Ханибал - врагът на Рим

Hannibal #1

by Ben Kane, Бен Кейн

Първата книга от блестящата нова поредица за Втората пуническа война от автора на исторически бестселъри Бен Кейн. През Първата пуническа война римляните са победили и унизили Картаген, техния единствен сериозен съперник за власт в Средиземноморието. Сега блестящият картагенски генерал Ханибал е решил да отмъсти. В надигащата се буря съдбата среща двама младежи – Ханон, син на изтъкнат войник и довереник на Ханибал, и Квинт, син на римски конник и земевладелец. Катастрофална авантюра в морето превръща Ханон в роб, купен от бащата на Квинт. Макар че между двамата младежи – и сестрата на Квинт Аврелия – се ражда неочаквано приятелство, съдбата ги разделя, когато двете воюващи страни се изправят една срещу друга. Двамата се озовават на противоположните страни на конфликта и съюзът, изкован в робство, ще бъде доведен до зашеметяващия си край на бойното поле.

Никога досега такава мощна армия не се е събирала под картагенските знамена, никога такава омраза не е царувала в сърцата на воините му. Рим трябва да бъде унищожен!

„На този свят нямаме нищо друго освен спечеленото с мечовете си“.
Ханибал Барка

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, War, Roman, Fantasy, Military Fiction

480 pages, Paperback

First published June 9, 2011

About the author

Ben Kane is a bestselling Roman author and former veterinarian. He was born in Kenya and grew up in Ireland (where his parents are from). He has traveled widely and is a lifelong student of military history in general, and Roman history in particular. He lives in North Somerset, England, with his family.

Reviews

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.75/10

Buen inicio de saga por parte de Ben Kane, en el que podremos disfrutar de diferentes puntos de vista, tanto del bando cartaginés como del romano y en el que se nos explica el motivo por el que Aníbal empezó esta guerra contra Roma que duró tantos años.

La novela es muy del estilo de Kane, con una narración bastante ágil y mucho ritmo, siempre ritmo, lo que lleva a que en ningún momento te alcance el tedio. Hay bastante acción, pero sin que las luchas sean el epicentro de la historia ni mucho menos, de hecho las batallas en sí son bastante contenidas y se pasa por encima de ellas en muchos casos. Los personajes cumplen bien en su rol y son capaces de generar empatía con el lector. Las tramas secundarias también son interesantes y terminan todas confluyendo en la principal de una manera "creíble" y amena para el lector.

Si hablamos de defectos, lo cierto es que no le veo ninguno demasiado destacable a esta novela, ya son pequeños apuntes personales, como por ejemplo que me hubiera gustado que se centrará todavía más en el bando cartaginés, cuya cultura desconozco mucho más que la romana, la cual ya tengo muy leída, pero como digo es más una apreciación personal.

Sin duda seguiré con la saga, la cual recomendaría a todos aquellos que gusten de novela histórica militar.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial thoughts - More a 3.5 Stars but not quite enough consistency all the way through to round up & give it a 4 despite it being a flowing read which is always a good sign.

Fuller review to follow. Have been a hum & a har over this review....

So... It's a fast flowing read, strong on historical knowledge & character developement, the story is there & its an easy four.....BUT... your 2/3rds of the way through the book & yer hang on a tick....? I signed up for a tale of Hannibal, where he be? ok he's on campaign & we've "met" him at the seige of Sanguntum where he's been all charismatic a la Russell Crowe (Master & Commander) stylee but we're on the FARM (for the most part) with the yoofs still... Hanno, Quintus & Aurelia & I'm reading a YA vibed book.. I feel tricked, its getting a TWO! BAH!

Where's me elephants, wheres the Alps & the grand campaign up through Iberia, Gaul & into Italy......? I AM starting to wain....

AND then jus in the nick of time(for me) the emphasis switches to Hannibal & Hanno's siblings & father who are highly regarded officers of Hannibal & we're on campaign, we still get glimpses of the Farm & the Yoofs adventures but the main story now is on Hannibal, not before time too. With the story fully supplanted on the adults I'm enjoying it a lot more.

To sum it up, for me its a 60/40 book, all good mind, but perhaps not quite what you want or expect so I would say go in eyes open. I mention YA but in reality its not likely designed that way, its jus that the most part of the story revolves around characters who happen to be in the process of child to manhood, coming of age they call it....

I will read on in the series as I DID enjoy the flow of the story & cant say fairer than that really.

[Dana Ilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written, interesting book, with a captivating story, I liked it a lot, BUT it is not exactly what I thought it would be. The series is called Hannibal, I expected it to be a central character, to find out details about the strategies of the fight, his life, how he became such a respected general with historic results. If this is what you are looking for, you will be disappointed.

[happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Dr. Kane’s novel a very entertaining and readable look at the beginnings of the Second Punic War. Let me state what this novel is not. It is not the story of Hannibal Barca. He is at most a major supporting character in the novel. What this novel is the story of the opening moves of the 2nd Punic war: the Roman/Carthaginian fight in Iberia, Hannibal crossing the Alps and the first few battles between the Carthaginians and the Romans in the north of the Italian Peninsula.

The author tells his story through the eyes of two noble families. One Carthaginian and Roman. He begins the novel with the youngest son of the Carthaginian family, Hanno, being swept out to sea while playing hooky, being picked up by pirates off the coast of Sicily and eventually being sold as a slave to a Roman family. He then becomes a companion to the son of the purchasing family, Quintus.

Roughly the first half of the novel is establishing the two boys relationship – they become fast friends. This plays into some of the events in the second half of the book when they face each other on the battlefield. The story of the two sons is interrupted by scenes of what is going on in Carthage. Since Hannibal is doing well in Iberia, Hanno’s father, Malchus, and two brothers join him. Upon arriving Malchus becomes one of the senior officers in Hannibal’s army. Hanno’s two brothers are also give responsible assignments befitting their social status. As the siege of Saguntum winds down Hannibal proposes a plan to invade Italy and attack Rome. At this time Hanno also shows up. He has been release by Quintus and after returning to Carthage, continues on to join his family and the army. Since Rome now controls the northern Mediterranean Sea the problem is how to get there. What Hannibal proposes is an overland invasion through the Alps. For me, this is where the novel really takes off.

Dr. Kane does a superb job of telling the story of the crossing of the Alps. He illustrates the problems the army had with native Celtic tribes, who the Carthaginians assumed would be automatically their allies. The weather - esp the cold and snow it excellently drawn, to say nothing of getting the elephants over the passes and down into what became Northern Italy. He also tells of the struggles with the paths crossing the Alps. They were narrow and often blocked. The ingenuity that enabled the army to just get to Italy is very well portrayed.

Once the Army arrives in Italy, Dr. Kane does an excellent job of describing both the Roman, and Carthaginian strategies as well as the political problems that beset the Roman generals. Basically there was a hubris in the Roman Senate that could not abide a Carthaginian Army anywhere on the peninsula and it didn’t matter what the generals thought would be the best way to fight, they had damn well attack and drive them off. It didn’t work to well and Hannibal destroyed each and every Roman Army that came against him. Dr, Kane ends the novel before Hannibal's classic and crushing victory at Cannae. I would presume this will be taken up in the next novel.

As Hannibal descends the Alps into Italy, Quintus and his father join the army. As always Dr. Kane does battle sequences well and draws the reader into the action. His descriptions of the tension between the two Roman commanders, a feature of Republican armies was that there was no overall commander; command was passed between two commanders daily, is well drawn and enlightening.

Finally one word about the structure of the novel. The author really doesn’t pick sides in the narrative. He shifts between the Roman and Carthaginian world frequently and doesn’t seem to have a favorite.

This novel was a solid 4 star read for me. I definately plan on reading the other novels in the series

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly long winded but an exciting retelling of the Punic War. Borrows from well known sources of information and builds it into a fascinating tale. Could be better in terms of length.

[Jim C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating is 3.5 stars.

This takes place during the war between the Carthaginians and the Romans. This novel is a historical fiction novel. In this one, we follow two young Carthaginians as they go fishing one day and get lost at sea. Their whole lives change as they are captured and sold into slavery in Italy.

I have read several of Ben Kane's novels and I have yet to read a bad one. One of the aspects I love about his novels is that I become immersed in the setting of that time. A reader can tell that the author does his research and one of his goals is to really represent the era and the setting. While I did enjoy this book I did think this wasn't the author's best opening book for one of his series. I think the problem was that it was a little misleading as I was expecting Hannibal. He was there but we really don't get to know the man. Instead he is used as the driving force for the drama that is present in this book. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the drama. The relationship between slave and master was well developed and I found it really touching in one particular scene. I also enjoyed the subplot between the two brothers that do not see eye to eye.

I enjoyed this book and I will definitely continue with the series. It did have some flaws though. Basically, I wanted more background on Hannibal. We get the infamous trek through the Alps but even that felt like it was skimmed. This book isn't about Hannibal. It is about the fictional characters and the message about how opposing forces aren't necessarily evil and the enemy. They are human and things might be different if there were different circumstances.

