The Mongoliad (The Mongoliad Cycle)

I just finished this first volume; I'm looking forward to continuing. The interplay of the stories of medieval knights on a quest and the Mongolian Empire is fascinating. The strongly defined characters and their personal stories kept me involved. With so much of the setting being alien to my own background, I often appreciated the Kindle format's ability to define an unfamiliar word at a touch.

This is a good story and the writing is excellent, but it doesn't stand on its own as a work of fiction. I purchased it knowing it was part of a series, and that it would leave me wanting to read the other books, but this was like getting to the middle of a novel and finding the rest of the pages missing. It's also very short, more like a novella. If you're thinking of buying it, know that you're going to have to buy books 1, 2 and 3 to get the whole thing (and now I'm not even sure about that). This installment should read "to be continued..." at the end. Very disappointing.

I have taken advantage of both the kindle and audible versions; reading at home and listening while I drive to and from work. This was a magnificent mix of fiction and history intertwined brilliantly. You will enjoy this!

I found this series to be very entertaining. However, there were far too many detailed fight scenes to plod through. I recognized the skill in writing about these events, but I found myself wanting to move on. These are amazingly well-thought-out stories, but they would be even better if there were to be tighter continuity of characters between books. I am looking forward to Book 4.

Story is good, too. Nice characters, none too ugly to love in their own way. Cruelty is of an understandable dimension and not excessive and certainly not in the gruesome, mean spirited detail that seems to be the vogue. Technical vocabulary is stimulating. On the one hand I can't wait to see the ending of the story (and I hope book three is it because I'm a cheapster); on the other, I could read a few more books worth.

While this books is purported to be written by many different writers - the story continuity is pretty seamless. This volume seems to answer many of the main points raised so far and I am not sure in what direction it will go next - if there is a next volume. The are small vignettes at the beginning of each volume that just seems to hang out there - isolated from the rest of the story - I wonder if they will be addressed any time soon?

... this trilogy by committee was an interesting read. I enjoyed it, and also learned some of the history that I didn't know already. The authors revealed the character of the mongols and others of that period very well. However, for my taste it was too much of a set up for other books, too many loose ends, and too many story lines that, while I'm sure will be really cool in other books, went nowhere in these three.

This is a series for people who like series books. Nothing is wrapped up until the third volume, and you are introduced to characters that you identify with on all sides of the equations--and several that you don't. The book would lag in spots except there are simultaneous plots and the book just jumps to another plot when it's in danger of falling into monotony. There are many characters to keep in mind. Each book in the series starts with a cast of characters. It's worthwhile to spend a little time there and dredge up what you know about each character because a minor character in book one can become a major player in book three. Have fun if you like a rousing, robust, and extended tale.

I enjoyed Anathem. This is not as good - but still a very well written and enjoyable read. The common mistake is to impute modern motivations to ancient peoples. But then written accurately from their true historical perspectives we would probably be at a loss to understand them- except for the baser desires. I liked it enough to pay for the next two in the cycle.

The book ends abruptly, in an unfinished way. The lack of closure and the expectation that the reader will have to buy the next volume to get any closure is just plain bad writing. I will not buy the next volume. Also, the frequent slow pace gave me the urge to give up on the book. Unfortunately, I plodded on to the unsatisfying non-end. Don't buy it.

Set in the 1200s, dark and violent times, but also intriguing, detailed, authentic. I prefer something purely Neal Stephenson, this collaboratoive effort lacks his philosophical dabbling and his humor. Bot overall, a good read.

While the setting of this tale was very exciting--the unexplored time period of the Mongolian empire and its conquests--the discrepancies of the seven various writing styles were too apparent for me to want to continue reading the rest of the series. It's good if you want strong characters and exciting plot, but the writing is just a little too inconsistent.

This book takes place in the 13th century during the mongolian invasion of Europe. The story has two main threads: one from the european point of view, one from the mongolian point of view. The story has good pacing and good characters. I didnt get bored with it, but at the end - for all those pages - what really happened? Maybe the books main goal was just setting up book two? Not sure if i will read book two.

