Boudicca's Daughter

by Elodie Harper

Deploying the same gripping plot dynamics and unforgettable sense of time and place that she used in the bestselling Wolf Den trilogy, Harper tells the thrilling story of the child of one of Ancient Rome's most implacable foes, Boudicca.

There is more than one way for a woman to fight. From the author of the bestselling Wolf Den Trilogy. A dazzling new standalone novel set in the Roman world about the daughter of one of Britain’s most powerful heroines… Meet Boudicca's Daughter.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mythology, Fiction, Historical, Adult, Retellings, Fantasy

440 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2025

About the author

Elodie Harper is a journalist and prize winning short story writer.
Her story 'Wild Swimming' won the 2016 Bazaar of Bad Dreams short story competition, run by The Guardian and Hodder & Stoughton and judged by Stephen King.

She is currently a reporter and presenter at ITV News Anglia, and before that worked as a producer for Channel 4 News.

Reviews

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boudicca is known for leading a bloody rebellion against Rome, but what about before she was a legendary warrior? Who was she when she was still Catia, a mother and a wife.
This is told from various perspectives including Catia as she becomes Boudicca, but most importantly her eldest daughter Harper has named Solina.

There are many time jumps to give us a sweeping view of the state of Britain and the clans before and after the invasion, the battling, and then after the defeat. Where does this leave Solina?

I stare into my mother's eyes. The intensity of her gaze is no longer soothing. I feel ugly, as if what she sees is not me, her daughter, but my shame. I had wanted to hear her reassurance that nothing has changed, that I am unchanged.
That any shame rests only with the men who did this. Instead, I feel myself transformed through the bitterness of her words.
I am dishonoured.

Solina feels dishonoured and it is this fight to stay alive and forgive herself for what she sees as her shortcomings that drives this story.

This is filled with the evocative stories of weak and captured and not quite broken characters which she wrote in The Wolf Den trilogy.

Rejoice - the chapters are extremely short. Normally just a few pages which keeps the pacing tight as you jump from perspective to perspective.

I do think the prose was sparse at times and simple. This made it easy to fly through, but I did want more descriptive prose at times.

Considering the amount Harper has packed into this standalone historical fiction, this was well-paced and plotted.

Rounded up to four, still deciding whether to go down.

I would recommend this to fans of Clytemnestra and, of course, her previous trilogy.

Physical arc gifted by Head of Zeus - thank you so much!

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[Abbie Toria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could this be my book of the year?
This may be my favourite Elodie Harper book yet! And if you've read The Wolf Den series, you'll know exactly how much that means.

Boudicca’s Daughter is a powerful novel that will put you through all the emotions. Harper's writing is completely immersive; from the lands and rebellion of the Iceni, to the opulence and corruption of Ancient Rome.

Solina, Boudicca's eldest daughter, is an incredible character with a unique and vast perspective. From her Iceni upbringing in the Horse and Wolf tribes, the brutal rape of her and her sister, the glory of her mother's uprising, her fighting as a fierce warrior and leader, through to the aftermath and beyond. What does it mean when rebellion fails, both personally and politically, for her and her people? And in the end what legacy can she leave of the Iceni? Solina is many things; daughter, sister, warrior, slave, and above all, survivor. "This is not where it ends."

Sparse points of views from Boudicca and her Roman vanquisher, Paulinus, add to Solina's for a rich complexity and fullness of narrative. Experiencing the dangerous politics and brutality of Ancient Rome was something else.

Elodie Harper has the immense skill of giving a voice in historical fiction to the often voiceless in history. I can't wait to read what she writes next. And you should definitely go and read this ASAP.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Boudicca's Daughter was a book I couldn't wait to read after devouring the authors previous trilogy - The Wolf Den.
In this book we follow part of Boudicca's story: who she was as Catia (a wife, mother and leader of the Iceni tribe) before she became Boudicca: the mastermind behind a rebellion and revolt against Rome to try to save her people.
The book is first told as the POV of both Catia/Boudicca and her eldest daughter Solina and then changes to the POVs of Solina and the man who killed her mother.
Solinas story is filled with heartbreak and pain and takes us from her marshland home in Britain to the Palace of Nero and his bride, where she is forced into slavery and humiliation.
Having never read any books about Boudica I was very interested in reading this book and am so grateful for the eArc I was provided.
Elodie Harper has a way of bringing the ancient city of Rome to life around you, and I was entirely captivated once again throughout this story and I found Solinas character's strength empowering and inspirational.

