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Forgotten Legion Chronicles #3
The Road to Rome
The third novel in The Forgotten Legion trilogy takes the main protagonists from North Africa back to Rome in the build-up to the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Having survived the perils of a journey across half the world, Romulus and Tarquinius are press-ganged into the legions, which are under imminent threat of annihilation by the Egyptians. Meanwhile in Rome, Romulus' twin sister Fabiola lives in fear for her life, loved by Brutus, but wooed by Marcus Antonius, his deadly enemy. Back in Egypt, Romulus fights at Zela, the vicious battle where Caesar famously said, 'Veni, vidi, vici'. Tarquinius, separated from Romulus in the chaos of war, hides in Alexandria, searching for guidance. But mortal danger awaits them both. From the battlefields of North Africa and Spain, to the lawless streets of Rome and the gladiator arena, they face death daily, until on the Ides of March, the twins are reunited and must decide either to back or to betray Caesar on his day of destiny.
Having survived the perils of a journey across half the world, Romulus and Tarquinius are press-ganged into the legions, which are under imminent threat of annihilation by the Egyptians. Meanwhile in Rome, Romulus' twin sister Fabiola lives in fear for her life, loved by Brutus, but wooed by Marcus Antonius, his deadly enemy. Back in Egypt, Romulus fights at Zela, the vicious battle where Caesar famously said, 'Veni, vidi, vici'. Tarquinius, separated from Romulus in the chaos of war, hides in Alexandria, searching for guidance. But mortal danger awaits them both. From the battlefields of North Africa and Spain, to the lawless streets of Rome and the gladiator arena, they face death daily, until on the Ides of March, the twins are reunited and must decide either to back or to betray Caesar on his day of destiny.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
132 people are currently reading
2171 people want to read
About the author
Ben Kane
49 books1,104 followersBen 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
June 20, 2025
Debo decir que este es uno de los mejores finales que he leído. ¡Maravilloso! El último capítulo, que era largo, me lo devoré completo. El desenlace de la trilogía sucedió. Tengo sentimientos encontrados.
Creo que siempre recordaré a Romulus, es un héroe con todas sus letras. Un luchador, un guerrero, pero no sólo físicamente, sino también psicológicamente. Una infancia horrible al igual que Fabiola. Romulus sobrevivió a todo. Literalmente a todo. Viajó por el mundo, luchó contra otros guerreros contra el clima, contra animales, contra el hambre, contra todo y todos. Sería lindo imaginarse a Romulus, Tarquinius y Brennus juntos ahora, o imaginarse qué habría sido de ellos si todo estuviera en paz y tuvieran vidas felices.
Sentimientos encontrados ¿Por qué? Especialmente por Fabiola. Me surgió una especie de amor y odio hacia ella. Sabiendo su vida anterior, las cosas por las que tuvo que pasar, de repente, según mi punto de vista, cambió su personalidad y no le importó nada ni nadie, como que olvidó sus orígenes.
Y ahora que la trilogía terminó, Tarquinius y Brennus serán mis nuevos super héroes; totalmente admirables, en todo sentido de la palabra. También pasaron por terribles eventos, al igual que Romulus.
Mención extra para Decimus Brutus. Un noble de buen corazón, una excepción para ese tiempo y ese rango que tenía, (casi) siempre fiel a César, un genio de la guerra.
Totalmente recomendable. Hace que te intereses por la historia, por Roma y por lo otros lugares que también se describen en la novela. Tengo un interés renovado acerca del Imperio Romano. Ben Kane supo muy bien cómo mezclar historia y ficción. Excelente escritor.
Creo que siempre recordaré a Romulus, es un héroe con todas sus letras. Un luchador, un guerrero, pero no sólo físicamente, sino también psicológicamente. Una infancia horrible al igual que Fabiola. Romulus sobrevivió a todo. Literalmente a todo. Viajó por el mundo, luchó contra otros guerreros contra el clima, contra animales, contra el hambre, contra todo y todos. Sería lindo imaginarse a Romulus, Tarquinius y Brennus juntos ahora, o imaginarse qué habría sido de ellos si todo estuviera en paz y tuvieran vidas felices.
Sentimientos encontrados ¿Por qué? Especialmente por Fabiola. Me surgió una especie de amor y odio hacia ella. Sabiendo su vida anterior, las cosas por las que tuvo que pasar, de repente, según mi punto de vista, cambió su personalidad y no le importó nada ni nadie, como que olvidó sus orígenes.
Y ahora que la trilogía terminó, Tarquinius y Brennus serán mis nuevos super héroes; totalmente admirables, en todo sentido de la palabra. También pasaron por terribles eventos, al igual que Romulus.
Mención extra para Decimus Brutus. Un noble de buen corazón, una excepción para ese tiempo y ese rango que tenía, (casi) siempre fiel a César, un genio de la guerra.
Totalmente recomendable. Hace que te intereses por la historia, por Roma y por lo otros lugares que también se describen en la novela. Tengo un interés renovado acerca del Imperio Romano. Ben Kane supo muy bien cómo mezclar historia y ficción. Excelente escritor.
October 10, 2020
7,5/10
Con este Camino a Roma Ben Kane termina una trilogía que gustándome, me ha parecido algo inferior que las lecturas anteriores suyas. ¿Motivos? Pues bueno, diría que los secundarios son mejorables, en algunos casos bastante y la trama estando bien, es muy predecible y con ello no me refiero al final de Julio Cesar, el cual es conocido por cualquiera que le guste un poco la historia.
Como lado positivo de esta novela está el estilo narrativo de Kane, el cual engancha bastante y hace que leas y leas sin parar. Los protagonistas, que cumplen muy bien, y la ambientación también está muy bien trabajada.
Seguiré leyendo a Kane, pero creo que necesito un pequeño descanso y por ese motivo puede que esta novela me haya gustado algo menos.
Con este Camino a Roma Ben Kane termina una trilogía que gustándome, me ha parecido algo inferior que las lecturas anteriores suyas. ¿Motivos? Pues bueno, diría que los secundarios son mejorables, en algunos casos bastante y la trama estando bien, es muy predecible y con ello no me refiero al final de Julio Cesar, el cual es conocido por cualquiera que le guste un poco la historia.
Como lado positivo de esta novela está el estilo narrativo de Kane, el cual engancha bastante y hace que leas y leas sin parar. Los protagonistas, que cumplen muy bien, y la ambientación también está muy bien trabajada.
Seguiré leyendo a Kane, pero creo que necesito un pequeño descanso y por ese motivo puede que esta novela me haya gustado algo menos.
June 16, 2023
Thoroughly enjoyed the 3rd and final instalment to Ben Kane's Forgotten Legion trilogy. This is the 6th book I have read by him, and so far I have not been let down. The Road to Rome takes what I really enjoyed about the previous two instalments, making sure to continue in that vein, but also taking the story in fresh and engaging directions at the same time. I really felt the tension build as I entered the final act, and Ben Kane delivered a climactic conclusion that was shocking and satisfying.
Great characters from beginning to end, with an intimate heart to a story that also follows epic events and conflicts that historically had ramifications that were felt centuries.
Great characters from beginning to end, with an intimate heart to a story that also follows epic events and conflicts that historically had ramifications that were felt centuries.
September 11, 2018
Oh dear lord this series fell apart at the end. This whole book was a series of annoying conveniences and Fabiola turned into a most hateful character and you can not tease the potential return of a main character and do nothing with it!
Shame after the first two books were five stars.
Shame after the first two books were five stars.
January 17, 2020
3,5 estrellas.
Mantiene el interés, pero el zamparme la trilogía seguida ha sido un error. Me he hartado un poco de romanos y a partir de 2/3 de la nivela estaba deseando acabarla.
Los nuevos personajes bueno, bien, pero no mantienen el nivel. Coño, y el final era demasiado evidente. El ritmo sí es bueno.
Mantiene el interés, pero el zamparme la trilogía seguida ha sido un error. Me he hartado un poco de romanos y a partir de 2/3 de la nivela estaba deseando acabarla.