[Zeke Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 5.5 / 10

Dear Ben Kane, I want to like you. I really do. I abandoned your first novel, “The Forgotten Legion”, but gave you a second chance on “Hannibal”. “The Forgotten Legion” was good, daring and bold, but it read too much like a first novel. The structure jumped all over the place. Tarquinius spends about twenty pages reading the entrails of a goat, and then drifts through ten years with a snap of the fingers in another chapter. Here, the structure is better, though I probably would have structured the POV characters a little more rigidly, perhaps with each their own chapter. It's the prose that does you in, Mr. Kane.

“Her attractiveness was becoming more apparent to Hanno every day. It had been months since he'd last had sexual relations, as was made clear by his throbbing groin.” (paraphrased.) Fluidity, Mr. Kane. Write it the way people would speak it. This should feel like a natural river, not a series of lochs. “Hanno became more aware of her beauty every day. It had been months since he'd fucked – his cock was throbbing at the sight of her.”

The story principally revolves around two characters of about the age of sixteen or seventeen – Hanno, the son of Carthaginian politician washed out to sea during a storm and sold into slavery by pirates, and Quintus, the son of a Roman equestrian and landowner, whom eventually buys Hanno at the slave market. The story expands to include Hanno's older brothers, Bostar and Sapho, his father Malchus and Quintus' family – his father Fabricius, sister Aurelia and sister's betrothed Flaccus.

The major players in the Second Punic War – Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, Tiberius Sempronius Longus – aren't introduced until well into the novel, with Hannibal's introduction about a third of the way in. This was much to my surprise, as I am quite used to the works of Conn Iggulden, whom makes Caesar his protagonist. This is probably the best route to telling this story; not through the eyes of Hannibal or Scipio themselves, but through underlings associated with them.

The structure, although improved from Kane's “Forgotten Legion”, is still rather uninspired. Chapters are drawn at random points, the chapter titles are superfluous, although it is rather well balanced between the characters involved.

All things considered, this is a bit of a tour de force of Roman sword and sandal, with some problems. The final climax became a little predictable, and in a battle scene that left Rome ripe for the picking by the Carthaginians, there are so few character deaths. Only two of the major characters die in the end, which means virtually every other one vanquishes death for themselves and their families on multiple occasions.

I will continue with the rest of the series, if a bit reluctantly. Mr. Kane, good job, but focus a little bit on your prose and structure.

[Robin Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the excellent Forgotten Legion Trilogy I wondered what Ben Kane would treat us to next (and how long would it be before we can convince him to return to do book 4 of the Forgotten series).
When the Title was announced : Hannibal Enemy of Rome, i was really pleased, I had recently watched the BBC drama on Hannibal's trail in which three Australian brothers - Danny, Ben and Sam Wood - set out cycling on the trail of Hannibal, the Carthaginian warrior who marched from Spain to Rome at the head of an invading army accompanied by elephants.

Again it was yet another point in history I knew a little about, but not the detail, so this book and Ben Kane's excellent writing skills I knew would not only entertain me but also educate me, and this book delivers both of these things in spades, I read this book in a single sitting and was hugely upset when the book ended, a book full of Ben's usual great characters, great pace, fantastic writing of dialogue couple all of that with the fantastic fights scenes that Ben writes and any book Ben writes just leaps off the page.

The next book Spartacus due in Feb 2012 only has one flaw.....an 8 month wait!
Thank you Ben a great book....can you write faster. (Parm)

[Bryn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ancient & Medieval group read.
A novel with a strong adventure flavour, that uses tactics of suspense. At first the simplicity of the writing bothered me, but plotting skills swept me up. Simple needn't be bad, in my book: crude is bad, and the world of the novel isn't crudely thought out. I liked the presentation from both sides, Carthaginian and Roman, with quick switches between them. Carthaginians might have an edge in our sympathies but they commit atrocities too. The book is warm-hearted and has a conscience about what people do in war. It looks at prejudices and war hatreds. It has a knack for skipping the boring bits and a flexibility in the telling. It doesn't dwell too much on so-called action, than which nothing is more dull. What's not to like?

[Aviones de papel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

Brutalísimo, tercer libro que leo de este autor, todos hasta ahora me han flipado, descubrí a este escritor por casualidad y me cuesta entender porque no es mucho más famoso y se hacen series y películas de sus libros. Su forma de ambientar, de construir personajes, de darle realismo a la historia, sin mitificar a personajes como Aníbal o Espartaco, las representaciones que les hace son enormemente realistas. Además las relaciones que crea entre personajes en esta obra son maravillosas, shipeo mucho a Hanno y Quintus, me duele que lo suyo sea algo imposible. Por no hablar de las escenas de batalla y las escenas de crueldad y gore gratuitas que son impresionantes. La segunda parte ya la tengo a la espera para comenzarla dentro de poco y ya tengo que encargar la tercera. Os recomiendo a este autor si os gusta la novela histórica ambientada en la época clásica, no es que sea un completo desconocido, pero para mí merece mucho más.

