The Forgotten Legion, by Ben Kane

July 8, 2009 by
Filed under: Ben Kane, book review, historical fiction, military fiction, recommendation 

The Forgotten Legion is the debut book of Ben Kane. It is, as the name indicates, a historical fiction book set in the age of the Roman Empire, during theThe Forgotten Legion, by Ben Kane middle of the last century B.C. This is a difficult age to write about for an author of historical fiction, as there are so many great books already published. However, Ben Kane does a great job. His book has a perspective and focus which is unique and sets him apart. Also, the book is well plotted and the story very compellingly told.

The tale is about two gladiators, a soothsayer and a prostitute that all seek freedom and revenge. They are all common people, far distanced from the doings of the nobility and with much more modest and simple goals. While Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus struggle for control of Rome, Romulus and Fabiola, the illegitimate children of a slave raped by a nobleman, run afoul of their master and are sold off. Romulus is sold to a gladiator school and Fabiola to the city’s most fancy brothel.

Romulus is trained by Brennus, a fearsome huge Gaulian gladiator whose family was slaughtered by the Roman army. And, meanwhile, across the Forum, Fabiola, soon a favored courtesan of the social elite, vows to save her brother from certain death and to destroy the man who fathered her.

Then, after a fatal accident outside the brothel, Romulus and Brennus flee the city, joining up with Tarquinius, an Etruscan warrior who can glimpse the future. They enlist in Crassus’ army as they prepare to invade the Parthian Empire. As we know, Crassus failed miserably, and thus a legion of Roman soldiers was lost. The rest of the book is mostly their story.

The Forgotten Legion tells a great tale, and the descriptions of the battles, be they gladiatorial or army battles, are extremely well described. And the scenes of the life of the gladiators, in the brothel, and in the military, including the battles Crassus’ Roman legions fought against the Parthians, seem plausible and are very interesting.

The Forgotten Legion is a very good historical novel with several good twists and a unique and interesting perspective. Kane clearly knows the history of the period pretty well, and his story is rich in historical detail. The characterizations are not quite as good, but more than passable. His book, which reminds me a lot of Conn Iggulden in writing style, is a very welcome addition to the literature about this era.

Links to books by Ben Kane at amazon US, amazon UK, and amazon CAN.

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