Rating: 2.7 / 10Disclaimer: this review is written a year and a half after the fact. For me, this book has become the standard against which to judge all other bad Roman sword and sandal. I have a sweet spot for sword and sandal, or general “historical” fiction, and particular sweet tooth for Rome, and it's just my luck that Rome is really big right now. However, most of it is garbage. Whether it's Conn Iggulden taking an entire novel to fictionalise ninety percent of Caesar's childhood as an intro to a series, or Ben Kane taking twenty-some-odd pages reading the entrails of a goat, Roman sword and sandal pulp is as common and qualitative as dimestore Harlequin romances.tThe book is an alternate history novel telling the “what if” of the Carthaginians winning the Second Punic War under Hannibal. It begins with a sort of “double prologue”. The prologue itself is a brief history lesson, which is actually superbly written, about the Second Punic War, Hannibal, and Scipio Africanus. It's short, succinct and apt. Chapter 1, the second part of the prologue, per se, shows the Roman surrender to Hannibal, and the terms Hannibal sets for sparing the lives of Roman civilians, namely, to leave the city, while promising not to molest the statues and temples of the Roman gods.tThe meat of the story picks up in Chapter 2, three generations later. Rome, as a nation, is now centred around Roma Noricrum, the new city, somewhere on the Danube river in Germania. The Old Families of the Roman aristocracy are in a political power struggle with the New Families, and they can finally agree that now is the chance to strike and retake the Rome of the Seven Hills. Scipio's grandson, Marcus Scipio is sent south as an envoy and trader with the covert mission of spying on Carthage's weaknesses. Titus Norbanus of the New Families accompanies him, and eventually, the Shofet, or king, of Carthage tries to enlist Noricrum's assistance in a war against Egypt.tHere is the first problem with this book: there are only two female characters amidst dozens of male. Selene of Egypt, about as flat as can be, carved right out of the back of a cereal box, and Zarabel of Carthage. Zarabel actually has the most depth of any character, a commanding woman in a man's world dealing with her arrogant oaf of a brother king, forced to seduce, connive, lie and cheat, yet all that depth is lost as soon as she has sex with Norbanus. The sex was a ploy of hers to seduce him and keep him close, but then she becomes so hopelessly infatuated with him that it's all for not and she spends the remainder of the book with her head back and the back of her hand on her forehead in dismay, or thereabouts.tSecondly, among the male characters, it is nothing more than a juvenile dick-measuring contest, a bit pathetic actually, because for a group of Romans, renowned for orgies and gladiators and sodomy and vomitoriums and over-farming abortion herbs to extinction, these soldiers don't seem to do anything.tThe one thing I'll say is that this is a fast read. Although it was absolute tripe, I didn't get so bored to give up on it. But if that's the best I can say about it, I'm not saying much.
"What if" is one of the most overused scenarios in modern fiction, but I imagine there's a good reason for that: it allows for some imaginative storytelling. In "Hannibal's Children", author John Maddox Roberts imagines an alternate history in which Rome is defeated by Carthage and the entire Roman citizenry forced into exile from Italy. The Roman spirit remains intact and a new nation is built beyond the Italian borders. For a century, the defeated bide their time and carefully plan their ancient revenge. Revenge can be sweet and it's a taste the reader should thoroughly enjoy.
What do You think about Hannibal's Children (2003)?
Suppose Hannibal had defeated Rome in 215 BC. Roberts rewrites history, having Hannibal exile all the Romans to the hinterlands, specifically Noricum, in the area of current-day Austria and Slovenia. Naturally the Romans take over that part of the world and keep up their martial ways. Finally in 100 BC some of them want to find out about what's happening in Carthage and Italy. Maybe they can regain their ancient lands. A group of "diplomats" venture to Carthage, keeping track of what they see on the way. Hamilcar, the ruler of Carthage, doesn't think they're much of a threat, and decides to hire some Roman legions to help him conquer Egypt. There is some intrigue with Hamilcar's sister, and later with Selene, the queen of Egypt (her brother-husband is very young). This was a very plausible and satisfying story, with The Seven Hills as a sequel. My only disappointment is that there weren't any maps, which I really like with a book like this.
—Vicki Cline
Instead of trouncing Hannibal and the Carthaginians (and eradicating them completely), the Romans are defeated, but given the option of leaving Rome and Italy to find a new home in Noricum (Austria, more or less). Over a hundred years later, no living Roman has seen the ocean, and Rome itself is empty.Doesn't that sound great? I thought so. It still sounded great when the Romans thriving in Noricum go south again. Gradually, but inexorably, the plot and the writing became pretty lousy, and I was treated to an array of really obvious dea ex machinae (?) whose absence would have maybe earned this book another star.The good news is that I want to read better Roman fiction (hello, Colleen McCullough) and finally get through the Iliad. Thanks, Mr. Roberts!
—Michael
