Boudicca's Daughter

by Elodie Harper

The story of Boudicca, the notorious warrior queen who led a legendary rebellion in 60 CE against the Roman Empire in Britain. This book by acclaimed Wolf Den Trilogy author Elodie Harper follows Boudicca's meteoric rise and devastating fall through the eyes of her youngest daughter, Solina, who seeks revenge against Rome.
 
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 and her father’s druidic gifts, 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 facades of Nero’s Roman Empire . . .
     The narrative arc and emotional heart of the book is Solina's complex relationship with Rome, and what resistance means in the radically different world she finds herself in after her mother's fall. After she is taken to the Empire's capital by the ruthless Roman general Paulinus, she will have to decide what it truly means to be Boudicca's daughter.
     Forced to fight. Determined to succeed. Meet Solina. Boudicca’s daughter.
 
This epic and emotional novel is perfect for fans of Madeleine Miller’s Circe and Constanza Casati’s Clytemnestra.

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

438 pages, Kindle Edition

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

[William Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical fiction standalone focused on Boudicca's daughter. Written by Elodie Harper. Count me in!

I have been so excited for this release. It is one of the few books I have read in the last year almost as soon as it has been published. And it did not disappoint! Elodie Harper once again delivers.

Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper imagines the life of Solina, a daughter of the warrior queen Boudicca of the Iceni tribe, who leads a legendary revolt against Rome. But Solina's story, whilst facing the shadow of her mother's reputation, will take her to lands far and wide, as she has to grapple with identity, legacy, and what it means to survive in a world that wants to erase you.

I think an author’s main aim is to engage the reader. In The Wolf Den, Elodie Harper manages to wrap me around her finger and toy with my emotions. Again, she evokes rage, hatred, pity, grief, and even hope. She makes you feel alongside her characters and that, I think, is why her stories stay with you. A fascination with historical fiction is how, across generations, centuries, or millennia, the world feels alien to us now, but also feels so relatable. Harper does a brilliant job at exploring an alien culture and psychology, tapping into an unknown past, but also creating a direct tie to these characters of antiquity, because of how distinctly human and relatable they are through the timeless themes of love, hope, fear and beyond. Harper explores and evokes an emotional range that is rare to find elsewhere.

This ties into Harper’s prose. Harper’s prose is often described as lyrical and evocative. That is true in Boudicca’s Daughter. Not only does she show her ability to get you into the mind of the characters and also paint a vivid picture, but she shows her range, contrasting the wild Britain with decadent Rome, subtly exploring cultural contrasts without spelling them out to the reader.

For me, the weakest part was the beginning. I expected Boudicca’s Rebellion to be the standout, but it felt strangely rushed. The drive and the tension I wanted to feel did not fully land. The setup is there with some great characters, but it just does not feel as dramatic as it should. It is a rare book where I’d actually say more pages were needed for better pacing, whereas most books have a bit of fat. On the flip side, Solina’s journey to Rome completely surprised me. What I thought would be a quieter arc ended up being the most captivating section. Harper brings Rome to life. It's dangers, opportunities, and hypocrisies.

Boudicca's Daughter is horrifying but enrapturing, with enough hope to carry you through the moments of depravity. Whilst deeply dark at times, it also explores the strength of the human spirit, similarly to The Wolf Den, and inspires the reader. It also shines a lens on history, offering us a vision of the past that is so shrouded in mystery. Elodie Harper is a wonderful writer who has shown that whatever she turns her craft to will be a project worth picking up, because of how skilled she is as a writer.

4.25/5 STARS

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Went into this totally unaware of the real story. So author did a decent job in weaving a tale about characters whom much is not known.

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elodie Harper has yet written a heartbreaking tale of tragedy and power in the classical world. There is a tender, but fire-fuelled spirit of the way she writes her character relationships and dynamics, and the flourish in the ancient Roman/Celtic backdrop. We know 9/10ths of nothing about Boudicca's daughters, and Harper paints a painful and evocative image of their lives. The story starts fairly late in the overall picture of 'Boudicca', but the direction Harper takes is surprising and effective at the same time. Still she writes sisterhood with such power! My fourth book by Harper and I need more!

[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.

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

this is the second book i’ve read this year (and that’s been published this year) about the warrior boudicca and her daughters, except this particular version dives more into the relationships boudicca had with each daughter, before solely focusing on the remaining daughter solina.

elodie harper’s version of the myth emphasizes how the rage and burning anger of revenge can blind those and lead them to destruction.

i also listened to the audio, and the narrator did a great job!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Union Square & Co. for access to this title. I am auto-approved by the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.


