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Spartacus #1
Spartacus: The Gladiator
Historically very little is known about Spartacus. We know that he came from Thrace, a land north of Greece, that he once fought in the Roman legions and that, during two fateful years, he led a slave army which nearly brought Rome to its knees.
In Ben Kane's brilliant novel, we meet Spartacus as he returns to Thrace, ready to settle down after a decade away. But a new king has usurped the throne. Treacherous and violent, he immediately seizes Spartacus and sells him to a Roman slave trader looking for new gladiators.
The odyssey has begun which will see Spartacus become one of the greatest legends of history, the hero of revolutionaries from Karl Marx to Che Guevara, immortalised on screen, and now brought to life in Ben Kane's great bestseller - a novel which takes the story to its halfway point and is continued in Spartacus: Rebellion.
In Ben Kane's brilliant novel, we meet Spartacus as he returns to Thrace, ready to settle down after a decade away. But a new king has usurped the throne. Treacherous and violent, he immediately seizes Spartacus and sells him to a Roman slave trader looking for new gladiators.
The odyssey has begun which will see Spartacus become one of the greatest legends of history, the hero of revolutionaries from Karl Marx to Che Guevara, immortalised on screen, and now brought to life in Ben Kane's great bestseller - a novel which takes the story to its halfway point and is continued in Spartacus: Rebellion.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 19, 2012
244 people are currently reading
3,428 people want to read
About the author
Ben Kane
41books1,062followersBen 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 275 reviews
July 31, 2018
This is historical fiction. I knew within the first 60 seconds that I was going to LOVE this one. The narrator had such a YUMMY voice. I could have listened to him all day long.
This is my first book by this author and I think I'm hooked. The story was great. Spartacus was such a great character. I think the author brought him to life and really made him shine. I also liked the other characters, even though they weren't as detailed. There was plenty of tension to keep things in motion. Overall, I really, REALLY enjoyed this one.
Now, I will say that this probably was 4 stars by the end, but I'd listen to this again. So I'll give this the full 5 and I can't wait to read more by this author. I hope it's the same narrator.
This is my first book by this author and I think I'm hooked. The story was great. Spartacus was such a great character. I think the author brought him to life and really made him shine. I also liked the other characters, even though they weren't as detailed. There was plenty of tension to keep things in motion. Overall, I really, REALLY enjoyed this one.
Now, I will say that this probably was 4 stars by the end, but I'd listen to this again. So I'll give this the full 5 and I can't wait to read more by this author. I hope it's the same narrator.
March 31, 2018
Brutal, una puta obra de arte. He cogido este libro porque me encanta y me apasiona todo el rollo este del imperio romano, de los gladiadores y todo lo relacionado con Espartaco, pero para nada me esperaba que este libro fuese tan espectacular. No solo es una pasada por la cantidad de acción que tiene y lo perfectamente bien que está narrada, esta novela se sale en todos sus aspectos, el realismo, la crudeza, los personajes que se sienten vivos y completamente auténticos, para nada idealizados como en otras obras de este tipo. Se observa claramente la fina línea que hay entre el bien y el mal, y caracteriza a los esclavos rebeldes como lo que realmente eran, bárbaros sedientos de sangre y violaciones, que aunque tuvieran razón, es lo único que podían ser. Y la nota final del autor haciendo una comparativa entre su novela y los datos supuestamente reales de esta historia que han llegado hasta nuestros días, creo que es una exquisitez. En fin, que tengo la sensación de que todo lo que diga no es capaz de hacerle justicia a esta impresionante historia, ya tengo la segunda parte y estoy deseando empezar con ella.
May 2, 2020
7,5/10
Como novela de aventuras y acción la compró, es más, diría que me ha gustado bastante. Ahora bien, como novela histórica se me queda algo más corta, sobre todo el tema de la ambientación.
En cualquier caso, Ben Kane sabe como atraparte, está es la 4 o 5 novela suya que leo y en todas he terminado enganchado. La trama trata sobre el conocido Espartaco, basándose en los pocos escritos suyos que conocemos, recordad que la historia la escriben los vencedores, por lo que Kane tiene que poner mucho de su cosecha para hilvanar una historia sólida.
Los secundarios que acompañan a Espartaco tampoco destacan demasiado, quitando a su esposa y a Carvo, un ciudadano romano que se convierte en gladiador, que son los únicos a los que Kane permite brillar hasta cierto punto.
En definitiva una novela que en términos históricos aporta poco, pero muy entretenida y de las que engancha.
Como novela de aventuras y acción la compró, es más, diría que me ha gustado bastante. Ahora bien, como novela histórica se me queda algo más corta, sobre todo el tema de la ambientación.
En cualquier caso, Ben Kane sabe como atraparte, está es la 4 o 5 novela suya que leo y en todas he terminado enganchado. La trama trata sobre el conocido Espartaco, basándose en los pocos escritos suyos que conocemos, recordad que la historia la escriben los vencedores, por lo que Kane tiene que poner mucho de su cosecha para hilvanar una historia sólida.
Los secundarios que acompañan a Espartaco tampoco destacan demasiado, quitando a su esposa y a Carvo, un ciudadano romano que se convierte en gladiador, que son los únicos a los que Kane permite brillar hasta cierto punto.
En definitiva una novela que en términos históricos aporta poco, pero muy entretenida y de las que engancha.
April 12, 2015
I listened to this as an audiobook, so a word on the narrator first. Michael Praed is a well-known and professional narrator with a pleasing voice and a good range � although, apologies to Mr Praed, female voices are never going to be his strong suit.
As to the story itself, this is my first Ben Kane book and I think it would be fair to say that Kane’s books get categorised into the “Roman soldier buddy story� sub-genre of historical fiction. As to whether they actually are a part of that genre, I’ll discuss in a moment, but fact of the matter is they definitely get categorised that way, they’re definitely marketed that way through the cover choice of the classical male fighter which is traditional for that sub-genre � and though I can sense Kane pointing out that most of his protagonists actually loathe Rome, and that his stories include women, the stories do still contain an awful lot of Rome and warfare � you might even say they’re the “Roman soldier buddy story� in negative. I’m usually a little wary of the sub-genre just because it’s rather saturated and in some cases formulaic, with little character growth and little to distinguish it from all the others cut from the same cloth � but you never can tell; despite the ubiquitous cover style in this sub-genre, it really takes reading what’s inside to discover if it’s the same old same old or something different.
So is Spartacus: The Gladiator different? Possibly. I just described it as “Roman soldier buddy story� in negative and that in itself is a differentiating point� it’s also a differentiating point that at the same time adheres to the format so make of that what you will. Spartacus is a popular topic � perhaps not in terms of stories produced, but in terms of recognition � the Kirk Douglas film being popular even today, the recent television series creating a more stylistic vision, and a fair few stabs in the world of fiction. I must admit Spartacus� story is one that I’ve struggled to find engaging over the years; knowing how it turns out there’s a sense of gloomy inevitability hanging about it, for me, and on the Roman side of things it’s difficult to be sympathetic and the incompetency is frustrating. I felt the same here, but that’s no fault of Kane’s and rather a consequence of the story being told and my own personal reaction to it.
I have to say my favourite part of the story in this book was the first third of it. I enjoyed finding out the life Kane had created for Spartacus as a warrior returning home in Thrace, thought it was a little too short for my tastes. Obviously we all know what must happen to Spartacus, but I was surprised that section was quite so abbreviated � it felt a little abortive and I almost wondered what the point was. Maybe I’m just wishlisting � I rather wished Spartacus had succeeded here and been captured a couple of chapters later as he’s trying to build up to his goal. The chapters about life in the ludus also held my attention, as they contain a constant thread of tension as the characters go about their restricted lives, and you know the big event that’s coming. The early chapters with Carbo and Crassus taking centre stage were also interesting as they made a welcome change of pace and gave an interesting insight into different lives and perspectives.
It was after the breakout that I began to have problems with my interest level in this book. It continued to hold my attention pretty well through the daring battle into Glaber’s camp, but after that it began to blur into a morass of ambushes, brawls, and town sackings � although, I must say, the chapter in which Carbo meets Navio broke this up and held my attention. I began to care about Spartacus less too. Previously I’d felt at his shoulder through his struggles � both in the outside world and his internal struggles to find purpose. But he felt inscrutable once he became a leader � widely respected, always knows what to do, never puts a foot wrong� I didn’t really feel motivated to support him anymore. He didn’t seem to have any further internal conflict, he was so inscrutable that I didn’t know what his motivation was and didn’t care, and I struggled to identify with him or find a reason why he needed me to root for him. His character arc seemed to stop � I think that was the problem. He reached a place of self-assuredness and fighting competence that he could handle everything thrown at him (and the fact that the Romans will eventually drop an unbeatable force on his head becomes simply a matter of overwhelming numbers, the sort of fact that causes you to shrug and say “well what can you do?�).