Los nuevos personajes bueno, bien, pero no mantienen el nivel. Coño, y el final era demasiado evidente. El ritmo sí es bueno.
June 25, 2015
The author knew how to finish this well. At times it seemed to vanish into meticulously described battles that were indistinguishable from one another. The story is at its best in the alleys, bordellos and gladiator pits of Rome. The characters become lifelike and the practices such as divination are accurately portrayed and tended to hold my interest momentarily, but it is the interaction of the characters that I really enjoyed.
Watching Fabiola go from victim to master manipulator was interesting and the characters are so developed it often becomes difficult to tell the good from the bad. Overall it was an enjoyable read. I like the author and will one day find another series of his to read, but for now I need a break.
Watching Fabiola go from victim to master manipulator was interesting and the characters are so developed it often becomes difficult to tell the good from the bad. Overall it was an enjoyable read. I like the author and will one day find another series of his to read, but for now I need a break.
December 17, 2020
Ultimo libro de esta saga. Me gusto mucho, leer a Ben Kane siempre es muy agradable, la lectura es muy amena como todos los libros, muy bien documentado y te mantiene enganchado en todo momento. El único detalle (y es algo muy personal) que no me gusto fue el final, después de 3 libros y de seguir a Romulus y a Fabiola tengo que decir que esperaba un buen final, que no quiere decir el final que yo quería, solamente un buen final y me parece que no alcanzo del todo eso que yo buscaba.
Fuera de eso es un buen libro y es una muy buena saga, muy recomendable.
Fuera de eso es un buen libro y es una muy buena saga, muy recomendable.
May 27, 2023
4.5 stars
November 22, 2021
Read this book in 2013, and its the 3rd volume of the incredible "Forgotten Legion" trilogy.
In this book we find Romulus and Tarquinius, with Brennus sadly gone, after a perilous flight from the East press-ganged into the Legions, all because of a threat of annihilation by the Egyptians.
Soon after this Romulus and Tarquinius will fight at Zela, where at this battle Caesar famously said "Veni, vidi, vici", and during the chaos of battle our blood brothers will get separated, with Tarquinius hiding in Alexandria and seeking guidance, but somehow they will find each other again and head for Rome.
In Rome itself, Romulus's twin sister Fabiola's life is in mortal danger, although loved by Brutus but wooed by Marcus Antonius, who's Brutus's deadly enemy.
And so in 44 BC a final reckoning is coming, and the twins, Romulus and Fabiola, must decide to back Caesar, and drop Brutus, or betray the big man on his day of destiny.
What is to come is a tremendous Roman historical adventure, in which our main protagonists are taken along in this maelstrom of battles in an attempt to rule the world in the Roman way, and the treachery and subsequent murder within Rome of Caesar, and all this has been brought to us by the author in a most fantastic fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is another splendid addition to this marvellous trilogy, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Forgotten Legion Conclusion"!
In this book we find Romulus and Tarquinius, with Brennus sadly gone, after a perilous flight from the East press-ganged into the Legions, all because of a threat of annihilation by the Egyptians.
Soon after this Romulus and Tarquinius will fight at Zela, where at this battle Caesar famously said "Veni, vidi, vici", and during the chaos of battle our blood brothers will get separated, with Tarquinius hiding in Alexandria and seeking guidance, but somehow they will find each other again and head for Rome.
In Rome itself, Romulus's twin sister Fabiola's life is in mortal danger, although loved by Brutus but wooed by Marcus Antonius, who's Brutus's deadly enemy.
And so in 44 BC a final reckoning is coming, and the twins, Romulus and Fabiola, must decide to back Caesar, and drop Brutus, or betray the big man on his day of destiny.
What is to come is a tremendous Roman historical adventure, in which our main protagonists are taken along in this maelstrom of battles in an attempt to rule the world in the Roman way, and the treachery and subsequent murder within Rome of Caesar, and all this has been brought to us by the author in a most fantastic fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is another splendid addition to this marvellous trilogy, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Fabulous Forgotten Legion Conclusion"!
November 11, 2019
Trilogía terminada, pero con sabor agridulce.
Quiero evitar hacer posibles spoilers, así que no quiero hilar muy fino en esta reseña.
Solo diré, que me ha parecido que el final podría haber sido distinto, aprovechando mucho más a los personajes protagonistas. En otro caso, también podría haberse estirado algo más el desenlace, añadiendo un par de capítulos más, ya que me ha dejado una sensación de brusquedad y brevedad.
Aún con todo, como punto positivo, resaltar la ambientación, las escenas de batalla y la gran primera parte del libro, donde transcurre mucha acción a un ritmo trepidante.
Quiero evitar hacer posibles spoilers, así que no quiero hilar muy fino en esta reseña.
Solo diré, que me ha parecido que el final podría haber sido distinto, aprovechando mucho más a los personajes protagonistas. En otro caso, también podría haberse estirado algo más el desenlace, añadiendo un par de capítulos más, ya que me ha dejado una sensación de brusquedad y brevedad.
Aún con todo, como punto positivo, resaltar la ambientación, las escenas de batalla y la gran primera parte del libro, donde transcurre mucha acción a un ritmo trepidante.
June 5, 2024
Continuano le avventure dei protagonisti della trilogia. Anche in questo libro c'è una buona dose di azione, ma il racconto è più lento degli altri libri, più focalizzato su intrighi e bassezze di Roma che su azioni di guerra. I protagonisti sono ben caratterizzati e vari. Forse la storia è troppo prevedibile, ma come romanzo storico è inevitabile. Un pò di amaro in bocca per la conclusione, che resta aperta. Nel complesso, mi è piaciuto meno di primi due libri.
June 19, 2025
It was a bit jolting to be reintroduced to these characters; I had to remind myself that this is the third book in the series, and they had gone through significant development and arcs to reach this point. Fabiola is the main character I’m thinking about here, while Tarquinius was my favorite character in this installment. Overall, I kept thinking about how great these character arcs were, moving them from one place in the first book to the end in the last. However, when I first got into the story, I found myself wishing for a character guide, as I was a bit confused about who was who.
The atmosphere in this book is much smaller than in the first two. This installment focuses more on Rome rather than the entire ancient world. It’s a smaller scale, not as expansive, and there is not as much immersive world-building as in the previous books. However, the author does a great job of placing you in the scenes and immersing you in Rome. I just prefer the more adventurous aspects of the earlier books.
As for the writing, it was so easy to get back into this world. I quickly adjusted to being with these characters again; the pacing the author uses makes it easy to fall back into place without feeling lost. The part of the writing I had an issue with was that it was hard to tell when each scene was happening and how they corresponded with other scenes—whether they were happening at the same time or in different parts. I would have liked more clarity on that.
Again, this book is on a much smaller scale compared to the others in the series. The plot wasn't as adventurous or as open-world as the previous two books, which was what I really enjoyed about the series—exploring the ancient world. With the character of Romulus most of his scenes were in battle, which makes sense for that kind of character, but I personally do not enjoy battle scenes in movies or books. I tend to skim over them, and it got a bit tedious to read in the first six chapters whenever we were with Romulus; he was always in battle. I think that’s why he was the character I gravitated toward the least, though I still think he had a great character arc.
As for the intrigue, I really didn’t know where these arcs were going to lead or how the characters' stories would end, especially regarding whether they would reunite. Even though I didn’t expect the stories to go where they did, the direction they took makes so much sense. The incredible logic used in the character work explains why their stories ended up the way they did. This book and the series are incredibly immersive in the Roman world. I think if you enjoy Roman media like "Gladiator" and HBO's "Rome," you’ll really like this series. I would even recommend it to someone who typically reads fantasy; I think it’s a great gateway into historical fiction because it has many aspects you’ll see in high fantasy novels—adventures, politics, romance—you'll get all of that in this series.
I really enjoyed and had a fun time reading this book, and I would recommend that you pick up the "Forgotten Legion" series.
3.75 out of 5 stars.
March 30, 2011
You'll need to read each of the books in Forgotten Legion series in order. Ben Kane creates complex characters that undergo incredible trials. As they escape death and tempt fate, the lead characters are forced to give up things that they hold dear.
