Aztec Blood

Name: Aztec Blood
Rating: 3.92 (2172 reviews)

by Gary Jennings Book 3 in the Aztec series.

First published 2001

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3.9(2,172)

In 1624, the imprisoned Cristo the Bastardo writes an account intended for the viceroy of New Spain. Raised in poverty and treated as socially disposable because of his mixed ancestry, Cristo survives by intelligence, performance and deception while searching for the identities of his parents. His route runs from the Veracruz coast and colonial Mexico City through haciendas, mines and criminal networks, exposing the institutions that distribute wealth and punishment according to ancestry and status.

The search eventually reaches Seville and returns to the colonial world whose laws have defined Cristo without revealing his inheritance. Adventure, family mystery and political intrigue converge as he uncovers links to both Spanish and Indigenous elites. The Holy Office, forced labour and racial hierarchy form the historical setting, while Cristo’s literacy allows a condemned young man to contest the official account of his life.