42AD, Britannia. The tribes of this savage island are at war with each other. In a land of kings and druids, the conflict is at its breaking point between the two tribes of the Catuvellauni and the Atrebates.
One particular boy called Cullen is suffering more than most, captured by the Catuvellauni, he must do whatever he can to survive, even fight with for enemy to save himself from the head druid. A savage man who has plans for him.
All of this in shadow of the mighty Roman Empire who are waiting to pounce.
Michael Arnold has produced a very strong and powerful interpretation of Britannia.
His story of life through the eyes of the tribes of Britannia, rather than from the Roman perspective is fascinating.
I’m a big fan of Michael Arnold’s Stryker books and I found this book to be just as good.
I highly recommend this book and very much look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Thoroughly enjoyable coming of age tale about Cullen, a young lad who looks after the goats until a rival tribe sacks his village and captures him. He makes friends and enemies among the Catuvellauni, and we see him undergo his warrior's training, treading an uneasy line between hating the people who killed his family yet knowing that the only way he can survive is to be part of a tight-knit warrior band. We also see him clash badly with the chief druid, and make unexpected friends among the 'wise ones'.

The details really bring the setting to life, and it's also good to see a bit more inside the character's head rather than just endless descriptions of battle. The female characters are well done, too.

The start is a little slow, but it's worth persevering, and I look forward to the next in the series.

The Savage Isle by Michael Arnold was a book for life! Loved the story so much I'm planning to re-read it several times! I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good.