The twins Fabiola and Romulus are children of a slave woman who was raped by high ranking Roman citizen. The twins never know who their father is but hold a deep anger and hatred towards him for the pain inflicted on their mother. They're exceptionally good looking and strong willed - traits that serve them well and bring them considerable pain. As slaves, their owner raises them and disposes of them in the most profitable way possible: Romulus is sold to a ludus and is forced into the life of a gladiator. Fabiola is sold to a brothel.
Romulus is quick, smart, and strong. He finds a good friend in the ludus and when fate forces them to run away, they escape together and join the Roman legion. Though they face death on the battlefield, their greatest danger comes from their past. An escaped slave faces death by crucifixion. Romulus does well on the battlefield, he takes to strategy and leadership quickly. While he proves his strengths, his past still serves as his greatest weakness.
Fabiola learns quickly the rules of the brothel. Her owner and the patrons hold her life in their hands, but it's the jealous competitors that pose the greatest threat. As Fabiola uses her beauty and cunning to win over powerful lovers, she is ruthless in her ambitions. Life in the brothel is as deadly as the battlefield and Fabiola is willing to attack first. Her experiences leave deep scars. Only the dream of revenge and of reuniting with her brother keep Fabiola intact.
This third book in the Forgotten Legion series covers Fabiola's deep hatred of Julius Caesar and her conviction that he is their natural father. Fabiola is driven by the desire for revenge. She makes alliances and takes on "clients" towards this end. Even Romulus and her lover Brutus are unable to dissuade her from her goal. Fabiola works to kill Julius Caesar while Romulus is committed to defending him. Rome, Caesar and the twins speed towards tragedy.
In The Road to Rome, Ben Kane combines considerable detail on Roman life with a deep and fascinating drama. As Romulus becomes more of a traditional hero, Fabiola is a much darker and less sympathetic character in this third novel. Romulus's bravery and loyalty are finally recognized and he's given the chance to shine. As Romulus becomes a Roman citizen and declares his deepest allegiance to Rome and her ideals. Fabiola remains focused on her family's tragedy and her need for revenge - at the cost of the people that she loves. Overall, The Road To Rome is another satisfying addition to Ben Kane's Lost Legion series. I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction and adventure.
ISBN-10: 0312536739 - Hardcover
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; Reprint edition (March 29, 2011), 528 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
The twins Fabiola and Romulus are children of a slave woman who was raped by high ranking Roman citizen. The twins never know who their father is but hold a deep anger and hatred towards him for the pain inflicted on their mother. They're exceptionally good looking and strong willed - traits that serve them well and bring them considerable pain. As slaves, their owner raises them and disposes of them in the most profitable way possible: Romulus is sold to a ludus and is forced into the life of a gladiator. Fabiola is sold to a brothel.
Romulus is quick, smart, and strong. He finds a good friend in the ludus and when fate forces them to run away, they escape together and join the Roman legion. Though they face death on the battlefield, their greatest danger comes from their past. An escaped slave faces death by crucifixion. Romulus does well on the battlefield, he takes to strategy and leadership quickly. While he proves his strengths, his past still serves as his greatest weakness.
Fabiola learns quickly the rules of the brothel. Her owner and the patrons hold her life in their hands, but it's the jealous competitors that pose the greatest threat. As Fabiola uses her beauty and cunning to win over powerful lovers, she is ruthless in her ambitions. Life in the brothel is as deadly as the battlefield and Fabiola is willing to attack first. Her experiences leave deep scars. Only the dream of revenge and of reuniting with her brother keep Fabiola intact.
This third book in the Forgotten Legion series covers Fabiola's deep hatred of Julius Caesar and her conviction that he is their natural father. Fabiola is driven by the desire for revenge. She makes alliances and takes on "clients" towards this end. Even Romulus and her lover Brutus are unable to dissuade her from her goal. Fabiola works to kill Julius Caesar while Romulus is committed to defending him. Rome, Caesar and the twins speed towards tragedy.
In The Road to Rome, Ben Kane combines considerable detail on Roman life with a deep and fascinating drama. As Romulus becomes more of a traditional hero, Fabiola is a much darker and less sympathetic character in this third novel. Romulus's bravery and loyalty are finally recognized and he's given the chance to shine. As Romulus becomes a Roman citizen and declares his deepest allegiance to Rome and her ideals. Fabiola remains focused on her family's tragedy and her need for revenge - at the cost of the people that she loves. Overall, The Road To Rome is another satisfying addition to Ben Kane's Lost Legion series. I highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction and adventure.
ISBN-10: 0312536739 - Hardcover
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; Reprint edition (March 29, 2011), 528 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.
January 5, 2019
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is the final book of a trilogy and the other two must be read before this one. This book takes place during ancient Rome during Julius Caesar's rule. This book tells if the two twins will be finally reunited and if they get their revenge on the people who wronged them during their childhood.
I did think this book was the weakest book of the trilogy but it is still an enjoyable read. At first, I wasn't crazy about all three main characters being separated as I was missing the interaction between characters. What I didn't realize was that the author was slowly building up the role reversals for the characters which I enjoyed when it finally dawned on me. It was just a little too slow to get there. I absolutely love the setting as the author does a terrific job not in glamorizing ancient Rome but portraying it realistically. Also, the inclusion of historical figures just adds to the atmosphere. The action and battle scenes are once again top notch and graphic. I cannot stop reading during these battles. The reason I dropped my rating a half star is because the author left a sub plot hanging which he referred to several times. There was really no way he could have concluded it but it did leave me wanting.
These books are not for the light-hearted. I really enjoy how the author portrays the time setting whether it is thru famous figures or how battles were fought back then. I was never bored with this book and I look forward to reading more offerings from this author.
This is the final book of a trilogy and the other two must be read before this one. This book takes place during ancient Rome during Julius Caesar's rule. This book tells if the two twins will be finally reunited and if they get their revenge on the people who wronged them during their childhood.
I did think this book was the weakest book of the trilogy but it is still an enjoyable read. At first, I wasn't crazy about all three main characters being separated as I was missing the interaction between characters. What I didn't realize was that the author was slowly building up the role reversals for the characters which I enjoyed when it finally dawned on me. It was just a little too slow to get there. I absolutely love the setting as the author does a terrific job not in glamorizing ancient Rome but portraying it realistically. Also, the inclusion of historical figures just adds to the atmosphere. The action and battle scenes are once again top notch and graphic. I cannot stop reading during these battles. The reason I dropped my rating a half star is because the author left a sub plot hanging which he referred to several times. There was really no way he could have concluded it but it did leave me wanting.
These books are not for the light-hearted. I really enjoy how the author portrays the time setting whether it is thru famous figures or how battles were fought back then. I was never bored with this book and I look forward to reading more offerings from this author.
September 4, 2012
I have read the previous two books from this trilogy and although there were some issues with writing and style, the story was interesting enough and the plot moved along at a nice pace. The historical detail seemed quite accurate, to someone like me, with just some generic knowledge about the period.
In this third book, however, it became more and more difficult to sidestep the issues I have with the writing. The main issues that bothered me were a constant shifting of POV and the ploy to stop chapters at cliffhangers and not adhering to a continues timeline in the process. At one point the latter just started to feel as a cheap ploy.
But what bothered me the most was the lack of depth in the main characters, and consequently the lack of development of these characters. A plot can only take you so far, and unfortunately I could not connect enough with the characters to keep me engaged. Too bad, because the series started out nicely and deserved a better finish.
In this third book, however, it became more and more difficult to sidestep the issues I have with the writing. The main issues that bothered me were a constant shifting of POV and the ploy to stop chapters at cliffhangers and not adhering to a continues timeline in the process. At one point the latter just started to feel as a cheap ploy.
But what bothered me the most was the lack of depth in the main characters, and consequently the lack of development of these characters. A plot can only take you so far, and unfortunately I could not connect enough with the characters to keep me engaged. Too bad, because the series started out nicely and deserved a better finish.
