The Bone Flower Throne

The Bone Flower Trilogy #1

by T.L. Morganfield

The wall above me exploded in a shower of gravel and stone. I rolled over to cover Little Reed, and when I looked up, the giant stone serpent peeled off the temple wall. The man screamed and tried to run, but the serpent opened its stone jaws, letting out a burst of wind that took him off his feet and up into the air.

Tenth century Mexico is a world in great upheaval. Incursions from the north bring constant warfare as clashing politics and faiths battle for supremacy. At the fore stands Smoking Mirror, a bloodthirsty god bent on subjugating humanity with his hunger for human hearts. Now his high priest, Ihuitimal, has conquered Culhuacan, one of the Toltecs' most powerful kingdoms.

When Smoking Mirror's archenemy, the Feathered Serpent, tasks Quetzalpetlatl, exiled princess of Culhuacan, to help his mortal son Topiltzin end human sacrifice, she eagerly embraces her new destiny. It means avenging her father's murder at the hand of her uncle Ihuitimal, but for Topiltzin-who's more than just a brother to her-she will do anything. Even sacrifice her own heart.

"A wonderfully immersive look at the Tolteca civilization, which brings to life the old myths-giving voice to a strong cast of characters who linger with the reader long after they have closed the book." - Aliette de Bodard, 2013 Nebula winning author of Immersion

"Morganfield delivers an elegant tale of love and honor, passion and betrayal ... a fascinating journey through the tangled webs of rivalry and betrayal that surround a royal family in the world of the ancient Toltecs." - J. Kathleen Cheney, author of The Golden City

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical Fantasy, Historical, Fiction, Ebooks

360 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2013

About the author

T. L. Morganfield lives in Colorado with her husband and children. She's an alumna of the Clarion West Workshop and she graduated from Metropolitan State University with dual degrees in English and History. She reads and writes way too much about Aztec history and mythology, but it keeps her muse happy, which makes for a happy writer, so she has no plans of changing her ways.

Reviews

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

arc provided by Panverse Publishing LLC through netgalley

trigger warnings: self-harm, rape, incest, violence

Quetzalpetlatl is the king's only legitimate daughter - his queen having become barren giving birth to their daughter. In need of a male heir, the king and his brother decide to marry their children, Quetzalpetlatl and Black Otter, while they are still children. But the feathered serpent god Quetzalcoatl visits the queen in a dream and tells her that, if she'll swallow a jade pebble, she'll conceive the long awaited heir.

This is how the book starts, and to be honest, it lulled me into a false sense of security, it seemed so much like standard YA that I even forgot it was most definitely not YA. This is soon apparent with all the violence, incest, rape and gore that follows.

I had to struggle with myself, as I imagine many readers will, when it comes to the incest in this book. It wasn't a taboo in that particular culture, but it's a very ingrained one in mine, so even when I wanted to root for some things I couldn't help but feel repulsed by them, at the same time. This is a failure of mine as a reader and as a person, I should be more open minded, but I'd be lying if I didn't mention how that may have affected my reading of this book - logically I can't even think of a way for the author to write about these characters without including incest and that, I can tell for sure, would make me lower the rating because it would be a cowardly cop-out.
As it is, I just want to make it clear, it was not an easy book for me.

I also feel like my lack of knowledge on this particular culture will hinder me when it comes to properly praising it in this review. But make not mistake, the book is amazing - I couldn't even put it down, I had to read it all in one go.

Weirdly, it reminded me a lot of Marion Zimmer Bradley's work - not because of the incest bits! - there's that overarching religious battle occurring throughout the whole plot, and while it's a completely different mythology from the one in Mists of Avalon (or maybe not, I'm certainly no expert on comparative mythology, though that's an intriguing idea which I shall have to research later), the feelings I experienced, as a reader, were much the same for both works. There's the whole religious conflict seeming to take more importance among mortals than the Gods, there are all the political intrigues and plots, the forbidden (and not so forbidden but it feels like they should be forbidden) romances, there's loss and tragedy, the character's lives being destroyed and rebuilt again - the constant hope.
I guess, given who the characters are, it would be a fairer comparison to the works of Christian Jacq, who also weaves historical fact with myth, and those two with storytelling.
But T.L. Morganfield, is a much more skilled storyteller than Jacq, so we're back to Zimmer Bradley...

Comparisons aside, Morganfield is an author that managed to deeply impress me (no small feat, I'm notoriously stingy with my ratings), she managed to introduce me to a whole new culture (as I said, I'm very uninformed about the subject matter) without a single instance of info-dump, and yet I never felt lost in the story. And the plot is immensely addictive, as I mentioned above, I read this in one sitting.

I think the book may suffer, unjustly, because of the themes it approaches, though they were a vital inclusion when discussing the time period. But I hope it will manage to rise above that, because this showed some extremely skilful writing, worthy of being noticed and praised.

That being said, I can't wait for the sequel!

[Stant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't been moved to write a review in a while. Before I start, in full disclosure, I met Tl Morganfield on a historical fantasy panel at a convention two weeks ago and was so intrigued by what she had to say that I had to check out her novel, THE BONE FLOWER THRONE. We have no arrangement to write reciprocal reviews for each other, nor have I accepted any remuneration for this review, etc. This is just me telling you what I think of a newly released novel in my favorite genre: historical fantasy.

