Two men are chosen as envoys. Templar Josseran Sarrazini, a knight hoping to atone for past sins, and William of Augsburg, a fanatical Dominican friar.
But when Josseran and William are brought before the Mongol general he declares that the decision is not his to make and they must be sent down the Silk Road to kneel before the Great Khan at Karakorum.
The two Christians are forced to make a long, dangerous trek beyond the limits of their known world. Along the way they will face scorching deserts and icy mountain pathways with each new day a challenge to everything they thought they knew.
And Josseran will meet a beautiful, fierce Mongol Princess who has dreamt of a stranger with hair of fire.
I picked this one up on a whim and I'm rather glad I did. It's a slow-burner of a book, devoted mostly to the gruelling nature of the journey, the tense, hostile relationship between the open-minded Josseran and the Dominican zealot and the way each reacts to the new and astonishing world they are discovering. There's also the developing bond between the Templar and Khutelun, daughter of a Mongol Khan and very definitely not demure, meek or needing anybody's protection.
Falconer does a pretty good job of painting the world of the Mongol Empire, its peoples and politicking and is equally good at fleshing out William, Josseran and Khutelun, making them interesting but without falling over the cliff into obvious cliche. It probably doesn't come as a surprise that Josseran and Khutelun are people you find yourself rooting for. William... not so much.
Not my usual fare but I was impressed and would be interested in seeing what Colin Falconer's next book has to offer.
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