Conqueror

Conn delights once again. He manages to take an era and a area that I'm not even all that fond of, historically speaking, and makes it interesting and entertaining. the only real criticism is hardly fitting since it's a lot of what makes his books enjoyable. Conn doesn't really give the sense that you are reading about people of their time. It always feels like you are reading modern person, set back in history, rather than a product of the era. With that in mind, I'd really like to see him move into slightly more modern and western realms. Start stacking up against Cornwell, Lambdin and Shaara.

I've usually limited myself to historical fiction from the modern era. Branching out and trying new authors when it comes to historical fiction is hard to do as one grows used to the stories, character development, descriptions, and reading pace favorite authors have already created. In the case of Conn Iggulden's "Conqueror", I cannot say that I was disappointed. In many ways he does for the Mongols what Bernard Cornwell does for the Saxons with his most recent series.

There is an immense amount of ground covered in "Conqueror" and by the end I didn't want the book to end. As I started with this book, I'll definitely have to go back to read the first books in the series. The history of Genghis Khan and his descendents never interested show more me beyond the idea that they were able to accomplish so much in so little time, but the amount of historical research Iggulden seems to have put into his tale shows how rich the history of the Mongol Khanate truly is and the immense impact they had on the world.

The pace of the book was good, I somewhat hoped for better battle descriptions, but when you have masses of tens of thousands struggling against each other, there is only so much one can describe without getting bogged down in needless minutia. The political intrigue, the secrecy, and the new 'worlds' one encounters as the Mongols attempt to spread their rule are all intriguing in their own way, especially the Assassins in the Middle East. While historical fiction isn't the best way to learn history, it is an open door to at least experiencing part of a world we'll never truly know. Definitely a book I would recommend. show less

One of the great joys for an avid reader is discovering an author, an author you may even have never heard of before, an author you know will become one of your favorites. This happened for me when I read Conn Iggulden's CONQUEROR. I'd put him right up with Bernard Cornwell and Jeff Shaara--author of RISE TO REBELLION and other historical novels.

Iggulden tells the story of Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, and his rise to power. Iggulden makes the intrigue facinating, the action powerful, and the characters both believable and sympathetic. Making the "Kahn brothers"--Monkge, Hulegu, and Arik-Boke, and of course Kublai--sympathetic must have been a considerable challenge, after all, these were men who believed it was their right to show more take over other peoples, other nations, and kill anyone they wanted to kill for any reason or no reason at all. In effect, this novel, and presumably the other novels in the series, is a cautionary tale in what men who believe they have a right to something are capable of doing. In Kublai's case, there is evidence that, lacking that belief, he'd have been a relatively good man for the time. Iggulden shows the reader several cases where Kublai doesn't kill anyone in cities or towns when the people surrender without a fight, he shows Kublai as a scholar as a youth and a lifelong lover of Chin culture.

Like many people who read this book, I knew little about Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan or the Mongols, so this was both an entertaining read and an informational read. I learned that, "It is interesting to note that the popular idea of a Mongol horde overwhelming smaller armies is almost completely false." (From the book's Historical Note. In my opinion, a historical novel without a Historical Note, several pages telling of history left out or history slightly changed to make a better story, is failing its readers.)

Though I often know little about my favorite authors and though it wouldn't affect my opinion of their novels, it was pleasant to find out that Conn Iggulden seems to be a pretty good guy. There are videos of him on his website, including a funny one of outakes of him starting a promotional video, where he comes off as relatively modest, quite bright, and having a good sense of humor. In my country, USA, we have an expression "The All American Boy," for someone who embodies the best of what American boys or men can be. After checking out his website, I wondered if in England they have a similar expression. "The All England Boy" perhaps? Anyway, it's an interesting website, worth checking out regardless of whether of not Iggulden actually is a nice guy.

To date, I've gotten 17 free books from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Most have been at least decent, one or two were dogs, and a few very good. CONQUEROR blows them all away. I'll be buying and reading all of Iggulden's novels.

So, if you enjoy historical fiction, you'll likely enjoy this novel. Buy the book! show less

Atmospheric, bloody, suspenseful. Conqueror wasn't a perfect novel but it was one that kept and held my interest.

Firstly, let me say that I hadn't read any of the previous books of the series, which was at first a serious distraction for me. It took me some time to adjust to Iggulden's writing style, and more importantly to a world I know little about. But as the story progressed both problems dissolved and I was successfully immersed into the world of the Mongols.

Kublai was, from the first, obviously out-of-step with his contemporaries and even more so with the legend of Genghis that all the characters struggled to live up to. That he would eventually become Khan seemed impossible as the story began. A younger son, granted of a noble show more family, granted grandson of Genghis, but still, he was a thinker, a scholar and no where near bloody-minded enough to beat his wild people into a nation.