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August 14, 2019The third book of this Ben Kane trilogy retains as much interest as did the other two, except it appears that the personal friendship between Romulus, the Roman, Tarquinius, the Etruscan haruspex and Brennus, the mighty Gaul has been broken apart. Romulus does not know what has happened to his close companions and continues to soldier on gallantly in Caesar's army without their help and company. He is then returned as a punishment to Rome, when his fellow legionnaires discover he has been a slave in his early life. He is labelled a noxii, a lowly gladiator who is meant to die as a sacrifice to the wild beasts of the arena. It is there he is pitted against a rhinoceros and wins. Caesar then grants him manumission and orders him to fight again with his legionnaires in the Roman army. As the book begins with him fighting the Eqyptians with Caesar, the battles continue where finally he is decorated for gallantry by Caesar himself. He finally returns to Rome under the aegis of the brilliant Roman general Yet Romulus wonders every day where his sister Fabiola is in Rome, and wants to be reunited with her. She is now the mistress of Decius Brutus and has taken to running the Lupanar, the brothel where she was once a prostitute, while her lover, Brutus is campaigning with Caesar. Yet Fabiola has hate in her heart for a general that everyone loves, Caesar himself. Unknown to Fabiola, who is being pursued by the evil Scaevola who is employed as a hit man and killer by Marcus Antoninus, whose desire for Fabiola is as coarse as his servant's. Into this demonic Rome, Tarquinius is resurrected. He does not know if Romulus is dead andstations himself in the area of the Lupanar so he can keep an eye on Fabiola. However this is all in vain. Romulus returns to Rome, enamoured with Caesar and his exploits like the rest of the population. Yet a plot is brewing against Caesar and is carried out. Once more the Republic is under threat. This is a wide-based, fabulous story and very much worth reading. I recommend it to those who enjoy novels about the history of Rome
May 18, 2024
Third in this trilogy, and suitably action packed, but with a decent emotional content from the twins at the centre of this 'faction'. That the outcome of the wider events each is involved and bound up in actually happened, including the assassination of one of Romes' greatest Generals, Julius Caesar lends a suitably fatalistic air to many of the personal story arcs. The human condition in relation to friendship, loyalty, duty, kinship, and retribution are well played out and illustrated.
Enjoyable and recommended.
Enjoyable and recommended.
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August 8, 2018Did not finish. Barely even started, in fact.
Just could not get interested in the characters or the plot.
Just could not get interested in the characters or the plot.
January 14, 2024
Espectacular
April 29, 2024
Too much telling and not enough showing.
February 21, 2015
I was fortunate enough to meet Ben Kane shortly after publication of ‘’The Silver Eagle’’, the second novel in his ‘’Forgotten Legion’’ chronicles. Having enjoyed the first two parts of the trilogy, I was eager to read the third and told him to write faster. He just laughed at me and told me I’d have to be patient. Patience may be a virtue, but it was never one of mine. Fortunately, ‘’The Road to Rome’’ was well worth the wait.
After years of wondering if their twin were still alive, Romulus and Fabiola happen to catch sight of each other on the docks at Alexandria. Their meeting isn’t to last long, as Fabiola is being rushed to safety by her lover, Brutus, one of Caesar’s most trusted generals and Romulus has just been press-ganged into an army about to go into battle. However, this chance meeting gives them additional strength, which they are certainly going to need to survive the struggles ahead.
For Fabiola, this involves killing Caesar, the man she is certain raped her mother and sired her. Recalling the information she was able to get from men as a prostitute, she buys the site of her former life, the Lupanar and starts planning Caesar’s death. Romulus, however, like most of the army loves Caesar and respects the great general that he is. He would do anything to serve Caesar, but first has to deal with the revelation from Tarquinius that his past wasn’t all it appeared to be and then fight for his life when it is discovered he is a slave, which makes fighting in a legion a capital offence. Suddenly, Romulus also returns to the site of his former life, but not by his own choosing.
Once again, there is a slightly different feel to ‘’The Road to Rome’’ than there was to the earlier parts. Previously, the main characters have largely been closer together, but this time they are all separated, which gives more story to follow. Although fleetingly, some major historical figures become integral characters here, if only as victims of parts of the plot. For the first time, we get to see Fabiola’s lover, Decimus Brutus, in a lot more depth and, as with all Kane’s characters, we get a feel for the conflict inside him very quickly.
Kane’s books may be written around historical events, but they are hugely character driven as well. Fabiola has always been driven by revenge, but this time around we see exactly how far her drive will take her and she seems to be a much colder person this time around. Tarquinius is different as well, less certain of himself with his haruspicy uncertain and consumed with guilt over his revelation to Romulus. For me, the most interesting character was Romulus, at the point he realises that having killed to survive his whole life, he is unable to commit a cold-blooded murder, even a murder he has sworn to himself for years he will commit. Fabiola and Romulus’ characters put them on opposite sides of the same coin and it’s interesting to see the differences between two people who, as twins, were so closely matched at the very start of the trilogy.
It’s not just the characters that make the story here, though, but Kane’s eye for pacing and excitement. Aware that he’s finishing off a trilogy, he ends most of the early chapters here on a cliff hanger that almost forces the reader to continue. Whilst much of the book may draw away slightly from the excitement and the sights and sounds of battle, in Kane’s hands this is no less exciting. Indeed, ‘’The Road to Rome’’ is almost the perfect combination of the previous two books, taking much from the battle scenes of ‘’The Forgotten Legion’’ and drawing from the political motivations and intrigue of ‘’The Silver Eagle’’. Kane combines the two wonderfully, then adds something extra special by doing something really nasty. He mentions a previously well-loved character, casting doubt on an earlier plot point in the minds of both character and reader in a wonderfully evil piece of mis-direction at a vital time. It’s the kind of twist that makes me want to strangle the writer – but not until I’ve finished the book because I couldn’t possibly put it down now!
‘’The Road to Rome’’ is the perfect ending to this trilogy, containing elements of everything that has been best about the series thus far, yet still adding something new. Having worked through and been captured by ‘’The Forgotten Legion’’ trilogy, I’m reminded that I never really enjoyed history at school. It always seemed so dull and lifeless to me back then. For anyone who has ever felt the same way, Ben Kane is the antidote, as I know without a shadow of doubt that if the history text books or my history teacher had ever talked about history with this same rush of excitement and intrigue, I’d have loved it above any other subject. Kane is not only a great writer, he’s made me enjoy something I’ve hated for years, which makes him a miracle worker as well.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
After years of wondering if their twin were still alive, Romulus and Fabiola happen to catch sight of each other on the docks at Alexandria. Their meeting isn’t to last long, as Fabiola is being rushed to safety by her lover, Brutus, one of Caesar’s most trusted generals and Romulus has just been press-ganged into an army about to go into battle. However, this chance meeting gives them additional strength, which they are certainly going to need to survive the struggles ahead.
For Fabiola, this involves killing Caesar, the man she is certain raped her mother and sired her. Recalling the information she was able to get from men as a prostitute, she buys the site of her former life, the Lupanar and starts planning Caesar’s death. Romulus, however, like most of the army loves Caesar and respects the great general that he is. He would do anything to serve Caesar, but first has to deal with the revelation from Tarquinius that his past wasn’t all it appeared to be and then fight for his life when it is discovered he is a slave, which makes fighting in a legion a capital offence. Suddenly, Romulus also returns to the site of his former life, but not by his own choosing.
Once again, there is a slightly different feel to ‘’The Road to Rome’’ than there was to the earlier parts. Previously, the main characters have largely been closer together, but this time they are all separated, which gives more story to follow. Although fleetingly, some major historical figures become integral characters here, if only as victims of parts of the plot. For the first time, we get to see Fabiola’s lover, Decimus Brutus, in a lot more depth and, as with all Kane’s characters, we get a feel for the conflict inside him very quickly.
