Das letzte Schwert: Historischer Roman

Clash of Empires #2

by Ben Kane, Dietmar Schmidt (Translator)

CAN GREECE RESIST THE MIGHT OF ROME?
Get ready for the climax of the Roman invasion of Greece in Sunday Times bestselling Ben Kane's latest historical adventure.
ONE FINAL CLASH
Reeling from his defeat at the hands of the Macedonians, Rome's furious General Flamininus gathers his legions for the final strike on King Philip's mighty phalanx.

AN EMPIRE ON THE EDGE
Both leaders know the victor will rule Greece, and both armies will do everything in their power to claim the ultimate prize.

TWO HEROES PREPARED TO DIE
Fighting on opposing sides, Felix and Demetrios think they have survived the worst of the campaign. But between vicious infighting, unruly locals, and intense battle, both will be tested as the final showdown between two great civilisations begins . . .

THE FALLING SWORD is the gripping follow-up to CLASH OF EMPIRES from Ben Kane, the master of historical fiction - for fans of Simon Scarrow, Harry Sidebottom, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.

Praise for Ben Kane's CLASH OF EMPIRES:
'A triumph!' Harry Sidebottom
'Exceptional' Anthony Riches
'Fans of battle-heavy historical fiction will, justly, adore Clash of Empires' The Times

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

545 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2020

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

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This astounding historical novel is the 2nd volume of the "Clash of Empires" series from a great author, Ben Kane.
Let me tell you that at the beginning of the book you'll notice a meaningful quote by "Alexander the Great", as well as three very well-drawn maps of Macedon, Asia Minor and the Propontis, and Macedon and Greece in the year 198 BC.
At the end of the book you'll be presented with a superbly researched Author's Note, where the historical details and people are very well documented, followed by a Glossary, (the lay-out looks familiar to those of the author Christian Cameron about Ancient Greece, I suppose probably because it's the same publisher) where important issues are exquisitely explained, so to make this historical tale so much easier to read and understand.
Storytelling is as ever of a top-notch quality, for me this author is one of the best in this field of Ancient history, simply because Ben Kane brings this ancient Roman/Greek world vividly to life in a most wonderful way, with lifelike characters, whether they are real historical or superb fictional, and also the brutal atmosphere of these political and warlike times are brought to us in a most brilliant fashion.
This book starts off in the year 198 BC and it will end in the year 196 BC in what is called the Second Macedonian War.
And so we follow the exploits of our 4 main characters, being on the one hand, King Philip V of Macedon, while there's also one of the phalangists within the Macedonian army, Demetrios, while on the other hand there's the Roman Consul and General, Flamininus, and finally we have Felix, first with his brother, Antonius, but later on by himself, as one of the soldiers serving within the Roman legions, in an attempt to defeat Macedon and for Rome to conquer Greece.
What will follow is an action-packed and sublime historical story, where the Romans will fight the Macedonians in a famous battle, causing lot of wounded and deaths on both sides, and where finally the Macedonians threat will be vanquished and the rest of Greece for the taking, while at the same time within the higher echelons of the Roman army political intrigue, blackmailing and backstabbing is always at the forefront.
Highly recommended, for this is truly a most astonishing historical novel, one with a lot of action and great dialogue, and where the reader is taken into the Ancient Roman/Greek World with verve, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Magnificent Compelling Roman/Greek Sequel"!

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the follow on story to Clash of the Empires, which I highly recommend that you read first as you get a solid background of the characters in this story. I really didn’t think that after reading the first novel it could better than that but wow has Ben Kane upped the ante with this book.
There is a huge amount of characters in this story but the true key players soon shine through. The story continues from 198 B.C. with the battle for dominance between the Greeks and the Romans. The battles that take place are both detailed and savage but I really did have to stand back and admire the tactics and battle plans of each side. It is quite mind-blowing to think that tens of thousands and men were commanded by word of mouth with precision.
The soldiers fought hard and played harder with bonds and loyalty to each other as tight as family. The story continues to follow the lives of Felix whose loyalties lie with Titus Quinctius Flamininus and Demetrios who fights for King Philip. The chapters alternate between the two characters, both who I liked equally.
I do have to admire an author that can write in such a way that it affects me physically, feeling hate, compassion, fear, and to make me laugh. Shocking, brutal and totally unforgettable this is a must read. What a journey!
There is a real passion in Ben Kane’s writing which brings everything to life not just visually but heightening all my senses. After reading this epic story do go on to read the author’s notes too. These gave me added insight into this period, I especially liked the explanation regarding PTSD. Totally fascinating.