[S.J.A. Turney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hannibal by Ben Kane – A triumph of a novel

Some time ago I read and reviewed (with a very favourable review) Ben’s first trilogy – the Forgotten Legion. At the time, those three books, along with a few works by Anthony Riches, Douglas Jackson and Simon Scarrow, very much set the standard for Roman historical fiction. Certain scenes from those books have stayed with me, no matter how much other Roman fiction I read (and that is most of what I read). I consider a book that still has an effect on the reader a long time after reading to be a rousing success.

Move on one book, and up a thousand notches.

Hannibal took me by surprise. I have an interest in all Roman history, but my knowledge of the Punic war period is considerably less than other eras. I did understand beforehand that at this point the Roman army was more of a Graeco-Etruscan force than the military machine the world generally remembers, drawn from citizen volunteers rather than a standing force. I knew (as does everyone) about the crossing of the Alps. Beyond that, my knowledge of the conflicts and the peoples is almost entirely drawn from holiday visits to Spain, Italy and Tunisia. I was unsure what to expect with the book, as I really didn’t know how much of an enthralling tale Ben could spin out of the bare bones of what I knew.

The upshot is that, despite the title of this book, the tale is not about Hannibal. Oh, it’s about that campaign, and Hannibal is in it, even to the point of being an important supporting character. But it is not about him. Equally, those events from the sacking of Saguntum, through the crossing of the Alps and the first conflicts in Northern Italy, are the central events around which the story hinges, but they are not the story itself.

The story is actually the tale of a Carthaginian nobleman and his three sons, and a Roman/Oscan family from near Capua. It is a heart-wrenching tale of friends and enemies experiencing the build-up to, and beginnings of, a war between their peoples, and the effects this has on their lives and relationships. Don’t get me wrong: this is no family saga of the little-old-lady variety, and includes just the right amount of warfare, intrigue, danger and adventure to make it a page-turner in every respect, but it has the refreshing aspect of being a family saga as well – something I’ve not seen done well in ancient novels before.

In fact, as I think about it, the only book I can use to compare is Guy Gavriel Kay’s ‘Lions of Al-Rassan’ (and I consider this a high complement, since GGK has been my favourite writer since my teens.) There is a similar doom between the books, looking at friends separated by a gulf of nationality and fated to meet in those most unhappy of circumstances.

Essentially, I loved Hannibal and rank it up with my faves now. I think it has seen Ben’s writing take on a whole new strength and its particular draw for me is his depth of character and family on both sides, the realism of the people and the sympathy and empathy the reader cannot help but feel. Having read this I am now champing at the bit for the two Spartacus novels (one of which is waiting on my shelf and the other is released shortly.)

Bravo Ben. Hannibal 2 now eagerly awaited.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2012, and its the 1st volume of the "Hannibal" series, from the author, Ben Kane.

This tale starts in 219 BC, at the beginning of the 2nd Punic War, and Carthage looking for revenge, after a humiliated defeat by the Romans in the 1st Punic War, with at their head a man called, Hannibal.

Important protagonists in this story are also on the one hand, Hanno, a Carthaginian boy and son of a distinguished soldier and confidant of Hannibal, and on the other hand, Quintus, son a an Roman equestrian and landowner, and his sister, Aurelia.

When Hanno ends up as a slave to Quintus's father, after a disastrous adventure, he will become great friends with Quintus and Aurelia.

But when rumours of war and the subsequent actions, events will separate them, and they will find themselves on opposite sides of this brutal conflict.

What is to follow is an thrilling and exciting Carthaginian/Roman adventure, in which both aspects of this 2nd Punic War are brought to us by the author in a most spectacular and gripping fashion, and all this implemented with very lifelike and believable historical and fictional figures.

Highly recommended, for this is a excellent first episode of the Hannibal series, and that's why I like to call this grand tale: "A Magnificent Hannibal Start"!

[Davy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting characters really bring the history of hannibal to life and you are able to experience it from an unusual perspective. Really enjoyed the first book in this series!

[Speesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a good while since I read a Ben Kane, however, on the evidence of this magnificent, enthralling, captivating book, I’ve really been missing out and is something I intend to rectify - and quickly.

First of all, it’s a long one - it’s a good 150 pages before the man himself puts in an appearance, for example. However, there’s hardly a sentence, a word even, wasted the whole way through. I was glued to it the whole way through and by the end, I found myself wishing it had been twice as long. It’s long, but still too short. Good then that it’s the first volume in a trilogy. Gooder still…that I have the others lined up on the shelf over there.

