After the wonderful [b:Royaume de vent et de colères|25090639|Royaume de vent et de colères|Jean-Laurent Del Socorro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425723523l/25090639._SX50_.jpg|44779717] (you can read my review here), the French author Jean-Laurent Del Soccorro returns with a new novel: Boudicca, queen of the Iceni. Again set in Europe's history, this time focusing on Great Britain at the time of the Celts and the invasion of the Romans.

Contrary to his previous books, there is now a shortlist of consulted works and websites. My knowledge of the Celts is limited so far. I've only read [b:The World of the Celts|256524|The World of the Celts|Simon James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386921612l/256524._SX50_.jpg|2038978] by [a:Simon James|15104817|Simon James|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] (you can read my review here), in which Boudicca is briefly mentioned. I still have another reference work to read: [b:The Ancient Celts|256525|The Ancient Celts|Barry W. Cunliffe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388244065l/256525._SX50_.jpg|2449767] by [a:Barry W. Cunliffe|42312|Barry W. Cunliffe|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]. Here, as I scanned the pages, Boudicca is mentioned in parts, in several chapters. Luckily, for quick searching, there's also [b:The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts|22477288|The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts|Rodney Castleden|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402914009l/22477288._SY75_.jpg|24016661] by [a:Rodney Castleden|475412|Rodney Castleden|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1244071592p2/475412.jpg].

Like in the other book, this one is divided into three parts, between a prologue (The Two Andastras, 28 A.D.) and an epilogue (Boudicca, 28-61 A.D.):

1) Daughter of Antedios: 28-43 A.D.
Here we meet the young Boudicca, whose birth required a serious sacrifice: that of her mother, whom she has never known. Her father, King Antedios, was more a warrior and king than a father. This shows in her upbringing, as she's (indirectly) blamed for the death of her mother. But she quickly learns to stand her ground, even at the age of 10-12 years. One can only feel for her, since she never really knew motherly love. Antedios fought a heavy battle with Cunobelin, king of the Catuvellauni tribe, who sought to expand his territory and power. When he died, he was succeeded by his sons Caratacus and Togodumnus, who would later help Boudicca in her battle against the Romans. Boudicca was learned how to use words to present, defend and further your cause, by the tribe's druide, Prydain, whose knowledge and guidance she often used.

2) Pratsugatus's spouse: 44-59 A.D.
After her father's death, Boudicca marries the new king of the Iceni, Pratsugatus. With him she has 2 daughters, here named Defixia and Vindoria. But as Boudicca was brought up in a strict manner, she also brings up her daughters that way and is not afraid to hit them when they're not listening to her "orders", as she trains her eldest daughter to fight with the lance. Of course, her daughters also don't have a warm upbringing, especially not when Boudicca leaves them to go fight the Romans for a period of three years. Pratsugatus prefers the peaceful approach, though he doesn't dare go against Boudicca's fiery determination.

She has her mind set on fighting and ousting the Romans, who have invaded Britain, but also have put shackles on the people. Roman law, taxes, etc. were installed, leading to less freedom and more poverty and famine among the Celts. Boudicca was adamant about freedom, so she would continue her battle until her (and other) people would be really free again.

Of course, the Iceni, the Regnenses, and the Brigantes had treaty arrangements with the Romans, so they were a little, if not very, reluctant to attack their partners. But as push came to shove, eventually more were won for the cause of regaining one's own freedom. Of course, the first battles were not successful, with many losses on both sides. But the determination only grew.

3) Queen of the Iceni: 60-61 A.D.
In this part, Boudicca rallies her allies to finally, once and for all, kick the Romans out and reclaim their (the Celts') freedom. Prior to that, Boudicca and Caratacus had been betrayed by her friend, Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes, who has strong ties with the Romans and only wanted to keep up her rich life. When tax was to be collected, Boudicca went to show the Roman procurator, Decanius Catus, that she had paid her share, that a certain part of the land was hers, not Roman. A document, signed by the previous procurator, and her late husband, Pratsugatus, indicated that only a part of the possessions and land were transferred to Emperor Nero. But as it happens: new leaders, new rules, and Roman law didn't allow for women to inherit anything. Catus could not stand being questioned/refuted in the presence of his own people, so he decided to learn Boudicca a lesson. And since the Roman soldier knew no discipline under such circumstances, she was flogged, her daughters (11 and 12 years old) were raped. That only enraged the Iceni and Trivantes tribes even more. They asked for help from the gods to put an end to the Roman occupation and ridiculing of the proud Celts.

