Boudicca's Daughter

I was bereft when the Wolf Den trilogy ended, but with her hotly anticipated new standalone, Boudicca’s Daughter, Elodie has surpassed herself. A beautiful, breathtaking novel about what it takes to survive in the shadow of legend, Boudicca’s Daughter is a furious page-turner, a raw, emotional journey, and a profound meditation on family and legacy. I loved this novel – pre-order it immediately! -- Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne Elodie Harper continues her legacy of writing powerful, complex women with the story of Solina, daughter of history’s favourite heroine Boudicca. What struck me most about this story is the precision to detail, along with the lyricism which brought such rich depictions to life. There is a deeply introspective nature in Harper’s exploration of antiquity, in particular in her writing of relationships between men and women, oppressors and the oppressed. Without a doubt, Harper is one of the most important writers working in historical fiction today and we are all richer for the existence of her work. -- Nikita Gill, author of Hekate 'I am trying to find words to express how much I adored BOUDICCA'S DAUGHTER. Elodie Harper is the most magnificent writer and this is her best book yet. Immersive, captivating, heart-breaking, BOUDICCA'S DAUGHTER is brilliantly propulsive, bringing ancient Britain and crumbling Rome to roaring life. Solina is the most brilliantly, fiercely wonderful woman. I loved watching her grow and change, and the way Elodie is able to let contradictory feelings and urges sit side by side: her characters are so wonderfully real and fully realised. This is certainly my book of the year. -- Caroline Lea, author of The Glass Woman Boudicca’s Daughter is Elodie Harper’s masterpiece. A story of the infamous rebellion led by the British queen and its aftermath, it is narrated from the perspectives of the women who suffered, then made the Roman empire bleed. From the forests of Roman Britain to the glittering palaces of the empire’s capital, the novel is a shocking reflection on the relationship between virtue and power, honour and vengeance. And its heart is Solina, a woman left unknown by Roman historians and yet whose resilience and cunning Elodie conjures with such skill – her strength, her vulnerability, her desire for freedom and love but, most of all, her will to survive. -- Costanza Casati, author of Clytemnestra Elodie Harper is a master storyteller with an extraordinary gift for recreating the past.... Solina is a character you can’t help but love. Defined by her courage, moral complexity and heartfelt goodness, I defy anyone not to be completely beguiled by her and the world in which she exists. This is historical fiction of the highest quality. -- Elizabeth Fremantle, author of Disobedience Boudicca's Daughter is truly a triumph – heartbreakingly beautiful, deeply profound, and utterly captivating, this book went above and beyond my high expectations. Harper brings the ancient world to life with such stunning detail, exploring wonderfully complex, nuanced characters – it's impossible to not be swept away by this incredible story. -- Rosie Hewlett, Sunday Times bestselling author of Medea Heart-wrenching yet affirming, Boudicca’s Daughter is a testament to humanity's capacity for brutality, but also for tenderness. As immersive, finely crafted and lyrical as all Harper’s work, this is a carefully woven tapestry of a book, with threads of both vengeance and love running through its every strand. It is, simply, one of the best books I have ever read. -- Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen Boudicca's Daughter was everything I hoped it would be. Jam-packed full of pace, strength and rage, it is unflinching in its portrayal of one of history's most infamous warriors and the daughters who followed in her shadow. Solina is the violent female character I want to read: complex, entangled in her thoughts and the brutal realities of her life, and bitingly fierce. Boudicca's Daughter has done a great service in our understanding of what a cruel and strange time it was to be a woman, of the incredible and devastating leadership of Boudicca, and has pulled off something precious and rare – managing to be both deeply historical and deeply modern at the same time. The world needs to devour this book. I tore through it. -- Harriet Constable, author of The Instrumentalist What a phenomenal novel! Fierce, furious and full of feeling, Elodie Harper has once again proven that women of the ancient world were a power to be reckoned with. It reads as an epic biopic but in a way that is pacy, raw and beyond beautiful... this is one you cannot miss! -- Susan Stokes-Chapman, author of Pandora Devastating, powerful, and haunting. Elodie Harper masterfully brings Ancient Rome and Britain to life, along with