Cuauhtémoc: Descending Eagle

"This story takes place in the early 16th Century; a time when the world seemed to be expanding at an almost exponential rate. It occurs in South America in a land known as Maya: this is not a tale of what was, but rather, a story of what might have been if I had been in charge of that era.

The main character, Cuauhtémoc, is born in a small village in the northwestern part of Maya: the story line follows his life from birth, through birdman-school, where he learns to become a birdman and carry messages. The account unwinds, telling of his adventures, his fights with pirate raiders as well as some of his own people; and by end of the book he is twelve years of age and is sent to the City of Emperors by the Commander of the soldier's garrison.

Cuauhtémoc: Descending Eagle d l davies
Xlibris,187 pages, (paperback) $19.99. 978-1-4535-1357-6
Reviewed: April, 2011

Cuauhtémoc: Descending Eagle begins a fantasy series set in South America in the 16th century just as Europeans are beginning their plunder of the Mayan Empire. Unlike more common alternate histories from authors such as Harry Turtledove in which the writer changes a major event in the past, adding, for example, a civil war or world war battle, d l davies imagines the effects one messianic individual might have had on a society.

This first book (the second, Cuauhtémoc: Descent of the Sun Priests, has also been published) begins as Cuauhtémoc, the chosen one, is marked over his heart on the day of his birth by a falling golden eagle feather. It then takes readers through Cuahtemoc's first 12 years.

Cuauhtémoc boasts a flawless memory, exceptional physical skills and a quick mind. Thus, the boy is an ideal candidate to become a ""birdman,"" one of the airborne couriers who flies over the jungle in hang gliders the author envisions, delivering messages from village to village and orders from the Mayan capital. In addition, this 12-year-old teaches his elders valuable practical and ethical lessons and becomes the leader of his contemporaries. Each of Cuauhtémoc's adventures presents a moral that emphasizes loyalty, respect, or another quality important to young readers.

Davies excels in three areas: his vivid descriptions of jungle and village life; his characterizations, especially of secondary characters such as Cuauhtémoc's friends and mentors; and his natural-sounding dialogue, perhaps the most difficult task for an aspiring author.

Older readers may find some of the author's explanations of simple words and activities tedious and unnecessary. (For example, he mentions that a tapir is a ""pig-like" animal.) In addition, occasional grammatical problems detract from an otherwise impressive first novel."