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jgolomb 's review for:
The Mongoliad: Book One
by Greg Bear, Neal Stephenson, Mark Teppo
("The tiger would pity the fawn, the wolf would weep over its lamb before the Mongol would cringe at the corpse of a child."
- from "The Mongoliad"
"Mongoliad" is a lot of bluster but little substance. An alternate historical fiction of the middle ages during the reign of Ogedai Khan - Genghis' youngest son - the story follows several indistinct characters and loosely differentiated plot lines across a devastated European landscape. The Mongols are raping and pillaging while Ogedai struggles with alcoholism fueled by the stress of his job (granted, he's ruling an ever-expanding empire with a myriad of borders to defend, Christians to overwhelm, and family members looking to overthrow his rule).
The specific story follows a band of crusaders known as the "Shield Brethren" whose goals ultimately focus on the heart of the Mongol empire itself. The band breaks into two, which creates dual focus for the plot, while a third lens is aimed at two lesser players in Ogedai's court at Karakoram. I won't bother to detail the plots because they're not even interesting enough to remember, let alone take the energy to recount.
The book is enjoyable enough while reading. The plot moves at a solid pace and the plethora of authors know how to spin a good yarn. But overall, the book just falls flat. The characters are bland and mostly superficial. The motivations that drive the plot are thin, and the action between the handful of battles is one-dimensional. Because "Book One" has literally no conclusions, I'm mildly motivated to pick up "Book Two", but I have no driving need to find out how things continue, let alone wrap up.
Buy this for an airplane ride, or sleepy days at the beach. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
- from "The Mongoliad"
"Mongoliad" is a lot of bluster but little substance. An alternate historical fiction of the middle ages during the reign of Ogedai Khan - Genghis' youngest son - the story follows several indistinct characters and loosely differentiated plot lines across a devastated European landscape. The Mongols are raping and pillaging while Ogedai struggles with alcoholism fueled by the stress of his job (granted, he's ruling an ever-expanding empire with a myriad of borders to defend, Christians to overwhelm, and family members looking to overthrow his rule).
The specific story follows a band of crusaders known as the "Shield Brethren" whose goals ultimately focus on the heart of the Mongol empire itself. The band breaks into two, which creates dual focus for the plot, while a third lens is aimed at two lesser players in Ogedai's court at Karakoram. I won't bother to detail the plots because they're not even interesting enough to remember, let alone take the energy to recount.
The book is enjoyable enough while reading. The plot moves at a solid pace and the plethora of authors know how to spin a good yarn. But overall, the book just falls flat. The characters are bland and mostly superficial. The motivations that drive the plot are thin, and the action between the handful of battles is one-dimensional. Because "Book One" has literally no conclusions, I'm mildly motivated to pick up "Book Two", but I have no driving need to find out how things continue, let alone wrap up.
Buy this for an airplane ride, or sleepy days at the beach. Prepare to be underwhelmed.