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Mar 23, 2011

Kevin "El Liso Grande" rated it:

Terrific. Simply. This is my all time fav book series. Easily. (well, maybe the Boxcar Children was close). Conn Iggulden continues to write great historical fiction with this Khan series. Is it all historically correct? I don't know. Is it geographically correct? I don't know. Is it a great story filled with great characters? Definitely. I was super excited when I saw this book at our library and it was one of those books you read slowly because you don't want to finish. Surely there is another More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Jan 10, 2012

Sue rated it:

This is my third historical novel by the same author. The story of Genghis Kahn is amanzing as is the next generations. If you love all kinds of history and enjoy reading it in novel form, read these novels. Especially if you don't have a good basis of knowledge of this period and people. How interesting that a nation would rise from the ideas of one man who didn't buy into individual wealth, luxury, or easy living. The Mongols were ruthless warriors with unflappable focus and were amazingly More...

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Dec 13, 2011

Andrew rated it:

I like a bit of equestrian and archery action - especially, it turns out, when it involves the smelly, rapacious, bandy-legged, furry-hatted Mongols. I've savoured every sword slash and pike thrust of Conn Iggulden's romp through Central Asia in the 'Conqueror' series. In 'Wolves of the Plain', there's the desperation of Genghis Khan's early years: the fractious tribal politics that resulted in his father being killed and his family left for dead; his mother who could never forgive him for the More...

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Sep 10, 2010

Ian rated it:

I pre-ordered this book and had finished it by the evening of the day after I received it. I enjoyed the author's earlier books about Julius Caesar and Genghis Khan and will pre-order his next title based on the strength of those novels, all of which would be at least 4* and some definitely rating 5*.

However I don't rate this book nearly as highly - primarily due to its length. Although 428 pages long, the text is large and it is not a long book. This is made worse by the fact that More...

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May 18, 2011

Michael rated it:

Nice! Another in the Mongol Empire series from CI. Book 4. This guy is a top-notch storyteller and historian. This story interests me so much because I can see how it happened. A moveable culture with unlimited resources just swallows everyone around them. This was round three at least of the same story. Barbarians, horsemen coming from the great Asian plains to lay waste to everything. (The Huns in Roman Europe, Hyksos in Ancient Egypt). People forget that except for a hiccup of Mongol politics More...

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Mar 26, 2011

Susan rated it:

I love the Genghis series and eagerly looked forward to this newest edition. I was disappointed. It wasn't as riveting as the previous ones. I thought, at first, it was the author but that wasn't it. The characters just weren't as interesting. It makes perfect sense. Children of very successful parents are rarely as interesting. They are not driven by the same forces that shaped their parent, usually poverty and adversity. So it is here. The children did not experience the deprivation that Gengh More...

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Oct 20, 2010

Kristine rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Jan 23, 2012

Forgotten Realms Queen rated it:

Here we see the end of Genghis Khan, but not the end of the Mongol nation. I will be going into detail of events here, so be warned there are *spoilers*, despite the fact that everything that happens in this book can be found on Genghis' Wikipedia page.

So here the Mongol nation deals with the aftermath of the death of their greatest leader. They elect one of his sons to be the new Khan, but not before a night of bloodshed, the end of a long standing power play.

After the More...

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Dec 12, 2011

Clare rated it:

This is not the type of book I usually review, but the first in this series wasn't too bad and I need more action/adventure/historical recommendations (please send some if you have any!).

A disclaimer: Khan is gritty, quite bloody, teeming with political and physical warfare, fierce rivalry, pagan customs and the great but ruthless process of making a Mongol empire. Yet the story of each character is very human, which brings the historical portrait of this people to life.

What More...

6 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 21, 2011

Tony rated it:

A very interesting and well written historical novel. I had previously read an historical account about the Genghis Khan and his armies of Mongols "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World"), but here the author took as many facts as his research could garner and put together a great tale of intrigue and fierce battles as the armies of the Khan swept across Asia and Eastern Europe. To the author's credit, he closes with a chapter of historical notes giving the reader an insight More...

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Dec 19, 2011

Andrew rated it:

Richly woven tales of intrigue, with love, betrayal and immense battles, this was the most impressive work of historical fiction which I have yet read.

Ogedai, heir to the Khan dynasty, has to struggle to overcome those who oppose him. Tsubodai, his loyal general, fights a campaign to take the khans forces from the Far East to Western Europe. He storms across the continent but will he succeed in fulfilling his life long ambition to extend the khanate further still?

