This is one aspect of the novel that got a little tedious. Conn often lets us see both sides of the leadership before the battles take place so we are in on the various strategies being used. The action in this book is non stop from individual fight scenes to mass battles.
Even though this is dealing with people from a different age, the relationships all ring true and have an emotionally realistic quality. The various troubles within his own growing family and in his army as a whole are very well-conceived and played out. All of this gives some real meat to the conquest theme of the novel. All of the secondary characters have their own subplots, which work well in increasing the tension throughout and providing (at times) an almost Arthurian intrigue. The focus character changes often through the chapters - we don't spend all the time with Genghis. The fact we start with the view of a minor character is a good signpost for the rest of the book. It's at the end of the prologue we're given the big clue as to the main theme of this book Genghis is gathering his people together to build an unstoppable army. After his tribe is destroyed, Kokchu is given a year to live and prove his worth to his new master: Genghis Khan. The book begins at the battle between the Mongols and the Namians, as seen from Kokchu's (the shaman of the Namian tribe) perspective.
I must confess, I haven't read Wolf of the Plains, the first book in the series, but I must say upfront that this didn't stop me from getting into or enjoying this second novel it works as a book in its own right. Lords of the Bow is the second part of Conn Iggulden's Conqueror series of books about the life of Genghis Khan. Summary: From the author of The Dangerous Book for Boys, an adult novel about a very dangerous man!
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