Customer Reviews

Bones of the Hills

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Having vanquished the Chin, the ancient foe of the Mongolians, Genghis Khan turns his attention to a new foe from the west. At the same time, he has to deal with the challenges of leadership in an environment where the nomadic nation he has united from the tribes is being exposed to other lifestyles and where his sons are becoming old enough to have leadership expectations of their own.

`I want them to know that if they resist me they are putting their hand in the mouth of a wolf.'

Full of ruthless action, but never without a purpose, Genghis is courageous, consistent and calculating. He rules with an iron will and does not usually allow sentiment to intervene. But for all of that, he has human foibles and flaws. This is a story about the conqueror rather than the man but both are visible behind the cold face. I am not entirely sure whether I should admit to liking Genghis Khan but I will freely admit to admiring his strength of character. For me, the dialogue and the action both seemed so congruent with the image I have of Genghis Khan that I had to keep reminding myself that this is a fictional representation.

`There is a price for all things.'

At the end of this novel, Mr Iggulden provides some additional reading suggestions for those who would like to peel back the centuries to try to learn more about the man behind the legend. I've read some of these books: I'll be looking to read others. And yes, I'll be re-reading this trilogy.

If you enjoy action-filled fiction in an historic setting which is broadly consistent with known facts, you may well enjoy this series.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Birth of an Empire, the first of the trilogy, was a fine work. Things slipped for Lords of the Bow, the second of the trilogy. Bones of the Hills brings us back to the level of Birth of an Empire. Birth was local: Lords of the Bow centered on the invasion of the Chin Empire, and Bones takes us south and west, to India and Persia, the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas. There are two primary enemies: one an Arab, and the other the leader of the Assassin sect. Genghis Khan is aging, his sons are grown, and the empire would certainly seem to be getting unwieldingly large.

The enemies are getting smarter--they are beginning to adapt to and counter the Mongol war tactics. Temujin must choose an heir: his sons certainly do not see eye to eye with each other. The developing situation is not unlike that of the Diodachi after the death of Alexander--can the empire be held together? Temujin was the focus of the first book. In Lords of the Bow Temujin is more of a spectator--most of the story seems to be about others, not Temujin. In Bones of the Hills Temujin is once again the focus.

You get a fine view of the Mongol war machine, the conquests, the sieges, the tactics. Iggulden can do a fine job when he keeps his focus. If you want some additional reading--additional fiction--Until the Sun Falls by Cecelia Holland is a great novel about the general Psin on the western edge of the Mongol Empire. This is fiction that you won't regret reading if you have enjoyed Iggulden's trilogy.

As with the two previous books in this series, "Bones of the Hills" does not fail to deliver in impact in its sweeping scope of fast moving events and in its stark, raw brutality. Like one or two other reviewers have mentioned, I also found myself liking Genghis the man more and more throughout the series, who despite his brutal, gritty and uncompromising view on life is honest and uncomplicated with a strong code of honour where it really counts. In this, Mr Iggulden has delivered a persona of the historical Genghis which I find to be remarkably in keeping with the image I already had in mind. As pointed out in the book's historical notes, Genghis, for all of his incredible ruthlessness, was never personally sadistic by choice or nature. Greed as we know it was alien to his nature and, as the title of this review suggests, his deeds as well as his word was iron. In short, this is a man shaped by a lifetime of incredible adversity to face challenges most of us in the modern era can only have nightmares of, and what is more, he emerges not just as a ruthless conqueror but a man with a vision ahead of his time.

in "Bones of the Hills" Genghis has subdued the Chin empire, his ancient foes and for the moment honour for old wrongs has been satisfied. But now his attention turns to the Moslem Khwarezem empire with whom his normally astute brother, Temuge, has tried to open trade negotiations. When the Mongol envoys are slain without good cause by a bumbling regional governor in one of the biggest political blunders in history, the stage is set for the Great Khan to exact a terrible revenge on the once great Arab empire. But despite his own personal thirst for conquest, Genghis continues with his personal woes. His sons have now reached manhood and Genghis is now feeling the pressure as he ages to think of a successor. His two general brothers, Khasar and Kachiun, are now too old themselves to be considered any more, and Genghis himself is adamant he wants the next Great Khan to be of his seed. However, he is still wary of his embittered eldest son, Jochi, whose paternity has long been under suspicion, and is bitterly disappointed in his one time favourite son, Chagatai, whose vengeful and spiteful nature becomes more apparent with the years. That only leaves Ogedai and Tolui, his third and fourth sons, both too young yet to have been tested in life and in battle...