At that point in the story it was the secondary characters who held my interest far more than Spartacus. Characters like Carbo are still struggling, still going through their character arc, and this made them of infinitely more interest than the now one-note Spartacus. A word on the female characters, which, not counting cameo appearances, comprises two: Ariadne, the priestess of Dionysos who becomes Spartacus� wife, and Chloris, Carbo’s love interest. I pointed out to a friend recently that the more important issue of female representation is not in quantity, but in quality. Even so, it does feel slightly odd to have only two major female characters, in a story of such scope as Spartacus�. Because this is a historical story however, there’s a bit of a bind. I can hear Kane protesting, because I’ve seen him comment on other reviews, that in ancient societies such as this women were marginalised, their roles limited, and that he can hardly help the fact that Spartacus� army was in the majority comprised of men. All true, however there are counterpoints to this; part of the reason women in history are marginalised is because both historical and modern writers didn’t write as much about what they were doing, so there is an element of circularity here. I definitely feel the story could’ve included a couple more non-cameos. Quantity issue aside, I feel quality of portrayal was an issue at times here. Ariadne was a pretty strong character in the early part of the book; a priestess of Dionysos with a history of being abused, fending off the advances of a tyrant all by herself, using her spiritual power to command others. The problem is she wanes when she follows Spartacus into slavery. As one of very few women in the ludus, I understand she’s under threat, and she cannot do much on her own without Spartacus � this is perfectly historically accurate � but it’s almost as if she doesn’t try. I'm also not completely sure why she and Spartacus are together. They each find the other moderately attractive, and Ariadne thinks Spartacus is a half-decent man (in a world of rapists and murderers, Spartacus disapproves of things like rape and killing of innocent babes, so I guess that makes him a stand-up guy), and Spartacus thinks Ariadne is strong-willed (which she kind of is, in comparison to the meek and mild norm, but still, she’s not really � apart from one or two bold acts, using her influence as priestess, she pretty much turns into your typical demure, concerned wife to Spartacus and doesn't do much)� but that’s not enough. Sorry, I just don’t feel the attraction between these two at all. Kane points out that women of the time had to and did find fulfilment and purpose as wives and mothers � I’m well aware of this, and the fact that Ariadne is pretty extraordinary simply by having a priestess� power, but still� despite all that I still found her underpowered and too weak and uninteresting. Chloris even more so, since she’s not even a priestess, just a female slave who’s some male warrior’s woman, and then Carbo’s woman. Carbo has a genuine affection and attraction for her, and she seems to genuinely like him too, but she doesn’t really do much at all. The most significant thing she actually does for herself is Even Ariadne, who gets her own perspective scenes sometimes, just feels not quite fully realised, and a little flat, to be honest. This is a problem that many books in the “Roman soldier buddy story� suffer from � not just lack of female representation, and low quality representation at that � but overall poor character development across the board. Male characters tend to feel like inscrutable action heroes; you rarely have any growth, or insight into what they are thinking, what their motivations are � beyond a generic revenge trope which is often thrown out there in this sub-genre � they don’t really feel like actual people, like complex human beings, and that makes it hard to be interested in what they do in the story.
Some reviewers have complained about how graphic the violence is in this book. That’s one complaint I don’t share. I would even say that it’s not gratuitous � and that may shock some given just how graphic it gets in this book � but I would define gratuitous violence � or sex � in a work as material that has been thrown in purely to titillate or shock the audience; it doesn’t have any effect on the story and is entirely superfluous. The violence here, whilst indeed graphic, definitely has a big impact on the story, and I don’t get the sense that Kane wrote it just to shock, I get the sense that he wrote it because that is indeed historically exactly what went on and the author decided he wasn’t going to sugar-coat the brutal, sometimes awful world in which these people lived. So my grimaces during this part of the story were not directed towards the author, but towards the sad historical facts.
I thought about what rating to give this book, and here's why I settled on 3 stars: I’m fairly confident that I could read the second book in the series and it would be perfectly acceptable. The writing would be just as competent as here, it would contain plenty of conflict, there would be halfway decent characters that are sometimes interesting� it would be passably enjoyable, just as this was. But the writing wouldn’t be outstanding, the characters would still feel not quite fully formed, and the battles would descend into unmemorable blurriness once again for me. And, given that, I would much rather read something like Lindsey Davis� Roman detective series or Nick Brown’s Roman secret agent series instead. Both of those series also have a few issues in character development and competent-but-not-outstanding writing, but their issues are much slighter, and they give me a lot more to hold my interest. Whilst this book was perfectly acceptable, I just don’t think it’s enough to make me pick up Ben Kane again when there are so many books that are better that I could read instead. And that's what it comes down to; this is a decent, enjoyable book... it's just too mediocre for me in a world where so very many good and great books are competing for my attention.
6 out of 10
November 23, 2021
Read this book in 2012, and its the 1st volume of a two-part series about Spartacus, from the author, Ben Kane.
This story starts in 74 BC, and we find Spartacus, originally from Thrace, after having fought for a decade in the Roman Legions, he's ready to settle down in his native Thrace, but due to a new treacherous and violent King, Spartacus is seized and sold to a Roman slave trader.
And so Spartacus is on his way back again to Rome to enter the arena and becoming a gladiator, fighting for life and death.
During his time in the arena his hate for Rome will increase, and little by little he's looking out for an opportunity to start a rebellion for freedom.
What is to follow is a thrilling and captivating Roman adventure, in which the legendary Spartacus come very much alive in this Roman Republic world of corruption and cruelty, and which is brought to us by the author in a most fantastic and believable fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is a great first episode of this wonderful two-part series, and that's why I like to call this tale: "A Spectacular Spartacus Start"!
This story starts in 74 BC, and we find Spartacus, originally from Thrace, after having fought for a decade in the Roman Legions, he's ready to settle down in his native Thrace, but due to a new treacherous and violent King, Spartacus is seized and sold to a Roman slave trader.
And so Spartacus is on his way back again to Rome to enter the arena and becoming a gladiator, fighting for life and death.
During his time in the arena his hate for Rome will increase, and little by little he's looking out for an opportunity to start a rebellion for freedom.
What is to follow is a thrilling and captivating Roman adventure, in which the legendary Spartacus come very much alive in this Roman Republic world of corruption and cruelty, and which is brought to us by the author in a most fantastic and believable fashion.
Highly recommended, for this is a great first episode of this wonderful two-part series, and that's why I like to call this tale: "A Spectacular Spartacus Start"!
January 25, 2014
I loved this book…I really did.
Spartacus the Gladiator is a brilliant retelling of a story we've all heard before, but can't seem to get enough of. The novel is rich in historical detail and the characters really come to life, they weren’t just words on a page. Spartacus was my friend and his enemies were my enemies. The book wasn’t so much about Spartacus as a gladiator, as it was about his life as a warrior and the battles he and his men fought against the undefeated legionaries. He was an enemy of Rome and a force to be reckoned with. It was about the thousands of men that joined him in the fight and the relentless training they endured.
My only complaint is that the book was riddled with grammatical errors (that in my opinion should have been caught by the editor) and the use of the word unsurprisingly over and over again. Regardless I enjoyed the story quite a bit and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. I'd recommend this book to any fan of Spartacus, Rome, and the word unsurprisingly.
Spartacus the Gladiator is a brilliant retelling of a story we've all heard before, but can't seem to get enough of. The novel is rich in historical detail and the characters really come to life, they weren’t just words on a page. Spartacus was my friend and his enemies were my enemies. The book wasn’t so much about Spartacus as a gladiator, as it was about his life as a warrior and the battles he and his men fought against the undefeated legionaries. He was an enemy of Rome and a force to be reckoned with. It was about the thousands of men that joined him in the fight and the relentless training they endured.
My only complaint is that the book was riddled with grammatical errors (that in my opinion should have been caught by the editor) and the use of the word unsurprisingly over and over again. Regardless I enjoyed the story quite a bit and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. I'd recommend this book to any fan of Spartacus, Rome, and the word unsurprisingly.
January 22, 2019
"Today though, let us rejoice in our victory and the knowledge that Rome has learned a lesson... that slaves can also be soldiers. That they can take on the might of a consular army, and win. I knew it could be done, and today I proved it. A man could die happy knowing he'd accomplished that."