[Joanna Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m such a huge fan of this author as his books are always utterly fascinating and gripping, making the history come to life.

Once again the author has clearly done his research on an area of history that I didn’t know anything about. He has skillfully managed to bring the bloody battle field to life so that the reader feels that they are actually there. It was great to revisit Felix and Demetrios again as I enjoyed the personal battle between the two of them in Clash of Swords. As the story unfolds I found it interesting to watch their relationship have to change as they found themselves on the same side.

This is a really fast paced book with lots going on to keep the reader firmly gripped to the story. I enjoyed following the characters throughout the book and I felt invested in them so cared about what happened to them. Even though this is the second book in the series it can be read as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. I do however highly recommend Clash Of Swords as it’s all absolutely brilliant!

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Virginia from Orion books for my copy of this book.

[Mike Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracker of a read. Can’t beat a Ben Kane. Naturally I have come in at book 2. So need to find the first. First class story and characters. If you want a decent review of this book please defer to Clemens😉

[Ozymandias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part two in Kane’s Clash of Empire series following the original book which was cunningly entitled... Clash of Empires. Like the first one it is a military narrative of the Second Macedonian War (as the Romans called it), although now that the preliminaries have been dealt with we get a lot more meat. In retrospect, it’s amazing how well the first volume held together. It had no real structure to it until the midpoint or later and ended on nothing more than a skirmish. Well no more. Here we see the Romans ranging throughout Greece from the beginning and end with the battle of Cynoscephalae. This is what you picked up the series for.

The account of Cynoscephalae is the definite highlight of the book. It’s a marvel how comprehensible the tactics are while still feeling very much like we’re a part of the chaotic and confusing mess that a battle is. In this section, we see the choice of POV characters used perfectly. Each character gets a chapter that provides us with his view of the battle and yet advances the narrative further. This gives us an unavoidably fractured account, but not as fractured as it should be due to some clever decisions. Philip, as the Macedonian commander, explains the tactical decisions that led to battle being joined, Demetrios narrates the course of the battle in the early stages, Felix describes the final stage, and Flamininus narrates the aftermath. While I miss hearing what happened with Demetrios or seeing the Roman rationale for joining battle I can’t think how he could have told this better. The only element I do think was lacking is Flamininus’ strategic thinking with regards to the campaign up to this point. In keeping with the books’ decision to use different POV characters to tell different aspects of the story, Philip gets all the military strategy and Flamininus all the politics. And Kane is bad at politics. It makes this less a clash of titans and more a lucky win for the inferior general.

If you read the last book you know more or less what to expect here. If you haven’t, pick that one up now because we get little reintroduction to these characters and their backstories. The book’s greatest strength is its depiction of what it felt like to be in the Roman and Macedonian armies at the turn of the second century BC. The structure of the armies are lovingly detailed and the experience of battle is told from a very intimate angle. This all leads up to Cynoscephalae. Oddly, Cynoscephalae takes place about 2/3 of the way into the book, which leaves the ending rather meandering and anticlimactic. Also frustrating on many levels.

