| Dreaming the Hound (Boudica Trilogy) | 
 enlarge | Author: Manda Scott
Publisher: Delta
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy Used: $6.99
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Avg. Customer Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 258806
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 448
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 1
ISBN: 0385337752
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.914
EAN: 9780385337755
ASIN: 0385337752
Publication Date: March 27, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: EX-LIBRARY; used item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned for refund. Buy with confidence - your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics!
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Product Description
In a spellbinding novel of gods and men, myth and brutality, acclaimed author Manda Scott returns to her heralded saga of a world under siege. For here is the epic tale of Boudica, the legendary Celtic queen, and her embattled Eceni tribe—a bold new work of imaginative fiction that takes us on a thrilling journey into a clash between magic and mankind.
To the Eceni tribe of Britannia, nature is the ultimate god, and warriors are joined in battle by the voices and spirits of their ancestors. But the proud Eceni are running out of time. Nero’s army, long since out of patience with Britannia’s wild tribes, is becoming increasingly oppressive. And Boudica’s family is at the center of a gathering storm: Cunomar, Boudica’s son, who longs for the mettle to kill as fiercely as his mother… Graine, her young daughter, gifted with the power of dreamers, scarred forever by the horrors of war...and Boudica’s brother, born Ban of the Eceni, turned the traitor Valerius—a man caught between worlds: warrior and dreamer, Roman and Eceni.
As conflict erupts between the tribes and their brutal invaders, Boudica is forced to make a bold sacrifice. Cloaking her identity, she will travel directly into the stronghold of an enemy who longs for her crucifixion. What happens next—in a brutal drama of betrayal, heroism, and sacrifice—will leave Boudica with no options but one: to raise and arm every warrior, every dreamer, every tribe…and push the invader and its legions back into the sea.
From the thundering hooves of the Eceni’s great horses to mystical spirit quests of young warriors, from the politics of an empire to the passions of lovers, Dreaming the Hound takes us on a breathtaking journey of the imagination—at once brutal, fantastical, and utterly unforgettable.
MAGNIFICENT PRAISE FOR MANDA SCOTT’S BOUDICA SAGA
Dreaming the Hound
“Extraordinary.” —Independent, UK
“Brilliantly imaginative.”—Colchester Evening Gazette, UK
“Dramatic…Vivid…Lyrical.”—Yorkshire Evening Post, UK
“One of Britain’s most famous legends…is retold here with extraordinary immediacy.”—Our Time, UK
“Irresistible…an excellent read.”—Diva, UK
Dreaming the Bull
“Enthralling…Mesmerising…Creates a living past of battle feats, betrayals, heart-breaking loyalties and cruelties.”—Publishing News, UK
“Thrilling…Readers will be swept away.” —Booklist, starred review
Dreaming the Eagle
“A powerful novel about one of the most intriguing and mysterious women in history…Alive with the love, deceit, wisdom and heroics of humanity. Read it and enjoy!”—Jean M. Auel
“The new Mary Renault…Intensely exciting, a tale of passion, courage and heroism against huge odds.”—Publishing News, UK
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Another Insightful Read on the Warrior Queen September 3, 2008
Another Insightful Read on the Warrior Queen. I can never get my fill of the different takes and opinions of each individual writer on the Warrior Queen.
Dreaming the Hound April 7, 2008
A thouroughly interesting read, made even better by having read the two previous books in the series. Manda Scott certainly knows how to bring to life the tribes of ancient Britain. It is surprising how much one thinks one knows about life in the time of Boudica but until you read the books you don't realise just how little you do know or understand.
Well done, a great build up to the finale ... January 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the third book of the Boudica quartet, the Romans increasingly oppress the Eceni and other tribes, which serves to explain Boudica's preparation for rebellion. The story opens with Breaca hunting down and killing Romans on her own. Meanwhile, Valerius/Ban lives - if not alone - in exile in Hibernia.
As with the first two books, the stories of sister and brother run parallel. But as the end approaches, the two begin to merge.
Valerius gradually deals with his past. Breaca flounders at first, a stranger even to her children. But once she decides to step forward and lead, she looks to the future. Interwoven throughout, is the development of previously lesser known characters - Cunomar (son of Breaca and Caradoc), Graine (daughter of Breaca and Caradoc), Cygfa (daughter of Caradoc), and Bellos (rescued slave now living with Valerius).
While readers who enjoy character development may like this, others who want to read about the rebellion, which doesn't occur until the final book, may grow impatient.
Some may also find the detail with which the author describes certain rites of passage as well as Roman abuse and oppression disturbing. There is more violence in this book than in the preceding stories.
There are several things I like about Manda Scott's style. First, her characters are flawed but immensely likeable. As Valerius says toward the end, "So much of what I have done is unforgivable and there is no going back." Yet you want Breaca to forgive him. You want for them to move forward together in the struggle against Rome. (I found Valerius' story as compelling, if not more so, than Breaca's.)
Even some of the Roman characters - certainly Corvus and Longinus - are likeable. While you might hate what they stand for, you will find it difficult to dislike them.
Second, as with the previous book, Dreaming the Bull, this story opens with a recapping of earlier events. Moreover, it isn't just a narrative summary. It fits well into the story.
