Genghis Khan carved out a legacy of bloodshed and conquered kingdoms that has lasted almost eight hundred years. But while his name and deeds live on in the annals of history, his tomb has never been located… until now.
Not everyone is convinced that the diary and the map, said to lead to the great warrior's final resting place, are authentic. Archaeologist Annja Creed is among these doubters. The reality is that the body was lost to history. But despite her skepticism, Annja suddenly finds herself pulled along an increasingly complex trail of clues, each more remote than the last.
And as she and her companions race to their final destination, one thing is clear—the only tomb she may find is her own ….
A house name for the Rogue Angel series, published by the Harlequin Publishing's Gold Eagle division.
The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise.
The Spirit Banner finds our heroine, Annja Creed, in search of Genghis Khan's final resting place after British billionaire John Davenport asks for her help and reveals that he holds a journal written by a Vatican envoy that may release details of the final resting place.
The story takes Annya, archaeologist, host of Chasing History's Monsters, and holder of Joan of Arc's broadsword from Mexico, where she is once again fighting off evil men who are looking for trouble. Then onto Mongolia where Annya has never been before now. Annya is still somewhat of an unbeliever when it comes to legends like Genghis Khan. She has to see it with her own eyes, or it doesn't exist, or it's fake.
If you are asking about Garin and Roux, no, they are not included in this story line except when Annja is in deep kimchee and it appears she is going to die. (note: she is ALWAYS in trouble. It's what makes this series fun to read.)
This story actually captures the essence of Genghis Khan from his birth in 1162, to his death in 1227 to the fact that the Khan legacy lasted 800 years, longer than anyone, including Alexander the Great. His empire extended from China to the Black Sea. From the Arctic Circle to the tip of India.
Spirit Banner, the books title, refers to a Mongol warrior’s greatest possession; a spear made with the stands of horse hair wrapped around it. It is said that Khans was black. Khan's real name was Temüjin. I won't go all history lessons on you, so, if you are interesting in reading more ---- The Secret History of the Mongols is a good place to start.
Anyway, there is of course the megalomaniac named Trevor Ransom, and his psycho sidekick Santiago who are out to stifle Davenport and put an end to his interference. Ransom and Davenport were once partners before breaking up badly due to Ransom’s underhandness. Annya finds herself liking Davenport’s chief of security Mason Jones, who was also once a member of the British Special Forces. Funny thing about anyone who happens to have feelings for Annya; they don't make it to the end of the book.
I can actually say that I didn’t have any trouble with this story, or the way the author used actual history to weave with science fiction and fantasy. My only request would be that someone puts a list of who is actually writing this book, so that I can look into their other works.
Next book in series: 23. Sacred Ground (03/16/2010)
Annja is romping through Mongolia with a psychopathic millionaire, Ransom, on her ass while she deciphers the clues to Genghis Khan's grave. The bodyguard for an American billionaire has found an old journal pointing to Genghis' grave with supposedly mountains of treasure he looted as he ransacked Asia and Europe back in the 1300s. And Ransom is ruthlessly hunting them down with help from a traitor
I'm starting to wonder about this whole longevity "curse"...just how many are there?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I really enjoyed the "lesson" on Ghenkis Khan (sp?) . I love these books. When the action gets going you can't put it down. Still could use a little less of the background on the characters but the action is AWESOME. The main character is a person I'd love to be. Self confident, strong, a survivor in the true sense of the word. I miss Roux and Garin tho. Hope they are more prevalent in the next book.
I haven't read this series in years but it is still good. Each book is stand alone so it is easy to pick back up. The spirit banner is a good story. I enjoyed the action and adventure. The journey was interesting and I loved the ending.
I got the audio book because I was curious and I have an hour long commute now. The audio book is amazing. It is like an audio play. There were voice acting, music, and sound effects. I loved it. Now I gotta "read" the next book.
While I liked the whole bit about Ghengis Khan, the story was shorter than most of the other books and it's really getting formulaic - Annja looks for (insert artifact here) as she is being chased by (insert bad guy here) and she kicks their ass. Bring on more Garin while you're at it!
The writing was very entertaining, and it was certainly a fun read. I went into it not knowing what the series was about. It was a bit too constant fight scenes and improbable situations for my taste, but then that's probably what Archer was going for.
The Annja Curse strikes again! Looks like the only way to survive it is if the man specifically request for her protection! The staggering dead count is one of the things I really don't like about this series.
On the other hand, I quite enjoy the descriptions of the Mongolian Steppes as this episode deals with some myths around the final resting place of Genghis Khan. I'm sure it would be an interesting place to visit if not for the harsh environs. That's the thing I do like about the series, those hard-to-get-to places that Annja manages to visit in each episode.
I prefer to start series with the first book, but that wasn’t available at the used bookstore. The premise was quite intriguing: Genghis Khan;wealthy men wanting money, knowledge , or revenge. A woman carrying Joan of Arc’s sword. However, it bothers me when there are horrendous villains with no rational given for their viciousness. Yeah, I know that there actually are psychopaths out there. However, Ransom and his gang demonstrate no iota of ethics, with no background explanation of why.
This was a great addition to the legend of Anja Creed. Looking for the tomb of Ghengis Kahn leads Anja to Mongolia and an unexpected finding about Ghengis Kahn
The are a great quick read. Lots of action, adventure and a touch of history with a strong heroine thrown in. This one sees Annja leaving on the hunt for Gengis Khan's final resting place. Can she decrypt the code, avoid the bad guy and survive the locals? A nice twist on the ending too.
Not one of my favorites from this series. Where were Garin and Roux? I've missed Annja for a while now, though, so I enjoyed this addition to the series. I will move on to the next one Monday at work.