The previous book was largely about the experience of common soldiers during the prelude and initial stages of the Romano-Macedonian war. The two clear leads were Felix, the Roman legionary who was dishonorably discharged and illegally rejoined, and Demetrios, the Macedonian sailor who became a phalangite and rose through the rankers by his loyalty to King Philip. This book has more of a focus on the leadership of war. Philip and Flamininus, now that the preliminaries are done, are deciding the course of events to follow. I’m happy to see more of Philip who, for all his ruthlessness, is a likable and even noble fellow. Flamininus on the other hand... Flamininus is even more a piece of excrement than he was in the last book. From lying repeatedly to manipulating everyone to actually torturing to death one of the book’s few sympathetic characters, I found little reason to care whenever a Flamininus chapter came up. I suppose it would have been more enjoyable if Flamininus had at least been a magnificent bastard type of villain, but he honestly seems more put out and whiny than cool. Galba’s closer to filling that archetype, but his presence seems only there to give us sympathy for a man devoid of it. He’s blackmailing Flamininus and misusing him in a way that seems to curiously undermine Flamininus’ intelligence. A man so easily and repeatedly outmaneuvered doesn’t seem much of a threat, and we get no focus on his military skills to compensate for it.

And honestly, this depiction of Flamininus still confuses me. Flamininus generally gets a pretty good rep in the history books, including from Greek authors. So this depiction radically shifts the central narrative. But to what end? The result of this change is to give us the utterly unsatisfying ending of having evil triumph over “good”. Several other elements combine to make this even more depressing. Not that every ending has to be happy. Not at all. But why make a deliberate decision to turn an idealistic (if ambitious) sort of fellow into the epitome of scum? Our sympathies already naturally turn to the Macedonians as defenders of their homeland, so if you’re trying to tell a story from both sides why make one so unlikeable? I find it genuinely perplexing.

I also have a problem with Flamininus being so easily blackmailed: these sort of shenanigans happened all the time in Republican Rome. Accusations of treason, sexual perversion, incompetence, and impiety could be hurled at powerful men with near impunity. Romans took them with a grain of salt. I don’t mean that Galba’s accusations couldn’t stick. A man of his obvious power and influence could use his connections to ensure an unfavorable vote in any sort of trial for Flamininus. But only so long as he had the larger faction. A shift in alliances (and rival war-hero Flamininus could easily find himself benefitting from the growing opposition to Scipio) often found disgraced exiles being recalled in triumph. But a sensible senator could easily avoid the necessity for exile in the first place by expanding his alliances. And the easiest way to do that was to gain prestige through victory in battle and then make use of the spoils that naturally came from such success. As soon as Flamininus won his glory he’d be free. In short, Galba helping his enemy to achieve the prerequisites to escaping his grasp makes no sense.

Historical accuracy is generally excellent, at least concerning military matters. The only comment that made me chuckle was the claim that Thermopylae was the only battle where the Macedonians and Greeks allied against a common enemy. At Thermopylae, the Macedonians (and most of northern Greece) were on the Persian side. Even if we accept Herodotus’ claim that the Macedonian king was secretly passing messages to the Greeks, that was at the later battle of Plateia and not Thermopylae and the Macedonians were certainly not fighting alongside the Greeks. The only time all of Greece (bar Sparta) and Macedon were even nominally unified in war was under Alexander. As in the last book, non-military aspects of ancient culture are largely sidelined. This seems even more obvious than before, honestly. With the focus shifting from the common soldiers (who could naturally be expected to view everything through their army experience) to the political and military leaders, the absence of anything but a military viewpoint seems a little odd. Flamininus hears about the squabbling between Greek Leagues only secondhand, for example, and we only hear of Philip’s diagramma (royal decree) expanding the list of eligible soldiers through the military tasks set for Demetrios. And while Flamininus’ philhellenism is revealed a little, it only seems to involve speaking Greek and an admiration for Greek battles. Greek culture and literature doesn’t seem to enter into it. As before, I found this tight focus limiting, but individual milage may vary.

