Columbus's voyage west ends in failure but the Inca Emperor, Atahualpa, does better travelling in the opposite direction, starting with the invasion of Spain. This intriguing idea, from a French prize winning author, gives rise to a lot of fun, often at the expense of Christianity. The clash of cultures is well exploited, as the Emperor, now a disciple of Machiavelli, gets heavily involved in European affairs but I got rather bogged down in the detailed course of events and interest waned - even when the Aztecs put in an appearance.
(Tony Pratt - bwl 103 Winter 2022 ) |
