Monthly Archives: April 2014

The Rise of the Aztecs, Part XII, The New Emperor

7 April 2014

Ten years after the fall of the Tepanec Empire saw the Triple Alliance evolving rapidly, growing by leaps and bounds, with Tlacopan, the partners of the famous alliance, cooperating readily when needed, while maintaining their city-states’ independence, developing each into its own direction. Texcoco, the... Read More

The Aztecs and the Atlatl

5 April 2014

I’m honored to present a guest post from Andres Michel Amezcua (Quezaltcoalt), Spanish Bilingual Interpreter at American Translators Association, an expert on Mesoamerica and its various pre-contact nations and cultures. The Aztecs and the Atlatl As they fought their way across Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital,... Read More

The Mound Builders Series

Raven of the North

(The Mound Builders, Book 4)

With rumors of the terrible defeat reaching the Great Sun City, flooding its plazas and market squares, Iciwata couldn’t help wondering, worrying about the fate of the tribute collector, pondering his possibilities. Should he venture back to his native east and sniff around, find out what happened, leaving Sele pregnant and very furious, or was it better to leave the matter alone?

In his new home at the far north, at the mouth of the Ohio River, Ahal was confronted with similar dilemmas. Should he attempt to go back to his native south for the chance of revenge on the filthy traitor or was it wiser to let the past rest, enjoy his new life, a new beginning? Ononta claimed it was a bad idea, and yet…

With the Sun City’s growing interest in the faraway provinces of the Northern River combined with redoubtable Tsamihui’s persistence in invading the south with more and more forces, and now the additional weaponry of his former southern captive, a clash of unheard-of proportions loomed, spelling disaster for all sides.
Dark Before Dawn

(The Mound Builders, Book 3)

Invading the north with a flotilla of twelve war canoes and numerous auxiliaries, Tattooed Serpent did so confidently, with great vigor and expectation. However, it had been Ahal who encountered the mysterious northern barbarians first. Surprised by the raiding party that did not expect to run into forces stationed at the mouth of the Northern River, Ahal conducted a fierce if brief battle, which helped to enhance his worth in the eyes of his royal leader, as well as to heighten the jealousy of his equal in command, the shifty Taotal.

However, the leader of the invaders managed to escape the battle unscathed and the consequences of this first clash appeared to be more far-reaching than Ahal or even Tattooed Serpent himself could have foreseen or foretold.
Royal Blood

(The Mound Builders, Book 2)

Recovering from the terrible fright of the blackened sun, the royal family of Quachil Thecou found itself receiving a foreign delegation from the far east, an ordinary enough event but for the possibilities the Lady Female Sun saw. The exotic “eastern barbarian” and the tribute collector who had brought him were there for her to play with and make them serve her goals. However, Tattooed Serpent had plunged into the grand royal game with as little hesitation, using the very “figurines” his exalted sister had cast her eye on.

Thus Ahal and Iciwata found themselves caught in the unscrupulous struggle for power between the two royal siblings, trapped in a grand game far beyond their depth, pitted against each other, trying to do the right thing, with Sele engaging in imprudent adventures of her own, underestimating the danger, playing with it.
Shadow On The Sun

(The Mound Builders, Book 1)

When word of the tribute collectors from the mysterious sun cities of the west reached Iciwata’s village, he welcomed it, eager to fight and make a name for himself. The filthy westerns were not going to find it easy to take his people’s goods.

In his turn, Ahal, the lead tribute collector of Lesser Sun City, did not expect to encounter wild villagers set on getting themselves into great deal of trouble. He had other considerations on his mind, such as his favorite niece’s impending marriage to the ailing ruler of the great city.
Still, when challenged with wild escapades and outright murder, he went about solving the trouble in an innovative way, not fond of executing people, even villagers guilty of proven crimes. And yet, he could not have surmised that the chain of events his decisions unleashed were to cause a storm that was about to shake his city and its royal family to their very core.