To be honest, sometimes, (even) I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why I thought a book was so good. Then I think, does it even matter? No. At those times, maybe it’s just best to sit back and enjoy the ride. Then…’enjoy,’ that’s the point, isn’t it? I read to enjoy a good story about something I’m interested in. Or not, that makes me interested in it, because it’s a good book. That’s ‘Hannibal.’

So, what did I enjoy? Well, Ben Kane does have the (deserved) reputation - in my book anyway - for writing battle scenes that are perhaps a cut (!) above the others. However, excellent battle scenes apart, it was the verbal cut and thrusts, jabs straight to the heart - and of course the final delivery of the death blow - of the Senate debate scenes between Publius and Marcus Minucius Rufus that really impressed and will stay with me. The crackle of tension, the ebb and flow, the poise and grace, the delicate, ‘crikey, it could go either way here’ balance, leading us to the final coup de grace. Superb writing is superb writing, whatever the genre. And this, that, is superb writing.

I thought the tension between the Carthaginian brothers was 99% believable. There were a couple of minor occasions where they clearly, in the real world, have reacted differently. In making the people different to us, in that they lived 2,000-odd years ago, but clearly like us in many ways, so we relate to them, you surely have to, as a reader and a writer, stick with the thought ‘what would I do in that situation?’ Then when you’re absolutely sure that you and anyone you know, would have belted the other brother one, for instance, and he doesn’t, he says ‘fair enough, lets get on with it,’ it sticks a little. No matter.

Carthaginians and Romans are treated even-handedly. No good guys and bad guys. I suppose there could have been a temptation to treat the Carthaginians more favourably, as the underdog, perhaps, the Romans less so. I think Ben has avoided taking sides, to free the story - and himself - from the reader’s own perceived confines, with one eye on how the rest of the story has to unfold. Because the temptation of writing what at least I was expecting, the ‘plucky small guy up against the evil Empire’ must have been very great.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my time, and especially of late, to read some really exceptional books set at various points of the Roman era. ‘Hannibal, Enemy of Rome’ continues that disturbingly good trend. Highly recommended.


More world-class reviews on Speesh Reads

[Beorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I do own other books set in the Roman period this was not only the first I got around to reading but also my first encounter with author Ben Kane's work.

While I can't say it endeared itself to me in exactly the same way as those set in later times - ie Viking, Saxon, Norman etc - that I prefer, I have to give significant praise for the sheer quality of the book.
Where a lot of historical fiction tends to focus itself far more squarely on the catalog of physical events that takes place, what adds rich depth to this book is the gritty believability and sheer realistic feel of the relationships and interactions between the characters within.

Coincidentally a few hours before I started reading this I'd also started reading another Roman era book, set around the first Punic Wars (for those unfamiliar, the events of this book take place in the second - and final - of the Punic Wars, a generation or two later). I became so embroiled in this novel however that the other book soon relinquished it's slim lead to the extent that it's been left well & truly in the dust.

Like I said, I didn't quite find myself running the plot & events through my mind during my time away from the book, which you could rationalise as being a minor negative caused by the high quality of the aforementioned characterisation but it is definately worthy of the 4/5 rating for the sheer quality of the work alone.

For all the complaining that's probably lurking below the centre here, don't get me wrong this is a good worthwhile read though not one that moved me enough to make me tell all my friends about it etc.

If you're into Roman period historical fiction, definately read this book. If you're more into books centred in later historical periods, give it a try anyway, you might surprise yourself.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book--enough in fact to search out the next in the series. This is written about an era that does not actually grab me,which makes my rating all the more wonderful. I loved the two boys Hanno and Quintus, and Aurelia was a girl after my own heart. I too was a tomboy and grew up riding horses and staging mock fights. Who wants to play with dolls? BORING! I am somewhat familiar with the wars between Rome and Carthage and remember from my Ancient History class in UNI that the Romans finally defeated Carthage and destroyed the whole town and seeded the land with salt so no one could live there for many years,
Ben Kane has a wonderful was with writing, and in spite of the small print, I was fascinated with the whole story. The characters were well developed and interesting, the historical facts and the glossary very good. Overall a teriffic read and Highly recommended.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set during the Second Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, this is a story of friends, enemies, brothers and war.

I am not a fan of young characters and puppy love but empires and war are definitely an interest. So the slave/master relationships were uninteresting and the teenage angst was even a bit annoying but the battles were realistic and the fighting was stellar.

This was a good book with some great history. I like the alternate stories from the Roman and Carthage sides, done without taking sides I might add, but in the end the simplistic style didn't quite work for me.

[Nick Marek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I WOULD give it 4 or even 5 stars. It was quite good, had good action, set up love interest, some political intrigue. Some of the dialogue was a little bit wonky - kind of like it was directly translated, which is fine I can get past that as long as it’s moving the story along. But then the book just ended, with nothing tied up. Like a “tune in next week to see what happens” but in book form. Brother, just make one long book it’s not like you have a production budget. And now I HAVE to go get the second book and see what happens. Stupid.