So here's the review: Come read this novel with me. Seriously. Get a copy; it's affordably priced. It's Aztec fantasy. It's passionate and interesting and good, and it's actually really well-researched, as in: it's a novel that will actually give you a window into the ancient Aztec world. It's the kind of historical fantasy I enjoy most -- not just a re-chronicling of events but a re-experiencing of events the way people in that culture might have experienced and understood them. Gene Wolfe does that with Greece in his "Soldier" series (the finest historical fantasy I have ever read), where gods, nymphs, and creatures are woven into the narrator's experience because members of his world would expect it so, and Mary Renault's novels perform similarly, if more conventionally; Morganfield's debut novel offers the Aztecs a similar treatment; she got inside their mythology and gives us that rare miracle of appearing as though she is telling their history from the inside rather than the outside. To me, that plus just a really good story are the things I most want out of historical fantasy. When I read a historical novel and it sounds on every page as though a modern man or modern woman is telling you the story, I get bored quickly. I want to see my ancestors (or someone's ancestors) experiencing their world. That's what I go to historical fiction FOR.

This novel has that.

It has some of the roughness of a first novel, but it also has the real magic.

It isn't what you expect, and it will make demands on you as a reader, because as soon as you think you grasp the formula, Morganfield will replace that formula with a different one -- almost as though you're shifting genres within the same novel. This is, I think, because it is a novel about reading and interpreting your world and its mythologies. The narrator is embedded in her world and yet also estranged from it, both by exile and by the visions she experiences. Unmoored from the shelter of her childhood home (and from the simple narrative formula with which the novel opens), she has to keep relearning her world, just as the reader does. It's a novel about refusing to let anyone's formula define you, even refusing to let your rejection of a formula define you. It's a novel about finding your path in a world that gets more complex as you age or as you read another fifty pages, finding your path in a world that keeps changing on you. So far it is keeping me on my toes and I am enjoying the ride. Come read this one with me.

Stant Litore

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is a retelling of the the legend of Topiltzin, who is a mythical hero in Mexican culture. The story is told from Topiltzin’s half-sister, Quetzalpetlatl, an exiled princess and strives to become high priestess of Quetzalcoatl. She is chosen by the god Quetzalcoatl to be Topiltzin’s guardian for the promise that Topiltzin will be the greatest and most benevolent king of all the Tolteca. She and Topiltzin both embark on a quest to regain Topiltzin’s stolen throne and to secure a future that is filled with peace and tranquility.

The story begins as Quetzalpetlatl is a seven year-old princess of Culhuacan, who is about to get married to Ihuitimal’s son, Black Otter. On the night of the wedding, she finds jade stone, and later gives the stone to her mother. Quetzalcoatl comes to her mother in a dream and tells her to swallow the jade stone and she will give birth to Quetzalcoatl's son, who is destined to be the greatest king in Tolteca. Not soon after Quetzalpetlatl mother swallows the stone, then it is revealed that Ihuitimal is worshipping their Quetzalcoatl’s nemesis, the Smoking Mirror, and kills Quetzalpetlatl father and becomes king himself sending Quetzalpetlatl and her mother into exile in Xochicalco. Her mother dies in childbirth giving birth to Topiltzin. She is then chosen by Topiltzin to become Quetzalcoatl’s guardian. She and Topiltzin is then taken into the care of the High Priestess, where Quetzalpetlatl trains to become the next High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl.

Quetzalpetlatl is a strong and likable heroine. She is devoted to the Quetzalcoatl, and Topiltzin’s glorifying destiny. She is willing to sacrifice herself to protect her half-brother and her god. She is intelligent and is never afraid to ask questions. She is also not afraid to call out the characters that usually make wrong decisions and actions. She is also fervently loving, loyal and never fails to protect those she loves. Indeed, it is Quetzalpetlatl, who is the driving force of the plot and the cause of most of the actions in the book.

Overall, the story is about justice, sacrifice, and love. I did not know much about the Aztec culture, but from reading the book it is very violent and brutal. I did not like the many countless human sacrifices they made to their gods, and reading about this violence sickened me. However, the human sacrifices was a vital plot point in the book because the main goal for Topiltzin was to end human sacrifice. I found that this legend was similar in some ways to the King Arthur legend. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in mythology, the Aztec culture, and to fans of King Arthur.

(Note: I read an ARC of this book in courtesy of NetGalley.)

[Barrita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recibí este ARC (Advance Reader Copy) como regalo gracias a Goodreads First Reads. Le pongo entre 3 y 3.5 estrellas.

Me sorprendió favorablemente y es mucho mas interesante de lo que me había parecido al ver la reseña. Es una historia de aventura que involucra elementos de culturas prehispánicas y leyendas que me son familiares, por lo que fue extraño para mi leerlas en inglés y con un filtro cultural completamente distinto. A lo largo del libro hay comentarios como tamale head que se me hicieron graciosos.

A su favor, debo reconocer que la cultura y sociedad que la autora nos presenta se describen de manera excelente y permite sumergirse completamente en la historia. Los personajes son desesperante a veces pero su actitud y conducta se justifican bien por la moralidad de la sociedad de la que son parte. Las representaciones de algunas deidades y personajes legendarios me parecieron muy interesantes. Es común ver adapataciones de mitos griegos o nórdicos en historias de todo tipo de géneros y estilos, pero las historias prehispánicas son más raras y casi nunca abarcadas a fondo.

