Manda
Scott, Bantam Press, 2005, £12.99
hb, 478pp,
0-593-05262-5
At the beginning of this
third novel in Scott’s Boudica series it is Autumn AD57. The Romans have now
made great in-roads into conquering Britain and are starting to move westwards
toward Mona (modern-day Anglesey), where the Boudica, Breaca, is based. She is concentrating on stealthily fighting
on the Romans, whilst her traitorous half brother Ban (called Valerius) is a
smith in Ireland. But they are both
drawn inexorably eastward, toward the homeland of their Eceni tribe.
Scott has built her
interpretation of the Britons’ way of life minutely, so that their inner world
is vividly portrayed. Most of the characters are extremely solemn, even when
the situation is not dire. A little bit of light, to go along with the shade,
would not go amiss and still ring true to life.
The Romans
are less carefully drawn; Scott’s understanding of their side of the
proceedings seems less assured. However, her interpretation of the actions of
the Procurator seems most plausible. In general, her grasp of material culture
(eg. artefacts, architecture, etc.) is not entirely convincing. The fruits of
closer research into the mundane results of the archaeological discoveries
about the era might help enmesh the reader more closely to the physical
setting.
The last
part of the book comes to a powerful climax, and triumphantly succeeds in
pulling the reader into frame. Here, Scott does not flinch from the violence of
war and oppression, and the effect is devastating. The scene is now truly set for the final book in the series.
S
Garside-Neville