The story is narrated in turn by Solina, daughter of Castia( Boudicca) and Prasutagus, King of the Iceni. Some chapters are then narrated by Castia( Boudicca) and Paulininus, a Roman general, who ends up taking Solina captive after the death of her mother and the defeat of the Iceni. The book is broken up into four parts, and while the Iceni's rebellion is the first portion of the novel, the book focuses more on the relationship between Solina and Paulinius and their years in Ancient Rome.

I read this book in one sitting. We meet a host of historical figures, including the Emperor Nero and Pliny, who turns out to be a friend of Paulinius. Suffice it to say, it was one of my favourite historical fiction books of the year.


Publication Date 02/09/25
Goodreads Review 18/10/25

[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.

[Mk · Rating 1 out of 5]

0.25

I actually don’t have time for this lmao — awful pacing and distant writing aside, I would not have picked this up if I knew it was a romance novel. What the hell do you mean you want me to root for a colonizer romance??? What the hell do you mean you wrote an Iceni princess falling in love with the Roman conqueror who forces her to execute one of the last remaining members of her family, who ENSLAVED her and slaughtered, raided, robbed, enslaved and decimated her people???

I understand this pairing might be historically accurate, but the book wants me to *like* them together as a couple and that’s my problem. The novel switches between his POV and Solina’s throughout the majority of the story (the story named BOUDICCA’S DAUGHTER, mind you!) for the SOLE PURPOSE of making him sympathetic and palatable. The narrative tries
to hand-wave the horror of this couple by having Solina go “I love him but I hate him too and I’ll never forgive him! But I love him so much!” and the issue with this is that it treats the evisceration of an indigenous group and the subjugation and enslavement of an indigenous woman herself so *lightly*. Asking your wife if she forgives you when you’re in danger of dying is self serving, pathetic, and most of all USELESS. How are you going to atone for your sins? What material actions can you do to improve the plight of the remaining Iceni people? How are you going to sabotage, halt, or dismantle the imperial project you willing participated in? Asking your wife, while sick, while she’s NURSING YOU BACK TO HEALTH, for her forgiveness of your personal participation in the destruction of everything she knew and loved after living a rich, luxurious, and full life propped up by the stolen riches and slave labor of her people is so egregiously disrespectful it brings tears to my eyes.

Elodie Harper you just pissed me off! Not only did you piss me off, YOU MADE THIS SHIT UP. So little historical record to reference and in its absence this is what you choose to publish. Lol. Lmao even.

[Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This read as one long winded movie script / fan fic and not in a good way. I wanted to like this, as the book is set in a fascinating time of history. There is so much telling rather than showing and incredibly rigid, unbelievable dialogue in this book. I almost feel insulted by how little the author trusts the reader to be able to understand anything on their own. Harper over explains and insists on bashing over the reader's head basic emotions, dialogue and events that occur in the book, rather than immersing the reader in the actual story.

Here are two prime examples among many:

'I catch Bellenia's eye. My sister sees my fear and steps forward to take my hand. She is always there when it truly matters. "Solina is a gifted Druid," she declares.
"She is blessed by the gods. That is why our father chose her to cross to the Otherworld tonight."'

‘Even though I had realised we must have been defeated, it is still agony to hear the loss spoken aloud.’

I'd be willing to forgive these examples of weaker writing if it wasn't for the fact that the book is filled with these over explained, extremely on the nose sentences such as "She is always there when it truly matters." Why not actually show us this through proper character development and dialogue?? No need for the pinterest-esque quote to explain to us readers how loyal her sister is. Because of this constant telling - rather than showing -, Harper leaves little room for her characters to develop beyond stock characters.

In addition, the example above also shows how the dialogue functions to be expository for the reader, rather than believable dialogue between the characters.
I'm supposed to believe that Solina's MAID would challenge Solina's capability (in other words, her status) and Bellenia would need to step in to defend her. The reader is left to feel like the author is using the dialogue to speak directly to them and once again, over explain.

