Under the name Genghis, the protagonist unites the Mongol tribes, finally defeating the last alliance against his rule. After the killing of the Khan of the alliance, the defeated shaman decides to tie his fate to that of the new Mongol nation. Conn Iggulden isn’t exactly an unfamiliar name to me; despite the fact that he’s most well-known for his historical fiction works, Iggulden’s blurbs have been featured on some of my favorite fantasy books such as The Faithful and the Fallen series by John Gwynne and The Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb, to name a few. For years I’ve been interested in reading his books, and from what I’ve gathered, his Conqueror series seems to be the most often regarded as his best works by his readers. And so here we are and my god, I seriously didn’t expect it to be this great. Johnson, Ani (May 2017). "Dunstan: One Man Will Change the Fate of England by Conn Iggulden". thebookbag.co.uk . Retrieved 19 April 2018.

His childhood experiences created the man he would become, who would not bend or allow fear or weakness in any form. He cared nothing for possessions or wealth, only that his enemies fall.”I was born in the normal way in 1971, and vaguely remember half-pennies and sixpences. I have written for as long as I can remember: poetry, short stories and novels. It’s what I always wanted to do and read English at London University with writing in mind. I taught English for seven years and was Head of English at St. Gregory’s RC High School in London by the end of that period. I have enormous respect for those who still labour at the chalk-face. In truth, I can’t find it in me to miss the grind of paperwork and initiatives. I do miss the camaraderie of the smokers’ room, as well as the lessons where their faces lit up as they understood what I was wittering on about.

The language in the book was the traditional adult language. The derogatory terms were specific to the time. While the characters would often refer to others with these terms, they would not be considered swearing by todays standards. There is a small amount of sex in the book. There are several instances where sex between the characters is implied. Beyond consensual sex, there were several instances of rape. Most of the instances were comments that rape had occurred or would occur but there was one scene in which there was an attempted rape. While it was not graphic, there was some mild description of previous instances. One of the characters states his wish to use the service of a prostitute on several occasions. Overall, the sexual content served as context for the time and was not graphic. I've always been curious about almost anything that happened in the past. As far away as high school and college I thoroughly enjoyed history. And in the recent years, I rediscovered this love of mine. When I saw these historical novels about Genghis Khan I could not resist. The best part about the whole thing was that I was dragged by the heels out of my terrible reading funk. It didn’t even take the whole book to do it, just this particular quote, which might just be the best historical fiction line I’ve encountered… From this point on, there is tension between Borte (Genghis' first wife) and Genghis' second wife. Also highlighted in this book is Genghis' estrangement from his eldest son Jochi (whose legitimacy Genghis doubts) and the strife within Genghis' family that this estrangement causes.This was a decent work of historical fiction with a brilliantly realised setting that was ultimately let down by some pacing and characterisation issues. Hodges, Harry (4 October 2013). "War of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden – review". Daily Express . Retrieved 22 January 2015. Wolf of the Plains is a fictional adaptation of one of the World's greatest leaders. A leader that built one of the greatest empires ever seen, if not the greatest. In this first book of the Conqueror series, we see Temujin from his childhood, cast out of his father's Wolf tribe, to uniting a warrior race that would conquer many lands and be named the first Great Khan of the Plains. Preston, John (22 May 2009). "Conn Iggulden: addicted to heroism". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 19 April 2018.

This is the second time I have read this first of the author's five volume series about Genghis Khan. I remember reading book two many years pre-GR, and when I realized it was part of a series I found this title at my local library. But I never read any of the others, since they were all published during the years I was living in Mexico.Empire of Silver (2010, ISBN 978-0-00-728800-7) (titled Genghis: Empire of Silver in North America, 2010, ISBN 978-0-385-33954-4) As time goes by, the two boys meet, become friends and get trained as Rome’s gladiators. They are later forced to take different paths and the next time they meet, a lot will have changed… Death of Kings It’s the second book in the series and focuses on Julius Caesar as a man, warrior, senator, leader, and a husband.

I will mention one of the better aspects of Iggulden’s writing – since I do want to provide another example of the author’s skills – and that is his depiction of the ethical outlook of nomad life. There’s only one instance where I think he stumbles in this regard (Temujin’s reaction to Borte’s abduction and rape*/!); otherwise, the reader does spend a lot of time in a truly alien way of life. The armies of Rome are forced to fight against each other lead by two greatest generals the empire has ever had. Julius will be closing on to his destiny which will be determined by two things; his best friend Marcus Brutus and Cleopatra, an Egyptian queen who will bear his son… The Blood of GodsI can’t help but start this review by saying that I’m thoroughly impressed by Iggulden’s talent for the creation of this series. Genghis’ conquest on its own, even if they’re written or told in a textbook manner, are very attention-grabbing already, but Iggulden successfully elevated the quality of Genghis’ legend so that it became much more engaging and emotional. Genghis: Bones of the Hills is the third book in the Conqueror series, and it—along with the first installment—are my favorites in the series so far. In the previous book, the story focused on Genghis’ conquest of The Chin; this book centered on Genghis’ breathtaking conquest of the Arabs. I must remind you, this series—especially this book—isn’t for the weak of heart; the atrocities and devastations committed in this war were terrifying in every sense of the word. I’m talking about wars with casualties that reached more than hundreds of thousands of deaths; innocents were instantly marked for the afterlife just for living in the opposing city. Genghis: Bones of the Hills is a bleak, intense, and also bittersweet book; it’s heavily centered around war, death, loyalty, heritage, achievements, and what truly matters in life and what legacies will continue after death.