A brilliant collaboration. And, this third book nicely closed each of the story lines but without leaving the reader totally satisfied as to how the big picture would unfold.

For every hour that I spent reading this series I would have spent another 10 - 15 minutes using Wikipedia to review and understand the historical setting of these books. From deliberate key word searches prompted by the text I would often surf further on into contemporary or historical facts.

The books were well researched and I now need to lean more about the fall of the Mongol Empire and what role Emperor Frederick might have played in its final days. K

Fun read set in the Times of the Mongolian invasion of Europe and the east. I am not certain of the historical accuracy of the knight described heading into the east to kill the Mongol empire but I assume the historical events are true. Still a fun read for sword play and some slight love interest and some extrapolations of court life in. The Mongolian capital.

In the 13th century, Europe was at a crossroads. The Mongol hordes had captured much of the existing world and was now poised to attack Europe. Who could stand in the way of such a powerful army? Led by Onghwe Khan, grandson of Genghis, there seemed no way to avoid the brutality and utter devastation such an invasion would bring.

Neal Stephenson and his co-writers have imagined this world and tell readers the story of the struggle to retain Europe. Ancient manuscripts were given to the famous nineteenth century explorer, Richard Burton. He started translating them but died before he could finish. These manuscripts were found recently in the ruins of a mansion in Trieste, Italy. The Mongoliad series is based on these manuscripts. Stephenson is joined by some of the finest names in fantasy and swordsmanship. They include Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBimingham, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey and Cooper Moo.

One of the groups desperately determined to stop the Khan was a group of knights of the Skjaldbraedur Shield-Brethren. Led by Feronantus and composed of warriors from many lands, they decide on a plan that they hoped would be surprising enough to succeed. They determined to ride forth in a small group and assassinate Onghwe. If they could succeed, all the various branches of the Mongols would return home to determine who the next Khan would be. Although the possibility of success was extremely low, a group of knights, led by a woman named Cnan, started on their journey to find and kill the Khan.

This is the first book in the Mongoliad Series. The book is told in alternating chapters between the stories of the knights and the Mongol court, specifically a young warrior named Gansukh and the Chinese slave, Lian, who educates him in the ways of the Khan's court. It is rich in historical fact and gives a compelling look at the devastation of the Mongol horde and its conquering tactics. This book is recommended for readers who love swordsmanship, ancient rites, and global history.

I started this book by chance, and it's definitely a slow read. This is the first book in a 3 part series. Plenty characters and a great story and time in history. Not suer how much of it is true, but you need to get through this book to get the the next and then the final book. At the end of the 3rd book I can honestly look back and say it was worth the read although it took me a month to get through all 3.

I appreciated reading the series as historical fiction, but without much prior knowledge about these times. I still have many reservations about the dynamics of those years. What hit me was the realization that the colonization of Europe by the Huns could have turned out much like the colonization of America. And all the papal intrigue was timely, since I read it during the selection of the new pope Francis.

The Mongoliad: Book One (The Foreworld Saga), which I purchased from the store, takes place after the Great Khan has conquered so much of the world, and his sons are continuing to spread out even further. The world at that time seems in quite a muddle with the Catholic Church trying to gain strength and spread, There is chaos in the spiritual world as the pagan beliefs are struggling to keep their hold in this world with the Catholics doing the same with great cruelty and slaughter of the heretics, It's a bloody and cruel time, and this book is about that time and the people and the strength, power, and ruthlessness of the Mongols. I usually choose a gentler fantasy for complete enjoyment, but for those fans of this genre, I believe, they will get an exciting ride from this book. I gave it a 3 fpr my personal taste, but it will surely rank higher for those who have a liking for a robust adventure and don't mind so much blood and gore. Note that I did not hate it, did not put it down, but it was a cruel time as most times are, I suppose, and I prefer a kinder time.