I found this book, like the last one, to be not quite my thing (which is probably a bit more political/cultural than solely military) and yet it was still difficult to put down. Kane has a talent for telling stories, there’s no doubt about that. And he gets the military lifestyle very well, even if I suspect that even the most dedicated soldier would have had more interactions with the civilian world and extramilitary activities than this. Little in here screamed anachronism or seemed out of keeping with the ancient mindset. Even if I disliked Flamininus and some of the soap-operaish theatrics that went with him, the broader story continued to hold my attention. I genuinely hope he continues the story of Rome’s conquest of Greece through the Seleucid wars and the Third Macedonian War. The former would be easy because it would only be five years later, but the latter was thirty years later and would require a largely new cast. But here’s hoping anyway. I’m sure there will be many reviews out there more fawning than mine, but I think it is a pretty good measure of a book if even people outside the target audience find themselves impressed by it.

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.25/10

He dudado entre 3 y 4 estrellas y al final le he puesto 4 ya que lo he disfrutado algo más que mi última lectura a la que le puse 3.

Para los que conozcáis a Ben Kane deciros que es un más de lo mismo a los que nos tiene acostumbrados. Ambientación excelente, rigor militar notable alto, personajes bastante buenos en su mayoría, aunque en este caso lo que le falla un poco es la trama, que sin ser aburrida, le falta algo de chispa al conjunto.

¿Recomendable? Sin ser lo mejor de su autor, es una novela con buen ritmo, en la que siempre sucede algo y que se deja leer muy bien.

[Stephen Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the rare 2 book series, The first book Clash of Empires introduced you to the 4 POVs that narrate the story of the Roman and Macedonia war that took place in 200-197 BC. If you ever wonder what it was like to be a foot solider during this time period, this is the book for you, The books are price right at $4.99 for the e-book .

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing and in-depth account of military life during those times. Particularly fascinated with the Macedon army life and pankration being a popular activity within their ranks. Definitely want to find more literature around phalangist's fiction or non-fiction.

[Mirza Baig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful job

As always a fabulous job. Makes the story come alive. I love historical fiction and Ben Kane is in a class by himself.

[Ian Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a historical novel centred around the battle of Kynoskephalae, which effectively was the end of the Macedonian control of Greece, and the start of the decline of the phalanx as the powerful unit of the time. The story is centred around Felix and a small number of other Roman soldiers, and Demetrios and a small number of other phalangists. The small number gets smaller. The story also follows the leaders, Flamininus and Phillip of Macedon, and it shows the problems our ordinary soldiers had thanks to "onion heads" of NCOs, while Felix also had to put up with getting on the wrong side of the Legatus Galba, who also happened to seriously annoy Flamininus. (There is no evidence of this actually happening.) The major battle is treated more or less accurately, the basic problem being that Phillip committed half his troops to go to the top of the hills, and for whatever reason only committed the second half of his troops somewhat later. One of the problems for a phalanx was that it was vulnerable at the ends, and had to be protected by cavalry and light infantry, so splitting the army doubled the number of "ends". The battle was won for Rome by a Tribune acting independently and splitting off twenty maniples from one battle and driving into the back of the other phalanx that was having more success.
Overall, the writing is effective and clear. The characterization is very good, and the historical aspects are well covered, while further fictional subplots are introduced. The details of the Macedon fall are perhaps a little imaginary, but they seem realistic while reading and the author shows clearly Phillip was no Alexander. Very interesting reading for those interested in classical history.

[Nick Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the follow up to the excellent “Clash of Empires”, set about 198BC with Rome and Philip of Macedon fighting over control of Greece. As with the previous book, we see the conflict from both sides and the author chooses not to make either one of the sides the “good guys”, the writing pushes you to understand and empathise with both sides and characters on both sides.
Facing up to Philip is the ambitious Flamininus and below either leader we also see the conflict at grunt level this giving us a command and strategic view but balanced with the reality of the troops fighting for their lives.
It’s exactly what you would expect from Ben Kane, well written, well researched and with solid characters. I slightly preferred the first of these two books as it put more of the pieces and characters in place, this just took those same characters further into the story. But this still remains top quality stuff and I enjoyed it a great deal.

