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egelwan's review
4.0
Utterly unique and compelling evocation of a world. The finish was abit anticlimactic, which is of a piece with my recent experiences with Stephenson
spookybarn's review
4.0
Satisfying resolution to all of the various plot threads. If you've read the first two books, then this is a no-brainer.
tdeshler's review against another edition
4.0
The longest of the three books resulted in a fairly satisfying conclusion. I was never really sure why the Roman episodes were included. They were never tied to the other stories. There was a little bit too much swordplay and fighting at the end but I suppose that was inevitable.
tikaro's review
3.0
An under-edited hot mess, but a fun under-edited hot mess, and I learned a lot about a really fascinating part of history that I knew nothing about.
Solomonic Gold Completists will want to have read the bits about the grail, too.
Solomonic Gold Completists will want to have read the bits about the grail, too.
roba's review
4.0
With so many strands and so many authors, it's incredible this is such an even read. Though inevitably there are a couple of bits I liked less, and some of the pope-choosing goes on a bit (just like real life, eh, readers????!!!!), the book hauled me through 800-odd pages impressively. Lots more fights - I want an edition with a button built in which plays a sample of clashing swords when you press it. A fun trilogy.
rebekahmay's review
4.0
This was probably the best of The Mongoliad trilogy, though I didn't enjoy as much as I enjoyed the prequels included in the kindle editions of the three books. The trilogy follows four main events: the Khan's circus in Hunern, the Shield Brethren's quest to kill the Khagan, the happenings in the heart of the Mongol empire, and the election of a new pope in Rome. I thoroughly enjoyed the various Shield Brethren brothers and their individual personalities, as well as the brotherhood they, and their close friends, shared. Following Gansukh and Lian in the Mongol empire was sweet, and I liked Gansukh's character development. I even sympathised with Ogedei and his feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness of being Khan of Khans. Even after finishing the third installment of this series, I'm not entirely sure why the Rome perspective was included. It seemed, to me, to be totally irrelevant to the rest of the story, bar Percival's vision about the Grail which was also irrelevant and never resolved or explained. Though it was irrelevant, it was at least entertaining in this book and while I was reading what was happening there I wasn't constantly wondering what the point of it was like I was during book two. This is more of a 3.5 stars than 4, mostly because of there being so many loose ends. I may read the other 'side quests' if they reveal what might have happened to the Spirit Banner and Feronantus and Istvan, or how Gansukh and Alchiq track the group riding west, or even what happens to Ocyrhoe with her cargo. Overall, I did enjoy this book but I do find myself unsatisfied with the ending.
maiko's review
2.0
El peor de la trilogía. Personajes y situaciones increíbles, finales a medio terminar, reparto de PX.
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