ROME by Ben Kane
- Adam Lofthouse
- Jul 1
- 2 min read
Been an age since Ben has written a Roman novel. His books are so deeply researched, his passion for the period always shining through the words on the page. I just had to pick this one up and give it a read.
This one tells the story of Galla Palcidia. Sister to Emperor Honorius, daughter of Theodosius the Great. It's set in a similar time period to what I have been recently writing, so for me the world Ben describes was easy to follow, but for many who are used to reading books of Rome in the classical period, the empire is very different by the time the fifth century comes around.
Galla is a fascinating character, and she certainly led an eventful life. Ben sets her up as power hungry, desperate for her life to have meaning, to have the influence needed to make the empire a better place. Rome was tough for women. To exert any sort of power they had to do it from the shadows. Marrying well was their only real hope.
In this book Ben portrays her desires and the reasons behind them well. She is well rounded, reasoned, likeable. The other main POV is a Vandal warrior called Vadomar. A soldier of Stilicho, he swears allegiance to Galla after the murder of his master, and fights throughout the book to keep her safe. Again, he is created well and likeable throughout.
The book jumps about a fair bit, beginning in 393 AD and ended in 416 AD. There is a lot of ground to cover, to say they were an eventful thirteen years for the empire is an understatement. Usurpations almost constantly, rival generals wary of letting their peers garner too much power. The empire itself waning year on year. Britannia, Africa, Gaul, Hispania all on the edge of collapse at some point. Money running out, Germanic and Gothic war hosts running riot through the heart of the empire, it was all going on! Impossible for an author to cover it all in detail in one book, but Ben has picked the key moments and made them the driving force of the plot.
All in all I'd say this book is perfect for those who want to learn as well as being entertained. Few authors know more on their subject matter than Ben does on Rome, and it's all on show in this one
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