La historia es compleja y hay muchos personajes, por lo que a veces las cosas pueden parecer confusas. Hay un uso indiscriminado de los nombres en náhuatl y sus traducciones al inglés, lo que en puntos me pareció incómodo e innecesario. Fuera de esos detalles, es bastante recomendable si les llaman la atención el género y la premisa. ¿

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

...That being said, the novel does delivers a story arc with a good climax. It is a story full of love, loss and sacrifice, not short on action, and rich with historical detail. I felt that here and there the author was pulling the characters' strings a bit too obviously but that doesn't take away from the fact that The Bone Flower Throne is a fascinating mix of history and legend, exploring a culture that most readers won't come across too often. It's a book that deserves a larger audience than it is likely to get. The second volume, The Bone Flower Queen, has been added to the to read list.

Full Random Comments review

[Gincake · Rating 2 out of 5]

See my review of this book, and many more, at Tales from the Great East Road.

Princess Quetzalpetlatl knows that being part of the royal family of Culhuacan and honouring their god The Feathered Serpent requires sacrifice. At only seven years old she is made to marry her cousin Black Otter, who will become the next King as Quetzalpetlatl’s mother can no longer have children. It could be worse – Black Otter is a good friend, and soon she will live with the priests to learn how better to serve The Feathered Serpent, who she already loves fiercely. But her calm and content childhood is destroyed when her uncle Ihuitimal, Black Otter’s father, reveals that he is a worshiper of a the blood thirsty god known as The Smoking Mirror, sacrificing Quetzalpetlatl’s father and claiming his throne. Though Quetzalpetlatl and her mother escape to their neighbouring allies, the Queen dies in childbirth, leaving Quetzalpetlatl and her little brother, who is believed to be the son of The Feathered Serpent, orphaned.

Raised by their mother’s friend and High Priestess, Nimilitzli, Quetzalpetlatl learns she can communicate with The Feathered Serpent and that not only must her brother Topiltzin must reclaim his throne in the god’s name, but together they must put an end to the practice of human sacrifice. Dedicating her life to the god’s will, Quetzalpetlatl struggles with political turmoil, corruption within the priesthood, and her own growing feelings for Topiltzin. Will her love and desire outweigh her vows of sacrifice?

What first attracted me to The Bone Flower Throne was the fact that it was a fantasy set in tenth century Mexico, mixing politics, gods, and a woman’s quest to avenge her family. It sounded like a great book, especially as I’ve never read an Aztec based fantasy before. In a world where fantasy based on Greek mythology are a dime a dozen, this sounded like a refreshing change. Sadly, I was ultimately disappointed and bored by this book. It suffers heavily from the ‘great idea, poor execution’ problem. The little bit we are shown of Aztec life and customs are quiet interesting, especially the forms of worship, such as the priestess’ piercing their tongues with thorns to offer up their blood. However, the fantasy elements of this novel are limited to the few brief times Quetzalpetlatl contacts her god. The rest of the book is focused on the politics and Quetzalpetlatl’s life. The Bone Flower Throne is meant to be a trilogy, which I was aware of from the beginning, so I was surprised that it covers a lot of her life, starting from her childhood at the age of seven (in a fairly unconvincing first person narration) continuing into her late twenties. Despite spanning so many years not much happens in terms of plot, and the time skips (from between two and ten years) are a little off putting. I gather that these skips are meant to show that not much action took place in those years, but there wasn’t particularly much action in the rest of the book. It also didn’t feel authentically Aztec, with characters using fairly modern language like telling each other to ‘shut up’.

For a woman devout on her god, set on becoming a High Priestess, Quetzalpetlatl spends a little too much time worrying about how she can’t have sex and has to live with her desire. She also seems too willing to throw away her virginity, that she vowed to keep as a sacrifice to her god, much too quickly. This issue seems to come up again and again because all the men in this story are unable to keep their hands off her. This attraction seems unjustified, as Quetzalpetlatl is nothing special, and even boring at times. The romantic interest with her brother is also a bit disturbing, though isn’t odd in the context of this novel, where family members are often wed to each other to preserve the royal blood line. At one point Quetzalpetlatl makes a comment about a women not being able to be anything more than a mother or a priestess and how she needs to change that, but nothing ever comes of it. The worst part of the book though? It was pretty boring, with little action and repetitions about Quetzalpetlatl’s lust and her inability to do anything about it (though not through lack of trying).

Sadly this is another book with ideas that could have been great, but just didn’t live up to it’s potential.

2 stars.

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this ARC in Read Now section on NetGalley.

The book is divided in four parts. Most of the following is in the blurb so there aren't any spoilers here. Now, before you start reading this book you have to bear two things in mind. Here brothers marry their sisters. There is no way around this except to try to forget the fact while reading as I tried, all for the sake of the story. Second, the society is ruled by men and women are only good if they can give birth and 'know their place'.

As far as the main character (Quetzalpetlatl) is concerned, in the first part of the book she is supposed to be seven or eight years old, but only occasionally she acts and thinks as a child. Her thoughts are the thoughts of an adult. Since there are certain things which show that she is, after all, special (her first memory of her mother was when she was born), I moved on.

The first part: A seven year old princess gets married to her cousin Black Otter. After a few days, his father / her uncle kills her father. Before that, while celebrating (playing with her 'husband' - yes, I really wrote that) she encounters a nahul of the Serpent God. After the murder of her father she ran away with her half-brother. Their escape ends the first part of the book.

The second part - fast forward ten years. Little Reed (Topiltzin) and Quetzalpetlatl are living in exile with their mother's friend who is the High Priestess of the Serpent God. This part is about these two finding their true path.

The third part is marked with betrayals, petty jealousy and conspiracies.

The fourth part: war, political changes and Quetzalpetlatl's return home. There are so many things that happen in the last two parts of the book. Each of them made Quetzalpetlatl the person she is.

This book has a bitter-sweet ending (mostly the reason for the rating). Not what you'd expect after everything the characters went through.