[William Gwynne]

I CANNOT WAIT!

[Brylo Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elodie’s Wolf Den Trilogy was **chefs kiss** def’ excited for this!! 💪🏼📖

[milliereadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh this was so good. A lot more fast-paced than I thought it would be, which kept me engaged and had me on the edge of my seat right up to the end. We know so little about not just Boudicca, but her family, and how Elodie Harper has breathed life and background into these historical figures felt so well done, it was almost like reading a true historical account. I loved how Solina is so motivated by rage; consistently, she fights to survive and for those she loves and is so fuelled by outrage at what happens to her and around her, and I find characters such as her so fascinating. There's a very complex relationship at the centre of this book, which is presented in a very careful manner, and you really feel Solina's difficulty in her situation. As an aside, I live in a town which is mentioned (by it's ancient Roman name of course) prominently in this book, and it was a lot of fun to be able to look at certain settings and know what they are like 2000 years later, and to try and imagine them all those years ago. A really well done historical novel, and I can't wait for whatever is next from this author!

Thank you to Head of Zeus and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

STRONG CHARACTERS AND A WELL-RESEARCHED AND DEVELOPED PLOT

After loving Harper's Wolf Den series, getting my hands on this book was a no brainer for me. Boudicca has always been a shadowy figure on the edge of my awareness and I really enjoyed meeting Harper's version of her as well as her daughter, Solina.

What I liked

👍Subject: The Boudicca rebellion is such a fascinating event in ancient Roman and Celtic history, yet so little explored in Historical Fiction (to my knowledge, anyway). We know only few things about the female figures at the center of this story, which is why I loved getting Harper's take on them and their stories.

👍Solina: Out main character Solina is fascinating, she is strong yet vulnerable. She can fight - and will do it in a heartbeat - but is also cunning in her knowledge of when to lay low and use her other strengths. She's pragmatic and conflicted, which really gave her an air of credibility.

👍Research: It's obvious that Harper has done her legwork before setting out to write this story. However, it doesn't feel bogged down by historical facts. It just comes alive.

What I disliked

👎Pacing: The one thing I did find a bit annoying, if you will, was the pacing. It was slightly inconsistent at times, especially towards the end. I would have liked a bit more consistency throughout.

ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[lookmairead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harper has done it again.

Maybe it’s the news IRL, or maybe my reading mood needed something unforgivingly feisty - but this felt like the right book at the right time.

Solina personifies anger and you know what? Feminist rage is vibe and I’m 101% down for it.

I also appreciate how Harper builds “it’s complicated” relationships in a way that has me cheering as I turn the pages.

My thanks to Netgalley & Union Square & Co. - A subsidiary of Sterling Publishing for this ARC.

4.25/5

[ABCme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this is exciting! Really enjoyed the few pages I got send as a teaser. Looking forward to the complete work.

Thank you Netgalley and Head of Zeus / Apollo for the ARC.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all thank you so so much to the lovely Head of Zeus for sending me an early copy. The Wolf Den trilogy has become a core part of my personality and the TL;DR of this review is that Elodie Harper has done it again!

Boudicca - the infamous warrior queen of the British Iceni tribe who took on the Roman Empire - had 2 daughters that were left unnamed by Roman historians and in this fierce novel, Elodie Harper imagines the unknown fate of Boudicca’s eldest daughter who she’s named Solina.

Told in a multi-POV - Catia/ Boudicca, Solina and Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, a Roman general and governor of Roman Britain, in the opening Author’s Note, Elodie points out that all three characters inhabit a world that is morally grey where virtue must be abandoned if they are to survive. She leaves it up to the reader to decide where they stand and adeptly explores the nuance of humanity within the pages that follow.

