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The Foreworld Saga #5
Siege Perilous
Ocyrhoe, a young, cunning fugitive from Rome, safeguards a chalice of subtle but great power. Finding herself in France, she allies with the persecuted, pacifist Cathar sect in their legendary mountaintop stronghold, Montségur. There she resists agents of the Roman Church and its Inquisition, fights off escalating, bloody besiegement by troops of the King of France, and shields the mysterious cup from the designs of many.
Percival, the heroic Shield-Brethren knight from The Mongoliad, consumed by his mystical visions of the Holy Grail, is also drawn to Montségur—where the chalice holds the key to his destiny.
Arrayed against Percival and Ocyrhoe are enemies both old and new who are determined to reveal the secrets of the Shield-Brethren with the hope of destroying the order once and for all.
Alive with memorable characters, intense with action and intrigue, Siege Perilous conjures a medieval world where the forces of faith confront the forces of fear. Choices made by characters in The Mongoliad reach their ultimate conclusion in this fifth and concluding novel—and all of Christendom is at stake.
Percival, the heroic Shield-Brethren knight from The Mongoliad, consumed by his mystical visions of the Holy Grail, is also drawn to Montségur—where the chalice holds the key to his destiny.
Arrayed against Percival and Ocyrhoe are enemies both old and new who are determined to reveal the secrets of the Shield-Brethren with the hope of destroying the order once and for all.
Alive with memorable characters, intense with action and intrigue, Siege Perilous conjures a medieval world where the forces of faith confront the forces of fear. Choices made by characters in The Mongoliad reach their ultimate conclusion in this fifth and concluding novel—and all of Christendom is at stake.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 2014
About the author
E.D. deBirmingham
4 books6 followersBorn and raised in the rural northeastern United States, E. D. deBirmingham has been long involved in theatre and in writing. She has also been a Buddhist nun and an equestrian instructor. Siege Perilous is E. D.’s first solo novel, following her work on The Mongoliad trilogy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 14, 2014
Audiobook from Brilliance Audio
Narrated by Angela Dawe
Length: 14.25 hours
And so it ends. When I started The Mongoliad series last year, I thought it was just a trilogy. I had no idea what to expect with the series as a whole and with the idea of "group fiction." I had no idea I'd be getting into a historical fantasy-type book (series) with a little mysticism thrown in for fun, had no real idea the breadth that the series would take. Now that I'm done with the main series of Foreworld books, I'm a little sad to see them go. Certainly I've liked some better than others, but this book, Siege Perilous, was a fitting and mostly satisfying end.
If you've read my reviews of the previous books (Book One, Book Two, Book Three, and Book Four), you'll recall that my biggest frustration with these books is the expanse of story that is covered. There are multiple plot lines with widely varying characters across a wide geographical area. This makes it hard to keep track of who is who and what's going on in any given story line, and made the books less "fun" to read. This book didn't have the same problem. There were still a few story lines (3-4), but they quickly came to all be in the same setting; we were able to see the same event from a few different points of view. Without the confusion of the world and the various goals each person was trying to meet, since those had all come together, it was much easier to follow, and as such made the overall story more enjoyable to read (listen to).
This may have also been helped by the fact that this seems to have been written by only one person. Previous books in the Foreworld Saga were written by at least 3 authors. I'm not sure if these were group writing events, where everybody weighed into each plot line, or if everybody wrote a separate story, but the end result was a difficult-to-follow main story. At first, I wasn't sure if E.D. deBirmingham was a real person or if it was a pseudonym for a group of the writers, but this 2012 Sword & Laser Google Hangout with the authors from the series demonstrates that she's really just one person. She also seems to be one of the only women in the project, if not the only woman. I think the woman's touch on the writing--the battle scenes in particular--was observable in the book as the battle scenes were not as...well, drawn out in this one, as they were in past books.
