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''Lords of the Bow'' is the second part of Conn Iggulden's Conqueror series of books about the life of Genghis Khan. I must confess, I haven't read ''Wolf of the Plains'', the first book in the series, but I must say up front upfront that this didn't stop me from getting into or enjoying this second novel; it works as a book in its own right.

The fact we start with the view of a minor character is a good signpost for the rest of the book. The focus character changes often through the chapters - we don't spend all the time with Genghis. All of the secondary characters have their own sub plotssubplots, which work well in increasing the tension throughout and providing (at times) an almost Arthurian intrigue. All of this gives some real meat to the conquest theme of the novel. The various troubles within his own growing family and in his army as a whole are very well -conceived and played out. Even though this is dealing with people from a different age, the relationships all ring true and have an emotionally realistic quality.

The fight scenes themselves are masterfully played out; I found myself getting right behind the Mongols and cheering them on. In terms of violence, if this were a film, it would have an eighteen rating. It's very well written and in terms of description and sense of place, takes you right there. But it's the excitement of the conquests and the personal relationships that stopped me putting this book down. It's gripping and you just have to see what happens next. I guess that's the thing – this book is a real page -turner and so much so that, now I've run out of these pages, I'll have to get a copy of Wolf of the Plains so I can read through some more.

I really enjoyed this novel, and historical fiction isn't usually my thing. If you liked this book you might want to try [[The Tower by Valerio Massimo Manfredi]]. We've also loved [[Dunstan: One Man Will Change the Fate of England by Conn Iggulden]].