Split up into 4 parts, Elodie’s writing flows like water and she once again evokes such a strong sense of time and place. Part 1 threw me into the Britain of the time and by part 2 we were absolutely cooking on gas and I couldn’t put this down. The rich backdrop combined with her talent for bringing characters vibrantly to life and packing the pages with a wealth of emotion creates a connection like no other and OF COURSE I cried for these characters and didn’t want to let go.

I’m not going to say anything else as I know this is a highly anticipated release for lots of my friends, but this was everything I wanted and more. I adore how Elodie respectfully and delicately unravels the stories of those previously untold, giving them a voice and encouraging the reader to look past the black and white ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and into the grey. These characters are constantly up against their perceived virtue and expectations, when sometimes strength lies in simply surviving.

Preorder this one if you haven’t already!

[Kristin]

Omggg I just finished the Wolf Den trilogy and now cannot wait for this!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note this is not a book review.

The naughty people at NetGalley and the publishers offer a teaser; as few as perhaps eight pages from Chapter 13, Solina. A bit like sitting down to an eight course meal where nothing is available but a warm broth. Yet that soup is the most delicious appetiser you have ever tasted and reminds you of the exquisite dining in the pages of the Wolf Den!

Elodie Harper writes with a passion and a razor sharp imagination. Going behind historical situations to reveal the sights and sounds of street life. Here again our senses are assailed as we cling to a charging steed and feel the hunger of a camp unable to make fire from wet sticks and damp kindling.

So few words to assess a book; as quick a dip into a book as some would spend time reading the cover sleeve and checking the price. Something best done in independent bookshops where the presence of books prompts our buying addiction. I love finding a new title from a favourite author and in Boudicca’s Daughter I have found a must have novel.

This book will have so many layers if these few pages are replicated throughout; for they question life, their motivation and how within an uprising against Roman rule the armies and tribes for Boudicca are killing just as many Britains as Romans. But aside from these wider concerns and insights into political history there is the social dimension. The glimpses of relationships and the basic struggles of these ancient times seep through. These are not incidental observations but layered writing and creative storytelling where the fight against body lice is just as pressing as the threat from the Roman legions.

[John Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper has become a major favorite for me in the historical fiction scene!

This story has several characters but it’s mainly about Boudicca’s daughter and the Roman General who fought Boudicca. Almost all of this is complete fiction since we know nothing about Boudicca’s daughter other than who her mother was and the fact that she was raped when the Roman’s attacked.

Harper writes characters as good as the best in the business, particularly the ones who go through serious trauma and rise above the ashes. I really enjoyed this book and I think you should read all of her books!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC!

[Catherine Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book- it takes you through many twists and turns and the underlying threat makes it a rapid read. I loved the lore and meeting some of the characters from the Wolf Den Trilogy but this book leaves a lot of unanswered questions so I hope there is more to come! As always the writing is poetic and beautiful and the start of the book is particularly evocative of a time I haven’t read a lot about. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of fucking course I loved it! Strong contender for best book of the year for me.

You will love it too if you like:
❤️‍🔥True enemies to lovers love stories (yes, they want to kill each other)
⚔️ Rebellion, political intrigue, and civil war
♀️ Women who refuse to behave
🫂Deep examination of family, honor, and forgiveness
🗺️ Exploring the wide world of the Roman Empire

THE FULL TEA:
In an interesting twist, this is a love story at its core. While it still focuses on women, their survival, and the many ways they rebelled against their circumstances, Harper took on a much grander scope and theme in this book than in her Wolf Den series. I loved her take on how empires crush even the people dedicated to upholding them and the way humanity grows outside the boxes society assigns it.

Where the Wolf Den is driven by stakes so incredibly personal it almost gave me an ulcer, Boudicca's Daughter pushes much more into the political drama of this tumultuous time. Solina, Boudicca, and Paulinus (all POV characters) are well aware of the history and legacy they are wrapped up in. For me this made it a more interesting read, but one that did not have the same un-put-downable quality as the first series.