But as the story unfolded, and as he was forced to become everything he'd tried to avoid (a conqueror), his strengths - analytic, widely read, historian, deep thinker who learned from his mistakes - all came to the fore and made him so much more than any of his contemporaries.

I loved how he ended the book and applaud him for that.

Conqueror is a terrific read. show less

A fantastic contribution to historical fiction by Conn Iggulden. As a fan of Colleen McCullough and Michael Curtis Ford 's similar treatment of historical figures, Mr. Iggulden hits all of the right spots - relatable characters, compelling action, and, most importantly, good history. I had known little about Kublai Khan before this book, mainly that he was Genghis' grandson, and that he would rule a larger empire and establish a Chinese dynasty. Conqueror brought Kublai's ascent to life, highlighting the dynastic politics a young Kublai faced and overcame. A good read.

Conn Iggulden makes a splendid return to his 13th century world of Mongol dominance. "Conquerer" marks Iggulden's fifth book in his historical fiction series on Genghis Khan, his legacy, and the lasting cultural impact of his Mongol empire on the world.

"Conquerer" focuses on one of Genghis' grandsons, Kublai Khan, who's probably most well known for his monumental interactions with explorer Marco Polo. Absent of the Marco Polo years, "Conquerer" explores the rise of Kublai Khan from a studious and intellectual youth, to a savvy general and Khan of one of the largest empires our world has ever seen.

The first 120 pages set the stage for Kublai's assencion. Iggulden imagines the politics of the ugly internecine battles for leadership show more among Genghis' grandchildren (and their wives). The palace (and ger) intrigues expose Iggulden's deft writings skills outside the context of adventurous battle scenes. This may come as a disappointment to readers used to his magnificently large scale wars which come to the more patient reader further into the book.

It's been a year since I read "Khan: Empire of Silver", the fourth book in the series which focuses on the reign of Genghis' son Ogedai, and Iggulden only provides the most subtle clues as to the back story of characters and family alliances. I had to shake the cobwebs to recapture where things had left off in the previous book and this may make things a little frustrating to the new reader. In the broader context of this sweeping tale, it makes little difference to the understanding of the story of Kublai.

Two generations after Ghengis, the Mongols sought stability at their core while continuing the process of expansion started two generations earlier. It was also a time when the Mongol nation was modernizing, mostly through the influences of their pan-Asian conquests, especially China.

Kublai's brother Monkge assumes control of the Mongol Empire and returns to it the discipline and strength instilled initially by his grandfather Genghis. Mongke asks Kublai to put down his scrolls and pens and pick up a bow to finish his grandfather's work in China.

In the book's second act, Iggulden shifts focus between the Mongol frontiers in the far west and south as we follow the parallel stories of Kublai and his brother Hulegu. As Kublai captures a small walled city in China, Hulegu prepares to take Baghdad, the light of the Muslim world. Iggulden writes each event from two perspectives: Kublai and the city's Prefect; Hulegu and Baghdad's Caliph. Each battlefront throughout the novel follows a similarly satisfying pair of perspectives.

Hulegu is vicious and deceptive. Kublai has a keen intelligence while taking a very different approach to conquest. Hulegu is the very model of the Mongol reputation for unforgiving violence while Kublai takes a more measured approach by allowing those that surrender to live. He's slowly building out his future constituency, while Hulegu's ironfisted approach will ultimately lead to a strongly rebellious people and the ejection of the Mongols from the middle east.

Kublai transforms from an intellectual into a battle-hardened, glory-seeking leader. His foundation of cultural intellectualism continues to drive him. Hulegu, like his predecessors, is very "foreign", cold, distant and harshly regal. Kublai is infinitely more relatable. He's loving father and husband, and his committed adoption to Chinese culture weighs heavily in his favor with the Chinese people.

Kublai's tale is, in many ways, a tale of the evolution of the Mongol empire. He represents the transformation of a society from a massive blending of distinct tribes from across the steppe into a forward-thinking, multicultural world influencing power.

As always, Iggulden's writing is very big and bold. Dialogue is straight forward, but more subtle when Kublai is involved. Like the other books in this series, the reader is introduced to the world and culture of the Mongols and, to a lesser extent, 13th century China. If this is the last book in this series then I'm genuinely sad to see it conclude. This is a good book in a very strong series. show less

I loved this book! The characters were great (I love a bloodthirsty group of people) and the plot moved quickly. The author's knowledge about the era of Ghengis and Kublai Khan is evident. It proved to be a history lesson for me. I am thankful that there was more plot movement via the political machinations of the characters than descriptions of war. I will definately be reading all of the earlier books in the series. The author will be added to my blog's list of favorite authors.