“A gripping blend of history, battles, gore, ancient politics, betrayals, consummate and casual cruelty, and sex....a pleasure for those who like history and great adventure.” —Library Journal on The Forgotten Legion Trapped in Parthia by Crassus’s failed invasion, ten thousand legionaries are captured and marched to the edge of the known world—these men are the Forgotten Legion. Among them are Romulus, Brennus and Tarquinius, all men with troubled pasts and good reason to hate Rome. Together the trio must face the savage tribes that surround them as well as the more treacherous enemies within the ranks of the legion itself. The three friends’ character will be tested to the utter limit as they struggle to find a way back to Rome. Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus’ twin sister, fights to survive and maintain hope in her brother’s survival. Freed by her powerful lover but beset by enemies on all sides, she must travel to Gaul to find her lover, Caesar’s right-hand man, where Vercingetorix threatens the life and the lives of all who rally around Caesar.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Kane's ambitious sequel to The Forgotten Legion continues his chronicle of life in the tumultuous Roman Republic. After four years as a prostitute, Fabiola becomes the lover of the powerful Decimus Brutus, a top lieutenant of Julius Caesar. Her two fiery obsessions are to exploit her social status to track down her rapist father and to reunite with her brother, Romulus, a gladiator turned legionnaire captured by the Parthians at Carrahae. Forced to serve in the Parthian army, Romulus dreams of returning to his native Rome, his quest helped along by a soothsayer and a soldier from Gaul. The siblings' parallel adventures unfold in propulsive alternating chapters, with military campaigns and pitched battles making up the bulk of the narrative excitement. The historical details, graphic combat sequences, and finely drawn characters lift Kane's title above standard swords-and-sandals fare and should keep series fans sated until the next installment. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"Lively...riveting...Kane clearly knows the history of the period, and his story is rich in accurate historical detail. The characterizations are finely drawn and set against a dangerous, cruel, but often thrilling landscape." --Booklist on The Forgotten Legion
"A pleasure for those like history and great adventure...recommended for historical fiction collections." --Library Journal on Forgotten Legion
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A GREAT SEQUEL,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Silver Eagle (Forgotten Legion Chronicles 2) (Hardcover)
After reading and immensely enjoying his first book "The Forgotten Legion", and first installment in this series, I quickly purchased the Silver Eagle. I was not disappointed. Ben Kane has quickly established himself as a master of suspense and I found it hard to put the book down. I feel he is especially skilled at narrating the battle scenes but can also fill in the stuff in between. I do have issues with the graphic and horrific treatment of Fabiola at one point in the book which I will not go into but suffice it to say it is hard to read and not for the faint of heart. Ben Kane does an admirable job of following and weaving in the tail end of Ceasar's campaign in Gaul and his defeat of the Republican forces. Unfortunately, Ceasar is not portrayed very well(but it is a relatively small part of the book). I like Ceasar. I know he is a lovable murderer of innocent Gaulic tribes and he is a genocidal over achiever, but rapist? I think not. Why defame the great general. It's just not supported by the historical record. I know this is fiction but Kane makes it come alive for you. I do hope the third installment will quickly be on the horizon for purchase. I would definitely give this book a thumbs up and highly recommend it. You do not have to read (but it is also a great book) the first book, "The Forgotten Legion", in order to understand and keep up with the "The Silver Eagle", but I would recommend that book also. The 'Eagle' would make a great movie.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A riveting sequel - loyalty, friendship, love and betrayal in Ancient Rome,
By
This review is from: The Silver Eagle (Hardcover)
The Silver Eagle continues the interwoven stories of Ben Kane's debut novel, The Forgotten Legion. The series is set in the Roman Empire and its outskirts during the time of Julius Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, and Brutus. These historical figures play critical roles in Ben Kane's plots, but the lead protagonists are far from the seat of power. The heroes are largely taken from the conquered peoples and slaves of the Roman Empire.
We encounter the three close friends and legionaries of The Forgotten Legion again. The story continues after Crassus's failed invasion of Partha and these legionaries have been incorporated into the Parthan army. Tarquinius, the Etrucscan haruspex, is under increasing pressure by the Parthian commander Pacorus to read the future and help Parthia smash all opposition. As the Parthian troops face attacks from Scythians, Tarquinius's position becomes increasingly tenuous. Brennus, the famous gladiator and former slave from Gaul, struggles to keep up his spirit but antagonism from the Parthian troops and fellow legionaries constantly weigh him down. Brennus relies upon his friendship with Tarquinius and Romulus to keep him focused and motivated. Romulus, a former slave who proved himself to be a born warrior, dreams of returning to Rome and uniting his family. Romulus, Brennus, and Tarquinius are isolated and in danger - with no one to trust but each other, they must make the journey of thousands of miles. Meanwhile, Fabiola, Romulus's beautiful twin sister, is established in Brutus's household. She's adapting to her life on her country estate when sudden violence erupts. Fabiola suddenly faces a struggle for her life and must rely on her wits, her beauty and the loyalty of those around her as she prepares to travel to Gaul to find Brutus and safety. I enjoy stories with where determined young people somehow brave all types of treachery and insurmountable odds and still somehow maintain a sense of honor. The key heroes in Ben Kane's The Silver Eagle and The Forgotten Legion have that quality and I find myself constantly rooting for Brennus, Tarquinius, Romulus, and Fabiola. Even Fabiola's Brutus is painted as an engaging and honorable man. The relationship between Fabiola and Brutus is much deeper in The Silver Eagle, which adds another interesting element to the novel. Like The Forgotten Legion, The Silver Eagle is an engrossing story of loyalty, friendship, betrayal and love during historic and tumultuous times. Ben Kane anchors the story in much historic detail which gives The Silver Eagle an added layer of depth and complexity. I stayed up much of the night reading The Silver Eagle and highly recommend it! The third in the series, The Road to Rome, comes out in August! ISBN-10: 0312536720 Hardcover Publisher: St. Martin's Press (March 16, 2010), 480 pages. Review copy provided by the publisher.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read,
By locotaino (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Silver Eagle: A Novel of the Forgotten Legion (Novels of the Forgotten Legion) (Paperback)
If your thing is all about getting a look at history from an entertainment value perspective, then this is time well spent reading. Historical fiction has been my favorite genre for a long time now and can never really get enough learning about Ancient Rome. Stories dealing with conflict and perseverance. I am halfway through this book, which is the second of a thus far trilogy (don't know, but hoping a future fourth installment?). Already purchased the next book and enjoy the split action running between Romulus and Fabiola - very romantic figures that should hopefully reunite. Seemingly like a portal into the main character's intimate thoughts, worries, tragedies and hopefully triumphs (at page 220 right now). The writing is intelligent!
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