Plot-wise, this book wraps up the story of the quest for the Holy Grail. Early on in the series, it became obvious that Percival had visions and was on a quest of some sort for the Holy Grail. All of the movements of the Knights Brethren was driven by that. They met and worked with the Binders and the Shield Maidens, they fought the Mongols and the Levonian Brotherhood, all along their quest. When we left the Knights Brethren in Katabasis, the Mongols had been left to decide their new Kahn of Kahns, Ferronantus had died trying to preserve the Spirit Banner, and Raphael found himself talking to Leanne and Gonsuk to get the small sprig of wood that was important to the Spirit Banner and the Mongols. Back in Rome, Cardinal Vieshi had been elected Pope after mad Father Rodrigo was killed by Ferrens after trying to kill Ohseriweh (a Binder orphan). Ohseriwheh was sent away from the Holy Roman Emperor (King Frederic) to protect the Holy Grail that Father Rodrigo had held/used, and Ferrens became a member of Frederic's court. This book more or less starts with that setup, and takes us along with Raphael, Percival, Ferrens, Ohseriweh, Cardinal Vieshi, and Levonian Herrmeister Deitrich. Through various means, they find themselves in Carcassonne, in a part of the Crusade involving the Cathars and an isolated mountaintop fort. I don't want to spoil the plot, so that's where I'll leave it, but suffice it to say that the book mostly takes place here, through the eyes of these characters, as they struggle to find the rightful vehicle for the Holy Grail.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I did not particularly enjoy the audiobook version. The narrator for this book was Angela Dawe, a break from the previous books' narration by Luke Daniels. Dawe's voice had some quirks that didn't work for me with an audiobook. Quite often, it seemed like she had an higher voice at the end of the sentence than the beginning. This made it sound like some of the sentences were questions, rather than statements. Her pacing was odd, too. There were longer-than-normal breaks between each sentence, the silence lasted just a beat longer than expected. Oddly, the narration didn't seem to take a breath or pause when I would have expected there to be commas. Further, and this may be due to editing, there wasn't much of a gap between section breaks within a chapter. This made it hard, sometimes, to know immediately that a new point of view was coming and would make me confused until my brain registered that there was a section break. I'm not sure what lead to this narrator's selection, but I wasn't as happy with it as I was Luke Daniels' narration.
All in all, I'm glad I read the series. I actually will not be leaving the world quite yet, as I have a few of the SideQuest Adventure books and another side story in the world. I'll be reading those soon, to keep up my familiarity with the world. I definitely think that listening to this book shortly after finishing Katabasis helped keep the overall plot in my head. To those who might be interested in reading the Foreworld Saga books, I do strongly recommend reading at least the 5 main-line books in order and in close time proximity to one another. Siege Perilous, while in many respects an outsider in the saga, may have in fact been my favorite, and provided a mostly satisfying end to the Saga.
Narrated by Angela Dawe
Length: 14.25 hours
And so it ends. When I started The Mongoliad series last year, I thought it was just a trilogy. I had no idea what to expect with the series as a whole and with the idea of "group fiction." I had no idea I'd be getting into a historical fantasy-type book (series) with a little mysticism thrown in for fun, had no real idea the breadth that the series would take. Now that I'm done with the main series of Foreworld books, I'm a little sad to see them go. Certainly I've liked some better than others, but this book, Siege Perilous, was a fitting and mostly satisfying end.
If you've read my reviews of the previous books (Book One, Book Two, Book Three, and Book Four), you'll recall that my biggest frustration with these books is the expanse of story that is covered. There are multiple plot lines with widely varying characters across a wide geographical area. This makes it hard to keep track of who is who and what's going on in any given story line, and made the books less "fun" to read. This book didn't have the same problem. There were still a few story lines (3-4), but they quickly came to all be in the same setting; we were able to see the same event from a few different points of view. Without the confusion of the world and the various goals each person was trying to meet, since those had all come together, it was much easier to follow, and as such made the overall story more enjoyable to read (listen to).
This may have also been helped by the fact that this seems to have been written by only one person. Previous books in the Foreworld Saga were written by at least 3 authors. I'm not sure if these were group writing events, where everybody weighed into each plot line, or if everybody wrote a separate story, but the end result was a difficult-to-follow main story. At first, I wasn't sure if E.D. deBirmingham was a real person or if it was a pseudonym for a group of the writers, but this 2012 Sword & Laser Google Hangout with the authors from the series demonstrates that she's really just one person. She also seems to be one of the only women in the project, if not the only woman. I think the woman's touch on the writing--the battle scenes in particular--was observable in the book as the battle scenes were not as...well, drawn out in this one, as they were in past books.
