Aztec by Gary Jennings

Thirty years ago, I read Gary Jennings' novel Aztec. Or, at least I thought I read it.

I’m currently writing a novel in which one of the main characters loves anything about the Aztecs. So, I thought I would re-read that book from thirty years ago to refresh my knowledge of that empire.

After searching for my copy from thirty years ago, I gave up and downloaded a Kindle version. As the ‘percent read’ crept along, I soon realized I had read only a part of the book. At 754 pages, it’s a lengthy read.

Mixtli tells his life story to Spanish friars while imprisoned, presenting the novel as a first-person narrative. Through his eyes, readers experience the grandeur, complexity, and brutality of Aztec society. The novel contains a steady beat of titillations. Mixtli and his sister, as teenagers, have an incest relationship. Just as you adjust for that, a princess takes a lover, tires of him, and has him embedded into a statue. When the ruler finds out about the princess’ lovers, he has her drugged, placed within a thorny maze, and coupled with her dead lover.

Some things you cannot forget. I still remember that scene thirty years later. But I remember it being the end of the book. In my rereading, I quickly learned the story was just beginning.

As Mixtli grows up, people recognize his grasp of word pictures, select him as a “tlatelolco,” and send him to the imperial capital, Tenochtitlán. There, he witnesses political intrigue, falls in love, and becomes entangled in the empire’s expansion and internal struggles.

As Mixtli grows, he embarks on journeys across Mesoamerica, encounters diverse indigenous cultures, and takes part in the empire’s wars and rituals. He marries, experiences profound personal losses, and becomes a merchant, diplomat, and soldier. Both the splendor and the violence of Aztec life marks his narrative, including human sacrifice, political betrayal, and the devastating impact of natural disasters.

The novel reaches its climax with the arrival of Hernán Cortés and the Spanish conquistadors. Mixtli's loyalty to his people clashes with his fascination with the newcomers. He witnesses the initial diplomatic encounters, the betrayal of Aztec allies, and the catastrophic battles that lead to the fall of Tenochtitlán. The story vividly portrays the clash of civilizations, introducing European diseases, and the systematic destruction of Aztec culture and religion by the Spanish.

I recommend this book, if you have the time. Think of it as an education.

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