Kane’s books may be written around historical events, but they are hugely character driven as well. Fabiola has always been driven by revenge, but this time around we see exactly how far her drive will take her and she seems to be a much colder person this time around. Tarquinius is different as well, less certain of himself with his haruspicy uncertain and consumed with guilt over his revelation to Romulus. For me, the most interesting character was Romulus, at the point he realises that having killed to survive his whole life, he is unable to commit a cold-blooded murder, even a murder he has sworn to himself for years he will commit. Fabiola and Romulus’ characters put them on opposite sides of the same coin and it’s interesting to see the differences between two people who, as twins, were so closely matched at the very start of the trilogy.
It’s not just the characters that make the story here, though, but Kane’s eye for pacing and excitement. Aware that he’s finishing off a trilogy, he ends most of the early chapters here on a cliff hanger that almost forces the reader to continue. Whilst much of the book may draw away slightly from the excitement and the sights and sounds of battle, in Kane’s hands this is no less exciting. Indeed, ‘’The Road to Rome’’ is almost the perfect combination of the previous two books, taking much from the battle scenes of ‘’The Forgotten Legion’’ and drawing from the political motivations and intrigue of ‘’The Silver Eagle’’. Kane combines the two wonderfully, then adds something extra special by doing something really nasty. He mentions a previously well-loved character, casting doubt on an earlier plot point in the minds of both character and reader in a wonderfully evil piece of mis-direction at a vital time. It’s the kind of twist that makes me want to strangle the writer – but not until I’ve finished the book because I couldn’t possibly put it down now!
‘’The Road to Rome’’ is the perfect ending to this trilogy, containing elements of everything that has been best about the series thus far, yet still adding something new. Having worked through and been captured by ‘’The Forgotten Legion’’ trilogy, I’m reminded that I never really enjoyed history at school. It always seemed so dull and lifeless to me back then. For anyone who has ever felt the same way, Ben Kane is the antidote, as I know without a shadow of doubt that if the history text books or my history teacher had ever talked about history with this same rush of excitement and intrigue, I’d have loved it above any other subject. Kane is not only a great writer, he’s made me enjoy something I’ve hated for years, which makes him a miracle worker as well.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
July 17, 2018
Okay, this took me an embarrassingly long time to actually get to and/or finish reading once I started, but it's not because of the book! It's because I've had so much going on these past two months that it's been virtually impossible to find good time to read.
But one 4 hour road-trip later this way and back provided ample time to finally get through this sucker and let me just say AGH! MY FEELINGS!
I started tearing up while I was reading this book as we got nearer to the climax. Not at the climax specifically, but, leading up to it.
I finished this book a couple of days ago, but I needed time to digest the ending of such an amazing trilogy and gather my thoughts a bit so I could come to a kind of solid conclusion on what I thought and felt about this final book.
And even now, I'm not totally sure how I feel about the ending. It was great, and epic, and the whole story was brilliantly written. But I don't know. Maybe the ending was kind of just not what I expected. But at the same time part of what I loved about the story is that I wasn't totally sure about how it would end to begin with.
I think the thing I'm most disconcerted about is But NOPE that's not what Kane wanted, so that's not what I'm gonna get.
My favorite part of the book by far would have to be when . In my opinion, that scene with Romulus and that one character is the true climax of the book, rather than the part at the end that features the historically memorable moment when Caesar meets his demise (I don't want to spoil that part because. . . idk it's history, is it really a spoiler?) because Caesar isn't the focus of the series. Yeah he's been crucial and there's a lot of buildup surrounding it, but the part before his death is something we've had built up for the whole dang series like I was FREAKING OUT when we got to it. Yeah we had some big revelations surrounding the dictator but it wasn't the real emotional climax of the story for our characters.
Random moments I enjoy throughout this book that aren't specific to the story and are in no particular order:
1. Anytime Tarquinius is able to use his haruspicy and interpret signs. Like, the victory and joy he feels related to his skills and interpretive skills are real and so are mine whenever he's able to do it. It's so spiritually fulfilling idk I just love it!
2. Anytime Romulus has a great feeling of victory like hot damn I'm so proud of him whenever he does something amazing and survives and just AAGHH i love it i love him.
3. Anytime Fabiola is able to be cunning and orchestrate things as she wants them to (which. doesn't freaking happen. as much as i would like it to. in this book) but AGHH I want her to do well and I love seeing her use her full capabilities as a master of shadows pulling the strings and manipulating things so they will benefit her. .
4. Whenever Caesar gave praise . I know, historically, he is the bad guy and specifically in this story he IS a bad guy but AAGGHHH he's so charismatic he's just MESMORIZING to listen to, even when I'm just reading words he may or may not have said depending on the scene. Kane makes it abundantly clear that this man was great at what he did as a General and as a leader of the people (until he was, y'know, murdered) and it is so easy to fall into this man's spell that it makes it all the more believable when Romulus has time to think about the man as a general, a leader, and .
On that last note, I really appreciate Kane's writing. I never feel like he's always focused on the action or relaying facts to us that he thinks are imperative we know. He allows time for us to spend with the character quietly thinking and absorbing everything the characters are taking in. When Romulus has his moral dilemma (throughout the book, this guy is full of dilemmas), when Fabiola finds herself between a rock and a hard place, when Tarquinius wonders what his place is in reuniting and reconnecting with Romulus . . . It's all just so much delicious angst to gobble up and I love it. Plenty of time to reflect and plan out the character's next step in moving forward.
With that said, Kane isn't too shabby on the action either. The scene in the ludus is positively astounding and I was absolutely eating up every word. I found myself audibly gasping in shock (surprise? disgust?) as I read and it was all just so easy to get into. The grisly scene with the wolves was horrifying but you can bet I read every word.
Okay and then there was the one question at the end that Romulus asks - and like, are we gonna get a spin-off? Or like a sequel of some kind? The ending kind of ends with a lot of stuff in the air and a lot of different ways we could go. I thought that this was the ending of a trilogy but the way the story ended makes me wonder if Kane has more planned for our crew of characters. Regardless, I plan on reading more of Kane's work as soon as I can.
I was telling my family about this book and my dad asked how much of it is real, and my best response is that it's the perfect marriage of history and fiction. Kane does include true events and represents historical figures as accurately as he can (Caesar, Antonius, Brutus, etc. . .), and he addressed in the author's note at the end that he did change some minor details in the story to work it better with the plot (like the 27th legion being the actual legion to fight instead of the 28th for a specific battle, blah blah blah), and I really appreciate that kind of candidacy from an author.
One last thing I would like to add is that the characters (particularly our main characters) are very realistic. I feel like I could see them as real people and not just a person in a fictional book. The way Romulus comes to the conclusions he does, the way the characters interact with each other and how they interpret different events and information . . . it just feels very real and believable.
Despite it's faults, I still love this book, loved this series, and love Kane's way of storytelling. You can bet I'll be back for more.
But one 4 hour road-trip later this way and back provided ample time to finally get through this sucker and let me just say AGH! MY FEELINGS!
I started tearing up while I was reading this book as we got nearer to the climax. Not at the climax specifically, but, leading up to it.
I finished this book a couple of days ago, but I needed time to digest the ending of such an amazing trilogy and gather my thoughts a bit so I could come to a kind of solid conclusion on what I thought and felt about this final book.
And even now, I'm not totally sure how I feel about the ending. It was great, and epic, and the whole story was brilliantly written. But I don't know. Maybe the ending was kind of just not what I expected. But at the same time part of what I loved about the story is that I wasn't totally sure about how it would end to begin with.
I think the thing I'm most disconcerted about is But NOPE that's not what Kane wanted, so that's not what I'm gonna get.
My favorite part of the book by far would have to be when . In my opinion, that scene with Romulus and that one character is the true climax of the book, rather than the part at the end that features the historically memorable moment when Caesar meets his demise (I don't want to spoil that part because. . . idk it's history, is it really a spoiler?) because Caesar isn't the focus of the series. Yeah he's been crucial and there's a lot of buildup surrounding it, but the part before his death is something we've had built up for the whole dang series like I was FREAKING OUT when we got to it. Yeah we had some big revelations surrounding the dictator but it wasn't the real emotional climax of the story for our characters.