[Shane Findlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ya know, that axiom ‘ mother always said, if you don’t have....’

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one, partly for the fact the author does his best to give us an idea of what Carthage was like at the time the novel is set. There has already been one war between Carthage and Rome, and this is briefly touched on, but the focus is on the second Carthaginian/Punic war, which is the one most people know about (elephants across the Alps and all that). I liked that the book shows the conflict from both a Roman and Carthaginian perspective by focusing on two characters and how they come to be involved in it. Focusing on Quintus and Hanno also allows us to see the respective cultures they come from and to get a sense of the time and places - which the author has portrayed vividly. Information on Carthage can be sketchy on certain topics, but he has done his best.

It certainly feels plausible enough, which is what you want from a historical novel. I look forward to finding and reading the second part.

[Michal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book straight after finishing , so I can't but compare these two books. From the beginning to the end Kane's book seems to be better researched, the author obviously went into great length in his search for reconstructions of the places he describes and he used this knowledge with a great skill (in author's note he also points out all the liberties he took and what was their reason). In addition, the story is described from the POV of middle-class Carthaginians and Romans that eventually take part in the great scheme of things; however, for relatively long part of the story we can see the situation from the POV of people that are directly affected by the main conflict, but they have very little information about what is actually happening. The book also quite colorfully describes relationships and customs in the respective cultures.
One thing that seems to be trendy in HF novels these days is that one of the main characters is a young woman that is displeased with her role as a woman and that wants to practice with weapons and does not understand why she is not allowed to. This is probably recommended by the editors in order to make the book appealing to a broader audience. These characters usually lack depth and realism. Kane's book is hard to judge from this point of view, but I am not going to write any more so I do not unintentionally reveal some spoilers. I myself find the whole idea quite modern, but who knows.
Some reviews criticized the book for YA-like moments with some “modern left wing sentiments”. I was looking out for these aspects, but I couldn't tell which passages these reviewers meant. There is one complicated friendship, and the above-mentioned emancipated female character. I am not sure whether this necessarily constitutes YA literature, but I do not think Kane focused too much on these aspects.
Overall it was a great and engaging read. I myself was really surprised by how fast I got to the end, and started immediately the next instalment.

[Paul Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aside from passing mentions in other Roman era fiction, this is my first in depth encounter with the Alpine traversing, pachyderm using scourge of Rome since I saw the movie Hannibal starring Victor Mature back in the late 1950's. This is not, however, my first encounter with the author Ben Kane having read his marvelous Forgotten Legion series.

The story here, while having many storylines filled with intrigue, revolves around two young men. Hanno is the son of a prominent officer in Hannibal's army, while Quintus is the son of an equestrian class Roman. Through deft maneuvering of plot, the two are brought together midst the growing tension between Rome and Carthage.

Among all of the fascinating aspects to this story is the way the author subjects the main backdrop, i.e. Rome versus Carthage, to the various inter-personal conflicts that many of the characters are dealing with. Conflicts of loyalty not only to one's home and leaders but conflicts of intense loyalty to one's family and friends.

Another of the many aspects that stands out is how the author brings you into the action whether it be a coming of age bear hunt or the momentous crossing of The Alps. You can feel the breath of the bear as it fights for it's life and the agony of the men and animals following Hannibal on that long and dangerous venture.

This is a riveting tale guaranteed to leave you wanting more from this gifted writer. Well, you need not worry along those lines as the sequel is out and ready to draw you further into the lives of the characters and the struggle for the supremacy of the Mediterranean world. Well done, Mr. Kane.

[Nick Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set during the second of the Punic wars this book sits between Ben Kane's Forgotten Legion series and his new Spartacus series. Hard to tell if it is a stand-alone or if Mr Kane will return to the characters here. But this is the story of the rise of Hannibal, and his attack towards Rome via the Alps, told from the perspective of a group of participants on the Roman side and the Carthaginians side. Often in these books by weight of the central character you form a view of the good guys and the bad guys, but not here, as the author cleverly balances the perspectives and views of both sides. In essence it is the tale of two families, one Roman and one Carthaginian and a slave that links the two. So, using the background of Hannibal, we are given a tale of perspectives, loyalty, honour, family and, of course, action and thrills.

For me this was a bit of a diversion for the author, a more rounded and complex story than his other works and I have seen some reviews that were not fond of some of the pace or detail, but it worked for me. Ben Kane builds both character and perspective so as a reader you see events and history through their eyes. I have read all of his books (except Spartacus 2) and enjoyed them all (obviously!) but I think this is his deepest and most accomplished work yet.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent novel from Ben Kane. This time (and it's a first for me) we're introduced to Carthage, a place I had heard very little about. His description at the beginning of the book left me able to visualize it very easily. The rest of the book is also brought to life as you follow Hano, the main character around Europe and Africa.