[Daniel Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fronto row

Very few writers can hold your attention the way Ben Kane can, he has very obviously travelled the land and seen the terrain he writes about. Surprisingly their is no favouritism given in the war from someone who writes mostly, and obviously loves Roman history, to the degree that,knowing from history how it must end, you find yourself drawn to the Greek characters and feeling sorry for their losses and cheering their wins as well as the Romans.
Leaders are followed, but the followers also get attention on both sides, pain, grievances, losses. You feel their every win and death.
If you like Greek or Roman history, I couldn't recommend this highly enough.
Bring on the next Ben ***

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben Kane doesn’t waste any time in the sequel to “Clash of Empires” and the action picks up instantly, a mere six weeks after the closing events of the aforementioned prequel.

“The Falling Sword” continues the struggle between Macedonia and Rome, the same four main characters giving a wide ranging scope and depth to the conflict from the rulers to the soldiers.

If you know the Roman Empire’s history you are well aware of what the outcome will be. Kane however manages to divert your attention from the inevitable and keeps you invested throughout by brilliantly focusing on the characters and leaving the results of the Macedon-Rome war in the background.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Kane nails it again. I really enjoyed this book for exactly the reason in the sub title, “Clash of Empires. Kane does an excellent job portraying larger than life historical figures such as Flaminius and Phillip the 5th, while at the same time giving you a glimpse into the daily life of soldiers on both sides of the conflict. Historical fiction of its best.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kane's Raising His Standard!

The second in Ben Kane's 'Clash of Empires' series takes the excellent start he made with the first book and dials everything up another notch. Like a number of writers in this genre he is able to portray great action and what feels like a quite authentic insight into the lives of both the foot soldiers and the generals. And that's what sets this series aside from many of these others. Kane has created a big set of characters and we live with them in the heart of the Macedonian phalanxes with Demetrius and his comrades and we get to stand shoulder to shoulder in the iron-hard lines of the Roman legions with Felix and Antonius. The battles are visceral and bloodthirsty and so are the lives that these doughty foot soldiers lead with all the petty intrigues associated with the rank and file. What's more we see the other end of the scale, Prince Philip, a charismatic but oftentimes ruthless hero king plagued with concerns for his nation and those around him. Set against him is the gloriously ambitious and constantly scheming Roman politician / general Flamiminus who weaves an ever more complex web of politics and intrigue as he tries to get his name into the history books.

Of course if you have an audiobook that requires the portrayal of everything thing from the lowest of cut throats to the haughtiest Roman senator stopping at pretty much all stations in between then there aren't many better skilled at making the leap between arrogant royalty and snivelling toady than Steven Pacey. He's one of my favourite narrators and as this book progressed it became clearer all the time that he is actually the perfect fit for it. And it isn't just his wide-ranging delivery that makes the characterisation here seem quite like Joe Abercrombie's First Law series. It might sound odd to compare historical fiction with a fantasy series but much of the writing is similar between the two . . . in a very good way!

All of this wouldn't be enough without a great storyline and here Kane manages to deliver as well. As the battles unfold, the politics unravel and the petty squabbles of the foot soldiers escalate all of the four story arcs march under the greater set of events. Within this there are some genuinely touching moments but you should note Macedon and its surrounds were deadly places for soldiers and particularly in the later stages there are some genuinely eye-popping moments. I found myself on a couple of occasions thinking, 'did that really happen?' in genuine shock. Now that, is the mark of a good story.

[Richard West · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any new book from Ben Kane is always something a person can look forward to reading. And so it is with the latest in this series (presumably there will be a #3 because it does leave the reader hanging at the end), BUT.....

For whatever reason, and I have my suspicions as to why but will keep them to myself, this particular volume falls somewhat short when compared to other Ben Kane books. For one thing, at times things get confusing as hell and you aren't too sure what's going on, who's who, or what's what. It could be because of the similarity of character names, place names, or perhaps just too many characters, whatever the reason, you have to go back and re-read a chapter you've just read because you find yourself going "huh?" at the end of a chapter.

For another, Ben prides himself upon being an authority on the ancient Roman Empire and I have no doubt that he is, and probably in a past life he was a Roman centurion. As a result, the Roman characters are the ones that the reader should care about, empathize with, whatever. However, in this book I didn't really develop any feelings for the Roman characters - particularly Flamininus - until the last few chapters at which point I finally got the "he's a bit alright" feeling about him. Until that point, had he been killed off, it would have been "good, he's gone."