--------------------

There's a short-story at the end: D'ailleurs et d'ici. It's not related, or perhaps in principle, to Boudicca's story. It's about the Boston Tea Party of 16/12/1773 (see on Wikipedia). Not a bad story at all, albeit a bit short, perhaps a little (!) too short to instantly "get" it. But maybe it's a sort of foretaste of a forthcoming, third novel?

--------------------

Boudicca, the book, is about the Queen of Britain's battle for freedom, the battle to reclaim what was theirs, the land of the Celts, who were a fierce and proud people. Jean-Laurent Del Socorro offered an, all in all, beautiful account of what happened so long ago, tried to show what the Celts went through under the occupation of the Romans, even if not all the Romans brought with them (agricultural influences, ...) was bad, of course. Also, there were trade agreements. It's only when power corrupts, that matters get out of hand.

Of course, cultural elements were also mentioned, like the blue paint they used when going into battle, asking the gods (Andastra, Cernunnos, and others) for guidance, the giant Gogmagog as guardian, the sex aspect (man-man, woman-woman, man-woman; apparently they were, to a certain extent, open-minded back then), ...

Although it's not, I guess, his style, I do think some gaps could have been filled. You can clearly see that the story is - what's the term here? - episodic. A bit more filling would have been nice. I understand, however, that it's not easy when there's not much historical information on your "subject" and if you have a different approach to writing a story, to adding scenes you made up.

But considering such details, I can really recommend Boudicca (this book ;-)) to any (French-speaking) historical fiction fan.

For those interested, there's a nice interview with the author on ActuSF.com.

--------------------

p.s.: Two little points of critique I do want to add:
1) Il y a davantage davantage que plus et encore. Or, in English: the number of times the word 'davantage', instead of an alternative, is used... sometimes a little too often. In my humble opinion.
2) Commas. Maybe it's the grammar nazi in me, but I saw several phrases where commas could, but also should (!) have been used, if one follows the grammar rules. ( )

This new, hardcover edition of [b:Boudicca|34514050|Boudicca|Jean-Laurent Del Socorro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489001283l/34514050._SX50_.jpg|55642248] is a re-edition with a new short-story: 'Elle est une légende' (transl.: She's a legend). You can find my review of the first edition here and below.

I've also re-read the short-story that was originally added to the novel and is also present in this re-edition: 'D'ailleurs et d'ici'. Following the author's instructions, I did see a link with the events in 'Boudicca' or rather, there are similarities in terms of a large empire imposing its will and laws, while a "small" group doesn't want that and thus revolts, hence the forming of the Boston Tea Party. And I was right with my original question, with which I referred to a third novel. That third novel is [b:Je suis fille de rage|51565213|Je suis fille de rage|Jean-Laurent Del Socorro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568574974l/51565213._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73384741] (about the American Revolution and especially the War), which is still on my TBR-pile.

But the most important addition and reason for this new version of 'Boudicca' is the story 'Elle est une légende'.
We follow the last experiences of the chieftain of an English tribe, the Catuvellauni: Caratacus (or Caractacus, as both versions appear on the internet) has, like Boudica, tried to stop the Roman invasion and conquest of Britain. To no avail, unfortunately. While Boudica chose a different outcome, Caractacus was captured and had to submit to Roman rule and law. His new life would be in stark contrast with that of the war against the Romans.

The story begins with Caractacus's speech in the Roman Senate, an honourable event as a prisoner of war. The English translation, taken from Tacitus's 'Annals' (Wikipedia) can be found, for example, here.

In fact, at least in this short-story, Caractacus was now (in the context of the story) a man of status, a dignified citizen of Rome. Because of his respectful attitude towards Rome, he was accorded clemency. He has servants, he has meetings with consuls, e.g. Paulinus. Paulinus - full name: Gaius Suetonis Paulinus (Wikipedia), was responsible for the conquest of the isle of Mona (aka Anglesey) before shifting his focus on the resistance led by Boudica. Paulinus and Caractacus were former enemies. While Caractacus has put his past behind him, Paulinus still seems to not accept the fact that his former enemy was given clemency.

