This reads like an epic adventure story but is backed up by a lot of historical research. If you are expecting a slow tedious historical narrative then this isn't it. It's written like fiction and in fact this episode in history (the book covers just a few years) is so incredible it seems like fiction.The book isn't a fictional retelling. The episodes, events and even the characters thoughts are taken from contemporary written accounts and their letters. I'm sure the author strayed a little bit into endowing characters with his own thoughts but it felt very real for most of the book.I really liked this romp through one of the most amazing episodes in world history. A great historical account, just like all of Levy's books. This one seemed to climax far too early for me. The part about discovering the native culture was far more interesting than the final 150 pages of military maneuvers and monotony. Montezuma, however, was brought to life as a complex character for the first time in my readings. Overall, I'd recommend it to any fan of adventure tales involving native people.
The parts I could get into were interesting, but I just wasn't as interested as I hoped I would be.
—Jcbarbre
Excellent tale of Hernan and the Aztecs. So very sad that god always causes so many problems.
—email0052
Pretty good. Tells the story in a way that keeps it fresh and interesting.
—andrea
Interesting to discover how perilously close to defeat Cortes truly was.
—reyrey989
