis because this is just a fictional work of her life, and it is a damn good fictional look at her life.

Cast relies heavily on two things in this story: 1. The reliance on not just her faith but the Britons' faith in their goddesses.
2. The role women played in Iron Age Britain as well as a very clear and truly uplifting message of women helping women.

This is the first fictional account of Boudicca's life I have ever read and to be honest I had expected this to focus much more on the battles than it did, and I am extremely glad it did not. It would be almost impossible for Boudicca's beliefs in her goddesses to have not played a large role in her decisions. To discount that entire portion of Iron Age Briton is like saying the Greeks weren't bugging one god or another for every little thing. And, no we can't say for certain how large of a role Boudicca's faith in Andraste played in her decision making process, I don't believe it's going out on a limb to say that Cast is probably pretty close to the mark here.

The women in this book play just as large of roll if not larger than her faith. One scene that I will not feel bad spoiling is after Boudicca's daughters emerge from their "ordeal" (I'm sorry I will be uploading this review to Amazon and they are not fans of words like rape even though that's exactly what happened to her daughters and in every account of ever read non fiction wise points to this being one of the main causes of her rebellion) the women of the Iceni line the way for the girls to make sure that they do not have to encounter men as they make the way to the funeral pyre for their grandmother. It was painful, it was beautiful, and I think it is an excellent example of the role the women of the Iceni will play in Boudicca's life from that moment on. But it is also one I believe that each of us can identify with, the strength that we find in the women around us. Especially in times or crisis.

Overall, Cast's Boudicca is not just a testament to what an amazingly badass woman she was, but it is a reminder that long before the Roman's, the Norman's, or Christianity the Britons had their own culture, rich in diverse gods and goddesses that embraced the feminine in a manner that allowed a woman to bring a group of invaders to their knees.

I love everything P. C. Cast! I have been reading them since the early 2000's and have loved everything about each book!

Great for readers that like magical realism or historical fiction without too much romance. I don't know where Cast got her information from but I really enjoyed her descriptions of food and daily life among the Britons.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

Pros:
The story introduces the reader to a historical figure, a badass woman at that, who doesn’t get the attention she frankly deserves.

Cons:
Heavy heavy topics that may not be good for all readers, check content warnings.
“Romantasy” tag is misleading imo, or at least made me disappointed in a way that I wouldn’t have been without the tag. It really is more of a historical/retelling with little romance element. This is ok but leading readers to believe otherwise will get you disappointment.
Dialogue and pacing a bit clunky

I really wanted to like this book because the story is so interesting and I love a book with a badass heroine. However, it was so slow to get going that I really did struggle with it. I have limited knowledge of anything Boudicca related and perhaps it would have been more interesting if I did. I requested the ARC though because I have had great success in the past with subjects I was unfamiliar with being turned into amazing books! Plus Mythology is an interesting subject. This one, I guess, just didn't really hold my attention. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.