Sands of the Arena and Other Stories

by Ben Kane

From Sunday Times Bestselling author Ben Kane comes a collection of short Sands of the ArenaCan a wet-behind-the-ears gladiator survive a bloody contest ordered by Emperor Caligula?The ShrineCenturion Tullus discovers that Fate will always hold him in her grip.The ArenaLegionary Piso's much anticipated payday plays out very differently than he expected.Eagles in the EastCaught up in a bloody rebellion, Centurion Tullus battles to keep his men alive.Eagles in the WildernessBored with retirement, Centurion Tullus takes service with an amber merchant, voyaging to unknown, dangerous lands far beyond the empire. Good OmensHistory's most famous general seeks the gods' approval before his war with Rome.The MarchRomulus and Tarquinius travel to the ends of the earth, searching for their lost friend Brennus.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Ebooks, Fiction, Short Stories, Audiobook

447 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2021

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

[Shane Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.
Remarkable narrator.
5⭐️

[Richard West · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to love it when a favorite author releases a book of short stories that have otherwise remained unavailable. There are times when you may not be able to complete a full-blown novel, but short stories fit in perfectly.

There are 6 short stories in this collection and one which might qualify as a full-blown, albeit short, novel and all are infused with that special Kane touch and humour.

If you're a Ben Kane fan or someone who is into historical fiction from the time of the Roman Empire, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

Now, if some other authors would follow in Kane's footsteps; and there are other Kane short stories out there which would be greatly appreciated by his fans - stories which have appeared as ridiculous ebooks available only on Amazon's Kindle. If there are no copyright issues involved, those would be welcomed as well. As it is, they are only available to people who pay less than full price for the books and help the author enjoy a comfortable standard of living - ebooks are much cheaper and it's highly unlikely the royalties collected are as much as from a real book. It's almost as if the readers of real books are being punished for not purchasing ebooks! And, Kane isn't the only author who seems to follow this school of thought.

Readers of real books would appreciate seeing those ebooks in print - Sands of the Arena is a step in the right direction. Let's hope there's another collection of short stories coming......

[Bill Cushley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of short stories authored by Ben Kane during the Covid 19 pandemic. As ever, Mr Kane treats his readers to an exciting, first class read. Included is a follow up to The Road to Rome series of books, which wraps up that story beautifully.
Ben Kane just gets better and better with every publication.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love the snippets of Kane's characters in each book.

I have to say that finding myself "reunited" with Tullus was like coming home.

I know what the author wrote at the end, but I'd feel like I was catching up with an old friend for a short story on Brennus and his adventures over the years as a Forgotten Legionary and the trials and tribulations he faced considering that there's plenty for both Tarquinius and Romulus. Brennus, for all his size and "glory" to a general of the Forgotten Legion seems like he HAS to have some stories to tell around the fire to those who sought him out.

I'd sincerely love that angle.

However, nonetheless, this was brilliant. I've binge-read the books and this was a bit of icing on the cake for each series!
Very, VERY well written for short stories/novellas, and ABSOLUTELY worth more than a coffee, no matter how good it is! (And us NZ'ers are known for having the best flat white you'll taste!) So my no means a small compliment to the author!

All I'll say is please keep the exceptionally well-researched, and written series coming, I believe I intended to read a book, maybe the series if it was good. I'm now three series down, plus this.

It read brilliantly even if you haven't read all of the series and I don't think you'll get a coffee that good for the price of this that makes you think you should've gone and bought the coffee instead of the novellas!
And the way the author includes readers as characters, and his run down of how he researched things/places he visited, it absolutely pays off for the reader. Well done again, Mr Kane!

[Lashanti Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and entertaining read. My favorite story was of course Sands of the Arena. I didn’t find the main character that likeable nor was I a fan of the plot armor. But the story wasn’t bad. I liked the other short stories well enough to add their corresponding novels to my tbr. Though women weren’t prevalent in most of the stories, the very few appearances they did make weren’t great in my opinion. However their presence was so little that it was a little easier to overlook. All and all some interesting short stories.

[Lucie Hemmings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having recently completed a collection of historical fiction short stories set in the Roman Empire, I found the experience particularly rewarding due to my established interest in literature pertaining to that era. Of particular note was "Sands of the Arena," the opening story in the collection, which I found to be exceptionally well-crafted. Given your evident appreciation for both short stories and historical fiction focused on the Roman Empire, I would confidently recommend this collection for your consideration.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of Ben Kane's books but several of the characters in this book are part of his lost legion series and I'm looking forward to reading that series as well as I do own it both in book form and audio form. The book and the audiobook for this novel was very well done very enjoyable and it ties a lot of loose ends in. The author also talks about how he includes people that he's communicated with via email on a specific site has characters in the novel I enjoyed this very much

[Everett Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nearly as good....

.....as Bernard Cornwell which to this reader of historical fiction is high praise. The settings seem to be correct as does the research so I have just bought another book by this author and look forward to starting it.

[Hasnain Abro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping and interesting tales

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the first story but not the rest so much.