I also found the prose itself to be overly simple - multiple times, the narrator refers to her body as “on fire” to describe various scenes of tension and pain. This repetition of simple descriptive phrases is jarring and makes me question the rigour of the editing process.

l appreciate Harper's desire to shine a light on Boudicca, but unfortunately this was painful to read. I don't enjoy being constantly lectured by the narrator about what's what, please just show me. To me, this book is indicative of the pressures current authors face by publishers to make their books as accessible as possible to a broad audience. One could argue that greater reach is a good thing. However, this pressure compromises the actual reading experience and depth of the story. I don’t expect high-brow literary prose from commercial fiction, but I do expect writing quality that passes the basic writing lessons we learn in school. Disappointing.

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bulgarian review is first, the English translation follows it below

”Не съзирам никаква слава във войната. Тя покварява мъжете и съсипва жените, носейки вина на победителя и страдание на покорения.”



Елоди Харпър, за моя радост, в това свое самостоятелно заглавие си е върнала гласа, разказващ за жестоките превратности на историята и неочакваните пътища на любовта без сантименталност или сладникавост, но с проникновеност и съчувствие.

Будика (Бодицея) е известно име от британските острови по времето на император Нерон - заради свирепия си бунт срещу римската власт на острова. Римляните я мразят, защото е жена, защото е владетелка, защото е “дивачка” и защото е безмилостна. Подобно на всички завоеватели, те удобно пропускат факта, че последната капка, довела до касапницата, е варварското им решение да накарат Будика да наблюдава изнасилването на дъщерите си. Това е умишлен демонстрация от страна на завоевателите, целяща да покаже пълно презрение към всеки неримлянин (и всеки немъж, т.е жена, имал “наглостта” да се държи като равен).



Тъкмо тези събития и съдбата на измислената по-голяма дъщеря на Будика - Солина - са в основата на сюжета, покриващ 10 години между 60 г. и 70 г. сл.н.е.

Римляните, при целия им неоценим принос за европейската цивилизация, не са били приятни окупатори. Военната им агресия често е била хладно пресметната за постигане на дългосрочни резултати - както демонстрира образът на римския легат Гай Светоний Паулин. Разрухата е с цел контрол и пълно прекършване, тя е систематична, прагматична и лишена от емоция или дори от омраза. “Срещата” на Паулин със Солина е интересен сблъсък на изпълнен с надменност и предразсъдъци завоевател с победен и унизен, но непрекършен противник.



Бунтовниците на свой ред също не са точно “добрите” - когато извършваш зверства по време на бунта няма как да остане място за морал, но най-вече - когато бунтът доведе до обратните на исканите резултати (племето ицени са заличени след бунта). Появявя се въпросът кое е по-доброто в някои ситуации - живо куче или мъртъв лъв? И колко струва справедливостта пред надмощието на грубата сила? Самата Солина е жертва на брутална несправедливост, но е и последващ извършител на брутални несправедливости. И Паулин, и Солина има за какво да се мразят, но и за какво много да се каят. В известен смисъл цялата им връзка е просто неизбежна - всеки от тях по ирония на съдбата открива единствения друг човек, който може напълно да ги разбере и да им помогне да разберат истински самите себе си точно чрез врага си. Много интересен е въпросът може ли да има любов без прошка? И приложим ли е християнският принцип на прошката за всичко? С Елоди сме на едно мнение - не, не е.

Като изграждане ми се щеше в книгата да ги няма така модерните напоследък “гледни точки”. Адски разсейващо! Гледната точка на Будика беше или излишна или просто недобре развита, макар да имаше потенциал. Щеше да е даже по-добре всичко да е в трето лице. Вместо подскачането от първо лице на Солина и трето лице на останалите. Също така в последната част събитията малко запрепускаха, а началото пък се проточи.

Но…страшно ми хареса! Далеч не толкова колкото ”Бърлога на вълчици”, но достатъчно, за да се насладя на чудесно разказана история и да се надявам Елоди Харпър да пише още и да открие и стабилизира “своята” линия на повествование.

———————————————————————————
П. П. Харпър, за щастие на читателите си, е алергична към популярния и креслив псевдофеминизъм (който всъщност е чиста агресия, съчетана с тотална ограниченост), сервиран от търговците като feminist retelling. Тя поднася нещо истинско - суровата реалност на травмата и оцеляването на една жена в мръсен и несправедлив свят, където са дълбоките корени не просто на феминизма, а на всяко движение за справедливост и прогрес, от които феминизмът е част.

———————————————————————————
🏛️ “VIRTUE IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH ABSOLUTE POWER. HE WHO IS ASHAMED TO COMMIT CRUELTY MUST ALWAYS FEAR IT.”

