Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Obtained from: Netgalley/Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours
Read: May 4, 2013
The mighty slave army, led by Spartacus, has carried all before it, scattering the legions of Rome. Three praetors, two consuls and one proconsul have been defeated. Spartacus seems invincible as he marches towards the Alps and freedom. But storm clouds are massing on the horizon. Crixus the Gaul defects, taking all his men with him. Crassus, the richest man in Rome, begins to raise a formidable army, tasked specifically with the defeat of Spartacus. And within the slave army itself, there are murmurings of dissent and rebellion. Spartacus, on the brink of glory, must make a crucial decision - to go forward over the Alps to freedom, or back to face the might of Rome and try to break its stranglehold on power forever.
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In picking up Spartacus: Rebellion, I knew I needed to hear the roar of battle in my mind, see the grit, sweat and blood of each warrior on the field, feel the desperation and conviction amid the violence and savagery of war. If I'd had any experience with Kane's work I would have known going in he would meet every one of these expectations, but as a first time reader, really, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Now, I don't want to give the impression that the book is all blood and gore as that would be an egregious misrepresentation. I needed those scenes to work, but I loved how Kane balanced them against the politics of it all. His incarnation of Spartacus is prone to human faults, acting in arrogant self-importance and in so doing, undermining his own authority. It is a very dynamic portrait of the gladiator which is quite an achievement when one considers how little Kane had to work with historically.
If anything, I wish I'd read the first installment before taking on the sequel. You can enjoy Spartacus: Rebellion as a stand alone, but I think I might have appreciated it more if I had a better grasp of the larger scope of Kane's story.
Still, Spartacus: Rebellion is a realistic and remarkably well-researched fiction by a truly gifted storyteller. A definite must-read for anyone interested in the gladiator or his achievements.
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“We have no homes!” roared Pulcher, Spartacus’ main armorer and one of his senior officers. A burst of ribald laughter met his comment. He waited until the noise died down. “But we have something far better than roofs over our heads. Something that no one can ever take away. Our freedom!”
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check out all the stops on Ben Kane's Spartacus: Rebellion virtual book tour
Thursday, May 30
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Review at The Musings of a Book Junkie
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!
Friday, May 31
Review & Guest Post at Drey’s Library
Guest Post at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Review & Guest Post at Drey’s Library
Guest Post at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time
Friday, June 7
Review at Impressions in Ink
Review & Giveaway at To Read or Not to Read
Interview at Freshscraped Vellum
Review at Impressions in Ink
Review & Giveaway at To Read or Not to Read
Interview at Freshscraped Vellum
2 comments:
Many thanks for the great review, Erin. I am delighted that you liked the book so much!
Best wishes
Ben.
Thank you Ben! And thanks for sharing your work with us. :)
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