And that my friends is how to describe this amazing well known Gladiator and slave in Ancient Rome who dared to defy and fight Rome for three years. I don't normally read these extreme historical Ancient Rome books but with this one being two books and being Spartacus I was in. I don't know why this man draws so many people in but he does even though little known about his past life is out there. But we do know he had been wrongly accused and sent to Rome as a slave and later a gladiator and led a slave revolt for 2 or 3 years with THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of slaves it seemed and ALMOST brought Rome to it's knees.
One thing I'm excited and eager to find out about the end of book 2 is this:
history says two things about Spartacus' last battle and his death against Rome and that is 1- a few claimed that he died during the final battle against the Roman armies and 2- his body was NEVER found so no one really knows if he lived or died
So what does this have to do with my excitement? Well, I know and learned in the show (that I've only seen parts of) is that he did die very dramatically I might add because you need drama, right? But at least it was a glorious death for the man. But in Ben Kane's version, I'm eager to see WHERE exactly he personally goes in his own version and if he's going to keep Spartacus alive or not. Maybe a faked death or something *shrugging shoulders* who knows. Maybe he will die. But time will tell when I get to it soon.
So overall, despite not reading a ton of this deep historical fiction type books because I honestly don't like some of the language and terms, but know it was life for them, I do have to give kudos for Ben Kane for TRULY bringing this man to life. As part of one review says, "Gritty, passionate, and violent, this book is a real page-turner...It brings Spartacus--and Ancient Rome--to vivid, colorful life." And oh my heck Ben Kane did an AMAZING job with this! Now, this book is NOT for everyone. I could recommend it, but there's some things some may not like in here so I warn you with caution on that. But for someone like me who LOVES anything during this time period, I personally loved Ben's style and I couldn't put it down every time I picked it up. Not only did he bring this ancient world to vivid life, I felt like I was there with Marcus Crassus and the senate. I felt I was right there with Spartacus and his woman/wife Ariadne (who I loved). And even the young Roman Carbo who meets Spartacus at the ludus and becomes a kind of volunteer to be in the Gladiator school and is under Spartacus' wing. I felt like I was at these epic and most genius of battles that Spartacus had orchestrated and it was just brilliant.
*how I felt after reading this brilliant of a story*
*how am I going to feel about book 2*
***REMINDER: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR EVERYONE AND ALSO IT'S DEEP HISTORICAL FICTION FOR THIS ERA SO BEWARE WITH LANGUAGE, SOME SAD MOMENTS WITH MISTREATMENTS OF WOMEN AND VERY VIOLENT MOMENTS. SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.***
And that my friends is how to describe this amazing well known Gladiator and slave in Ancient Rome who dared to defy and fight Rome for three years. I don't normally read these extreme historical Ancient Rome books but with this one being two books and being Spartacus I was in. I don't know why this man draws so many people in but he does even though little known about his past life is out there. But we do know he had been wrongly accused and sent to Rome as a slave and later a gladiator and led a slave revolt for 2 or 3 years with THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS of slaves it seemed and ALMOST brought Rome to it's knees.
One thing I'm excited and eager to find out about the end of book 2 is this:
history says two things about Spartacus' last battle and his death against Rome and that is 1- a few claimed that he died during the final battle against the Roman armies and 2- his body was NEVER found so no one really knows if he lived or died
So what does this have to do with my excitement? Well, I know and learned in the show (that I've only seen parts of) is that he did die very dramatically I might add because you need drama, right? But at least it was a glorious death for the man. But in Ben Kane's version, I'm eager to see WHERE exactly he personally goes in his own version and if he's going to keep Spartacus alive or not. Maybe a faked death or something *shrugging shoulders* who knows. Maybe he will die. But time will tell when I get to it soon.
So overall, despite not reading a ton of this deep historical fiction type books because I honestly don't like some of the language and terms, but know it was life for them, I do have to give kudos for Ben Kane for TRULY bringing this man to life. As part of one review says, "Gritty, passionate, and violent, this book is a real page-turner...It brings Spartacus--and Ancient Rome--to vivid, colorful life." And oh my heck Ben Kane did an AMAZING job with this! Now, this book is NOT for everyone. I could recommend it, but there's some things some may not like in here so I warn you with caution on that. But for someone like me who LOVES anything during this time period, I personally loved Ben's style and I couldn't put it down every time I picked it up. Not only did he bring this ancient world to vivid life, I felt like I was there with Marcus Crassus and the senate. I felt I was right there with Spartacus and his woman/wife Ariadne (who I loved). And even the young Roman Carbo who meets Spartacus at the ludus and becomes a kind of volunteer to be in the Gladiator school and is under Spartacus' wing. I felt like I was at these epic and most genius of battles that Spartacus had orchestrated and it was just brilliant.
*how I felt after reading this brilliant of a story*
*how am I going to feel about book 2*
***REMINDER: THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR EVERYONE AND ALSO IT'S DEEP HISTORICAL FICTION FOR THIS ERA SO BEWARE WITH LANGUAGE, SOME SAD MOMENTS WITH MISTREATMENTS OF WOMEN AND VERY VIOLENT MOMENTS. SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.***
July 24, 2012
I was given this book through the ŷ Giveaway program.
This was my first go at Spartacus fiction, and my first Ben Kane read, and I was therefore very excited to dig in. But I had nearly reached a third of the way through the book when I had to abandon it. I simply have no desire to read novels that include graphic, very explicit rape scenes. And from what I've read from some of the other reviews, there were several more even worse ones awaiting me.
As you might expect, this novel is very violent and graphic in nature. I anticipated that, and am no stranger to it in historical fiction, being a fan of , , , etc. Even then, though, I felt the violence was gratuitous, or at least the description of it was. I was never fully engaged with the characters, never cared for Spartacus, and I didn't buy his relationship with Ariadne. I looked forward, though, to following the two of them to see where Kane and the historical record would take us, but I'll have to delve elsewhere to get my answers. It's a shame.
I seem to be one of the few who are critical of this novel, so I don't want to dissuade anyone from trying it. Give it a go, but only if you're prepared for lots of blood, cursing (f-bombs, etc.), and rape.
This was my first go at Spartacus fiction, and my first Ben Kane read, and I was therefore very excited to dig in. But I had nearly reached a third of the way through the book when I had to abandon it. I simply have no desire to read novels that include graphic, very explicit rape scenes. And from what I've read from some of the other reviews, there were several more even worse ones awaiting me.
As you might expect, this novel is very violent and graphic in nature. I anticipated that, and am no stranger to it in historical fiction, being a fan of , , , etc. Even then, though, I felt the violence was gratuitous, or at least the description of it was. I was never fully engaged with the characters, never cared for Spartacus, and I didn't buy his relationship with Ariadne. I looked forward, though, to following the two of them to see where Kane and the historical record would take us, but I'll have to delve elsewhere to get my answers. It's a shame.
I seem to be one of the few who are critical of this novel, so I don't want to dissuade anyone from trying it. Give it a go, but only if you're prepared for lots of blood, cursing (f-bombs, etc.), and rape.
January 29, 2012
Ben Kane does what research is possible on a real historical character and shapes it to his narrative, most of which follows the known history of Spartacus and the slave rebellion. Mr Kane makes Spartacus an leader, tactician and a unemotional killing machine but holds back on real character beyond that. Instead he uses a Roman fellow gladiator to provide deeper characterisation and to give us a slightly different perspective and view on the events as they unfold.
Most of what we read here happened and most of the significant characters are based in reality too, but as always the author knows his stuff and sucks us in to a very entertaining historical romp, with at least one book to follow.
Roman actioners have been popular for a while now and Ben Kane has firmly established himself as one of those that are well worth reading, easily mixing it with the (currently) more famous names. Ben Kane's advantage is that while he plays in the era, he does not feel the need to stick with characters that he uses every time. This makes his books fresher and less predictable.
Most of what we read here happened and most of the significant characters are based in reality too, but as always the author knows his stuff and sucks us in to a very entertaining historical romp, with at least one book to follow.
Roman actioners have been popular for a while now and Ben Kane has firmly established himself as one of those that are well worth reading, easily mixing it with the (currently) more famous names. Ben Kane's advantage is that while he plays in the era, he does not feel the need to stick with characters that he uses every time. This makes his books fresher and less predictable.
June 28, 2018
Remarkable book by Ben Kane. This is a classic History novel based on a true Legend,
Blood, Sex, Murders and Love all in one book. A must read or watch for anyone who love the TV series
Blood, Sex, Murders and Love all in one book. A must read or watch for anyone who love the TV series
January 6, 2016
Já há vários anos que tenho um fascínio pelo Império Romano. Não porque seja tudo um mar de rosas ou uma época pacífica, a Roma Antiga impressiona-me e choca-me em iguais medidas. Mas coisas más e desumanas aconteceram infelizmente em todas as civilizações e até hoje, em pleno século XXI, continuamos a assistir a barbaridades diariamente.
