Author Description

The third part of The Khaan's Trilogy, Heart of the Princess, Blood of the Khaan picks up a year after the Princess of Khwarezm and Captain Qafar have been released by the Mongol Prince Joci. Princess Aisha and the captain are nearly captured by the Mongols again but as fate would have it, are freed by Jalal ad Din Manguberdi, the princess' brother whom she had not seen since his own escape from the Mongols. Happy to see Jalal again, the Princess is stunned by the change he has undergone driven by his hatred of the Mongols and desire to bring the kingdom of Khwarezm back to its former glory. Jalal leads them to sanctuary with the Khagan of the Kangli Turks who had formed the bedrock of their father's forces during the Mongol invasion and it is here in the Kangli camp that Aisha's future begins to unfold along with Captain Qafar and her brother. Jalal convinces Qafar to come with him as he heads north to the lands of the Rus and after much soul searching, Qafar agrees. Meanwhile to the north, in the city of Great Bulgar, the Baltavar of the Kama Bulgars receives a visit by two Rus princes-Mstislav Mstislavich and Daniil Romanovich-seeking an alliance with him and his people on behalf of the Grand Duke of Suzdalia against the Mongols following the Rus' catastrophic defeat at Kalka. The Baltavar presents a counter-proposal and on their way back to the Grand Duke's city of Vladimir, they come upon a wounded Qafar. It is here that the lives of the Princess, the two Knyaz of Rus and Joci begin to converge; and, Joci's dream of taking the princess as his senior wife is once again renewed.