Aztec Blood

Gary Jennings did not write this book but possibly the treatment. It was released after his passing and however well intentioned his agent and ghost writer are they do a disservice to Mr. Jennings by placing his name so prominently and theirs smaller in order to capitalize on his name and reputation. It would have been better with their names as the more prominent with a smaller credit as being based on the treatment, synopsis, draft, etc. of Gary Jennings.The book lacks the historical detail that Mr. Jennings was known for and results in expectations not being realized by a Jenning's reader interested not only in a grand story but with a historical basis in everyday details. This detail elevates Jennings books into a league of exceptional historical novels.But setting aside the obvious thinness of historical detail the book was an excellent adventure story and well worth the read.As I usually give Jenning's books 5-stars and have opted to give this book 4-stars when it should be a 3 or 3-1/2 stars as l do not wish his reputation to suffer with the way his rough work was finally released. No doubt Mr. Jennings would have added into this excellent story/draft all the historical detail that we, his readers, praise him for.I do not wish to be overly critical as I did enjoy the book but only long for more.

For me, this was, without a doubt, the best of Gary Jennings's books about the Aztecs. In a wide ranging story that spans cultures, economics, religion and continents, he puts forth a protagonist who is a likable rogue we just want to see succeed.The rogue's name is Cristoforo, known as el bastardaro...which means exactly what the cognate implies. We first meet him languishing under torture in the dungeons of the Viceroy in Mexico City. He is ordered to write an account of his life and crimes in the hope that the rulers may find where his stash of loot is hidden. It is as his story unfolds that we find out who he is.He is a poor "half-breed". Because of this he is despised by all, Indian and Spaniard alike. The only one who will give him the time of day is an old friar who treats him as a son. The friar provides literacy and education for the boy but warns him to hide his abilities. The arrival of an old harridan and a cruel overseer at the hacienda provokes fear. The friar takes the boy to Veracruz, warning him to hide his identity but never really letting the boy know about his identity. This act causes the priest to be defrocked due to political pressure brought forth by the old lady but he remains to true his calling to help the poor.In Veracruz, the boy learns the skills of a street beggar and becomes quite an accomplished little trickster. The appearance once again of the old lady and the overseer cause them to eventually flee however. It is a flight the boy survives but that the friar does not. Thus begins the third part of his life.He is apprenticed to a native shaman who heals people. From this old man the boy learns of his Aztec heritage, though not of his family. He is still a schemer and his schemes eventually lead him to hook up with the rogue who helped him to escape Veracruz. This improves his learning but eventually, a scheme goes wrong and the old healer is killed. The boy is left at the mercy of the rogue and a crown official who sees some merit and use in him.The crown official takes the two in, teaching them to live as Spanish nobility but using them to investigate crown crimes. In doing so, the educational process is taken to the PhD level as he learns the corruption of officialdom. While investigating these crimes, he comes in contact with the mysterious old lady and the cruel overseer again. His discovery leads his patron and his entire adopted family into the dungeons of the inquisition. This is all quite frustrating in that he still does not know what he has done earn such enmity other than to be born.From the inquisition it is to life as a slave in the mines. Escape from there leads to a life of brigandage and a reunion with his rogue friend. A heist of the royal mint gets them both to Spain. All the while, the young boy turned into a man wants to know who he is, why he is hated and hunted and he wants vengeance on those who have killed all his loved ones. That brings him back to Mexico, this time posing as a young noble. In his quest, he gets his revenge, the love of his life and his true birthright is a series of bold and almost unbelievable actions.By this point, the plausibility hardly matters. The story is so engrossing that the reader is willing to swallow most anything and do so willingly.This one is much happier than the previous two books but it does not always seem that way. It is fascinating as a story and as an examination of the best and the worst of native and colonial cultures.

Having read four of the Aztec series, I would say "Aztec Blood" is the low point of the series. The lead character, Christo the Bastardo, is fun. He just doesn't seem to have the depth of the lead characters in some of Jennings's other books. It's a cumbersome read at 750 pages, but it kept me interested to the end.The research is meticulous, and Jennings managed to paint a clear picture of colonial New Spain. I recommend this book in conjunction with the other Aztec books. They're best read back to back. I recommend "Aztec Blood", but more as a bridge between the other books than as a stand-alone book.

NOT BY GARY JENNINGS, so don't bother with it

It must be Jennings!! And even though this book was technically not written by Jennings but rather based on manuscripts found after his death, I have to say it was very very good. I felt some apprehension about reading this books for those stated reasons, but I'm glad I went ahead and read it anyway.In the third and final of the Aztec series, we get to follow the adventures and tribulations of Cristo, a mestizo (mixed blood) in now conquered New Spain. The thing I found very interesting about this book is that you are pulled back and forth between the Spanish and India culture that existed side by side, but extremely separate from eachother during the 1600's. Since Cristo is of mixed blood, he switches back and forth between being a full blooded Spaniard and an Indio beggar. The book is full of adventure, sex, torture; all the typical Jennings subjects, and does not disappoint.

This book had its moments, but more misses than hits. The character is an unlikeable guy, unlike those in the previous episodes--he never really figures out who or what he is, and never really amounts to anything. I got really tired of him telling the reader that the only thing he really ever knew were guns, horses, and women. His creative references to his sexual conquests were laughable. My favorite was, "...water the garden between her legs." Is there a woman alive who wouldn't swoon to that reference?Rating the series from best to worst:1. Aztec2. Aztec Rage3. Aztec Autumn4. Aztec Blood

The author demonstrates his skill in creating and weaving a fountain of ideas into an accessory history of the subjugation of "Indian" cultures in the New World during the last 600 years. This tale does not meet the level of dramatic invention of his earlier books, i.e., Journeyer, Aztec, Raptor, but if you are a Jennings admirer, you get the same sparkling invention and pace of action.