The Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque by Leonide Martin
Publisher: Made for Success Publishing/Made for Wonder (Dec 1, 2018) Category: : Historical Fiction, Ancient World, Caribbean & Latin American, Historical Romance/ Ancient World
Tour dates: Feb-Mar, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64146-365-2
Available in Print and ebook, 350 pages
Description Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque by Leonide Martin
She was born to serve the Goddess Ix Chel. But K'inuuw Mat is destined to continue the Palenque (Lakam Ha) dynasty by marriage to Tiwol, fourth son of famous ruler Pakal. Trained in prophetic arts, she uses scrying to foresee the face of the man with whom she will bear the dynastic heir—but it is not her husband's image. She is shocked upon arriving at Palenque to recognize that face as her husband's older brother, Kan Bahlam. They are immediately attracted, sharing deep interest in astronomy. Though she resists, the magnetic force of their attraction propels them into forbidden embraces, until Kan Bahlam designs a bold plan that would solve his inability to produce a son—if he can gain his brother's cooperation. Set in the splendor of Lakam Ha's artistic and scientific zenith, royal family conflicts and ambitions play out in a tapestry of brilliant Mayan accomplishments in calendars, astronomy, architecture, arts, and secret language codes that will astound people centuries later. As K'inuuw Mat contends with explosive emotions, she must answer the Goddess' mandate to preserve Mayan culture for future generations. Her passion with Kan Bahlam leads to a pale daughter and bold son who carry this out as their civilization begins the decline and eventual collapse her prophetic vision foresees. One great cycle rolls into the next . . . Contemporary Mexican archeologist Francesca and her partner Charlie, a British linguist, venture into Chiapas jungles to a remote Maya village, seeking to unravel her grandmother's secrets. The hostile village shaman holds the key, but refuses to share with outsiders the scandal that leads to foreign blood and ancient Palenque lineages. Only by re-claiming her own shamanic heritage can Francesca learn the truth of who she is, and bring her dynasty into the present.Guest Review!
The Prophetic Mayan Queen: K’inuuw Mat of Palenque by Leonide Martin
Guest Review by Sol A.
'The Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque' is a story about a lot of things. Destiny, love, betrayal, motherhood, unbreakable bonds and historical lives. I found myself getting lost very quickly in this heady tale and got about halfway in before I looked up and realized that I'd been reading all day and had other things I actually needed to be doing. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me set the scene.
The book begins with K'inuuw Mat herself, a Mayan girl of only 12 years old who is about to become a woman. In the opening pages of the novel, K'inuuw Mat has an appointment with an oracle that will let her speak to the goddess Ix Chel who is to tell her what her destiny is. This is, however, a lot more intense of an experience than when most of us prematurely decide our paths in life at age 12. K'inuuw Mat must go along with whatever the goddess tells her, even when the goddess tells her something she does not want to hear. Like, for instance, when she tells her that she is to become the wife of a king and bear his child, thus continuing an ancient dynastic heritage. K'inuuw Mat shows great bravery in going along with her destiny and throughout the entire novel I was impressed with her strength and ambition. She was an excellent main character and one that was easy to root for on her journey.
The book begins with K'inuuw Mat herself, a Mayan girl of only 12 years old who is about to become a woman. In the opening pages of the novel, K'inuuw Mat has an appointment with an oracle that will let her speak to the goddess Ix Chel who is to tell her what her destiny is. This is, however, a lot more intense of an experience than when most of us prematurely decide our paths in life at age 12. K'inuuw Mat must go along with whatever the goddess tells her, even when the goddess tells her something she does not want to hear. Like, for instance, when she tells her that she is to become the wife of a king and bear his child, thus continuing an ancient dynastic heritage. K'inuuw Mat shows great bravery in going along with her destiny and throughout the entire novel I was impressed with her strength and ambition. She was an excellent main character and one that was easy to root for on her journey.
I found myself astounded by the author's ability to seemingly create Mayan cities around me as I read. I really felt like I was there in Palenque or 'Lakam Ha' and in Cuzamil in general. What a gift Leonide Martin must have to be able to translate these scenes so beautifully. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical novels. You can't get better than this one. Get lost in the Mayan culture. I give it 5 out of 5 stars!