The main More...

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Jan 19, 2011

Faith rated it:

From the Synopsis:

“Genghis Khan is dead, but his legend and his legacy live on. His son Ogedai has built a white city on a great plain and made a capital for the new nation. Now the armies have gathered to see which of Genghis’ sons has the strength to be khan. The Mongol empire has been at peace for two years, but whoever survives will face the formidable might of their great enemy, China’s Song dynasty.”

Conn Iggulden (author of the Emperor series on the life of Julius Caesa More...

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Oct 29, 2010

Billthebloody rated it:

The Khan is dead, long live the Khan! Empire of Silver continues the story of Ghengis Khan and his dynasty. After Ghengis Khan died at the climax of the last installment, Bones of the Hills, the throne falls to his third son Ogedai, who must hold it against the ambitions of his older brother Chagatai and his own ill health. When the choice of Khan is settled, the peerless mongol general Tsubodai leads a vast army westward. He sweeps over Russia into Hungary until his scouts reach as far as north More...

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May 28, 2011

Bonnie rated it:

I thought I was through with the Mongols after Genghis Khan died in the third book of this series. I was rather glad to be done since the last two books were rather depressing because of so much death and destruction in the (to my way of thinking) pointless conquest of other lands by the Mongols. I've never been able to understand why some individuals think they need to conquer the world. What kept me going was interesting characters and excellent writing.

When I saw this book I fe More...

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Jan 28, 2012

Barbara rated it:

Read all the others and really looked forward to reading this one. It didn't disappoint. I love the way the author blends historical fact with fiction. He's researched so well that it all seems plausible. The battle scenes are terrific - and I'm not a battle scene sort of person! But the fear that must have been instilled when the mongol hordes came after your army - well, I can see it was spine tingling, because I felt it even reading about it. I studied the mongols at uni - so I already knew t More...

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Mar 17, 2011

Connor rated it:

It was a fascinating book in some ways. It really manages to pull you back to the time of the mongols which was during the 1200's. Their grand empire extended from the Aral sea to the Pacific Ocean at this point. The beginning like many other books was slow, but its "beginning" extended pretty far into the book. Though it was well written and all around a good book, i just couldn't see the point in the beginning, the action didn't begin until later. It was a great book, but didn't meet More...

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Nov 08, 2011

Stuart rated it:

Really interesting insight into an aspect of the past that is not well-known to me. Yet the main characters this time were not driven the same way as their father/grandfather had been and and this made this volume different. Except my favourite of the bunch, Tsubodia, Genghis Khan's great general, who came so close to conquering the known world of his day. I would also have liked to find out more about the people conquered by the Mongols -surely all the Russians were not wiped out though that is More...

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Nov 01, 2010

Shirley rated it:

Khan, Empire of Silver is a well-written historical novel. Conn Iggulden writes with the knowledge of an historian and the objectivity of a journalist. He neither extols nor demeans the conquering warriors. Skills as a novelist allow him to vividly portray events as they unfold.

The novel focuses on the conquests of Genhis Khan’s third son Ogodie. Also, quests for power lead to alliances and conflicts between the descendents of the khans. Sorkhaqtani, Ogodie’s sister-in-law, is a str More...

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Aug 10, 2011

Lindsay added it

This is the fourth book in Conn Iggulden's excellent series about the lives of Genghis Khan and his sons. It chronicles the time from the death of Genghis in 1227 to that of his son and successor, Ogedai, in 1241. By that time, the Mongols were threatening to overrun Europe, having already swept through Russia into Hungary. Their defeat of the Templar knights meant there was no army capable of stopping them reaching France. I loved this book - it's an absolute cracking read - fast pace, well-r More...

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Dec 26, 2010

Rob rated it:

The standard Westerner's trope of giving overly ornate syntax to any Asian that they are depicting ("Prose that doesn't scan well is more honourable!") is in full force here. That, combined with the author's tendency to rapidly jump between viewpoints and locations made it very hard to get into this book. Because I was given a review copy, I was going to try and read the three preceding volumes, but bounced off of the stereotypical Campbellian young man comes of age (now with 30% mor More...

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Nov 11, 2011

Michele rated it:

Superb! I would love the chance to watch the mongols in action (well, not the brutal killing part.) They were apparently the best warriors with unsurpassed battle strategies, discipline, and amazing archery and riding skills. I enjoyed reading about their battle formations and tactics (more than I though I would!) The four books of this series started with Genghis's father and just ended with the last of Genghis's brothers and children dying. I can't wait for his new book, which I think will More...

