First published 2020
Atahualpa survives his encounter with Spanish conquistadors and sails across the Atlantic to conquer Europe. The last Inca emperor lands on a continent ruled by Charles V, where he encounters the Spanish Inquisition, emerging capitalism, and the printing press revolution. Pirates roam the seas while religious conflicts and dynastic wars tear nations apart. Atahualpa discovers a Europe full of suffering people ready to rebel against their rulers. In Toledo, Jews face persecution. In Granada, Moors struggle under oppression. In the Netherlands, rebels fight for freedom. The Inca leader sees potential allies everywhere he looks. Building coalitions with these oppressed groups, Atahualpa finds that overthrowing the European regime becomes surprisingly easy. His invasion succeeds where the conquistadors failed in reverse, reshaping a world where chance and conspiracy determine which civilizations rise and fall.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, political-thriller, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: alternate-history, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Europe, Toledo, Granada, Netherlands
Period: 16th century
368 pages · Hardcover · Meulenhoff
Content warnings: colonialism