Topic: Romans

As the saying goes, history is written by the victors, and with the Celtic tribes of Ancient Britain leaving no records, we only have the Roman accounts of what happened during Boudicca’s revolt. Tony Bradman has taken details from Tacitus’ description of the Iceni queen and the battles she led to create a vivid and gripping story told by Rhianna, who witnesses the events of a turbulent time in British history.

After the king, Prasutagus, is poisoned, Boudicca defies the Roman rulers, with an awful punishment inflicted on her and her daughters. Boudicca plots her uprising to shake off the yoke of Rome, drawing the support of other tribes. Despite her love for Boudicca, young orphan Rhianna is only too aware of the darkness she reveals, with terrible revenge wreaked upon the inhabitants of the Roman cities as they are burned to the ground. At the final great battle, where the tribes’ defeat seems certain, an act of mercy gives Rhianna a means of escape and hope for the future.

The story of Boudicca’s revolt has resonated down the centuries, and whilst undoubtedly courageous, if foolhardy, to take on the might of the Roman army, Tony Bradman has also felt that there was something dark about the rebellion. His story aims to give young readers an understanding of the motivations that led to the uprising while opening up discussion on a range of ideas.