Loved it, can't wait to read the next one. 5 stars.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. Very good read.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Story wasn't gripping enough to finish, no connection with the characters and clinical writing. Found a talk by him far more interesting. Inclined not to read any more of Ben Kane.

[Raúl San Martín Rodríguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Increíble relato de la segunda guerra púnica, tanto desde la perspectiva Cartaginés como Romana. Esencial para todo amante de la historia.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a busy summer but I finally finished the first book in bestselling author Ben Kane's series about the Hannibalic Wars entitled "Hannibal: Enemy of Rome". As in his popular "The Forgotten Legion", Kane has used young men on the cusp of manhood as his primary characters.

We first meet Hanno, a young Carthaginian who hopes to become a soldier like his father, Malchus, once was. Now, Malchus serves on the council in Carthage and, although Malchus drags Hanno to the council meetings so he may learn statecraft, Hanno finds the meetings a bore and prefers to skip out and go fishing with his best friend, Suniaton, the son of a high priest.

We also briefly meet Hanno's two older brothers, Sapho and Bostar who presently serve as officers in the Carthaginian army. We discover that Sapho, the eldest, is jealous of Bostar because Bostar has been promoted above him because of Bostar's superior tactical acumen. Sapho's jealousy also extends to a lesser degree to Hanno, who, as the youngest, has captured his father's heart after the death of Hanno's mother.

Kane provides a vivid description of the capital of Carthage, still majestic even after suffering defeat at the hands of the Romans in the First Punic War. But all is not well as Carthage and Rome have once more butted heads in Iberia where Carthage has conquered most of the peninsula and the town of Saguntum, fearful of the growing Carthaginian presence in the region, has appealed to Rome for help.

Malchus supports the Barca family and clearly expects Hannibal, the senior Barca commander, to exact "payback" from the Romans for their past offenses to Carthage.

Meanwhile, Hanno and Suniaton hear of a large run of tunny (tuna), and can't resist trying their luck so they can earn a little spending money. They set off in a small boat that they soon fill with fish. Suniaton has pilfered a bottle of wine from his father's wine cellar and they decide to celebrate their good luck. Soon they fall asleep in the warm sun so do not see an approaching storm. When the violence of the storm finally awakens them they find they have been swept far out to sea and cannot see the outline of Carthage in any direction. As they were only on an afternoon outing they have no supplies and soon are famished from thirst and hunger. Finally they see a ship on the horizon and think they are saved. But the ship is manned by pirates who see the two boys as nothing more than slaves that can be sold for a profit.

To make matters worse, a patrol ship makes the pirate captain decide to avoid Sicily and steer to Italy instead. When the ship arrives in Italy the two boys are marched off towards Capua where it is hoped they will be sold to a gladiator school.
But Hanno is purchased by a Roman equestrian family that runs a farm near Capua instead. Then we meet Quintus and Aurelia, the son and daughter of Fabricius, once a Roman cavalry officer and now a landowner who raises grain and livestock.
Now we find out what Roman life is like for this semi-retired military veteran and his family. I really like the way Kane gives us thorough backgrounds on all of these characters so we have a solid understanding of the similarities and differences that separate the two cultures.

Hanno and Quintus who are almost the same age become friends and as the plot unfolds, each saves the other's life, making their bond even stronger.

Meanwhile, since Rome does not send assistance, Saguntum subsequently falls to Hannibal's forces, so talk of war with Carthage soon dominates the conversations at the villa. Quintus begins cavalry training and Quintus' father, Fabricius is soon ordered to join Roman forces in southern Gaul marching towards Iberia where the Romans plan to confront Hannibal.

With Fabricius gone, the villa overseer, who lost his wife and children to Carthaginians on Sicily and harbors hatred for Hanno, attempts to drag Hanno away to Capua where he plans to sell the youth to the lanista at the gladiator school for an arranged fight to the death with Hanno's friend Suniaton. But I don't want to give away much more of the plot so you'll have to read it for yourselves to find out what happens.

Eventually, Hanno and Quintus both end up serving in their respective armies after Hannibal successfully crosses the Alps and the two armies end up camped across the Trebia River from each other.

Having studied the Second Punic War to some extent, I was wondering how Quintus and his father were going to escape the slaughter that I knew was about to befall them. Kane does such a good job of characterization that at this point in the book I cared about both the Carthaginian family and the Roman family equally.