I loved how much more of the Roman Empire we got to see in this book. From Briton to Gaul to Italy, Harper's beautiful writing lets us peer into the palace and battlefields and Pliny's library. With each new place, we meet friends and villains, all spun from her signature shades of gray. Harper also weaves a familiar cast of side characters into Boudicca's Daughter that will delight Wolf Den fans. Special shout out to Senovara and Pliny being an insufferable ass (yet still lovable). He got easy treatment in Wolf Den but Solina really holds him to the fire.

My biggest qualm with this book is the same with Harper's others: Some parts of the beginning felt slow. It all comes together nicely in the end, but her other books have a clear driving question (e.g. will Amira gain her freedom?) that is lacking in this one. With Boudicca's Daughter, I struggled to understand where the story was going after the 30% mark, even though I ultimately loved the ride. I think the tense changes with Boudicca's and Paulinus' parts exacerbated this by making them feel more removed.

All in, Harper has gained my unwavering trust. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone (so long as they are comfortable reading about sexual assault).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Chloe K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my most anticipated reads of the year - I loved Elodie Harper’s writing in The Wolf Den and she didn’t disappoint with Boudicca’s Daughter.

It took a little while for me to get used to Solina & Catia’s world, but I was soon hooked on their story. I loved Elodie’s approach to multiple POVs in the story, with Solina’s written in first person and other characters in third person, and found the pacing was perfect for me, focusing on the most eventful times of Solina’s life and not lingering on everyday life for long enough for the reader to lose interest.

The writing style is easy to read without taking away from the more emotional moments of the book, and I appreciated the way Solina’s trauma and grief was referenced throughout rather than being something she moved on from. She also described the political events in the book in a way that’s easy to understand with little to no knowledge of the time period, though it definitely left me wanting to learn more about it in my own time.

I was shocked to find out afterwards how little about the main characters of this book is actually known, as Elodie Harper writes about them so vividly and they feel so fleshed out. She writes complex characters and relationships so well, and I appreciate how carefully she wrote about Solina’s feelings and her eventual relationship, without forgetting about everything she had been through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Union Square & Co for the digital arc! Boudicca’s Daughter will be published on August 28th ❤️

[Jess The Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boudicca is the legendary Iceni warrior who launched a bloody campaign against the Romans. This story follows Boudicca's daughter, Solina. It starts back when Boudicca went by Catia, and was a wife and mother, before she had to lead her people in their rebellion.

Solina and her sister were brutalised by the Romans, and when Boudicca is defeated, she gets swept away from her homeland to the opulence of Nero's Rome.

I enjoyed this peek into this time in history. I didn't know about Boudicca before this book, and I was really fascinated by the tribe and their customs and beliefs. In this piece of historical fiction, the author has taken liberties in creating the character and life story of Solina, but has done so in using Roman perceptions of the Britons at the time, and how slaves were taken and treated in those days. I will forever find ancient Rome fascinating, and I appreciated seeing the Romans from the eyes of one of the lands that they conquered.

I would recommend this for all fans of historical fiction, and specifically fans of British or Roman history. It is written in an easy to read style, making this part of history accessible even to people who don't normally read this genre.

AD-PR Product: I received an advanced copy of this ebook from Tandem Collective as part of the Bloomsbury Big Night In event.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️5 Stars⭐️
Boudicca's Daughter by Elodie Harper is incredible! Five huge dazzling stars from me!

From the first page this book grabbed me furiously tight and didn’t let go.

Our proud heroine Solina burns with her own fire, as she steps out from her legendary mother Boudicca’s shadow, she’s fierce and intelligent and her story is filled with brutal pain and heartbreak. The pacing is flawless and the historical details are so richly woven in that I felt transported to ancient Britannia.

The reader is also transported to the opulence and raw brutality of Ancient Rome and I guarantee Solina is a character that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book.