🏛️“I do not see any glory in war. It corrupts men and ruins women, bringing guilt to the victor and misery to the vanquished.”

🏛️“Each generation assumes their elders are stronger, and yet with age they learn that nobody ever has the answers”

🏛️“He looks like a person who does not lie – not because he is virtuous, but because he has no need.”

🏛️“the most powerful manipulation comes not from lies, but the truth.”

🏛️“Savages may become citizens in time”

🏛️“To be a slave is to watch your own life slip through your fingers like sand, unable to stem the flow.”

🏛️“Nothing puts a career in perspective so profoundly as personal loss.”

🏛️“sometimes a lie can be the way to convince others of the truth. ”

🏛️“Some choices in life are irrevocable. You cannot atone. You cannot even ask for forgiveness.”





”I do not see any glory in war. It corrupts men and ruins women, bringing guilt to the victor and misery to the vanquished.”



To my delight, Elodie Harper has regained her voice in this standalone title, narrating the cruel twists of history and the unexpected paths of love without sentimentality or sweetness, but with profound insight and compassion.
Boudica (Boadicea) is a famous name from the British Isles during the time of Emperor Nero—known for her fierce rebellion against Roman rule. The Romans hated her because she was a woman, a ruler, a "savage," and because she was merciless. Like all conquerors, they conveniently overlooked the fact that the final straw leading to the carnage was their barbaric decision to force Boudica to witness the rape of her daughters. This was a deliberate demonstration of total contempt for anyone non-Roman (and any non-male who dared to act as an equal).



These events and the fate of Boudica's fictional eldest daughter, Solina, form the core of the plot, spanning ten years between 60 and 70 AD.

The Romans, despite their invaluable contribution to European civilization, were not pleasant occupiers. Their military aggression was often coldly calculated for long-term results, as demonstrated by the character of the Roman legate Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. Destruction was aimed at control and total subjugation—systematic, pragmatic, and devoid of emotion or even hatred. Paulinus’s "encounter" with Solina is a fascinating clash between a conqueror full of arrogance and prejudice and a defeated, humiliated, but unbroken opponent.



The rebels, in turn, are not exactly the "good guys" either—when atrocities are committed during a revolt, there is no room left for morality. More importantly, when the rebellion leads to the opposite of the desired results (the Iceni tribe was virtually wiped out), the question arises: is a living dog better than a dead lion? And what is the price of justice in the face of raw, superior force? Solina herself is a victim of brutal injustice but subsequently becomes a perpetrator of it. Both Paulinus and Solina have reasons to hate each other, but also reasons to deeply repent. In a sense, their entire connection is inevitable—ironically, each finds in the other the only person who can fully understand them and help them truly understand themselves through their enemy. It raises the compelling question: can there be love without forgiveness? And is the Christian principle of universal forgiveness applicable to everything? Elodie and I are of the same mind—no, it isn't.

Regarding the structure, I wish the book hadn't utilized the currently trendy "multiple perspectives." It’s incredibly distracting! Boudica’s point of view felt either redundant or underdeveloped, despite its potential. It might have been better if the whole story were in the third person, rather than jumping between Solina's first-person narrative and the third-person for everyone else. Additionally, the final part felt a bit rushed, while the beginning dragged slightly. But… I loved it! Not quite as much as The Wolf Den , but enough to enjoy a wonderfully told story and to hope that Elodie Harper continues to write and stabilize "her" specific narrative line.

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P.S. Harper, fortunately for her readers, is allergic to the popular and loud pseudo-feminism (which is actually pure aggression combined with total narrow-mindedness) served up by marketers as a "feminist retelling." She offers something real—the raw reality of trauma and a woman's survival in a dirty and unjust world, where the deep roots of not just feminism, but every movement for justice and progress, truly lie.

3.5⭐️

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🏛️ “VIRTUE IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH ABSOLUTE POWER. HE WHO IS ASHAMED TO COMMIT CRUELTY MUST ALWAYS FEAR IT.”

🏛️“Each generation assumes their elders are stronger, and yet with age they learn that nobody ever has the answers”

🏛️“He looks like a person who does not lie – not because he is virtuous, but because he has no need.”

🏛️“the most powerful manipulation comes not from lies, but the truth.”

🏛️“Savages may become citizens in time”

🏛️“To be a slave is to watch your own life slip through your fingers like sand, unable to stem the flow.”

🏛️“Nothing puts a career in perspective so profoundly as personal loss.”