Most of the time YA depresses me. It wasn't a good idea to try this book. My 'love' for YA influenced my feelings so take anything I write here with a grain of salt. I am simply not a fan. Fans of YA stories about seventeen/eighteen-year olds fighting their way through wars, lies, politics combined with tasks given by ancient gods would like this book a lot.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, the legalese: I'm a street team member for Panverse Publishing, which means I get the ebook free in return for an honest review. So far that's working out beautifully!

Miz Morganfield (hope she doesn't take umbrage at the Miz) is a solid story teller. I had to start the book a couple of times due to outside circumstances, but when I finally got into the rhythm the book took off. Fair warning: unless you're a student of Toltec/Aztec culture, don't try to pronounce the names without some type of medical backup. ;)

At the risk of pigeonholing or sounding cliched, one could think of this book as Clash of the Titans: Mesoamerica. The main character, Quetzalpetlatl, is the daughter of Mixcoatl (king of Culhuacan) and elder sibling to Topiltzin (whose true father is the god Quetzalcoatl). Without giving too many plot points away, Quetzalpetlatl becomes the willing hand of Quetzalcoatl, aiding her brother to end the religious use of human sacrifice. At the end of the book we haven't reached that point, but then it's the first book of a trilogy...you have to save something for the next two books!

I've given this book a 3, but rightfully it should have a 3.5. There were some abrupt timeline jumps, and xocolatl and tlaxcallis have taken the place of mead and stew as the fantasy trope meal. Nitpicky, yes, but after the umpteenth time reading about it my threshold had been reached. Other than that, good story and my curiosity has been piqued for the follow-up novels!

[Ann Meier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of The Bone Flower Throne by T. I. Morganfield. Several disclaimers are needed. I generally do not read in this genre. I know little about the culture and period that are the story's setting. That said, I can appreciate the skill the author demonstrated in presenting this culture. If you don't have problems with violence, gore, and incest (culturally accepted) you may find the stories themes intriguing. Faith, responsibility, acceptance, women's roles, and love are all explored. The most difficult hurdle for me in enjoying the story was the no doubt true-to-culture names of the characters. They are long and not pronounceable. Major characters also have names like Little Reed, Black Otter. I kept wishing as I read that the author would have used the 'official' names only once to show her knowledge and then kept with the easy to remember and identify informal names. I found myself guessing way too often about which character was on stage and talking about what other one when the formal names were used. I also had trouble with cities because they had difficult names as well. It's not an easy read. You need to focus or you'll get lost. The author did an excellent job showing the brutality of the period and the atrocities people commit for their gods. It makes you think.

[Alex McGilvery · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first novel in the trilogy introduces the young girl Quetzalpetlatl, a princess in Tenth Century Mexico. She is called by the Feathered Serpent to work against Smoking Mirrors and change the way her people worship. She is a pawn in more games than just between the gods. Her Uncle worships Smoking Mirrors and she is married to her cousin before her father learns of his brother’s forbidden worship. There is a revolution and she must flee to a neighbouring city for refuge. She grows up in that city training as a priestess with her brother, who is the son of the Feathered Serpent. Events aren’t kind to Quetzalpetlat or her friends and the service of the god is going to demand ever greater sacrifices.

I enjoyed this story. It is always a delight to find a book based in a different mythology than what we are used to reading. The story of the Toltecs and the struggle between the god of love and the god of pain is a fascinating one. The characters are very well drawn and the culture is carefully researched. One of the big successes of this novel is how that research and authenticity of culture is transparent and allows the story to shine through.

I recommend this book for all lovers of fantasy and those who like a book that looks at a different slice of history.

[~♥*Marianna*♥~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is here on Booklikes.

I had to let go of my expectations and just experience it.
I'm definitely going to read the next one.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good Mesoamerican fantasy.

[Leonide Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Legends of Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent king of the Toltecs, are widespread throughout Mesoamerica. This semi-mythological priest-king ruled the Toltec civilization during 600s, was considered a unifying force in the region, and opposed human sacrifice in defiance of the Gods. He committed transgressions (sexual and/or spiritual) with his "sister" Quetzalpetlatl, was attacked by magical powers of the Gods, and was banished from his homeland but promised to return. The influence of this legend upon Aztec Emperor Moctezuma underlay his defeat by Conquistador Hernan Cortes. The Emperor believed Cortes was the returning Quetzalcoatl.

This powerful legend is told in the Bone Flower Trilogy. The first book, Bone Flower Throne, is the story of Quetzalcoatl (also called Topiltzin and Little Reed) and his biological sister Quetzalpetlatl during childhood through realizing their destinies as young adults. The characters and their internal struggles are well-developed, and the political-military situation among regional cities shape plot elements. Especially rich are descriptions of daily life and social structure among the royals, priesthood, and nobles, and their court intrigues and plotting. Characters and their motives are complex, fueling tension and suspense in the story arc. Quetzalpetlatl, the main protagonist, vacillates and rehashes many issues, but she is an adolescent during much of the book with a conflicted relationship to her brother, Topiltzin.

Some amazing scenes are vividly described in which characters become interchangeable with Gods, passing through veils between dimensions. This is consistent with indigenous spirituality and cosmology, since interrelations between human and spirit worlds are intense and real. It adds a fantasy quality to the story, but seen through native eyes this is part of their reality. The power of the Quetzalcoatl legend is tangibly felt in the characters' lives.

Toltec and Aztec names are long and difficult (some translated names are used) but this adds authenticity to the story. It gives a feeling tone that immerses readers in the culture. An admirable effort to bring this powerful legend to readers, with sequels to come.