Plot-wise, this book wraps up the story of the quest for the Holy Grail. Early on in the series, it became obvious that Percival had visions and was on a quest of some sort for the Holy Grail. All of the movements of the Knights Brethren was driven by that. They met and worked with the Binders and the Shield Maidens, they fought the Mongols and the Levonian Brotherhood, all along their quest. When we left the Knights Brethren in Katabasis, the Mongols had been left to decide their new Kahn of Kahns, Ferronantus had died trying to preserve the Spirit Banner, and Raphael found himself talking to Leanne and Gonsuk to get the small sprig of wood that was important to the Spirit Banner and the Mongols. Back in Rome, Cardinal Vieshi had been elected Pope after mad Father Rodrigo was killed by Ferrens after trying to kill Ohseriweh (a Binder orphan). Ohseriwheh was sent away from the Holy Roman Emperor (King Frederic) to protect the Holy Grail that Father Rodrigo had held/used, and Ferrens became a member of Frederic's court. This book more or less starts with that setup, and takes us along with Raphael, Percival, Ferrens, Ohseriweh, Cardinal Vieshi, and Levonian Herrmeister Deitrich. Through various means, they find themselves in Carcassonne, in a part of the Crusade involving the Cathars and an isolated mountaintop fort. I don't want to spoil the plot, so that's where I'll leave it, but suffice it to say that the book mostly takes place here, through the eyes of these characters, as they struggle to find the rightful vehicle for the Holy Grail.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I did not particularly enjoy the audiobook version. The narrator for this book was Angela Dawe, a break from the previous books' narration by Luke Daniels. Dawe's voice had some quirks that didn't work for me with an audiobook. Quite often, it seemed like she had an higher voice at the end of the sentence than the beginning. This made it sound like some of the sentences were questions, rather than statements. Her pacing was odd, too. There were longer-than-normal breaks between each sentence, the silence lasted just a beat longer than expected. Oddly, the narration didn't seem to take a breath or pause when I would have expected there to be commas. Further, and this may be due to editing, there wasn't much of a gap between section breaks within a chapter. This made it hard, sometimes, to know immediately that a new point of view was coming and would make me confused until my brain registered that there was a section break. I'm not sure what lead to this narrator's selection, but I wasn't as happy with it as I was Luke Daniels' narration.
All in all, I'm glad I read the series. I actually will not be leaving the world quite yet, as I have a few of the SideQuest Adventure books and another side story in the world. I'll be reading those soon, to keep up my familiarity with the world. I definitely think that listening to this book shortly after finishing Katabasis helped keep the overall plot in my head. To those who might be interested in reading the Foreworld Saga books, I do strongly recommend reading at least the 5 main-line books in order and in close time proximity to one another. Siege Perilous, while in many respects an outsider in the saga, may have in fact been my favorite, and provided a mostly satisfying end to the Saga.
February 10, 2014
This is the fifth and last book of the Mongoliad series. As an individual story it is excellent, as the end of the series it leaves much to be desired. The strength of this series has been the portrayal of the 13th century world, the western martial arts and the transformation from the old religions to the new. All in all the series is very good and relies very little on fantastical elements. Some of the books drag a bit but they did cross Russia and back on horseback; that takes a while. All these books led up to this whimper of a climax. Up until the last few chapter though it was a solid effort and is due mainly to the plot choices they made, not the writing.
December 16, 2018
Story 3.5 stars, especially for the history involved. Fascinating tale involving the Holy Grail, the Albigensian (Cathar) heresy, an unreliable but still compelling Roman street girl, Ocyrhoe, who is a fugitive from the Church, the life of the Cathars in their mountain top fort, battles involving medieval war engines like trebuchets and fire arrows, religious infighting and intrigue, etc.
Plus we reunited with many characters from previous volumes, including Shield Brethren Rafael, Vera, and Percival, Ferenc, Emperor Frederick, Cardinal Fieschi, etc.
Volume 4 (“Katabasis”) was the real ending to the Mongoliad series.
This book, Volume 5, was really a tangent or side story. Still quite interesting.
Audio reading by Angela Dawe..1 star. She did one of the worst audio readings I can ever remember, mostly involving a lot of shouting in a monotone voice, as if she were angry to be reading this story. She nearly ruined it for me, but the story itself was strong enough to allow me to finish it in spite of her awful performance.
I think she usually reads Harlequin romances, and clearly the depth, complexity, and nuance of the material was beyond her.
Anyway, I’m sorry to say good bye to the “Mongoliad” and its fascinating cast of characters and wealth of historical detail about an era of history that seems less written about than other periods (i.e., the rise and fall of the Mongolian Empire). However the “Foreworld Saga” (alternate name) has a lot of prequels and side stories, so I may be revisiting it soon.
Plus we reunited with many characters from previous volumes, including Shield Brethren Rafael, Vera, and Percival, Ferenc, Emperor Frederick, Cardinal Fieschi, etc.
Volume 4 (“Katabasis”) was the real ending to the Mongoliad series.
This book, Volume 5, was really a tangent or side story. Still quite interesting.
Audio reading by Angela Dawe..1 star. She did one of the worst audio readings I can ever remember, mostly involving a lot of shouting in a monotone voice, as if she were angry to be reading this story. She nearly ruined it for me, but the story itself was strong enough to allow me to finish it in spite of her awful performance.
I think she usually reads Harlequin romances, and clearly the depth, complexity, and nuance of the material was beyond her.
Anyway, I’m sorry to say good bye to the “Mongoliad” and its fascinating cast of characters and wealth of historical detail about an era of history that seems less written about than other periods (i.e., the rise and fall of the Mongolian Empire). However the “Foreworld Saga” (alternate name) has a lot of prequels and side stories, so I may be revisiting it soon.
