I have never written a book review before, but I was moved to do so with Aliette De Bodard's novel: 'The Servant of the Underworld' as I feared that some would miss out of this terrific and engaging novel .
First a bit of background - I have always been intrigued by the Aztec Empire but have been frustrated by the lack of books, both fictional and scholarly, on the Pre-Columbian era. Most novels deal with the Aztec as they are being conquered or have already been conquered by the Spanish. It was for that reason that I never got into the 'Aztec' series by Gary Jennings (though many people seem to have enjoyed it, so don't let me dissuade you if you are so inclined to give it a read).
A few years ago I stumbled across a four book series of detective novels set a year or so before the arrival of the Spanish. The first book, ' The Demon of the Air' written by Simon Levack is a murder mystery with the erstwhile detective being an ex-priest and now slave, Yaotl. While the research was top-notch and the painting of the world was engaging, the writing and plotting, I'm sorry to say, was not the greatest. Now, that doesn't mean that its total dreck, but I did have to force myself to read through to the end - something that makes me leery of continuing to read the series.
Luckily, I stumbled across Aliette De Bodard's novel: 'The Servant of the Underworld' while surfing through Amazon.co.uk. And yes - this is how I was able to read and review the book before it is available here in the US. It cost me a bit more due to the exchange rate and the shipping, but it was well-worth the expense.
'The Servant of the Underworld' is a masterful novel that is at once a mystery novel as well as a fantasy that rivals any of the fantasy epics now in print. Mlle. De Bodard has, through obvious love and exacting research crafted a story that immerses one into a strange and alien world hat is all the more enthralling because it actually did exist upon our planet. Granted, being a fantasy novel, she does have her priests and sorcerers cast spells, but these are a far cry from "fire balls erupting from your finger tips" type of spells. This magic blends seamlessly with the setting that you don't blink when the High Priest of Death calls upon the energy of his God, and is infused with the power of the lands of the dead, Mictlan.
The protagonist of the novel is the High Priest of Mictlantecuhtli (God of the Dead), Acatl. No lowly slave here - but a man who at first sees himself as no hero as his brother, the Jaguar Knight, is, but who is slowly propelled by events into heroic deeds that would make any Jaguar Knight proud. Acatl is summoned in the middle of the night by the head of the Guardians - agents of the Duality (the Supreme Being in the Aztec pantheon) - to investigate the disappearance of a high ranking priestess. To make matters worse, the prime suspect in her disappearance is Acatl's brother.
I am hesitant to reveal more of the plot for fear of ruining this interesting mystery, but I will say that what appears as a simple abduction and perhaps murder, turns into something that threatens the very existence of the Fifth World - what the Aztec's call the current incarnation of our world. You know - the one that's suppose to end on December 21st, 2012.
Mlle. De Bodard does a great job of making the Pre-Columbian Aztec Empire (the story is set in 1480, some 39 years before Cortez arrives) at once alien yet accessible to the reader. True, she does steadfastly stick to the naming conventions used by the Aztec's, but luckily there are very few overlaps of names with the same first sequence of letters. Hence when I saw 'Cey', I knew it was the elderly and wizened Guardian of the Sacred Temple and not really have to battle through trying to mentally pronounce 'Ceyaxochitl'.
Another touch that Mlle. De Bodard deftly does to immerse one into the story and make it come alive is that she just doesn't say that Acatl casts a spell to track down a creature from the Underworld, she actually crafts Acatl's prayer to the Lord of the Hunt -
'In darkness they dwell
In darkness they feast
They eat, they consume their prey
All save one...'
It's these small touches spread throughout the book that makes the world seem "real" to me. As a bonus, the book also includes the author's notes detailing the historical setting and her research, along with an extensive bibliography.
Now, all that I've said should not suggest that the book is perfect. One needs to be a bit patient as the story takes about 100 pages or so to really get going. By this I mean that Mlle. De Bodard first needs to paint the scene and establish the "world rules" by which this sordid little story plays out. I for one am glad that she didn't rush cramming it all in 40 pages and took her time setting the proper tone and atmosphere. But once the Wind of Knives shows up, it's just about non-stop action until the end.
According to Amazon, 'Servant of the Underworld' will be available in the US on October 26, 2010 followed by its sequel, 'Harbinger of the Storm' on January 25, 2011. Amazon lists the books are Book One and Book Two, respectively, of the Obsidian and Blood Trilogy - so one assumes that we'll have a total of three books to enjoy, but if the other two are as good as the first, I for one hope that Mlle. De Bodard is inclined to give us further adventures of the High Priest of the Dead!
