Genghis: Birth of an Empire, by Conn Iggulden
Filed under: book review, Conn Iggulden, Genghis Khan, historical fiction, International bestseller, Main character, recommendation
I have a passion for historical fiction. Conn Iggulden’s Genghis: Birth of an Empire (which published in the UK as Wolf of the Plains
Iggulden has been inspired by Secret History of the Mongols: The Origin of Chingis Khan
This book is the first of a series about Genghis Khan. Still, it has both the plot and the content to be read as a standalone novel. And there is nothing unresolved by the end. Iggulden weaves a spellbinding story of an exotic and “unforgiving land” and the enigmatic young man — charismatic, a brilliant tactician and capable “of utter ruthlessness” — who sets out to tame it.
The future conqueror Temujin, the name meaning a man of iron, is born to the khan (ruler) of a hard Mongol tribe that roams central Asia’s steppes in the 12th century. The Mongols are constantly warring with the Tartars, while both parties are influenced by and manipulated by the Chinese.
When his father is killed by Tartar raiders, a rival claims the tribe, assumes the title of Khan, and banishes Temujin’s family. Left behind without resources when the tribe migrates, the family struggles with nature and enemies to survive in the harsh environment. Thus Temujin is hardened and becomes a hard and tough warrior.
But, having been raised as a Khan’s son, he still dreams of being Khan – he even feels destined to become one – and starts gathering outcasts into a new tribe. Then he begins raiding Tartar camps. And as his fame spreads, Temujin launches an ambitious campaign to unite the Mongol tribes “after a thousand years of warfare” into a single people, defeat the Tartars and invade China.
This is a really epic piece of work. To research it, Iggulden even spent time in Mongolia, and it shows. One of the strengths of “Genghis” lie in Iggulden’s depiction of the extremely harsh Mongolian landscape and the life scraped out by its inhabitants. Genghis: Birth of an Empire is a gem of historical fiction – very, very entertaining at the same time as it is illuminating and educational. I strongly recommend it!
and The Secret History of the Mongols: The Origin of Chingis Khan (C & T Asian Culture Series)
at amazon UK, amazon US: Genghis Khan
, and amazon CAN: Iggulden: Genghis
and The Secret History of the Mongols: The Origin of Chingis Khan
.Stieg Larsson’s books hot in England
Filed under: book news, crime book, Fiction, International bestseller, Lisbeth Salander, Mikael Blomkvist, recommendation, Stieg Larsson, Swedish writer
The following list, from amazon in England, is quite interesting to a fan a Stieg Larsson!
The most popular items in Fiction at amazon UK. Updated hourly. (Average customer rating in parentheses):
- Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
, by Stephenie Meyer (3.8)
- When Will There be Good News?
? by Kate Atkinson (3.9)
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson (4.2)
- The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff, (4.5)
- The Girl Who Played with Fire, by Stieg Larsson (4.6)
- The Secret Scripture, by Sebastian Barry (3.8)
- The Shack, by William P. Young (3.6)
- The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink (4.2)
- Revolutionary Road
- Wetlands, by Charlotte Roche (3.1)
So, right now Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Both of Stieg Larsson’s books have excellent customer ratings. The only book ranked higher among the current top ten by customers is the extremely remarkable Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates. That is also quite a feat by Stieg Larsson. It is very sad that he did not live to see his astonishing success!
Links to Stieg Larsson’s books at Amazon US: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
A Death in Vienna, by Daniel Silva
Filed under: book review, Daniel Silva, espionage, Fiction, Gabriel Allon, International bestseller, Main character, Thriller
A Death in Vienna deals with issues surrounding the Holocaust. 
The starting point in A Death in Vienna is the bombing of the “Wartime Claims and Inquires” offices in Vienna. This is where Gabriel Allon’s friend, Eli Lavon, works. Lavon is seriously injured in the blast, and Allon is sent to find the perpetrators of this crime. The Austrian government declares the bombing to be the work of an Islamist terrorist group. However, Mossad and Allon do not buy this explanation. Allon believes it may instead have been engineered by Nazi criminals hoping to prevent Lavon from discovering their whereabouts.
The action in A Death in Vienna takes Allon from Vienna to Israel, Italy, Argentina, the US, and back to Vienna. He gradually realizes that there are complex political, financial, and national security issues that affect a number of countries, and that the story he unfolds has its beginnings back in World War II. Erich Radek, a former Nazi with links to Auschwitz and Treblinka, who is still alive and active in Vienna, plays a prominent part in this, as does Konrad Becker, a Zurich banker who has a client with over two billion dollars in assets. Also involved, it seems, is the Vatican and the American CIA who together protected selected war criminals after the war.