October 9, 2014
Ocyrhoe, renegade Binder, is hiding from Rome with the chalice that holds some kind of supernatural power in the right hands. The Pope wants to use it for his own purposes, so she hides with a sect of heretics on a mountain with hidden entrances--a stronghold that is soon under siege by an army of impressed men, unable to desert because of the punishments. This uneasy siege lasts for some time, with supplies being smuggled up--until their enemies grow serious, and the attack begins in earnest.
The citadel would have soon fallen, except for Percival being drawn by his visions to the chalice's location--and followed by other Shield Brethren determined to bring him back. Once they are there, the knights can't abandon people in need, so together they face down old enemies still determined to destroy them, and new ones who seek to go through them to the pacifist order.
Up on that mountain, there's several reunions, and the characters' relationships shift and change while trapped there. Despite the war between religions, power-hungry enemies, and even some questionable motives among the knights, the story has time for a few unexpectedly sweet moments, which helped enliven the siege. However, the end didn't live up to the promise woven by dire dangers, tense situations, and a fanatically determined bad guy. For the last book of the series, the ending is a little anticlimactic. After all that work, the ending seems easy and unresolved. And there weren't some of the happy endings for characters that I was hoping for, with the unhappiness feeling rather arbitrary, so I felt a little let down by this book.
The citadel would have soon fallen, except for Percival being drawn by his visions to the chalice's location--and followed by other Shield Brethren determined to bring him back. Once they are there, the knights can't abandon people in need, so together they face down old enemies still determined to destroy them, and new ones who seek to go through them to the pacifist order.
Up on that mountain, there's several reunions, and the characters' relationships shift and change while trapped there. Despite the war between religions, power-hungry enemies, and even some questionable motives among the knights, the story has time for a few unexpectedly sweet moments, which helped enliven the siege. However, the end didn't live up to the promise woven by dire dangers, tense situations, and a fanatically determined bad guy. For the last book of the series, the ending is a little anticlimactic. After all that work, the ending seems easy and unresolved. And there weren't some of the happy endings for characters that I was hoping for, with the unhappiness feeling rather arbitrary, so I felt a little let down by this book.
March 4, 2014
I previously read the first book of ‘The Mongoliad’ and thought it had a lot of promise, but suffered a bit from committee-itis. (too many authors, not enough focus).
So, I skipped forward to this one, which is #5 in the series, and written by a single author. It is, indeed, much more focused. The story is solely about the character Ocyrhoe, and although I clearly missed some events since the first book, I thought it worked fine as a self-contained, stand-alone work.
Ocyrhoe ends up at Montségur, during the famous siege of the heretical Cathars at the end of the Albigensian crusade. It’s a fascinating moment in history, but although events are complicated both by Ocyrhoe’s being the custodian of a cup that may or may not be the holy Grail, and her new-found emotions for her old friend Ferenc, whom she’s coincidentally been reunited with, well, being besieged can get a little tedious.
I also felt that the book is stylistically consistent with the first novel in this series – which is undoubtedly appropriate, but it just didn’t fully resonate with me. It’s not bad, and it’s definitely recommended for fans of the series – I just didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.
Copy received through GoodReads’ First Reads program. Many thanks to GoodReads and 47North.
So, I skipped forward to this one, which is #5 in the series, and written by a single author. It is, indeed, much more focused. The story is solely about the character Ocyrhoe, and although I clearly missed some events since the first book, I thought it worked fine as a self-contained, stand-alone work.
Ocyrhoe ends up at Montségur, during the famous siege of the heretical Cathars at the end of the Albigensian crusade. It’s a fascinating moment in history, but although events are complicated both by Ocyrhoe’s being the custodian of a cup that may or may not be the holy Grail, and her new-found emotions for her old friend Ferenc, whom she’s coincidentally been reunited with, well, being besieged can get a little tedious.
I also felt that the book is stylistically consistent with the first novel in this series – which is undoubtedly appropriate, but it just didn’t fully resonate with me. It’s not bad, and it’s definitely recommended for fans of the series – I just didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.
Copy received through GoodReads’ First Reads program. Many thanks to GoodReads and 47North.
June 17, 2018
This book completes the "medieval cycle" of the Foreworld saga, which is an alt-history take on the 13th century. I'm not familiar with the rest of the saga- the "side quests" and other material (most of which are comics/graphic novels), as I've only focused on the novels so far. "Siege Perilous
" is a direct sequel to both "The Mongoliad" and "Katabasis"- the Shield Brethren successfully completed their mission to the Mongol Empire bringing back the twig from the Khan's banner; we also follow the Binder orphan Occyrhoe, who's been entrusted with a mysterious chalice.