This novel is written by a team of specialists, some who focus on the martial arts, some on the Roman church politics, and some who are interested in the Mongol society. It shows both diversity of thought and intensity of research on a wide variety of topics, both historical and fictional. The different voices of the various story threads complement each other, rather than distracting one from the next.

It is one of the most successful such collaborative efforts I have seen.

Anyone who likes adventure especially historical based fiction will find the book thrilling. The details given about sights, sounds and even smells transport the reader to the stark world these characters inhabit. In a time of savage living though also has periods of kindness and intelligent thought and moments of gentleness which surprisingly survive.

Set in 1241 post-Genghis Khan, Ogedei has succeed Genghis as Khan of the Mongol Empire and his hordes are ravaging Eastern Europe. The Mongol horde is ravaging Eastern Europe as chaos reigns. A mixed group of knights and monks decide military victory is impossible and they set out on an improbable quest to sever the head of the beast.

It's an outstanding setting and the characters are reasonably well developed. The book uses an interesting technique of bouncing back and forth between plot situations, often seguing abruptly into an action sequence, then departing again, only to return in the next chapter or two. I found this approach okay but can sometimes be annoying -- the pace wasn't always consistent. My second criticism is tedium -- the reader learns about key plot points through character dialogue but this can take some head scratching to figure out. Moreover, there are whole sections of text that will put you asleep and add little value to the story.

In summary, it's a reasonably compelling story with noticeable flaws that can be overlooked.

A bit different from what I would normally read and I'm glad I went there.
I'm not sure why but I found these books a real challenge to read - in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed all three of them, though they were not riveting, or hard to put down. I had to keep coming back to them though because I had to find out what happened - there was no question these books had to be finished.

Not what I would call holiday reading, those books I can finish in a couple of days, brain on auto, just enjoying a good read. These books took me a good couple of weeks each, brain on manual thinking all the time.

I can see myself re-reading these books as well - highly recommend them.

I mostly went into this book under the guise that it was a Neal Stephenson book. I can tell the prose isn't his, the research and psychotic attention to detail is. But it doesn't feel like his work. Not a bad work overall, but if you're expecting a Stephenson book as you know them to be...this ain't it. It's a nice fantasy styled historical fiction piece, meticulously researched and competently written. With interesting characters, but an overall tone that still feels kind of bland.

Drives your emotions into characters. Multifaceted viewpoints for emotional triangulation of scenes. Not afraid to demand your dedication to long ranging story lines. Story lines interwoven through feelings and relationships. Holds a mirror to religious schism, behavior under terror, and the similarities we all share during such times.

Credible, precise, intense. My advice - I have become a little out of touch with the myriad of characters, meaning that I have stopped identifying with them. Possibly more narrative is required to reveal their true nature, personality and above all their character. The author has managed to avoid the prevalent binary paradigm of people being either good or evil. Many become real, but others don't quite blossom to full potential. This author should just let him/herself go and write every day and produce 1500 page marvels every year. Well done.

Liked the flowing narrative and seamless transition from event to event.
As a former fencer I appreciated the careful attention to detail in fight sequences.
5 stars for the weaving of fiction with history to produce a highly entertaining work.
Recommend it to those who appreciate a fast moving novel resulting from diligent research.

Despite the frequent shifts in tone due to its disjointed origin, and tons of one note characters just there to be killed I enjoyed this finale to the trilogy very much. The characters that you've come to care about (love or hate) all have stories wrapped up more or less and the threads left hanging have me impatient for more. Hopefully sides stories will due and I won't burn out on the world like I did with Old Man's War

I started this book out of curiosity and suddenly fell into the spirit of the book. It is a quest book but is well written and you easily identify with the characters. I would recommend it for anyone from eight grade upward. It is also a very well researched period piece that is likely to push you toward actual historical resources to find out more. I would not have thougt I would like it but I am on book 4 now.

