Tagged: conn iggulden
Wars of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden
(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)
Wars of the Roses: the brand new historical series from Conn Iggulden – internationally best-selling author of the Emperor and Conqueror series.
King Henry V – the great Lion of England – is long dead.
In 1437, after years of regency, the pious and gentle Henry VI, the Lamb, comes of age and accedes to the English throne. His poor health and frailty of mind render him a weakling king -Henry depends on his closest men, Spymaster Derry Brewer and William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to run his kingdom.
Yet there are those, such as the Plantagenet Richard, Duke of York, who believe England must be led by a strong king if she is to survive. With England’s territories in France under threat, and rumours of revolt at home, fears grow that Henry and his advisers will see the country slide into ruin. With a secret deal struck for Henry to marry a young French noblewoman, Margaret of Anjou, those fears become all too real.
As storm clouds gather over England, King Henry and his supporters find themselves besieged abroad and at home. Who, or what can save the kingdom before it is too late?
I have to say that Stormbird really takes place in the civil unrest that leads up to the official War of the Roses. It’s all about the weak rule of Henry VI sowing the seeds for discontent with the current regime and the rise of the Yorks as the sort of official opposition to the throne. So it really sets up the war and we see the beginning of it, but we haven’t really gotten into the period that’s the most famous yet.
With that little preamble out of the way, I have to say that I really did enjoy pretty much all of the characters in this book. They were all different in their own ways and they all had believable motivations and character arcs that made you want to know what happened to them. Margaret of Anjou, typically the scheming evil queen in most stories about the period, came off as a devoted wife who tried to do the best she could for her country. Henry VI is a pious, weak fool of course but he’s far more sympathetic than he’s usually portrayed, particularly during his descent into madness. Yet I’d have to say my favourite character was Derry Brewer, the Machiavellian spymaster who tries his best to find and thwart any plots against the regime. He’s a fascinating character and in some ways, I wish I had learned way more about him.
Oddly enough for Conn Iggulden, he manages to tell a good story (like with his Conqueror and Emperor series) but at the same time maintains a reasonable level of historical accuracy (unlike the two aforementioned series). I’ve never really taken his books seriously because although I enjoyed them, they were quite inaccurate, but at the end of Stormbird I actually felt like I had learned something. Lots of things in fact. I don’t know all that much about English history but I know the main War of the Roses period quite well. Except that Conn Iggulden brought to life the relatively obscure (in fiction at least) beginning of the war. He definitely deserves praise for that.
One of the strengths and conversely the downsides of Stormbird is the fact that it encompasses so many different events. You see things from Margaret of Anjou’s point of view as her marriage to Henry VI is being negotiated, you see the English rebellion against the French as their lands are being ceded, you’re at the forefront of the Jake Cade rebellion, etc. He gives us such a sweeping view of the period and really brings home the point that ordinary people at the time were affected adversely by the machinations of their lords. But in doing so, in trying to encompass such a wide range of events and times, Conn Iggulden also drops the ball occasionally. What I mean by that is he drags the plot on in some places (Margaret’s marriage negotiations) while neglecting some very interesting events. This tends to make the plot sag in the middle and even though it was a fascinating historical period, I had a really hard time slogging through it. That’s unfortunate because Stormbird is otherwise a pretty decent book.
So here we have a reasonably historically accurate take on an obscure period with fascinating character portrayals that are far from the mainstream portrayals. Conn Iggulden is an excellent storyteller and although the book does drag in the middle, overall the plot was fairly well paced.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Khan: Empire of Silver by Conn Iggulden
(Cover picture courtesy of Barnes and Noble.)
The thunder of 100,000 hooves.
It is the middle of the thirteenth century. One of the most extraordinary military empires in history is riding high. But its architect, the Great Khan, Genghis, is dead…
The lightning flash of arrows without number.
Fearful that he cannot match his father’s great deeds, the new Khan turns his gaze to Russia, and beyond…
A great new power is on the march. Who will stand against it?
What will happen when the storm from the east meets the stone walls and steel plate of the west? Can the legend and legacy of Genghis Khan live on?
In some ways, I miss the character of Genghis Khan. His presence was keenly felt, even when Conn Iggulden switched to the points of view of secondary characters and he was so wonderfully ruthless. He was a horrible human being, but in fiction, he was most definitely a memorable character. Now that he’s dead and his sons and grandsons take turns backstabbing each other, it’s just not the same. However, there was one thing I really loved about Empire of Silver: Sorhatani.
Sorhatani, the wife of Tolui, was only briefly mentioned in Bones of the Hills but now she takes centre-stage in the second half of Empire of Silver. I won’t reveal the reason for this, but let’s say that it has something to do with what her husband does out of loyalty for his older brother. It’s tragic, but Sorhatani rises to the challenge of being a strong female leader in an empire lead exclusively by men. She really is an amazing character, as is the somewhat tragic Tsubodai, who killed his young friend Jochi on Genghis’ order in Bones of the Hills.
As for the plot, it’s Conn Iggulden: you know it’s going to be fast-paced. As for accuracy, at least he resisted the urge to change too much around. He manages to show the points of views of many different characters, but it doesn’t really feel like head-hopping because he knows when it becomes too much for the reader. Instead, he uses the changing points of view to move the story forward, which is how they should be used.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Genghis: Bones of the Hills by Conn Iggulden
(Cover picture courtesy of Tower Books.)