The book deals directly with the last episodes of the Cathar, or Albigensian crusades in southern France. The Shiled Brethren and the Livonian knights get embroiled in the conflict and the siege of Montsegur- the last fortress refuge of the Cathars.
The book flows well. The description of the siege is lengthy, but it never felt like it dragged on, and all details were relevant. I can't really say that the over-arching plot was particularly compelling- the semi-mystical mumbo-jumbo with the chalice and the twig may make more sense with the "side quest" novels, but as someone who only read the main novels, it felt a bit tacked on, and.... artificial?
That being sad, the actual characters-focused story was decent. Nothing particularly earth-shattering, but it works. Most importantly (for me), the story did provide closure, and pretty much every character had an understandable motivation in a very complex and messy conflict.
Overall, the book is a suitable conclusion. it's not particularly "epic" or outstanding, but it works.
" is a direct sequel to both "The Mongoliad" and "Katabasis"- the Shield Brethren successfully completed their mission to the Mongol Empire bringing back the twig from the Khan's banner; we also follow the Binder orphan Occyrhoe, who's been entrusted with a mysterious chalice.
The book deals directly with the last episodes of the Cathar, or Albigensian crusades in southern France. The Shiled Brethren and the Livonian knights get embroiled in the conflict and the siege of Montsegur- the last fortress refuge of the Cathars.
The book flows well. The description of the siege is lengthy, but it never felt like it dragged on, and all details were relevant. I can't really say that the over-arching plot was particularly compelling- the semi-mystical mumbo-jumbo with the chalice and the twig may make more sense with the "side quest" novels, but as someone who only read the main novels, it felt a bit tacked on, and.... artificial?
That being sad, the actual characters-focused story was decent. Nothing particularly earth-shattering, but it works. Most importantly (for me), the story did provide closure, and pretty much every character had an understandable motivation in a very complex and messy conflict.
Overall, the book is a suitable conclusion. it's not particularly "epic" or outstanding, but it works.
March 27, 2019
Political Intrigue.
Almost every character in this story has their own agenda. Most of them are up to no good. At the center of all the intrigue is a cup of power. Not the Holy Grail, but a chalice of power, nonetheless. However, not just anyone, can wield it. As previous stewards of the chalice tend to be insane, or a danger to themselves and those around them.
Quite a few powerful people covet it, for one reason or another. There are a few obstacles in the way. Not the least being, that it's whereabouts are known only by a young woman, who is reluctant to give up it's location, not even to Perceval who is apparently, the rightful steward of the cup. The other main obstacle is that it is hidden somewhere in a mountain top fortress, currently under siege. No pressure, right?
Almost every character in this story has their own agenda. Most of them are up to no good. At the center of all the intrigue is a cup of power. Not the Holy Grail, but a chalice of power, nonetheless. However, not just anyone, can wield it. As previous stewards of the chalice tend to be insane, or a danger to themselves and those around them.
Quite a few powerful people covet it, for one reason or another. There are a few obstacles in the way. Not the least being, that it's whereabouts are known only by a young woman, who is reluctant to give up it's location, not even to Perceval who is apparently, the rightful steward of the cup. The other main obstacle is that it is hidden somewhere in a mountain top fortress, currently under siege. No pressure, right?
June 2, 2022
I read the sequel to the Mongoliad Series in one day. It is an engrossing read with a plot involving, in the main, the Shield-Brethren Percival and Raphael, Vera the Shield-Maiden, a Livonian Knight, a young Binder, the Pope, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and a community of the beleaguered Cathars (Christian heretics) living in Languedoc. The new venue sheds light on Catholic Crusades within Europe, the church's inquisitions into heresy, legends of the Holy Grail, and a keen insight into the mystical Percival--who may or not be the Parzifal of romance.
This concluding novel closes several unresolved plot threads that emerged in the series, which, while clunky at times and challenging in some vocabulary, is an engaging journey through violent times and places rarely traveled in modern fiction.
This concluding novel closes several unresolved plot threads that emerged in the series, which, while clunky at times and challenging in some vocabulary, is an engaging journey through violent times and places rarely traveled in modern fiction.
February 3, 2018
Best book in the Foreworld series. Now you should still read the previous novels as the characters and a bit of their past lead into Siege Perilous. Book 5 is a good ole-fashioned castle siege. Throw in the French army, some Roman-Catholic papal influence, the holy roman emperor, and our friends from the shield-brethren. I think this story reads much faster due to the single author (deBirmingham). I love castles. People defending them to the last is good story.
August 1, 2022
A gripping story continuing the adventures of the Shield-Brethren Raphael, Vera & Percival as well as the binder Ocyrhoe and her friend Ferenc.
