The Forgotten Legion

by Ben Kane

Book Overview

Romulus and Fabiola are twins, born into slavery, and then later sold: Romulus to gladiator school, and Fabiola into prostitution, where she will catch the eye of one of the most powerful men in Rome. Tarquinius is an Etruscan, a warrior, born enemy of Rome and trained by the last haruspex in the forgotten arts of divination. A runaway slave, then an AWOL Legionaire, he has a long foretold destiny that will take him to the ends of the known world...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312601247
• ISBN13: 9780312601249
• Release Date: January 2010
• Publisher: Griffin
• Length: 525 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Great Historical Fiction

This book is a great work of historical fiction. It allow its readers to get a great sense of Roman times. The author (Ken Kane) definitely loves this era in time as you can feel how wonderfully he tell a story that makes you want to keep on reading as well as do a fantastic job at world building.

One of my favorites

I have been heavy into fiction set in ancient Rome for the last year or so and this book is the best I've read yet. I am really looking forward to the next 2 installments in the trilogy and I hope there are more to come after that. I noticed a couple of reviews saying that the the writer leans to the left or something along those lines. This is a novel, not a letter to the editer. Not once did I get the impression that the author was trying to use this story to push some agenda. Quite simply, if you're into ancient rome and enjoy reading good stories that keep you wanting more, you'll probably like this book....alot. As far as the few historical inaccuracies, you try writing a 500 page novel without making a mistake or two. Besides, this is not a script for a discovery channel documentary, it's a story of FICTION. Some of you people scrutinize these things way too much. Just get the book and enjoy.

YOU WON'T FORGET THIS BOOK!

I had been looking for a good book to read for quite some time. The last historical fiction book I read almost made me wish I was illiterate it was so poorly written (Give Me Back My Legions by Turtledove). The premise of "The Fogotten Legion" sounded interesting to me and Ben Kane truly delivers on his first attempt. You are swept into the book quickly. There is plenty of action and suspense. Well written dialogue in between and the characters are well developed and keep you interested. More importantly, they make you care about what is happening to them. I enjoyed this book immensely and wished it was a thousand pages not just five hundred. If you enjoyed any of Simom Scarrow's or Conn Iggulden's books on Roman historical fiction, then stop reading this and buy the book now. And be careful not to cut yourself on any errant jabs of the gladius while reading. Bravo Ben Kane. Bravo.

More!

Kane's forgotten legion follows the lives of twins, a Gallic gladiator, and the last Etruscan Haruspex. The terse, realistic, and well-researched nature of Kane's prose leaves the reader hanging on every word. When the book is finished, the reader stretches a mental hand for the next volume. Can't wait to get my mind wrapped around "The Silver Eagle."

FANTASTIC

From someone who has only started reading historical fiction about 1-2 years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I can not wait until Ben Kane's The Silver Eagle is released.

The Forgotten Legion...a Book to Remember!

It's hard to believe that this book is Ben kane's first novel. This young author writes with maturity and style that pulls the reader into the time period with characterization that all of us can relate to. If you enjoy Steven Pressfield, Jack Whyte and Conn Iggulden you will love this book. Like Iggulden's Emperor series, "The Forgotten Legion" takes place during the rise and fall of Julius Caesar. Unlike Igguldens books though, Kane describes the times from the perspective of three slaves: brother and sister (twins) Romulus and Fabiola, and the captured Gaul Warrior Brennus. In addition, Tarquinius an Etruscan master of war and divination adds a sense of destiny and magic to this historical piece of fiction. Romulus and Fabiola are sold respectively to a famous gladiatorial school and famous house of prostitution. Kane pulls no punches in his description of gladiatorial combat, war, filth and the ultimately dehumanized state that was the lot of slaves. The three males meet up after Romulus and Brennus escape from the Ludus Magnus. These men that have every reason to loath Rome ironically end up fighting for her under incompetent military leader Crassus and surviving a bloody battle with the Parthians only to find themselves in chains again. Fabiola becomes the favorite prostitute of a key political figure and there is even the hint that the twins hold a genetic secret that could add a real twist to this series. While the action and storytelling are great and the historical perspective fascinating; the best thing about this new series is that it is addictively entertaining. Rumor has it that the next novel in Ben kane's series comes out in July of this year. I for one will be first in line for my copy.