As usual in this series, the battle scenes are epic in their description and scope and I for one had my own inner movie playing in the recesses of my imagination as I read on. One of the most memorable episodes of the book concerns the Khwarezem Shah's eldest son and heir, Jelaudin, who takes up the epic fight against the Mongols when his father dies in squalid exile. In history as well as in fiction, Jelaudin was also an outstanding military figure, who won renown and respect especially from Genghis for his epic escape on horseback off a high cliff against crushing odds. For those who have read the previous books, the shady shaman, Kokchu, continues to worm his way through the royal family's favour - but as one already suspects, the increasingly powerful and arrogant medicine man finally goes a step too far (read to find out what happens next!)

These books continue to entertain, inform and enthrall with each new chapter. The next in the series is "Empire of Silver". I for one do not want to miss it!

This is great writing. It is what historical fiction is all about and is why this is my favourite genre. I really wish that I could write like this.

Conn Iggulden excels at bringing the characters and the events to life. It is fast and furious. It is captivating. It is heavily atmospheric. Well done Mr Iggulden; again!

As Ghengis recalls his armies from Chin and other distant outposts so that his united Mongol forces can wage more terror towards the south and west, huge rivalries brew up and approach boiling point. These rivalries are at their hottest amongst his own family members, and become particularly intense as the Great Khan announces his successor.

Having read the previous two books in the series, and you really must before you open this one, you will be expecting a high dosage of gruesome brutality. You will not be disappointed. In fact, I can confidently predict that your expectations will be exceeded. However, all of that brutality is in context and is absolutely necessary.

This book will stir your emotions. Iggulden builds the characters up to such an extent that you will feel that you know all of them very well. You will have your favourites, and there will be those whom you will hate. You will feel that many of your new-found friends and acquaintances, and those characters from the previous episodes, are treated unfairly, and you will be awaiting the awful revenge.

There is one particular character in this series whom you will probably already dislike and distrust if you have read thus far. Will he escape, or will he die a horrible death? You can probably guess which, but I won't spoil it by revealing his identity, and you will almost certainly know who I mean when you have read the book. I'll be surprised if you don't.

I can't say much more without adding spoilers. You'll just have to read it, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did. It has been a long wait, for me, since I read Lords of the Bow, but it has been worth the wait.

I love this series. Even though it is about wars and conquering, I find it a fascinating bit of history. Conn Iggulden makes reading history fun. I also loved his Julius Caesar series. I am a female, and I am not prone to violence!

The best of the three in current available series. Iggulden's style is easy to read and hard to put down. Can't wait for the next book. One of the nice features of his books is the section on relating facts to the fiction presented in the story. This feature puts a bow around his gift. Though one can read any without the others, recommend reading the series in order. Enjoy!

One of the dangers of sequels is the fact of unfulfilled expectations - how can a sequel be as interesting or compelling as the original? How can the author bring something new to the table without losing that which made the original interesting?

In Bones of the Hills, the well-researched historical novel continues the story of Ghengis Kahn, a history not really well known in the West. Having overcome mythically-awful tests as a youth to rise to power, and having conquered the Chin in the first novel, in this sequal we see him turn west to consolidate and expand his growing empire.

In addition to the blood-and-guts battles, the chilling brutality of the camp, and the intrigue of a wide number of well-drawn characters, we see in this book the development of his sons - and the obvious seeds for future dispute. This is a saga about turning a group of tribes into a true Empire, absorbing what they need and what they can from those they conquer.

The book accomplishes what good historical fiction must do: it provides a sense of place and time, while also being a terrific read. It left me eager for the next in the series.

This is the best in the series. The first was also very good. I stayed up all night reading this. This series is addictive. If you like Conn Iggulden you simply have to read this book. I am not sure how closely it relates to the "actual" history, but it is absolutely entertaining. If you want a good read for your vacation this is it. You don't necessarily have to read all three, but the first and the third are the best. I am not sure if it is a "guy thing" but the book seems to appeal more to gentleman then the ladies. Have fun, this book is a guilty pleasure!

What can I say! This book was amazing! My wife was so glad when I was finished because I was finally paying attention to her again! Where the second book involved the Chin in the west, most of this takes place with the Muslims in the east. I'm not going to get into details, I'm sure you will find that in other reviews. I'm just going to tell you, there is so much happening at such a fast pace, that you just want to keep reading to find out what the results are.
After reading the book, I Binged Conn Iggluden and found out there was a forum for his books. It is filled with people wanting more, and thankfully, there will be more in September 2010. Also, I want to point out, I own a business and usually don't have time for things like looking up authors. Most of the time, I read at night, and with most books, if I don't get to it one night, I'll get to it the next. Not with this book! I was reading it during breakfast and lunch and only put it down at night because my eyes would bother me after a while. I am telling you if you are reading this and have not read the first two, go start at the beginning with Birth of an Empire. If you have read the first two, I know I don't have to twist your arm to read this one, I just have to tell you, you will definitely not be disappointed!

does what it says on the tin. now i'm gagging for a series on Kublai.