Genghis Lords of The Bow

By: Conn Iggulden

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Conn Iggulden's Genghis Khan novels are infused with action, adventure, and rich historical details further fleshing out the great warlord's world. Having risen from his tribal upbringing, Genghis now leads a horde of fellow countrymen on a mission of conquest throughout Asia.

Escaping the Gobi Desert, he faces his greatest challenge, overtaking the empire of the Chin - a land protected by a massive, impenetrable wall.

©2008 Conn Iggulden (P)2008 Recorded Books

Road Eater

I'm a trucker and this whole series just ate up the road. My number one complaint of all three books is that there's no more. After hearing Bones Of The Hills first I thought this reader wasn't quite as in to it, but the story is so good that before long I didn't notice it

Great Story

liked it so much ordered next one in the series...very vengeful man when he is crossed

Excellent

This was an excellent listen. Very well done. You will enjoy this a lot. I’m looking forward to book three in the series.

No longer just the story of Genghis

First things first. It took quite a bit to get past the change in reader from the first book. I was merely disappointed in the beginning, since he didn't seem bad, just not as good a Stefan Rudnicki. However, I gradually became angry as he butchered the pronunciations of some names. He seemed to think that that the last syllable of certain names had to be dragged out for an extra beat or two and end in a snarl. What was more perplexing was that he didn't do this consistently. Thankfully, I think someone must have intervened since this habit diminished as the book went on. What still remained was the reader's insistence on portraying many characters in either a sniveling or raspy voice or some combination of the two.

I am glad I plodded through. I was quite satisfied with the story Iggulden weaves. He has a skillful way of portraying epic events through the eyes of a few compelling participants. In this second book, he has chosen to expand the collection of protagonists. Characters who previously mattered only in their relation to Genghis, such as his bothers, now come into their own. We are also introduced to new heroes and villains. The interactions between people around Genghis, especially his immediate family, become more complex as does Genghis' own relations with them. I do regret, though, that Borte and Hoelun, who played important roles in the first book, diminished in prominence in this book. The effect of all this is that the story seems to be evolving from the story of Genghis to the story of the burgeoning Mongol empire itself. In that sense, the title seems a bit of a misnomer, but I have no complaint. Anyone who expected this book to be the story about Genghis in his middle years will still find some of that; he is still central to the arc of the story after all, but the book aims to be much more. For me, it succeeds.

Book is great, narrator not so much.

I didn't care for the narrator but persisted. I thought I wouldn't listen to the third book but by the end of this one I was hooked again. great story.

Exciting, action packed sequel!

Despite the change in narrators, this was an very fun sequel. A lot of people complained about this narrator (Richard Ferrone), mostly due to the way he pronounces some of the names, but he didn't bother me. This is the 2nd time I've read Lords of the Bow and I enjoyed it just as much as the 1st time I read it. I can't wait to start book 3 (for the 2nd time) then finally get around to reading books 4-5 (for the 1st time). If you enjoyed book 1, you will love book 2 (as long as you can accept the narrator). Again, I had no problems with the narrator.

Really liked the story, but not the reader

After listening to the first Genghis story by Conn Iggulden, and getting used to how that book's reader pronounced names, including "Khan" pronounced as "Hon", stipulated by Conn as historically correct for the period in which Genghis lived, and "Bertay", instead of "Berta", for the name of Genghis' wife, I found myself distracted by Richard Ferrone's narration. He was excellent in the "Left Behind" series, but I wish he had listened to the first book, before narrating the second and third. Beyond narration, the story line is as solid as the first book, and more "civilized", because Genghis has aged, and his family is no longer living like abandoned animals. GREAT SERIES to follow. I'm impressed with the depth of Conn's research on the Mongol warriors.

If you liked the first

If you liked the first book, then I think you will like this one as well. But be prepared its a new narrator. I have gotten used to and do not dislike the narrator for this book, but I love Stephan Rudnicki and was very disappointed in the beginning.

The Legend Continues

Birth of an Empire is one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. I found this second book of the series a little less exciting but still in the five star category (Birth of an Empire should get six stars). The story of the hardships Genghis and his family suffered in the early years are what made the first book extra special, and although Lords of the Bow can't top that, it continues the story in great fashion.
A lot of other critiques panned the reader. For me, quite a bit of time passed between listening to the first book and the second, so I didn't suffer the impact of the let down. Instead, I found the narrator to be perfectly adequate, and he didn't ruin the story.

Edge of your Seat!

Action packed. Surprising depth to characters. Fun. Relaxing. Don’t want to stop listening. Like the narration.