From Publishers Weekly
Mysticism, shape-changing, art and brutal religiosity are melded in this vivid tale of a seldom-plumbed time and place--the Aztec Empire at its height, before the arrival of European invaders. With a deep sense of time and place, Bell ( People of the Sky ) tells of the girl-child Mixcatl, stolen from her jungle village and bound into slavery in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan at the age of six, where she labors as a menial at a priests' school until her talent for art brings her the chance to apprentice as a scribe. Her destiny changes when Wise Coyote, tlatoani (Speaker King) of the client state Texcoco, learns that Mixcatl is a member of the clan called the Jaguar's Children, fabled rulers from a distant time. As Wise Coyote tries to use Mixcatl's as yet unrevealed talent as a shape-changer in his struggle against the Aztec king Ilhuicamina, whose sacrifices to the god Hummingbird on the Left grow vaster and deadlier every year, the girl attempts to control her growing powers while developing a gentle love for his son, the artist Huetzin. Drawing on unusual and powerful symbols, Bell brings a vanished civilization to life in this unusual fantasy.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Down, pedants who would remind us that the Aztecs didn't really suffer from internal revolutions led by half-feline slaves! We don't need to be reminded of that to enjoy this historical cum fantasy romance. It's entertainingly written and holds interest with its excellent pacing, solid characterizations, and, most important, its magic. Most of this last is worked by Mixcatl, the main character; feisty and peculiar and talented, she occasionally turns into a jaguar to right ancient wrongs. Imagine
The Cat People merged with the Aztec codices and a soup{‡}con of Scarlett O'Hara, and you've got this one's drift. Entertaining.
Pat Monaghan
