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Amgalant One: The Old Ideal (Amgalant #1-2)

by Bryn Hammond (Goodreads Author)

4.38 of 5 stars 4.38 · rating details · 8 ratings · 5 reviews

Temujin comes into the world on the day the Mongols suffer a catastrophic defeat in battle. He isn't the hero type, but he has expectations to live up to, and he has a cause: freedom for his way of life, unity against China, where a nomad is an animal.

‘Through great fear have I lived; Through great grace I have my life.’ – from Temujin’s thanksgiving to his Sacred Mountain...more

ebook, 602 pages

Published January 19th 2012 by Bryn Hammond at Smashwords

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Feb 19, 2012 Ron Fritsch rated it 5 of 5 stars

Amgalant One: The Old Ideal is the first novel in Bryn Hammond’s historical fiction trilogy set in northeast Asia in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Hammond’s protagonist is the person we know as Genghis Khan.

One of the many delights I encountered in this novel was that it’s written from the point of view of the Mongols. We speak of the Great Wall of China as if it were a single smartly executed defensive structure built by the civilized Chinese to keep out their “barbarian” neighbors to...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Julie Bozza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, mongolian, favourites

This is more a celebration than a review, for the author is my sister and Amgalant is My Favourite Book Ever.

Bryn knows that I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it in the simplest and most straightforward of ways, and the rest of you will of course make up your own minds one way or the other. But I love this book, and the second volume as well (which will be available soon), and I am eagerly anticipating the third (which has yet to be written).

Amgalant is a retelling of The Secret History of t...more This is more a celebration than a review, for the author is my sister and Amgalant is My Favourite Book Ever.

Bryn knows that I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it in the simplest and most straightforward of ways, and the rest of you will of course make up your own minds one way or the other. But I love this book, and the second volume as well (which will be available soon), and I am eagerly anticipating the third (which has yet to be written).

Amgalant is a retelling of The Secret History of the Mongols, the story of the man we know today as Genghis Khan, but whom we meet as the lad Temujin. It is set, of course, some centuries ago in a country and among a people with whom most of us aren't familiar. And it brings the whole to such vivid life, it's as if it's all happening right here and now to us.

Before we meet Temujin, we meet his parents, the chivalrous Yesugei and the marvellous Hoelun. From what should have been inauspicious beginnings - he is moved to kidnap her - they come to love each other, and from that very first chapter I was in love with them, too. As I was with the novel. Bryn retells the story in ways so evocative, so full of human motivation, and always with such respect for human dignity, that we are moved to understand things that our modern world no longer condones. In this she reminds me of Patrick O'Brian and his skills in recreating ways of thinking that are in the past and rather foreign to us now - evoking them in such vividness and with such respect for all involved that we become involved, too.

Bryn recreates a whole world here, with its varied peoples and customs, beliefs and mores. It is large and vivid and whole. As detailed and as solid as today. In this she reminds me of Tolkien and his creation of an epic Middle-earth. The narrative is pungent with truth and ayrag.

(I found myself salivating to drink ayrag, by the way, even while I wondered how anyone even could. I mean, whose idea was it to first try fermented mare's milk…? How desperate could they have been? But the characters love it, and now I can't help but love it, too. From a respectful distance.)

And by no means is this novel all serious business! There is plenty of awesome humour, of the clever, quiet, wry, character-driven sort. The book had me laughing and chortling and burbling along, sometimes all at once.

Meanwhile, the story tells us about both whole peoples and the individuals who create history through their lives, their choices, their loves, their heartaches. There are Arthurian echoes, of a leader seeking to unite fractious tribes against a common enemy, endeavouring to create justice based on right rather than might, trying to deal well with both the big picture and the personal, and all the while searching for his definitive hat.

I'd love for you to give Amgalant a try! You can sample up to half of it for free on Smashwords. You might not care for Temujin and his story after all, of course - but there's also a very real chance you might come to love him like I do.(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 L.M. Ironside rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, small-press-indie-and-self-pub

This large and finely crafted novel is the first in a trilogy which seeks to bring The Secret History of the Mongols, the oldest surviving Mongolian written work, to life. The Secret History is part historical record, part fanciful myth, and all Genghis Khan – or Tchingis Khan, as he is more properly called, and Temujin more properly still, for that was the name of the real man who rose to legendary greatness on the Mongolian steppes.

The Old Ideal begins with a groundwork in Mongolian myth and r...more This large and finely crafted novel is the first in a trilogy which seeks to bring The Secret History of the Mongols, the oldest surviving Mongolian written work, to life. The Secret History is part historical record, part fanciful myth, and all Genghis Khan – or Tchingis Khan, as he is more properly called, and Temujin more properly still, for that was the name of the real man who rose to legendary greatness on the Mongolian steppes.

