Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden

Conn Iggulden’s novels are grand historical tales of conquest and vengeance, cruelty and greatness. Now the acclaimed author of Genghis: Birth of an Empire delivers a masterful new novel of the mighty Mongol conqueror—as Genghis Khan sets out to unify an entire continent under his rule.…

He came from over the horizon, a single Mongol warrior surrounded by his brothers, sons, and fellow tribesmen. With each battle his legend grew and the ranks of his horsemen swelled, as did his ambition. For centuries, primitive tribes had warred with one another. Now, under Genghis Khan, they have united as one nation, setting their sights on a common enemy: the great, slumbering walled empire of the Chin.

A man who lived for battle and blood, Genghis leads his warriors across the Gobi Desert and into a realm his people had never seen before—with gleaming cities, soaring walls, and canals. Laying siege to one fortress after another, Genghis called upon his cunning and imagination to crush each enemy in a different way, to overcome moats, barriers, deceptions, and superior firepower—until his army faced the ultimate test of all.

In the city of Yenking—modern-day Beijing—the Chin will make their final stand, setting a trap for the Mongol raiders, confident behind their towering walls. But Genghis will strike with breathtaking audacity, never ceasing until the Emperor himself is forced to kneel.

I read the first book in this trilogy last year and I was very excited when book two came out earlier this year, but we all know how slow I am with reading trilogies! So, I am only now getting around to reading it, and even slower about the whole reviewing it thing. Let me first point out that I know next to nothing about the non-fiction version of Genghis Khan. I am sure that these books are not accurate, but I enjoy reading them and you don't read fiction for accuracy, so don't castrate me for liking them! I know a lot of people expect historical fiction to be the whole truth, but I have never been one for that idea. All I know is that I love the trilogy! I have book three sitting around, waiting to be read, but it will probably take me a while to get to it.

This book was really very engaging. I didn't get wrapped up in it quite the same as book one, but then it is book two in a trilogy and that is something that very commonly happens. That is not to say there was not a lot happening in it. The main character of this trilogy is Genghis, but in this book we also got to spend some time with his three brothers. The focus of the novel would shift and tell their story for a while, so it wasn't always falling Genghis around. This made the book more interesting, I have to admit. There were times when Genghis was just sitting around waiting for something to happen, and if we had to listen to his story we would probably get bored. Even if his brothers came back and retold their adventures, I don't think we would have enjoyed it all that much. Then it would really have suffered from second book-syndrome. This way, we were right in the heat of the action and were watching the story unfold as it happened. I liked that a lot more. Genghis has some interesting brothers! I look forward to seeing what happens to them in the last book.

Unfortunately, it has been a while since I read this book, so the storyline is not fresh in my head! I kept starting this review, but never seemed to find the time to actually get very far with it. In essence, Genghis has encountered the enemy and is determined to take them down. In order to do so, though, he has to battle against things that he has never even seen before. One of the big problems is the walls that surround the cities and how he is to go about breaking them down. The first time he does not succeed, but he doesn't let this get to him. He sends two of his brothers out to borrow a man capable of showing them the secrets of the walls and then it is quite some time before he meets a force that he is incapable of destroying him! He is a great war leader and Iggulden writes in a way that we can really see what he could have been thinking as he planned these great wars. It was very interesting to get inside his head and see the world from his eyes.

All in all, I love this trilogy. I look forward to the last book, and seeing how things play out, but at the same time I will be disappointed to see the story end. Every so often I need a good battle, and this trilogy allows that for me. I prefer books with lots of action, even though it seems I only read books that lack action lately!

3.5/5

Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden

'I am the land and the bones of the hills. I am the winter.'

Temujin, the second son of the khan of the Wolves tribe, was only eleven when his father died in an ambush. His family were thrown out of the tribe and left alone, without food or shelter, to starve to death on the harsh Mongolian plains.

It was a rough introduction to his life, to a sudden adult world, but Temujin survived, learning to combat natural and human threats. A man, a small family, without a tribe was always at risk but he gathered other outsiders to him, creating a new tribal identity. It was during some of his worst times that the image of uniting the warring tribes and bringing the silver people together came to him. He will become the khan of the sea of grass, Genghis.

I was at the bookstore the other day. I had nothing that I wanted to buy, I was just at the mall. I saw that this book came out in paperback, and I just bought it. I did not even know it was the first book in a series, there was just something about it that made me impulse buy it. I am so glad that I did!

Genghis Khan is one of the great conquerors from history, and not a subject that I have read a great deal about, so I was interested to see how Iggulden captured him in historical form. I think he did a fantastic job! In many ways you feel like you are watching a movie or are really there. Iggulden has a very good writing style. In many ways, I am surprised I liked this book as much as I did. I expected to enjoy it, but I flew through the first 3/4's of this book, and only got slowed down because of life getting in the way. I think in many ways this was the book I have been waiting for for months. One of those books that I can stay up late reading and have a hard time putting it down when I do decide to sleep.

Iggulden reminds me of Jack Whyte in some aspects, and I really like the Camulod Chronicles, so it was easy to see why I got caught up in this book. Iggulden is a bit more flowing in style, but he is not trying to capture as much history as Whyte tackles in his novels. Both authors have taken on the ancient worlds, but in different time periods and locations. They both do not have straight adventure novels, though, there are the little things that make you feel for the characters and get interested in their personalities. In many cases the main characters are the ones that you get to know the best because this is their story, but I felt that I got to know some of the other characters as well.

Iggulden writes good villians. The enemy of Genghis is seen as a person, but you also understand both his side of things and Genghis' side of things. You are given the chance to decide who you side with, and which person you wish will win. It was amazing to watch how Genghis thought. Whether or not it is true, Genghis, to me, comes across as the first civil rights supporter. He believed that all the tribes should be united because at the core they were all the same people. That really struck a cord with me, even if he felt the need to fight. He seemed to only kill what was necessary for his survival and immediate advancement. He was also very young in this book, and a bit naive, but you get the chance to watch him grow into a young man and face the daily travels of life as a mongrel.

I do not think I can say enough good things about this book! I am looking forward to book two, which will be out next year, it will be an automatic buy!

If I have not convinced you, watch this and see if you can still resist: Wolf of the Plains trailer.