In 1519, Conquistador Hernán Cortés and his troops ride
into the floating city of Tenoxtitlan in
this hallucinatory, revelatory, colonial revenge story.
Invited to a ceremonial meal with the steely princess Atotoxtli, sister and
wife of the emperor Moctezuma, the Spanish nearly bungle their entrance into
the city and its labyrinthine palace. Soon, one of Cortés’s captains, Jazmín
Caldera, begins to question the ease with which they were welcomed, and wonders
at the risks of getting out alive, much less conquering the empire.
Moctezuma himself is at a political, spiritual and physical crossroads, relying
on hallucinogens in a quest for any kind of answer from the gods. When Cortés
and Moctezuma meet, two worlds, empires, languages, and possible futures
collide.
You Dreamed of Empires brings to life Tenoxtitlan at its height – and
reimagines its destiny. It sets afire the moment of conquest and turns it into a moment of revolution,
in a novel so electric and so unique that it feels like a dream. This book is amazing! Enrigue has written a fabulous book. You may want to follow up with the book Malinalli about one of Cortes's translators who is a fascinating woman.
Enrigue, Alvaro. (2024). You Dreamed of Empires. New York: Riverhead Books.
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