🏛️“sometimes a lie can be the way to convince others of the truth. ”

🏛️“Some choices in life are irrevocable. You cannot atone. You cannot even ask for forgiveness.”

[Allen Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boudicca: The fierce warrior queen of the Iceni people dared to resist and fight the Romans during their occupation of Britannia in 60-61 CE. It is estimated that her forces killed 70,000 Romans and their allies, as well as destroying several cities, including Londinium.

Her defiance is legendary in British history, even inspiring a statue erected along the Thames facing the Houses of Parliament, in her chariot with arms raised, holding a spear, her daughters crouching behind her, eternally poised to inspire—or to attack.

The history of Boudicca and the Iceni revolt was told by the victorious Romans (primarily by Tacitus) but many of the details are hazy to nonexistent. The story itself certainly fires the imagination, and allows for an open interpretation of what may have actually happened.

I don’t like spoilers, and it’s damned difficult to give a synopsis of this story without them. I will just say that this is the imagined story of Boudicca’s daughter, who is characterized as a chip off the old block, and her harrowing experiences and adventures. The book truly kept me riveted until the very end.

The story itself brings up many questions related to the morality of war, patriotism, familial love and loyalty, guilt and redemption, and more. For fans of historical fiction, this is well worth your time. Four solid stars.

For what it’s worth, my favorite version of the Boudicca story remains Rosemary Sutcliff’s “Song For A Dark Queen.” It is poetic, intense, violent, and achingly beautiful—I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.

[Magdalena (magdal21) · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are very few authors who do historical fiction as well as Elodie Harper, and I honestly think no one is writing ancient Rome better right now. This book was fantastic. Even though much of the story is necessarily inspired by the limited historical sources we have, Harper skillfully weaves in major real events such as the Boudican revolt in Britain, the death of Nero or the Year of the Four Emperors. As in the Wolf Den trilogy, however, the heart of the book is far more focused on personal stories set against the sweep of great history.

The story centers on Boudicca’s daughter, Selina, and follows her life before and especially after her mother’s defeat. The first part of the book, set before Boudicca’s death, feels more like an extended introduction, so the pacing is slower. Still, it’s compelling and necessary groundwork for the later plot, much of which unfolds in Rome.

There’s a romance in this book, and it ended up being far more important to the plot than I expected. It’s not an easy or uncontroversial relationship, but it’s incredibly well done. The romance is nuanced and emotionally heavy, and we truly see the suffering, struggle, and complicated feelings involved, especially on Selina’s part. This comes through particularly strongly because her chapters are written in the first person and feel more raw and intimate than the rest. I hesitate to reduce it to simple tropes like enemies to lovers, because it’s far more layered than that.

It was also so good to see Pliny back, as he was one of my favorite characters in the Wolf Den trilogy.

Overall, I really loved this book, and I truly hope Elodie Harper continues writing stories set in first century Rome, because she absolutely excels in this period.

[Taylor Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book promises to be an empowering, feminine epic, exploring the possibilities of what could’ve happened to one of Boudicca’s daughters and the Ancient Briton culture and its place in connection to the Roman Empire. Instead, Boudicca’s daughter, who is a fierce warrior and Druid at the beginning of the book, gets Stockholm Syndrome for her Roman captor and becomes a domestic Roman housewife. -.-

[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!

[Brylo Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[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

[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.

[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!

[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!

[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.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 50%: I am really sad that this book is just not hitting because I loved the Wolf Den trilogy but something about this writing is not working for me.

The inner thoughts of the characters feel very repetitive like I think one character mentioned Pliny being interested in “barbaric” culture multiple times within the same chapter and the settings felt off for me too. In Wolf Den I personally felt like I was with those characters walking beside them on the dirt roads or sleeping on the concrete beds in the brothel but I felt none of that with this book.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Around the halfway point, I thought I wasn’t going to end up enjoying this story as a whole. Solina initially seemed like she was taking on a role completely different from how she started. As I sit with it, and look at all of the pieces together I realize she really didn’t lose herself, she just had to adapt given all of the terrible circumstances. Listening to the authors note at the end helped me see full circle why she chose the direction she did.

I didn’t want to like Paulinus, and in some aspects I still don’t, but him and Solina were almost two sides of the same coin.

[em · Rating 4 out of 5]

while this was good, i am a bit let down. the first half was SO strong, but once solina got to rome, everything kind of unraveled a bit. i think that the triple povs was kind of unnecessary, and the book would have been stronger if it was just solina

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.