The Book
Iceni: The Year of Sacrifice
60 AD. The death of Prasutagus, the Iceni king, leaves his kingdom divided between Rome and his daughters. The Roman Procurator Catus Decianus seizes the entire territory and brutalises Boudica and her family.
Driven by vengeance, Boudica rallies the Iceni tribe and allies including the Trinovantes, Coritani, and Catuvellauni. As Roman forces are preoccupied in the north, Boudica's rebel army advances on Camulodunum, the Roman provincial capital, where a vastly outnumbered Roman defence struggles to hold.
With the fate of Roman Britannia hanging in the balance, the epic tale of sacrifice, rebellion, and fierce determination unfolds.
The Author
Stephen D Owen, an enthusiast of Roman Britain and the Iceni Revolt, wished to bring the dramatic story of Queen Boudica, a druid priest and the Iceni Revolt to life in his debut novel, Iceni: The Year of Sacrifice.
What Inspired The Writing Of The Book
Stephen explains: “The revolt of Queen Boudica and the Iceni against the might of Rome has echoed down the centuries. Nearly 2000 years ago, during the early years of Roman Britain, Boudica, victim of Roman injustice, raised the Iceni in rebellion against Rome.
On 1 st of August 1984, millennia later, a mysterious link with the drama of the Iceni Revolt may have been uncovered. The remnants of a male peat body were found at Lindow Moss Wilmslow Cheshire, England.
At first the peat body was thought to be a murder victim, yet in time the body was proven to be far older. As old as the Iron Age in Britain at the time of the Roman Conquest.
Known as Lindow Man, or Pete Marsh, archaeologists and experts were called in. A theory was put forward, Lindow Man was in fact a high-born sacrificial victim. A druid priest, perhaps close to Boudica herself, who was a witness and key to the Iceni revolt.
The discovery of Lindow Man inspired me to write Iceni: The Year of Sacrifice. Was this man a priest? Fundamental to the fate of Boudica and the Iceni? Although my version is fictional, I decided a good challenge would be to write my version of what could have happened, but I would encourage any reader to look into the history to form their own opinions!”
RELEASE DATE: 28/01/2025 ISBN: 9781835741047 Price: £9.99
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