There’s are highs lows and thrilling battle scenes. This also gives an insight into what it was like to both be besieged and to be a besieging army. Showing the advantages and disadvantages of each side.
Well worthy of a read, not sure if this is the finale to the Foreworld series but if not it will be interesting to see where our heroes go next.
There’s are highs lows and thrilling battle scenes. This also gives an insight into what it was like to both be besieged and to be a besieging army. Showing the advantages and disadvantages of each side.
Well worthy of a read, not sure if this is the finale to the Foreworld series but if not it will be interesting to see where our heroes go next.
December 28, 2023
The conclusion to the original Foreworld series, (no spoilers) revolves around a convoluted siege situation.
I enjoyed seeing so many old favourites brought back together, although once we got past the Mongoliad and Stephenson left the writing crew, the series lost of a bit of its shine for me.
Also, even though it was essential to the plot, the "magic" parts of the series were some of my least favourite.
Still, an OK conclusion to the series.
I enjoyed seeing so many old favourites brought back together, although once we got past the Mongoliad and Stephenson left the writing crew, the series lost of a bit of its shine for me.
Also, even though it was essential to the plot, the "magic" parts of the series were some of my least favourite.
Still, an OK conclusion to the series.
May 24, 2024
Disappointing ending
After following through five books I was very disappointed with the ending. What happened with the Mongol armies ? What about the other characters who survived the trek across the continent ? Yes we were kind of given an explanation in the fourth book. It just seemed disjointed to me and then they killed off another one of my favorite characters. What happens now is there going to be another book or are we left to wonder?
After following through five books I was very disappointed with the ending. What happened with the Mongol armies ? What about the other characters who survived the trek across the continent ? Yes we were kind of given an explanation in the fourth book. It just seemed disjointed to me and then they killed off another one of my favorite characters. What happens now is there going to be another book or are we left to wonder?
March 18, 2019
Eh, the plot was pretty lame. Basically, one of the characters relented doing something until the very end of the book lol, and that was it mostly. Not sure what the whole point of it was. Anyway it's pretty clear the series should have finished at the 3rd book but I guess some of the authors wanted to keep it going for some reason.
September 13, 2017
5th Novel of the derided was wonderful to read
The Mongolia's is a great series, enlightening and historically well researched. One is transported to other times and values, this book is a grand continuation of the novels.
The Mongolia's is a great series, enlightening and historically well researched. One is transported to other times and values, this book is a grand continuation of the novels.
May 29, 2020
According to others, The Mongoliad is is a work of historical fiction that tells of the 13th century Mongol invasion of Europe. But the dialogue is so fantasy like, after three starts and stops, I could not get into it. Lets put this book into the category of DNF (did not finish).
May 29, 2017
Ties many arcs together well
Several story arcs launched in the first four books draw together at last. And yet, are they complete? Or only resting?
Several story arcs launched in the first four books draw together at last. And yet, are they complete? Or only resting?
January 31, 2018
Lack of story makes this not as good as a previous book in the series, but still quite nice end to series.
May 30, 2018
Good ending to the series
And a nice setup for the next set of brave souls who continue the story in future volumes (hopefully). And well done with characters lives.
And a nice setup for the next set of brave souls who continue the story in future volumes (hopefully). And well done with characters lives.
September 1, 2018
Excellent!
One of the best historical/fantasy series I've ever read. Wonderful characters. Truly epic events. Loved it! Great fusion of authors, seamlessly integrated styles.
One of the best historical/fantasy series I've ever read. Wonderful characters. Truly epic events. Loved it! Great fusion of authors, seamlessly integrated styles.
February 15, 2019
Fun series
Well written. Interesting fight descriptions .kept my attention.has a go t hic religious twist , sort of Joan . Of Arc feek
Well written. Interesting fight descriptions .kept my attention.has a go t hic religious twist , sort of Joan . Of Arc feek
March 14, 2017
The best of the series
This is the best of the series novels, so far. However, the preceding books are required reading. Very powerfully done.
This is the best of the series novels, so far. However, the preceding books are required reading. Very powerfully done.
March 6, 2017
Not a bad conclusion to this series. It wraps up (mostly satisfactorily) the loose ends and mysteries that yet remained. I found the book in general to be a bit lower quality. There was only one storyline throughout, unlike previous books that had 3 or 4 alternating ones. I found quite a few more typos in this book as well as a number of unclear sentences. But, regardless, I enjoyed the story as a whole.
February 26, 2017
Mongoliad Siege a delightful time well spent.
i view the whole series with great pleasure, well written, enjoyable and satisfying. discriptions emotions and scenery are brought to life making the Mongoliad Series a delightful read!
i view the whole series with great pleasure, well written, enjoyable and satisfying. discriptions emotions and scenery are brought to life making the Mongoliad Series a delightful read!