The reasons for consul Paulinus's visit will kickstart something that will or could have serious consequences. One does not simply lock up a Celtic chieftain in a golden cage. Or was Paulinus so arrogant that he failed to see the consequences of his actions? He's brought the sword of Antedios, Boudica's father, as a gift for Caractacus. Not because he/Paulinus wants to fight, rather it's an arrogant gesture, showing the grandeur and power of the Roman empire. Not even sacred weapons of conquered tribes can withhold the Romans from getting what they want. Maybe Paulinus underestimated Caractacus's civil obedience - not everyone gets to fight the mighty Roman army and live a life that's as good as free from trouble - or perhaps all of this was planned. Again, in an arrogant kind of way.

In the end, the circle is round, so to speak, contrary to what's in the history books. Rome still fears/ed Boudica, despite her not being among the living any more, but they would have to remain vigilant for Caractus. Especially when Morgane le Fay (here also known as the Lady of the Lake) would start interfering with the course of events and asking Caractacus to choose Myrrdin as his new name.

----------

'Elle est une légende' is not so much about Boudica, as it is about the chieftain who lived and fought the Romans before she "took over", so to speak. Boudica did not survive the war, Caractacus did, even could continue his life in better circumstances, even if he remained a captive of the Romans. But both fought courageously against a powerful enemy.

This short-story is all the more worthwhile after having read the main novel, 'Boudicca'. By itself, however, it's a little too short to fully appreciate it. There is definitely room to make a novella out of this. *hint* ;-)

All this aside, 'Elle est une légende' an accessible little story that encourages one to look up historical information about Boudica, Caractacus, Paulinus, the Roman conquest of Britain, and thus check out works (fiction or non-fiction) that dig deeper into this period.

This new edition is a more complete version of the original one, obviously. If you're a completist, you know which version to add to your collection.

Question: As there's a touch of the Arthurian myth in this new short-story, does that mean the next book will take place in that historical context? :-) (considering the short-story about the Boston Tea Party was, one way or another, a teaser for [b:Je suis fille de rage|51565213|Je suis fille de rage|Jean-Laurent Del Socorro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1568574974l/51565213._SX50_SY75_.jpg|73384741])

----------

More info about Caratacus:
Wikipedia
Ancient Origins
Jone's Celtic Encyclopedia
English Monarchs
RomanArmyTalk
RoughDiplomacy

----------
----------

[b:Boudicca|34514050|Boudicca|Jean-Laurent Del Socorro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489001283l/34514050._SX50_.jpg|55642248]

After the wonderful [b:Royaume de vent et de colères|25090639|Royaume de vent et de colères|Jean-Laurent Del Socorro|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1425723523l/25090639._SX50_.jpg|44779717] (you can read my review here), the French author Jean-Laurent Del Soccorro returns with a new novel: Boudicca, queen of the Iceni. Again set in Europe's history, this time focusing on Great Britain at the time of the Celts and the invasion of the Romans.

Contrary to his previous books, there is now a shortlist of consulted works and websites. My knowledge of the Celts is limited so far. I've only read [b:The World of the Celts|256524|The World of the Celts|Simon James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386921612l/256524._SX50_.jpg|2038978] by [a:Simon James|15104817|Simon James|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png] (you can read my review here), in which Boudicca is briefly mentioned. I still have another reference work to read: [b:The Ancient Celts|256525|The Ancient Celts|Barry W. Cunliffe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388244065l/256525._SX50_.jpg|2449767] by [a:Barry W. Cunliffe|42312|Barry W. Cunliffe|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png]. Here, as I scanned the pages, Boudicca is mentioned in parts, in several chapters. Luckily, for quick searching, there's also [b:The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts|22477288|The Element Encyclopedia of the Celts|Rodney Castleden|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1402914009l/22477288._SY75_.jpg|24016661] by [a:Rodney Castleden|475412|Rodney Castleden|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1244071592p2/475412.jpg].

Like in the other book, this one is divided into three parts, between a prologue (The Two Andastras, 28 A.D.) and an epilogue (Boudicca, 28-61 A.D.):

1) Daughter of Antedios: 28-43 A.D.
Here we meet the young Boudicca, whose birth required a serious sacrifice: that of her mother, whom she has never known. Her father, King Antedios, was more a warrior and king than a father. This shows in her upbringing, as she's (indirectly) blamed for the death of her mother. But she quickly learns to stand her ground, even at the age of 10-12 years. One can only feel for her, since she never really knew motherly love. Antedios fought a heavy battle with Cunobelin, king of the Catuvellauni tribe, who sought to expand his territory and power. When he died, he was succeeded by his sons Caratacus and Togodumnus, who would later help Boudicca in her battle against the Romans. Boudicca was learned how to use words to present, defend and further your cause, by the tribe's druide, Prydain, whose knowledge and guidance she often used.

