The author of "Arrows of Fire," Marlen Suyapa Bodden, has meticulously researched interactions between Hernan Cortes and Aztec Emperor Montezuma. This fact is clear from the extensive list of bibliographic resources listed at the end of the book, and by the vivid details in which she recounts battles and movements of troops within Mesoamerica. It did not surprise me to learn that the author is a New York City-based attorney with a reputation as an anti-war and anti-slavery activist. For much of the narrative of this compelling novel recounts the callousness with which human life was regarded by both sides - Spanish explorers and Aztec rulers. Human sacrifice was an important component of the Aztec religious belief system, and slavery, rape, and wholesale murder of the indigenous population with the trademark of Cortes and his ilk.
Another salient feature of this novel is the key role played by female Aztec warriors. We follow the story of Flower, a 12 year-old girl taken from her remote village by minions of Montezuma and carefully prepared to be the human sacrifice in the annual ritual to recreate the death of the goddess Coyolxauhqui. Flower was brought to the Aztec capital island city of Tenochtitlan where she was trained to be the pure avatar of the slain goddess. Part of her training involved being instructed in the fine points of archery by the warrior, Teputzitoloc. Against all odds and defying strict regulations meant to isolate Flower, the two fell in love. The warrior warned Flower of her true fate, and arranged to help her escape to join a growing band of rebel warriors who would fight both Montezuma and the Spaniards. Flower was taken under the wing of a seasoned female warrior, and eventually played a key role in an attempted assassination of Montezuma.
This book is a satisfying read, filling in blanks in my knowledge of the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. It is also a disturbing read because it throws a harsh spotlight on the racist assumptions that allowed European explorers to justify their wholesale destruction of the indigenous populations of the lands they stole and then claimed for the various crowns that had underwritten the cost of the expeditions. The author is a gifted story teller, combining vivid detail with historic accuracy She also has a knack for creating characters that I came to care about, which is always a mark of good writing.
This book is available on pre-order from Amazon, and will be released on October 14, 2019.
Enjoy!
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