The characters that were much more sympathetic were Philip and the Macedonians (which sounds like the name of a rock group) and I kept hoping they would all survive the various battles and lead good, long, productive lives. Some did. Some didn't. And the fact that Philip survived and vowed revenge after being forced into a treaty with the Romans following a disastrous defeat, definitely says there will be a #3 in the series. If there isn't, presumably I won't be the only one who is upset. But, the Hannibal series never had a definitive end volume, so it's always possible......

Sad to say, this wasn't Ben Kane's best effort, but it's still an enjoyable read with likeable characters (the regular Roman troops and the Macedonians) and is a must read for those who follow Kane's books. As usual, this book isn't available in the US (OK, I did see it advertised by one seller for $59) and needs to be ordered through an overseas retailer. I got my copy from BookDepository.com which is faster and cheaper than Amazon.uk (no shipping charges for one thing) and it's well worth the wait once you order it. And here's hoping the next volume in the series will once again be a 5-star effort.

[Chelle W (teaandplottwists) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Another fantastic fast-paced amazing novel from Ben Kane! I absolutely loved Clash of Empires so couldn’t wait to read this to find out what our heroes were up to!

As with Clash of Empires, the story is told from the two sides – the Macedonians and the Roman’s. Parts of the story are told from the leaders’ points of view, General Flamininus and King Philip and the remaining parts are told by two of the army, Felix and Demetrios. It was great to be back with them as I fell in love with them in the Clash of Empires! They all go through their own stories…..family, friendships gained and lost, betrayal, murder, blackmail and victory. The supporting cast are brilliant and I was gutted that we had to lose some of them…..sadly, the inevitability of battle.

What blows me away is the amount of research that Kane must have to do to bring us these books and how fantastically written they are. The way the people, places and battles are described truly allows the reader to bring it to life, and be there with them in the thick of it.

This will honestly have you on the edge of your seat, wanting to see what the final outcome will be…..who will we lose and who will make it? Who will be victorious in battle? If you’re a fan of historical fiction then you need to read this! This can be read as a standalone, as the background information on the characters is provided, but I would highly recommend you read Clash of Empires too which is also a fantastic book, and will help you fall in love with the characters even more. You can read my review on Clash of Empires here.

I’m sad that these books are over now but I will definitely return to them for a re-read in the future; there is so much action I’m sure there are plenty of bits of missed! I’m looking forward to reading more from this fantastic future and will be seeking out his back catalogue of books! Highly recommended by me!

[Cassandra MADEUP BookBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is rare that I dive wholeheartedly into a Historical Fiction novel, as I often find that the descriptions leave something to be desired, a kind of mix of then and now. For me to enjoy a Historical novel, I have to feel like I have been to the place and time being discussed. Ben Kane has certainly managed that!

The descriptions are wonderfully brutal, true to the storyline and time we are visiting, and it does indeed feel like I have visited! The characters, the places and the scenarios so wonderfully described by the author that it feels as though I walked beside through each scenario. Not always a particularly comfortable feeling given the time period! But wonderful all the same.

This was my first read from Ben Kane, but I can assure you it won’t be my last. I feel like the Characters responses may have been better understood if coming after a previous book, but I find myself eager to dive into the first in the series! Having enjoyed this so much, I can’t wait to see how much it improves with more information on the story, and a wider appreciation of the characters.

The story was paced brilliantly, I didn’t feel that at any point the story was under or over done, there were faster and slower places granted, but nothing felt rushed and nor did anywhere feel like the story dragged, it flowed wonderfully from scene to scene.

As I haven’t read much of this particular time period, I cannot give many suggestions! But I would certainly suggest them for anybody who enjoys Simon Scarrow, though these are perhaps easier to read at times!

[Adam Lofthouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sat on a shelf gathering dust for a year before I picked it up. Why? I don't know really. The first in the series was excellent, and so it turns out, is this one!

