Feathered Serpent: A Novel of the Mexican Conquest [Library Binding]

Colin Falconer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2008

The triumphant, controversial life of the Aztec woman Malinali is one of the great and enduring legends of Mexico. A high-born Mexica heiress, she was sold into slavery as a child, and it was as a slave of the Maya that she met the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. To her, and many of the Mexica, Cortés, with his ?owing beard and pale skin, was Feathered Serpent, the god whose return to earth foretold the end of Montezuma’s fabled empire. The daughter of a prophet, Malinali knew her fate lay with Feathered Serpent and his invaders. To this day she is reviled as a traitor by Mexico’s native people, but is also honored as a heroine and symbolic mother of a mixed-race nation. This is her story—and the story of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, which for better or worse changed the Americas forever. In Feathered Serpent, Colin Falconer brings the Aztec empire to life in blazing color and gives voice to the incomparable Malinali, who transcended her role as Cortés’s translator and consort to become a fiery agent of history against all odds.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After tackling the story of one powerful woman in history-Cleopatra, heroine of When We Were Gods-Falconer reimagines the life of another: Ce Malinali, or La Malinche, as she is commonly known. For Mexicans, Ce Malinali is a controversial figure-a native woman who served as guide and interpreter for Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and even bore him a son. When Cortes arrives in Mexico with 500 men and a few horses and cannon, drawn by his desire for gold and glory, Malinali sees in him the reincarnation of the god Quetzalcoatl, or Feathered Serpent. She is convinced that he will free her people from the cruel domination of Motecuhzoma (Montezuma), Aztec emperor of the powerful and voracious central state of Mexica. Cortes takes advantage of the hatred most of the country has for Mexica to force his way to Tenochtitlan, the capital city. Here, the superstitious Motecuhzoma, despite having a much larger army, gives Cortes his throne and enormous amounts of gold. When the Mexicas finally resist, their efforts are futile, and the city burns. Falconer tells a great and familiar story-of a smaller, technologically adept army invading a large, culturally brilliant country-but his account of the struggle becomes repetitious and finally tedious. As Malinali wavers in her conviction that Cortes is a god, she becomes a more interesting character, but her single-mindedness, as portrayed by Falconer, makes her seem more like a symbol than a person. The novel concludes with a vision of her as an unhappy, remorseful ghost, wandering the streets of present-day Mexico City.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

In Mexico, the name of Malinali, or Dona Marina, as she was known by the Spaniards, still stirs up controversy nearly 500 years after her death. Born an Aztec princess and sold into slavery after her father's death, Malinali was at 15 given to conquistador Hernan Corts. A highly intelligent woman gifted in several languages, she made herself indispensable as an interpreter to the Spaniards. Her desire for revenge against Montezuma II, whom she held responsible for the murder of her father, and her belief that Corts was actually the god Feathered Serpent, coupled with the Spaniards' overwhelming greed for gold, initiated a disastrous sequence of events that led to the fall of the Aztec empire. While taking care not to deviate from the actual events of the Mexican conquest, historical novelist Falconer (When We Were Gods) dramatically interprets the motives and characteristics of the individuals involved in this turbulent time. First published in Mexico where it became a best seller, the book may not become as popular in the United States, but it will certainly be well received by those interested in Mexican history. Highly recommended for all public libraries. Jane Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1435298373
• ISBN-13: 978-1435298378
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,505,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in north London, Colin worked for many years in TV and radio and freelanced for many of Australia's leading newspapers and magazines. He has been a novelist for the last twenty years, with his work published widely in the UK, US and Europe. His books have been translated into seventeen languages.

He travels regularly to research his novels and his quest for authenticity led him to run with the bulls in Pamplona, pursue tornadoes across Oklahoma and black witches across Mexico, go cage shark diving in South Africa and get tear gassed in a riot in La Paz. He also completed a nine hundred kilometre walk of the camino in Spain.

He lived for many years near Margaret River in WA, helped raise two beautiful daughters with his late wife, Helen. While writing, he also worked for many years in the volunteer ambulance service. "I'd be at my desk typing, then thirty minutes later I'd be crawling into an overturned car."

He met Diana in an airport bookshop in Melbourne - he was in New Fiction. They didn't actually meet in person until three years later.

"My career had stalled when we met. She inspired me to start writing again. I'm a very lucky guy."

WHEN WE WERE GODS has now been re-released as an e-book, and his new novel SILK ROAD, is to be published in the UK and Australia in October by Corvus Atlantic. (less)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exciting read!, February 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Feathered Serpent (Hardcover)

I was drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, but don't be fooled--there's a very entertaining and readable story inside.

