The Serpent and the Eagle by Edward RickfordMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This historical fiction by Edward Rickford had many of the things that I tend to look for in a novel that includes real characters and events from the past. In addition it was interesting to discover much about the history of a war between Spain and Mexica, 1519 to 1521. I learned for example that Mexica refers to the people we generally call the Aztecs, and that several characters in the story who accompanied Cortes, such as Aguilar and Malintze, really existed. The author has to be applauded for the considerable research that has gone into the background of his novel.
I have to admit that my own interest in this story was captured initially through a memory of visiting a monument in Arizona known as Montezuma Castle. This was a few decades ago and I vaguely remembered that it had nothing to do with the Aztec emperor, more correctly named “Motecuhzoma” in this book. There are many such names contained within Rickford’s tale and I found it almost impossible to pronounce them out loud! However, it did not prevent me from becoming quite absorbed in the political intrigue and plotting involved through the machinations of Cortes and his cronies, as well as the intimate fears and hopes of some of the more minor characters in both camps. The author introduces a distinct code of conduct element as well as one that involves sexual desire and romance, neither of which are great enough to provide a distraction from the main plot: capturing land and gold while enforcing religious conversion. Notwithstanding these aims there is the ambition of Cortes achieving what became his notorious glory. I suspect most readers will wind up with their own like-hate relationship regarding Hernando Cortes. I can recommend The Serpent and the Eagle to all those readers who enjoy historical novels with a generous amount of authenticity.
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