The novel's plot juxtaposes the adventures of two outsiders half a world away from each other but destined to meet: in South America the delicate mystic Anamaya, and in Spain the black sheep nobleman Gabriel Montelucar y Flores. Orphaned when the Incas decimated her tribe, Anamaya lands in the court of the Emperor Huayna Capac as a childhood companion to his spoiled daughter, Inti Palla. Anamaya's unique blue-eyed beauty convinces the emperor that she has been divinely sent. She becomes the guardian of the empire and chief confidante of Huayna Capac and later of his successor, the majestic warrior Atahualpa. Gabriel, meanwhile, endures nearly a year of imprisonment and torture at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. His wealthy father pays for his release, then abruptly disowns him. Gabriel joins the nascent quest of adventurer Francisco Pizarro, who's lured by extravagant tales of Inca gold. Disease and in-fighting are just two of the ills plaguing the expedition. The book's spectacular climax is both an ending and a beginning (not since The Magic Mountain have star-crossed soul mates taken so long to get together); the opening chapter of volume two is included as a tease. Daniel's rich historical detail is in perfect proportion to his narrative, always enhancing and never slowing down the action, which is considerable. This is a robust and well-balanced adventure. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Review The second volume in the absorbing Incas trilogy continues the story of Captain Don Francisco's conquest of Peru for Spain in the 1530s, with all its moral ambiguities and dire consequences for the native population. As with its predecessor, The Puma's Shadow, this book richly deserves its blockbuster status, weaving together the threads of good versus evil, Old World versus New World, Christianity versus sun worship, and the heady lust for gold versus the desire to do good. As the Conquistadors head for the sacred city of Cuzco, fuelled by rumours of the hoard of gold they will find there, the native population of Incas manage to organize themselves into a resistance for the first time, having witnessed the real intentions of the Spaniards.

Yet the real battle takes place not between Indians and Europeans, but between those Europeans whose desire is to make peace and convert the local population to Christianity with their consent, and between those who would slaughter all before them in the name of religion.

At the heart of this gripping narrative is the heart-rending love story between Gabriel, a Conquistador who is chilled by the activities of his colleagues, and Anamaya, the beautiful, blue-eyed Inca princess who is also a high priestess. Aided by the kindly priest Father Bartholomew, they brave the disapproval of those who would brand them traitors to meet fleetingly for secret trysts, but sometimes, it seems, love is not enough to conquer all, and they must each face an agonising decision over which side to take

. Anamaya's position is made even harder by the fact that she is already married - to a beautiful golden statue, the Sacred Double, which symbolizes one of the gods worshipped by her people. Not content with all the gold already seized, the Conquistadors have their eyes firmly set on acquiring, and melting down, such a valuable prize. Against a bloody backdrop of pillage, double dealing and brutal killing, this Romeo and Juliet tale emphasizes the horrific realities of the Conquests - and deeds by the Spanish that were in every way as evil as the child sacrifices and pagan rituals they sought to outlaw.

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