Boudica 2, Warrior of the Iceni
In the Second Book of the Series, Dreaming the Bull, Scott Wages War
Boudica: Dreaming the Bull, is the second book in the highly acclaimed Boudica series, and takes the reader further into the war between Rome and tribal Britian.
In the first book of the series, Dreaming the Eagle, author Manda Scott introduced the reader to Breaca, the female warrior on the brink of war, and to the Clans of Pre-Roman Britian. In Dreaming the Bull, the reader spends a large amount of time learning about Rome, getting to know the warriors of the legions, as well as the prisoners they capture. Periodically, Scott returns to Breaca and the tribes to remind the reader just what's at stake in this war, and how the Boudica comes into existence.
Characters:
Boudica/Breaca: Older, wiser, and fighting harder than ever, Breaca leads the tribes forward into battle constantly. She spends all her emotional strength trying to find her beloved Caradoc and son, Cunomar. While she remains the strong heroine of the previous book, the reader also sees a desperation borne of love and despair that infuses her fighting.
Caradoc: In Rome, Caradoc is a held prisoner. He is stoic, strong, and the reader desperately wants to see him succeed. More of his own character shines through, especially as it relates to those captured with him.
Dubornos: A warrior and dreamer, he is captured with Caradoc and plays the part of his brother. Much of Dubornos' personality comes through in this tale, and although the reader is not always drawn to him, the pathos attached to him is undeniable.
Cwmfen: Caradoc's lover prior to Breaca, and mother to his first child, Cygfa. A warrior, we know only that she is strong, intelligent, and capable. Scott does not give the reader much insight into her personality or background, and therefore she becomes somewhat incidental to the plot overall.
Cygfa: Cwmfen and Caradoc's daughter, she is already a strong warrior with a solid sense of humor and intelligence. The reader feels for her as she goes through the process of being captured and forced to live among the Romans. It is clear that she will have a large part to play in the coming battles.
Cunomar: The son of Caradoc and Breaca, he misses his mother intensely, and with the childish vigor of youth is desperate to wage battle like his relatives have done. Scott does a good job showing the reader this child's occasional petulance twined with his desire to be a strong warrior like his father. Like Cygfa, it is clear that his role will be important at a later time.
Julius Valerius: Roman legionary, his previous name was Ban. Breaca's brother, he was taken by villain Amminios in a battle, and Breaca believes him dead. Throughout, the reader gets to know Julius and his reasons for having joined the legions, as well as the torture of conscience, which drives him to near madness.
The Story:
The war continues, with various emperor's of Rome coming and going, but all determined to rule over Britannia. The tribes continue to fight with all they have, and the reader continues to hope it is enough. Scott does a masterful job of forcing the reader to think about the destruction of one culture in order to put into place a "more civilized" one. She also travels the murky lines of the psyche, as she delves into issues of guilty, pride, sadness, and fear. There is almost never a question of which side the reader is rooting for, and yet, the complexity of the situation remains. This book is highly recommended to anyone interested in historical fiction, romance, and cultural transition, all overlaid with an intense sense of adventure.
The Author:
Manda Scott is an accomplished author. The next books in the series are;III Boudica, Dreaming the Hound, and IV Boudica, Dreaming the Serpent Spear. She has also written several crime/mystery books, which are thrilling in an entirely different way. Her first novel, Hen's Teeth, came out in 1998, and her most recent is the first of another series, called The Crystal Skull, which came out in January 2008. She is also a member of the group "Unusual Suspects," a group of crime writers who share their talent for creating memorable plots and characters on the web.
Further Resources:
The History of the Roman Invasion