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Nov 06, 2010

Jason rated it:

"It was his father's nation and creation, his father's vision of a people: horse and warrior, sword and bow together."

Conn Igguldon returns to the Mongol world of Genghis Khan and his family in "Khan: Empire of Silver". "Empire" is blood-pumping, action-packed, and built upon a foundation of relate-ably human stories.

Iggulden paints a wonderfully vibrant landscape with his series of Genghis Khan novels. He writes boldly descriptive battle scenes More...

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Oct 07, 2011

Meethil rated it:

Having read the first three books in this series I could not wait to get my hands on Empire of Silver. It totally lived up to my expectations. Conn Iggulden does not let down in his narration of history. The story hugs to the truth as closely as possible while maintaining its entertaining format. According to me the most important aspect of the book is that it brings to us a time in history which is often ignored in academics - the era immediately after the death of Genghis Khan. I totally recom More...

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Jan 03, 2012

Ash rated it:

The only thing wrong with this book is that it ended! A book that shows the reality and brutality of war and shows where how strong the lure of power can be. I cannot wait for the final book of this series to be out in paperback so I can find out more.

One of the best things about the book is the pace of the story, it is very difficult to put down. The honesty Iggulden has about changing some events to fit together better in the novel enhance the enjoyment rather than detract from it.
More...

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Dec 22, 2010

أحمد rated it:

الجزء الرابع من قصة الامبراطورية المغولية
بعد وفاة جنكيز خان و تولي اوجيداي الحكم و الصراع علي السلطة و القفزة العسكرية الهائلة لاحتلال موسكو و كييف و الانتصار علي النمسا و بولندا
ممتع جدا رواية مليئة بالتفاصيل و المؤلف موهوب جدا و خاصه حفاظه علي سياق كل شخصية بشكل متماسك طول احداث الرواية

قمت بالبدء في قراءة تلك الرواية كنوع من التغيير و البعد عن القراءات السياسية وخلال هذه الرواية وجدت نفسي في مفترق الطرق السياسي لاوروبا و المنطقة العربية و الصين في فترة تاريخية نادرة اق More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 08, 2011

Geoks rated it:

I read the first title in this series (Wolf of the Plains) years ago, and then this author dropped off my radar screen. I came across this volume while looking through the shelves of my local library the other day, and remembered how much I enjoyed the first instalment. I generally find fictionalized history quite fascinating and this book was no exception. There are plenty of complex characters, including a surprisingly strong female central character. The ending caught me by surprise and I enj More...

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Dec 28, 2011

Bernie rated it:

Having read this series form the start, I am trying not to be repetitious, but this novel as the previous novels, was excellent. In reading the historical notes at the end of the novels that this author provides, you note that he does try to stay close to the facts of the Mongol empire but as any HR type book, the timelines sometime are changed for convenience so the story will flow. Well I believe that Mr. Iggulden does a superb job in keeping the reader absorbed in the story that any minor lib More...

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Aug 18, 2011

Justin rated it:

Surprisingly, this is my favorite of the series so far. Surprising, because it so often happens that the characters, themes, and story lines have staled this far into a series. Not so with Empire of Silver.

Iggulden does an amazing job of getting the reader into the heads of the Mongol leaders and their foes. I never thought I would feel sympathy for or even like a Mongol general, but there I was rooting Tsubotai on. Iggulden plays a bit with the actual historical timeline (such as wh More...

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Sep 20, 2011

George rated it:

This volume did not grab me as much as the previous three. It felt almost recycled and thrown together.

Also, the map in each of these books leaves a lot to be desired. Very few places are mentioned on the map and so most big battle sites will not be referenced on the map. Why not? In the third volume, the map has an area called "The Chagatai Empire". Great, but that development is not even mentioned in the text until the fourth volume. The fourth volume is described as More...

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Nov 03, 2011

Kimfu rated it:

This was a fantastic novel! And that's saying a lot because it was full of war and testosterone. I could count the number of female characters on one hand -- without using all of my fingers! And the topics the male characters talked about were ones I usually have no interest in.

But Conn Iggulden brought every single character to life. He made me care about all of them, even the bad guys in the story. And he brought the battles to life, too. I felt like I was right there among t More...

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