Boudicca’s Daughter is a beautifully written and gripping story of resistance, epic stakes and battle fury. I would absolutely recommend this book and I have officially added Elodie Harper to my auto-buy author list. An excellent and fascinating reading experience! Don’t miss this one.

Publication Date 02 September 2025
Publisher Imprint Apollo

Thank you so much to the fabulous team at Bloomsbury Publishing for a copy of the book.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars!

This was such a highly anticipated read for me as an avid fan of The Wolf Den Trilogy.

Boudicca's Daughter follows Solina as she journey's from Britain to Rome during the reign of Nero.

I fell in love with the characters – something Elodie Harper does really well. Her ability to make a character stand out on the page with only a few sentences of introducing them is so good and as a result, the journey I went on with these characters was so rewarding because I felt so connected.

The story is super accessible through Harper’s writing style and the pacing – there’s action from the beginning and the pacing and plotting is successful throughout the rest of the novel.

I enjoyed Solina but also the other POVs we get, I think Harper does complex relationships really well generally and this book affirms that!

Truly enjoyed this one (as you can tell!) and I highly recommend you have it on your radar for August!

Thanks to Head of Zeus for the ARC copy.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

Boudicca is a well-known name in British history - she’s seen as a fierce warrior, fighting for justice and freedom against the Roman invaders. But who was she before she became Boudicca? Who was she as a mother? And what became of her daughters?

Elodie Harper takes the snippets that we know of Boudicca and her daughters, and weaves her own imagination to fill in the blanks to create an unputdownable story.

The book centres around Boudicca’s eldest daughter, Solina, but there are also third-person chapters for Boudicca and Paulinus, the Roman general tasked to crush Boudicca’s rebellion. The book is also split into four parts, determined by Solina’s circumstances.

There were some really evocative and emotional scenes that brought tears to my eyes. It reminded me of The Women of Troy series by Pat Barker.

The writing was exquisite - I felt like I was living in Roman times and experiencing what the characters were living through.

The characters were also really interesting and morally grey, with no clear cut hero or heroine. I was definitely rooting for Solina throughout, and I enjoyed the arc of her character and her inner conflicting emotions.

Elodie Harper has officially added herself to my list of autobuy authors!

Thank you so much to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Olga]

EXCTRACT AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY NOW - RUN!!!

Elodie Harper proves once again why she’s one of the most compelling voices in historical fiction. In just a few pages, Boudicca’s Daughter sets the stage for a story of power, survival, and sisterhood. Through the perspectives of Bellenia and Solina, we are plunged into the hardship of rebellion—cold, hunger, fear—yet Harper’s prose shimmers with vitality, making the past feel immediate and visceral.

The tension is palpable, the sense of place deeply immersive, and even in this brief glimpse, the character work is exceptional. If this extract is any indication, the full novel will be a triumph. August can’t come soon enough!

[Dan Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruler of the proud and mighty Iceni tribe of East Anglia, one half of an unstoppable power along with her husband King Prasutagus, she of legend never backed down, never apologised for who or indeed what she was, and more importantly her love was so fierce the stars themselves were jealous of her burning passion.
Her name? Boudicca. Yes, she may have been defeated, spelling ruin for her people, yet her legacy did not end as there was a great woman who grew in her shadow.
Solina was always raised to believe in herself and know her destiny is to live on, to ensure her tribe do not perish, thriving on skirmishes to make her mother and father proud - that is until the unthinkable happens, for surely not even the gods could be so cruel - and Solina finds herself at the mercy of the very being responsible for ending the life of the one person she was convinced could never be slain. Rome has extended its suffocating grip, determined to dominate all. It cannot be stopped or reasoned with…
Now nothing more than a possession, a dusty chachki to be lorded over, she must leave her precious lands, over unforgiving waters and into the unblinking eyes of those set to wipe out her family and timeline and she must learn to not only fight back, but think like her mother to see that even those with the highest power can be toppled by the lowliest pawn.
And she shall have her revenge, harnessing all of the knowledge gifted by her ancestors in order to carve a future in which she does not merely survive, no, she shall thrive. And anyone who crosses her path will live to regret it…
Powerful, emotional, and memorable, Boudicca’s Daughter is a masterpiece!