Colin Falconer tells the tale of La Malinche with a great deal of panache. His version is mainly from her point of view, and as such it's different from Gary Jennings' Aztec novels. There's plenty of battle, bloodshed, treachery and romance, but it's the first book I've ever seen about the conquest that incorporates a woman's point of view. Many writers treat the story as if there were no women around at the time. Mr. Falconer actually gives us a well-rounded, historically accurate picture from both the male and female perspective. There are several other characters and subplots who round out the relationship between Malinche and Cortes, as well as an excellent recreation of Montezuma and his lords, priests and warriors.

This novel held my attention and reminded me in many ways of the great epic movies of Hollywood's golden age. It's colorful, exotic and entertaining, and does not insult the reader's intelligence.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Achingly beautiful and unbelievably savage, February 3, 2004

By 

Ashley Megan "amazonfox" (Vernon, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Feathered Serpent: A Novel of the Mexican Conquest (Paperback)

A marvelous novel about the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Everyone knows that the (in)famous conquistador Cortes was only able to conquer the Aztecs, the ruling tribe of Tenochtitlan, because they pretty much rolled over and gave in. Most people also know that the Mexican natives bent over backwards for Cortes and his white-skinned followers because they thought the Europeans were gods. This novel expounds upon that misconception, giving us a greater insight into what the heck those Aztecs were thinking and how a tiny band of a few hundred Spanish soldiers was able to defeat the largest and richest city in the world.

According to Falconer, Malinali, the Aztec woman largely responsible for spreading the rumor that Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent), was indeed a real historical figure whose role in the Mexican conquest is still a subject of hot debate today. I can believe it. Lay aside the fact that she purportedly helped murder, enslave, and impoverish her own people (unintentionally or not - Falconer doesn't pass any judgment), and you're faced with the troubling implication that the fate of a continent hinged upon - gasp - a woman.

Falconer paints Malinali as a woman so traumatized by her cruel treatment by her Aztec mother, who sold her into slavery as a child, and inflamed by the prophecies of her father, a priest of Quetzalcoatl, that she seizes upon Cortes' arrival as a fulfillment of her destiny. She believes she is meant to be Quetzalcoatl's handmaiden, and once she becomes his translator she proudly announces this fact to every Mexican native they come across. The theme of Mali's mistranslations becomes an important one, as she paints a picture to the Aztecs that is quite different than the one Cortes had in mind, then is confused when her god doesn't live up to her expectations.

The descriptions of Aztec (and, to a lesser extent, Mayan) culture, religion, and architecture are wonderful, both achingly beautiful and unbelievably savage. Mali is a fascinating character, at once abhorrent and heroic. Cortes is predictably arrogant and destructive, yet Falconer avoids the simplistic, "Europeans bad/Natives good" P.C. interpretation of events that has become almost universally accepted. He is careful to include the larger justifications why the Europeans thought they were entitled to rule the New World (i.e., the pope said they could), and points out that Christianity did have some advantages over the Aztec religion, namely that it doesn't involve human sacrifice. Then again, as one character points out, plenty of people have died in the name of the Christian religion, too. This ambiguity between which religion is "better" highlights the bitter reality behind the clash of cultures: in the end, there is no one "right" side, or "good" guys. The characters are all mixtures of piety, ruthlessness, good intentions, arrogance, compassion, and cruelty. This makes them amazingly human, and the story of the Mexican conquest all the more tragic. You're left wondering if there was any way the story could have had a better outcome, or if the destruction was inevitable. Falconer deserves kudos for acknowledging the complexity of his source material and creating a story that never condescends to its victims nor exonerates its heroes.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, wonderful historical detail, June 18, 2005

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Feathered Serpent: A Novel of the Mexican Conquest (Paperback)

In my mind, the Aztecs have been short-changed by modern authors. There has not been enough attention to them and their interesting story. And Cortes! If ever anyone should get high marks for having ambition and bravery in spades, it's him.

Anyway, the historical details are well done in the book. Falconer almost makes you feel like you are there with the Spanish as the arrive at the Aztec city of Tenochitlan. He has created a multi-dimensional Cortes, rather than the stereotypical 'evil conqueror' Cortes (although, at the end I lost the feel for Cortes - I don't know if Falconer lost interest or he also lost his feel for the man). In most books and texts Cortes is portrayed as a gold-crazed, land-crazed conqueror - but his motivations are far more complex - including a complete disgust with the Mesoamerica's fascination with human sacrifice and the cannibilistic consumption of those sacrifices.

Unfortunately, Falconer's obsession with adding graphic, detailed sex scenes to his book just gets in the way. Another reviewer commented that there's one about every twenty pages - and I'd agree. We get all of the detail that adds nothing to the plot. I'm not trying to be a prude here - after all the main characters were considered to be the first to have a mestizo child so there's got to be some sex - but it was given such a prominent place in the book that I feel that it detracts from the work as a whole.