Gosto de estudar a Civilização Romana por tudo o que representou há mais de 2.000 anos, pela dimensão impressionante que atingiu, pelo seu funcionamento, pela sua expansão, pela organização e toda a magnificência que acabou por deixar uma forte marca na humanidade até à actualidade.
Apesar de saber por alto a história de Spartacus, nunca me debrucei verdadeiramente sobre este assunto até ter posto a vista em cima da série televisiva, que rapidamente se tornou numa das minhas preferidas, apesar de ser claro que algum do pouco conhecimento histórico existente sobre esta personagem ter sido modificado em favor do teor dramático, comum nas séries de ficção.
Foi depois disso que tomei conhecimento dos livros de Ben Kane e achei que seria interessante aprofundar um pouco mais o meu conhecimento sobre este escravo que fez Roma tremer.
Spartacus era um guerreiro Trácio que foi escravizado e comprado por uma ‘escola de gladiadores�, a Ludus de Batiatus. Spartacus e cerca de outros 70 escravos conseguiram libertar-se e fugir, começando assim a maior revolta dos escravos que Roma conheceu. Spartacus tornou-se um símbolo da liberdade, lutou contra o Império e uniu milhares de escravos com um objectivo comum, até ao final que se sabe.
Neste primeiro livro de Ben Kane, percorre-se a vida de Spartacus ainda enquanto homem livre, a sua passagem pela Ludus e as suas primeiras batalhas. Marcus Crassus já apareceu, mais ainda a ‘apalpar terreno� sobre o que lhe será mais conveniente fazer e de que forma, pelo que o segundo volume deverá debruçar-se mais afincadamente neste duelo.
Gostei muito desta obra. Kane escreve de forma fluída e sem grandes momentos mortos. Consegue desenvolver uma história coerente com base no pouco que se sabe sobre a vida deste homem. No entanto, teria apreciado um maior aprofundamento das personagens. Todas elas são apresentadas e acompanhadas de forma muito superficial. Tratando-se de uma obra de ficção, apesar de historicamente bastante acurada, merecia um melhor tratamento das personagens e de algumas situações. Também gostaria de ter lido um pouco mais sobre a experiência de Spartacus enquanto gladiador.
No entanto, o saldo é muito positivo. Para além de ter proporcionado bons momentos de entretenimento, ofereceu também bons esclarecimentos sobre este momento na história. Lerei o segundo.
Gosto de estudar a Civilização Romana por tudo o que representou há mais de 2.000 anos, pela dimensão impressionante que atingiu, pelo seu funcionamento, pela sua expansão, pela organização e toda a magnificência que acabou por deixar uma forte marca na humanidade até à actualidade.
Apesar de saber por alto a história de Spartacus, nunca me debrucei verdadeiramente sobre este assunto até ter posto a vista em cima da série televisiva, que rapidamente se tornou numa das minhas preferidas, apesar de ser claro que algum do pouco conhecimento histórico existente sobre esta personagem ter sido modificado em favor do teor dramático, comum nas séries de ficção.
Foi depois disso que tomei conhecimento dos livros de Ben Kane e achei que seria interessante aprofundar um pouco mais o meu conhecimento sobre este escravo que fez Roma tremer.
Spartacus era um guerreiro Trácio que foi escravizado e comprado por uma ‘escola de gladiadores�, a Ludus de Batiatus. Spartacus e cerca de outros 70 escravos conseguiram libertar-se e fugir, começando assim a maior revolta dos escravos que Roma conheceu. Spartacus tornou-se um símbolo da liberdade, lutou contra o Império e uniu milhares de escravos com um objectivo comum, até ao final que se sabe.
Neste primeiro livro de Ben Kane, percorre-se a vida de Spartacus ainda enquanto homem livre, a sua passagem pela Ludus e as suas primeiras batalhas. Marcus Crassus já apareceu, mais ainda a ‘apalpar terreno� sobre o que lhe será mais conveniente fazer e de que forma, pelo que o segundo volume deverá debruçar-se mais afincadamente neste duelo.
Gostei muito desta obra. Kane escreve de forma fluída e sem grandes momentos mortos. Consegue desenvolver uma história coerente com base no pouco que se sabe sobre a vida deste homem. No entanto, teria apreciado um maior aprofundamento das personagens. Todas elas são apresentadas e acompanhadas de forma muito superficial. Tratando-se de uma obra de ficção, apesar de historicamente bastante acurada, merecia um melhor tratamento das personagens e de algumas situações. Também gostaria de ter lido um pouco mais sobre a experiência de Spartacus enquanto gladiador.
No entanto, o saldo é muito positivo. Para além de ter proporcionado bons momentos de entretenimento, ofereceu também bons esclarecimentos sobre este momento na história. Lerei o segundo.
May 4, 2012
Spartacus:
Ben Kane has been able to deliver and deliver and deliver when it comes to Historical Fiction, His excellent (and i hope not finished) Forgotten legion Series, the wonderful Hannibal: Enemy of Rome, and now Spartacus.
At first i was a little reticent about someone doing this in tandem with the TV series, The TV series that while it had started off with the 300 style filming soon settled in to a great portrayal of an iconic character, Andy Whitfield soon came to be the face that came to mind when the name Spartacus was uttered, Kirk Douglas fast becoming a face from the past.
So when i cracked open Ben Kanes new book the face that appeared was Andy Whitfield (RIP). within just a few pages i was back in 74BC Thrace and blood had been spilled. As usual the book is written with the powerful plot and pace that Ben is well known for, but Spartacus: The Gladiator takes it further, deeper and more emotive than the TV series, it does not rely on gliz glamour, blood and guts, Tits and ass. This is the first book in a series that will take the Man and the Myth to a whole different level, and by the end of the series leave us with one of Historical Fictions Iconic series.
This Book as with all Ben Kanes books comes Highly recommended.
(BTW Ben thanks for the Sleep deprivation it took to finish the book)
(Parm)
Product Description
WARRIOR
As winter approaches in 74 BC, few travellers are abroad. But one man is making the long and weary last stage of his way home. Large parts of his homeland, Thrace, a land north of Greece, has fallen under the hated power of Rome. This Thracian has fought in the Roman legions for nearly a decade. Skilled, hardened in battle, a sophisticated fighter. Spartacus.
SLAVE
But home is no longer the safe haven of his imagination. A new king sits on the throne. Treacherous and cunning, he has seized the crown by murder and he will hold on to it by violence. When a Roman slave tradercomes to the village in search of men who will fight as gladiators,Spartacus is betrayed and sold. His odyssey has begun.
HERO
The legend that is Spartacus has come down to us through the centuries - the story of a man who took on the might of Rome and nearly brought her down. Now Ben Kane, the brilliant author of The Forgotten Legion and Hannibal:Enemy of Rome, brings to glorious life the first part of the Spartacus story
Ben Kane has been able to deliver and deliver and deliver when it comes to Historical Fiction, His excellent (and i hope not finished) Forgotten legion Series, the wonderful Hannibal: Enemy of Rome, and now Spartacus.
At first i was a little reticent about someone doing this in tandem with the TV series, The TV series that while it had started off with the 300 style filming soon settled in to a great portrayal of an iconic character, Andy Whitfield soon came to be the face that came to mind when the name Spartacus was uttered, Kirk Douglas fast becoming a face from the past.
So when i cracked open Ben Kanes new book the face that appeared was Andy Whitfield (RIP). within just a few pages i was back in 74BC Thrace and blood had been spilled. As usual the book is written with the powerful plot and pace that Ben is well known for, but Spartacus: The Gladiator takes it further, deeper and more emotive than the TV series, it does not rely on gliz glamour, blood and guts, Tits and ass. This is the first book in a series that will take the Man and the Myth to a whole different level, and by the end of the series leave us with one of Historical Fictions Iconic series.
This Book as with all Ben Kanes books comes Highly recommended.
(BTW Ben thanks for the Sleep deprivation it took to finish the book)
(Parm)
Product Description
WARRIOR
As winter approaches in 74 BC, few travellers are abroad. But one man is making the long and weary last stage of his way home. Large parts of his homeland, Thrace, a land north of Greece, has fallen under the hated power of Rome. This Thracian has fought in the Roman legions for nearly a decade. Skilled, hardened in battle, a sophisticated fighter. Spartacus.
SLAVE
But home is no longer the safe haven of his imagination. A new king sits on the throne. Treacherous and cunning, he has seized the crown by murder and he will hold on to it by violence. When a Roman slave tradercomes to the village in search of men who will fight as gladiators,Spartacus is betrayed and sold. His odyssey has begun.
