Title – Hannibal: Enemy of Rome
Series – Hannibal #1
Author – Ben Kane
Genre – Roman historical fiction
Length – 576 pages
Published – 19 Jan. 2012
My Rating – ★★★★
I bought Hannibal: Enemy of Rome about two years ago. I went to my favourite bookshop looking for something new (like I always do when I finish a series and need new inspiration). While I have always been a massive fan of ancient Rome, I was also interested in those nations or leaders, that made Rome tremble, such as Pyrrhus of Epirus, the gladiator Spartacus and Attila the Hun – but above all I have been fascinated by Hannibal Barca of Carthage. So, when I reached my preferred bookshelf about historical fiction and saw the title “Hannibal” in big capital letters, I was instantly thrilled. Until that time, I had not read anything else written by Ben Kane, but heard of his great reputation with respect to his historical accuracy and good writing style – referring to his famous The lost Legion trilogy, so I had to buy it and started reading it as soon as I was back home.
The story sets off at the beginning of the 2nd Punic War (so about 218BC) between Carthage and Rome, the two Mediterranean superpowers of their time. Hannibal Barca, the famous Carthaginian general was leading the forces in Spain at the time. Hannibal’s father fought in the first Punic War against Rome, which Carthage lost – a shame that Hannibal never forgot and swore to revenge. Kane describes the conflict from both sides. On one hand, there is the protagonist Hanno, son of a well-respected Carthaginian family who is about to come of age and is eager to join Hannibal’s quest against the romans. His father is a general in Hannibal’s army and in the latter’s inner circle. His two older and extremely competitive brothers are also both military officers in the army. On the other hand, there is the equestrian Quintus and his sister Aurelia. A misfortune leads to the capture of Hanno and his best friend by pirates. They are sold into slavery in Italy – Hanno is bought by Quintus while Hanno’s best friend is meant to become a gladiator. After Hanno saves the life of Quintus and his sister, the two boys develop a close but difficult friendship. They rush north, when the Carthaginians are about to attack Rome on Italian soil. However, with respect to their new friendship they part ways– Hanno as a junior captain in Hannibal’s and Quintus in the Roman army.
Kane manages to lead the reader through the events without taking sides. The hardships endured on both sides are equally represented – the heat in Spain and Italy as well as the piercing and devastating cold of the Alps. The story ends with the battle of Trebbia where Carthage and Rome fight the first of the major battles of the 2nd Punic War.
Admittedly, I was somewhat irritated at first… from the title, I was looking for a story with Hannibal as the main character, which it is clearly not. Actually, Hannibal does not have his entrance into the story until about a third into the book! However, after letting go of this first stab of annoyance, I realised the advantage of reading about the Punic War in the way Kane has chosen to write it. Rather than focusing on the individual Hannibal alone, the reader can gain insight into the extreme influence Hannibal had on both Carthage and Rome. I was amazed by the characters and the relationships between them that evolve around such brutal conflicts. Especially the competitive nature of Hanno’s brothers Sapho and Bostar was truly captivating as they rival for Hannibal’s and their father’s attention and praise.
I am simply astonished how well Ben Kane managed to tell the story from both sides and so having the reader’s sympathy for both Hanno and Quintus throughout the unfolding struggle.
Therefore, I can only recommend Hannibal: Enemy of Rome to everybody, who like me loves Roman historical fiction. There is a depth of historical fact in this story, combined with rich characters and relationships that it goes well beyond the typical gore-heavy books that authors of the genre so often succumb to (although it the story has its fair share of fighting as well).
What are your thoughts on the book? Did you like this review? Please, let me know below.
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