February 8, 2016
This is the final book in the main Mongoliad cycle of books. While the third book ended with the end of the Shield Brethren's quest to assassinate the Great Khan in order to stall the Mongol advance into Europe, the fourth and fifth books have focused more on the supernatural aspects of the story. The fourth book was centered around Kiev and the ever-living sprig of the World Tree that was taken from the Mongols. Book 5 continues what was, for me, the least appealing of the story lines from the first three; namely the Rome storyline which culminated in the appearance of a cup with strange powers. Percival, the knight of the Shield Brethren, and probably most chivalrous of them, has had visions off and on throughout the Mongoliad that apparently were leading him to this same cup.
This book wasn't bad. It was nice to be able to continue following the story of characters that I really enjoyed in the first three books. Raphael, Vera, Percival, Ocyrhoe, and Ferenc all return for the last book. The style, however, is very different from the other books. You can tell that Neal is no longer writing for this series. There was much less emphasis on fighting techniques until the very end. I found Percival's personality to be noticeably different as well. Also, the first three books tended to focus more on the physical and (semi) historical. These last two books have been much more supernatural.
When I finished the third book I was a little upset about the number of loose ends left; very typical of Stephenson books I think. Now, most all of those are tied up, but I'm not positive that I am any more satisfied by it. But still, an entertaining read.
This book wasn't bad. It was nice to be able to continue following the story of characters that I really enjoyed in the first three books. Raphael, Vera, Percival, Ocyrhoe, and Ferenc all return for the last book. The style, however, is very different from the other books. You can tell that Neal is no longer writing for this series. There was much less emphasis on fighting techniques until the very end. I found Percival's personality to be noticeably different as well. Also, the first three books tended to focus more on the physical and (semi) historical. These last two books have been much more supernatural.
When I finished the third book I was a little upset about the number of loose ends left; very typical of Stephenson books I think. Now, most all of those are tied up, but I'm not positive that I am any more satisfied by it. But still, an entertaining read.
July 8, 2014
I haven't read the other books in the series, which I suspect would have made this a better reading experience. However, even lacking any knowledge of what transpired in the first four books, I very much enjoyed this story. Ocyrhoe is an intriguing main character and following adventures during her escape from Rome with a mysterious chalice makes for an immersive read. It's far from an easy journey and when she reaches her destination, things get even more difficult because she's been drawn to a small, but defiant community atop a mountain in France that is under siege. She fits in well because of her ability to see things others miss, as well as travel in stealth, whether she's going up and down the hidden paths on the mountainside or through the twisting tunnels that connect the top of the mountain and the base.
The siege and accompanying battles are grim and bloody, not unexpected for the times when the story takes place. Despite all this and her fears of having the chalice fall into the wrong hands, Ocyrhoe finds love and ultimate triumph over the forces of evil.
This is fantasy as it should be written, enhanced by the weaving in of historical events that are themselves shrouded in mystery. I do think the ending begs for another installment as it leaves me greatly wondering what in heck happens next.
The siege and accompanying battles are grim and bloody, not unexpected for the times when the story takes place. Despite all this and her fears of having the chalice fall into the wrong hands, Ocyrhoe finds love and ultimate triumph over the forces of evil.
This is fantasy as it should be written, enhanced by the weaving in of historical events that are themselves shrouded in mystery. I do think the ending begs for another installment as it leaves me greatly wondering what in heck happens next.
February 15, 2014
This is a great book. It was compelling and well-paced, with an understated prose style that added greatly to my reading enjoyment. It seems at first simple, but reveals itself with time spent to be tightly contained, giving the greatest amount of information and imagery with the least amount of extraneous words.
This is the fifth book in a cycle, and though it was clear that the events were built upon events from previous books, it was well suited to read alone. Not that I'm not now champing at the bit to read the first four, simply that one needn't have read them to understand this book
I love the protagonist and worked and suffered alongside her throughout the book. Ocyrhroe is spunky and unwhining. She's saddled with an artifact and responsibility she never wanted, but must keep from harming others. She both fears and uses it, when necessary. Just when she finds a little peace and belonging, and maybe love, events conspire to take almost everything from her. She bears up well despite her despair and soldiers on.
The other characters are also well-rounded and true to their characterization. I loved Vera and Raphael and Ferenc and distrusted Percival. I enjoyed reading about Cathars and Shield Maidens and Good Ones. I found this to be a solid and enjoyable book. My advance reader copy had very few grammar and typesetting errors.
