Kane's ambitious sequel to The Forgotten Legion
continues his chronicle of life in the tumultuous Roman Republic. After four years as a prostitute, Fabiola becomes the lover of the powerful Decimus Brutus, a top lieutenant of Julius Caesar. Her two fiery obsessions are to exploit her social status to track down her rapist father and to reunite with her brother, Romulus, a gladiator turned legionnaire captured by the Parthians at Carrahae. Forced to serve in the Parthian army, Romulus dreams of returning to his native Rome, his quest helped along by a soothsayer and a soldier from Gaul. The siblings' parallel adventures unfold in propulsive alternating chapters, with military campaigns and pitched battles making up the bulk of the narrative excitement. The historical details, graphic combat sequences, and finely drawn characters lift Kane's title above standard swords-and-sandals fare and should keep series fans sated until the next installment. (Mar.)
