"This is a phenomenal book that is nearly impossible to put down once you begin to read it! The Conquest of Mexico is heard, felt, tasted, smelled and witnessed so closely in this novel's remarkable account. This first book of two, engulfs your 5 senses completely and places you in the midst of history in all its compelling terror, action, sensuality and intensity.
I felt like a voyeur insatiably devouring the descriptive pages and still hungry for more... The tension between the two priests is a compelling delight and their unusual relationship creates a wonderful forum for thought-provoking modern philosophy.
I am looking forward to purchasing and reading the second novel! The first book is truly incomplete without its second companion. Also, I would have loved to have seen travel maps in this first book to help the reader further visualize this magnificent journey of Cortez and his men. I am left anxiously awaiting the chance to read the continuation of this astounding account. Too bad this was not all in one book, but I will wait patiently for the continuation. Brilliant and a must-read!"

—Skye Lin
Tucson, Arizona

"This is a wonderful novel. I expected a good story and got much more. Through the eyes of Rodrigo de la Pena, whose family was eliminated by the Inquisition, we see the manipulations and brilliance of the charismatic leader, Hernan Cortes, as he leads his Conquisatodores into Mexico. This fictional analysis of Cortes' tactics and character explodes the trite accounts found in current school textbooks that imply that the sight of a few horses caused all opposition to the conquest of Tenochtitlan to melt away. This author clearly knows his territory; wild boars, folk medicine, the difficulties of musketry, the elaborate sacrificies of the Indios, are an integral part of the story.

Additional irony and tension exist thoughout because we know from the outset that Rodrigo is now the Spanish Inqusitor-General. Despite this, and his avowed intent to force a captured Jesuit to rewrite history, he is a remarkably credible and even sympathetic character.

The only negative comment I can make is my disappointment that the book ended where it did. I cannot wait to get my hands on volume two. Volume one leaves us outside Tenochtitlan. Rodrigo is entangled between a captured maiden who was thrust upon him, and a beautiful woman who has helped finance the expedition. He also has abandoned a child he fathered in Italy during his early soldering days. We cannot be left wondering what happened to all of them. We also have the entitled Jesuit, who is being forced to write down Rodrigo's memoirs. His fate seems very tenuous. Will he survive? As a reader, I care less for him than for any of the other characters, but it will be interesting to see how Rodrigo treats him once his task is done.
A great read."

- G.Powell

"This is a well-written, well-researched historical novel of the conquests of Cortez, with a wonderfully creative presentation. The author tells the story through a dialogue between an inquisition-detained priest, who serves as his scribner, and a Bishop inquisitor, whose earlier life was a soldier in Cortez ranks. Their discussion is as revealing of the atrocities of the Spanish Inquisition as the story itself is as of those of Cortez. I look forward to the promised sequel to learn how the Bishop left the murderous Mexican campaign to become a feigned man of God."

—Leo G. Stern
Minneapolis, MN

"This book was so descriptively writen that I could visualize it every step of the way. Very exciting! I loved it's progression from the old world to the new world - bringing Rodrigo in contact with Cortez. My only disappointment was that the book was divided into two parts - I would have preferred to read the whole story at once, but as it is, I anxiously await the publication of the second half. Kudos to Mr. Braithwaite for his well researched, and entertaining novella. I look forward to more books by this author."

—C.S. Rhodes
Orange County, CA

"This book give a great insight into the most amazing conquest in the history of man."

—Mark J. Valsi
Pasadena, CA

"As a South American who grew up reading the conventional history text books (heavily influenced by the land owners interests and those of the Catholic Church who so handsomely profitted from the indian slavery), I found this Novella a lot closer to the truth. Braithwaite has done a terrific job of investigating the subject matter and is a mesmerizing story teller. Thanks Ron for a wonderful trip back to the 1500's."

—Jose A. Ocariz
Camden, Maine