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A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (The Siege Book 3) by [K. J. Parker]

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K. J. Parker

A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (The Siege Book 3) Kindle Edition

by K. J. Parker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

552 ratings

Book 3 of 3: The Siege

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A Practical Guide to Conquering the World can be read by itself, but for those who like endings it can also be considered the refreshingly pragmatic conclusion to World Fantasy Award-winning author K.J. Parker’s acclaimed sequence of novels that began with Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City and continue with How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It.

"Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun." —SFX
This is the true story of Aemilius Felix Boioannes the younger, the intended and unintended consequences of his life, the bad stuff he did on purpose, and the good stuff that happened in spite of him.

It is, in other words, the tale of a war to end all wars, and the man responsible.

For more from K. J. Parker, check out: Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled CityHow to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It
A Practical Guide to Conquering the World The Two of SwordsThe Two of Swords: Volume OneThe Two of Swords Volume TwoThe Two of Swords: Volume Three The Fencer TrilogyColours in the SteelThe Belly of the BowThe Proof House The Scavenger TrilogyShadowPatternMemory Engineer TrilogyDevices and DesiresEvil for EvilThe Escapement The CompanyThe Folding KnifeThe HammerSharps

Print length

385 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Orbit
Publication date

January 11, 2022
File size

1659 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Parker fills his well-designed fantasy world with vastly differing cultures and languages that are just as fun to read about as Felix’s audacious schemes. Readers will be delighted."―Publishers Weekly

"Readers are ensured a good time and a barrel of laughs to boot."―Publishers Weekly on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

"Parker's latest epic fantasy proves that all the world is, indeed, a stage, and Parker himself is a master impresario. Readers will enjoy his comedic take on how politics are comprised of equal parts lies, incompetence, and the foolishness of humanity-with just enough flashes of brilliance to save the day. Recommended for fans of Terry Pratchett."―Library Journal on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

“Truly, this IS the performance of a lifetime.”―FanFiAddict on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

“An impressive work of fiction. Like all Parker books I have read, Empire is an interesting experience from start to finish – funny and fresh from page one.”―The Quill to Live on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

“Parker has created a world full of wit, ingenuity, unlikely tactics and reluctant heroes and there is nothing else quite like it.” ―Fantasy Hive on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

"Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun."―SFX on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

"Launches a witty adventure series . . . Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world."―Publishers Weekly on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

"As with most of Parker's work, there is a melancholy undercurrent that gives the humor weight. As heroes go, Orhan is a reluctant and flawed one . . . . [but] when Orhan works the problem, we can't help but watch."―Locus on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

“With a steady pacing, solid, lean writing and variety of twists, the novel keeps on surprising the reader."―Fantasy Book Critic on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt. He was born in London in 1961. At Oxford he studied bar billiards, ancient Greek agriculture and the care and feeding of small, temperamental Japanese motorcycle engines; interests which led him, perhaps inevitably, to qualify as a solicitor and emigrate to Somerset, where he specialized in death and taxes for seven years before going straight in 1995. He lives in Chard, Somerset, with his wife and daughter. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08SQ2QX14
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orbit (January 11, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 11, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1659 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages
Lending ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #32,155 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #122 in Military Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #151 in Military Fantasy (Books)
- #154 in Humorous Fantasy (Books)

Customer Reviews:
552 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		62%
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3 star		7%
2 star		1%
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Top reviews from the United States

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Anonymous

Fun and well-written historical fantasy

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022

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Parker concludes the trilogy in excellent form with this installment, in which we view the era of the prior novels from a different perspective (across the sea from the ill-starred City). Felix, the narrator, is a classic Parker unreliable narrator but something of an exception, too, in that he shows signs of buying into his own BS as the novel progresses. And while he's a bit of a megalomanic nut, he's written with enough of a sense of mischief that his adventures make for fun and often highly amusing reading.

Parker is an excellent writer and world-builder, and both skills are on full display here. Key details of the novel's setting and cultural backstory are revealed in an off-hand manner by the narrator and his associates in a manner that "shows" rather than "tells," enriching the narrative significantly.

I'll note that this novel likely works best for those who've read the first two novels. Several very important events might fall a bit flat for those who haven't, in contrast to the second novel, which I felt could have been read easily as a standalone. And there are expository moments in this novel that are delightful Easter eggs referencing prior novels, but that also might fall flat for those unfamiliar with the context.

