This is an engaging and colorful historical fiction. Instead of just going back a few centuries, this novel reaches back to the time of Genghis Khan. The detail was amazing and transports the reader into the past with broad swaths of color that illustrate the 12th century, the passion to obtain power, and the underlying lives sacrificed by those who sought it. The fiction was well done and is well done as it's woven into the historical record. looking forward to reading more by F.M. Deemyad. Great book!

I really wanted to love this book because it was about Genghis Khan told from the women who knew him. The premise sounded interesting, but it was very slow moving. There was not much of a plot. This made it hard for me to connect with the story. Thus, it had great potential but it was not executed well.

Such a refreshing book about 3 princesses and their history with Genghis Khan, their part in his empire. Well written and well worth the read.

In the year 1398 A.D., Lady Goharshad and her husband, King Shahrokh, come across an ancient manuscript in the ruins of Karakoram, the Mongol capital. The manuscript chronicles the era of Mongol invasions with entires by three princesses from China, Persia, and Poland who are captured and brought to the Mongol court.

Through beautiful language and powerful storytelling, this fact-based historical novel lays bare the once far reaching and uncompromising Mongol empire. It shows readers the hidden perspectives of the captive, conquered, and voiceless. It brings light to the tremendous but forgotten influence of Genghis Khan and his progeny, while asking readers to reconsider the destruction and suffering of the past on which the future is built.

A thousand thanks to @ @netgalley and @ for this insanely outstanding book 🥂👌🏼

You’re about to be swept into the world of the Genghis Khan empire. So buckle up.

The Sky Worshipers is told in three parts. The book starts at a very good pace with the story of Princess Chaka. It’s becomes more descriptive slowing the pace. The story gives a good depiction of who Genghis Khan was.

Each of the princesses, Chaka, Reyhan and Krisztina, although unique, are very strong women and bring a story of survival in vastly different cultures and lands than the ones they were raised.

Deemyad has crafted a wonderful narrative that allows us to learn about a powerful ruler while transporting us to a world where there are strong princesses who tirelessly fought to create a better future through wisdom, love and empathy.

Highly recommend this book for historical fiction fans, this period of history is breathtaking. I enjoyed reading this book very much. I just wish ans hope that this book could be turned into a movie one day.

Lady Goharshad and King Shahrokh find an ancient manuscript in 1398 that chronicles Mongol invasions with entries by three princesses from China, Persia, and Poland who are captured and brought to the Mongol court. Princess Chaka of Tangut had to marry Genghis Khan, and began the chronicle. Princess Reyhan of Persia is kidnapped by Ogodei, Genghis's son and heir, and continues recording events in secret. Princess Krisztina of Poland is taken as a prisoner of war, so Reyhan asks Hulagu, Genghis's grandson, for help. She writes the final entry in the journal.

I haven't read many books involving the Mongol empire, let alone one about its women, so I was drawn to this historical novel to find out more. The author is also a scholar of the period and had wondered about the place of women. This scholarship and attention to detail really shows, so it really makes the women come alive.

I felt bad for Chaka, whose kidnapping forced her marriage to Ghengis Khan, though they did have an emotional connection after a time. She was expected to be ornamental, but within the confines of Mongol culture managed to find a place for herself. Her end was sad, but she kept to her ideals and what was important to her to the very end. Theirs is a harsher world than ours, so it really makes Ghengis Khan seem even more ruthless and cruel than historical records paint him. His son isn't the same kind of man, as he's more dismissive, but Rayhan was isolated and frequently looked down upon. It was worse because of her barren state, but at least her education was respected and ultimately gave her a place at court educating the children. Rayhan asked Hulagu to rescue Princess Krisztina of Poland from the captives, and he ultimately married her. Krisztina missed her homeland, even though she came to care for Hulagu; her life ultimately was sad, and she was allowed to go home again when older.

Each of these three princesses tried to live in the middle of the Mongol empire with grace and empathy. It was difficult, when those were not traits honored by the people or the ruling class, and left them isolated. In the final part of the book, when their shared manuscript is found by Mongolian descendants ruling the land, their story affects the queen profoundly. She works to help build monuments and aid the common people, not just the nobility. It's quite the journey through history through the eyes of women. Instead of just hearing about the death toll from wars, we get a chance to see aspects of their culture, how the children are raised, and how they see outsiders and other cultures of the period. The Sky Worshipers is a fascinating way to look into a culture and time period that isn't well known, and I look forward to reading more books in this vein.

