Genghis: Lords of the Bow

With the tribes united, Genghis goes after the old enemy: the Chin empire. The book opens with the shaman Kokchu, whose tribe is destroyed and who gets a year to prove his worth to the khan. Tens of thousands of Mongols cross the Gobi, take vassal kingdoms and burn cities on the way to Yenking, modern Beijing. In a mountain pass, they crush a Chin army. The siege of the capital brings spies, poisonings and assassinations on both sides of the wall. At home, doubts about who fathered Jochi weigh on Genghis and Borte. Starving, the Chin surrender, and the boy emperor kneels before the khan. In the end, the Chin break the pact, and Genghis sends his brothers back to destroy everything.

1. Behind the scenesOpening with the enemy

   The book opens from the point of view of Kokchu, shaman of a tribe Genghis defeats. The story switches viewpoints often and shows both sides' strategy before each battle.

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2. ReferenceYenking is Beijing

   The Chin capital the Mongols besiege, Yenking, is modern-day Beijing. The Chin counted on their walls to keep the raiders out.

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3. SetupWho fathered Jochi

   Doubts about who fathered Jochi strain Genghis's family. Remember it: Jochi's bond with his brothers comes back hard later on.

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