Quick recap
Genghis Khan is dead, and his sons fight over the empire. Ogedai, the chosen heir, delays his coronation to build Karakorum, a capital on the plains that many see as a mistake. The delay emboldens his brother Chagatai to challenge him openly, and Tolui is caught between them. Sorhatani, Tolui's wife, plays politics with skill. In southern China, the Mongols fight the Sung and run into gunpowder. In the west, General Tsubodai crosses Russia, defeats Russian and Polish armies and the Templars, sacks Buda and Pest and clashes with the ambitious Batu. The book ends as Tsubodai's scouts reach northern Italy and he has to make a decision that changes the course of history.
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