Loved the historical background of the Roman and Inceni tribe along with the romance! Really enjoyed Brea and Hanna - how their lives were intertwined! Good mix of mystery, past lives, romance, and family! I really enjoyed the book!

Wow, what a read. From page one I was captivated by this book. Told in a dual timeline and as always I loved the historical timeline more. I learnt so much about the Romans occupation of England. I never really gave much thought to that time period until I read this book and now I am keen to learn more.
The time period is well researched and the characters are well developed and believable.
I absolutely love this author, she has a great writing style and a fantastic way of drawing the reader into her story. I love how the story made me feel and how it is still with me five month's later.
A perfect five star read.

A really fantastic dual timeline historical romance, this was my first Elena Collins book and I was pleasantly surprised. I don't read as much historical romance as I'd like but I'll be sure to pick up more thanks to this book. I really liked that the switch between timelines effortless and worked well together, this was a really well written enjoyable story.

"The Daughter of the Fens" by Elena Collins, a pen name for USA Today bestselling author Judy Leigh, is a captivating timeslip novel that seamlessly weaves together historical and contemporary narratives. With its rich storytelling and a blend of Roman conquest and present-day connections, this book earns a well-deserved four-star rating.

Set in AD 61, during the Roman occupation of Brittania, the novel revolves around Queen Boudicca's determination to regain her land after the betrayal of the conquering Romans. The story is intricately linked with the experiences of Brea, an Iceni slave who longs for freedom and seeks her lost father. The historical narrative is well-researched, immersing the reader in the vivid portrayal of ancient times and the struggles faced by the characters.

The present-day storyline follows Hanna, who returns to Norfolk and experiences strange dreams that seem to bridge the gap between past and present. The seamless transition between the two timelines is a testament to the author's skill in crafting a compelling narrative. The misty fens and the ancient echoes that resonate in the landscape add an atmospheric layer to the storytelling.

The characters are well-drawn and evoke empathy from the reader. Brea's longing for freedom and Hanna's connection to the tragedies of the past create a poignant and emotionally resonant narrative. The choice between love and loyalty, as faced by Brea, adds a layer of complexity to the plot, while Hanna grapples with making peace with her own history.

Elena Collins, through her adept storytelling, captures the essence of historical times while infusing the narrative with a sense of mystery and connection across centuries. The themes of love, loyalty, and the impact of history on the present are skillfully explored, making the novel a compelling and thought-provoking read.

For fans of Barbara Erskine, Diana Gabaldon, and Louise Douglas, "The Daughter of the Fens" is a noteworthy addition to the timeslip genre. Judy Leigh's venture into historical fiction under the pseudonym Elena Collins showcases her versatility as an author. With its well-crafted narrative and engaging characters, this novel is a recommended choice for those who enjoy a blend of historical and contemporary storytelling.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

As a fan of romance and historical fiction, and particularly historical fiction set in time periods and locations not as frequently written about, I loved, loved this novel. It was clearly well-researched, well-written, and immensely enjoyable.

This is a timeslip novel, meaning that some of the exposition took place in ancient Roman-occupied Britain, but some took place in modern-day Britain, and while I did prefer to read the parts that took place in the past, the characters in both time periods were well-realized and interesting. I did not find myself skipping the modern parts to get to the historical portions, as I have done with past dual-timeline novels.

A wonderful historical fiction perfect for fans of Roman Britain, historical romance, and Barbara Erskine/Irina Shapiro.

A dual timeline story set in AD61, where Brea is a Roman slave, and in present day Norfolk, where Hanna has recently returned home from China. Hanna is having mysterious dreams and when the farm dog finds a Roman necklace that she dreamed about, she is intrigued by her connection to the past. A well written and interesting story that touches in reincarnation and spiritual connection,

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Elena Collins and Bookouture for an ARC in return for an honest review.