[K.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refreshing and exciting in a played out field

Why aren’t there more magic realism ancient Meso-American novels? This was amazing.

I really do appreciate the authors list of trigger warning# in h3 beginning, as this was a super graphic book to get through. But it was incredibly well written and refreshing and not at all confusing if you aren’t familiar with the culture—though I had just seen a pbs special on Teotihuacan so that helped a little bit.

But seriously, graphic rape and incest etc but not as lazy plot devices but as actual integral moments necessary to the story telling. No weird gratuitous bits, just plain good creativity. Amazing.

[John Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

An epic tale of court intrigue with a bit of magic, like a Toltec Game of Thrones. To the good, the ancient Mexican world is well-sketched out, telling this story from the perspective of the chosen one's sister is well-considered, and the religious aspect (the conflict between gods who demand two different kinds of sacrifice) is very well framed. To the bad, the protagonist frustratingly cannot stop herself from making what she knows are poor decisions, and she and her allies fail to take obvious actions against the villain both for dumb reasons and out of a failure to recognize the villain's treacherous nature despite frequent evidence thereof.

[Gregory Mele · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is a retelling of the the legend of Topiltzin, who is a mythical hero in Mexican culture. The story is told from Topiltzin’s half-sister, Quetzalpetlatl, an exiled princess and strives to become high priestess of Quetzalcoatl. She is chosen by the god Quetzalcoatl to be Topiltzin’s guardian for the promise that Topiltzin will be the greatest and most benevolent king of all the Toltec? When the story is evoking the Toltec world with magic and mysticism it is at its best; when it tries to dabble with elements of historical romance, the marriage is forced.

[Michele Marques · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an engrossing epic tale set during Aztec times. It follows the story of a young woman, starting as a 7-year-old princess through young adulthood. Right from the start, this story gripped me. The characters are deep. The book made me feel like I had traveled to another place and time.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longer review coming soon, I’m letting some thoughts simmer to some kind of conclusion first!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovered this book a long time ago and can’t wait to pick it up again. Fantastically written and well researched, shocking and gruesome, a real page-turner. Not for the faint of heart.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

The Bone Flower Throne is an adult multi-book retelling of the Quetzalcoatl, Quetzalpetlatl, and Topiltzin myths (Quetzalcoatl is duped into sleeping with his sister Quetzalpetlatl, Topiltizin was a "King Arthur" type of legend to the Aztecs). The book is well researched and the author takes creative but interesting liberties with the original story of betrayal and vanity. But while the worldbuilding is excellent, the characters and dialogue are flat, stilted, and very anachronistic. Reading the character interactions and dialogue was like watching a 1970s Kung Fu movie badly dubbed - it just didn't make sense and was even kind of distracting.

In this book 1, Quetzalpetlatl is married to her cousin at age 7 to cement her father's rule. But she betrays her new husband and sets off a chain of events that will leader to her father's murder by his brother/her new father in law, mother's death in childbirth, and newly born brother's banishment. But Quetzalpetlatl has a destiny given to her by the god Quetzalcoatl himself - to raise her magically conceived infant brother (who is an incarnation of Quetzalcoatl) and ensure that he is able to take the throne. As her brother ages faster than normal due to his deified status, she falls in love with him and wants to marry him. But he has a destiny to fulfill and there are forces moving to destroy them, especially from her former husband and his father/her uncle. And calling upon Quetzalcoatl to save them will require great sacrifices from her.

As noted above, the dialogue was painful to read. It became as basic as, "Sister, Come with me or you will die!" "Brother, leave me to die and save yourself!". Combine that stilted dialogue with very modern anachronistic terms and phrasing and you have a book that feels overly simplistic. There's an irony there that with so much dramatic worldbuilding, the character pretty much boil down to: good girl, spoiled rich boy, evil mad priest, and evil uncle. Fairytales and myths, epic poems and lore, do tend to be fairly basic. However, if you are going to write a 3 part trilogy bringing epic characters to life, they should be fleshed out and done justice. They should feel epic.

Because the first book covers Quetzalpetlatl from age 7 (when she is handed her father's still beating heart by her Uncle) to her 20s, the author tries to convey the simple-mindedness of a child. But even children have complexities and can startle you - they don't think straightforward and they don't react as expected. Yet, the older Quetzalpetlatl sounds, thinks, acts just like her simple 7 year old self - an unfortunate choice by the author since it makes the character seem even more simplistic. As well, Quetzalpetlatl is supposed to be divine but we aren't really given any reason why she was chosen by Quetzalcoatl or why her mother was chosen to bear his reincarnation as her brother (symbolized by her mother swallowing a jade stone that had been blessed by Quetzalpetlatl). Characters just accept that she's divine and don't try to figure out why - yet she and her brother are the only people who have ever used magic or could conjure a god. it just seems kind of random.

I greatly enjoyed the Aztec lore/culture/history in the book. If there hadn't been any characters or dialogue, I probably would have liked it even more.

Reviewed from an ARC.

[Isis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to thank NetGalley for offering me access to this work, published by Panverse Publishing, LLC. and giving me the chance to read this ARC all in exchange for an honest review. Though I received the e-book for free that in no way influences this review. 2.5 stars

This book is categorized as historical romance and historical fantasy, both labels I find to be somewhat misleading. But then, I found the entire book to be somewhat confusing. Much of it is straightforward storytelling, and yet I was left feeling unfulfilled by the end, and worse, I felt as though I missed some crucial piece of the story. However even rereading it cover to cover didn't take those feelings away.