A huge thank you to both Elodie and the publisher for the gifted, gilded proof! My full review will be coming closer to publication! Highly recommend a preorder!

[Ellie]

Omg I’m so excited for next summer!!

[Kate (k8tsreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading the Wolf Den trilogy last year, Elodie Harper's new release has been one of my most highly anticipated books of the year. And I'm happy to say that, overall, it did not disappoint.

Boudicca's daughter is about the famous Boudicca, yes, but only for half of the story. For most of the book, we follow Boudicca's daughter, Solina, instead, who is heir to the Iceni tribe in Britain. While the beginning of the story showcases Solina's experiences participating in her mother's rebellion, the second half focuses on her experiences as a captive of the Roman legate Paulinus, who takes her prisoner and brings her back to Rome, where she serves as a slave for the infamous emperor Nero and his wife Poppea.

I felt this way about the Wolf Den and I felt the same way here, but Elodie Harper is excellent at bringing the ancient world to life in a way no other historical fiction author I've had experience with is. There's something about the way she describes Roman housing and clothing and food and lifestyle that just makes me feel like I am THERE. Her descriptions of the setting are perfect - lush and detailed without slowing down the plot or making the story feel boring.

The structure of this book was really different and interesting. The first half of the story alternates POVs between Solina and her mother Catia (Boudicca) as the Iceni rebel against the Roman forces. After Catia is killed, the rest of the novel alternates POVs between Solina and Paulinus, Solina's Roman captor. Solina's chapters are always in first person, while Catia's and Paulinus's are in third. It's certainly a type of story structure I've never experienced before, but I didn't necessarily dislike it. The only thing I will say is that it did make this book feel a bit long, and it also started to feel like two books had been sort of smushed into one.

The pacing is really good in some places and also a bit off in others. There are some really important historical events included in this story (including Boudicca's death, Nero's assassination of Octavia and Poppea, and the death of Nero himself), but all of these things flash by so quickly that they end up feeling like they are happening in the background of the story. This would make sense if the characters themselves weren't heavily involved in those events, but Harper situates Solina and Paulinus so that they are! I think there were some places where things could have been slowed down, but I did appreciate the sweeping overview of an era of Roman history that this story provided me with.

I really enjoyed both Solina and Paulinus as characters, and I appreciated how Elodie Harper made me sympathize with Paulinus while also never letting him entirely off the hook. It was so interesting to watch Solina deal with the complicated emotions of caring for someone who has also done such terrible things to you.

A solid four star book, and further evidence that I will continue to read anything Elodie Harper puts out! Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

[Silver Star · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a captivating, heart wrenching story of Solina, daughter of Boudicca. I cried 5 times reading this and had to keep putting it down. Just…..amazing storytelling.

This is, in many ways, a coming of age story. We meet Solina, eldest child of Boudicca & King Prasutagus as a young woman. They live within the Iceni kingdom and Solina and her younger sister spend life training as warriors and Solina, as a Druid and leader under her father. Their Kingdom has lived in peace with the Roman conquerors but when her father dies, the Romans snatch the kingdom and abuse Boudicca & her daughters. We follow them through the ill fated rebellion & defeat and Solina’s fate afterwards as she is taken to Rome.
The author’s vivid descriptions bring Roman Britain and the Iceni people to life, I was completely captivated by their culture, stories and way of life. Such rich descriptions, you feel like you are galloping along with the warrior women through wheat fields and sacred groves. The story has chapters from Solina, her mother & later on, Paulinus. This gives the novel such a rich & rounded view of the conflict and has you loving and hating all of the characters at certain points.

