Dreaming the Hound

November 21, 2005
Scott returns to Roman Britannia for the third of four planned installments in her Boudica saga (Boudica: Dreaming the Eagle
; Boudica: Dreaming the Bull
). The native warrior Breaca of the Eceni tribe—called Boudica, "Bringer of Victory," for her valiant but failed attempt to repel the first century A.D. Roman invasion of Britannia—has fled in defeat with her followers to the west of the country to continue their resistance. After a tribal elder and dreamer who receives visions from the gods unsuccessfully tries to recruit Boudica's half-brother Valerius, who earlier betrayed the Eceni to the Romans, the dreamer challenges her to go east to rally her people against Rome. Breaca agrees, only to fall into the ruthless hands of the emperor's procurator for taxes. He has her flogged and her young daughters raped, and would have crucified them except for the intervention of her Valerius. Scott has teased a few facts from the ancient record to create an absorbing story from history and myth. Readers new to the Boudica saga may find the genealogy complicated and the going slow at first, but they will be rewarded with a heroic story of a rebellious warrior queen.

January 15, 2006
Scott works hard to avoid the dreaded -middle book - syndrome in the third installment of her projected four-book epic on Celtic warrior queen Boudicca (referred to as Breaca in the series). Following the events in "Boudica: Dreaming the Bull", Breaca struggles to find an effective way to stand against the Roman incursion given the heavy restrictions placed upon her tribe's way of life. Her children have become strangers to her and seem terribly vulnerable in spite of their bravery and intellect. Furthermore, Breaca is still reeling from the loss of her adored husband, Caradoc. In the meantime, Breaca's estranged brother, Valerius, must come to terms with the dual sides of his heritage; he is both warrior and dreamer, tribesman and Roman. Even the two gods in whom he believes, Nemain and Mithras, are at odds. Is compromise possible? Scott excels at portraying raw emotion in flawed human beings. An excellent choice for historical fiction collections and for libraries that have purchased earlier volumes in the series. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 10/1/05.]" -Laurel Bliss, Princeton Univ. Lib., NJ"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2006
Adult/High School -A fictionalized account of the events from A.D. 57 to 60 in the life of the warrior queen Breaca, also called Boudica, Bringer of Victory. On the isle of Mona with her family and other warriors, Breaca hunts Romans, grieves for her lover Caradoc (betrayed and exiled), and worries about the fate of her children. Returning to the mainland to rally the remaining Eceni, she runs the risk of being recognized and executed. The Eceni now have a king who accepts Roman rule and will require convincing if they are to revolt. Boudica -s brother, Ban, had taken the name Valerius and fought against his own people. Exiled in Hibernia, considered a traitor by both sides, he must reconcile his Celtic and Roman sides and decide whether to join Boudica. The characters are fully developed with their own motives, strengths, and weaknesses. Introspection (particularly the Druid concept of dreaming) alternates with action. Violent in parts, the book culminates in a disturbing but historically accurate incident: the flogging of Breaca and the rape of her daughters (one age nine) prior to an attempted crucifixion. The third in a series, the novel stands on its own. An introductory passage by the elder of Mona briefly explains previous events. Fans of historical fiction and adventure will enjoy the book, while the dream-quest elements and Celtic lore will appeal to fans of fantasy." -Sandy Freund, Richard Byrd Library, Fairfax County, VA"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2006
In the third installment of the Warrior Queen series, Boudica continues to attempt to rally the tribes of ancient Britannia against the Roman occupiers. Despairing the loss of her lover, Carodoc, Boudica must nevertheless provide the strength and leadership necessary to motivate the downtrodden Eceni to rebel against the mighty Roman legions. Counseled by her ancestors in the land of dreamers, she realizes she must somehow raise the warriors of the east to defeat the Romans and save her people from enslavement and annihilation. To do so, it will be necessary for her to reconnect with her banished and imprisoned half brother, Ban, for only together will they be able to fulfill their mystical destiny. Epic in scope, Scott's vivid reimagination of a legendary character will appeal to fans of fantasy and historical fiction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)