Third, I like that each book ends with its own statement about the actual history. You learn more with each reading. The author is candid about what is known and how solid the evidence is.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the final book, Dreaming the Serpent Spear. A qualified recommendation for those who enjoy epic fiction and character development, and who do not cringe at graphic descriptions of violence. If you enjoy an element of mysticism, all the better.
Well done, a great build up to the finale ... January 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In the third book of the Boudica quartet, the Romans increasingly oppress the Eceni and other tribes, which serves to explain Boudica's preparation for rebellion. The story opens with Breaca hunting down and killing Romans on her own. Meanwhile, Valerius/Ban lives - if not alone - in exile in Hibernia.
As with the first two books, the stories of sister and brother run parallel. But as the end approaches, the two begin to merge.
Valerius gradually deals with his past. Breaca flounders at first, a stranger even to her children. But once she decides to step forward and lead, she looks to the future. Interwoven throughout, is the development of previously lesser known characters - Cunomar (son of Breaca and Caradoc), Graine (daughter of Breaca and Caradoc), Cygfa (daughter of Caradoc), and Bellos (rescued slave now living with Valerius).
While readers who enjoy character development may like this, others who want to read about the rebellion, which doesn't occur until the final book, may grow impatient.
Some may also find the detail with which the author describes certain rites of passage as well as Roman abuse and oppression disturbing. There is more violence in this book than in the preceding stories.
There are several things I like about Manda Scott's style. First, her characters are flawed but immensely likeable. As Valerius says toward the end, "So much of what I have done is unforgivable and there is no going back." Yet you want Breaca to forgive him. You want for them to move forward together in the struggle against Rome. (I found Valerius' story as compelling, if not more so, than Breaca's.)
Even some of the Roman characters - certainly Corvus and Longinus - are likeable. While you might hate what they stand for, you will find it difficult to dislike them.
Second, as with the previous book, Dreaming the Bull, this story opens with a recapping of earlier events. Moreover, it isn't just a narrative summary. It fits well into the story.
Third, I like that each book ends with its own statement about the actual history. You learn more with each reading. The author is candid about what is known and how solid the evidence is.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the final book, Dreaming the Serpent Spear. A qualified recommendation for those who enjoy epic fiction and character development, and who do not cringe at graphic descriptions of violence. If you enjoy an element of mysticism, all the better.
 Building towards a shocking ending. June 27, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If the first two books of Manda Scott's quartet about Celtic Britain's stand against the Romans, Dreaming the Eagle and Dreaming the Bull had optimism, the third book, Dreaming the Hound dispels this. I've always felt that if an author can tackle a novel that doesn't necessarily have a happy ending, it proves how much talent can come through.
The novel opens with Breaca, the Boudica -- the Bringer of Victories -- hunting down Romans in the lands around Mona, the island where the dreamers train the warriors and children of the Tribes. In the cold dark times of the year, she's killing any Roman unlucky enough to cross her path, but when news arrives that her home tribe of the Eceni is under new threat from the Romans, she has to decide if she can return to a quieter life.
In Hibernia -- modern day Ireland -- her lost brother, Ban -- better known as Valerius -- is coping with his own demons. He's betrayed everyone and everything that he grew up with, and went as far as to become one of the most feared cavalry officers in the Roman legions. But his own lost heritage is calling to him in dreams where a hound figures prominently, and he is steadily being torn in two.
Rebellion among the Eceni is growing, and Breaca and her family are smack in the middle of it. She's forging iron weapons in defiance of Roman law, and even with the respect of a new governor it still isn't going to be enough -- especially when his replacement arrives. Suetonius Paulinus is determined to crush the native Britons any way that he can, and it becomes very aware to the reader that there isn't going to be much hope for survival for anyone.
Manda Scott has crafted a startling, amazing world here. For the Britons, the world is just as much a place of dreaming, where spirit animals and the ancestors send warnings and visions, to be interpreted by the dreamers. Courage and honour are everything, especially for Breaca, who is seeking to protect those that she loves.
It's in showing these relationships that the story really works. Breaca's love for her children -- Cygfa, Cunomar and especially her beloved daughter Graine -- is where the author rips at the emotions of her readers. At times this novel became very hard to read, particularly towards the end. In fact, Scott doesn't spare anyone in this story. Everyone goes through personal hell, and while it doesn't make for enjoyable reading, I certainly wanted to know what happened next.
Nor are everyone's hands clean in this one. Both Romans and the Tribes are capable of atrocities, and while Scott is most clearly on the side of Breaca and her people, she is able to show friendship and sympathy on both sides. In this one, it is Ban/Valerius who goes through the most turmoil, along with Breaca's son, Cunomar, who struggles for profiency as a warrior and acceptance from his own people.
But the biggest surprise for me was Graine, a young child throughout the novel, who may be the greatest dreamer that the Tribes have ever known. While the prescient, overly wise, child is more or less a literary feature, Scott manages to make her interesting and likeable, and not the obnoxious brat that I wish someone would give a good smack to.
While it's not a lighthearted read, it certainly is a good one. It is a very good idea to read the previous two novels in the series before taking this one on, as there is a considerable amount of information there that helps to explain what has gone on before.
Despite all of this, Dreaming the Hound is a cracking good book. It has plenty of passion and emotion, and a culture that is teetering on the edge of annihilation. A warning however, the last fifty pages of the book are extremely violent and distressing to read, and certainly not for the faint of heart.
Recommended.
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