Aztec
Hernan Cortes is a landless Spanish nobleman, sent, with a handful of men, to explore the lands to the west by the governor of Cuba. His orders: go no further than the beach and report back . But though penniless and landless Cortes knew he was destined to be a king. All he needed was a country.
Malinali was a Mayan princess, forced into concubinage by her captors, her father murdered by the Aztecs. What she wanted was – revenge.
Their meeting changed the course of Mexican history.
She became Cortes’ translator, standing between the Spanish and the Aztec overlords, the only one who really knew what was being negotiated, promised or whispered.
She was also Cortes’ lover, devoting herself to the man she believed to be a living god.
The legendary Aztec civilization is here brought to life in blazing color, as the author traces the story of one of the most extraordinary love affairs of history. Together Cortes and Malinali vast overcome armies, icy mountains and steaming jungles, to finally snatch glory from the jaws of certain defeat.
Today, while Cortes is all but forgotten in the country he conquered, the controversy about Malinali – la Malinche – rages even today; when ‘Aztec’ was published in Mexico, it spent four months on the bestseller lists.
Who was she and what was her role in helping Cortes achieve what still seems unimaginable, even today?
‘AZTEC’ is a story of impossible odds, unimaginable cruelty, breath-taking courage and ruthless genius, an adventure that still resonates throughout history.
“Once you read Colin Falconer, you’ll want to read everything he has ever written …” – Crystal Book Reviews.
(Word count 123,000; available in ebook, print, audiobook)
Reviews of Aztec
“His work takes the reader through a never-ending labyrinth of twists and turns that grips and entertains. Get this book. It is a magnificent piece of work!”–History and Women