The case becomes personal when Allon, who reads his mother’s account of her time in the camps “I will not tell all the things I saw. I cannot. I owe this much to the dead”, discovers that not only was Radek a sadistic monster, his mother was very nearly murdered by him.
The story told by Silva in this book is a chilling tale indeed. A Death in Vienna is, like all of Daniel Silva’s books, fast-paced, compelling, and filled with intriguing twists and turns. It is well-researched and thought-provoking. Also, of course, it is exciting and entertaining. It is also, however, a serious book telling a serious story – there are important lessons still to be learned and vital history still to be remembered in A Death in Vienna.
More reviews of books by Daniel Silva!
Bones of the Dragon (Dragonships of Vindras), by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
Filed under: book review, Fantasy, International bestseller, Margaret Weis, Science Fiction, Tracy Hickman
Almost 25 years after their first Dragonlance book was published, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have started a new fantasy series entitled Dragonships of Vindras. Bones of the Dragon is the first of six volumes in the Dragonships of Vindras saga. Bones of the Dragon introduces a new creative world and a story full of with adventure, 
Fans of the fantasy genre know Weis and Hickman from their Dragonlance Chronicles, as well as other wonderful series such as The Deathgate Cycle, The Sovereign Stone Trilogy, and The Darksword Trilogy.
The hero of Bones of the Dragon is young Skylan Ivorson, a sea-raider of the Vindras, and a young warrior. Skylan is son to the Torgun chief—a small clan of the Vindras. He eventually, by means of the deceit of a cunning priestess, becomes the Chief of Chiefs of all the Vindras clans. This is an honor he truly feels he has deserved, by as we learn Skylan is a great fighter and courageous on the battle-field, but may not have all the other qualities desired of a great leader of the Vindras tribes.
The Vindras tribes, previously blessed by the gods, are going through a difficult period. They don’t exactly know why, but it seems their gods are no longer blessing them or answering their calls. And indeed, as it turns out, the gods are involved in a grand war themselves, that will influence and perhaps determine the fate of humanity. Skoval and the other ancient gods are under siege from a new generation of gods who are challenging them for the powers of creation. The only way to stop these brash interlopers seems to lie with the mysterious and hidden Five Bones of the Vektan Dragons.
To gather these bones is a task for the Vindras people, as the dragon-goddess’s champions. In order to have a fighting chance, they must recover all five dragon bones. However, the bones have been scattered throughout the land and their location is unknown. Yet they must be found. The fate both of the Gods and of humanity is at stake.
Weis and Hickman, who are real masters of the trade, do a wonderful job of painting a picture for the readers to understand this new world. However, since so much time is spent on world-building, it takes a while for Bones of the Dragon to build up to the adventures and developing an understanding for the story and what the series is about. The characters are multi-dimensional and interesting – some endearing, some you hate immediately, some mean, some mystical, and some many of these things. And the plot picked up considerably at the end. I found Bones of the Dragon to be an intriguing and highly entertaining book to read. And knowing Weis and Hickman, I am sure the other books in this new series will be stunning!
Order Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman’s Bones of the Dragon (Dragonships of Vindras)
The White Lioness, by Henning Mankell
Filed under: book review, crime book, Henning Mankell, International bestseller, Kurt Wallander, Swedish writer
The White Lioness may well be the best
There are many ingredients to the plot in The White Lioness. First, a happily married woman disappears in southern Sweden while going about her business as an estate agent. There is no explanation and no motive. Inspector Kurt Wallander and his team are called in to investigate this case of a missing person.
As readers, we know right from the beginning what is going on: she was at the wrong time at the wrong place. However, Wallander does not know this. Inspector Wallander has a gut feeling that the victim will never be found alive, but he has no idea how far he will have to go in a search of the killer and the origin of the crime.
The case turns out to be much more complicated that it appeared to be. The search for the truth behind the killing eventually uncovers an assassination plot, and Wallander finds himself in a tangle with both the secret police and a ruthless foreign agent.
It turns out that it all started in South Africa. A pro-apartheid conspirator has sent a gaunt, steel-eyed former KGB assassin and a black hit man to Sweden to train for a unnamed killing. When their hideout is destroyed in a fireball and the remains found in the ashes – a precision firearm, a sophisticated, high-powered radio, and a severed human thumb – the clues lead Wallander back to South Africa.
Combining compelling insights into the sinister side of modern life with a riveting tale of international intrigue, The White Lioness keeps you on the knife-edge of suspense. Some may find the book a little long-winded in the passages about South-African politics, but it is a wonderful book even so!
You can read more Henning Mankell reviews at ScandinavianBooks.