Ben is a wonderful story teller, with a knack for immersing his readers in the ancient world. These two books are no different.

Told from the POV of the two opposing generals and two of their soldiers, Ben gives us a wide scope of the everyday lives of all involved. Reading other reviews of this book and the series as a whole, there are mutterings of the books being 'anti Roman' which at first I thought stupid, but thinking about it they may have some substance.

Ben's Macedonian characters - their king Phillip and a soldier Demetrios and more likeable than the Roman general Flamininus and the legionary Felix. Could just be my opinion, could be intentional from Ben, I don't know. It didn't affect the story for me, but I can see how it could for others. I think the reader is naturally more drawn to the Macedonians as they are defending their homeland.

The climatic battle in the book is brilliantly written (as always!) and seeing it from each of the POV characters kept it flowing and engaging. I did wonder what would happen at the end, seeing as I knew there would be no more major combat scenes, I worried the story would run out of juice. I need not have though, for Ben leaves one final twist in the tale, ending the book and the series with a bang.

Cracking couple of books these, looking forward to reading what Ben does next.

[Cathygillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was brilliant but then Ben Kane is a master of his art and anything he writes about classical military history will always be well researched and as a result ring true. The only problem I’ve found with his books is that they are impossible to put down.

He tells the story of Rome’s gradual victory over Philip V of Macedon during Rome’s invasion and occupation of Greece from the point of view of the ordinary soldier on both the Greek and the Roman side as he is always sympathetic to their plight whether voluntary soldier or veteran. There are full details of how the battles were fought, the organisation of both armies in immense detail, their equipment, punishments, their relationships with authority, life in the ranks and the overwhelming desire to get drunk on their free time. If this book were to give off an odour it would be sweat, blood and gangrene, unwashed clothes and excrement everywhere. During the descriptions of sacrificing animals it is almost possible to smell their fear and detect their nervous reactions to someone wielding a knife or sword and cutting their throats expertly or inexpertly causing great and unnecessary pain.

I didn’t know about this period or this war but because of “Clash of Empires” and this sequel I’ve been thoroughly immersed in it and feel very glad of the experience. I’m looking forward to my next outing with this outstanding author. Thanks again Ben.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the previous book in the sequence, this one tells the story from each side of the conflict, allowing us to explore how Philip and Flaminius saw each other - and their various allies.

It's an interesting era, as Rome is growing in stature, but not one that is often explored in novels apart from the earlier and more famous conflict with Hannibal. Which is a shame, as you can clearly see Rome and it's leaders realising that they can become a major power in the Mediterranean as Macedonia and the Greeks are waning.

The ending was a bit surprising a brave choice by the author to have our main Roman character not make it to the end, but it does underscore the brutality of military life - especially when there is in-fighting and you have the sort of bullies who cannot see the bigger picture of the skilled leader Felix was growing into.

Really enjoyed it.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel continued on from the strong finishing ‘Clash of Empires’ where the Phalanx met the Legions at Atrax.

There is a ‘calm before the storm’ ahead of the following spring where hostilities are due to begin again and we catch up with the characters we got to know in the first novel. Both our Greek (Demetrios) and Roman (Felix) army views had solidly grown on me at this point and of course I was still routing for them both which I knew wouldn’t end well.

There was an inclusion of a certain character from the ‘Hannibal’ series which Kane beautifully and subtly used to convey what would have been Hannibal’s next moves against Rome and I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic about those great novels.

Ultimately, the inevitable conclusion came to pass and the Roman’s sphere of influence grows across the Greek states. I was happy for Felix and it was well deserved after what he has been through but couldn’t help but feel for Demetrios. You could probably say that it was poetic or whatever!

Another solid 4/5!

