Bones of the Hills

“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.