Ben Kane

The author's official web site and blog

Fri. 29th October: Soldier of Carthage is finished!

by 35 Comments

Exciting news – for me, anyway. My editor has signed off Soldier of Carthage, which is truly fantastic news. It means that I’m free to set to on the next book. More of which anon…

Mark Me Well, there’ll be big news here in a week or two!

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Comments

  1. Thats great news Ben. Well done. Looking forward to the big news.

    I have been bad i have still not started RtR , im working on a few other promises right now…but its right there shouting at me from the reading pile…..the competition for reading time si fierce right now…LOL…the ones winning are manuscripts rather than published stuff.

  2. No worries, Parmenion. What manuscripts have you been reading/are on your TBR pile?

  7. Hey ben, is Soldier of Carthage going to be the fourth book? I was under the impression that there were only three? (I just finished the third and there HAS to be more)

  8. Hi Kris – no, Soldier of Carthage is the first book in a new trilogy about the Second Punic War. Apologies, but I have no current plans to write more about Romulus and the Forgotten Legion. Too many other storylines, and too little time!

  9. The Second Punic War!!! I was sooooo looking forward to the First!! Oh well you know best 🙂

  12. Sorry, Les! I couldn’t face all those naval battles…plus John Stack had already got there…I wouldn’t want to upset a fellow Irishman, especially a Corkman! 😉

  13. @Muz73: I’d love to, thanks. If I get asked! I always call into a few Waterstone’s in Dublin and near home when I’m over, but I’m not big enough to be asked yet. That will hopefully change one day…whereabouts are you?

  14. I’m in Drogheda and I’m sure you’d get a great reception, I’ve been recommending your trilogy to all my friends and family, can’t wait to read your new one.

  15. Drogheda?! I grew up in Castlebellingham, on the way up to Dundalk! I worked in Drogheda ’93 – ’95, and had a great time there. Small world, eh? 🙂
    Thanks for spreading the word, Muz73!

  16. Saw the John Stack books in Waterstones today, but resisted temptation. It’s surprising just how many roman based books are out there at the moment. With the Irish chat going on maybe a roman book from the irish point of view…”you never came here, but I went to Rome…”

  17. They didn’t understand my accent, and wouldn’t drink the poitin (illegal potato spirits) or Guinness that I’d brought with me! 😉

  18. So what do people think of John Stack…i could not get on with book one, compared to authors like Ben, Anthony riches, simon scarrow , christian Cameron etc.. it seemed…well it seemed like it should be in the Young Adult section.
    Im told book 2 gets better, but reading time is a premium so, what is everyones opinion?

  19. *coughs in embarrassed manner because of being compared to all the other worthies*
    In answer to your question, Parmenion: no comment.
    *coughs again*

  20. That’s a nasty “cough” you have there Ben. Caligula cured Gemellus of his irritating cough which wasn’t NHS treatment. I’ve looked at the authors above and so far not inspired to buy one. How many romans on the run from the emperor can hide at hadrians’s wall LOL.

  21. Very excited about reading your new material. Have only recently read all three of the Forgotten Legion trilogy and was prompted to join your website as a result of this – I wanted to leave a comment to say how much I enjoyed reading about Brennus, Tarquinius, Romulus, Fabiola et al.
    Here’s hoping that Soldier Of Carthage is as engaging as its predecessors! Cheers for providing me with so much entertainment and cheers for giving my long-suffering wife some time to watch Masterchef without interruption.

  22. @Les – Tony Riches’ books are great, actually! I’ve heard great things about Christian Cameron’s too, especially from a certain Parmenion, and now actually have the first book, Tyrant. I have to get about reading it soon. Simon Scarrow’s name goes before him, obviously. No, it was really only John Stack’s first book that I couldn’t get on with, I’m sorry to say. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t finish it. But his books have been very successful so far, and good luck to him, I say. Different strokes for different folks.

