Z is for @ZoeSaadia, #author of The Young Jaguar #bookreview #atozchallenge

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The Young Jaguar

Pre-Aztec Series, Book 1


Written by Zoe Saadia



Genre: Historical


Book Synopsis

The Capital of the great Tepanec Empire is in turmoil, with the old Emperor dead and his heirs struggling for succession.

Tecpatl, the Chief Warlord and a very content man, still married to the Anasazi woman his peers view as a barbarian, tries to obey the old Emperor's edicts. Yet, when Atolli, his elder son and a very promising but hotheaded youth, gets caught in the political turmoil, everything changes. Tecpatl is forced to choose between his duty and his family, while his wife takes her own non-traditional paths to deal with the crisis.

Mark's Rating





Mark's Review


This is why I love reading Indie. Supporting authors who don't have the traditional support system makes me feel good, and I can get just as excited about an Indie book as I can with a traditionally published book.

The plot, though not the most unique, comes alive because of the characters, specifically the three main characters. Another review mentioned that the characters weren't well fleshed out, but I totally disagree. Each of the characters, both major and minor, are unique. Their actions aren't all dictated by the same cookie-cutter, bland personality you find in some books. In fact, the actions and decisions of the three main characters, members of the same family, often kept me on the edge of my seat.

Although it isn't absolutely necessary to understand what's going on, reading At Road's End before this one did help. Not only was I familiar with some of the characters, but I could see the growth of these characters. Comparing the two books, I will say that the characterization in this book is better than the first, though if you've read my review of the other book, you know I enjoyed that one as well.

And one other thing that I like that some other reviewers turn their nose up at: the historical aspects aren't overwhelming. You get a taste for the time period without having to completely immerse yourself in it. I would classify this as light historical, so if you're a fan of detailed, extremely accurate historical novels, you may not find Zoe's writing all that interesting. And I say you're missing out, for I think I will eventually read everything that Zoe has published. She's definitely on my favorite author list.