characters who are at once heroically strong yet vulnerable and flawed, spun into a remarkable tale of vengeance, love and hate. Boudicca's Daughter broke my heart several times, and mended it in unexpected ways. -- Sue Lynn Tan, Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess Expertly crafted... I ripped through it with the pace and ferocity of an Iceni warrior. -- Helen Carr, author of The Red Prince Gives a voice to so many forgotten women from history... I was absolutely transported. * Red Magazine * Boudicca’s Daughter is a compelling account of what happens in the red mist of vendetta... I thoroughly recommend this novel, and its heroine. * Historical Novels Review * Boudicca’s Daughter is deliciously morally grey... The stories of characters like Solina are sadly relevant for women today. Too many of us still face ‘appalling choices’. May we find Solina’s resilience and courage to navigate them. -- Venetia Constantine, author of The Last Starborn Seer Harper never shies away from the complexities and necessities of survival. Survival can be audacious, shameful, lonely and pitiless... However, Elodie also shows the cracks of light that show through the dark, the joy and love we cling to when everything falls away, and the seed of hope that grows within. Boudicca's Daughter is a beautiful, poignant and gripping book to read, as I with Solina sought in the pages for her hope, stability and a future in the dark places between great and terrible powers, where nothing can stay certain. I found myself unable to put this book down, so caught was I on the desperation of Solina's success and survival. It is beautifully written, bittersweet to read, and as always merging Harper's incredible imagination with her vast and vivid knowledge of ancient history. -- Hannah Kaner, author of Godkiller Elodie Harper writes women as we truly see ourselves, unearthed from the petrifying layers of conformity that history has piled upon us. Boudicca's Daughter is a joyful and gorgeously written ode to the courage and resoucefulness of women. A heartening, empowering, historical page-turner that is highly relevant in our current times. Loved, loved this – a must-read! -- Buki Papillon, author of An Ordinary Wonder A spectacular storm of a story that sweeps you away and leaves you breathless. Boudicca Daughter is a masterful novel – I take my hat off to a mistress of story. -- Sally Gardner, author of The Bride Stone Underestimated by history, unsparing, unstoppable – Solina leaps from the pages of this latest extraordinary novel from Elodie Harper, an absolute must-read for any fan of the women of the ancient world. While everyone knows Boudicca’s name, Elodie Harper’s stunning new book explores the living, breathing women behind the legend – populating ancient history with not only the blood and guts of battles and the scheming of politicians, but the hopes and deepest fears of a conquered queen, the love of a daughter and a mother, the determined survival of a captive princess. It is the pulsing thread of humanity and empathy – awareness of women’s suffering, the urgency of women’s strength to survive – that vibrates through the book and that brings it to vibrant, shining life; that turns the much-feared, much-fantasised Iceni warrior women into the heroines of their own tales, in all their terror and hope and determination. I couldn’t put it down, and defy anyone to do so! -- Emily Hauser, author of Mythica I devoured this with enormous pleasure. Juicy, intricate, and intriguing, Boudicca’s Daughter captures not only the savagery of war, but also the complexities of its aftermath. This novel has an extraordinary historical scope, but is always rendered on a human scale, and grounded by compelling characters. Readers will pick this up expecting a gripping tale of Boudicca's rebellion, and they certainly won't be disappointed - but they'll also get a moving examination of the damage done by war to both the vanquished and the victors. -- Francesca de Tores, author of Saltblood Reviews for the Wolf Den trilogy: ""One of the best historical fiction trilogies since Hilary Mantel. * The Times * A tightly plotted, dazzling conclusion to the series - equal parts action-packed and thrilling, deeply human and intensely emotional. -- Daily Mail Magnificent... Harper evokes ancient Rome with a classicist's authority and a storyteller's pace and intrigue. * Observer * A one-of-a-kind historical novel... This is a mesmerising, richly detailed tale of sisterhood and courage that fans of Circe will love -- Red Magazine A story of survival, friendship and courage, Amara and her fellow 'she-wolves' are vividly drawn in a fascinating depiction of women at the time. Spellbinding * Woman & Home * Gift this Saturday Times bestseller to the friend who fell in love with Madeline Miller's Circe and Song of Achilles * Stylist *