The highlight of the story for me though was Solina; her sheer resilience and the complexity of her family relationships. She went on such a heartbreaking and breathtaking journey both physically and psychologically and I felt so connected to her. How she survived and grappled with the survivor weight on her shoulders was beautifully done and although set over a thousand years ago, many of her experiences are so resonant to the female experience today. There are many heartbreaking scenes throughout the book but the one that broke me was when she came downstairs in her father’s roundhouse after the defeat and all her family’s tapestries and gold has been ripped down and replaced with Roman standards. Could not put the book down as I was desperate for her to find peace & happiness.
The themes of belonging, colonialism, what is means to be ‘savage’, honour & bravery were wrought beautifully throughout everyone’s chapters. Power and legacy was something that really stood out for me. Each character felt so much guilt and responsibility to honour their culture.

Immersive, captivating story telling. Historical fiction brilliance. All the stars, no notes.

[Michelle (Bamamele.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book. If you loved the Wolf Den trilogy, I think you'll love this too, and you'll be prepared for the content.

Harper has never shied away from showing the brutal realities of the ancient Roman world; the violence, the indignities, the injustices, the ways in which people were violated. But she takes forgotten women and gives them agency and nuance. In history, Boudicca's daughters were unnamed--merely a footnote used as Boudicca's motivation for her revolt--their r@pe by the Romans a part of their mother's story. But Harper names them, gives them a rich story, and shows the potentially complex relationship with their larger-than-life mother.

Solina is such a compelling focus for the book. She's a survivor above all. And she makes no apologies for what she does to survive, pointing out how much harder it is to CHOOSE to live and carry on when everything you've ever known has been stolen from you. Her relationship with Paulinus is also so complex. They start out knowing they're both trying to manipulate the other, but become so much more. This relationship will likely make you very uncomfortable. Most of this book probably will, and it should. It should make you think about what conquerors do, what collaborators do, and what any of us would do to survive. There's an amazing conversation at the end about forgiveness; just because you love someone doesn't mean you can forgive them, but that doesn't mean the end of the story.

While our real-life characters might not have had happy endings, Harper leaves us with hope, with love, and with triumph. Highly recommend!

[Sarah Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boudicca’s Daughter is a daring voyage into the aftermath of Iceni legend, told not through the eyes of the tempestuous warrior queen herself from 61 CE, but through the heart of Solina: Boudicca’s eldest daughter lost to history yet reimagined with fervour and danger. Born in the long shadow of her mother’s rebellion and raised in the even longer shadow of Rome’s wrath 🏛️

This was lush, unflinching, and tragic. Warning: this is no tidy tale of vengeance. This for me, is Harper’s most haunting work-resurrecting the bones of a failed uprising. Elodie took us through the misty hills and sacred groves of Celtic Britain all the way through to a world ordered in straight lines: marble roads, rigid laws and Roman men that marched in lockstep ✨

Where Boudicca’s rage burned like a bonfire, spelling ruin for her tribe, Solina’s courage glows inward, steady and defiant. Illuminating the very darkest corners of exile, betrayal, and survival. Solina isn’t just Boudicca’s child; she’s a legend in her own right. I adore her!! If The Wolf Den trilogy showed Elodie as a master of capturing the silenced voices of antiquity, Boudicca’s Daughter crowns her as a bard of fire and sorrow. This book forges history into something startlingly alive. It is a meditation on legacy, power, and the fragile, fierce hope of those who survive great ruin. I didn’t expect to be living in Solina’s skin, wading through a world full of ghosts and iron, spices and slaves. It was exhilarating ✨

P.s. The return of Senovara/Britanicca was glorious 😍 a really beautiful and necessary thread binding the two stories together 💫

[erika 🪻🥾 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have nothing clever to write in my review because I was simply blown away by this masterpiece of a book. My mom brought home this ARC from the ALA conference, and I picked up intrigued by the premise. There are simply not words for how much I loved this book. Elodie Harper the woman you are. I need to read everything she has even THOUGHT about writing. The way she blends this immaculate storytelling with this dedicated love letter to Roman and British culture. She executes it in a way that is informative and somehow not exposition heavy. It’s insane. I don’t know how she accomplished this. Usually historical fiction books read like a textbook at times, I never felt like that with this book. I recognized Roman military tactics that I learned about in middle school. I learned new things!!! Another amazing thing about this book is how Harper teaches through the eyes of the two main characters who are Roman and British. The amount of control you have to have over your writing to do that?? I’m gagged. Truly. POVs will switch and describe the same object with disdain or love. I can’t believe that she did that. I’m blown away.

