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Conqueror
559 pages
A sweeping, action-packed historical epic that traces the transformation of a scholar into a ruthless, world-conquering warrior.
What it feels like
This propulsive historical epic immerses the reader in a sweeping, action-packed era of empire building and brutal warfare. The narrative feels grand and heroic, capturing the immense scale of a world-altering conquest while maintaining a tense, dramatic undercurrent driven by fraternal betrayal and civil war. The prose is muscular and authoritative, perfectly suited to the transformation of a thoughtful scholar into a hardened military leader operating under the long shadow of a legendary ancestor. It is a bloody, triumphant, and heavy atmosphere that explores the immense personal and moral costs of ambition. Readers who devour massive, battle-heavy historical fiction focused on legendary rulers and the violent forging of empires will find themselves completely absorbed in this monumental journey.
- Mood
- sweeping
- tense
- triumphant
- bloody
- Tone
- epic
- heroic
- dramatic
- authoritative
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- the burden of legacy · scholarship vs warfare · fraternal betrayal · empire building · the cost of ambition
- The writing
- Grand and action-oriented, capturing the sweeping scale of historical conquest and the brutal realities of war.
- The arc
- Moves from the quiet ambition of a scholar to the heavy, blood-soaked resolve of a warrior-king facing civil war.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave sweeping, action-packed historical fiction centered on legendary figures and massive military campaigns.
Content notes
- warfare
- bloody violence
- fraternal betrayal
About the book
The one and only Conn Iggulden takes on the story of the mighty Kublai Khan. An epic tale of a great and heroic mind; his action-packed rule; and how in conquering one-fifth of the world's inhabited land, he changed the course of history forever. A scholar who conquered an empire larger than those of Alexander or Caesar. A warrior who would rule a fifth of the world with strength and wisdom. A man who betrayed a brother to protect a nation. From a young scholar to one of history's most powerful warriors, Conqueror tells the story of Kublai Khan -- an extraordinary man who should be remembered alongside Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte as one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known. It should have been a golden age, with an empire to dwarf the lands won by the mighty Genghis Khan. Instead, the vast Mongol nation is slowly losing ground, swallowed whole by their most ancient enemy. A new generation has arisen, yet the long shadow of the Great Khan still hangs over them all! Kublai dreams of an empire stretching from sea to sea. But to see it built, this scholar must first learn the art of war. He must take his nation's warriors to the ends of the known world. And when he is weary, when he is wounded, he must face his own brothers in bloody civil war.
Description from Open Library.
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