From the fierce cold plains of Mongolia to the Korean peninsula, Genghis Khan’s brothers, sons, and commanders have made emperors kneel in the ruins of their broken cities. But as Genghis enters a strange new land of towering mountains and arid desert, he stirs an enemy greater than any he has met before. Shah Ala-ud-Din Mohammed has under his command thousands of fierce Arab warriors, teeming calvary, and terrifying armored elephants. When Genghis strikes, the Arabs prove their mettle.
While the Mongols struggle to defeat their savage enemy, another battle is taking shape—between two of Genghis’s feuding sons. Soon the most powerful man in the world must choose a successor. And when he does, it will touch off the most bitter conflict of all.
Let me just say that I wouldn’t want Genghis Khan to be my father, especially after reading this book. If you don’t look much like him, as in the case of his oldest son, Jochi, he will think you aren’t his son. To toughen you up, he will make you do things that would be considered child abuse today, like making you stand in a freezing lake high up in the mountains. And if you turn against him or disobey him, watch out! It makes no difference whether you’re related to him or not; the punishment is the same.
Even knowing this, I still laughed at his choice of heir because it made perfect sense, yet it was highly unlikely for the time period. Classic Genghis.
If this really didn’t happen, I would call the Mongol conquest of a large part of the Arab world cliché. It’s so unlikely that it proves truth is stranger than fiction. Filled with amazing battle scenes and vivid descriptions of exotic lands, Conn Iggulden tells an amazing story while educating readers. Genghis: Bones of the Hills is mostly historically accurate and where it isn’t, the changes are actually justified.
The character of Genghis is three dimensional and interesting, if not entirely sympathetic. Readers probably will not like him by this book, considering all of the atrocities he commits (although on the other hand, Constantine killed his eldest son and second wife and they still made him a saint), but they will be able to understand his motivations. The same goes for poor Tsubodai, one of his generals, who commits a horrible crime against an old friend of his because of where his loyalties ultimately lie. Conn Iggulden is able to breathe life into these distant historical figures, which is what historical fiction is all about.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Genghis: Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden
(Cover picture courtesy of Open Library.)
For centuries, primitive tribes have warred with one another. Now, under Genghis Khan—a man who lives for battle and blood—they have united as one nation, overcoming moats, barriers, deceptions, and superior firepower only to face the ultimate test of all: the great, slumbering walled empire of the Chin.
Genghis Khan comes from over the horizon, a single Mongol warrior surrounded by his brothers, sons, and fellow tribesman. With each battle his legend grows and the ranks of his horsemen swell, as does his ambition. In the city of Yenking—modern-day Beijing—the Chin will make their final stand, confident behind their towering walls, setting a trap for the Mongol raiders. But Genghis will strike with breathtaking audacity, never ceasing until the emperor himself is forced to kneel.
Lords of the Bow is probably my favourite book in the Genghis series because Genghis Khan’s conquest of the Chin is so improbable. I love reading about warfare and even with what little I know, I could probably tell you that the Mongols, from a technical standpoint, should not have beaten the more technologically advanced Chin. Yet, under the leadership of the brilliant and bloodthirsty Genghis, they best their ancient enemies. This unlikely conquest is beautifully chronicled by Conn Iggulden, one of the giants of historical fiction today.
One of the most impressive things about Conn Iggulden is that he can bring human qualities to someone like Genghis Khan. Don’t get me wrong, though—Genghis is till a monster in this series. But he has realistic motivations for his ruthlessness, like the fact that his people have been trampled on and manipulated by the Chin for hundreds of years. If you poke even the most nomadic, scattered tribes in the eye with a stick long enough, you create the perfect conditions for a unified rebellion with a charismatic and brilliant leader. Genghis was the product of this Chinese eye-poking.
As many of you are aware, I have a love-hate relationship with Conn Iggulden’s novels because he changes history around frequently. Unlike in the misnamed Emperor series (since Caesar was never emperor in our sense of the word), I think that many of the changes in this book are justified. So if you don’t mind authors who sacrifice historical accuracy for a fast-paced plot, you will love Lords of the Bow.
I give this book 4.5/5 stars.
Latest YA News
Well, I was right! Some ambitious director has picked up the rights to Conn Iggulden’s Emperor series. According to Wikipedia, it is to be directed by Burr Steers and it will be a trilogy. The first film will attempt to combine Emperor: The Gates of Rome and Emperor: The Death of Kings. This actually makes sense because the first book is very slow and could easily be condensed and added to the second book. Apparently this has been news since May 20, 2010, but I just found out about it and I wanted to spread the word. So, Conn Iggulden fans, you’re in luck! The movie will apparently be called Emperor: Young Caesar, which is a title so horrible it makes me want to gag. Could it be more predictable? Oh well, with the name “Caesar” in the title, it will draw a larger crowd.
Blood of Eden by Julie Kagwa was just released on April 24 as well. So if you love Julie Kagawa, or real blood-sucking, human-eating, stone-cold killing machines that don’t sparkle, check it out. I haven’t read it yet, but I plan to get my hands on it as soon as humanly possible. For more information, check out the official site here.
Kristin Cashore is an amazing writer and the third book in her Seven Kingdoms series is coming out on May 1 of this year! I mentioned this before, but after it got an excellent review from a reviewer who managed to obtain an ARC, I am even more anxious to read it.