Publishers: Arrow Books
Pages: 432
Main Characters:
Romulus, Tarquinius,
Fabiola, Brennus.
The Forgotten Legion is
the first book in Ben Kane's epic three part The Forgotten Legion series. A series, which I have to admit, I
have not read but instead have listened to as audiobooks. I am currently on the
final part of the second book in the series called The Silver Eagle and have just download the final book of the
trilogy, The Road to Rome onto my
phone today! As a series of audiobooks, I have to say that I have been really
pleased! The narrator Michael Pread does an excellent job of bringing
Kane’s story to life. I especially like Pread’s narrations of the battles in
these books as he make you feel like you’re there, standing in the Roman ranks
with all the shouting and chaos going on around you!
The Forgotten Legion is
based around one of the most infamous eras of Roman history, the triumvirate of
Pompeii Magnus, Crassus and Julius Caesar. During this period of corruption and
instability emerges two tales. The first is that of Tarquinius, an Etruscan
warrior and soothsayer who has the ability to tell the future from the stars,
the elements and from the innards of animals. At a young age, Tarquinius is
told by his teacher that he will travel to Rome and there meet and befriend two
Gladiators. The Etruscan keeps this prophecy in mind, and after his teacher’s
death, travels to Rome. In the city,
his prophecy is reveal as (by accident) he is introduced to two Gladiators who
are wrongly accused of murder and are on the run from Roman justice.
The second story follows Romulus and Fabiola. Romulus and
Fabiola are twins who were born as slaves into the ownership of a wicked
merchant. At the age of thirteen, the twins are sold into two of the harshest
forms of slavery. Romulus is sold to a Gladiator school and Fabiola is sold to
the Lupanar, Rome’s most famous and expensive brothel. Life seems over for the two young slaves,
Gladiators only last a few months in the vicious Lupus Magnus and Fabiola seems
destine to live out her life as the plaything of wealthy men. However, their
stories do have a silver lining.
For Fabiola this comes with the introduction of Decimus
Brutus, a charming army officer and Julius Caesar’s right hand man. Fabiola
(after been taught the tricks of her trade) manages to seduce Brutus with the
hope that one day he will buy her freedom and reunite her with Romulus.
Romulus’s silver lining comes in the friendship he makes with a Gaul called
Brennus, who happens to be the best Gladiator in all of Rome! Brennus helps
train the young slave in sword fighting and when the chance arises, even sneaks
Romulus out of the Lupus Magnus for a night on the town! However, the night does
not go as planned, resulting in Romulus been accused of murdering a Roman noble
and the two Gladiators fleeing for their lives. Luckily, fate seems to be on
the Gladiators’ side as they manage to escape Rome and join an auxiliary unit
destined for service in the East with Crassus’s army. It is here where the two
Gladiators meet Tarquinius and the prophecy is fulfilled. However, with the
army moving east against Rome’s greatest enemy, their journey is not at an end,
as the three suffer bad omens, defeat and capture to become part of the
Forgotten Legion!
This was a great book! I thought the story of Crassus’s army
and the ‘Forgotten Legion’ was really interesting because most other novels based in
this period of history are always set around Caesar’s ascendancy and Pompeii’s
reaction. So I found it really interesting reading about Crassus’s fate
and the amazing story of the Legionaries that were captured after the battle of
Carrhae. As always, Kane does an extremely good job of adding precise details
to his novels, which gives his books historical accuracy. At the same time, the detail also makes them
extremely fun to read as the extra details makes it much easier to visualise
these events that happened over two thousand years ago! Plus, when you have
Michael Pread narrating, it gives another, extra bonus to the book and I’d
highly suggest you check out the audiobook of The Forgotten Legion!
A really entertaining book (and so far) an amazing series. I
would suggest this book to anyone who is a historical-fiction fan and enjoys
Ben Kane's other novels. I'd also suggest this book to anyone who is a fan of authors such as: Anthony Riches, Simon Scarrow, Conn Iggulden and Gordon Doherty.
By the way, why not check out my Youtube review of The Forgotten Legion below and remember
to give it a ‘thumbs up’ if you like and maybe even give my channel a subscribe if you really like :D
For author’s official website click here.
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