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1517. What we now call Mexico City. The capital city of the Aztec nation whose name for themselves is Mexica. Yaotl, ex-priest and now slave to Lord Feathered in Black, the chief minister to the emperor Montezuma, is trying to find his son, while hiding from his owner. There are rumors of the god Quetzalcoatl being seen on one of the bridges that connects different parts of the city. Yaotl, although religious, having trained as a priest until bad fortune caused him to sell himself into slavery, doesn't believe that the creature is really the god. Evidence proves him correct, eventually. The god is actually a human dressed in an elegant and distinctive Quetzalcoatl costume that had been made by the foremost feather worker in the city. As with the first book in the series, DEMON OF THE AIR, we are treated to a visit to a little-known period in South American history. The highly urbane, brutal Aztec civilization was only to last a few more years, until the Spanish came and conquered them. But during their time on the island in the lake, they had a complicated calendar, an overweening religion, and brutal customs, including cannibalism. By the way, many protein-deficient societies practiced cannibalism. But they have left behind some very sophisticated art. Their civilization was indeed different from the modern Mexican civilization. Levack tries to deal with these differences in historical context, and succeeds. If SHADOW OF THE LORDS is less gripping then DEMON OF THE AIR, perhaps it is because the outline of the Aztec civilization has become less shocking to the reader. Maps, a pronunciation guide, and explanation of the Aztec calendar are included in the front of the book for those of us who get easily confused. This reviewer doesn't usually care about meso-American civilizations, but the next installment of Yaotl's story is eagerly awaited.
Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, December 2004
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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