Books like A Demon of the Air by Simon Levack

In the time of the Aztec Empire, Emperor Montezuma entrusts his chief minister’s slave, Yaotl, with a perilous investigation: to discover why the emperor’s soothsayers have vanished. Yaotl’s quest entangles him with the political intrigue of the court, the brutal realities of slavery, and the ominous rituals of human sacrifice that permeate Aztec society. As he delves deeper into the desaparecidas, Yaotl must navigate the fraught dynamics of power under the emperor while confronting the moral complexities of his own status as a servant. The story explores the tension between obedience and curiosity within a rigidly stratified society and examines the underpinnings of authority, faith, and the human cost of imperial rule. Key themes include colonial power structures, the plight of enslaved peoples, the role of prophecy in governance, and the cultural mythology surrounding the Aztecs.

First publish date: 2004