A review by faded_ink
Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden

5.0

This was one of those books that I found nearly impossible to put down once I started reading. Dealing with Genghis Kahn's early years, from just prior to the death of his father through him actually naming himself as Genghis, the plot sucks you in and makes you feel everything that he (and his family) go through as he experiences the events that turn him from a Mongol named Temujin to a man who literally changed the face of the world. The characters are alive on the pages, breathing and moving and living, and the descriptions are lush and rich with images that linger long after you've turned the last page.

It's described as historical fiction, and the author freely admits he changed some things (mostly names of certain people and some locations), but it feels far more factual than many biographies that I've read. I plan on picking up the second book in the series, Genghis: Lords of the Bow, and definitely recommend this one to everyone.