When Hanna returns to Norfolk from years working abroad, the strange dreams of her adolescence return: indistinct figures in tunics, mighty soldiers in armour, gladiators, temples, an Iceni warrior woman leading her people. Gradually Hanna’s dreams begin to slip into the present as visions in the famous mists rolling across the fens, and as shocks of recognition when a new face moves to her childhood home.
My first book by this author, it won't be the last. There are few dual time stories I read but this one is on par with Barbara Erskine my favourite author of this genre. Not as scary thank goodness, but so well written and researched I couldn't put it down.
Brea is an Iceni slave in the service of a Roman family in first century Britain, through her eyes we experience the terrible lives of the slaves in this period. We feel her fear, pain and disillusionment.
Hanna feels an intense connection with Brea and has spent many years trying to find the meaning of her feelings and uncertainties. Returning from a teaching post in China, she comes home to Norfolk for her mother's wedding and the surrounding fens bring back dreams she thought were over.
Running between these two worlds is an exciting read, I couldn't wait to find out how the story ends. I am very glad I chose to review the Daughter of the Fens and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction at it's very best. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an excellent read.

Ever since I read her first book, Elena Collins has been an auto-read author for me, and Daughter of the Fens did not disappoint. I love her blend of history, mysticism and contemporary writing. Every story keeps me turning the pages with a combination of easy reading, fabulous research and immersive writing.

Like Elena’s other books, Daughter of the Fens is a duel timeline novel, with a historical story set in Norfolk during the Roman occupation of England, and a modern day narrative in the same location.

Brea is an Iceni slave to a Roman nobleman following the destruction of her village by Roman forces. She is biding her time, waiting for the opportunity to avenge her family. But when her master’s son comes back for an arranged marriage, and he begins to confide in her as an equal, as well as appointing her as personal slave for his bride to be, her loyalties begin to shift.

In the modern day, Hanna has been troubled by vivid dreams that put her deep in the past, ever since falling during a gymnastics tournament. Coming back from China for her mother’s wedding to a local farmer in Norfolk, she finds the dreams escalate and they seem to correspond with ghostly sightings around her new home. When Hanna finds an ancient necklace in a nearby field, the artefact leads her on a journey of discovery that is both personal and historical.

Daughter of the Fens is a love story. It’s a story of losing agency in your own life and of rediscovering who you are through the people around you. It’s a beautiful book full of joy, sadness and a wonderful sense of place. This is a ghost story that isn’t about frights and jump scares. Instead it’s about the past lingering and overlapping with life in modern times. I loved reading Daughter of the Fens and can’t wait for Elena Collins next book!

Collins brings readers between Roman Britain and modern Britain in The Daughter of the Fens. Following Hanna, recently returned to Norfolk from teaching in China, and Brea, an Iceni girl enslaved by Romans, readers explore two intertwined narratives in this novel. Hanna discovers Roman artifacts on her mother’s boyfriend’s farm and tries to readjust to life back in Norfolk, while Brea, attempting to survive her enslavement in a Roman villa, seeks to protect her friends and find her parents, whom she was separated from during a Roman attack, as Boudicca and the Iceni grow increasingly dissatisfied with Roman overlordship. Collins’ characters are the heart of the story, while the setting (Norfolk) connects Hanna and Brea’s respective narratives. The background characters in both settings are as developed as the main characters, which allows readers to lose themselves in both halves of the story. As for the setting, Collins has clearly done her research on Roman Britain, as she cleverly describes Roman life, particularly in Britain, in great detail, adding to the charm and realistic historical elements of the novel. The Daughter of the Fens is an incredibly written historical fictional novel spanning two narratives and two different worlds that readers are sure to lose themselves in.

A beautiful duel time-line historical novel. The author does a wonderful job of linking present day to the past of the Iceni Tribe.
Truly a fascinating and intriguing read that I highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

A timeslip mystery set between the Roman invasion of Britain and present day. I enjoyed the descriptions of the Romans and their day to day life with the captured slaves but the present day characters were over written. Well researched, a perfect read for fans of Barbara Erskine.