The Aztec Chronicles Series

Valley of Shadows

(The Aztec Chronicles, Book 6)

The storm in the Tollocan Valley kept gathering, inevitable and deadly. With the Tenochtitlan forces rolling toward the west in many thousands, reinforced by their allies of Texcoco and Tlacopan, and the united dwellers of the Tollocan Valley awaiting them eagerly, ready to engage the invaders, Elotl found himself stuck between two worlds. Troubled by the disappearance of his brother and pledged to spy on behalf of Tenochtitlan, he suddenly found himself obliged to help his unexpected companions, an Otomi girl of Tollocan origins and her bunch of wild brothers looking for their missing father, getting embroiled in the Tollocan royal house’s intricate politics and affairs.

In the meantime, back in Tenochtitlan, Tlemilli’s sister was in trouble, facing the threat of the Imperial Court, with the Emperor’s influential brother determined to get rid of her, to silence her legally or otherwise. That turned Miztli’s brief return to the Capital into a less satisfying affair. Caught between Tlemilli’s erratic attempts to prevent the court from trying her sister and an outright attempt of assassination on the noble lady, he was forced to leave the capital frantic with worry for his girl and her safety; a worry that the demands of his new position as the part of the imperial scouting unit challenged right away.
Morning Star

(The Aztec Chronicles, Book 5)

While Tenochtitlan was busy preparing for the impending campaign in the southwest, eager to extend its help to the city-state that requested it while expanding its influence far and wide, the Toluca Valley’s altepetls did not remain idle or lacking in aid. The legendary Otomi warriors from the mountainous north came to reinforce the local resistance, people renowned for their ferociousness on the battlefield, famous for their ruthlessness and brutality. Or so the dwellers of Tenochtitlan heard.
And those were the very same people Miztli encountered while first setting his foot in the enemy capital, pretending to be someone he wasn’t, already experienced enough after travels of a few moons, spying with certain flair, yet not in the outright enemy city. The opportunity to come near the leader of the Otomi reinforcements presented itself promptly, too good to overlook, even if it exposed him to plenty of danger—danger he found out he was not always equipped to handle properly, to avoid without risking his life and freedom at the very least.

In the meanwhile, Elotl, sent by his brother back to Tenochtitlan to deliver the word of the dangerous reinforcements through Necalli and to the Emperor himself, arrived in the island-capital, only to land in plenty of trouble his own recklessness brought upon him time after time. The neighboring Tlatelolco was again up to no good, and this time, even Tlemilli’s exalted sister found herself involved, if inadvertently, caught in political machinations that only one man could help her escape.
Warrior Beast

(The Aztec Chronicles, Book 4)

Back in Miztli’s village, his family was worried, wondering about him and his life, concerned for his wellbeing. To send him word or hope to receive word back cost more than the simple miners could afford. However, the news, when received, was anything but favorable. Chantli’s father had nothing good to say about his former apprentice, and was not above claiming bad behavior and damage caused, hinting that the boy was an outlaw now, entangled with the criminal elements of the Great Capital.

Elotl, Miztli’s older brother and a restless troublemaker, bored and resenting his villager’s life anyway, refused to believe the rumors, and when the opportunity to sneak away and head for the distant capital of the Aztecs presented itself, he grabbed it with both hands, not prepared for the impact the Great Capital would have on him, or the challenges it would readily hurl his way.

In the meanwhile, the southern valleys to the west of Miztli’s original village managed to awake Tenochtitlan interest. The brewing war between local powers resulted in a plea for help that the Aztec Capital received favorably. Miztli’s knowledge of southern tongues, brought to the Emperor’s attention by the irrepressible Ahuitzotl, had him embroidered in the spying business once again. A seemingly simple mission of eavesdropping on the foreign delegation inside Tenochtitlan Palace turned out to be a whirlwind of dangers when gone out of hand, having him fighting or fleeing most unexpected surroundings, the imperial zoo full of caged jaguars and pumas being only one of the bizarre locations.
Heart of the Battle

(The Aztec Chronicles, Book 3)

Poised to invade the neighboring city, smarting from the betrayal and eager to avenge the offense, Tenochtitlan was boiling, causing Necalli to glow with excitement and expectation and Miztli to brood and worry about the safety of his Tlatelolcan girl. His troubles in school and the hatred of the notorious local bully did not gain much of his attention, mistakenly so. It all might have ended badly but for the mysterious stranger, a spectacular scar-faced warrior with unclear means and intentions.

