Quotes by Conn Iggulden

A brave man could conquer fear, he had learned that, but perhaps only for a time. It was something the young did not understand, the way it could gnaw at a man, the way it came back stronger every time, until you were alone and gasping for breath.

I am not you and all my choices have already been made, good and bad.

If he had learned anything from his father’s fate, it was to win, no matter how you did it. It was not important if someone else was hurt, or killed. If you won, you would be forgiven anything. You could be taken from a stinking ger and forced through the ranks until a thousand men followed your orders as if they came from the khan himself. Blood and talent. The nation was built on both.

If he had learned anything in manhood, it was that it didn’t matter what other people thought of him—even the ones he respected. In the end, he would patch together a life, with its sorry errors and its triumphs, just as they had.

As he prepared to ride on, he chuckled at the thought of the wolf entering the sheepfold. He would not ride with fire and destruction. The shepherd did not frighten his own pretty lambs.

Kublai went on as if he had not spoken.“Before you all, in the lands of my enemies, I declare myself great khan of the nation, of the khanates under my brothers, Hulegu and Arik-Boke, of the Chagatai khanate and all others. I declare myself great khan of the Chin lands and the Sung. I have spoken and my word is iron!

I am the rightful khan of the nation. I am the gur-khan. My word is iron and my word is law.

The wisdom of age is bitter when those you have failed have gone.

The man attempted to salute and Renius forced himself to smile, biting back his temper at the sloppy manners. He watched the fat figure run away into the buildings and wiped the first beads of sweat from his brow. Strange that such men as that should understand loyalty where so many others threw it aside at the first hint of freedom.

Predators did not need mercy.

God had mercy, he knew. The Mongols had none.

Its all you can say, when the end comes: I did not waste my time. I think that matters. I think it may be all that matters.

Sung Win smiled to himself, enjoying the tension across his shoulders and the way his pulse beat in his veins. All life involved risk.

You have a powerful army, Kublai, but the best force is one you do not have to use.

There is no escape from me, not even in death.

We are all fools with our sons. We wipe them and suckle them and all we expect is for them to be grateful to the end of their days.

My word is iron, Kublai said to the guards, as Meng Guang was led away. Your people will come to know this, in time.