The Old Ideal begins with a groundwork in Mongolian myth and religion, then builds to a family history of Temujin, and finally Temujin himself arrives on the scene, a baby born in the midst of war, on the day his father dies. Temujin grows up amid war – not only the war that took his father’s life, but also a war among his half-brothers. From early in his life, the reader can sense that this boy is more than a boy – he has an air of destiny, and courage that few possess. The novel tracks Temujin through his early adulthood and ends with his assumption of the title Khan. Further exploits – including much defeating of other clans – are promised in the next installment, appropriately subtitled “Tribal Brawls.” And, the reader assumes, the feat for which Tchingis Khan was best known, uniting the Mongolian tribes into one great empire, will surely follow in the trilogy’s final installment.

What’s extraordinary about this novel is the way the narrative feels both modern, as if the story is being related by your history-buff friend from 2012, and perfectly historical, as though your friend is also a time-traveler from some era around the middle of the thirteenth century. Bryn Hammond has accomplished a feat seldom seen in literature: Retaining the very distinctive character of her historical source material while injecting it with her own narrative voice; and this feat is all the more remarkable when you consider that this is a long book. My Kindle shows over 12,000 “locations” in the text, which converts to roughly 580 pages of printed text. The enchanting quality of the voice stays consistent throughout.

In part, Hammond has made The Secret History her own by weaving in bits of poetry and prose from other native literary sources who wrote extensively and rapturously on the subject of heroes. According to her author’s notes, Hammond entwined the hero-poetry of the Old English (including but not limited to Beowulf – Aha! I thought that passage was familiar!), the Germanic tribes, and even the Inuit. The result is a hero story that feels at once specific to Tchingis Khan and universal to all heroes everywhere; and the text itself takes on the flavor and rhythm of ancient poetry.

And there’s the rub. Hammond has been so faithful to her source material that a modern reader may find herself stumbling frequently. It is often necessary to stop and “unpack” the meaning of a sentence or a passage, in the same way that a modern reader new to Old English writing must ponder over Beowulf. Often I found myself a bit dazed by the sudden mention of an unknown character or event, only to have that character or event explained in full later in the chapter. The result was feeling as if I’d walked in on a conversation I was never meant to be a part of, and had to “catch up” later on. A bit less faithfulness to the original material could have provided a more accessible reading experience and a tighter flow of plot – but my wish for a slightly more modern reading experience doesn’t lessen my admiration for what Bryn Hammond has achieved in her near-flawless marriage of historical poetry and modern storytelling. Perhaps a good compromise for future editions would be the inclusion of front material alerting the reader to the existence of the extensive glossary at the end of the book. I didn't realize it was there until I'd finished reading on my Kindle!

Thanks to the author’s extensive research and her obvious love for the setting and characters, Amgalant is rich with historical detail. The smallest parts of life on the Mongolian steppe are clearly illustrated – household gods (and how to properly worship them), clothing, what constitutes richness versus poverty, and so much more. Yet the novel never feels like a “fashion show,” as so many historical novels do, nor are these details delivered in the dreaded “info dump.” Hammond has pieced together an education in Mongolian culture, an admiration for epic hero poetry, and the fascinating stories of real people using practically invisible stitches.

While we are on the subject of real people, the richness and depth of character in this novel is as remarkable as the rest. Amgalant: The Old Ideal has a good many characters – I hesitate to declare that there are as many as in your average George R. R. Martin novel, but surely the count comes close. But as much care has been given to the individuality of each and every one as has been given to the individuality of Temujin himself. Often characters are witty, too, so that this novel provided me with several laugh-out-loud moments as I read the snappy exchanges between all these well-drawn characters.

Amgalant is an impressive achievement. Mongolian culture is rarely explored in historical fiction, and Tchingis Khan is usually depicted in few dimensions – that is, as a big scary barbarian conqueror, not as a real man with a real history. Amgalant’s first volume shows much promise that, when the trilogy is concluded, the world of historical fiction will be able to enjoy the history of the Mongols from a different, truer, more satisfying perspective. I look forward to the next book.

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Jan 16, 2013 Margaret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenge, historical-fiction-medieval

What to say about this book? Covering "Genghis" Khan's life from birth to his election as Khan, this wonderful omnibus is a delight to read.

Bryn Hammond makes the Mongol peoples spring to life as you read about them. Dry witted, whimsical, a thorough delight from page to page.

The sort of book not to read on public transport as you are liable to become so engrossed in it that you will miss your stop.

I highly recommend it to people who are interested in Genghis Khan, history of the steppes, and an...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 20, 2012 Gary Inbinder rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, ancient-history, asian-history

This is a very well-written and engrossing re-telling of an ancient text, The Secret History of the Mongols, the story of Temujin (Genghis Kahn) and his family. I'll admit I know little of this history beyond what I recall from an old film starring Omar Sharif and Stephen Boyd. Nevertheless, I don't think you need to know the specific history to appreciate this compelling novel.

Three things impressed me most: Hammond's ability to create believable characters in everyday situations; her use of "m...more

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Shelves: historical-fiction, mongolia

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About Bryn Hammond

I live in Sydney, Australia.

Amgalant began when I explored into The Secret History of the Mongols, a 13th century text, and knew I had found my perfect subject. I’ve always loved ancient/medieval epic and romance, and I’ve always been drawn to the cultures of tribal peoples, whose history we know too often through hostile or simply alien states – Rome, China.

With Amgalant, I want to do justice to...more

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