I so wanted to love this book, but it's a DNF for me.

Love the premise and the setting. The characters and story execution, though, fell flat. I just didn't feel a connection and, ultimately, reading became more work than enjoyment.

Maybe the expansive time period was too vast an undertaking, or maybe the writing style is a better fit for nonfiction. Or maybe it's just me. If this one appeals to you, please do give it a try.

Tears of the women

A thoroughly interesting book written on the Mongol empire. The book is a rich historical work written to read as a novel. It is very well written and easy to read. The story catches your interest from the beginning all the way to the end.

In the beginning when Chaka a princess is captured and taken as a wife by the great Mongol warrior Genghis Khan to the end where the Mongol civilization has become less warlike and more civilized the story is one told of the women. The Mongols captured learned people from different kingdoms which in turn enhanced their own civilization.

Chaka wrote down in a brown leather journal the tears, the fears and the great battles of the Mongol empire. The women were often advisers and important to the rulers. Woe be to those that did not obey because they lost their life, Chaka at Khan’s blade . As the Mongol civilization evolved so did the women even to walking among the common’s and adopting three daughters.

I enjoyed this book about history and I would recommend it.

Thanks to F. M. Deemyad, History Through Fiction, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy for an honest review.

This book was a very ambitious debut for author F.M. Deemyad. The scope of the book is extensive. It covers the beginning of the Mongol Empire all the way through several generations of its rulers. The book starts off strong with the initial expansion of the Mongol Empire by Genghis Khan. Chaka, a captured Persian princess, makes every attempt to bring culture and the art of statesmanship to the otherwise rough and seemingly brutish style of the Mongols. Her resolve to record the events that she is made aware of is the thread used to bind together the other main characters of the book.
As the Mongols continued to expand their empire and sack all those who would not capitulate to their rule, the descendants of Genghis Khan captured their own princesses and made attempts to define their own legacies. The book fell flat for me about mid-way through and I struggled through the last half. While the characters of Reyhan and Krisztina provide examples of how the Mongols absorbed the cultures of those nations and regions that they conquered, and they give the author the needed outlet for connecting the different time periods, I didn't find them compelling enough figures to care what happened to them.
Readers will find Deemyad's prose consistently strong and appreciate how she provided multiple viewpoints of those who lived through that time-period. A strong debut that clearly exhibits the level of research the author dedicated to the book.

This is a wonderful, sweeping story of the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. What makes it unique is that it is told from the perspective of three women who were close the the Khans who ruled the empire. This story is so much more that a chronicle of who conquered who and how, it is a view of how this empire affected the individuals who were swept up in this massive change to the world that the Mongol's wrought. Telling the tale from the viewpoint of these three women is a unique way to portray the impacts this period of history had as these women were pulled out of their lives and brought to the court of the Khans.

Chaka is a young princess who is kidnapped as part of Genghis Khan's move into China and she becomes his wife. As part of her adjustment to learning to live the Mongol way of life, she begins to write of her experiences and the news she receives of the battles that Genghis takes part in and the expansion of the empire. This manuscript is passed on from Chaka to Reyhan, who becomes the wife of Genghis' son, Ogodei. She continues writing of her experiences in the manuscript, as well as using the details of battles to weave stories of how the continued conquests across Asia and Europe affected average people who were caught up in them. The third woman is Krisztina, stolen during the conquest of Poland and becomes the wife of another of Genghis's descendants, Hulagu. Reyhan tells Krisztina of the manuscript and she continues the tradition of writing stories from what she knows of the battles and her difficulties in adjusting to life In the Mongol capitol of Karakorum. These stories in the manuscript give you a completely different understanding of not just how massive the conquests of the Mongols were, but how they impacted such a wide sphere of people. The changes brought by the Mongols in the 13th century were epic in scope, yet this book brings it to such a personal level and really lets you have a greater understanding of the sweeping changes that were brought to such a large part of the world.

Genghis Kahn is someone who everyone knows at least a little bit about, but this books brings the traditions, people, and beliefs of this time in history to you in such a way you feel you understand it in a new way. The beautiful, lyrical descriptions of the wide open spaces, the city of Karakorum, the gers, the clothing and customs of the court are wonderful and really connect you with these people. I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction, this period of history and those who want a female view of the events that shaped the world so dramatically. I so completely enjoyed reading this book and stepping for a brief moment into the lives of these remarkable women.

