Crossing Worlds - Zoe Saadia

   2012; 184 pages.  Book 2 (out of 7) in the series “The Rise of the Aztecs”.  New Author? : No.  Genres : Mesoamerica; Historical Fiction; Native American Literature.   Overall Rating: 8/10.

 

    The dreaded Tepanecs are at the gates of Huexotzinco!

 

    Well okay, that’s not quite true yet.  But they have conquered the nearby altepetl (think “city-state”) of Texcoco, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out where they will attack next, especially since the heir to the Texcoco throne, a youth named Coyotl, is currently hanging out with Kuini, one of the sons of the Huexotzinco War Leader.

 

    Nobody doubts that, if/when the Tepanecs attack, they will be victorious.  The question then is, what should Huexotzinco do?  Maybe they should offer up Coyotl as a human sacrifice to one of their gods.  But since the War Leader has already welcomed Coyotl into the city, such a ritual slaying would be in poor taste.

 

    Maybe it’s time for Huexotzinco to seek allies.  Those upstart Aztecs are just as powerful as the Tepanecs, but right now those two altepetls are chummy.  Coyotl’s people, the Acolhua, would surely love to help fight against the Tepanecs and retake Texcoco, but they’re a conquered tribe.  Besides, they’re a bunch of filthy Lowlanders, and the traditional enemy of Huexotzinco, which are Highlanders.

 

    That doesn’t leave the War Leader many options.

 

What’s To Like...

    Crossing Worlds is the second book in Zoe Saadia’s Rise of the Aztecs series.  I read the first one, The Highlander, three years ago; it is reviewed here.  We followed three protagonists in that book, two of which – Kuini and Coyotl – are in the spotlight once again.  The third, Iztac-Ayotl, gets only scant mention here, but I suspect she will have a major role in Book 3.

 

    The main storyline is summarized in the introduction above.  An invasion by the Tepanecs is nigh, and all the strategic options available to Huexotzinco are both distasteful and of doubtful worth.  Kuini and Coyotl can play pivotal roles in all this, but they seem to be more interested in having dalliances with the local girls and getting into fights with the local men.

 

    It was neat to watch Kuini begin to develop some leadership skills.  He has a hot-headed nature, and expects those around him to carry out his wishes without question.  I suppose that might be useful if you’re next in line for the position of War Leader, but Kuini is currently fifth in line for that, with four older brothers ahead of him.

 

    I read the paperback version of Crossing Worlds, and very much appreciated the inclusion of a map, from which I frequently got my bearings.  I also liked the way cussing is handled here: euphemisms such as dung-eater, excrement-eaters, gods-know-where, and frog-eater replace f-bombs and other vulgarities.  There are a couple rolls-in-the-hay, but they’re tastefully done.

 

    The ending is not particularly exciting, but nevertheless works.  Decisions about how to handle the Tepanecs are made, and Kuini and Coyotl are dispatched to carry out a portion of those plans.  How much they will or will not accomplish awaits the reader in Book 3, The Emperor’s Second Wife, which is on my TBR shelf.  The book closes with a brief Epilogue which zings a neat and unforeseen twist at the reader as a teaser for the sequel.

 

Ratings…
    Amazon: 4.5*/5, based on 81 ratings and 69 reviews.

    Goodreads: 4.45*/5, based on 196 ratings and 30 reviews

 

Excerpts...

    “The filthy piece of excrement just went on, spilling it all.  First, doubting my strategy against the Tepanecs; then, bringing up the Acolhua heir.  He even had the gall to hint about the doubtful actions of my son, imagine that!  The only thing he neglected was to bring up my foreign origins. (…)  I’m telling you, this filthy piece of dirt is up to something.”

    “He didn’t have to bring up your origins, because you bothered to do it yourself,” said Mino mildly, pursing her lips.  (pg. 90)

 

    “We will not war on each other as long as I live.”

    The warrior’s gaze softened as another of his amused grins flashed.  “Well, then it boils down to getting you back onto the Texcoco throne.”  The grin disappeared.  “Not a small undertaking.  And it’ll take more than a few summers to achieve.  Do you realize that?”

    Coyotl’s heart fell, and it must have reflected upon his face as the man shook his head, his grin spreading back.  “Oh, you didn’t think I’d just gather my warriors and roll down the First Pass toward Texcoco, did you?”

    “No, of course not!” said Coyotl, his jaw tightening.  It was precisely how he had imagined it would happen.  (pg. 125)

 

“Remember this, Netzahualcoyotl.  People don’t have to like you in order to help you.”  (pg. 131)

    There’s little to quibble about in Crossing Worlds, provided you read this as a piece of Historical Fiction and not as an Action-Adventure tale.  The story is set in 1418/19, Cortez and his conquistadors won’t show up for another century.  There is some fighting and five more books where gods-only-know how much blood will be shed, but so far the storyline is mostly a study of three teenaged youths coming to grips with their destined duties.

 

    My main quibble is with the spellchecker errors that are the bane of most self-publishing efforts.  A bunch of typos crop up here, including leaning/learning, tagged/tugged, maintains/mountains, disperse/dispense, brunches/branches, heard/heart, and a character named Mino getting re-named as Mini.  That last one made me chuckle.  Way to blunder, spellchecker.

 

    I found Crossing Worlds to be a fascinating and enlightening read.  I love stories set in the pre-Columbian New World, particularly ones that focus on something besides Aztecs and Mayans offering bloody human sacrifices and/or Spanish armies searching for gold while decimating the native civilizations with swords, saints, and smallpox plagues.  This book and series are a refreshing departure from those overused storylines.

 

    8 Stars.  If you are a history buff, be sure to read the “Author’s Afterword” in the back of the book.  The Rise of the Aztecs is a deeply-researched effort by Zoe Saadia, and I was surprised, after consulting Wikipedia, to see how many of the major characters, places, and events  in Crossing Worlds really were historically accurate.  For me, Historical Fiction is always more fun when the “History” aspect gets just as much attention as the “Fiction”.