Die „Timeslip novels“ von Ms Collins sind alle in etwa nach demselben groben Schema aufgebaut: wir haben einmal eine Heldin imhier und jetzt, in diesem Falle Hanna, und eine Heldin aus längst vergangenen Zeiten, in diesem Falle die als junges Mädchen von den Römern versklavte Iceni-Kriegerin Brea, und zwischen beiden Frauen besteht eine spezielle, magisch anmutende Verbindung. Die Protagonistin aus der Vergangenheit hat immer noch einige Dinge abzuschließen, bevor sie zur Ruhe kommen kann, und die Heldin aus der Neuzeit muss ihr dabei auf irgendeine Art helfen. Also das Rad neu erfinden tut die Autorin nur bedingt, aber fas macht nichts, heraus kommen immer wieder neue mitreißende Geschichten, und die Vergangenheit gibt schließlich genug Stoff her, sodass sich die Romane eben doch nie gleichen.
„The Daughter of the Fens“ ist für mich sogar das bislang spannendste Buch, das ich von der Autorin gelesen habe. The Daughter, die Tochter, ist im Titel im Singular, aber im Prinzip sind sowohl Hanna als auch Brea Töchter der Moore Norfolks. Denn hier spielt die Geschichte: Brea wuchs vor 2000 Jahren im von Rom besetzten Britannien auf, und wurde mit 13 Jahren bei einem Überfall auf ihre Sippe versklavt. Diesen Überfall erlebt Hanna im hier und heute in ihren Träumen immer wieder: seit sie ebenfalls mit 13 Jahren einen Unfall hatte, spukt ihr Brea im Kopf herum. Immer wieder hat sie in ihren Träumen eine Verbindung zu ihr; und besonders echt sind diese Träume, seit sie wieder in Norfolk lebt.
Als Leser sind wir abwechselnd bei Brea, die in einem römischen Haushalt aufwächst im heutigen Colchester, und bei Hanna, die nach mehreren Jahren im Ausland nun wieder in England ist, und vorübergehend bei ihrer Mutter und ihrem neuen Stiefvater einzieht. Wir begleiten beide Frauen, wie sie ihr Leben sortieren und n die Hand nehmen, sich verlieben und in die Zukunft sehen. Und immer wieder kommt die Vergangenheit mit der Gegenwart in Berührung….
Ich mochte beide Protagonistinnen sehr, und habe mit beiden mitgefiebert. Die Autorin schreibt so lebendig, dass man immer mitten im Geschehen drin ist.
Ich war besonders immer mit Brea live dabei: das war ein richtig cooler Erzählstrang. Von den Iceni aus der Eisenzeit und ihrer Kriegerkönigin Boudicca habe ich schon mal vage was gehört, aber hier wird einem dieser Teil der britisch-römischen Geschichte nähergebracht. Die Iceni waren nämlich ziemlich modern mit ihrer Auffassung von Gleichberechtigung: hier haben die Frauen auch zum Schwert gegriffen und gekämpft, und das fand ich super interessant. Dieser Aspekt wurde auch öfters herausgehoben, hat mir gefallen 😊.
Also: faszinierende Settings, tolle Charaktere, und fesselnd erzählt – hier hat für mich wieder einmal alles gestimmt. Es ging um die ganz großen Gefühle, um die großen Werte im Leben. Liebe, Freiheit, Freundschaft, Familie. An dem, was uns so wichtig ist, hat sich in den letzten 2000 Jahren nicht viel geändert. Ich mache es kurz: das Buch war toll, bitte lesen!
Lieben Dank an Netgalley und den Verlag für das Rezensionsexemplar!