In the meanwhile, unsure if her note reached its recipient, Tlemilli tried to do something about it in her typical reckless fashion, determined to let the Tenochtitlan boy know that she wasn’t angry, that he must come and find her again. If to dive into the worst of the politics in the city facing an inevitable invasion was the means to do that, she didn’t even hesitate. However, the actual warring on the streets turned out to be nothing that she might have anticipated, and this time, the imperial wife, her adored sister’s wellbeing was at stake, increasing her determination to find that Tenochtitlan boy and make him help them both somehow.
Field of Fire

(The Aztec Chronicles, Book 2)

Able to think of nothing else besides her adventures on the day of the competition and not deterred by the trouble it got her into, Tlemilli went about eavesdropping on her father and his political machinations with little hesitation. Even if to do that, she had to to slip out of windows or run around the Palace’s gardens barefoot like commoner slaves. The chance of learning about the mysterious boy from the Plaza and his whereabouts was well worth it. He had promised to find her, but she was eager to help him keep his promise.

In the meanwhile, Miztli, thrown in the strange surroundings of the noble boys’ school and out of his depth on more counts than he could deal with, found that the Emperor was a subtle man of many ideas, not above using spies even if those were villagers of most humble origins. The mission of sneaking to Tlatelolco again, this time semi-officially, looked tempting, promising, offering opportunities to find that Palace’s girl. He greeted it eagerly, impressed with the Emperor’s brilliance and acumen.

However, the politics involved in the brewing conflict between the two cities were deep, the rulers’ games ruthless, stalks high. Neither of the youths, not even the restless, resourceful Necalli, anticipated the trouble they would became embroidered at, forced to fight for their lives at times, face difficult dilemmas.
Obsidian Puma

(The Aztec Chronicles, Book 1)

Little did Miztli’s father know when he decided to send his promising youngest son to the Great Capital of the Aztecs in hopes of a better future. A miner from a small village, he believed that, in the big city, the boy might have a chance at developing his talents, becoming a metalworker and not just a simple miner or a peasant like the rest of the family. A glorious future for a simple villager, as shiny as the golden-copper jewelry his son would be producing after learning the intricate trade.

However, the great island capital with its towering pyramids and gushing industrial life was busy with its internal politics, disdainful of foreigners, especially barefoot villagers among those, indifferent to their small aspirations. A civil war was brewing, preying on everyone’s minds, and when the actual trouble erupted Miztli found himself in the heart of it, swept by the powerful surge that cared nothing for his private frustrations with the big city, thrown in with the most unexpected company: from pretty Chantli, the workshop owner’s daughter, to a pair of adventure-seeking noble school pupils Necalli and Axolin, to the wildest kid of them all, Ahuitzotl, the youngest brother of none other than the Emperor himself.

A fun escapade of sneaking into the underground tunnel full of hidden weaponry and other anticipated treasures turned out to be not as harmless as they expected, pitting them against ruthless smugglers and worse, unleashing a series of events none of them could have foreseen or foretold.

People of the Longhouse Series

Echoes of the Past

(People of the Longhouse, Book 5)

When approached with a request to spy on his former people, Ogteah rejected the mere idea of it vehemently, even though it made his loyalty to his current people suspected, to a degree. Still, he wouldn’t do it. It was shabby, unfitting, more suited of the old Ogteah from his previous life.

Yet, with the circumstances conspiring against him, he had found himself plunging into the vastness of the Great Sparkling Water, nevertheless, alone and armed mainly with their unofficial warriors’ leader’s instructions and some goods to trade, a meager attempt to camouflage his true purpose.

In the meanwhile, the Wyandot from the other side of the Great Lake were working hard, anxious to convince the rest of the local nations into joining their union, perturbed by the Great League’s growing power and might, troubled by it. Even the defeated Long Tails did not keep quiet, recovering some of their former fighting spirit, the unlikely survivors among their leaders, people Ogteah certainly didn’t care to meet or remember.