2) Pratsugatus's spouse: 44-59 A.D.
After her father's death, Boudicca marries the new king of the Iceni, Pratsugatus. With him she has 2 daughters, here named Defixia and Vindoria. But as Boudicca was brought up in a strict manner, she also brings up her daughters that way and is not afraid to hit them when they're not listening to her "orders", as she trains her eldest daughter to fight with the lance. Of course, her daughters also don't have a warm upbringing, especially not when Boudicca leaves them to go fight the Romans for a period of three years. Pratsugatus prefers the peaceful approach, though he doesn't dare go against Boudicca's fiery determination.

She has her mind set on fighting and ousting the Romans, who have invaded Britain, but also have put shackles on the people. Roman law, taxes, etc. were installed, leading to less freedom and more poverty and famine among the Celts. Boudicca was adamant about freedom, so she would continue her battle until her (and other) people would be really free again.

Of course, the Iceni, the Regnenses, and the Brigantes had treaty arrangements with the Romans, so they were a little, if not very, reluctant to attack their partners. But as push came to shove, eventually more were won for the cause of regaining one's own freedom. Of course, the first battles were not successful, with many losses on both sides. But the determination only grew.

3) Queen of the Iceni: 60-61 A.D.
In this part, Boudicca rallies her allies to finally, once and for all, kick the Romans out and reclaim their (the Celts') freedom. Prior to that, Boudicca and Caratacus had been betrayed by her friend, Queen Cartimandua of the Brigantes, who has strong ties with the Romans and only wanted to keep up her rich life. When tax was to be collected, Boudicca went to show the Roman procurator, Decanius Catus, that she had paid her share, that a certain part of the land was hers, not Roman. A document, signed by the previous procurator, and her late husband, Pratsugatus, indicated that only a part of the possessions and land were transferred to Emperor Nero. But as it happens: new leaders, new rules, and Roman law didn't allow for women to inherit anything. Catus could not stand being questioned/refuted in the presence of his own people, so he decided to learn Boudicca a lesson. And since the Roman soldier knew no discipline under such circumstances, she was flogged, her daughters (11 and 12 years old) were raped. That only enraged the Iceni and Trivantes tribes even more. They asked for help from the gods to put an end to the Roman occupation and ridiculing of the proud Celts.

--------------------

There's a short-story at the end: D'ailleurs et d'ici. It's not related, or perhaps in principle, to Boudicca's story. It's about the Boston Tea Party of 16/12/1773 (see on Wikipedia). Not a bad story at all, albeit a bit short, perhaps a little (!) too short to instantly "get" it. But maybe it's a sort of foretaste of a forthcoming, third novel?

--------------------

Boudicca, the book, is about the Queen of Britain's battle for freedom, the battle to reclaim what was theirs, the land of the Celts, who were a fierce and proud people. Jean-Laurent Del Socorro offered an, all in all, beautiful account of what happened so long ago, tried to show what the Celts went through under the occupation of the Romans, even if not all the Romans brought with them (agricultural influences, ...) was bad, of course. Also, there were trade agreements. It's only when power corrupts, that matters get out of hand.

Of course, cultural elements were also mentioned, like the blue paint they used when going into battle, asking the gods (Andastra, Cernunnos, and others) for guidance, the giant Gogmagog as guardian, the sex aspect (man-man, woman-woman, man-woman; apparently they were, to a certain extent, open-minded back then), ...

Although it's not, I guess, his style, I do think some gaps could have been filled. You can clearly see that the story is - what's the term here? - episodic. A bit more filling would have been nice. I understand, however, that it's not easy when there's not much historical information on your "subject" and if you have a different approach to writing a story, to adding scenes you made up.

But considering such details, I can really recommend Boudicca (this book ;-)) to any (French-speaking) historical fiction fan.

For those interested, there's a nice interview with the author on ActuSF.com.

--------------------

p.s.: Two little points of critique I do want to add:
1) Il y a davantage davantage que plus et encore. Or, in English: the number of times the word 'davantage', instead of an alternative, is used... sometimes a little too often. In my humble opinion.
2) Commas. Maybe it's the grammar nazi in me, but I saw several phrases where commas could, but also should (!) have been used, if one follows the grammar rules. ( )