HERO
The legend that is Spartacus has come down to us through the centuries - the story of a man who took on the might of Rome and nearly brought her down. Now Ben Kane, the brilliant author of The Forgotten Legion and Hannibal:Enemy of Rome, brings to glorious life the first part of the Spartacus story
October 26, 2012
This is another excellent historical by Ben Kane. He has become a master of stories from ancient Rome, especially, the Republican era.
In Spartacus the Gladiator, using what limited information that is available (a total of approximately 4,000 written words from ancient writings) and produces in a very logical and methodical order about the life of this famous gladiator and rebel. The characters of Spartacus, his wife, the Dionysian Priestess, Ariadne, Crixus, the vicious Gallic gladiator, and Carbo, the dispossed Roman who voluntarily became a gladiator are believeable.
Unlike the tv mini-series, Spartacus, Blood in the Sand, which really stretches factual history, Ben Kane remains true or at least trie to in telling what probably happened
This is the first volume in which we see Spartacus returning to Thrace after spending eight years as an auxiliary cavalryman. He learns that his father and brother had been murdered by a usurper Thracian king, Kotys. He himself is betrayed and sold into slavery and sent to Rome to be trained as a gladiator. Ariadne follows him and what many readers don't realize is that women sometime did follow their men into this type of captivity.
Carbo contracts himself to become a gladiator after his parents lose there farm and cannot repay their loan to Marcus Licinius Crassus, Rome's richest man.
Most of us know that ultimately Spartacus and the gladiators rebel and subsequently flee to Vesuvius where they hold off and defeat several Roman legions. I won't go into all the details, but Ben Kane follows very closely what is known about this time and does an excellent job of filling in the gaps.
The first volume ends when the slave army defends a Counselor army of two legions in Northern Italy. Will Spartacus and his slaves be able to leave Italy? That remains to be seen.
This is an excellent effort and I look forward to reading the next volume.
In Spartacus the Gladiator, using what limited information that is available (a total of approximately 4,000 written words from ancient writings) and produces in a very logical and methodical order about the life of this famous gladiator and rebel. The characters of Spartacus, his wife, the Dionysian Priestess, Ariadne, Crixus, the vicious Gallic gladiator, and Carbo, the dispossed Roman who voluntarily became a gladiator are believeable.
Unlike the tv mini-series, Spartacus, Blood in the Sand, which really stretches factual history, Ben Kane remains true or at least trie to in telling what probably happened
This is the first volume in which we see Spartacus returning to Thrace after spending eight years as an auxiliary cavalryman. He learns that his father and brother had been murdered by a usurper Thracian king, Kotys. He himself is betrayed and sold into slavery and sent to Rome to be trained as a gladiator. Ariadne follows him and what many readers don't realize is that women sometime did follow their men into this type of captivity.
Carbo contracts himself to become a gladiator after his parents lose there farm and cannot repay their loan to Marcus Licinius Crassus, Rome's richest man.
Most of us know that ultimately Spartacus and the gladiators rebel and subsequently flee to Vesuvius where they hold off and defeat several Roman legions. I won't go into all the details, but Ben Kane follows very closely what is known about this time and does an excellent job of filling in the gaps.
The first volume ends when the slave army defends a Counselor army of two legions in Northern Italy. Will Spartacus and his slaves be able to leave Italy? That remains to be seen.
This is an excellent effort and I look forward to reading the next volume.
June 12, 2012
I have to say that although I like historical fiction, I've read very few novels like Spartacus: The Gladiator. Ben Kane combines extensive knowledge about the period with a fast-paced, daring writing style, a strong, fierce hero and a powerful plot. You can tell he's an experienced writer with his confident writing - the action scenes could be easily understood, the romance was short and sweet and the characterization remained constant.
I loved how Ben Kane took the widely known facts about Spartacus a step further by adding all these details that truly make the story believable and worthwhile. Spartacus' arrogant attitude but caring personality shines through in every word Kane writes - from the first killing of the thieves to saving the priestess Ariadne from the kings' guards even though he could have been kiled in the process. I didn't always like Spartacus because of his brashness and unemotional nature but nevertheless, he was a very well-rounded and well-developed character.
All in all, this novel was a very entertaining read and I can't wait to see more of Spartacus. Although I may not have read much in this genre, I can say with confidence that Ben Kane can be counted among the famous authors in literary merit. When it comes to historical fiction, Kane is a master!
This novel is for people interested in historical fiction, especially about Spartacus. At 480 pages, it is definitely not an easy, fast read. There are violent scenes (though not at all unnecessary or gross) and rape scenes and profanity is prevalent throughout, so you should know what you're getting into if you read this book.
P.S. I also recommend watching the TV show Spartacus along with this book and its sequel (not out yet).
I loved how Ben Kane took the widely known facts about Spartacus a step further by adding all these details that truly make the story believable and worthwhile. Spartacus' arrogant attitude but caring personality shines through in every word Kane writes - from the first killing of the thieves to saving the priestess Ariadne from the kings' guards even though he could have been kiled in the process. I didn't always like Spartacus because of his brashness and unemotional nature but nevertheless, he was a very well-rounded and well-developed character.
All in all, this novel was a very entertaining read and I can't wait to see more of Spartacus. Although I may not have read much in this genre, I can say with confidence that Ben Kane can be counted among the famous authors in literary merit. When it comes to historical fiction, Kane is a master!
This novel is for people interested in historical fiction, especially about Spartacus. At 480 pages, it is definitely not an easy, fast read. There are violent scenes (though not at all unnecessary or gross) and rape scenes and profanity is prevalent throughout, so you should know what you're getting into if you read this book.
P.S. I also recommend watching the TV show Spartacus along with this book and its sequel (not out yet).
May 31, 2012
I received this book as a free giveaway, and I'm glad I did! Admittedly, I probably wouldn't have given this book a second glance if I saw it on the shelf. But, I have to say....I loved it! Like most people, I am only familiar with Spartacus from the Kirk Douglas flick and the cable series. This book hooked me early and kept me involved. It has violence, political intrigue, romance, and a good deal of suspense. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but Spartacus returns from serving with the Roman army to find out that his father (The King of Trace) and brother (heir to the throne) have been murdered. He had served with the Romans to find out about their training techniques and battle strategies so he could return home and lead a war against Rome. He plots revenge on the current king, but winds up being captured and sold to a gladiator training camp. The thought of fighting for the entertainment of Rome is too much for him to bear, so he leads a revolt against the owner of the camp. From here, he is pursued across Italy by Roman legions that seek to quash his rebel army of former slaves and gladiators.
Also provided in the book are maps and a VERY helpful glossary for the terms used in the book.
In his afterword, author Ben Kane explains that he DID take some liberties with the story since only about 4000 words survive about history as far as Spartacus is concerned. He also mentions that he is working on a sequel that is due out in late 2012. I will DEFINITELY be picking that one up.
Mr. Kane, if you read this, thank you for opening my eyes to a different genre. I look forward to reading more from you in the coming years....
Also provided in the book are maps and a VERY helpful glossary for the terms used in the book.
In his afterword, author Ben Kane explains that he DID take some liberties with the story since only about 4000 words survive about history as far as Spartacus is concerned. He also mentions that he is working on a sequel that is due out in late 2012. I will DEFINITELY be picking that one up.
Mr. Kane, if you read this, thank you for opening my eyes to a different genre. I look forward to reading more from you in the coming years....
May 4, 2020
Terminé el libro y me gustó mucho pero no como esperaba...
Hubiera querido leer más del ludus, de Espartaco como gladiador, de las peleas en la arena, de Crixus y su rivalidad con Espartaco por ser el líder... Quería saber más de todo el origen...
Si me gustó (y mucho) el nivel de descripción, la narración tan perfecta, la rudeza, el realismo. Kane logró que viviera cada batalla, que sintiera como era ser un esclavo rebelde en esa época, salvaje, con sed de sangre y venganza.
Me ha encantado la nota final del autor hablando de cuáles datos si son reales y cuáles no, pero si me hubiera gustado que la novela fuera algo más justa a la realidad, siento que se le dio mucho protagonismo a personajes ficticios pudiendo explotar los reales (Crixus, Gannicus, Oenomaus por ejemplo).
En mi opinión, siento que como una novela de acción es perfecta, pero como novela histórica no tanto.
Hubiera querido leer más del ludus, de Espartaco como gladiador, de las peleas en la arena, de Crixus y su rivalidad con Espartaco por ser el líder... Quería saber más de todo el origen...
Si me gustó (y mucho) el nivel de descripción, la narración tan perfecta, la rudeza, el realismo. Kane logró que viviera cada batalla, que sintiera como era ser un esclavo rebelde en esa época, salvaje, con sed de sangre y venganza.
