I remember hearing an interview on NPR when You Dreamed of Empires (#1,226) was first published. It's Alvaro Enrigue's re-imagining of the confrontation between Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortes and the Aztec emperor Moctezuma (translated by Natasha Wimmer). It sounded so off-the-wall that I immediately wrote down the title and author to add to my "To Read" list. It's taken my local library a long time to finally acquire this slim volume, but I read it in essentially one go.
Most of the action in this bizarre story takes place on a day when Cortes and his soldiers are invited into the capital city of Tenoxtitlan. Moctezuma's councilors cannot understand the emperor's actions. Why not squash these invaders as they deserve? But Cortes has one thing that Moctezuma has determined he wants for future conquests: the horses.
The descriptions of the ancient Aztec city and the customs of its peoples are utterly fascinating. It sounds so civilized - except for the constant blood sacrifices of almost anything that breathes.
If you remember your history, you know how this story ended in fact. After reading about the actions of the conquistadors here, I have to admit, I prefer Enrigue's alternative, highly satisfactory ending. It's a weird book, but if you have the stomach for it, worth the time.
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