The revolt of Queen Boudica and the Iceni
against the might
of Rome has echoed down the centuries. Nearly 2000 years ago, during the early
years of Roman Britain, Boudica, a victim of Roman injustice, raised the Iceni
tribe in rebellion against Rome.
Iceni: The Year of
Sacrifice
Iceni Book 1
by Stephen D Owen
Genre: Historical Fiction
Iceni: The Year of
Sacrifice is the first
thrilling instalment in this historical trilogy.
60 AD. The death of Prasutagus, the Iceni king, leaves his
kingdom divided between Rome and his daughters. The Roman Procurator Catus
Decianus seizes the entire territory and brutalizes Boudica and her family.
Driven by vengeance, Boudica rallies the Iceni tribe and
allies including the Trinovantes, Coritani, and Catuvellauni. As Roman forces
are preoccupied in the north, Boudica's rebel army advances on Camulodunum, the
Roman provincial capital, where a vastly outnumbered Roman defence struggles to
hold.
With the fate of Roman Britannia hanging in the balance, the
epic tale of sacrifice, rebellion, and fierce determination unfolds.
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Stephen D Owen, an enthusiast of Roman Britain and the Iceni
Revolt, wished to bring the dramatic story of Queen Boudica, a druid priest and
the Iceni Revolt to life in his debut novel, Iceni: The Year of Sacrifice.
Stephen explains: “The revolt of Queen Boudica and the Iceni
against the might of Rome has echoed down the centuries. Nearly 2000 years ago,
during the early years of Roman Britain, Boudica, victim of Roman injustice,
raised the Iceni in rebellion against Rome.
On 1st of August 1984, millennia later, a mysterious link
with the drama of the Iceni Revolt may have been uncovered. The remnants of a
male peat body were found at Lindow Moss Wilmslow Cheshire, England.
At first the peat body was thought to be a murder victim,
yet in time the body was proven to be far older. As old as the Iron Age in
Britain at the time of the Roman Conquest.
Known as Lindow Man, or Pete Marsh, archaeologists and
experts were called in. A theory was put forward, Lindow Man was in fact a
high-born sacrificial victim. A druid priest, perhaps close to Boudica herself,
who was a witness and key to the Iceni revolt.
The discovery of Lindow Man inspired me to write Iceni: The
Year of Sacrifice. Was this man a priest?
Fundamental to the fate of Boudica and the Iceni? Although
my version is fictional, I decided a good challenge would be to write my
version of what could have happened, but I would encourage any reader to look
into the history to form their own opinions!”
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GUEST POST
What inspired you to write this book?
What inspired me to write the book? The revolt of Queen Boudica and the Iceni tribe against Roman rule in Britain echoes down the centuries, nearly two thousand years later. The revolt of the Iceni and their allies against Rome has everything. The wronged rising up against the oppressor. A clash of cultures, the older world of the Iceni and their druid priests and the ruthless future of Rome. A tale of pure revenge as Boudica and her people make war on Roman power for the wrongs committed against the Iceni queen and her daughters. A tale of grief, of tragedy, as the Iceni and all those opposed to Rome commit to a war against an empire, with no guarantee of victory. A tale of sacrifice, as Boudica, her priests and people prepare to sacrifice all in the cause of freedom and serving the mother goddess.
Further inspiration came from the discovery of a male peat bog body at Lindow Moss, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England, in August 1984. The body became known as Lindow Man, and was carbon dated to late Iron Age or early Roman Britain. Some experts believed this body may have been a druid priest, a sacrifice at the time of the Iceni Revolt in 60-61 CE. A sacrifice who may have been close to Boudica herself.
I have reimagined this peat bog body as a druid priest of the Iceni who lived during the revolt of his people against Roman rule in Britain. The Romans wished to destroy the druids and seize all their wealth and power amongst the tribes opposed to Rome. My druid priest, and Queen Boudica, must make life and death decisions as they confront Roman power in Britain.
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Sounds like a great read.
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