Hannibal: Fields Of Blood ~ Ben Kane

Having stubbornly ignored most Roman historical fiction until recently I find myself playing catch-up with a chariot-load of tremendously good authors. One such author is Ben Kane, whose first Hannibal instalment won me over enough that I've since bought several books from his other series. Noticing that the second instalment of the Hannibal series was available from the publisher via Netgalley I threw caution to the wind and applied for it, never thinking they'd let me have a go. I'm quite happy to report, I was wrong; they decided to honour me with a copy. Huzzah for me!

Fields of Blood picks up just a couple weeks from where Enemy of Rome left off. The two male protagonists are still working toward trying to impress the leadership, and Aurelia is still trying to fight for her independence. Of course, in a world where the worth of a decision has more to do with how many are affected adversely than the minor success it might have engendered, neither of the three young people has an easy time of it.

In the first instalment Hanno the Carthaginian came into his own; in this one we really get a sense of Quintus's growth and abilities. No longer seeking to please his father, Quintus matures into his own man, capable and self-aware. Aurelia learns tough lessons when she speaks before thinking, while Hanno discovers things about his family he finds disconcerting. Each experience dangers they probably never thought they ever need to face and their not even on the battlefield yet.

The battles scenes are the superior part of this novel. There were battle scenes included in the first novel of the series, but the ones in this book far exceed those. There is a real sense that Ben Kane has worked this through in his mind for a long time, that he has strategized every moment, even those of participants never once mentioned in the book. It is obvious that the battle of Cannae is a part of history that he is passionate about as the descriptions jump right off the page in colour, depth and scale. Because he's poured so much into the battles of this book, he will be hard-pressed to outdo himself in the final instalment of the trilogy. However, I expect he would say that he's up to the challenge.

I had enjoyed Enemy of Rome, but Fields of Blood is a stronger book on all levels and I don't want to wait for An Island Aflame, which I envision to be stronger yet.

Review originally appeared on the now defunct Paternoster Row Legacy blog.