The Sky Worshipers, F.M. Deemyad

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General fiction (adult), Historical fiction

I remember years ago reading a bot about the young Genghis Khan on one of my internet forays – you know the sort, where you look up one thing, that had something interesting about something/someone else and you follow the trail, and that leads further down the rabbit hole. I've found all sorts of interesting facts that way. Anyway, what I recall from that was the young Genghis was cast out by his father at 12, out into the harsh wilds of Mongolia, and at one point he's so hungry he cuts into a vein from his horse and drinks the blood. Interestingly that comes up in the book, where the Mongols carry dried blood as a food source.

So when I saw this book, written in my favourite historical way, via a personal connection I wanted to read it. Its a really interesting read. I love the way the story is delivered, via the writings of the three princesses, and then later from Lady Goharshad that reads their stories.
That personal touch, where we read about real people, about the day to day issues, works best for me in historical reads. I don't want endless battle details and gore, though inevitably as the Mongols were such a fierce, unforgiving race there is some detail. I did feel in the last section of the book the battle details got a bit heavy for me and I skim read those, but overall it was enough to keep the context, to understand what and why they were such a fierce race, but not so much that I was put off.
I really like reading the snippets of daily life, of what they ate, of the markets, the clothes, how the contrast between rich and poor worked.

I think Reyhan was my favourite, she was taken from everything she knew for love, and then put aside and ignored. Of course friendships were difficult as the Mongol women looked down on other races so she was very much alone apart from Baaka, who had served Chaka and was able to guide her and be a friend. Krisztina was my least favourite, she seemed very shallow at times, but of course its easy to judge, secure in the knowledge I don't have to make the decisions she did, knowing her life depended on getting them right. Reyhan was a good friend to her, and gave her so much help. I don't think she would have survived without her, and its those friendships, daily issues, minutiae that make it such an interesting read.
Lady Goharshad was an interesting character, and her husband clearly had a lot of faith in her, to go along with her ideas even when his council advised against them, and they were clearly risky.

Its a book I really enjoyed, but was quite intense and detailed and I ended reading in sections so I could absorb what I'd read properly. Parts will stay with me for a long time.

Stars: Four, a story full of interest and detail about life centuries ago, in a harsh landscape.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

Ms. Deemyad sees this period through the eyes of the women who were married to Genghis Kahn and his offspring. Told from a woman’s point of view makes the overall tale a tender and heart-breaking story of the time.

Greed and the desire to improve the lives of his people was one of the hallmarks of Genghis Kahn’s military exploits.

Sky worship was the primary belief system of the Mongols. However, Genghis Kahn showed real compassion towards other cultures by not forcing his religion upon the lands he conquered.

The laws imposed by the Mongols on the conquered are another story. Talking back or having a different point of view or suggestion for an upcoming campaign could result in the death of the person bold enough to suggest an opinion other than that of the current ruler.

This book and its’ writer immerse the reader in the culture and events of the time. Young ladies of privilege and comfort stolen from their families and forced to marry warlords were the norm. Yet some of them came to know and respect the kidnappers that changed their lives forever.

Wrapping the book up in the mystique of a secret historical document chronicled by these very abductees added credence to the overall dynamic. I can whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone who wants to follow the exploits of the Mongols in both Asia and Europe. It’s a well-plotted, paced narrative with sympathetic characters. 5 stars - C.E. Williams

3.5 stars

Genghis Khan, the history remembers him as a brutal ruler, but also as a military genius, who out of nomadic tribes gave birth to the vastest empire ever, the Mongol Empire.
1209. Princess Chaka of Tangut Kingdom (China) is captured by Genghis Khan. She is forced to marry her kidnapper. Due to lack of a written language in Mongolia, she is encouraged to develop one. Besides that she becomes Khan’s chronicler in secret.

From East, Khan turns his attention to West. As Princess Reyhan is getting ready for her wedding in Samarkand, Persia, Genghis makes his plans to kidnap her. She is taken to Mongolia, where eunuch entrusts her with Chaka’s “manuscript in the hope that the recording of Mongol history would continue.”

After the death of Genghis, his son Ogodei takes over the rule. Genghis “displayed an unprecedented degree of tolerance towards people of other faiths…” Ogodei decides to tilt it to his benefits.