Me ha encantado la nota final del autor hablando de cuáles datos si son reales y cuáles no, pero si me hubiera gustado que la novela fuera algo más justa a la realidad, siento que se le dio mucho protagonismo a personajes ficticios pudiendo explotar los reales (Crixus, Gannicus, Oenomaus por ejemplo).
En mi opinión, siento que como una novela de acción es perfecta, pero como novela histórica no tanto.
May 10, 2013
In this book:
Crixus and Spartacus were not bros.
Crixus and his men were rapists and Spartacus didn’t even try to stop them.
Gannicus and Oenomaus were not bros. And Gannicus was so serious all the time.
The characters felt flat, I didn't like any of them.
Women were helpless and useless. They got raped by men or were their lovers, they did nothing else. Oh, and the main female character had to get pregnant, of course.
What the fuck?
The action scenes were good, though.
Crixus and Spartacus were not bros.
Crixus and his men were rapists and Spartacus didn’t even try to stop them.
Gannicus and Oenomaus were not bros. And Gannicus was so serious all the time.
The characters felt flat, I didn't like any of them.
Women were helpless and useless. They got raped by men or were their lovers, they did nothing else. Oh, and the main female character had to get pregnant, of course.
What the fuck?
The action scenes were good, though.
May 30, 2012
I am probably one of the few people where this novel is my first foray into the legend of Spartacus. I haven't watched the Kirk Douglas movie or the TV series and I have never read a Spartacus novel before this one. In this book Ben Kane does a fantastic job in bringing to life the man that united slaves and common people alike to take on the mightiest army in the world. We meet Spartacus as he is coming home to Thrace after spending several years fighting in the Roman Auxiliary. Just because he fought on the side of the Rome does not mean he is friend to the Romans though. His purpose in serving with the Romans is to learn all he can about their brilliant military tactics so he can build an army of his countrymen upon his return and take on Rome himself. Spartacus finds things have changed in his absence though and the current ruler of Thrace recognizes Spartacus as a threat and sells him to a man looking to purchase slaves for a Gladiator school. He is accompanied by the beautiful priestess Ariadne who decides she would rather take her chances at the Gladiator school as Spartacus' wife than endure the attentions of the repugnant Thracian King.
I love characters that do not lay down in the face of defeat and Spartacus definitely fits the bill. While most people would resign themselves to a violent death at the hands of a fellow Gladiator, Spartacus sets about to earn the respect of his fellow slaves, unite them in revolt, and even more unlikely, to keep them united to face down the Romans. The fight scenes both in the Gladiator school and against the Roman armies were really well done and I felt completely transported into the time period while reading them. He proves himself to be a brilliant general time and again. Also realistically portrayed was the havoc Spartacus' army of slaves wreaked on the countryside. This book has no shortage of blood, guts, and the horrors of war. This book does contain profanity, violence, sex scenes, and rape so be forewarned if you are squeamish about any of these. I also liked the supporting characters as well including Carbo- a roman citizen who joins the gladiator school when his family falls on hard times and pledges himself to Spartacus and the aforementioned Ariadne. There are also a wealth of other warriors among Spartacus' ranks including Crixus the Gaul-a thoroughly unlikable man who challenges Spartacus for power every chance he gets, and allies Atheas and Taxacis. I really wished to know more of these characters but I also realize that in a story with so many characters you can't give everyone their due and the book was already so large the author had to split the story into two books (the second of which is coming out later this year).
The constant reference of Ariadne as Spartacus' wife was puzzling to me since there was no formal ceremony making this so. They just stated their intent to become man and wife and it was done. After doing a little research, I discovered that mutual consent was really all it took to be married in the time period the book takes place. I wish this had been explained somewhere along the line. With the exception of Ariadne there is not an abundance of female characters in this book and what ones there are don't fare well. This is different from what I normally read because most of the historical fiction I pick up has at least one strong female view. That is not to say women won't enjoy this book. If you like an underdog story and aren't bothered by the more difficult themes I mentioned above you probably won't find a more action packed and exciting portrayal of the Spartacus story than this one. Admittedly, little bothers me enough to keep me from reading a good book and I enjoyed this one quite a lot. Consider me a new fan of Ben Kane's writing. I can't wait for the continuation of Spartacus' story in the next installment!
*review copy for tour participation*
I love characters that do not lay down in the face of defeat and Spartacus definitely fits the bill. While most people would resign themselves to a violent death at the hands of a fellow Gladiator, Spartacus sets about to earn the respect of his fellow slaves, unite them in revolt, and even more unlikely, to keep them united to face down the Romans. The fight scenes both in the Gladiator school and against the Roman armies were really well done and I felt completely transported into the time period while reading them. He proves himself to be a brilliant general time and again. Also realistically portrayed was the havoc Spartacus' army of slaves wreaked on the countryside. This book has no shortage of blood, guts, and the horrors of war. This book does contain profanity, violence, sex scenes, and rape so be forewarned if you are squeamish about any of these. I also liked the supporting characters as well including Carbo- a roman citizen who joins the gladiator school when his family falls on hard times and pledges himself to Spartacus and the aforementioned Ariadne. There are also a wealth of other warriors among Spartacus' ranks including Crixus the Gaul-a thoroughly unlikable man who challenges Spartacus for power every chance he gets, and allies Atheas and Taxacis. I really wished to know more of these characters but I also realize that in a story with so many characters you can't give everyone their due and the book was already so large the author had to split the story into two books (the second of which is coming out later this year).
The constant reference of Ariadne as Spartacus' wife was puzzling to me since there was no formal ceremony making this so. They just stated their intent to become man and wife and it was done. After doing a little research, I discovered that mutual consent was really all it took to be married in the time period the book takes place. I wish this had been explained somewhere along the line. With the exception of Ariadne there is not an abundance of female characters in this book and what ones there are don't fare well. This is different from what I normally read because most of the historical fiction I pick up has at least one strong female view. That is not to say women won't enjoy this book. If you like an underdog story and aren't bothered by the more difficult themes I mentioned above you probably won't find a more action packed and exciting portrayal of the Spartacus story than this one. Admittedly, little bothers me enough to keep me from reading a good book and I enjoyed this one quite a lot. Consider me a new fan of Ben Kane's writing. I can't wait for the continuation of Spartacus' story in the next installment!
*review copy for tour participation*
June 23, 2012
In the novel, Spartacus is a Thracian and veteran of the Roman legions who studies their tactics in the hope of going home and leading his own army against the hated Romans. When he returns to Thrace, however, Spartacus learns a usurper has killed the king, as well as his own father, and seized the throne. Spartacus plots a rebellion, but when the king discovers his plans, Spartacus is captured and sold to a Roman slaver. Despite this setback, Spartacus gains an unlikely companion in Ariadne, a priestess of Dionysus who offers to join him in slavery in order to escape the lecherous king who longs to rape her.
The fact that Ariadne goes with Spartacus and remains his companion throughout his slave rebellion is the first of several surprises in the novel. Another surprise is Carbo, a Roman teenager who joins the ludus (gladiator school) in Capua as an auctoratus (sort of a gladiator for hire) after his family falls on hard times. Though he ultimately joins Spartacus� rebellion, Carbo becomes torn between his sympathies for his fellow Romans and his loyalty to Spartacus, one of the few people who believes in him.
Once in Capua, the novel tracks the historical story of Spartacus, from his gladiator revolt and escape from the ludus, to his massive slave rebellion against the Romans. Less than a third of the novel takes place in Capua, and the ludus� owner, Lentulus Batiatus, is at best a minor villain. The primary antagonists are the Roman generals and their armies, which Spartacus and his gladiators take on from Mount Vesuvius to central Italy, and here’s where the novel really shines. The large scale battle scenes are the highlight, and the author does a great job of showing us events from both Spartacus� and the Romans� point-of view.
There is more to the novel than just gladiators versus the Romans, however, as Spartacus faces equally dangerous enemies in his own ranks while trying to hold together an army of Thracians, Gauls, and Germans. Crixus and Oenomaus � historical gladiators with whom readers may be familiar from other versions of the Spartacus story � play prominent roles in the novel, as does Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, who is charged with ending the slave rebellion. The novel never gets to the climactic battle between Crassus and Spartacus as this is the first book of what the author suggests will be a two book series. But Spartacus the Gladiator stands on its own, and in the end proves to be a bloody good read!
The fact that Ariadne goes with Spartacus and remains his companion throughout his slave rebellion is the first of several surprises in the novel. Another surprise is Carbo, a Roman teenager who joins the ludus (gladiator school) in Capua as an auctoratus (sort of a gladiator for hire) after his family falls on hard times. Though he ultimately joins Spartacus� rebellion, Carbo becomes torn between his sympathies for his fellow Romans and his loyalty to Spartacus, one of the few people who believes in him.