All this and more awaited Ogteah as he headed across the Great Sparkling Water, against his and everyone else’s better judgment.
The Warpath

(People of the Longhouse, Book 4)

All was not well in the lands of the Erie/Long Tails People, on the western shore of Lake Ontario and around Niagara Falls. Tucked between two growing unions, the mighty Great League and the newly formed alliance of the Wyandot to the north, the Long Tails tried to remain neutral, playing for time, doing little while earning no respect from their powerful neighbors on either side.

However there were those whom such state of shameful neutrally hurt, even though Aingahon's reasons for hating the Great League were personal, his desire to take the warpath originating in a thirst for revenge. Leading a serious faction of rebellious elements from his town and its surroundings, he was determined to make the enemies of his people pay; still he got nowhere, until Tsutahi, the mysterious girl from the woods, had crossed his path, changing his world in ways he could never have foreseen.

Back in the lands of the Great League, the generation of younger leaders, Ganayeda and Okwaho - not to mention Ogteah, the newcomer facing new troubles and challenges - sensed the winds of change as well. The relationship between the Five Nations, conducted just like the Great Peacemaker's legacy prescribed, wasn't enough, not anymore. A closer cooperation between the nations might be needed, a mutual help and support, even if it came to sending reinforcements and fighting in wars that were not strictly theirs.

The War Chief's sons' way of going about pushing their plans was as unconventional as it was forceful and decisive. To bent laws and customs was not the same as breaking them.

Or so they thought, heading toward the inevitable clash with the notorious Long Tails from the west, a clash of proportions neither side could have foreseen or foretell.
Troubled Waters

(People of the Longhouse, Book 3)

The question of who his mother was puzzled Ogteah, but not to the extent of bothering him for real. His other troubles, the results of his life as a gambler and a lightweight, breezy and free of responsibility, were the ones to land him in trouble time after time. The people of his own hometown frowned, more and more direfully as the summers passed, until his mounting transgressions made him leave for good, mainly to stop embarrassing his father.

A great leader and a very dedicated person, his father was working hard to create an alliance between their own people and their various neighbors, an alliance that was supposed to keep their side of the Great Lake safe from the traditional enemy, the notorious Longhouse People and their Great League’s threatening presence.

Concerned with none of this, Ogteah wandered far north, settling in the lands of the people his father wanted an alliance with. Only to run into more trouble.

Gayeri wasn’t concerned with political developments, powerful leaders, or their less successful sons, either. No troublesome newcomers entered her thoughts or caught her attention, certainly not a good-for-nothing gambler with a mysterious past. Having survived a brutal kidnapping but determined to forget all about it, she was busy carving a new life in her new surroundings, set on ensuring that it would shelter her from any more dangerous happenings. Protection was her first priority, and keeping away from men was a large part of it. Large-scale politics were of no consequence, whether those of her former Longhouse People or her new Crooked Tongued countryfolk. Her personal safety was most important, at the expense of everything else.

And yet, the formation of the four Wyandot nations’ union was to interrupt their lives, to demand their involvement and participation, causing them to influence each other’s lives more than any of them could have imagined or foreseen.
The Foreigner

(People of the Longhouse, Book 2)

Back in the Great League’s lands, trouble was brewing. The notorious Crooked Tongues from the other side of Lake Ontario, rumored to now be organized into a sort of an alliance, were posing a threat, more so than ever before. And yet, the War Chief, out of all people, was the one advocating negotiations, insisting on seeking a peaceful solution to the generations-long hostility and war. His followers were puzzled, the opposition outraged.

Meanwhile, Kentika has her own troubles to face. Was it ever easy for a foreigner to fit into a new life? For a girl who never even fit in among her own people, the challenge was becoming nearly impossible. But then, on top of it all, the political trouble hit.
Beyond the Great River

(People of the Longhouse, Book 1)

They felt she was too spirited, too forward, too boyish, not as feminine and as graceful as a young woman should be. Their frowns followed her like a cloud, but she didn't care. Other girls may have worked happily, danced beautifully, or sewn themselves pretty dresses, but they could not climb or run or swim as well as she did, the silly, giggly, empty-headed creatures that they were.

