Review: Dangerous and gripping
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 10, 2013
I love historical fiction novels that sweep me into different eras and cultures to re-live and experience life as it was back then. Zoe Saadia's novel, The Fall of the Empire does that just. It is set in the 12th to 13th century during the Tepanec Empire in what we know as Mexico today. Slaves, warriors, traders, and emperors abound in a tale of love, survival, and revenge. At the heart of the story are Etl, a trader who overhears a band of soldiers planning to overthrow the emperor, and young Tlalli, whose family was murdered by the same emperor and has voluntarily become a slave to kill the man. The two characters separate courses entwine, a partial love story, partial tale of salvation. But this is no formula romance, so don't expect the usual ending. Rather, the author has provided two endings to the story, which I thought was brilliant, so the author can choose for themselves how they prefer the story to end. Very ingenious indeed. Lovely prose, a steady pace, and colorful descriptions of the ancient culture decorate each page. A great tale to cozy up to. Definitely recommended!