The book is set in a mash up of fiction, combined with ancient Aztec history. While the story was interesting, it never reached the conclusion that I feel the author was aiming for. Or perhaps the story did, but the message did not.

Following one city's royal family, the story unfolds through their trials and tribulations. Specifically by following one princess through the journey of her life, as beset by royal intrigue, ambition, fratricide, and religious persecution. While much if it was interesting I find the ending was unsatisfactory for me as it feels incomplete.

Initially the story is entertaining, a view of someone's idea of an ancient culture, with all the attendant issues that arise when conflict visits, particularly if it is visiting the ruling powers and therefore impacting the lives of all to some degree or another. And the author's ability to describe scenes is solid, making it so that I could envision the scenes she was writing. Yet that was not enough to pull this story together and keep it there, at least for me.

The part that took it from a mildly frustrating ending to a rather annoying ending, at least for me, came in the form of one statement made in the final pages, and referred to once again at the very tail end. A mystery that never had a chance to be explained, explored, or understood. And as I don't usually take things on faith alone, this mystery still bothers me, as it is the basis for everything that came before in many ways.

My other issue was with the main character, as she rarely seemed to own her personal power, yet was set to be some supremely strong character. Part, if not all, of her power comes through her faith in her god, yet there are a multitude of examples that say otherwise. And when those are added to that final pronouncement, well it just threw me completely out of the story as I struggle to understand what the author was trying to say. If anything it almost feels like everything would have made more sense, on many levels, if the main character and her best female friend had switched roles.

Finally, while the religious aspects were fascinating, and essential to the story being told, I ended up feeling as if the author started telling one story and ended trying to tell a different story. Or maybe the same story from completely different aspects. Either way, by the end I was at a loss, not knowing where the true power lay, or why. Upon completing the book I read the Author's Note and much more became clear to me, specifically when the three main questions she set out to answer were listed, for those questions clarified for me the disconnect I felt within the story.

With all that said, this is, or so I think, a first novel for Ms. Morganfield. And I believe that she could go on to bigger and better things, so I shall be keeping an eye out for future publications by her.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Title: The Bone Flower Throne
Author: TL Morganfield
Publisher: Panverse Publishing, 2013
Pages: 534
Genre: Fantasy
Themes: Aztec mythology, history, love, sacrifice
Recommended Age: 16 +
Rating: ★ ★ ★

Summary:
This story starts off with the arranged political marriage of seven year old princess Quetzalpetlatl (Papalotl). The reader is introduced to the god of civilization, Feathered Serpent, and the god of night, Smoking Mirror, and their warring followers. Papalotl’s uncle, follower of Smoking Mirror forcefully takes over of the city of Culhuacan. Papalotl and her baby brother, Topiltzin, flee the city seeking refuge in Feathered Serpent’s temple in nearby Xochicalco.

Ten years later, Papalotl and Topiltzin join the temple as priestess and priest. Political and religious conflict still plagues the two siblings. Meanwhile, internal thoughts trouble Papalotl and make her question her devotion to the priesthood and her feelings toward her brother. As the years progress, civilization turns savage and Papalotl must find a way to balance the will of her god and the brutal actions of men.

Morganfield’s depiction of the mythology is quite good, however, the characters and dialog suffered. Papalotl is an imperfect protagonist and has a one-track mind. Her incestrial desires overwhelm the central plotline. There is a lack of growth and development as her persona is the same at age seven as it is at age twenty-four and thirty. Also troublesome, is the emphasis early in the story about Papalotl’s needing to learn her place as a woman. But that concept is disregarded for most of the story and Papalotl acts and says however and whatever she wants. This seemed to deviate from the culturally accepted conduct without explanation and that discrepancy bothered me. Also, interactions between characters oscillated between casually contemporary and overly stilted which often made for an awkward read.

Morganfield seamlessly immerses the reader in her world though ultimately the world-building requires refinement. (Actually, I probably should have researched the author to understand what I was getting into. I was expecting something of a YA lit genre and found the subject of this novel to be completely out of my milieu.) The character names, locations, traditions and vocabulary were confusing and took a bit of time to get used to. The character list and author’s note at the end of the novel helped, though perhaps would have been more beneficial at the front. Once I understood that I was reading Apocalypto meets The Lion King, the story read more easily. Overall, the central story of Quetzalpetlatl/Topiltzin was enjoyable but I could have done without most of the relationship distractions.

Why I picked it up: The cover image depicts “woman” “god” and “dragon.” How could I not pick it up? This was a NetGalley ARC read.

Why I finished it: I finished this to see the development of the mythological Topiltzin and for the sake of finishing it. Much of the story was superfluous and drawn out. It is difficult to anticipate future installments in this series when the story could be told in one narrative.

Who I would give it to: People who enjoy historical fantasy, particularly tribal or Aztec will find this a good read.

[Susana · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 30%

TW: INCEST, RAPE, VICTIM BLAMING

Arc provided by netgalley

Unfortunately this wasn't able to convince me...
The narrator's voice, that starts out as a seven year old, Quetzalpetltl, sounded very inconsistent. One minute she would be very childish, and then completely grown up.

This story strongest point would be it's setting: Tenth century aztec culture (of which i'm completely clueless about).
The thing is, this is a very "diluted" aztec environment, with language more appropriate to our days, and a somewhat soap "opera" tone.
In fact, it seems the author was more focused on the the names used in those times and culture, and a few (gorish) rituals.

The read became boring, since i just couldn't connect with Quetzalpetatl voice.