The White Lioness has been filmed as well. You can order the DVD from amazon (US): The White Lioness
Or, order from amazon UK: The White Lioness (book)
Faceless Killers, by Henning Mankell
Filed under: book review, crime book, Henning Mankell, International bestseller, Kurt Wallander, recommendation, Swedish writer
An aging farmer and his wife have been attacked on their isolated farm. When Inspector Kurt Wallander arrives, he finds the elderly couple brutally tortured, the husband dead and the wife barely clinging to life, They appear to have little money and no enemies. The only clue is the dying word of the farmer’s wife: “foreign”.
That is where the plot starts in 
Henning Mankell’s first Kurt Wallander detective mystery: Faceless Killers. The result is a well-done, intense and enjoyable police procedural..
Since Faceless Killers is the first book in a series, the reader is provided with some background information on the main characters. Kurt Wallander is gritty and determined, newly separated from his wife and somewhat estranged from his daughter. He often drinks too much, and he has problems dealing with the interim prosecutor, who is an attractive young woman sent down from Stockholm. Also, he has a somewhat strange relationship to his father, an ageing artist, who is showing the first signs of senility. As well, he is a little grumpy at times.
In Faceless Killers, Mankell lets the reader join in on the investigation process. There are no hidden clues as in Agatha Christie’s books. It is all hard work, sweat and reasoning.
With a keen sense of the psychological dimensions of his characters, Henning Mankell delivers a fast paced, very interesting and highly entertaining read in Faceless Killers.
You can read more reviews of Henning Mankell’s books at ScandinavianBooks.com.
Order Faceless Killers from amazon UK: Faceless Killers (Kurt Wallender Mystery)
Sphere, by Michael Crichton
Filed under: book review, International bestseller, Michael Crichton, recommendation, technothriller, Thriller
Filmed in 1998: Sphere
Michael Crichton, now sadly dead, was one of the greatest thriller writers of our time. He was one of my favorite authors. In Sphere Crichton rolled out the present, past, and future into a highly technical and confusing science fiction adventure. The present features, among others, a pompous astrophysicist, a female zoologist, a black mathematician, and a 53-year-old psychologist, who are summoned by the Navy to examine a plane crash 
The past is manifested in the stranded object resting on the sea bottom where it has been for some 300 years. When the four scientists, who carry their emotional minority baggage of sex, color, and age along with them, descend to the deep in their submersible, they discover the wreck to be no less than a spaceship from the future that fell through a black hole, thus defying time and space. At the bottom of the sea, strange things begin to happen, and one by one the cast of characters diminishes.
Sphere is very fast paced and very exciting. The plot is part of the future unfolding. You never know what is going to happen next and you can’t stop until you do. Crichton, in my opinion, develops his characters better in this novel than in any of his other books. One of Crichton’s best! Strongly recommended!
, see also Timeline
, and State of Fear.
Alternatively, you can order from amazon UK: Sphere
, Timeline
, and State of Fear.
Top 10 hardbacks in UK, November 9, 2008
Filed under: Bernard Cornwell, book news, crime book, Fiction, historical fiction, International bestseller, Michael Connelly
(The Sunday Times Bestseller List)
| 1 | The Business by Martina Cole | Drugs, prostitution and a young girl’s fight for survival |
| 2 | The Gift by Cecelia Ahern | Enchanting Christmas story from the author of PS, I Love You |
| 3 | Cross Country by James Patterson | Alex Cross embarks on a personal crusade when a friend is murdered |
| 4 | The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga | Man Booker-winning tale of a poor man corrupted by Delhi’s glamour |
| 5 | Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell | Dramatic depiction of the famous battle of Agincourt |
| 6 | Brute Force by Andy McNab | Nick Stone cheats death once again in his 11th high-octane adventure |
| 7 | Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy | Heartwarming tale revolving around a community clinic in Ireland |
| 8 | A Good Woman by Danielle Steel | Woman triumphs after her privileged world is shattered |
| 9 | The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly | Harry Bosch investigates the murder of a successful lawyer |
| 10 | Folly by Alan Titchmarsh | Loving couple uncover deceit when delving into their families’ shared past |
So this is what the English read this rainy Fall, in the midst of the international financial crisis. Lots of crime, some historical fiction, and some good fiction novels with great charm. Good books that provide something that hopefully counterbalances the bad news most of us are otherwise surrounded with.
Azincourt by Bernard Cornwell and The Brass Verdict, by Michael Connelly, are both high on my reading list. I would love somebody to review the rest of these great books for me! Just email it to me!