I absolutely loved this author's book The Witch's Tree so I was excited to grab a copy of this newest timeslip novel. It follows the story of Iceni slave Brea in AD 61 and Hannah in present day who has visions that take her back to that time. The beautiful descriptive writing just pulled me into the story and I couldn't wait to find out the connection between these two women. Although I haven't read much about this time period, I could tell the details were well researched and I felt like I was learning a bit of the history as I read. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Daughter of the Fens is a dual-timeline story about Hanna and Brea. In the present day, Hanna started having weird dreamlike hallucinations after she fell and hit her head. They seem very real to her and she kind of becomes immersed in them, she sees things from the point of view of Brea. In the old times, Brea was a slave who was working for a Roman master. and must make a choice between loyalty and love. I found the transitioning from the timelines really interesting. I thought the characters were well done and the story was well-written. I look forward to checking out more by this author.

The Daughter of the Fens is a detailed fast paced story, that has a slow revealed plot. The plot is broken up into the different timelines of 2006, the present day, 47 AD and 60 AD.

Collins has researched the lifestyle, customs, traditions and society of both the Roman and Iceni people. There is a lot of interesting information regarding the Roman era. The writing style is easy to follow, with a mixture of description and dialogue. There are headers, that provide aid on the navigation between characters. A picture of a map of Roman Britannia in AD 60...as well as a cut away drawing of a home shows a outline what life like in the for Romans.

The character development of The Daughter of the Fens gives the reader a brief background about the characters enabling them to form a lasting impression. The characters are relatable and realistic with their own personalities and mannerisms.

At 13, Hanna's life runs like clockwork, a busy timetable of school, training and competitions. Her mother has been committed, driving her to competitions since she was 9. Her mother takes her to the a&e, for Hanna to be told that she has a mild concussion...but deep down she still feels the presence of the teenager from her dream, who was like her, yet not...

In the present day...after 4 years of teaching in an international school Hanna's contact had finished, and she was returning home. The dreams, that were her companions through her teens have become quieter whilst she was away. Her mother's wedding is approaching and Hanna is looking forward to embracing a new life...

Brea lives in an Iceni village with her parents in a hut. The Iceni king, Antedios had grown suspicious of the Roman invaders, that had arrived a few years ago. It was feared that they wanted to change everything and take away the traditions of the Iceni people. A Roman army arrives and captures men women and children making them slaves...

In 60 AD, Brea worked in the kitchen, for her master. She experiences daily difficulties, being the only Iceni in a villa of Greek and Gallic slaves...she is waiting for the chance to fight to avenge what was taken from her...until then she goes about her duties, saying nothing.

Overall I feel that The Daughter of the Fens gives enough hints to keep you reading... promising answers but just falling short, until the end when it makes some sense and things are somewhat explained.

I would suggest reading The Daughter of the Fens to people who enjoy reading historical fiction and women's fiction based around a dual timeline, as it is a character driven story about the experiences and journey of the characters as they try to reach their end goals...

So far I haven't met one of Elena's books that I haven't loved and this one was no different. I love how she flips from modern day back into the past so easily and there's no clunky feel to it.
I really enjoyed the small glimpses of Brea's life that we each time and that it gradually gives us this fuller picture of her and her life and how it changes.I loved stepping back to that time period, Roman britian is a rich time for Elena to have picked and I'm really pleased she picked the Iceni tribe, it's one of those names that instantly gives you an image in your head when you hear the name.
I could barely put the book down it just kept me hooked the whole time, Elena's brilliant descriptions made me feel like I was stepping into the story and time period, I pretty much read it in a day(housework can wait right?) and I think that's been the case for all of Elena's books I've read.
Hanna's story was interesting and enjoyed seeing how her life flowed and how being connected to Brea kind of helped her find her path in life, it was really good to see her find her passion at the end of the book.
I always knew that I'd love this book and Elena Collins is always an auto-buy author for me so I'm now eagerly looking forward to her next book and where in time it will take me!

I have always loved a book that has dual timelines. I had also read Lady of the Loch by this author so I knew that I would enjoy The Daughter of the Fens.

In the first century, the Romans pretty much ruled Britain. Brea is from the Iceni tribe, the Romans had killed King Prasutagus and defiled his wife Boudicea and their daughters. Brea's family was also killed and Brea and her father were taken as slaves and split up. She has not seen her father for many years.

