Review: Great historical fiction on the Anasazi...!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 11, 2012
Really great historical novel that takes place at the beginning of the end of the Anasazi cliff dweller's cultural dominance in the SW of the United States. I love the way this book was written, from the point of view of an "outsider" to that culture, a Native American from far south of the cliff dweller's region (prior to the Aztecs, from a rival tribe to the Mayans). The cultural clash is handled really well through a love story between one of the Anasazi women and a man from the warrior caste from the lands around Lake Texcoco, from a civilization that calls itself the Azcapotzalco. At the time Saadia is writing about, they share the fertile region with the Culhuacan, and a new group of bloodthirsty outsiders, the Aztecs. Hearing about the different viewpoints and philosophies of the very different religions and cultural practices of the two regions (even prior to the Aztecs, all of the natives in that region performed blood sacrifices with enemy captives, something the Anasazi didn't do, at least not in the same way). Doing this through the viewpoint of the young lovers works very well in my opinion, and lends a much more grounded and realistic lens into these people...while also using their emotional tension to make this less of a "history lesson" and more about people the reader cares about. I really enjoyed watching the warrior from the south, Tecpatl, struggle to understand the cliff dwellers with their less hierarchical society and the lack of birth castes that determine both social status and one's future work. Their love story was really charming and the action sequences exciting...all in all great read, especially if you are fascinated by this region, its peoples and its history. I am looking forward to the sequel, too, which sounds like it will be set more in those southern lands in the context of the burgeoning war with the Aztec invaders. Highly recommend!