The Forgotten Legion

Forgotten Legion Chronicles 1

De: Ben Kane

Narrado por: Michael Praed

Romulus and Fabiola are twins, born into slavery after their mother is raped by a drunken nobleman on his way home from a good night out. At 13 years old, they and their mother are sold: Romulus to gladiator school, Fabiola into prostitution, where she will catch the eye of one of the most powerful men in Rome, and their mother into obscurity and death in the salt mines.

Tarquinius is an Etruscan, a warrior and soothsayer, born enemy of Rome, but doomed to fight for the Republic in the Forgotten Legion.

Brennus is a Gaul; the Romans killed his entire family. He rises to become one of the most famous and feared gladiators of his day - and mentor to the boy slave, Romulus, who dreams night and day of escape and of revenge.

The lives of these four characters are bound and interwoven in a marvellous story which begins in a Rome riven by corruption, violence and political enmities, but ends far away, where Romulus, Brennus, and Tarquinius find themselves fighting against the Parthians and overwhelming odds.

©2011 Ben Kane (P)2011 Random House Audio Go

can't stop listening

everything Ben Kane writes is solid gold, I love how his stories seem to be never ending

Great story, Great Performance

Great first book in the trilogy. Has really put me into this author. Highly recommended

Ps there are some strange parts but doesn’t come up as much in the next books

Very Entertaining Listen

This is a very entertaining series. Set in various places throughout the empire, there’s revenge, divine intervention, casual brutality, unyielding courage, and tender compassion. Give it a try.

Very much enjoyed

Historical and entertaining for a period piece. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Great Story, Great Reading

Incredibly well written and very well read. Great audiobook, one of my favorites. Will look for more books by both this author and reader.

Amazing Start to a Series

I don’t write many reviews, nor am I long winded. This was great historical fiction coupled with meticulous research. Starting book 2 today.

Well done

I enjoyed this book very much. A great story and good character development I hope there are more books to this series

detailed descriptions of sex

I couldn't finish it. I thought I bought a book about a lost legion but what I got was constant divergence into bullshit prophecy and underage prostitution detailed in pornagraphicaly vivid description.

Everytime someone goes poking around in sheep's guts to determine the future I couldn't pay attention. The prophecies are not vague things either, those piles of sheeps guts are very specific about the future. Who knew?

As annoying as that is, it doesn't come close to level of cringe involved with the brothel. The idea of a young prostitute working her way up Roman society by seducing powerful men could be a compelling story, but it isn't how this book was marketed and I certainly didn't appreciate the level of detail. Maybe teaching 13 year old girls that stuff was common in ancient Rome but it isn't now and I have a modern man's sensibilities. Hard pass.

I really loved Clash of Empires so I figured this would compare. It does not. I might still give his Spartacus series a try. Oh, the narrator does a pretty solid job. I liked his performances quite a bit. I may be imagining it but I also think he was as uncomfortable reading the sex descriptions as I was to listening.

Tiresome trope

I have been searching for some time for a good Roman historical fiction. I have found a few ok once but most are just such tripe. And this one fallows the same cliché story line. All Roman’s bad all downtrodden good. Once you find a Roman that seems to be good he is really just good at hiding the bad. Roman has nothing of its own just steels every one else’s stuff. Bla bla bla.

Too many Mary Sue's

Good premise and the narator does a good job, but the main characters are all Mary Sues and the details are totally predictable.

MC1 - The bestest and most famous gladiator in Rome. He's a killer with a conscience.
MC2 - Warrior/Druid type out for revenge against Rome. He sees/predicts the future and fights like a commando.
MC3 - Slave boy who is smart and good looking, has amazing fighting skills but cares deeply for those around him. Mentored by MC1 + MC2.
MC4 - Twin sister of MC3. She becomes the best whore in all of Rome, but manages to stay unjaded. Loved by (almost) all including other whores, brothel slaves, the madam, and the rich and famous.

I think this is the author's first book and he has several more, so maybe later books in the series get better and his writing has improved. But I don't think I can get past the endless cliches, stereo types and easy/unrealistic escapes to find out.