And then the CHARACTERS. They are so distinct, they are so human, they are so multifaceted. I’m so impressed. I watched them manipulate each other, I watched them think about one another, I watched them exist in tandem. I cannot believe Harper was able to make these people. I read her foreword about the inspiration for the book, and the fact that THAT was inspired this beautiful work of fiction is insane. I love you Elodie Harper you have gained a groupie. I’m so insane about this book I’m running around and barking

[Alexandra Medley · Rating 3 out of 5]

****Many thanks to Netgalley, Union Square & Co and Sterling Publishing for an advanced eArc in exchange for my honest opinion****

I am hemming and hawing trying to figure out what to say about this book. Something was just missing for me? I know Elodie Harper has the writing ability, I loved her Wolf Den series so much. So when I finished this one I sat back and went "huh".

Of course her writing is super atmospheric, no matter the setting whether the wilds of Britain, the harsh Italian sunlight in the palace of Emperor Nero or the soft pines, the sharp cliffs and playful breezes of Paulinus's childhood home.

I think there wasn't as much heart that went into these characters like she did with the Wolf Den Series. Starting with Prasutagus, Boudicca, Bellania and Solina. This family unit was well written, the family bonds, favoritism and bantering was very realistic. I also like the fact that we don't get a freaking laundry list of WHY Rome is so horrible we actually SEE the way's of how they are. Elodie doesn't shy away from writing devastating, traumatic events and that is admirable in the retelling of the harsh brutalities of the time. Nothing watered down. Innocents were harmed in this rebellion, women and children were not spared, in war there is gore and rage. Iceni were ruthless and she really preserved that in this book.

Catia's POV (Boudicca) was good, but there was alot of inner monologue and back and forth on her thoughts of her daughters. Her warfare was brutal but justified in her mind.

Solina was an enigma to me. She seems the more restrained of the two daughters but after the events that happened to her and her sister, her personality flared into existence. Her traits seemed somewhat surface level, hatred of Rome, love for her people, guilt, need to survive etc. The "romance" between her and Paulinius just did NOT make sense to me. I think it was the way it was written. Obviously yes it was Paulinius that destroyed the Iceni but you get this montage of moments where he is really sweet to her. Makes you forgot about what happened towards the beginning of the book. He likes and eventually loves her because she is so different, a warrior, stubborn and wild. Once in Rome though he has her cover her tattoo's and hair. Doesn't want her to go out as much for fear of what people will think.

And then Solina see's Paulinius as a way out of captivity, understandable of course. I think that is a natural reaction. Her push and pull with him gives me whiplash. I felt guilty that I would almost forgot about what happened to her family. Solina is strong though, she faces so much adversity and prevails. I love that she eventually got to fight with Paulinius, I was like "FINALLY!" The ending scene didn't really clear up the romance for me, very much like looking at swamp water. You know something is there but it's too murky to make out what it is.

It has been a minute since I read Wolf Den Series and maybe Pliny is a popular Roman name but I think he might have made an appearance in this book which was a surprise!

She wrote Boudicca's bloodlust well, the setting was incredibly well written. Solina and Paulinius apart were also well fleshed out, but I couldn't quite make sense of them being together. Other then forced proximity and survival.

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this really good

Blurb

Boudicca. Infamous warrior, queen of the British Iceni tribe and mastermind of one of history's greatest revolts. Her defeat spelled ruin for her people, yet still her name is enough to strike fear into Roman hearts.

But what of the woman who grew up in her shadow?

The woman who has her mother's looks and cunning but a spirit all of her own?

The woman whose desperate bid for survival will take her from Britain's sacred marshlands to the glittering façades of Nero's Roman Empire…

Born to a legend. Forced to fight. Determined to succeed.

Meet Solina.

Boudicca's Daughter.