Boudicca    by P. C. Cast Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2025 (2025) Hardcover, CD, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Though I still feel that no-one can beat Manda Scott's Boudica series about the ancient queen, P.C. Cast's take on Boudicca offers an entertaining and engaging read. Cast's version is more of a romantasy, in which her queen moves in and out of the otherworld, as she flees and fights brutal Roman legions. After the death of Boudicca's husband, she was crowned queen of the Iceni, whose patron goddess is Andraste. The queen has two young daughters, and is very close to her mother Arianell. As the story opens, she feels a strong compulsion to go into the forest, where she meets with Andraste. The goddess informs her that her husband made a mistake in signing a treaty with Rome, a mistake to be harvested that same day. She gives Boudicca a choice. The queen returns to her people to face a brutal Roman lesson that has become part of history. She's flogged almost to death, her daughters raped, her people slaughtered. But they survive to ally with other tribes and take war to the Romans. At Boudicca's side are her friend Rhan (a Druid seer) and horse master Maldwyn, who loves her devotedly. They burn Camulodunum to the ground and keep on going. But not all tribes support the Iceni, traitors abound, and Rhan foresees how the rebellion will end and Rome will swallow their world. When it happens, a small remnant of Boudicca's people flee to Caledonia, where Andraste gives the queen foresight of what the seed her rebellion has sown will grow into. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews