Ben Kane books in order

Russia, 1812. Has France finally met its match?

On the eve of the invasion of Russia, half-French, half-English Matthieu Carrey finds himself in the ranks of Napoleon's five hundred thousand strong army. With Tsar Alexander seemingly ill-prepared, a French victory seems certain. The Grande Armée will obliterate everything in its path.

Carrey's purpose is less clear. Blackmailed into becoming a spy in the emperor's army, he hopes to follow his lover, a French actress who has gone to work in the Moscow theatre.

As supplies grow scarce and temperatures plummet, the Grande Armée begins to crumble. Caught up in the maelstrom of war, Carrey embarks on an epic journey, while the Russians circle like hungry wolves.

Hundreds of miles lie between Carrey and safety.

To reach it seems utterly impossible.

Sands of the Arena

Can a wet-behind-the-ears gladiator survive a bloody contest ordered by Emperor Caligula?

The Shrine

Centurion Tullus discovers that Fate will always hold him in her grip.

The Arena

Legionary Piso's much anticipated payday plays out very differently than he expected.

Eagles in the East

Caught up in a bloody rebellion, Centurion Tullus battles to keep his men alive.

Eagles in the Wilderness

Bored with retirement, Centurion Tullus takes service with an amber merchant, voyaging to unknown, dangerous lands far beyond the empire.

Hannibal: Good Omens

History's most famous general seeks the gods' approval before his war with Rome.

The March

Romulus and Tarquinius travel to the ends of the earth, searching for their lost friend Brennus.

The great general Hannibal Barca is on the brink of defeat after sixteen years of bloody carnage.

Victory will crown Rome as the most power empire in the ancient world, with young senator Flamininus establishing himself as one of the greatest military commanders in the history of the Republic.

His eyes are now firmly set on conquering Greece. The only problem is that King Philip V of Macedon's mighty phalanx has never tasted defeat.

A young villager harboring dreams of fighting with the phalanx, Demetrios will soon discover that in a clash of empires, a warrior is either one move away from death—or legendary status.

Still fresh from the harrowing defeat by the Macedonians, military commander Flamininus assembles his legions as Rome attempts to conquer King Philip V’s mighty phalanx one final time.

Given that whoever wins will have complete control over Greece, both armies will go to whatever extremes just to emerge victorious.

As Felix and Demetrios prepare to line up on opposite ends of the battle field, the two think that they have already seen the worst of the campaign.

But amidst the brutal infighting, rowdy natives, and fierce battle, both men will be tested to the core in one last epic battle between these two mighty civilizations.

Pompeii was an active picturesque resort at the foot of Mount Vesuvius during the reign of the Roman Empire, until the day that Vesuvius viciously erupted—destroying the whole town.

Whereas some citizens died, others survived and these are their stories:

A boy loses his innocence in Pompeii's lively streets.

An heiress fears for her wedding day, unaware of how it will be consumed by fire.

A former legionary’s future depends on one gladiator flight that will eventually be disrupted.

A crippled senator welcomes death, until he is rescued by a tomboy on a horseback.

As the ash consumes the town, a young mother is faced with a tough choice for her unborn child.

A priestess and a whore seek redemption and resurrection as the town is buried.

The year is 1179. King Henry II reigns supreme.

Rebellion however brews in his house.

When Ferdia, an Irish nobleman taken as a prisoner of war, rescues Richard, the King's son, he is made squire to Richard as a reward for his bravery.

Richard, who is already a celebrated warrior, earns the legendary name of Lionheart after a brave campaign to crush rebels in Aquitaine.

Henry, Richard's brother, however isn’t impressed by his younger brother’s newfound fame.

And as Richard will learn soon, the biggest threat on his life may neither come from the rebel nor the French armies, but rather from his own flesh and blood.

KING. POLITICIAN. WARRIOR. CONQUEROR.

1189. Richard the Lionheart's long-awaited goal comes true as he is crowned King of England. Setting his own kingdom in order, he prepares to embark on a grueling crusade to reclaim Jerusalem.

With him on every step of the journey is Ferdia, his loyal Irish follower. Together they travel from southern France to Italy, to the kingdom of Sicily and beyond.

Finally poised to sail to the Holy Land, Richard finds a bitter two-year-long siege awaiting him. And with it, the iconic Saracen leader responsible for the loss of Jerusalem, Saladin.

No one can agree who should fill the empty throne of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Saladin's huge army shadows Richard's every move. Conditions are brutal, the temperatures boiling, and on the dusty field of Arsuf, the Lionheart and his soldiers face their ultimate test...

Warleader

Autumn 1192. With Jerusalem still in the Saracens' hands, and a peace treaty agreed with their leader Saladin, Richard the Lionheart is free at last to travel back to his strife-ridden kingdom. By his side at every turn is the loyal knight Ferdia, also known as Rufus. Together they will face not just Richard's archenemy Philippe Capet of France, but also the king's treacherous younger brother, John.

Captive

Shipwrecked on the Italian coast, the king and his small group of companions are forced into a perilous journey through lands controlled by their enemies. Shortly before Christmas 1192, Richard is taken prisoner near Vienna by Duke Leopold of Austria. Kept prisoner for several months, the king is then handed over to Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor. His captivity lasts for another year, fanning the flames of unrest in his territories in England and beyond.

Negotiator

Talks between Richard's mother Queen Alienor and Henry VI last for months, but finally reach a bitter agreement. The extortionate sum demanded to free the king will empty the treasury and bleed England dry. Philippe Capet and Richard's brother John collude, offering vast sums to see the king kept captive for longer. Their efforts are in vain, leading Philippe to pen a letter to John including the famous line: 'Look to yourself, the devil is loose.'

King

Crowned for a second time to wash away the shame of his captivity, Richard restores order in England, forgiving John his shameful behavior. His next task is to recover territories lost to Philippe Capet, and to re-establish his dominance over the French king. Forging clever alliances, building strategic castles and when obliged, waging war, the Lionheart carves a unique path into history.

Historically, not much is known about Spartacus the man, partially due to the fact that contemporary Roman historians never fancied praising him for his accomplishments.

What we do however know is that he was originally from Thrace, north of Greece, and battled in the Roman legions; eventually commanding a slave army that nearly defeated Rome.

In this fascinating historical fiction novel by Ben Kane, Spartacus finally returns to Thrace after a decade away—ready to settle down.

But the new Thracian king, who is jealous of his relations with Dionysian priestess Ariadne, betrays Spartacus, selling him to a Roman slave trader searching for new gladiators.

The powerful slave army commanded by Spartacus has overcome every challenge it has faced, destroying the legions of Rome.

With three praetors, two consuls and one proconsul already conquered, Spartacus seems destined for victory as he heads towards the Alps and freedom.

Danger is however never too far behind.

Crixus the Gaul has defected, but not without leaving with all his men.

Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, begins assembling a mighty army with the sole purpose of bringing Spartacus to his knees.

As if that weren't enough, voices of dissent and defiance are beginning to emerge from within the slave army itself.

AD 9, Germania.

Roman centurion, Lucius Tullus, is about to take his soldiers on patrol near river Rhine.

German tribes opposing the cruel taxes about to be imposed on them patiently await them on the opposite end of the river.

Concerned over the safety of his men, Tullus knows that their survival will not only depend on their training, but also his leadership.

But unbeknownst to Tullus and his commander, Governor Varus, is that they’ll be going against Arminius, the charming chieftain who so happens to be Rome’s trusted ally.

And as Varus commands his mighty warriors to begin their journey, thousands of tribesmen prepare for a brutal onslaught.

AD 14.

It has been five years since the brutal bloodshed that was witnessed in the wilds of Germania. Although a staggering 15,000 soldiers were massacred in the Teutoburg Forest, some Romans managed to make it out alive.

Among them is Centurion Lucius Tullus. Wounded and demoted, he desperately yearns for revenge.

As Tullus and his legionaries begin their quest for vengeance, the charming chieftan Arminius is similarly making preparations of his own; assembling thousands of vicious tribesmen as he prepares to annihilate the Romans for a second time.

With the eagle of his old legion still in the hands of the enemy, Tullus and his comrades know that this will be unlike any battle they have ever faced.

AD 15. Arminius, the charming German chieftain and former ally to the Rome, has finally been defeated.

Thousands of German tribesmen have been massacred, with the lost Roman eagles finally retrieved.

These accomplishments are however not enough for Senior Centurion Lucius Tullus, who won’t rest until Arminius is dead, the eagle belonging to his old legion is recovered, and the enemy tribes are completely crushed.

But Arminius isn’t resting on his laurels.

Devious and as fearless as ever, he desperately plots his own kind of vengeance; assembling another vast tribal to face the Romans.

This could very well be the most dangerous mission for Tullus...

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hello, you lovely people. Odd to talk about money straight up, but I know that some of you might be thinking, £1.99 is a lot for a short story. Let me explain how it works. A rate of 20% VAT (Value Added Tax) applies to eBooks in the UK. This doesn’t apply to ‘real’ paper books. That means 33p of the £1.99 goes straight to the British government. Amazon takes around 2p to deliver the story to your Kindle, then takes another 48p as its cut. The remainder, £1.16, goes to me. That's not a great deal, I hope you agree.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hello, you lovely people. Odd to talk about money straight up, but I know that some of you might be thinking, £1.99/US$2.99/CDN$3.99/A$3.99 is a lot for a short story. Let me explain how it works in the UK. A rate of 20% VAT (Value Added Tax) applies to eBooks. This doesn’t apply to ‘real’ paper books. That means 33p of the £1.99 goes straight to the British government. Amazon takes around 2p to deliver the story to your Kindle, then takes another 48p as its cut. The remainder, £1.16, goes to me. That's not a great deal, I hope you agree. A roughly similar story applies in foreign territories.

Born into slavery after their mother is raped by a drunken nobleman, twins Romulus and Fabiola are sold at the age of thirteen, with Romulus sold to gladiator school, while Fabiola is sold into prostitution, where she will draw the attention of one of the most powerful men in Rome.

A warrior and a seer, Tarquinius—who was born an enemy of Rome—ends up fighting for the Republic in the Forgotten Legion.

A Gaul whose entire family was slain by the Romans, Brennus rises to become one of the most dreaded and renowned gladiators of his time.

The lives of these characters are entwined in a tale honor, freedom and fighting for revenge.

Brennus, the Gaul who had his entire family slain by the Romans, Tarquinius—the warrior and seer—and Romulus, the bastard son of a Roman nobleman, dream of the day that they will escape from imprisonment by the Parthians.

However, only two of them will be able to survive the vicious battle that lies ahead.

Elsewhere, Fabiola, Romulus's twin sister, finds herself caught up at the centre of Roman politics.

Chased after by slave catchers, she takes off in a desperate bid to find her lover, Brutus, who is on his way to Alexandria with Caesar.

After surviving the dangerous journey across half the world, Romulus and Tarquinius are forcibly enlisted into the legions, which are in danger of being completely destroyed by the Egyptians.

In Rome, Romulus's twin sister Fabiola yet again finds herself in a terrible position.

Though loved by Brutus, she is being courted by his archenemy, Marcus Antonius.

Not long afterwards, Romulus finds himself fighting at Zela, the brutal battle where Caesar famously uttered the words, 'Veni, vidi, vici'.

Separated from Romulus in the midst of the turmoil caused by the war, Tarquinius seeks refuge in Alexandria as he searches for guidance.

Terrible danger however awaits them yet again...

Ever wondered what happened to Brennus as he fought the elephant on the bank of the river in India?

Ever wondered about the fates of Romulus and Tarquinius after The Road to Rome ended?

Get to know exactly what happened to some of your favorite characters in this Forgotten Legion short story.

Hannibal, the celebrated Carthaginian general, has never gotten over the defeat and humiliation inflicted upon his father by Rome.

As he prepares for vengeance against Rome, Hanno—the young son of one of his most reliable military commanders—goes on a fishing adventure with his best friend, Suni—only for both to mysteriously vanish.

Captured by pirates, one of the boys is sold as a gladiator in the slave market, while the other is sold as a field slave.

As Hanno befriends the children of his Roman master, Suni fights for his life as a gladiator.

Hannibal’s actions will however change their lives, and history, forever.

Winter 218 BC.

In Cisalpine Gaul, a Carthaginian patrol under the command of Hanno, one of Hannibal’s young officers, and his second-in-command Mutt, moves quietly through the thick woodland.

Cold and hungry, they are desperately heading towards a town full of the grain.

The natives however are not to be trusted. And although defeated, the Romans are still a force to be reckoned with in the area.

With danger lurking on every turn and a vicious ambush lying in wait, only time will tell whether Hanno and Mutt will make it out alive.

Hannibal’s quest to quash the Romans takes him south where an epic battle awaits.

Accompanying him is young soldier, Hanno, who just like his general, can’t wait to see Rome burn.

And the likelihood of this happening is as high as ever.

A series of cunning, secretive maneuvers are however being unleashed by Rome’s generals in a bid to avoid a confrontation.

Nonetheless, the two opposing armies will eventually lock horns under the raging summer sun at a place known as Cannae—the fields of blood.

Desperate to survive, Hanno will fight like never before in one of the bloodiest battles in history.

“213 BC. Syracuse. Underneath the raging Sicilian sun is a city is at war.”

A huge Roman army waits outside the walls.

Quintus, a seasoned warrior who has witnessed the bloody war since it begun, is ready to die for the sake of the Republic. Of the dangers that face him, one comes from his former friend, Hanno the Carthaginian.

Deployed by General Hannibal to assist Syracuse defeat Rome, Hanno’s mission is diverted after he learns that Aurelia, Quintus’ sister, is being held captive within the city.

Two friends on opposite ends of a battle, one woman caught between them, and one of the most ferocious sieges in history.