"Wonderful Celtic romance!"
Our story takes place in the days when the Romans occupied
Britannia. Druidess Sulwen narrowly escaped with her life
when the Romans destroyed the Druid holy place of Ynys Mon.
As she was crouching by her dead friend, Goddess Andraste
came to Sulwen and led her to a hiding place. She also gave
Sulwen a mission—to go to Queen Boudica. When it's safe,
Sulwen jumps in the water to leave the island of Ynys Mon on
her way to the famous war queen of the Iceni. When she
finally manages to reach the shore, the first thing Sulwen
sees is an old woman, who offers her food and dry clothing.
Sulwen has come to the village of the Ordovices. After a
feast in Sulwen's honor, the chief of the Ordovices sends
two of his warriors along with her to find Queen Boudica.
Now she has a bodyguard and a companions on her mission. The next village the three of them come to is home to the
Deceangli where a feast is again held in Sulwen's honor.
Here Sulwen is gifted with three ponies, a harp by the
village bard and the chief sends another two warriors with
her to guard her. So now there are five seeking Queen
Boudica. Of course, Sulwen has another reason to be in such
a hurry to reach the queen. Her betrothed, Rhys, is the Arch
Druid of the Iceni tribe and will be with the queen. It's
been a long time since Sulwen has seen Rhys and she has
missed him dearly. Especially after the massacre on Ynys
Mon. In order to reach the queen, the five of them will have
to travel through Catuvellauni territory. Not a good thing,
since these Celts are very loyal to the Romans and Queen
Boudica burned the main village to the ground on her way
through. Since Sulwen is a Druid, they manage to make their way
through Catuvellauni territory with no mishaps and
eventually find the camp of Queen Boudica. The reunion
between Rhys and Sulwen is everything Sulwen hoped it would
be. When Sulwen finally is face to face with the queen, she
tells Boudica of her mission and what has occurred on Ynys
Mon. Turns out, Goddess Andraste has sent Sulwen to Boudica
to make sure the queen doesn't tarry. Unbeknownst to Sulwen,
Rhys has decided to sacrifice himself if Boudica does not
win the battle to free Britannia. Will Sulwen be able to accomplish her mission? Will Rhys
confess his plans to Sulwen? Will he sacrifice himself when
Boudica is finally defeated? What will happen to the queen
and her two daughters? DRUID QUEST is a fantastic look into the life of the Ancient
Celts. Cornelia Amiri has definitely done her research
before she ever put fingers to keyboard on this one, and it
shows. From the daily life of the Celts to the brutality of
the Romans, everything is here. The characters are all
wonderfully portrayed too. We have Sulwen, trained in the
Druid ways, trying to reconcile herself to the slaughter and
the total destruction of the only home she remembers, as she
attempts to carry out her mission. Then we have Rhys,
dedicated to fulfilling his duty as Arch Druid of the Iceni
tribe and feeling oh so guilty over the massacre on Ynys
Mon, knowing there was no way he could have left the Iceni
to do anything for those slaughtered. We also have the bonus
of meeting Boudica and her daughters and the author's
interpretation of the events leading to the death of the
queen. If you enjoy reading about the Celts, don't miss this
story. You'll be sorry you did.
Reviewed by Chere Gruver
Posted August 6, 2008
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In first century AD Britannia, after burning the oaken groves and the druid priest, the cold, cruel Romance move to crush Queen Boudica’s revolt. The future of the mist covered isle and its brave people rest in the hands of two druids whose views are as different as fire and ice. Yet they find love together. Arch Druid Rhys is a master of the sacred mysteries but a novice in the ways of the heart. Sulwen, a sacred druidess, discovers Rhys, the shape shifter, has evoked a basic, feral desire in her, only to find the goddess may soon exact the unfathomable price of taking him from her. Though their love is as potent as their magic, is it strong enough to survive their desperate quest?
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