Blodeuedd's Tuesday Review: The Judas Blossom by Stephen Aryan

Series: The Nightingale and the Falcon (#1)

Format:419 pages, Paperback

Published: July 11, 2023 by Angry Robot

Historicalfiction fantasy/own

I cant remember if I thought this would be fantasy or if I knew it was historical fiction. He does take some liberties, and puts in some twists.

It is the story of the the Mongol conquest. When it starts they have destroyed the Persian Empire and moved on to their next target, all while the Mongol empire itself is starting to crumble.

The book follows Hulagu Khan, his son Temujin, Kokochin one of many wives, and Kaivon a Persian slave.

I once read that the Mongols killed so many that the carbon emissions from humans drastically lessened. And everyone is related to Djingis cos he raped his way across the world. They were truly evil invaders. They also do horrible things in this book, it is a bloody conquest.

So I was rooting for them all to die, haha.

The fantasy twist in it was interesting, I do want to know more about that aspect...I can not say more.

A good story, compelling. Bloody too

1260, Persia:

Due to the efforts of the great Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire covers a vast portion of the known world. In the shadow of his grandfather, Hulagu Khan, ruler of the Ilkhanate, is determined to create a single empire that covers the entire world. His method? Violence.

His youngest son, Temujin Khan, struggles to find his place in his father’s bloody rule. After another failure, Temujin is given one last chance to prove himself to Hulagu, who is sure there is a great warrior buried deep inside. But there’s something else rippling under the surface… something far more powerful and dangerous than they could ever imagine…

Reduced to the position of one of Hulagu’s many wives, the famed Blue Princess Kokochin is the last of her tribe. Alone and forgotten in a foreign land, Kokochin is unwilling to spend her days seeking out trivial pursuits. Seeking purpose, she finds herself wandering down a path that grants her more power than a wife of the Khan may be allowed.

Kaivon, the Persian rebel who despises the Mongols for the massacre of his people, thirsts for revenge. However, he knows alone he cannot destroy the empire. When given the opportunity to train under the tutelage of Hulagu, Kaivon must put aside his feelings and risk his life for a chance to destroy the empire that aims to conquer the world.

B's Monday Review: The Coward by Stephen Aryan

Series: Quest for Heroes (#1)

Format: 412 pages, Paperback

Published: June 8, 2021 by Angry Robot

Fantasy /own

I will try and make it short, but it is hard you know. Ok, I will succeed!

Krell was a hero...or was he. As I read I understood that the heroes has their flaws, and Krell was just a lucky S.o.b. But now the big bad is back and he is sent to fix it. But he is a coward...still he goes. I liked Krell, he was human. Many flaws, and still he went

Then there are some religious fanatics, ugh, hate those.

New group of heroes. Good company.

And this is a dualogy? I need book 2!

'Kell Kressia is a legend, a celebrity, a hero. Aged just seventeen he set out on an epic quest with a band of grizzled fighters to slay the Ice Lich and save the world, but only he returned victorious. The Lich was dead, the ice receded and the Five Kingdoms were safe.

Ten years have passed Kell lives a quiet farmer's life, while stories about his heroism are told in every tavern across the length and breadth of the land. But now a new terror has arisen in the north. Beyond the frozen circle, north of the Frostrunner clans, something has taken up residence in the Lich's abandoned castle. And the ice is beginning to creep south once more.

For the second time, Kell is called upon to take up his famous sword, Slayer, and battle the forces of darkness. But he has a terrible secret that nobody knows. He's not a hero - he was just lucky. Everyone puts their faith in Kell the Legend, but he's a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone...