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jmatkinson1's review
4.0
Temugin is the second son of Yesugei, khan of a small group of nomadic people in the 13th Century. When Yesugei is killed, his wife and young children are abandoned by the tribe under a new khan. They survive against the odds and Temugin builds his own group with dreams of the future.
The story of the young Genghis Khan is both well-known and poorly documented so that Iggulden has the possibility of embroidering the basic narrative with his own detail. In this case he has succeeded very well. It is obvious that he has researched the general life of the nomadic tribes and the folklore and customs that governed life on the steppes, that shines through. Iggulden also has a rare talent for writing a gripping tale of daring-do that does manages to interest many different types of readers. The characterisation isn't brilliant, but then there is no source material to work from, so the book rattles along at a rapid pace from set piece to set piece. At the end one looks forward to the next instalment!
The story of the young Genghis Khan is both well-known and poorly documented so that Iggulden has the possibility of embroidering the basic narrative with his own detail. In this case he has succeeded very well. It is obvious that he has researched the general life of the nomadic tribes and the folklore and customs that governed life on the steppes, that shines through. Iggulden also has a rare talent for writing a gripping tale of daring-do that does manages to interest many different types of readers. The characterisation isn't brilliant, but then there is no source material to work from, so the book rattles along at a rapid pace from set piece to set piece. At the end one looks forward to the next instalment!
carstensena's review against another edition
4.0
If you love historical fiction, this one is a page-turner. Visceral, no-holds-barred action. Looking forward to the next volume of the series.
bobooks02's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
laurenstredny's review against another edition
5.0
Took me a bit to get into it, but in the end I really enjoyed this fictionalized retelling of the origins of Genghis Khan. Very interesting reading about this part of history I don’t know much about. I will be continuing the series!
peyton_'s review against another edition
3.0
A very interesting history. The book ends at a good point that leaves a lot of interest for book two. A lot of little tidbits that I didn’t think about or know. Well read audiobook, too.
hananhn's review against another edition
4.0
This book is the first of Conqueror series, telling the story of young Temujin at the beginning of his wars against Tartars. I never knew the harsh life that these people had endured, which obviously shaped their view to the world. Anyway, I really liked the writing: simple and neat yet very engaging.
I'm ready to move on to the next book.
I'm ready to move on to the next book.
altlovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I greatly enjoyed this adventure, and the afterword about the actual person. The audiobook narrator was also spectacular. Highly recommend.