The plot is interesting: the princesses captured by Mongols chronicling the events of the empire.

The book starts at a very good pace with the story of Princess Chaka. Then before getting to Princess Reyhan a historical background of her lineage and conflict in that region is presented and that’s when I felt a shift in writing. It became more descriptive slowing the pace. I know that there are plenty of readers who appreciate more descriptive writing and that the part I enjoyed the most might seem rushed through to them. Also, with that shift in writing I felt that there is more telling than showing.

When you have a story driven by historical events after a while it tends to get dry. This story is very rich in historical background and as much as I like stories rich in historical background, I have to say too much was packed into this story. Between historical facts more character development could be breathed into the story to make it more dynamic.

Originally, I misread the synopsis as I thought the focus of the story would be Genghis Kahn and that’s not the case. I think this story would greatly benefit if it focused on him. This story gives a good depiction of who Genghis Khan was. He had no tolerance for disobedience of any kind. But he was tolerant towards different religions. He grew up in wilderness and needed advice in bringing order to society. He was also a ruthless conqueror leaving behind many atrocities. So you do get a sense of who he was, but at the same time I still wanted to get a better sense of him. What was his childhood like? What made him who he was? If little is known in history about his childhood, then this is a good place for any author to use the imagination. And that’s when the most amazing and energetic stories come to live.

The Sky Worshipers is billed as “a stunning saga,” thus I was eager to read it to see the Mongol invasion through the eyes of someone native to the Middle East (I believe Ms. Deemyad is from Iran) and also to see the Mongols from a female perspective. Unfortunately, the point of view was so distant that I never really became invested in the characters, and the level of emotion is quite sparse. The story of Lady Goharshad seems more fairy tale than history. Ms. Deemyad’s research is certainly present, yet I was never transported as I was with William Napier’s Attila series or the endless TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul.

You are about to be swept into the 13th-century world of the Genghis Khan empire.

F.M. Deemyad’s debut historical fiction, The Sky Worshipers, to be published March 02, 2021, reveals how women played an important role in transforming the Mongol Empire. Rarely included in the history books is how each generation of Mongol rulers was transformed by the women who were forcefully brought to the Mongol court. Most people are aware of the fearsome Genghis Khan who invaded Europe and Asia, but few know of his humble beginnings. Deemyad brings to light his early years of desperation after his father was murdered and the family was forced to hide in the mountains. Never forgetting his poverty nor his desire to avenge the death of his father, Genghis Khan becomes a driven warrior. She shows, through fact-based fiction, how this man who started with nothing managed to unify the tribes of Mongolia and amassed an empire that stretched from Japan to Austria.

Mirroring his parent’s marriage, Genghis Khan, and his two following generations, marry the women they kidnap. In this novel, three princesses are abducted and forced to marry three generations of Mongol rulers. Princess Chaka is the daughter of a Chinese Emperor, Princess Reyhan is the granddaughter of the last Seljuk King in Persia and Princess Krisztina, is niece to Henry the Pious, the High Duke of Poland and Silesia. Central to the story is a parchment style journal where the three princesses chronicle the events of Mongolian conquest. It is accidentally found a century later by Lady Goharshad, wife of the ruler of Persia and Transoxiana. It’s this empathetic co-ruler who, with an eye on the future, attempts the essential healing of the past with its destruction and suffering. She becomes instrumental in the reconstruction of a collapsed society. There’s a lesson here for each of us if we are willing to see it.

The story, told in three parts, is expertly written. It’s the stuff of my childhood dreams; princesses, warriors, Marco Polo, the Silk Road. Each of the princesses, although unique, are strong women and bring a story of survival in vastly different cultures and lands than the ones they were raised. This is their account of living with their conquerors as well as amidst those conquered by the fearsome warrior and his progeny. Not only is this a welcome armchair travel to distant lands, but it’s also a treat for the senses. Paramount to Deemyad’s success is her meticulous historical research and subsequent foray into the various cultures with the spices, architecture and religions that make them unique. Deemyad has crafted a wonderful narrative that allows us to learn about a powerful ruler while transporting us to a world where there are strong princesses who tirelessly fight to create a better future through wisdom, empathy and love.

Thank you F. M. Deemyad, History Through Fiction, and Netgalley for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.