The entire village may have been frowning at her, but when she spotted the enemy forces camping under the Sacred Hill, they had no choice but to listen.

Okwaho knew they were being watched. Whether by spirits or a wandering local, he could not ignore the feeling of the wary, frightened, hate-filled eyes staring out of the forest, burning his skin. But of course! Of course, the local woods distrusted them. He and his people were invaders, not coming to trade or engage in other peaceful dealings, but to raid these settlements. The enemies from the lands of the rising sun were bad, evil, impossible to understand. And yet...

And yet, when the urge to prove himself lent him enough words to convince the leader of their party to send him and his friend on the mission of scouting the suspected hill, he could not have imagined what consequences this deviation from the well-planned road would lead them all into, the attackers and defenders alike.

The Peacemaker Series

The Peacekeeper

(The Peacemaker Series, Book 4)

With the Great Peace established, new laws delivered, and important agreements reached, Two Rivers and Tekeni could now sit back and enjoy the fruits of their work, watching the union of Five Nations alive and kicking, functioning, maintaining the Peacemaker’s wonderful vision. Or so they thought…

Tekeni had never trusted the power-hungry Tadodaho, now the Head of the Great Council. Yet, Two Rivers dismissed such warnings lightly, too lightly for Tekeni’s peace of mind. The devious man was up to something. Tekeni’s gut instincts screamed danger, but the Peacemaker kept waving his hand in dismissal, claiming that everything was under control.

And then, the Crooked Tongues entered the scene...
The Great Law of Peace

(The Peacemaker Series, Book 3)

To survive the test of the falls was only the first step. Climbing the tree and letting them chop it down, falling straight into the worst of the rapids, gained him their attention, made them listen. But the main part of his work was still ahead of Two Rivers and his most loyal follower, Tekeni. The task of organizing the people as a whole, of making them talk to their hostile, warlike neighbors, demanded time, too much time.

Their private desires had to wait as they traveled to more places, convened more gatherings, convinced more nations. The Great Peace demanded their full attention.

However, the women they loved had different ideas. Neither was prepared to sit and wait patiently. Taking action seemed like the better course to both, but each went about it in her own, very different, fashion.
Across the Great Sparkling Water

(The Peacemaker Series, Book 2)

To live in captivity, adopted by the enemies of her people, or to break the law and tradition by running away?

That question did not occur to Onheda until after she fled Little Falls on the spur of the moment, against any better judgment. If she was to die in the woods, making her way back to her people, accused, even by them, of breaking the ancient custom, it was still the better choice. She would not live among the enemies. Two moons of that had been more than enough.

And yet, embarking upon her dangerous journey, she never expected to cross the path of the man who came to change the world of her people and their enemies alike. Who was he? A mysterious foreigner from across the Great Sparkling Water, a man with unusual ideas or the Messenger of the Great Spirits? And was he about to change her life, too?
Two Rivers

(The Peacemaker Series, Book 1)

Having survived the failed raid on the enemy lands, Tekeni had no illusions. He was nothing but an enemy cub, adopted into one of the clans, but not accepted, never for real. To fit in was difficult, to run away – impossible. To get into trouble, more often than not, was the only available option. They did not expect anything else from him, anyway.

However, when a meaningless row during a ballgame grew out of proportion, resulting in a fight, Tekeni has found himself in a truly grave trouble. Neither he nor anyone else could have foreseen the chain of events the consequences of this fight would release, when the highly esteemed but controversial Two Rivers decided to help Tekeni out.

Two Rivers was a strange person with unacceptable notions and ideas. He maintained that to war on and on was a mistake of disastrous consequences. He went as far as suggesting a negotiation of peace with some of the neighboring nations. Even Tekeni, the despised enemy, thought such ideas to be far-fetched and wild. And yet…

With their trouble mounting and the revengefulness of some people around them growing, both Tekeni and Two Rivers find themselves pushed beyond limits.