The political intrigue part...well that's a little too far fetched for this. That would imply some ...finesse.
What we get instead are assassinations.
That's not political intrigue.
That's warfare. (prefered methods: hearts ripped out of chests, cutted heads, and poisons!)
So our main character, is forced to marry her cousin when they're both kids. Then her husband's father (and uncle) decide to kill her father, the king. She and very much pregnant mother (she swallowed a magic rock) escape, but her mother ends up dying giving birth to Little Reed, who will also be known as Topiltzin.


Then all of a sudden, ten years have passed. Q. and Little Reed have both grown up. She's now seventeen, and he's actually ten...but since he's the son of a God, he has the appearance of a seventeen year old.
Who his sister desires.
That's right, incest alert.
Look, like i said i'm completely clueless about this world. And yes, we all know that morality is a subjective to culture. So, if the brothers had to be forced to marriage (or not) in the case of that being part of their traditions , that would be more easy to understand. This?? Not really!!
She raised her brother, so it's just double....yuck...maybe if the fantasy/ the folklore part had been strongly built, maybe it wouldn't feel so...difficult to read.

Her words brought images of him “soothing those desires” with me on the altar in Quetzalcoatl’s temple.

I just think that if the story had an actual political plot, and other characters with relevant roles, maybe this....direction wouldn't be required.

And then i got into the rape scene, and the victim blaming. You can say: this has happened throughout time itself.
Yes, it has. But that doesn't mean i have to read it, especially when it follows a long descriptive segment of "cheap thrills".

Bottom Line: Interesting idea, less than great execution....maybe it gets better, but i just can't force myself to continue reading this.

[Aimeekay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bone Flower Throne is a great example of why I love the A to Z Challenge. I picked it to fill a letter that opened up at the last minute. If not for the Challenge I honestly might not have read it any time soon. That would have been a shame, because I really enjoyed the book.


My favorite thing about the book was how the author brought the myth and Toltec culture to life. The way Morganfield gave a basis for the legends in the lives of her mortal characters was extremely well done. I'm not overly familiar with early South American culture or it's daily routine, so I can't say if the details were accurate or not, but the author's writing really drew me in. From the beautiful detailing of scenery to the way she brought the people and their customs to life I really felt I was there.

The story is told from Quetzalpetlatl's point of view, so in that aspect the story is one sided. While you meet the other characters involved in her story, you don't get to know them as in depth as you do her. But this is an issue I've seen with many books told from one character's POV, so I won't hold it against this one. Especially since as it is you do get to see what drives the majority of the other main characters and the author goes in detail to explain why certain people might react the way they do. Also there are a lot of twists and turns to Quetzalpetlatl's story. I was pleasantly surprised by a few I didn't see coming. (Not gonna go into detail and spoil it though.)

The ending isn't a complete cliff hanger. Yes, there are questions left unanswered and it is obviously set up to lead into the next book. Overall though I think the ending is solid. Also, even if it hadn't been made to lead into the next book, I would still have wanted to read more from this author. Both about the characters from The Bone Flower Throne, as well as other books she might come out with.

I wouldn't recommend Bone Flower Throne for a younger crowd. Mainly because of there being sex in the book, but also because there is violence and death. The violence isn't over the top, but it is there and it does get gory. But if you have read anything of Toltec culture, violence was a daily part of life so it is more the author not sugarcoating the past then using it for shock value.

While I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under 18 I would definitely recommend it to anyone over 18. It's a strong start to what looks to be an amazing trilogy. The detailing is excellent, I really cared what happened to the characters. It was also interesting finding out about a culture that I normally don't get a chance to read about.

I'm giving it 5 out of 5 stars and hope I get the chance to read the next book in the trilogy very soon!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Oracleofdoom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book manages to be very different from what I usually prefer to read, and also very much what I do tend to read. It had elements of high fantasy, with a great deal of magic, although also far more intervention from the gods than in anything else I've read, with the exception of perhaps the Malazan book of the Fallen series. And this book is not just fantasy, of course. It is based on mythology, on the beliefs of real people, and it is mythology I know little about.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I was hoping for some romance, and there is some element of that in here, although not in a way that is like what I'm used to at all. I'm really unused to reading so much interaction with the divine, and I admit there is a reason I don't prefer to read Christian literature. But I enjoy other religions and liked learning about it. I do not know the story this is based on, so I did not know what to expect, and I found the events were not predictable at all.

The book began when the main character was seven, and she was written very much like a seven year old, complete with the impulse control one would expect of a seven year old. She was not overly childish or overly mature, as is often the case when authors write about small children.

One issue I had was that I felt I had gotten to know the main character very well, but I didn't ever get to feel terribly close to any of the other characters. I'm hoping that will develop a little more strongly as the series continues. I also started feeling mentally exhausted by the end of the book because everything kept going from one crisis after another, with little room for breath or more relaxed exploration of the characters. I admit that action is not one of my favorite things. I'm far more interested in dialogues than sword fights.

Every time I sat down to read this, though, I found myself engrossed. Whatever minor issues I had, I just had to know what would happen next, and this is why I sat down last night, about half-way through the book, intending to read a chapter before bed, but instead found myself awake until two in the morning, finishing the book entirely. The story draws you in and grabs you, and that's the most important thing, isn't it?

For the sake of full disclosure, I met this author once via a Grey Havens Group event. I don't know her personally, but she is local to me and chances are good that I will meet her again some day.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BONE FLOWER THRONE
Book 1 of the Bone Flower Trilogy
By T. L. Morganfield
A tale of Aztecs, their Gods, culture and magic

This is as good a fiction novel on this culture and history as I have read, about which too little is known. While using many proper names of the Aztecs, although the spelling is difficult and the pronunciation impossible, the story would not feel real and would lose much of its appeal otherwise. The author provides a list of the characters at the end for those readers who lose track of whom they are reading about.

