Boudica: Dreaming the Bull

By: Manda Scott

Narrated by: Jerome Flynn, Liza Goddard, Philip Stevens

In AD 60, Boudica, war leader of the Eceni, led her people in a final bloody revolt against the occupying armies of Rome; the culmination of nearly 20 years of resistance against an occupying force that sought to crush a vibrant, complex civilisation and replace it with the laws, taxes and slavery of the Roman Empire. Dreaming The Bull continues the story of Breaca, acclaimed as bringer of victory to her people, and her half-brother, Bán, now an officer in the Roman cavalry. Each stands on either side in a brutal war of attrition between the occupying army and the defeated tribes, each determined to see the other dead. Caught in the middle are Cunomar and Graine, son and daughter to two of the greatest warriors their world has ever seen. While in the heart of Rome, the Emperor Claudius and his implacable wife hold lives in their hands. This is a heart-stopping story of war and of peace; of love, passion and betrayal; of druids and warring gods, where each life is sacred and each death even more so; and where Breaca and Ban learn the terrible distances they must travel to fulfil their own destinies.©2004 Manda Scott (P)2020 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'The best in the current crop of novels about Rome, its empire and its victims ... never sentimental and always tough-minded.' (The Independent)

This series is the best.

Loved this book just as much as the first! Listened to it all within a day. Such a great story, well-written, excellent narration. Highly recommend!

Fabulous series

Love the series, I'm listening through for the second time and it does not disappoint. The cruelty and violence are painful, but so is life. The Celtic culture described shows an unflinching pragmatism, but also deep love for family and a dedication to their spiritual beliefs which are interwoven into everything they do. I find myself wanting to live in that world, at least in peace time before the Romans came. Yes, there was strife between tribes, and it was clearly a warrior culture. But also a culture that had time for art and story and music. We mourn along with the characters as tribal culture and language suffer upheaval and irreplaceable loss. Prosperity vanishes as all of the able-bodied leave the villages to join in the fight. And environmental destruction begins as people who once lived in balance with the resources available to them are forced to cultivate more land and cut more forest to satisfy Roman taxation quotas.

Manda Scott writes vividly, sometimes slowing time to instant after instant in slow motion, as happens in life and death situations. Her writing is superb, but what makes it special Is the human values that form the core of the story.

But I simply do not understand the narration. I loved the first version of the first book, and would have been perfectly happy to continue through the series with a single narrator. but I was willing to try the multiple narrator approach. And in fact had no choice, because the second third and fourth books were only recorded with the triple narrators. However, they must have sent them all to the same voice coach. There is a hard edge, almost a truculence, to the tone, and an intake of breath before the pronunciation of each tribal name, that is the same from narrator to narrator. It makes it sound as though The character through whose eyes we are seeing the story is endlessly uncomfortable with the names, vocabulary, and geography that would have been second nature to them. I try not to let it bother me, but I notice it.

The prose are beautiful

Beautiful story. The world and people come alive with the beautiful writing. Thoroughly researched. I enjoyed it very much

Slows a bit during the military history sections, but worth it

Not as engaging as the first book about Boudica, but good. I appreciate that the history is accurate, and made interesting by the storytelling

Love this Series!

The Series are very worth the credits!! If you love historical fiction these books are for you! Great narration, research and imagination bring these characters to life in your heart!