Once in Capua, the novel tracks the historical story of Spartacus, from his gladiator revolt and escape from the ludus, to his massive slave rebellion against the Romans. Less than a third of the novel takes place in Capua, and the ludus� owner, Lentulus Batiatus, is at best a minor villain. The primary antagonists are the Roman generals and their armies, which Spartacus and his gladiators take on from Mount Vesuvius to central Italy, and here’s where the novel really shines. The large scale battle scenes are the highlight, and the author does a great job of showing us events from both Spartacus� and the Romans� point-of view.
There is more to the novel than just gladiators versus the Romans, however, as Spartacus faces equally dangerous enemies in his own ranks while trying to hold together an army of Thracians, Gauls, and Germans. Crixus and Oenomaus � historical gladiators with whom readers may be familiar from other versions of the Spartacus story � play prominent roles in the novel, as does Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, who is charged with ending the slave rebellion. The novel never gets to the climactic battle between Crassus and Spartacus as this is the first book of what the author suggests will be a two book series. But Spartacus the Gladiator stands on its own, and in the end proves to be a bloody good read!
December 10, 2013
Historical fiction focused on the Roman era is (to no great surprise) usually focused around Romans. The period has much to offer - the discipline of the legions, treacherous Senatorial politics, the transition from Republic to Empire, warlike barbarian tribes, religious ferment, almost an entire continent under one power, a span of hundreds of years, and more.
Ben Kane's Spartacus makes a nice contribution to the genre by focusing on one of Rome's foes - Spartacus, the Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt against the Republic. This perspective is a nice change of pace.
Unfortunately I had other problems with the book that dampened my immersion in the story. First and foremost too many of the characters felt under developed to me. Both Crixus (Spartacus' main slave rival) and Crassus (the richest and most powerful Roman in the Senate) both felt as if they were propped up to be foils for Spartacus. This was especially so for Crassus who showed up only periodically, I guess, to show the impression that the slave leader made in Rome. Crixus only really felt "real" to me in the ludus where he led the main Gaulish faction that threatened Spartacus. I think the author missed an opportunity here by not playing this thread out. More should have been made over the rivalry between the two leaders in the slave army. This doesn't even touch Carbo, the Roman who finds himself as one of Spartacus' chief henchmen. Virtually every scene with Carbo in it felt artificial to me. (Having said all of this, I thought that the interplay between Ariadne and Spartacus was nice).
Next, although the action scenes are great ... the book is just too graphic in places. I recognize that the period was a brutal and hard one, but I cringed reading a couple of the scenes - exhibit A being where Carbo's woman is raped to death by Crixus and his crew. Was this really necessary? I don't shy away from violence but that was a little too much.
This sounds pretty bad so I want to stress that the book was a fun diversion. I did enjoy it and have already started the sequel. A solid three stars. Just my two cents.
Ben Kane's Spartacus makes a nice contribution to the genre by focusing on one of Rome's foes - Spartacus, the Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt against the Republic. This perspective is a nice change of pace.
Unfortunately I had other problems with the book that dampened my immersion in the story. First and foremost too many of the characters felt under developed to me. Both Crixus (Spartacus' main slave rival) and Crassus (the richest and most powerful Roman in the Senate) both felt as if they were propped up to be foils for Spartacus. This was especially so for Crassus who showed up only periodically, I guess, to show the impression that the slave leader made in Rome. Crixus only really felt "real" to me in the ludus where he led the main Gaulish faction that threatened Spartacus. I think the author missed an opportunity here by not playing this thread out. More should have been made over the rivalry between the two leaders in the slave army. This doesn't even touch Carbo, the Roman who finds himself as one of Spartacus' chief henchmen. Virtually every scene with Carbo in it felt artificial to me. (Having said all of this, I thought that the interplay between Ariadne and Spartacus was nice).
Next, although the action scenes are great ... the book is just too graphic in places. I recognize that the period was a brutal and hard one, but I cringed reading a couple of the scenes - exhibit A being where Carbo's woman is raped to death by Crixus and his crew. Was this really necessary? I don't shy away from violence but that was a little too much.
This sounds pretty bad so I want to stress that the book was a fun diversion. I did enjoy it and have already started the sequel. A solid three stars. Just my two cents.
July 6, 2016
I really wanted to like this book, as having just finished re-watching the excellent SPARTACUS TV series I wanted to continue my enthusiasm for the subject matter. Sadly, it never feels like Ben Kane's heart is really in this, and what we get is a storyline that seems to have been written on autopilot at times.
Kane is certainly a highly readable author and this book has some great qualities, including a fine sense of time and place and an absolute ton of well-described action sequences. For a book with the subtitle THE GLADIATOR, I was a little disappointed that the stuff that takes place in Batiatus's ludus is quite brief and only lasts a couple of chapters - I would have enjoyed reading more about the training and rivalry inside the gladiator school (the TV series has spoiled me in this respect).
I felt this book was a letdown because it's very superficial. You see Spartacus acting and know what he looks like but never really get the measure of the man. Likewise, his allies Oenomaus, Gannicus, and Crixus are all underused and I was particularly disappointed with the depiction of Crixus as a single-minded thug. Kane could have really got into the complexity of these characters to deliver some volatile scenes between them but all we get is repetitive thuggery. The addition of the Roman youth, Carbo, just seems to have been included to allow Kane to get into the Roman mindset, which is extraneous and unnecessary.
The worst part of me is Spartacus's relationship with the female priestess. She gets a lot of point of view material and all of it is a waste of time. We see her praying to the gods and fretting over her lover time and again and it adds nothing to the storyline except padding. I would have preferred to read more about Crassus or the big boys in Rome instead of this token female love interest material. And repetition is another of the big problems with SPARTACUS: THE GLADIATOR, which is fine when describing action but seems unable to deliver anything deep or halfway complex. I'll be finishing the story off with the second book, but Kane's Forgotten Legion trilogy was much better than this.
Kane is certainly a highly readable author and this book has some great qualities, including a fine sense of time and place and an absolute ton of well-described action sequences. For a book with the subtitle THE GLADIATOR, I was a little disappointed that the stuff that takes place in Batiatus's ludus is quite brief and only lasts a couple of chapters - I would have enjoyed reading more about the training and rivalry inside the gladiator school (the TV series has spoiled me in this respect).
I felt this book was a letdown because it's very superficial. You see Spartacus acting and know what he looks like but never really get the measure of the man. Likewise, his allies Oenomaus, Gannicus, and Crixus are all underused and I was particularly disappointed with the depiction of Crixus as a single-minded thug. Kane could have really got into the complexity of these characters to deliver some volatile scenes between them but all we get is repetitive thuggery. The addition of the Roman youth, Carbo, just seems to have been included to allow Kane to get into the Roman mindset, which is extraneous and unnecessary.
The worst part of me is Spartacus's relationship with the female priestess. She gets a lot of point of view material and all of it is a waste of time. We see her praying to the gods and fretting over her lover time and again and it adds nothing to the storyline except padding. I would have preferred to read more about Crassus or the big boys in Rome instead of this token female love interest material. And repetition is another of the big problems with SPARTACUS: THE GLADIATOR, which is fine when describing action but seems unable to deliver anything deep or halfway complex. I'll be finishing the story off with the second book, but Kane's Forgotten Legion trilogy was much better than this.
April 22, 2012
4.5 stars
Compelling reading, Spartacus The Gladiator was an absolute page turner. Ben Kane covers the well known story of Spartacus with a brilliant balance of historical detail and fictional flare bringing the story to life in fascinating, horrifying and brutal glory.
Spartacus is known as one of the greatest military commanders in history, a master tactician, a man of strength, intelligence, honour, loyalty and while understanding the inhumanities and cruelties inflicted during war he possessed a strong moral code.
Skilled in Roman warfare from years spent in the Roman legions, Spartacus returns to his home village after a ten year absence to be betrayed, sold into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the Ludus in Capua. He masterminds the escape from the Ludus and along with fellow gladiators trains and leads a growing army of slaves in rebellion against the might of Rome.
Kane's vivid writing and graphic descriptions give an excellent sense of time and place. Not for the faint hearted; battle after battle, violence, pillaging, rape, carnage and the horror endured by women of this time was difficult to read but I couldn't get enough Spartacus and the 'Gladiator War'. If I'm nit-picking my one query would be on the authenticity of the 'f-bomb' in 74BC??
After finishing what would have to be one of my favourite reads this year I cannot wait for the sequel, Spartacus: Rebellion.
Compelling reading, Spartacus The Gladiator was an absolute page turner. Ben Kane covers the well known story of Spartacus with a brilliant balance of historical detail and fictional flare bringing the story to life in fascinating, horrifying and brutal glory.
