Aztec Fire

by Gary Jennings

Part of Aztec

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3.8

Juan Rios, descended from Indigenous warriors, is spared execution when a Spanish gunmaker recognises his knowledge of gunpowder and buys his labour. He becomes a gifted gunsmith and marksman while secretly supplying weapons to the independence movement. His partnership with the writer and revolutionary Maria turns technical skill into political commitment, but discovery exposes them to imprisonment and the colonial Inquisition.

Capture carries Juan into the maritime system linking Acapulco, Manila and the wider Pacific. The voyage through the Manila galleon trade expands the novel beyond Mexico before he and his companions attempt to return to a country in rebellion. When they reach New Spain again, the uprising associated with Miguel Hidalgo has become open war, forcing Juan to choose how his weapons and knowledge will be used.