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The Shield Brethren, an order of warrior monks, search for a way to overthrow the horde, even as the invaders take its members hostage. Forced to fight in the Mongols’ Circus of Swords, Haakon must prove his mettle or lose his life in the ring. His bravery may impress the enemy, but freedom remains a distant dream. Father Rodrigo receives a prophecy from God and believes it’s his mission to deliver the message to Rome. Though a peaceful man, he resigns himself to take up arms in the name of his Lord. Joining his fight to save Christendom are the hunter Ferenc, orphan Ocyrhoe, healer Raphael, and alchemist Yasper, each searching for his place in history.

Today I finished “The Mongoliad: Book Two“, a collaborative effort by Neal Stephenson, Erik Bear, Greg Bear, Joseph Brassey, Nicole Galland, Mark Teppo, and Cooper Moo. This second part of the Foreworld Saga picks up immediately from Book One (which makes sense since it was originally one long online serial story that was later split into three parts for publication).

The band of Shield-Bretheren along with Vera the Shield Maiden and Cnán the Binder push into the East on their quest to kill Ögedei, the Khan of Khans, leader of the Mongol Empire. The knights left behind at the Circus of Swords continue in their attempts to entertain Onghwe Khan, distracting him from the other events occurring such as the planning of an escape of the imprisoned Circus warriors, led by Kim the Flower Knight. The disgraced order of Livonian Knights, also at the Circus, have other plans for the Shield-Bretheren, however.

Meanwhile, in Rome we are introduced to a new story line: Pope Gregory IX has died and the council of cardinals has been imprisoned in the Septizodium by senator Orsini, hoping to force a quick election of a new pontiff. The cardinals are at a deadlock until the arrival of a stranger, Fr. Rodrigo Bendrito, who changes the politics of the vote. Outside the walls of the Septizodium, Ferenc, the young hunter who accompanied Bendrito to Rome (before they were separated and Bendrito captured) has joined forces with Ocyrhoe, a young Binder-initiate, to deliver the message that could change the outcome of the vote. (All of the chapters dealing with the Rome story line have Latin titles and had an interesting correlation with current events, the recent election of Pope Francis).

Finally, in the East, the Mongol court is leaving the capital city of Karakorum in a huge caravan to the sacred mountain of Burquan-qaldun, the birthplace of Ghengis Khan. Gansukh is still trying to curb Ögedei’s drinking and learn the ways of the court, but is torn between his loyalty to the empire and his growing love for Lian, the Chinese slave who wants him to help her escape captivity.

Like the first book there are a lot of characters and plot lines to follow, some of them obviously intertwined, others suspiciously separate. I can only hope everything comes together in the third and final book!