In June of 1521, Hernan Cortez's expedition to the Valley of Mexico nearly succeeded in toppling the Aztec Empire, after two years of intrigue, disease and bloodshed. Instead, after a final disastrous battle outside the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, their native allies melted away, and the entire Spanish expedition was captured or killed. Cortez and the others taken captive were brought to the sacrificial altars. One by one they were executed...until a surprising offer was made by the Aztec Emperor, Cuauhtemoc. In exchange for their lives, the surviving Spaniards would teach the Aztecs all they knew of European weapons--especially steel, and gunpowder--to prepare the peoples of Mexico for the next Spanish invasion...
Twelve years later, Francisco Pizarro, fresh from the Spanish campaigns in North Africa, arrives in the New World. His orders, from Emperor Charles V of Spain: To follow Cortez's path into the Valley of Mexico, and learn both the fate of his expedition, and what native kingdoms or empires have arisen in its wake. But will he be truly prepared for what surprises and threats await in the Valley? And what will his arrival mean for the tense peace that has held sway over the New World since Cortez's fall?
Twelve years later, Francisco Pizarro, fresh from the Spanish campaigns in North Africa, arrives in the New World. His orders, from Emperor Charles V of Spain: To follow Cortez's path into the Valley of Mexico, and learn both the fate of his expedition, and what native kingdoms or empires have arisen in its wake. But will he be truly prepared for what surprises and threats await in the Valley? And what will his arrival mean for the tense peace that has held sway over the New World since Cortez's fall?
