A Land Aflame

Hannibal #4

by Ben Kane

211 Hannibal's struggle against the Romans in Italy continues, but the Carthaginians have been utterly defeated on Sicily. Fleeing the island to Spain, Hanno and Aurelia are shipwrecked, and taken prisoner by local tribesmen. Unless they escape, a life of slavery and brutal treatment awaits.

Aurelia's brother Quintus is posted with his comrades to Spain, where a new commander - Scipio - has been given the task of defeating the Carthaginian generals who hold sway over most of the peninsula.

Here, on the third front, there will be marches of incredible endurance, epic sieges and huge set piece battles. The very outcome of the war hangs in the balance.

Who will emerge victorious, Rome or Carthage? Only the gods can tell.

What your favourite authors have to say about Ben
'A rip-roaring epic' PAUL FINCH
'A truly vibrant and gripping read' HELENA GUMLEY-MASON
'An epic tale' MATTHEW HARRFY
'Historical fiction has never been more visceral' JAMES ROLLINS
'A tour de force on an epic scale' DOUGLAS JACKSON


Readers are loving Ben
'Powerful evocation of our history' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'An engaging and exciting read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Gripped me from start to finish' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Epic tales, gorgeous prose, non-stop action' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Rich in period detail and lively in narrative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2026

About the author

Ben Kane is a bestselling Roman author and former veterinarian. He was born in Kenya and grew up in Ireland (where his parents are from). He has traveled widely and is a lifelong student of military history in general, and Roman history in particular. He lives in North Somerset, England, with his family.

Reviews

[Mario Majors · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book

Ben Kane does not disappoint. This book was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The Second Punic War was without doubt one of history's great turning points. While actual history books are well worth reading, well written historical novelists like Ben Kane can bring that history to life. This book was well worth reading.

[Daren S. Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Ben Kane and how he writes historical fiction. This 3rd part of the Hannibal series does not disappoint.

[Matt Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Ben Kane's work then you'll like this book.

[Richard West · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long, long time ago, back in 2014, Ben Kane abruptly ended his series on Hannibal, leaving those of us who had read the first three in the series hanging, wondering what had happened and more importantly, why it ended with no clear conclusion. Now, finally, after 12 years,we get the fourth installment in the series with the fifth and final installment to come soon.

If order to get back into the series and have this book make any sense, you almost have to go back and read the first three again to refresh your memory as to who's who and who did what to whom. Fortunately, you can also do this by reading the short synopsis on the dust jacket of the first three which mostly refreshes the old memory.

Once again, we meet up with old friends Hanno and Quintus and his sister Aurelia and the action begins almost immediately. And for the most part, it doesn't let up. The action isn't always fighting - that would get boring just going from battle to battle - there's other types of action as well. And in case you've forgotten, Hanno is serving in Hannibal's forces while Quintus is in the Roman army, and Hanno has a thing going with Aurelia and you can figure out the rest. It's a foregone conclusion that Hanno and Quintus will meet in battle at some point, but what happens? I'm not telling.

Who lives? Who dies? If you want to find out, you'll have to pick up this book and find out.

Ben Kane has established himself over the years as one of the outstanding writers of historical fiction and has covered numerous eras during that period. And in case you're wondering, the final volume in the series The Gathering Storm, will be out in 2027. So, it's time to kick back, read the first three installments again, then A Land Aflame and sit back and patiently await the final volume. You won't be disappointed.

[Nick Brett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number four in a series that has had a ten year gap. Have to confess I would have appreciated a quick reminder on the previous book and characters.
211 BC and Hannibal is in Italy battling the Romans, but the action here is set in Spain where the Romans and the Carthaginians are trading blood and territory. Our lead characters from the previous books are friends but on different sides, each passionate for their causes and do not start off knowing they are part of opposing armies.
So we follow the campaigns through the eyes of the participants, enjoying the pace and action while learning about a conflict for which they can only be one eventual winner.
As with all Ben Kane’s books this is well researched and well delivered historical fiction. There is a fifth (and final?) book to come and I’m already looking forward to it.

[Philip Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book and can't wait for his next one. Ben Kane can do no wrong. Great story line/plot, great characters and set at a time I knew very little about. I would recommend anyone interested in historical fiction to read book 1 of this series, and then get cracking on his other books.