The Rise of the Aztecs Series

The Triple Alliance (Below the Highlands)

(The Rise of The Aztecs, Book 7)

In the Aztec Capital, Tlacaelel, the Head Adviser, is busy reshaping the island-city to fit its rapidly changing status from a regular city-state to a true capital, an owner of provinces and tributaries. The old system is not working anymore, but Tlacaelel’s radical reforms and changes anger influential people, from priests to elders of districts, those whose power is dwindling due to his reforms

During a ballgame being held between Texcoco and Mexica teams to celebrate the upcoming winter festival—a fierce competition that will add much honor to the winning city-state—one of the players, Coatl, a promising warrior, the Texcoco Warlord’s son, is prepared to do anything in order to win. What he was not prepared for was becoming entangled in a political intrigue that starts while he is busy chasing a pretty girl, with the unexpected arrival of his twin brother complicating matters even further.
The Sword

(The Rise of The Aztecs, Book 6)

In the re-conquered Texcoco, the young emperor is preparing for the Great Ceremony, eager to ascend the throne that was taken from him more than ten summers ago by the now-defeated Tepanecs. Visitors from the provinces and other city-states are flooding the decorated capital, making it gush with activity, buzz with celebrative feasts and preparations.

Yet, not everyone is happy with the newly anointed emperor and some of his policies, namely his close contacts in the neighboring Mexica-Aztec Capital. Some nobles even think they would be better-suited to occupy the Texcoco throne.

When mysterious black-clothed killers sneak into the Chief Warlord’s house on the night of the celebrative feast, stealing the carved sword, the most precious weapon in the entire capital, a weapon that is believed to hold magical qualities, the troubles in the capital escalate, taking matters out of the hands of even those who paid for this crime to take place.

With Tlalli, now a noblewoman, a favorite concubine of the powerful Mexica Head Adviser, finding herself embroiled in the troublesome happenings when she succumbs to the urge to explore the beautiful capital unescorted.
The Fall of the Empire

(The Rise of the Aztecs, Book 5)

Having just been advanced into the ranks of the first-class traders, Etl thought his life could not get any better. He was a trader of the Tepanec Empire, living in the Great Capital itself. Yes, there had been a war, an outright revolt by the united tributaries and other subdued nations of his beloved city-state, but those would be squashed easily. The Tepanecs were always victorious.

The only thing that made him worry was the decision of Tlalli, the girl from the marketplace he liked, to sell herself into the Palace’s services. He didn't want her to do that, having intended to take care of her himself, but the stubborn, pretty thing went on and did it all the same. Why?

Apparently, Tlalli was not just a simple market girl, but a young woman with a very unusual agenda. She had her own grudge to settle, and with no lesser person than the Emperor himself.

But then the enemies struck...
Currents of War

(The Rise of The Aztecs Series, Book 4)

Seven years later, the Aztecs are ready to revolt against the mighty Tepanec Empire.

However, while the young Emperor is trying to solve the problems peacefully, his warlords and advisers believe he is making too many mistakes along the way. A much stronger leader is needed, but is there a way to change Emperors with no bloodshed?

Kuini, now a promising leader, but still considered a pushy foreigner by some, is about to find out that meddling in the Aztec politics could cost him more than he is prepared to pay.
The Emperor's Second Wife

(The Rise of the Aztecs Series, Book 3)

Back in the Aztec Capital, the troubles were brewing. While benefiting from its neutrality in the Texcoco-Tepanec War, many influential Mexica-Aztecs grew wary of the way their city was becoming absorbed in the mighty Tepanec Empire.

Upon their arrival in the great island-city, Kuini and Coyotl are quick to discover that something dangerous is about to happen, and that they are expected to take a part in it.
Crossing Worlds

(The Rise of the Aztecs Series, Book 2)

With the crushing defeat resulting in the conquest of the beautiful Texcoco, fleeing into the Highlands seemed like their only option. Before giving it much thought, Kuini takes his highborn Acolhua friend, the heir to Texcoco throne, to his homeland, to hide in the safety of the mountains, while counting on the help of his people.

