I’m really enjoying this series, even if I do still find it quite dark and heavy-going at times. Well, of course it’s dark: it’s about an invading occupying force, destroying long-standing ways of living, and brutally murdering anyone who dares to disagree.

There’s a bit more politics in this installment, as Breaca (aka the Boudica, or bringer of victory) abandons leadership of the armies of the West to live under Roman thumb in the East – trying to start an insurrection. It certainly added a dose of danger! The criticisms of Roman ‘civilisation’ compared with the ‘barbarian’ way of life are thick.

Obviously this is more fiction than fact, but the author’s note at the end explains what details are true, and how Manda Scott built a credible fiction to join the dots. Intriguingly done.