Welcome to Aspects of History, Stephen. Did you have a personal interest in Roman history before writing Iceni: The Year of Sacrifice?

I have had a passion for Roman history for many years. I first became interested in Roman Britain and the Iceni Revolt during childhood and my knowledge and enthusiasm has developed since then.

What inspired you to write about the Boudica Rebellion specifically?

The revolt of Queen Boudica and the Iceni against Roman rule in Britain is one of the great narratives of ancient history. Boudica is remembered as one of the great enemies of Rome. The enduring story of resistance against tyranny. The rebellion took place nearly 2000 years ago in the early years of Roman Britain. Our knowledge of this era, Iron Age and Roman Britain, is mostly based on archaeology and the biased narratives of Roman historians. This lends an air of mystery to the whole period. The druids, the ancient priests who held power and influence over the Iceni and other tribes, evoke great interest. Because the druids and tribes used oral tradition and did not write anything down, our knowledge of them comes from the Romans. I wanted to get to the heart of the matter. Who were the druids, Boudica and the Iceni? Why did the Romans fear the influence of the druids? Did the priests possess wealth the Romans desired? What triggered the Revolt? I wished to fill in the gaps with my own imagination and historic fiction.

Why did you decide to focus on the Boudica Rebellion for your debut novel?

The Boudica Rebellion is not only one of the most dramatic and important events of Roman Britain, the Revolt has also captured the imagination in the wider context of a clash of cultures and resisting injustice. The Roman Empire at this time, the First Century Common Era, was all powerful and the superpower of its day. Those who resisted and fought Rome, such as the Iceni, risked all and were prepared to sacrifice all against imperial power. The Romans, in their arrogance, bred overconfidence and this could be used against them. The Revolt, Boudica and the Iceni, the druid priests provide rich material for historic fiction. So too the Romans who almost lost the province of Britannia before it had truly become established. I wished to tell their story.

What was the historical research process like?

The research process was very absorbing. I drew upon primary and secondary sources from my own collection of books devoted to Roman Britain and the Iceni Revolt, supported by much online research. The Roman historians Tacitus and Dio Cassius provided a framework from their summaries. I also researched the story of Lindow Man, a peat bog body dated to the first century CE, exhumed near Manchester in 1984. Some experts speculated the peat bog body was a druid sacrifice. This druid sacrifice became part of my story of the Revolt.

How did you approach the writing process of a trilogy?

The trilogy evolved over time. Originally, I intended to write one or two novels as I attempted to cover the entire revolt from the Roman moves against Boudica and the Iceni, to the aftermath. I soon realised, assessing word count and editorial advice, that one or even two novels would not be enough. I continued to work with a trilogy in mind and plotted accordingly.

What were the challenges of writing a novel about events that occurred almost 2,000 years ago

Writing of events in the distant past demands a great deal of historical imagination and research. I have always tried to bring authenticity to characters, landscape, scenes and language. I have researched Roman Britain at length for many years, and despite the lack of sources and our reliance on archaeology, accurate reconstruction using imagination and description is part of the writer’s craft. Describing a Roman marching camp, winter in the lands of the Iceni, the Roman town that would become London with all the character of a Roman settlement helped me achieve an authentic voice.

What was the process of characterising Boudica? How much of her character was based on historical records, and how much was your own interpretation?

The Roman historians tell us little of Boudica, other than she was a wronged wife to a Roman client king who rose up in vengeance. She is little more than the barbarian stereotype and enemy of Rome. Reading between the lines, Boudica may have been Iceni or a member of an allied tribe, such as the Trinovantes. Marrying Prasutagus of the Iceni, a Roman client king, may have been a political alliance. Boudica may have been caught between two worlds, Iceni and Roman, like so many. She also was a dutiful wife and protective mother of her daughters. When the Romans brutalised her and her daughters and seized Iceni possessions, she became overwhelmed by grief, anger and a desire for revenge. I believe she threw off any former respect for Rome and turned to the old ways of the Iceni, the druids and the gods. She became both queen and priestess of her people and held a burning hatred for Rome.

What was the process of characterising Catus Decianus? How much of his character was based on historical records, and how much was your own interpretation?

Catus Decianus is portrayed as an ambitious and ruthless Roman by the Roman historians. A procurator or fiscal officer with wide ranging powers awarded by the Roman emperor and senate. Decianus showed imperial arrogance and little regard for Boudica and the Iceni, treating them as a defeated enemy to be exploited rather than a former client state. If we are to believe the Roman historians Tacitus and Dio Cassius, his actions triggered the revolt. I expanded on this. Decianus is characterised as an arrogant imperial officer who only saw the Iceni and other tribes as assets for exploitation. He has little in the way of redeeming virtues. He is often cruel and may have believed the tribes and druids had wealth that he must extract from the new province.

What can we expect from the next two novels in the trilogy?

Iceni Rising, Part Two, is to be published by the Book Guild in late November 2026. This will be followed by Part Three, Boudica’s Fate. Iceni Rising will follow Boudica, the Iceni and allied tribes as they bring open war to the Roman province of Britannia. The Roman governor Suetonius Paulinus will face some hard decisions as his legions are scattered and the revolt becomes widespread. Boudica’s Fate will witness the climax of the revolt as Boudica and the tribal confederacy risk all in a final confrontation, trusting to the mother goddess as they face the Roman legions. Sacrifice and prophecy will play a part in the story.

Stephen D. Owen is the author of the Iceni: The Year of Sacrifice series, a trilogy of novels.

Holly Aston is an Editorial Intern at Aspects of History.