Her duties consist of overseeing Aurelia, who is soon to be the wife of Marcellus, he is developing feelings for Brea instead. But she is determined to find her father with Marcellus's help. A battle ensues and Brea is able to escape She takes Aurelia with her.

Present day we see Hannah, who had just come home from China. As a 13 year old she had an accident while practicing her gymnastics. She hit her head and right after started to have dreams. Dreams where she sees a woman in the mist. As a result, she wants to find out what she can especially as there are some ancient artifacts that are being found on the fens.

Hannah feels that there is a connection between her and the woman she sees. This is very magical but tragic also. It is well written with attention to the detail of past and present.

I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author. The next book by her is The Witches Tree. If you love a dual timeline kind of story, then this one is for you.

I give this novel 5 stars.

I absolutely loved this book and all the main characters from both time frames.
How love can conquer all, that is so very Elena Collins, I definitely love these books she has written and cannot wait for the next one. I wont give too much away but the whole foresight dreaming, and knowing things, it resonates with me, not to the same extent as in the book obviously. The horses, the detail, farmers, pigs, it's all there. You can tell this was a subject close to the authors heart and its so very well researched. Y0u have to read this book. I wonder if you find Stephanie as amusing as I do.

“Norwich, 2006. The instant her head hit the floor, something changed forever. Seconds passed. It took moments for Hanna to open her eyes again and when she did, she had no recollection of what had happened. Another life flashed before her eyes, a life she didn’t recognise as her own, but one that would never leave her.” - Prologue.

My thanks to Boldwood Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Daughter of the Fens’ by Elena Collins.

This is a fascinating time-slip novel set amongst the Norfolk fens.

When she was thirteen Hanna fell and hit her head during a gymnastics tournament. She found herself standing in a village, dressed in a tunic and surrounded by fighting men. A sword is thrust into her hands and she is addressed by an unfamiliar name. Then a soldier grabs her arm and suddenly she is back in the gym, anxious faces gathered all around her. She continues to have dreams of a different time and place.

In the present day Hanna is returning to England after four years teaching abroad. Her strange dreams had faded though when she arrives back in Norfolk, they return along with glimpses of a solitary figure that seems to be haunting the fens as if seeking something.

The narrative is split between the two timelines. In the present day Hanna is helping her mother prepare for her upcoming marriage to a local farmer. She is also considering her own future. When she meets a newcomer to the village there is an immediate shock of recognition. Yet from where? Or when?

In AD 60 Brittania is occupied by the Romans. Brea, an Iceni slave, remembers little of the time before the Romans. She diligently goes about her duties though longs for her freedom and to be reunited with her family. Despite herself, she is drawn to Marcellus, the son of her master Publius Julius. Marcellus is a legate in the Roman army and is about to wed Aurelia, a young woman who has travelled from Rome. Brea is assigned as her personal slave.

In the past Queen Boudicca leads the Iceni and other tribes in rebellion against the Romans and Brea is faced with a choice between love and loyalty while Hanna must discover how to make peace with the past.

Elena Collins addresses the question of whether Hanna’s link to Brea is due to reincarnation or is she just sensitive to a restless spirit?

I felt that Elena Collins had clearly undertaken a great deal of research into Roman Britain and integrated this into her story. At first I did find the dialogue used by the characters in Britannia rather modern though I decided that these interactions were likely being filtered through Hanna’s consciousness.

Overall, I enjoyed ‘The Daughter of the Fens’ finding it a satisfying time-slip novel with engaging storylines and relatable characters. After this positive experience, I plan to read her two earlier time-slip novels.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

A dual timeline story that is interwoven beautifully and the characterisation is magnificent . This one is unique because the timeline seems to be told through dreams. In the past we have Brea from the Iceni tribe who is captured by Romans and in the present is Hanna who has vivid dreams of a young girl. This magical story captured my attention throughout the book. I felt inspired by the strength of the characters and it made me feel giddy. The plot too me feels like a adult version of a children's fairytale and I really enjoyed reading.