Random moments I enjoy throughout this book that aren't specific to the story and are in no particular order:
1. Anytime Tarquinius is able to use his haruspicy and interpret signs. Like, the victory and joy he feels related to his skills and interpretive skills are real and so are mine whenever he's able to do it. It's so spiritually fulfilling idk I just love it!
2. Anytime Romulus has a great feeling of victory like hot damn I'm so proud of him whenever he does something amazing and survives and just AAGHH i love it i love him.
3. Anytime Fabiola is able to be cunning and orchestrate things as she wants them to (which. doesn't freaking happen. as much as i would like it to. in this book) but AGHH I want her to do well and I love seeing her use her full capabilities as a master of shadows pulling the strings and manipulating things so they will benefit her. .
4. Whenever Caesar gave praise . I know, historically, he is the bad guy and specifically in this story he IS a bad guy but AAGGHHH he's so charismatic he's just MESMORIZING to listen to, even when I'm just reading words he may or may not have said depending on the scene. Kane makes it abundantly clear that this man was great at what he did as a General and as a leader of the people (until he was, y'know, murdered) and it is so easy to fall into this man's spell that it makes it all the more believable when Romulus has time to think about the man as a general, a leader, and .
On that last note, I really appreciate Kane's writing. I never feel like he's always focused on the action or relaying facts to us that he thinks are imperative we know. He allows time for us to spend with the character quietly thinking and absorbing everything the characters are taking in. When Romulus has his moral dilemma (throughout the book, this guy is full of dilemmas), when Fabiola finds herself between a rock and a hard place, when Tarquinius wonders what his place is in reuniting and reconnecting with Romulus . . . It's all just so much delicious angst to gobble up and I love it. Plenty of time to reflect and plan out the character's next step in moving forward.
With that said, Kane isn't too shabby on the action either. The scene in the ludus is positively astounding and I was absolutely eating up every word. I found myself audibly gasping in shock (surprise? disgust?) as I read and it was all just so easy to get into. The grisly scene with the wolves was horrifying but you can bet I read every word.
Okay and then there was the one question at the end that Romulus asks - and like, are we gonna get a spin-off? Or like a sequel of some kind? The ending kind of ends with a lot of stuff in the air and a lot of different ways we could go. I thought that this was the ending of a trilogy but the way the story ended makes me wonder if Kane has more planned for our crew of characters. Regardless, I plan on reading more of Kane's work as soon as I can.
I was telling my family about this book and my dad asked how much of it is real, and my best response is that it's the perfect marriage of history and fiction. Kane does include true events and represents historical figures as accurately as he can (Caesar, Antonius, Brutus, etc. . .), and he addressed in the author's note at the end that he did change some minor details in the story to work it better with the plot (like the 27th legion being the actual legion to fight instead of the 28th for a specific battle, blah blah blah), and I really appreciate that kind of candidacy from an author.
One last thing I would like to add is that the characters (particularly our main characters) are very realistic. I feel like I could see them as real people and not just a person in a fictional book. The way Romulus comes to the conclusions he does, the way the characters interact with each other and how they interpret different events and information . . . it just feels very real and believable.
Despite it's faults, I still love this book, loved this series, and love Kane's way of storytelling. You can bet I'll be back for more.
June 2, 2013
Why do all good things have to come to an end?
Who said that?
They need a slap. And they need to read The Forgotten Legion trilogy. If ever there was a book you didn't want to end, it's this one. If ever there was a series you didn't want to end, it is The Forgotten Legion trilogy. Couldn't we convince Ben that 'trilogy' actually means 'four', or 'five', or...well, you get the picture.
Here and now, The Road to Rome is, of course, the culmination of Ben Kane's Forgotten Legion trilogy and I don't know if the good Dr. Kane would agree with me, but I'm going to argue that he's saved the best till last.
I raced through this like a scythed chariot charge through massed Roman lines...I tried hard to pace myself, but failed miserably. You see, right from the very first few pages, we are thrown headlong into a pulsating, action-packed and thoroughly inspiring tale (it inspired me to get on the net and order the Hannibal series, for example). A delightfully well plotted tale of betrayal, love and loss, high politics and low revenge. And, of course, the Kane speciality; nerve-tingling set-piece battles and desperate, one-on-one, do or die struggles. He really is a master of both. Whether it's marshalling Caesars forces in huge mixed-troop battles across Africa, or focusing in, laser-like, on grim, no way out thuggery in the backstreets of Rome, Ben can surely have few equals. You feel so much like you're there, I very nearly had to wipe the blood off my hands on a couple of occasions.
While it had been a while since I was last on campaign with The Forgotten Legion and have read several other - excellent as well as not so excellent - novels set in the same Roman period Ben's story is set, as soon as I was a couple of pages into The Road to Rome, I was bang! Back in the Legion's ranks again and was never in a moment's doubt who was who and why and where they were doing what they were doing. I think that speaks very highly of the strong, well-defined characters and thoroughly involving story Ben has created. I really did feel like I had just finished #2 - the characters were so immediately fresh and vital again, rather than it being a year or so since I read The Silver Eagle. And, if you've been fortunate enough to have read The Forgotten Legion and The Silver Eagle, you'll be glad to know that (mostly) all the various themes and threads from those previous two books, are gathered together and brought to satisfyingly satisfactory conclusions. Though, did I detect, a door left slightly ajar for a possible return to the story in the future? Or is that just wishful thinking?
The Road to Rome really is packed full of action, adventure, intrigue, action, adventure, Roman politicking, action and - some more adventure!
Wow! What more could you wish for from a novel, apart from more?
Who said that?
They need a slap. And they need to read The Forgotten Legion trilogy. If ever there was a book you didn't want to end, it's this one. If ever there was a series you didn't want to end, it is The Forgotten Legion trilogy. Couldn't we convince Ben that 'trilogy' actually means 'four', or 'five', or...well, you get the picture.
Here and now, The Road to Rome is, of course, the culmination of Ben Kane's Forgotten Legion trilogy and I don't know if the good Dr. Kane would agree with me, but I'm going to argue that he's saved the best till last.
I raced through this like a scythed chariot charge through massed Roman lines...I tried hard to pace myself, but failed miserably. You see, right from the very first few pages, we are thrown headlong into a pulsating, action-packed and thoroughly inspiring tale (it inspired me to get on the net and order the Hannibal series, for example). A delightfully well plotted tale of betrayal, love and loss, high politics and low revenge. And, of course, the Kane speciality; nerve-tingling set-piece battles and desperate, one-on-one, do or die struggles. He really is a master of both. Whether it's marshalling Caesars forces in huge mixed-troop battles across Africa, or focusing in, laser-like, on grim, no way out thuggery in the backstreets of Rome, Ben can surely have few equals. You feel so much like you're there, I very nearly had to wipe the blood off my hands on a couple of occasions.
While it had been a while since I was last on campaign with The Forgotten Legion and have read several other - excellent as well as not so excellent - novels set in the same Roman period Ben's story is set, as soon as I was a couple of pages into The Road to Rome, I was bang! Back in the Legion's ranks again and was never in a moment's doubt who was who and why and where they were doing what they were doing. I think that speaks very highly of the strong, well-defined characters and thoroughly involving story Ben has created. I really did feel like I had just finished #2 - the characters were so immediately fresh and vital again, rather than it being a year or so since I read The Silver Eagle. And, if you've been fortunate enough to have read The Forgotten Legion and The Silver Eagle, you'll be glad to know that (mostly) all the various themes and threads from those previous two books, are gathered together and brought to satisfyingly satisfactory conclusions. Though, did I detect, a door left slightly ajar for a possible return to the story in the future? Or is that just wishful thinking?
The Road to Rome really is packed full of action, adventure, intrigue, action, adventure, Roman politicking, action and - some more adventure!
Wow! What more could you wish for from a novel, apart from more?