The climactic battle sequence was nothing short of breathtaking. What I liked the most was Kane's description of the scenes and terror each character saw around them and felt as the epic struggle unfolded - Hanno and his father fighting in the center of the Carthaginian line while Quintus and his father struggled with the Roman cavalry on the flanks.

I appreciate the fact that Kane does not attempt to "take sides" on the historical controversy over whether Scipio tried to warn Sempronius Longus against the ill-fated attack or not. Polybius claims he did but many scholars look askance at this report since Polybius and the Scipios were closely allied. These scholars also point to the reported number of Roman troops involved in the engagement as problematic. Livy records there were 18,000 Romans and 20,000 Italic allies involved. Polybius claims there were 16,000 Romans and 20,000 Italic allies.

"The numbers stated to have fought the battle are problematic: a combined Roman army should have had 5 legions of 20,000 men and all 30,000 allies authorized by the Senate and yet if the armies were not combined Sempronius should have had only two legions of 8,000 men. One answer is that Scipio gave up two legions and kept one and 20,000 auxiliaries in his own camp as a reserve. Livy seems to think that Scipio's wound gave the entire authority to Sempronius, but immediately after the battle Scipio commanded an army marching from his camp to Placentia. If Scipio could command after the battle then he was not so incapacitated as to be removed from command before it. Both authors agreed that the two consuls had sharp differences of opinion and that Sempronius acted on his own."

"It is possible that the authors doubled the number of Roman legions fighting the battle and that Sempronius had only 8,000 or 9,000 Roman infantry. The authors both relate, however, that a mass of 10,000 men broke out of the Carthaginian encirclement and fell back on Placentia. Tiberius apparently did have more than two legions. Scipio argues in the story that Sempronius' men needed the winter to train, suggesting that on the way to north Italy Sempronius may have raised two more legions of recruits, throwing them into battle under difficult physical circumstances against expert advice without training. There is no mention of any such events, however."

"Yet another hypothesis for reconciling the numbers cited by Livy for combined strength of the two consular armies and the actual number of participants in the battle of the Trebia would be that Sempronius detached part of his allied contingents for garrison duty on Sicily and for naval service with Marcus Aemilius and Sextus Pomponius. Some allowance should also be made for non-combat losses. The strength of this hypothesis lies in the maximum use of ancient evidence." - Wikipedia

Since this crucial bit of evidence relies on theory rather than certainty, Kane's decision to sidestep the issue was certainly reasonable. He does, however, relay to us the impatience expressed by the troops themselves over Scipio's apparent hesitance to act while recuperating from his wounds.

I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this exciting trilogy. The only criticism I would have is that the title makes it sound like the book is about Hannibal himself. Although the key events in the latter part of the book are the result of Hannibal's orders, Hannibal himself appears only infrequently in the narrative. It perhaps would have been somewhat more accurate to name the series "The Hannibalic Wars" with the subtitle "Enemy of Rome" (Book One). But I can certainly understand the choice of title from a marketing perspective since some people may not actually make the connection between "Hannibalic Wars" and Hannibal.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the book I desperately wanted during my teen years. Finally, a good novel set in the second Punic war! Again, Ben Kane's writing proves to be almost unputdownable and has great flow. The characters are likable and interesting, and the troubled sibling relationship between Hanno, Bostar, and Sappho made for good drama.

Although I really wanted to like Aurelia more, I do think Kane struggled a bit with writing a woman character here. Although I'm thankful to have an actual female character in a book genre that usually has none, she did not always seem fully realized. At times she even fell into the dreaded "not like most girls" trope. I think her story will get more interesting however, and it was refreshing to sympathize with a woman's plight in the ancient world in a military fiction book.

There are also some things that are rather convenient. Not impossible by any stretch, but certainly unlikely. I just wish these contrivances could be avoided, but it's a fairly minor complaint.

As a whole, I was very happy with this book. It's excellently written and does a lot with it's fascinating setting.

[Scotty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been a fan of Hannibal. I think I was introduced to him in my undergraduate work and have been fascinated every since that time. I recently heard a podcast with Ben Kane as a guest and immediately grabbed his work. He is an incredible source of history. His level of knowledge is amazing, and he conveys this in the historical fiction he writes. I wish I could give this book 3.5 stars, just for the fact that three seems to low and four is too high for the quality of writing. Ben Kane writes many books, and there doesn't seem to be an end any time in the near future; that being said, one of my irritations in hurried writing is clogging the flow with adverbs . . . it is a lazy way of detail. Adverbs aren't necessarily bad, but it is better to TELL me what the character is doing with body language or words or both than abstractly throwing in an adverb to seal it all up.
Yes, I still suggest a reading if this is a subject of interest for you because of the level of Ben Kane's knowledge and passion for the time period. Now, I must go find book #2.