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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Very heavy
Human sacrifice, warfare, and graphic violence depicted in extensive detail throughout the epic historical span
Language
Some
Some strong language; the narrative voice is frank and unsparing
Sexual Content
Very heavy
Explicit sexual content throughout, including rape, encountered across decades of the protagonist's life
Substance Use
Barely any
Minimal substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The weight of witnessing the end of an entire civilization creates genuine tragic grandeur; the graphic content is part of the novel's unflinching approach
What this book is about
Gary Jennings's epic historical novel follows Mixtli, a Mixtec man born in 1466, who narrates his extraordinary life to Spanish friars. The novel spans the full height and fall of the Aztec empire and the arrival of Cortés. Jennings's research is meticulous, and the novel pulls no punches about Aztec ritual: human sacrifice is depicted in extensive, graphic detail, as is sexuality of all varieties. The explicit content — both violent and sexual — is extensive and disturbing. One of the most graphically adult historical novels ever written; strictly for mature readers.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Graphic human sacrifice depicted in detail
Explicit sexual content including rape
Civilization collapse
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