This is the fifth book in a cycle, and though it was clear that the events were built upon events from previous books, it was well suited to read alone. Not that I'm not now champing at the bit to read the first four, simply that one needn't have read them to understand this book
I love the protagonist and worked and suffered alongside her throughout the book. Ocyrhroe is spunky and unwhining. She's saddled with an artifact and responsibility she never wanted, but must keep from harming others. She both fears and uses it, when necessary. Just when she finds a little peace and belonging, and maybe love, events conspire to take almost everything from her. She bears up well despite her despair and soldiers on.
The other characters are also well-rounded and true to their characterization. I loved Vera and Raphael and Ferenc and distrusted Percival. I enjoyed reading about Cathars and Shield Maidens and Good Ones. I found this to be a solid and enjoyable book. My advance reader copy had very few grammar and typesetting errors.
April 23, 2015
The alleged Book Five of The Mongoliad, originally by Neal Stephenson and the Bears.
Clearly Stephenson and the original authors in the collaborative series have lost interest, moved on, and farmed-out tying up the loose ends to someone else -- without any apparent editorial oversight.
Book Four "Katabasis" (also without Stephenson and the Bears in evidence) worked just fine.
Five thumbs up for that book, and the series in general.
This book, however, is beyond horrible.
Amateurish, clunky, forced ... blah.
Don't waste your time. I never bothered to finish it.
Excerpt from my Book Five review at Amazon:
"I don't usually bother writing book reviews, but I'll make an exception here. "Siege Perilous" is -- in a word -- dreadful. Coming as it does as the purported fifth book in Neal Stephenson's (et al) "The Mongoliad Cycle" it has become a clunky, awkward filler to end the series and tie up loose ends, that, in retrospect, might have better been left alone."
BUT READ THE FIRST FOUR BOOKS!!!
Clearly Stephenson and the original authors in the collaborative series have lost interest, moved on, and farmed-out tying up the loose ends to someone else -- without any apparent editorial oversight.
Book Four "Katabasis" (also without Stephenson and the Bears in evidence) worked just fine.
Five thumbs up for that book, and the series in general.
This book, however, is beyond horrible.
Amateurish, clunky, forced ... blah.
Don't waste your time. I never bothered to finish it.
Excerpt from my Book Five review at Amazon:
"I don't usually bother writing book reviews, but I'll make an exception here. "Siege Perilous" is -- in a word -- dreadful. Coming as it does as the purported fifth book in Neal Stephenson's (et al) "The Mongoliad Cycle" it has become a clunky, awkward filler to end the series and tie up loose ends, that, in retrospect, might have better been left alone."
BUT READ THE FIRST FOUR BOOKS!!!
October 5, 2016
The final book in the Foreworld saga. With the main story finishing up in the previous book this finishes off a secondary tale that had started in the first novel but didn't really pick up until the second one once things got going, although I am slight curious where the epilogue of the previous novel takes place in correlation of this tale. BUT as to the stror itself, well we definitely got an ending, maybe I after five novels I was expecting something a little more definitive than what we got. As in although the heroes of the story sort of won they lost as well. It was a well told tale, there were a couple of twist I didn't quite expect. As a whole I'd say the series was good, interesting characters and concepts. And seeing how this particular series is out of my usual "comfort zone" as they say I did want to finish it once I started it. If you're interested in this sort of thing Definitely start with the first book, maybe even a couple of the stand alone novellas for a glimpse into the world itself to see if you ant to dive inot the main story.
March 30, 2014
This was won through a Good Reads Give away.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series, so I only have this one to compare to. I wasn't overly familiar with the rest of the series.
But I have to say over all it's pretty good. The writing is nice, I like the pace, its interesting to read a take on the Crusades that blends fantasy fiction and a sort of magic with historical fact. I didn't have problems getting into the story, 50 pages passed very quickly.
The characters are very well defined, and described very well, I didn't have any problems figuring out who the various characters were, unlike some other series I have stepped into mid way, I have to say I was very glad this wasn't an issue
If the area of Crusades is a point in time that interests you, and you have a thing for holy grail mythology I'd say this would defiantly be a series worth looking into..
overall , well done, I would recommend this series.
I haven't read any of the other books in this series, so I only have this one to compare to. I wasn't overly familiar with the rest of the series.
But I have to say over all it's pretty good. The writing is nice, I like the pace, its interesting to read a take on the Crusades that blends fantasy fiction and a sort of magic with historical fact. I didn't have problems getting into the story, 50 pages passed very quickly.
The characters are very well defined, and described very well, I didn't have any problems figuring out who the various characters were, unlike some other series I have stepped into mid way, I have to say I was very glad this wasn't an issue
If the area of Crusades is a point in time that interests you, and you have a thing for holy grail mythology I'd say this would defiantly be a series worth looking into..
overall , well done, I would recommend this series.
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