But the enmity between the two nations goes back generations, and while both youths are ready to face the consequences of their deed, neither are prepared for the way Kuini’s family gets into trouble on account of them.
The Highlander

(The Rise of The Aztecs Series, Book 1)

Born in the Highlands, Kuini thought his life was simple. You hunt and you fight, defending your towns against the raids of the Lowlanders and then raiding their lands in turn. His father was the Warriors’ Leader, and he wanted to be just like him.

Yet, Texcoco, the mighty Capital of the Lowlands, seemed incredibly beautiful, sparkling, its pyramids magnificent. A friendship with the Lowlander boy, the First Son of the Texcoco Emperor, seemed harmless in the beginning. They were just boys, and their clandestine meetings were always fun, providing great entertainment.

However, on the day Kuini agrees to finally enter the magnificent city, it would all change. He expected to get into trouble, but he could not foresee the extent of the trouble and, worst of all, he did not expect to uncover hidden secrets concerning his own family.

Pre-Aztec Series

Pre-Aztec Series Collection

Includes books #1, #2 and #3

Historical fiction that is dealing with the times when the Aztecs were still a small nation stuck upon a muddy island.

Book 1: "The Young Jaguar"

Book 2: "The Jaguar Warrior"

Book 3: "The Warrior's Way"
At Road's End

(Pre-Aztec Series, Prequel)

Tecpatl was born a warrior of the Mexican Valley, one of the elite class of fighters, defending his great city, capturing vanquished foes to sacrifice for the honor of the gods.

Yet, the circumstances conspired to send him into the Southwestern desert, to follow the ancient road, guarding a group of traders.

When he rescues a girl from the ransacked village, he thinks nothing of it. He just wishes to make the traders sell their goods in a hurry, so he could return to his homeland.

But the fate had planned differently, for the warrior and for the girl alike.
The Warrior's Way

(Pre-Aztec Series, Book 3)

Changed, full of purpose and determination, Atolli returns home, only to find that his goals could not be achieved as easily as he hoped. The Great Tepanec Capital is full of political intrigue, a dangerous ground to tread even for his influential father, Tecpatl, now the Emperor’s Adviser. Eager to help his son, Tecpatl discovers that politics could be a more difficult ground than a battlefield.

While struggling to achieve their aims, Tecpatl, Atolli, his mother, and even his younger brother find themselves on different, unexpected paths, each determined to solve their problems in their own way.
The Jaguar Warrior

(Pre-Aztec Series, Book 2)

The expanding Aztec capital grew unhappy under the stern rule of their Tepanec overlords. Having tried every political trick, Acamapichtli, a wise and vigorous ruler of the Aztecs, saw his chance when the delegation of the elite Tepanec warriors arrived at his island-city to enlist a force of the Aztec warriors. Intrigued with the leader of the delegation, an older but still wild, reckless, and very resourceful Atolli, the Emperor seizes his chance, gambling in a strange way for a long-term future.

Meanwhile, Atolli arrived at the Aztec Capital with more on his mind than a mundane mission. Determined to face his own demons, to resolve issues from his past, he gets into more trouble than he could have foreseen, changing the history of the entire region along the way.
The Young Jaguar

(Pre-Aztec Series, Book 1)

Having achieved the exalted position of a Chief Warlord, Tecpatl was content, happy with his career and his family. Even his refusal to take an additional wife, a necessary thing for a man of his status, especially if his woman was a barbarian imported from the distant lands of Anasazi, did nothing to hinder his progress up the Tepanec military ladder. He was too successful as a War Leader to care about the opinions of others.

Yet, when the old Emperor dies, leaving two dominant heirs to struggle for succession, Tecpatl suddenly finds it difficult to follow the edicts of the dead ruler. With Atolli, his elder son and a very promising but hotheaded youth, getting caught in the political turmoil, everything changes. Tecpatl is forced to choose between his duty and his family, while his wife takes her own non-traditional paths to deal with the crisis.

Pre-Columbian Americas

Monthly Archives: April 2014

The Rise of the Aztecs, Part XII, The New Emperor

The Aztecs and the Atlatl