April 18, 2019
SINOPSIS
El esperado desenlace de la trilogía iniciada con 'La legión olvidada' y 'El águila de plata'.Desde la última y feroz batalla de la Legión Olvidada, Romulus y Tarquinius han viajado por medio mundo hasta llegar a Egipto. Tras ser reclutados por la fuerza para formar parte de las legiones de César en Alejandría, están a punto de ser aniquilados por los egipcios. Pero hay otro enemigo tanto o más peligroso: varios legionarios sospechan que los nuevos reclutas son esclavos que han huido y que por ello deben ser castigados con la crucifixión.Mientras, en Roma, Fabiola, la hermana gemela de Romulus, se enfrenta a un grave peligro. Amante de Bruto desde hace tiempo, está recibiendo atenciones del gran enemigo de éste, Marco Antonio, y se ve involucrada en la conspiración para asesinar a César. Una tragedia se avecina para Fabiola, quien debe decidir si llevar a cabo o dejar de lado sus planes de venganza contra el hombre de quien cree ser hija.Desde los campos de batalla de Asia Menor y el norte de África, hasta las calles sin ley de la ciudad de Roma y las arenas repletas de gladiadores, los tres protagonistas deben usar sus habilidades para sobrevivir a las intrigas de la guerra civil. A medida que los eventos comienzan su despiadada marcha hacia los fatídicos Idus de marzo, la hora de la verdad los espera.Con una fascinante combinación de historia y ficción que atrapa al lector hasta la última página, Ben Kane nos envuelve de nuevo en las apasionantes aventuras de estos tres personajes que se enfrentan por última vez a su destino. (less)
Opinión:
Con unos personajes ficticios el autor narra de una forma bastante fiel los últimos años de César en la Roma republicana, aunque básicamente desde el punto de vista de las campañas militares en las diferentes partes del mundo conocido, por ejemplo no se toca para nada el complejo mundo del senado romano y sus continuas intrigas. En este caso los principales protagonistas son una pareja de mellizos, un arúspice etrusco y a mi modo de ver un cuarto personaje que a lo largo de todo el libro es la desazón de Romulus, un gladiador galo de nombre Brennus. Luego ya vienen los personajes reales como Brutus, Marco Antonio, César, etc...
Creo que el libro logra sobradamente mantenerte en tensión y entretenido a pesar de que el desenlace final no deja posibilidad de sorpresa, como fue el asesinato de César en el senado.
El esperado desenlace de la trilogía iniciada con 'La legión olvidada' y 'El águila de plata'.Desde la última y feroz batalla de la Legión Olvidada, Romulus y Tarquinius han viajado por medio mundo hasta llegar a Egipto. Tras ser reclutados por la fuerza para formar parte de las legiones de César en Alejandría, están a punto de ser aniquilados por los egipcios. Pero hay otro enemigo tanto o más peligroso: varios legionarios sospechan que los nuevos reclutas son esclavos que han huido y que por ello deben ser castigados con la crucifixión.Mientras, en Roma, Fabiola, la hermana gemela de Romulus, se enfrenta a un grave peligro. Amante de Bruto desde hace tiempo, está recibiendo atenciones del gran enemigo de éste, Marco Antonio, y se ve involucrada en la conspiración para asesinar a César. Una tragedia se avecina para Fabiola, quien debe decidir si llevar a cabo o dejar de lado sus planes de venganza contra el hombre de quien cree ser hija.Desde los campos de batalla de Asia Menor y el norte de África, hasta las calles sin ley de la ciudad de Roma y las arenas repletas de gladiadores, los tres protagonistas deben usar sus habilidades para sobrevivir a las intrigas de la guerra civil. A medida que los eventos comienzan su despiadada marcha hacia los fatídicos Idus de marzo, la hora de la verdad los espera.Con una fascinante combinación de historia y ficción que atrapa al lector hasta la última página, Ben Kane nos envuelve de nuevo en las apasionantes aventuras de estos tres personajes que se enfrentan por última vez a su destino. (less)
Opinión:
Con unos personajes ficticios el autor narra de una forma bastante fiel los últimos años de César en la Roma republicana, aunque básicamente desde el punto de vista de las campañas militares en las diferentes partes del mundo conocido, por ejemplo no se toca para nada el complejo mundo del senado romano y sus continuas intrigas. En este caso los principales protagonistas son una pareja de mellizos, un arúspice etrusco y a mi modo de ver un cuarto personaje que a lo largo de todo el libro es la desazón de Romulus, un gladiador galo de nombre Brennus. Luego ya vienen los personajes reales como Brutus, Marco Antonio, César, etc...
Creo que el libro logra sobradamente mantenerte en tensión y entretenido a pesar de que el desenlace final no deja posibilidad de sorpresa, como fue el asesinato de César en el senado.
May 7, 2012
Having read the first two books in this series by Ben Kane and enjoyed them both I looked forward to book 3 Road to Rome with great interest.
The Forgotten Legion series centres around twins Romulus and Fabiola, who were birthed by their slave mother who was raped by a mysterious noble-born Roman, the whole series is driven from that one act and the twins pursuit of truth and freedom.
Book three very much revolves around the rape, and how Fabiola plans revenge against who she sees as the rapist, while Romulus battles to survive and come to terms with his past, his actions and his survival whilst others are lost along the way.
Ben continues with his very gritty earthy descriptions of Rome, this is what makes the books seem real amidst the mystical divinations of Tarquinus which sometimes for me stretch credulity beyond what im looking for in a Historical Fiction novel.
This book also revolves around one of the most dramatic incidents in roman history and its conclusion on the Ides of March, and how it blends and merges with the lives of Fabiola and Romulus.
Bens writing for me does not have the pace of Scarrow or Riches, but instead it has its own graceful quality that engages the reader, it also possesses an honesty that many writers don't or can't achieve.
The internal angst and musings of Romulus that Ben creates lends an absolute humanity to the character and the book as a whole that draws you the reader into the Roman world of Fabiola, Romulus & Tarquinus so you feel the pain of each and every action decision, failure and victory as if they were your own. Its a series thats been well worth the money in buying and time in reading.
Ben Kane's next trilogy is due be about Carthage, with a side project of a stand alone book about Spartacus.
I also think we will be revisiting Romulus & Tarquinus again in the future while they journey east again. I for one look forward to every one of those books
(Parm)
The Forgotten Legion series centres around twins Romulus and Fabiola, who were birthed by their slave mother who was raped by a mysterious noble-born Roman, the whole series is driven from that one act and the twins pursuit of truth and freedom.
Book three very much revolves around the rape, and how Fabiola plans revenge against who she sees as the rapist, while Romulus battles to survive and come to terms with his past, his actions and his survival whilst others are lost along the way.
Ben continues with his very gritty earthy descriptions of Rome, this is what makes the books seem real amidst the mystical divinations of Tarquinus which sometimes for me stretch credulity beyond what im looking for in a Historical Fiction novel.
This book also revolves around one of the most dramatic incidents in roman history and its conclusion on the Ides of March, and how it blends and merges with the lives of Fabiola and Romulus.
Bens writing for me does not have the pace of Scarrow or Riches, but instead it has its own graceful quality that engages the reader, it also possesses an honesty that many writers don't or can't achieve.
The internal angst and musings of Romulus that Ben creates lends an absolute humanity to the character and the book as a whole that draws you the reader into the Roman world of Fabiola, Romulus & Tarquinus so you feel the pain of each and every action decision, failure and victory as if they were your own. Its a series thats been well worth the money in buying and time in reading.
Ben Kane's next trilogy is due be about Carthage, with a side project of a stand alone book about Spartacus.
I also think we will be revisiting Romulus & Tarquinus again in the future while they journey east again. I for one look forward to every one of those books
(Parm)
August 31, 2011
This is the final book of a trilogy. It concludes the story of twins - born into slavery after their mother was raped by a Nobel man. Romulus and Fabiola had a terrible start in life. Regularly beaten, barely fed and sheltered, witness to repeated rapes of their mother by their master, and finally sold - Romulus to a gladiator school and Fabiola to a brothel. The backdrop to this is Caesar’s rise and fall. The historical basis of this book is good and interesting, and from what I can tell as accurate as you can hope for fiction to be.
