First published 2021
Around 1000 AD, Freydis leads her Viking warriors from Greenland toward Panama, then vanishes into history. Five centuries later, Christopher Columbus sails west seeking gold and glory, but the Incas capture him before he can claim America. His dreams of conquest crumble, yet he clings to his sense of superiority even in captivity. Meanwhile, Atahualpa, the final Inca emperor, arrives in Europe to find a continent torn by the Spanish Inquisition, religious wars, and monarchical conflicts. The downtrodden populations suffer under endless warfare and the looming Turkish threat. Atahualpa studies Machiavelli's guide to power and discovers his natural talent for political manipulation. As he builds Inca rule across Europe, the Aztecs appear on the scene. Two great empires prepare for a collision that will reshape the world. This is history turned inside out, where the colonized become the colonizers.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, political-thriller, alternate-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: alternate-history, fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Greenland, Panama, Europe, Inca Empire, Aztec Empire
Period: 1000 AD, 15th Century, 16th Century
320 pages · Kindle Edition · Vintage Digital
Content warnings: colonialism