Conqueror Books in Order

The Conqueror series follows the meteoric rise of Genghis Khan and the generations of Mongol rulers who came after him. Instead of starting with a crowned warlord, Conn Iggulden begins on the harsh steppe with a boy named Temujin, abandoned by his tribe and left to die with his family.

In Wolf of the Plains / Genghis: Birth of an Empire, Temujin’s childhood is shaped by hunger, betrayal and the relentless need to protect his brothers. Small victories—stealing food, winning allies, rescuing his kidnapped wife—slowly build into something larger as he learns how to bind rival clans together under his banner. The books linger on the rhythms of nomad life: hunting, horse-breaking, winter camps and feuds that flare from old grudges.

Lords of the Bow moves into full-scale war as Genghis turns his united tribes against the walled cities of the Chin empire. Readers see how a people who live in felt tents learn siege craft, experiment with engineers and explosives, and turn mobility into their deadliest weapon. The steppe warriors are not faceless hordes; they are brothers and cousins negotiating pride, fear and jealousy while the empire grows.

In Bones of the Hills, Genghis looks west to the rich kingdoms of Khwarezm. The murder of envoys sparks a brutal campaign through Central Asia, with cities like Merv and Urgench paying the price for defiance. The story grapples with the cost of victory, both in the scale of destruction and in the strain between Genghis and his ambitious sons.

Empire of Silver and Conqueror carry the tale beyond Genghis’s death. Ogedai builds a new capital at Karakorum while armies strike into Russia and Eastern Europe, testing how far Mongol discipline and terror can carry them. Later, Kublai emerges as a different kind of ruler, fascinated by Chinese culture yet determined to keep the warrior spirit that forged the empire.

Throughout the series, battles are only part of the picture. There are council fires where khans argue over succession, winter journeys where a single mistake means death, and quiet moments when hardened riders worry about their children growing soft. The books offer a sweeping view of the largest land empire in history, told through characters who feel rooted in real landscapes and real choices.