The heroine, Quetzalpetlatl, a princess whose father, the king of this small kingdom, has been killed by his brother, seeks to become a high priestess of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered snake God who wants human sacrifice to the gods stopped. Its immediate rival is Smoking Mirrors, who is a dark and ugly God who desires torture and human sacrifice. The princess learns that she can call on the help of Quetzalcoatl if she does some type of sacrifice to him with her prayers such as cutting her wrist and releasing some blood or in one instance, she cut off three fingers as she asked it to save her countrymen in a war ensuing, which it did. It did not determine the type of sacrifice, but she decided this on her own. Eventually she fell in love with a prince Topiltzin, aka Little Reed, whom Quetzalcoatl said would eventually be king. He was born from a jade stone, which her barren mother swallowed, and he was larger, more intelligent and not so violent as other Aztecs. Quetzalpetlatl and he fell in love with each other.

The tale has many twists and turns, lots of blood and gore as history teaches us of those days and there is much magic thrown in as the princess has a direct relationship with the feathered God when she enters a Divine Dream.

For anyone who is interested in these cultures during those times, prior to the appearance of the Spaniards, I heartily recommend this tale. It would appear that the author is writing follow-up tales to this one.

I was given a complimentary copy for an honest review.

[Chantaal · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 2.5, rounded up.

What a strange read this was.

Quetzalpetlatl is an exiled princess tasked with not only helping raise her younger brother, Topiltzin (who happens to also be the son of a god), but also with working with her brother to end human sacrifice in their kingdom. That's about as straightforward a summary as I can write for the plot of this book, because it read like a bit of an ancient soap opera. So many twists and turns, betrayal, double crossing, over the top evil dudes, death - and, to top it all off, incest.

Yep, Quetzalpetlatl and Topiltzin fall in love. Topiltzin, being all special, ages very quickly. That still doesn't change my initial reaction to it, which was mostly...ick. Like yeah, I get that their closeness and their shared destinies would bring them together, but still.

Where the book really thrives is in the world building. I don't know much (or anything) about tenth century Mexico, other than the stereotypical Aztec/Maya/Incan things we all learn as kids. Reading about it felt like stepping into a completely alien landscape, one that was populated with what felt like authentic* people and events. Even certain things that I scoffed at turned out to be true to the time once I did some cursory research myself.

Did you know rubber actually existed in tenth century Mexico? And natural rubber comes from trees? I sure didn't. The more you learn.

The Bone Flower Throne isn't exactly the sort of book I'd recommend to everyone, but it is an interesting read if you're up for something different.


*Authentic as far as fitting in with the world the author has created. I don't know much (or anything, really) about historical Mexico to say otherwise.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books are for learning, and despite my rating, I learned from this book! Whoo!

This is a positive three stars. This story is a retelling of 10th century Aztec mythology with mild historic elements, but instead of a straight-forward story about Topiltzin, the son of the god Quetzalcoatl, it's narrated by his sister Quetzalpetlatl. I got really good at pronouncing these names, by the way. Also the reason why it took me forever to get through it. Must pronounce all the names! Even the ones that look like a string of consonants, made up by the author!

I got completely immersed into this world, and that alone deserves 5 stars. I am hilariously unfamiliar with the Aztec culture, so I'm impressed with the author when I say that I felt at home in the city of Colhuacan among the priests and soldiers and nobles towards the end. (Well, as at home as a female can feel in 10th century Mexico valley, amirite??) I could almost taste the decadent xocolatl (x- is pronounced as sh-, so it's hot chocolate! KNOWLEDGE BOMB!), that's how vivid the writing was. It was like having a good language teacher. At first you panic when she's speaking the language at you, but if you slow down and listen, you get that she is speaking slowly and simply to gently guide your ignorant ass.

The world is amazing, but with it comes the ugliness of human sacrifice, incest, and general brutality. I know that the original story comes with a ton of those elements, but I feel like the incest was done gratuitously and twisted into a romance, which was creepy. It for sure tainted the book for me.

So if you're into this beautiful ancient world full of history and culture and you can ignore sibling lust, read this book!

-I got a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review-

[D.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been interested in learning more about Aztec culture and history. The Bone Flower Throne, by T.L. Morganfield was just the book I needed. Not only did I learn from the book, it left me wanting to know more.

The Bone Flower Throne is much more than a history lesson. There is magic, myth, and legend mixed in. The novel pits a good God against an evil God.

The character’s felt real. There is plenty of action, blood, gore, incest, love, magic, and violence. T.L. Morganfield does a wonderful job setting the stage and building the world.

I loved this Aztec Fantasy novel and highly recommend it to adult readers who wish to know more about Aztec culture and history, as well as a good novel read.

I received a free PDF copy from Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review.

https://mauldinfamily1.wordpress.com/...

[Jay Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting and suspenseful journey through the civilizations of 10th century Central America. Solid descriptions of the people and places provided great mental images as the action unfolded. I particularly enjoyed the women's perspective on both the love-making and the battles. All the characters were depicted as real people, not stereotypes, and they were very believable. I was pleased to find the story being about people and human nature, although the gods did have their moments. I found I didn't want to put the book down as the story continued. The ending was initially a fooler, but satisfying as it unveiled. I recommend this book to readers of all levels. It is truly entertaining and informative.