The Conqueror (El conquistador)

What would have happened if the Aztecs had reached Europe first? 

Quetza, a young Aztec, was raised by a powerful priest adviser to the king. He grows to be a healthy, strong and brilliant young man… one who clearly stands out among others. However, his development and maturity create tensions within the empire, as he is known to have beliefs that contradict the kingdoms regime – one of them being that the earth is round. 

Propelled by his expulsion from the kingdom by an old foe, Quetza embarks on a journey to prove his theories to be correct and to discover the lands of his ancestors before him. After having crossed the Atlantic, he docks on a shore totally unknown to him: Europe. Here, Quetza encounters a new civilization and is therefore introduced to all of their peculiarities, including a strong admiration towards a crucified man, technology that is way more advanced than he had ever been exposed to before in his homeland and, for a reason that is unclear to him, a society in which people are burned at bonfires.

Upon meeting Spanish Queen Isabel, and Christoper Colombus, Quetza realizes that he is in possession of one thing that the Europeans lack: a map of the entire world. Consequently, Quetza is received as a God. He therefore begins to gather information and make plans to ultimately conquer these new territories. He optimistically looks to the future, as these lands could very well be in possession of the Aztecs within two or three generations. 

A different, original and unique story that has never been told before. A completely plausible “What if…?” that could have easily superseded European supremacy. 

RELEVANT DATA: Argentinan author Federico Andahazi has one of the biggest selections of translated works. Many critics around the world recognize his works, just the same as many of them are used within in academic contexts. Throughout his career, he has been the recipient of many prizes. To highlight some: the Cuentos de la Segunda Bienal de Arte Joven de Buenos Aires? Award, the Concurso Anual Literario Desde la Gente Award, and the CAMED Award.

The Conqueror (El Conquistador) is the reference novel of this distinguished author, and winner of the prestigious Planeta Award. It has been edited in many languages in more than 10 countries, and counts with raving reviews. 

What the critics have said:

“A fresh novel, with an original and innovative idea”.- Goodreads 

“This novel by Federico Andahazi establishes a completely different starting point for the readers imagination and thought of the history of Latin America”.- Reseñas de libros

“A very different version of the conquest”.- Amazon

AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV series, Miniseries, Film, TV Movie.

LANGUAGES AVAILABLE: Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Romanian and Ukrainian.