By the start of this book - Romulus has escaped the gladiator school and fought and survived many dreadful battles in the army, and Fabiola has escaped prostitution by manipulating a Nobel man into buying her from the brothel as his companion. Most women would be relieved, and set about trying to scrape out of life whatever happiness they can find. Brutus genuinely cares for Fabiola - and she seems to care for him too in a strange way, yet she continuously risks throwing that away - motivated by hate and revenge in a way that just doesn't ring true to me. To be forced into prostitution as a child is unimaginable. To hate your anonymous father, who raped your mother, is understandable - but to base your whole life around finding and killing him at the expense of your own safety and happiness? I don't see it.
I'm glad I finished the trilogy, but the second and third books were a letdown after the first. I found myself rooting for Romulus and waiting for the chapters to turn back to his story, his motivation and outlook on life are far more believable than his sister's.
By the start of this book - Romulus has escaped the gladiator school and fought and survived many dreadful battles in the army, and Fabiola has escaped prostitution by manipulating a Nobel man into buying her from the brothel as his companion. Most women would be relieved, and set about trying to scrape out of life whatever happiness they can find. Brutus genuinely cares for Fabiola - and she seems to care for him too in a strange way, yet she continuously risks throwing that away - motivated by hate and revenge in a way that just doesn't ring true to me. To be forced into prostitution as a child is unimaginable. To hate your anonymous father, who raped your mother, is understandable - but to base your whole life around finding and killing him at the expense of your own safety and happiness? I don't see it.
I'm glad I finished the trilogy, but the second and third books were a letdown after the first. I found myself rooting for Romulus and waiting for the chapters to turn back to his story, his motivation and outlook on life are far more believable than his sister's.
August 4, 2015
Difícil poder hacer una reseña a una trilogía que te ha encantado y que te ha dejado un sabor agridulce. Creo que luego de horas de terminarla sigo meditando en lo que leí, las historias que se relataron, etc.
Leer una novela histórica tiene la contrapartida de que por más que te encantes/odies los personajes, sabes cual será el final de algunos de ellos, sin embargo intriga el ver cómo el autor será capaz de ir entrelazando su ficción con la realidad para dar paso a una historia creíble.
Camino a Roma continua donde quedó El Águila de Plata, con el mismo ritmo frenético hasta que ocurre un hecho que en lo particular me obligó a cerrar el libro y estar en estado de shock un par de días. Al continuar la historia el porqué de las cosas se explica y baja lamentablemente el ritmo, sin embargo esto no es más que la calma antes de la tormenta.
Si bien ya no hay matanzas a diestra y siniestra con cada guerra que se relata, esto es solo porque ell autor empieza a posicionar cada una de las piezas en los lugares indicados antes de iniciar la recta final.Aproximadamente desde la hoja 300 en adelante ya es imposible dejar de leer el final de esta saga. Los distintos cabos se atan y empiezan a desarrollarse una serie de eventos en manera escalonada que desembocaran en los hechos que todos hemos estudiado alguna vez en el colegio.
Sin lugar a dudas el autor me cautivo de principio a fin, dando detalles muy minuciosos pero fatigar al lector. Recomendado 100% a los que aman la aventura, guerra, las historias de superación, intriga, etc. Tiene de todo para cautivar a cualquier lector y adentrarlo en una época ya perdida.
Leer una novela histórica tiene la contrapartida de que por más que te encantes/odies los personajes, sabes cual será el final de algunos de ellos, sin embargo intriga el ver cómo el autor será capaz de ir entrelazando su ficción con la realidad para dar paso a una historia creíble.
Camino a Roma continua donde quedó El Águila de Plata, con el mismo ritmo frenético hasta que ocurre un hecho que en lo particular me obligó a cerrar el libro y estar en estado de shock un par de días. Al continuar la historia el porqué de las cosas se explica y baja lamentablemente el ritmo, sin embargo esto no es más que la calma antes de la tormenta.
Si bien ya no hay matanzas a diestra y siniestra con cada guerra que se relata, esto es solo porque ell autor empieza a posicionar cada una de las piezas en los lugares indicados antes de iniciar la recta final.Aproximadamente desde la hoja 300 en adelante ya es imposible dejar de leer el final de esta saga. Los distintos cabos se atan y empiezan a desarrollarse una serie de eventos en manera escalonada que desembocaran en los hechos que todos hemos estudiado alguna vez en el colegio.
Sin lugar a dudas el autor me cautivo de principio a fin, dando detalles muy minuciosos pero fatigar al lector. Recomendado 100% a los que aman la aventura, guerra, las historias de superación, intriga, etc. Tiene de todo para cautivar a cualquier lector y adentrarlo en una época ya perdida.
September 22, 2022
Con esta entrega completo la trilogía de la Legión Olvidada, mi primer acercamiento a la obra de Ben Kane. Se trata de un buen cierre para la serie, culminando las trayectorias de los distintos personajes y cerrando una trama de manera muy digna, guste más o menos al lector.
Dentro de las opciones, Kane continúa con el estilo narrativo de los libros anteriores, desarrollando un argumento llamativo que, a través de varios personajes entrelazados, nos cuenta diversos aspectos de la Roma de finales de la República, tocando ambientes tan diversos como la política, el ejército, las clases sociales y la vida cotidiana. Para cualquier aficionado a la novela histórica se trata sin duda de una serie interesante. Como aspecto quizás mejorable creo que el peso de los personajes secundarios no está a la altura de los protagonistas y algunos comportamientos y decisiones que toman éstos últimos están, a mi juicio, algo forzados.
He leído algunos comentarios sobre Kane donde se deja ver que esta no es su mejor obra, así que habrá que seguir investigando a este autor.
Dentro de las opciones, Kane continúa con el estilo narrativo de los libros anteriores, desarrollando un argumento llamativo que, a través de varios personajes entrelazados, nos cuenta diversos aspectos de la Roma de finales de la República, tocando ambientes tan diversos como la política, el ejército, las clases sociales y la vida cotidiana. Para cualquier aficionado a la novela histórica se trata sin duda de una serie interesante. Como aspecto quizás mejorable creo que el peso de los personajes secundarios no está a la altura de los protagonistas y algunos comportamientos y decisiones que toman éstos últimos están, a mi juicio, algo forzados.
He leído algunos comentarios sobre Kane donde se deja ver que esta no es su mejor obra, así que habrá que seguir investigando a este autor.
August 14, 2010
I was looking forward to receiving this as the first two books in the series were so good. As it was, I finished it within two days of receiving it 'hot off the press'.
The central storyline in the series is a little far-fetched, even more so than is typical in the genre. However the historical background and detail is first class. What Ben Kane does best is the way he inter-twines the various storylines and constantly leaves the reader on a knife-edge. This means, of course, that it is hard to put-down the book. The pacing of the book is very Ludlum-esque and all the better for it.
I think for many this would be a 5* title, and I have reluctantly given it 4* as this is a very competitive genre with many excellent books being published over the last few years. Nevertheless I look forward to the Author's next title 'Soldier of Carthage' which I will be pre-ordering.
The central storyline in the series is a little far-fetched, even more so than is typical in the genre. However the historical background and detail is first class. What Ben Kane does best is the way he inter-twines the various storylines and constantly leaves the reader on a knife-edge. This means, of course, that it is hard to put-down the book. The pacing of the book is very Ludlum-esque and all the better for it.
I think for many this would be a 5* title, and I have reluctantly given it 4* as this is a very competitive genre with many excellent books being published over the last few years. Nevertheless I look forward to the Author's next title 'Soldier of Carthage' which I will be pre-ordering.
February 7, 2020
Mr. Kane created a world in which there are intrigues, conspiracies, fight and heroes who have a purpose in life. Indeed - no matter how it is - it seems to be the most important thing for the twins - Fabiola and Romulus. It gives them strength to fight - physically and mentally, it helps them to survive the next day of struggling with trouble. Although they raise prayers to the gods, the real desire and perspective of meeting again lies within them. In the end, the chosen goal in life becomes so important that a tragic accident occurs... .
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