[Bill Cushley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Ben Kane's follow up to his novel "The Clash of Empires" which is about the conflict between Rome and the Mecedonian King Philip.
That book was outstanding, and it's follow up, The Falling Sword is even more so.
With each novel that he produces, this author simply gets better and better.
His depiction of the rank and file soldiers, as well as the Kings and Generals in this conflict is so very detailed, and he gets in to the mind of the "little man". It is possible to understand their lives, and what was important in emir day to day existence.
This was a conflict about which I knew very little, but in reading these two books, it is so obvious that it was of major importance for the future of Europe.
Thanks Ben Kane - entertaining and educational!

[Dilys Guthrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must admit, I read both books back to back and boy am I glad I did. I don't think I could have waited a year between them. Both main characters were well researched and written and I thoroughly enjoyed the changing from one side to the other. Also the use of each sides names for the same places made it so much more real. The other characters involced in the battles let you look at it all from another point of view. I was disappointed at the demise of a couple of them, but the story wouldn't have been real if all the good guys had survived. It is also obvious in the writing that Ben knows the terrain and area he is talking about, whether though intense research or actually walking the ground. A highly recommended duo of books.

[Lorenzo Tobón · Rating 4 out of 5]

He leído todos los libros de Ben Kane, es uno de mis autores favoritos y disfrutó mucho de su narrativa y sus historias.

La serie contada en estos dos libros me pareció buena y pude aprender un poco más de una guerra que no es tan conocida hoy en día pero que fue clave para determinar la geografía de la Europa moderna. Aunque no esté entre sus mejores libros, por supuesto que siempre será un placer leer a Ben Kane.

Algo que me sorprendió mucho, y que en cierto modo hizo menos grata la experiencia de leer este libro, fue la baja calidad de la traducción echa por Mercè Diago Esteva para Ediciones B en España pues tienen errores de ortografía y más grave aún de cambio de nombre en los personajes. Esto es algo imperdonable para una editorial de ese tamaño.

[Dennis Steussy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Falling Sword is a historical fictional account of the battles between Macedonia and Rome. It is a good read and Mr. Kane does a good job in weaving the history and his fictional narrative. It is an interesting book in that you get to see the battles between the two sides from a Roman soldier and Macedonian soldier perspective too. The book does a very good job in showing how war takes it toll on the men fighting it and their comrades. It presents an interesting theory on the political intrigue that may have happened in the war between the Roman commander, Flaminus and another Roman by the name of Galla. Lots of interesting plot twists and turns. If you enjoy reading historical narrative novels, I think you will enjoy this one.

[Jeff Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Ben Kane books, they just seem to get better and better every year and this one is no exception. Great characters and an abundance of well-described, gritty battle scenes, what more could you want in Roman historical fiction?

It's also a welcome change to see a series of books about this period in Roman history. Normally they tend to focus on Caesar/Spartacus or Claudius so this fresh topic is most welcome. I hope one day somebody writes a series about Sulla or Marius perhaps.

A thoroughly excellent read and I can't wait for the next instalment.

[Menno Beek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part two of two, nice that the author did not go for seven: it was quite an interesting read, probably also because the author knows a lot of stuff first hand from legionnaire-life. The gestalt of what it must be like to function in massive Greek or Roman armies sort of rises from the story. Maybe the author could experiment somewhat more with happy endings for a lot f his characters.

Historically, in these books one witnesses the Romans starting their conquering of the world. Quite well done, I thought.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following on directly from Clash of Empires this book concludes the conflict between Rome and Macedon.
It doesn't have quite the same pace and vigour as the earlier volume, but the second half of the book is very good indeed as the Battle of Cynoscephalae takes centre stage and of course the various rivalries and personal conflicts are resolved.

This is my second Ben Kane, but won't be my last. He writes well and brings the history to life with interesting characters.

[Wes Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a finish. It’s rare that I enjoy the sequel more then the original, but “The Falling sword” absolutely crushed it.

Eager to jump back into “Legions vs Phalanx’”, Ben Kane really fleshed our the character arcs further. Felix and Philip’s stories really rounded out especially, their futures..... uncertain.Flaminius I really didn’t enjoy in the first book, his revenge ultimately really satisfying.

Love seeing Arimnestos and Hanno make an appearance, what a cross-over!