4 people found this helpful

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Storyteller7

Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2022

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After an emasculation at the hands of a noblewoman's kin, Romar Army officer Aemelius Felix Boioamnes the Younger is sent to the Echmen empire as a translator attached to the Romar Embassy. Six years later, he saves the life of a Hus hostage, a teenage princess who eventually saves him in return when his empire is destroyed & he’s marked for death. Ignored by the rest of her embassy, Felix finds himself spending the next few years doing little more than reading in the extensive Imperial library & practicing archery. His research comes in handy when the Echmen conquer the Hus, making the young woman who saved him queen of the Hus & enslaving her people. In order to free them & get the rest of the Dejauzi tribes (of whom the Hus are just one) to conquer the Echmen, Felix must use all the knowledge and resources at his fingertips--but that’s only the beginning of his world conquest.
"A Practical Guide to Conquering the World" is the third in Parker's "The Siege" trilogy, but can be read as a standalone. Felix's narration emphasizes the value of his book knowledge (history, geography & engineering). Parker's world-building is, as always, superb. Loosely based on the mindsets of Imperial Rome (Romar) & Imperial China (Echmen), it is Felix's use of psychology that enables his marshaling of disparate tribes into an effective arm of conquest.

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Alexandrine

Sarcasm is his deadly weapon and he wreaks havoc beautifully

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2022

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That was a wild ride! I think it was the best book in the Siege trilogy or maybe I am just warming to K J Parker's writing style and sense of humour? It definitely took me a while, because there is nobody else who writes like this author. His sense of humour is as dry as a desert and as biting as an angry dog. I can't say I love his writing... it would be like declaring love to an awkward nerd. Still, it is refreshing to spend some time with such a wise guy, who plays not only with characters he created, but also with a reader by creating the best unreliable narrators I have ever read about. Sarcasm is his deadly weapon and he wreaks havoc beautifully. I am sure there is more of K J Parker in my future.

One person found this helpful

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Kevin Hill

A fine finish to the Siege Trilogy

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022

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I genuinely enjoy Parker's books. This tale is a good third and finishing book for the Siege trilogy. The narrator is a charming rogue, with a tragic past, who cons his way through life. You can't help but like him despite his barely suppressed megalomania. Like all of Parker's narrators, his account is not to be trusted but he admits that.

One person found this helpful

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PierC

Every single KJ Parker book is a 5-star for me…

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2022

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…Even this one, in which you’ll find many tropes from other Parker’s books, if you’re familiar with his work. Same old same old? Not really. It’s a good third and finishing book for the Siege trilogy. And it gave me the opportunity to reread Books 1 and 2. Let’s see what will be next!

2 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Excellent banger

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2022

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First off a lot better then the second book writer got the augmented but still help you woman character right ex less augment more actually helps move the story forward

The main character great and always interesting hear their thoughts
Story is great and keeps sucking you in with twists and turns but you can look back and see how and why they happen it's great 5 out of 5

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Albert Ulak

A worthy sequel

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2022

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KJ Parker has a knack for telling complex stories in such a straightforward manner that you don't even notice the world-building or the depth of culture. They're just there. Detail is provided when you need it, and painted in broad brush strokes when you don't. The stories move along, developing and unfolding so quickly they make me want to slow down and enjoy them. The characters are delightfully flawed and there's no lines between heroes and villains. I couldn't pick a favorite in the series, and wouldn't want to. The latest installment doesn't disappoint.

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ooo1 Raven 1ooo

Not as good as the first two

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2022

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What a disappointment. Looks like this book was just made up of the ideas that didn’t make the first two books in the series. The left over ideas just got cut and pasted to make up this book. Like this author a lot. First two books were great. But you could pass on this book and not miss anything.

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Top reviews from other countries

Treebor

Really bad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 20, 2022

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The author has been writing the same characters for years , sometimes the stories are interesting, but not in this case , if you have to read kj parker ,read the company .

terry clark

A great ending to a thoroughly enjoyable series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2022

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It always goes so well, plans come together, the world at your feet, you rule the world. The world doesn't care what you want. Fun to watch happen though.
Another great book to make you feel happy enjoying the journey!

johnfredcee

Lots of good jokes

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 26, 2022

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Read it, was duly amused. A tad cynical about human nature, but pretty accurate.

Rick Rocktopus

It's a K. J. Parker book

Reviewed in Germany on January 17, 2022

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This book by K.J. Parker is indeed a book as written by K.J.Parker. It's low- to no-magic fantasy/ pseudo-historical fiction, with a self-deprecating, broken-ish first-person narrator, grand schemes and witty dialogue. I concludes the Siege trilogy well. If you liked the first two books, you'll like this one.

Ole Nickel

As good as the first 2 books

Reviewed in Germany on March 20, 2022

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Like the first 2 books a really creative story with an interesting main protagonist.

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