  23. @Rupee: Thanks for your kind words! I hope that you enjoy Soldier of Carthage as much as the first trilogy. I’ve (literally) just finished the last edits on it, and I think it’s better than any of the previous three. We’ll see what everyone else thinks come June next year…

  24. Ah…wasn’t just me then Ben…i get quite a bit of stick from some readers i know for not liking book 1.

    And if you dont get on with Tyrant, whicj i really enjoyed, still try killer of men, its a whole different offering, and i felt a change in style, for me it was even better…but taste is a personal thing.

    Oh and modesty does not become an author…or at least none of them i have met/ chatted with…especially Tony..lol. you’re an atrist sit back and absorb the praise…bask in it..(for now..still not read RtR..lol )

  25. A vote for Riches, I see. 🙂 His books keep popping up as Suggested Reading on my Amazon page, so maybe I should give them a go. My poor bank account, lol.

    I couldn’t get into Stack’s book, either.

  26. So is the structure of the new Trilogy gonna be one book for each of the three Legion destroying battles of Hannibal? can’t wait!

  27. Hi Fabitaromunass – Soldier of Carthage begins in summer 219 BC, before the siege of Saguntum; it runs up to December 218 BC, and the Battle of the River Trebia. Book Two will run from then to just after Cannae. Book Three *he hesitates* covers the rest of the war – all 15 years of it. (I have every intention – if the series sells well – to make a fourth book out of it, however.)
    Fingers crossed!

  28. Ben i just finished the road to rome and i was delighted, that one and the other two were actually 3 of the few books i’ve liked. Congrats on your latest book and i hope you consider writing a last story for the forgotten legion series. =D

  29. Hi John Paul – thanks indeed for your high praise. I hope that you’ll also enjoy Hannibal: Enemy of Carthage, and Spartacus, which I’m currently writing.

    No plans for another Forgotten Legion as yet, I’m afraid!

  30. Hmmmm, “Hannibal: Enemy of Carthage”??? I hope this is the alternate history version where Roman Hannibal defeats that nefarious Carthaginian Scipio!!

  32. I just finished the who Forgotten Legion series and loved it!!!! I was introduced to it a month ago and fell head over heels for it, but your last book left so many unanswered questions like what happened to Brennus, my favorite character! I hope that you will consider finishing the series fully to at least give me hope that my big Allobroge friend is alive. By the way can’t wait to start the new trilogy; hope it’s as good as the last!:)

  33. @discus2: welcome to my website! Thanks for posting, and thanks too for your compliments. I’m really pleased that you enjoyed the trilogy. As for whether I’ll ever write another Forgotten Legion book – the truth is, I don’t think I will. Maybe one day. However, right now, there are too many ideas going around in my head. From your spelling, I judge that you’re from the States? Sorry to tell you then, that the first book in my new trilogy won’t be released there until 2013 🙁 This is because my US publishers are going to publish Spartacus next year instead of the first Hannibal book. However, Hannibal is released here on June 9th, so if you can’t wait until 2013, you can buy it shipping free from the Book Depository

  34. Your hit the nail on the head when you said I’m from the states! Sorry I tend to type to fast, but I’m really disappointed that your next trilogy won’t be out till another two years! I kida figured that since Road to Rome was just released a couple months ago, and when I read your blog I was shocked to discover that it was released a previous year. I actually bought your first book initaily because I thought it was about Julius Caesar, but I’m glad purchesed it anyways! Your books actually beat my altime favorite novel Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margret George, keep it up I absolutely loved the series and might reread them all again(even though I just finished them)! Hope to see more novels on the rise of the Republic.

  35. @discus2: The Road to Rome was only released in the States on March 29th, 2011. It was published here in the UK on August 12th 2010. The differing dates are because it’s two completely different publishing companies, so there will always be a lag period. The first book, for example, will only be coming out in the Netherlands in 2012. I know it must be very frustrating for readers, though!

    I’m honoured that my books have climbed into your favourite position! Thanks for posting, and see you around the website.

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