The Mongoliad: Book Two
Written by Neal Stephenson, Erik Bear, Greg Bear and
Narrated by Luke Daniels
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
This riveting second installment in Stephenson and company’s epic tale focuses on the aftermath of the world-shattering Mongolian invasion of 1241 and the difficult paths undertaken by its most resilient survivors.
The Shield Brethren, an order of warrior monks, search for a way to overthrow the horde, even as the invaders take its members hostage. Forced to fight in the Mongols’ Circus of Swords, Haakon must prove his mettle or lose his life in the ring. His bravery may impress the enemy, but freedom remains a distant dream.
Father Rodrigo receives a prophecy from God and believes it’s his mission to deliver the message to Rome. Though a peaceful man, he resigns himself to take up arms in the name of his Lord. Joining his fight to save Christendom are the hunter Ferenc, orphan Ocyrhoe, healer Raphael, and alchemist Yasper, each searching for his place in history.
Deftly blending fact and fantasy, The Mongoliad: Book Two captures the indomitable will to survive against immense odds.
Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson is the author of Termination Shock, Seveneves, Reamde, Anathem; the three-volume historical epic the Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver, The Confusion, and The System of the World); Cryptonomicon, The Diamond Age, Zodiac and the iconic Snow Crash, named one of Time magazine's top one hundred all-time best English-language novels. He lives in Seattle, Washington.
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Titles in the series (5)
The Mongoliad: Book One Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mongoliad: Book Two Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mongoliad: Book Three Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Katabasis Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Siege Perilous Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
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Reviews for The Mongoliad
61 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The second book of the Mongoliad trilogy picks up right where the first one left off. We follow along with Feronantus's trek to the East, the travails of the remaining Rose Knights in Hunern and at the gladiatorial circus of Onghwe Khan, and the exploits of Gansukh at the court of the Khan of Khans. This book also adds a new plotline that follows a rather contentious Papal election after the death of Gregory IX. This book continues to portray the characters we got to know in the first book in interesting ways, and continues with its detailed descriptions of a number of intense one-on-one fight scenes. I was a little thrown off by the new plotline in Rome, as while it is interesting, it doesn't really have anything to do with the other characters or the Mongol invasion in general, and even by the end of the book it's not connected in any meaningful way. As might be expected, this book doesn't really have a satisfactory ending, as most readers will simply continue on with the next volume. Like the previous installment, I found this an enjoyable read.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5(3.8 Stars)
There isn’t much to say about this book other than if you liked the first, you’ll like the second.
This book series started off as an experiment. Several authors collaborated to bring you a tome of historical fiction about the Mongols, the Christians, and the people of the time.
It isn’t so much a singular work with a definite beginning and end, it is closer to just picking up where the first one left off, and ending where the third one will pick up (I assume).
The characters are well developed, the pace is sufficient, the story is interesting, and the narration in the audiobook is superb.
This is an epic tale told by literary heavyweights and does not disappoint. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5If you are considering part two of the Mongoliad, then you have certainly read part one. If not, I would do so, before picking up the succeeding volumes. I purchased all three Mongoliad novels, so feel compelled to finish them. Had I only purchased the first one, I likely would not have purchased parts two and three. These are not awful novels, but they are utterly mediocre, with little to recommend them.Part two continues the story threads introduced in part one while introducing a new one centered on Rome and a contentious papal election. The Teutonic Knights continue their quest and the court of the Mongol Khan continues with little change. As you would expect in any part two of a trilogy, little is resolved.I feel compelled to comment upon one scene from the Mongol court thread. In it, a Mongol warrior reveals himself to be quite a sensitive and patient lover. Really? In a collaboration involving six or seven authors, I can only guess that this segment was penned by a Harlequin romance specialist.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Foreworld is an experiment worth paying attention to. Be forewarned that it has an experiment's risks and benefits. The benefits are it is capable of doing some surprising things. The risks are that it is less polished and less of a coherent whole than books produced using tried and true methods.
Well worth checking out, warts and all. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Coming into a series already in progress can be a chancy proposition. With some series, unless you read them in order, you are lost in the plot direction and overwhelmed with character relationships. Luckily this was not the case for me with Book Two of the Mongoliad. I had a little problem with how the principals got to where they are, but I had no trouble just accepting their situation and moving on from there. I would like to acquire Book One, just to get caught up on the back-story.While there are many contributors noted for this work, it is not, as I first supposed, a collection of short stories all linked by a common theme. It is clearly a novel of vast and epic proportions, much like Stephenson’s Baroque Cycle. There will clearly be at least one more book in this series and I think there may be enough material for a series rivaling Conan or Sword of Truth. I have yet to figure out what the Prize is for all these people, but I’m certainly enjoying the adventure.In reality, I’d rate this as just under four stars, maybe three and three-quarters, but I’ll be kind and round up to four stars. It is not quite original to garner more points, but the story is certainly being told very well, especially considering the number of luminaries Stephenson has contributing to the effort. It must be difficult blending all those styles into one cohesive narrative.I am looking forward to the next installment!
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Disappointed. It almost makes me not want to continue with Mongoliad anymore, because getting through this felt like a chore. But to be fair, I admit my problem had to do with Book Two's direction more than anything, and that's more a matter of personal taste. Book One was different, and Book Three may yet turn out to be more my cup of tea. You never know!Either way, these books are always tough as hell to review, because of the multiple authors and their serialized nature. Bottom line: this one didn't live up to my expectations. I was much less interested in the story and the characters compared to Book One. Mostly I was just bored because the plot felt like filler, and characters I liked from the first book got very little attention this time around. Does this mean I'm being set up for something much greater in Book Three? Here's hoping.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Incredible #2
This sophomore work takes you deeper into the characters you met in the first novel, while adding a few more. Plot twists abound, problems become thorny and some world-class. It is so easy to become invested in these characters. Excellent! I'm on to book three. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The difficult second book of a trilogy. Moving the various plots along, and, in this case, introducing a new one, gaining and losing characters, but not resolving anything significant. I was less satisfied by this book as compared to its predecessor, but should have expected that. I detected a fewer signs of loose editing this time around, particularly a few instances where a plot element was glossed over with little or no explanation only to be returned to later with a rather clunky piece pf exposition. But I enjoyed enough to keep book 3 on my reading list.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved it... The way he describes a battle makes you feel as if you're right in the middle of it.