Spartacus is known as one of the greatest military commanders in history, a master tactician, a man of strength, intelligence, honour, loyalty and while understanding the inhumanities and cruelties inflicted during war he possessed a strong moral code.
Skilled in Roman warfare from years spent in the Roman legions, Spartacus returns to his home village after a ten year absence to be betrayed, sold into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the Ludus in Capua. He masterminds the escape from the Ludus and along with fellow gladiators trains and leads a growing army of slaves in rebellion against the might of Rome.
Kane's vivid writing and graphic descriptions give an excellent sense of time and place. Not for the faint hearted; battle after battle, violence, pillaging, rape, carnage and the horror endured by women of this time was difficult to read but I couldn't get enough Spartacus and the 'Gladiator War'. If I'm nit-picking my one query would be on the authenticity of the 'f-bomb' in 74BC??
After finishing what would have to be one of my favourite reads this year I cannot wait for the sequel, Spartacus: Rebellion.
December 26, 2024
This was a solid book that tells the story of Spartacus and the building of his “slave army� that proved to be a thorn in the side of the Roman Empire for a period of time. I’m a big history nerd, especially when it comes to the Roman Empire, so anything written about this time period is going to interest me.
This book definitely didn’t disappoint when it came to the plot and the battles, those were definitely the high points of the story. However, in my opinion, the character work was definitely lacking, and there wasn’t much in terms of character growth throughout. Other than Carbo and Ariadne, the characters seemed flat and somewhat emotionless, which was disappointing. The story this book tells however, redeems the poor character work. I loved reading about how Spartacus went from a slave gladiator to the leader of this massive rebellion bringing together many different people groups along the way.
Overall, I enjoyed this book even though it has some weaknesses. It’s not reinventing the wheel or anything, but it’s solid and a good read if you like reading about events in this time period.
This book definitely didn’t disappoint when it came to the plot and the battles, those were definitely the high points of the story. However, in my opinion, the character work was definitely lacking, and there wasn’t much in terms of character growth throughout. Other than Carbo and Ariadne, the characters seemed flat and somewhat emotionless, which was disappointing. The story this book tells however, redeems the poor character work. I loved reading about how Spartacus went from a slave gladiator to the leader of this massive rebellion bringing together many different people groups along the way.
Overall, I enjoyed this book even though it has some weaknesses. It’s not reinventing the wheel or anything, but it’s solid and a good read if you like reading about events in this time period.
January 4, 2016
I liked a lot this book. The story of Spartacus is compelling, and I believe this was greatly told. From the Ludus to almost the Alps, there're a lot of battles, struggles and animosity.
Besides Spartacus' doing, we see a lot of Carbo, a made up personage, and a Roman one, nonetheless, following Spartacus and the slaves. His story is quite beautiful and sad - and I'll be rooting for a meeting between him and Crixus on the next book. I have no idea if such thing will happen, but one can hope.
Besides Spartacus' doing, we see a lot of Carbo, a made up personage, and a Roman one, nonetheless, following Spartacus and the slaves. His story is quite beautiful and sad - and I'll be rooting for a meeting between him and Crixus on the next book. I have no idea if such thing will happen, but one can hope.
February 10, 2024
Espartaco: el hombre que dio esperanza a los esclavos
Mi calificación: ⭐⭐�.5
Una novela de ficción histórica que te sumerge de lleno en la antigua Roma a través de la historia de un hombre que le hizo frente a uno de los ejércitos más grandes de la historia.
Luego de luchar por muchos años al servicio de Roma, Espartaco regresa a su natal Tracia solo para encontrarse con que su padre ha muerto y un tirano gobierna el lugar. Dispuesto a destronarlo, Espartaco crea un plan que sale mal y termina capturado y vendido como esclavo. De regreso a Roma, tiene que defender su vida como gladiador, teniendo siempre en mente el objetivo de escapar de ahí para volver a su tierra de origen.
Como ya dije, esta es una novela que tiene la facilidad de transportarte al pasado y es fascinante. Y es que, al final del libro el autor escribió una nota con la información que recabó y los detalles que él aportó a la trama, lo cual aprecié mucho ya que pude comparar lo que fue real de lo que no y aún así cómo todo se conectó con sentido.
Me gustó mucho que, a pesar de ser un libro de más de 500 páginas, la lectura no es pesada, y sí, en su mayoría es entretenida; en mi opinión valoré mucho que aunque está escrita en tercera persona el libro se nos cuenta desde varias perspectivas, aunque claro, la de Espartaco es la que domina al ser el personaje principal, pero esto le dio dinamismo a la historia, porque vamos siguiendo a varios personajes.
El único pero que tengo quizás, es que la novela se vuelve algo repetitiva hacia el final y que el autor trató algunos temas delicados a la ligera. De ahí en fuera creo que no tengo más quejas.
Mi calificación: ⭐⭐�.5
Una novela de ficción histórica que te sumerge de lleno en la antigua Roma a través de la historia de un hombre que le hizo frente a uno de los ejércitos más grandes de la historia.
Luego de luchar por muchos años al servicio de Roma, Espartaco regresa a su natal Tracia solo para encontrarse con que su padre ha muerto y un tirano gobierna el lugar. Dispuesto a destronarlo, Espartaco crea un plan que sale mal y termina capturado y vendido como esclavo. De regreso a Roma, tiene que defender su vida como gladiador, teniendo siempre en mente el objetivo de escapar de ahí para volver a su tierra de origen.
Como ya dije, esta es una novela que tiene la facilidad de transportarte al pasado y es fascinante. Y es que, al final del libro el autor escribió una nota con la información que recabó y los detalles que él aportó a la trama, lo cual aprecié mucho ya que pude comparar lo que fue real de lo que no y aún así cómo todo se conectó con sentido.
Me gustó mucho que, a pesar de ser un libro de más de 500 páginas, la lectura no es pesada, y sí, en su mayoría es entretenida; en mi opinión valoré mucho que aunque está escrita en tercera persona el libro se nos cuenta desde varias perspectivas, aunque claro, la de Espartaco es la que domina al ser el personaje principal, pero esto le dio dinamismo a la historia, porque vamos siguiendo a varios personajes.
El único pero que tengo quizás, es que la novela se vuelve algo repetitiva hacia el final y que el autor trató algunos temas delicados a la ligera. De ahí en fuera creo que no tengo más quejas.
November 10, 2022
¡Apasionante! Una gran primera entrega de la historia de Espartaco, el gladiador tracio que pudo poner en jaque a la todopoderosa república romana. El mismo autor hace referencia que su libro es una mezcla entre los pocos hechos reales documentados y el ingenio de su propia ficción histórica. Pero ojo, eso no hace menos genial la obra; al contrario, y en sus propias palabras, esos "huecos históricos" es lo que permitió darle forma a ésta gran obra. Inmediatamente paso a la segunda parte, muero por conocer el desenlace de la serie.
May 22, 2019
My personal favourite era. Loved the battle scenes, strategies and descriptors in this novel. Ben Kane definitely knows his stuff there and his historical knowledge is richly evident without being too up your nose.
My only criticism would be that I found the dialogue a little wooden and would of knocked my score down to a 3.5.
I'm still reading the next one.
I read some complaints about how Aridnae and other women were represented in the books, but that's truthfully pretty much how it was for them and this character at least had some autonomy. Rob E Howards books were far more sexist, but that was as much his era as the stories they were in. But if it bothers you that much, do as I do and write your own. History was written by the the winners and by common knowledge Romans were the worst losers. How many champions and women did they write out of history?
My only criticism would be that I found the dialogue a little wooden and would of knocked my score down to a 3.5.
I'm still reading the next one.
I read some complaints about how Aridnae and other women were represented in the books, but that's truthfully pretty much how it was for them and this character at least had some autonomy. Rob E Howards books were far more sexist, but that was as much his era as the stories they were in. But if it bothers you that much, do as I do and write your own. History was written by the the winners and by common knowledge Romans were the worst losers. How many champions and women did they write out of history?
July 2, 2012
Brilliant. I started reading this thinking it would be a copy of the Kirk Douglas film....WRONG!!!! Ben Kane is an execellent story teller and has given the Spartacus tale a whole new twist. I am certainly going to read the next book when it is released.
June 27, 2014
SPAR-TA-CUS!!!
April 22, 2013
I forgot to review this Book, been busy,
This is a classic History novel based on a true Legend,
Blood, Sex, Murders and Love all in one book.
A must for anyone who likes the TV series,
This is a classic History novel based on a true Legend,
Blood, Sex, Murders and Love all in one book.
A must for anyone who likes the TV series,
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