Gary Jennings (1928–1999)

This book may have taken me longer to read than any I can remember. It got to the point where people who know me would see me with it and say, "Wow, you're STILL reading that?"
Admittedly, it's over 1000 pages... but still!
After such a time-investment, one might like to feel a sense of literary accomplishment (or something) – but no. This was definitely the trashiest 1000 pages I have ever read.
I got the distinct impression that before sitting down to write the book, Jennings made a list of show more all the taboo topics, assorted acts of violence, and sexual perversions he could think of and said, "OK, we're gonna get all these into the book, somehow." And he did.
The book is framed as the story of the life of Mixtli, an aged member of the Mexica tribe, which he tells to the Spanish Inquisition, on the order of the King of Spain. This of course, gives plenty of opportunity for the Spanish priests to comment on how shocking Mixtli's doings are – in case the reader hadn't noticed. From humble origins (and a forbidden sexual relationship with his sister), Mixtli rises to a significant position in the Aztec empire (and wanders about having all sorts of adventures), before the arrival of Cortez, and his people's subsequent fall. (which is actually portrayed quite well, I thought.) My main issue with the book is that all the "shocking" content is not portrayed in the interest of describing (or even exploiting) different cultural mores... most of the stuff (although not all) is described as taboo in Mixtli's society too. And it's all done from the point of view of things that would be shocking to a Westerner, not shocking to an Aztec. Jennings was playing with his readers – not his story.
That said, I cannot deny that the book was entertaining all the way through.... show less

First, I have to confess that I'm a big fan of Gary Jennings. Whatever one thinks of his early work (i.e. what was published while he was still alive), it's broad in scope, rich in detail, and absolutely epic. What really grabs me, though, is his intricacy and the texture he's able to draw across his broad landscapes.

"Aztec Blood" is the first of several books (and more on the way) written based on notes and outlines and published after his death. While "Aztec Blood" (the third in his show more "Aztec" series) doesn't compete or compare well head-to-head with his original "Aztec", I found myself drawn in and gobbling up all 750 pages.

For fans of his earlier Aztec work, there are no direct connections between "Blood" and "Aztec" and "Aztec Autumn". But the characteristics of his main character, Cristo the Bastardo, are similar to the protagonists in the other two books - he's adventurous, very self-aware, and very prone to drama.

It's impossible to truly summarize the story here...I will leave that to previous reviewers and book summaries. Suffice it to say that "Aztec Blood" is heavily focused on the class differences of early-to-mid Spanish Colonialism in post-conquest Mexico. In Cristo's journeys of self discovery in which he's seeking both physical and spiritual origins, the reader explores the impact of the Spanish Conquest on native "indios", first generation-born new world Spaniards, and old world Spaniards as well. It's terrifically insightful and rich in the history and research that one finds in Jennings' other work.

The story contains sword fights, heroic rescues and escapes, love, sex and multiple detailed run-ins with the Spanish Inquisition.

Characters bounce in and out, often falling subject to Cristo's ill-fated existence. The most persistent of characters is Mateo...a living Don Quixote who pulls Cristo along as he chases innumerable windmills. At first Mateo is a bit predictable and fairly unlikeable (purposely so, for the record), but I found myself almost audibly cheering for the two banditos as they traipse across New Spain and the Atlantic following women, riches and schemes in the typically broad Jennings landscape.

The books is not great. But it pulled me in: I cared about the characters...I cared how the persistent dramatic threads concluded (and there were many threads)...and I was drawn to feel as the characters felt. I didn't love the ending, but I felt resolved and satisfied. The journey of reading Jennings more than makes up for any specific flaws in the stories themselves.

I recommend this enjoyable read. show less

One of the most memorable books I’ve ever read. The dichotomy Thorn exacerbates in his nature serves both his overt agenda (to serve Theodoric as his right hand man) and his covert agenda (to be Theodoric’s lover). They are never reconciled into one persona, but as each has an outlet, Thorn feels more at peace. The time period is fascinating as are the characters. I loved Wyrd and his role as father and teacher just when Thorn needed one. A long, brutal, graphic, but rewarding novel.

If books were a mirror, than "Aztec" is a picturesque record of the depravity to which man can fall and the heights he can ascend. Jennings spectacularly builds upon historical stereotypes of Mesoamerican civilizations to narrate the last days of the Aztecs before their fateful tryst with the Western world.

The reader is thrust into the world of the youthful protagonist Dark Cloud and rapidly witnesses his coming of age in a world in which fable and myth run side by side with sanguinary show more warfare and realpolitik.

While the sexual escapades narrated in the novel are enough to make even the most prodigious glut sweat, they do not distract from the otherwise fast moving pace established by Jennings. And therein lies "Aztec's" success, it's narrative flows fluidly and even the most minor details integrate with the whole to usher in a new challenge/lesson bestowed upon the protagonist by his environment.

Overall, "Aztec" hits the right spots in historical fiction. It is lucid, takes liberties with some contentious truths, visceral, deviant and most importantly grounded in the realities of life where the winners decide the truth and the vanquished are left to pick up the shards of whatever they once possessed. show less