About book Feathered Serpent: A Novel Of The Mexican Conquest (2003)
Five hundred years ago, the Spanish Conquistadores defeated the mighty Aztec empire. It is a story we all know well, but there is one aspect of it that is largely unknown outside Mexico: that Cortés could not have prevailed without the help of his interpreter and mistress, a native Mexican woman, Malinali. Known as La Malinche, today she is both reviled as a traitor to, and revered as the mother of, the Mexican people. Colin Falconer has taken this complex and contradictory woman as his central character. Although known as a writer of thrillers, Falconer here demonstrates that he is a writer of fine prose and deep insight. What is most striking about this novel is the way Falconer enters into the minds and world view of his characters, especially the native Mexicans. Through them we observe from the inside a clash of cultures that leads to inevitable tragedy.The question generally posed by history is how a ragtag band of Spanish treasure seekers could have so easily defeated a strong and warlike nation like the Aztecs. Books like Guns, Germs and Steel (by Jared Diamond) can tell us about the external factors that may have contributed, but what were the people involved thinking, what motivated them to act as they did, what influenced them to make the decisions they made? We are pretty familiar with what motivated Cortés and the Spaniards: a lust for gold and glory, thinly disguised behind religious fervour. But what made Malinali decide to collaborate in the conquest of her country? What made Motecuhzoma, the Aztec King, capitulate so easily? These are questions that science and history cannot easily answer, but fiction can. Through fiction we can enter not only into the minds and hearts of these people, but also see the world through their eyes. We come to understand their system of beliefs, the paradigm through which they interpret the events around them and come to their decisions. And we come to see that there are a myriad of pressures which influence events – the political, the religious and the personal. This is especially true of Falconer’s portrayal of Malinali.After cutting a swathe through the coastal tribes, the Spaniards are offered appeasing gifts, including women. Among them is Malinali who has been taken as a slave by the Aztecs after they killed her father. She is fascinated by Cortés, whom she believes to be the incarnation of her beloved father’s totem god, Feathered Serpent. Malinali has been raised to believe that one day Feathered Serpent will return from across the seas to deliver her people from the hated Aztecs and that when he does, she will be his chosen companion. Through Cortés Malinali believes she can fulfil her destiny and take her revenge. Although we know the outcome of these events, in its exploration of the human heart, this novel keeps us spellbound. Falconer has created an honest, engrossing, complex world populated by people we come to know intimately. I cannot recommend it too highly.
The conquistadors fancied themselves saviours, bringing Christianity to a pagan world. When their results proved too unsavoury to accept in this light, they became reviled as monsters, destroying a vulnerable ancient civilization. They were neither. And they were both.Colin Falconer has presented a balanced, realistic narrative, showing all involved in a more sensitive and much more probable light. There was incredible brutality on both sides, but the fascinating story is relieved by sensitivity, bravery, fierce loyalty, self-doubt and deep affection.Cortes himself is much more complex than he is elsewhere portrayed, and the complex Malinali embodies the enigma that had to result when two passionate belief systems collided.This well-researched book should be read by anyone who wishes to have a rounded view of a painfully dramatic period in world history. But maybe you’re just looking for a good story. Well, it’s that too, so enjoy!
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This book was quite good, particularly as I'm interested in South American history. As with all of Falconer's books, the historical aspect is amazing, he really has a talent for historical story telling. However, for some reason, wasn't on par with When We Were Gods, at least for me. Probably because the main female character wasn't as ambitious as Cleopatra, although she was strong. Also, the politics in WWWG was intriguing, and here it was more about war and fighting, and the senselessness of the Spanish conquest just made me angry. I know that's a personal thing, but the book just didn't do it for me the same way WWWG did. Still, it is an enjoyable, at time sexy, read.
—Tulsi
Very good, wonderful historical detailIn my mind, the Aztecs have been short-changed by modern authors. There has not been enough attention to them and their interesting story. And Cortes! If ever anyone should get high marks for having ambition and bravery in spades, it's him. Anyway, the historical details are well done in the book. Falconer almost makes you feel like you are there with the Spanish as the arrive at the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. He has created a multi-dimensional Cortes, rather than the stereotypical 'evil conqueror' Cortes (although, at the end I lost the feel for Cortes - I don't know if Falconer lost interest or he also lost his feel for the man). In most books and texts Cortes is portrayed as a gold-crazed, land-crazed conqueror - but his motivations are far more complex - including a complete disgust with the Mesoamerica's fascination with human sacrifice and the cannibalistic consumption of those sacrifices. Unfortunately, Falconer's obsession with adding graphic, detailed sex scenes to his book just gets in the way. Another reviewer commented that there's one about every twenty pages - and I'd agree. We get all of the detail that adds nothing to the plot. I'm not trying to be a prude here - after all the main characters were considered to be the first to have a mestizo (mixed European and Native American) child so there's got to be some sex - but it was given such a prominent place in the book that I feel that it detracts from the work as a whole.http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
—Dale
Truly an educational novel. If you do not know the first thing about the Mexican conquest or Hernan Cortes and cannot stay awake for biographies or text books, give this a try. It is mostly told from Malinali's point of view, an Aztec slave to the Mayas, who believes Cortes to be a god come to stop the act of human sacrifice amongst the Mexicans. After serving as his translator and bed mate for a long period of time, she starts to realize he is not really a god, but a man hungry for power and gold. The novel tells of the Spaniards' battles and triumphs and hardships. There is a lot of war scenes and human sacrifices so beware if you are faint of heart. I gave this three stars because it seemed to me that there was a lot of repitition. A lot of conversations were repeated with slightly different variations and even some actions repeated themselves over and over. I would like to give a huge thumbs up to the author tho for writing a historical fiction about a much ignored time and place in history. Not everybody has to write about the English Tudors. Mexico and Mexican history is much overlooked.
—Tara Chevrestt