A well written book and a different way of seeing the story from different sides. The only issue is that you need to know a lot about the mongols and Genghis family to be able to understand this book. I read Conn Igguldens books about the mongols and they helped me a lot understand to this book. It made the book even better. I will buy the second and third part.

While the concept was interesting, the format was very disjointed and annoying to jump from one story to another. This being said, if the book had a conclusion for the segment, I might have purchased the next installment. But, since the story simply stopped, I was annoyed and unwilling to be used in that manner.

If you like novels rooted in history, you would like this. Set in Euro-asia durimg the Mongol invasion, a group of Christian knights set off to try to kill the Khan of the mongols. Lead by a "binder" (guide) who leads them toward the area where the Khan is reportedly to be. Haven't finished it yet but it is very interesting!

Come on, this is Neal Stephenson!! What's he doing phoning it in like this!!! Nowhere near the research, reality, and atmospherics let alone plot cohesiveness of his earlier works. A tremendous disappointment for his fans, of which I'm still am, but he needs another Cryptomicon or somesuch to redeem himself!

Book was too disjointed did not flow well and had some irrelevant chapters. The chapter that sought to show how to use a bow and arrow in one easy lesson was absolutely ludicrous. I was also ambushed by the book's ending and felt like the bride left at the altar after having been stood up. No segue into an ending of the book, it just stopped. I have no desire to read book two.

Thanks to Ben Hailer for writing my review for me. I'm a huge Neal Stephenson fan. His erudition, wit, and overall intelligence are unsurpassed in the SF/fantasy world and equalled rarely in any kind of fiction. But this effort was like the proverbial horse designed by a committee, which produced a camel. In this case, the committee produced a lot of wonderful fight scenes, some eloquent court scenes, and few if any plot resolutions. As I said in my comment to Ben's review, this made me think of what would have happened if Thomas Wolfe's old tome "Look Homeward Angel" had been written by a committee and released as a trilogy -- although I really loved Reamde, for some strange reason -- probably because it had a real plot.

IMHO, chopping an extremely long book into thirds does not a trilogy make. But, like Ben, I'll give the team the benefit of the doubt and read part two. Wish I didn't have to wait until September for the next installment.

I greatly enjoyed this book. However, if you like nice tidy endings, then wait for all three of the books to be released and then read them. Otherwise, you'll be left hanging at the end, just like I was!!! Still, this book was a lot of fun- overall great writing and a real joy to read.

I have enjoyed reading this series, although it does drag in certain spots. The crusader warriors have been defeated by the Mongol empire and are facing complete destruction. The series extends from the first to the last book, don't miss the first as the remainder will seem to be missing something. I'm not the last of the trilogy and have enjoyed the series.

If you have followed the saga this doesn't exactly tie up all of the loose ends but finishes the original guest nicely. A lot of characters to keep straight and bounces around a bit but overall great.

Those with a good command of language will follow this series wholeheartedly. A Kindle helps. This saga was very well written, the characters engrossing, and the plot energizing. I hope further reading will become available. A must read for those who enjoy reading about the hard life of the Crusades.

good read with multiple authors although sometimes individual styles are muted which sometimes can slow the story . The book switches chapters between various groups and reads like three or four separate stories going on at the same time.

It's not bad... not great literature, readable, a bit slow paced, and you can tell that there were multiple authors involved. The story is interesting, but I wish Book 1 had started with the first chapters in Book 2 that give the back story.

There is an excessive amount of wasted, small detail in the story, events and chapters. The story is filled with interesting action and events but the three books could have been condensed and written in one spell binding historic novel. Please read Gary Jennings' book, the Journeyer, to get an idea of attention maintained and story kept moving in a historic novel.. Thank You.

I will read anything with Neal Stephenson's name on it, and Greg Bear as well, with some expectations that it will be a good story well told. As usual, it was a shock to reach the end and realize I'm going to have to wait for too long to get the rest of the story. Bummer. :-{)}