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The Forgotten Legion Chronicles by Ben Kane


Michelle

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Set in a time when Julius Caesar was still fighting for power, this book weaves together the story of three very different men. Tarquinius is a warrior and soothsayer, and Brennus the Gaul is a feared gladiator - both have seen their own races attacked by the Romans, and have lost people they loved.

 

Romulus is a slave, along with his twin sister Fabiola - he is sold to the gladiator school, and she is sold into prostitution.

 

The first part of the book tells all their stories, pulling the reader into the various aspects of Roman life.. all of which is described in a vivid way. As these three men find their destinies drawing them together, they end up fighting in a Legion that takes them far away from everything they know.

 

The actual storylines cover a long period of time, and yet they are fast paced, with plenty of action. It shows the differences between the lives of the various groups and classes of people living at that time, including some now famous names.

 

For me, the strength of this book lies in the characters, their stories, and the way their lives are bound together.. to such an extent that I was sad to leave them behind as I finished the book.

 

The paperback of The Forgotten Legion is published by Preface in April, and will be followed by the release of the second book in the series, The Silver Eagle. I would recommend it to all lovers of Historical Fiction, but in particular fans of Wilbur Smith

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  • 2 months later...

I've just finished this, and I have to agree with Michelle, that the four main characters are the strength of the book. The twins Romulus and Fabiola were incredibly strong individuals, horrifically thrown into adulthood at just 13 years of age, and Brennus brought emotional as well as physical strength to the story, while Tarquinius added a mystical, intelligent depth to the group.

 

I enjoyed the journeys of the four characters, as well as the descriptions of the society of Ancient Rome, but, I did struggle with some of the graphic scenes of fighting and the description of the military battles, mostly because I found them slightly boring.

 

Generally, it was a good page-turner (I read most of it in two days), but I wasn't particularly blown away by it, however, neither did I have to put it down or force myself to read it. I guess if you like historical tales of warfare and Ancient Rome, you'll probably enjoy this more than I did!

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  • 3 weeks later...

My review of the second book:

The Silver Eagle is the 2nd book in The Forgotten Legion Chronicles, which started with The Forgotten Legion. This initial book spends a lot of time introducing the main characters, and weaving together their lives, whilst at the same time describing everyday life for the different classes at the time.

 

For me, the strength of The Forgotten Legion was within the characters and their lives, and so I was keen to see where they would go next. It can often be difficult when picking up the second book in a series – I want to be reminded of the storylines which have gone before, but I don’t want too much time wasted on this. In this book, Ben Kane seems to get this just right – my memory was nudged just enough.

 

In the previous books, there are quite a few descriptions of fighting. This continues in The Silver Eagle, but the emphasis is more on the politics, and the war as a whole, rather than individual battles. The various characters continue their journeys, both physical and personal, and it continues to be a series which keeps your attention.

 

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with the increasing mystical powers of various characters. Tarquinus is a soothsayer, and so his abilities suit him, but it was not something I expected to see in other characters. I do hope that this isn’t relied on too much in the 3rd book.

 

I understand that this is to be a trilogy, which I believe will feel about right.. I fear it could weaken from being a long series. As it stands, I am very much looking forward to the final part of this chronicle.

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I think I'll read the second book, but will probably wait for it to come out in paperback first. I'm going to a reading the author is giving later in the week, so will be intrigued to hear him talk about the books, and find out if this is definitely going to be a trilogy and what he'll move onto afterwards.

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