Review & Giveaway of Ben Kane's Spartacus

Ben Kane has had considerable success with his earlier series set in Ancient Rome.  Recall  The Forgotten Legion Trilogy?  Kane takes us back to Ancient Rome in his latest novel, Spartacus.

The novel opens with Spartacus's return to his old home in Thrace after years of serving as an auxiliary in the Roman legion.  Instead of the warm reunion that he'd hoped for, Spartacus discovers that his family had suffered in his absence.  In fact, his home has changed much in his absence and Spartacus finds himself trying to curb the excesses of his king.  In a stroke of the most awful luck, Spartacus finds that his interference is not appreciated and that his life has been sold to a Roman trader/ludus operator.

In this deadly new home, Spartacus must rely on his soldiering skills and instincts. We are happy to discover that Spartacus has a natural ability and considerable training

Once again, the skills that kept Spartacus alive in the legions serve him well in this new arena.  But he must learn to navigate the murky politics in the ludus's gladiator pits from the dominant gladiators to the jealousies and petty tyrannies of the ludus's workers.   It doesn't help Spartacus's odds that he is paired with Ariadne, a beautiful Dionysian priestess - and Ariadne's beauty brings another level of danger.  Fortunately, Spartacus is a natural leader and tactician.  As he handles the dangers and intrigue of the Roman ludus, he finds a way to freedom for himself, his fellow slaves, and those he loves.  Kane's telling of the story is full of drama, intrigue, betrayals, loyalty and love.  I very much enjoyed the combination of a life lived to the lees and Spartacus' struggle to find freedom for himself and his fellow slaves.

Hardcover - ISBN-10: 1250001161 $26.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (June 5, 2012), 480 pages.
Review copy provided by the author and Premier Virtual Author Book Tours

GIVEAWAY:
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