Bones of the Hills
Ratings19
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings19
Average rating4.3
The third in Conn Iggulden's No. 1 bestselling Conqueror series.The fatherless boy, exiled from his tribe, whom readers have been following in 'Wolf of the Plains' and 'Lords of the Bow', has grown into the great king, Genghis Khan. He has united the warring tribes and even taken his armies against the great cities of their oldest enemies. Now he finds trouble rising west of the Mongolian plains. His emissaries are mutilated or killed; his trading gestures rebuffed. So, dividing his armies, using his sons as generals of the various divisions, he sends them out simultaneously in many directions, ranging as far as modern Iran and Iraq. As well as discovering new territories, exacting tribute from conquered peoples, laying waste the cities which resist, this policy is also a way of diffusing the rivalries between his sons and heirs and working out who should succeed the khan. This, the third book in the Conqueror series, is once more an epic story. Genghis Khan is an exhilarating and heroic figure. The sense of his ambition and his power, the relationships with his wives, sons and trusted aides, the sweep of his conquests, is all brought together by a masterful storytelling. It is a compelling read. With each book, you are left, even more, longing for the next.
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“If I fight and die, all he can take is my life. My courage, my dignity, remain.”
After very nearly defeating the Chin, rather than take a step back and take a break, they soldier on to the Islamic world. Shah Ala-ud-Din has slain Mongol envoys demanding tribute from his city. Not one to take an insult (small or otherwise) lying down, Genghis does what Genghis does best and brings the full weight of the Mongol tribe to bear in this new campaign. Unfortunately, this campaign isn't like any of their previous campaigns, with disciplined armies, elephants, assassins, and a cunning adversary the likes of which Genghis had not come up against yet.
So while this reads like the plot behind every other Conqueror book before, I really appreciate how the author depicts Genghis in varying stages of his life and his changing mentality. In this book, an aging (for a Mongol) Genghis confronts his own mortality and declares his successor, contemplates what cities might mean for the Mongol tribe, and spends time with his (large) family. There's a scene late in the book where Arslan and Genghis are talking about life, family, and large Mongol tribe concepts that I really liked. Genghis may be a feared conqueror at this point in the series, but all men must die, and he knows he is no exception.
A great book, maybe my favorite in the series thus far, but it's hard to say.
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5 primary booksConqueror is a 5-book series with 5 primary works first released in 2007 with contributions by Conn Iggulden.