Ann Patchett: Run
Filed under: book review, International bestseller
Since their mother’s death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving, possessive, and ambitious father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see his sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an
Set over a period of twenty-four hours, Run takes us from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, Tip’s favorite hangout, to a home for retired Catholic priests in downtown Boston. It shows us how worlds of privilege and poverty can coexist only blocks apart from each other, and how family can include people you’ve never even met. I loved the book most of the time while reading it, and I loved the characters. Especially I loved little Kenye, the running girl.
As in her bestselling novel Bel Canto, Ann Patchett illustrates the humanity that connects disparate lives, weaving several stories, each with surprising twists, into an endlessly moving narrative. It is a strange tale of odd coincidences, and suspenseful and stunningly executed, Run is ultimately a novel about secrets, duty, responsibility, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.
A fabulous book!
Other books by this increadibly talented American writer available at amazon US: Bel Canto (P.S.)
Read what the New York Times book review writes about Run! Also, see the review of Bel Canto at World of Books.
Liars & Thieves, by Stephen Coonts
Filed under: book review, Fiction, International bestseller, Jake Grafton, Steven Coonts, Thriller
(Published as Wages of Sin in the UK.) 
Tommy Carmellini is hanging out with partner Willie the Wire when ex-girlfriend Dorsey O’Shea turns up asking favors: will Tommy break into a house and retrieve some sex tapes in which she has unwittingly participated? This is not a problem for Tommy, he does it, hands the tapes over and dismisses Dorsey from his mind.
Tommy Carmellini, the main character in Liars & Thieves, is physically big, he’s very tough and doesn’t shun violence, and he doesn’t claim to be all that smart. Women seem to find him attractive and he beds them without much emotional involvement. In Liars & Thieves, I think the number is three.
Several months later, the CIA sends him to a West Virginia safe house where Russian defector Mikhail Goncharov is being debriefed. There, Tommy stumbles into a full-blown massacre. He kills a couple of attackers, rescues a woman, beats a retreat and quickly finds himself in spy hell: out in the cold, accused, alone, hunted by friend and foe alike.
The plot is good, maybe even great. It involves double-dealing all the way from the Kremlin to the West Wing of the White House. The story in Liars & Thieves is partly based on the real-life defection of Vasili Mitrokhin, the KGB archivist who arrived in Great Britain in 1992 with six suitcases of notes from classified KGB files! This is mixed with an American presidential nomination and a few other ingredients. It is an exciting cocktail. And, as the plot snowballs, it accumulates characters both good and bad.
Liars & Thieves is a good thriller. If you like Stephen Coonts, you will like the book. However, to my mind it is not among the best by Coonts (I consider his early Jake Grafton books to be his best). But a good read even so.
You can read reviews of the other two books in Stephen Coonts’ Tommy Carmellini-series at Leserglede.com.
or The Traitor (Tommy Carmellini, Book 2)
.Or, order the books in the Carmellini-series by Stephen Coonts from amazon UK: Liars & Thieves
, Traitor
, or The Assassin
. See also, the the same author, Flight of the Intruder (Jake Grafton Novels)
, The Minotaur
, and The Red Horseman
.-
The World of Books- Death of Kings (Saxon Tales), by Bernard Cornwell
- Bleachers, by John Grisham
- Resurrection Men, by Ian Rankin
- Damage, by Josephine Hart
- The Horizon, by Douglas Reeman
- Review: The Delta Solution, Patrick Robinson
- George R.R. Martin: A Dance with Dragons!
- Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson
- The Successor, by Stephen Frey
- Playful in Shades of Gray: John Banville
- BookGazette
- The Litigators, by John Grisham
- Only Time Will Tell, by Jeffrey Archer
- Tripwire, by Lee Child
- Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer – book review
- Knockemstiff, by Donald Ray Pollock
- Agent of Rome: The Siege, by Nick Brown
- Re-write of Franz Kafka: The Meowmorphosis, F. Kafka and C. Coleridge
- Don’t Look Twice, by Andrew Gross
- The Snow Tiger, by Desmond Bagley
- Trust Fund, by Stephen W. Frey
- Nordic Bookblog
- Nights of Awe (An Ariel Kafka Mystery), by Harri Nykänen
- Another Time, Another Life, by Leif GW Persson
- The Flatey Enigma, by Viktor Arnar Ingolfsson
- Vanished, by Liza Marklund – review
- Helsinki White, by James Thompson
- Sail of Stone, by Ake Edwardson
- Anne Holt nominated for the 2012 Edgar Award
- Cold Comfort (An Officer Gunnhildur Mystery), by Quentin Bates
- Lisbeth Salander – durable heroine
- Midwinter Sacrifice, by Mons Kallentoft
-