Mists of Palenque Series Awards
The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik'nal of Palenque (Mists of Palenque Series Book 1) received the Writer's Digest 2nd Annual Self-Published eBook award in 2015.The Mayan Red Queen: Tz'aakb'u Ahau of Palenque (Mists of Palenque Series Book 3) received a Silver Medal in Dan Poynter's Global eBook Awards for 2016.
Praise Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque by Leonide Martin
"K'inuuw Mat...struggles to embrace new ideas, a new destiny, and a much broader purpose... Readers who have enjoyed the other books in this series will find an even more compelling story... takes an individual’s spiritual and political perspectives and turns them on end, leading a young woman to realize her value and purpose far beyond her belief system or the duty she’s been assigned... She’s prophesized the very decline her culture is experiencing, but can her choices then make a difference in its ultimate preservation? Riveting...engrossing, well-detailed..."-Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review "It is expected she will follow her matrilineal line by being the daughter of her generation who will serve the goddess Ix Chel on Her island of Cuzamil. However, an oracular prophecy says she will serve the goddess in a different way. At first, K'inuuw Mat resists this and contemplates escaping back to the island. In the end, she accepts Ix Chel's will for her. The prophecy comes to pass when she becomes bride to one of the sons of the ruling family in Lakam Ha. She does her own divination to see what her future husband looks like and is granted a vision of a man who turns out to be her husband's brother. What does this vision actually mean, and how will it affect her people? This was a complex, quite advanced culture... the Mayan language was very flowery and formal... and I liked that not only was the dialogue written this way, but the entity of the story was... K'inuuw Mat was the first book of this series that I've read, but I went and purchased the previous ones. I'm looking forward to reading them. A highly recommended book for those interested in the ancient Maya, or archaeology in general!"-Aislynn d'Merricksson, Seattle Book Review
"Imagine this book in vivid color on the big screen with the opening scene set in a canoe traveling in the Caribbean blue waters close to the tropical island of Cozumel at the time of the ancient Maya, and the spectacular ending scene at the magnificent Mayan archaeological site of Palenque in the mountainous jungle of Chiapas, Mexico. Awesome! This book will carry you away to another place. It is hard to put down. This compelling story, which is based on well-research history, and the author's lively imagination brings to life the ancient Mayan people, their rulers, their gods, their romance, and their struggles for survival, revenge and justice."-Jane Grimsrud, Mayan Travel Guide
"Fans of historical fiction rejoice!... the eagerly-awaited Book 4 of Leonide Martin’s Mists of Palenque series, has arrived! Martin weaves masterful storytelling with scholarly research and intuitive insight to bring-to-life a lost culture in this rich series. She draws one into a world of unique and exotic customs, politics, history, arts, sciences, spiritual practices, and relationships, so artfully and seamlessly, that the reader feels she has time-traveled and experienced the Mayan life and culture first-hand. I simultaneously could not put this page-turner down and didn’t want it to end. Fans of historical fiction rejoice. You are in for a treat!"-Stephanie Costanza, Research Associate, UCSF School of Medicine
"I loved reading The Prophetic Mayan Queen. This book really tied the series together, but I think it would be a great read on its own. What a fascinating civilization the Mayans were! The vivid descriptions of the daily lives, how the community was organized, what deities they worshiped and why, how the children were raised and educated, what careers they chose and why; all of this was a fascinating look at an ancient civilization... Read this book and the entire series, you won't be disappointed!"-Leslie Oberholtzer, Amazon Reviewer
About Leonide Martin
Website: https://mistsofpalenque.com/
Blog: http://leonidemartinblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leonide.martin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lenniem07
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/leonide-martin
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lenniem07/
From the author:
I know you were recently at an archeological dig can you tell us about it? Where was it, etc. Will anything you learned show up in your next book?
In November, 2018, I went on an archeological tour of Teotihuacan, Cholula, and Cacaxtla. These are central Mexican sites around Mexico City, built by different indigenous groups thought to be the Olmeca-Xicalanca-Nahuatl people. The Toltecs later settled Cholula. The Aztecs later claimed Teotihuacan in their ancestry, though the great city had long collapsed before their time. Teotihuacan remains mysterious, a culture separate from other Mexica types. My main interest in Teotihuacan is because experts report interconnections with the Mayas. The powerful empire spread tendrils from central Mexico to Honduras, contemporary with the flowering of Maya civilization. Emissaries from this empire overturned some Maya dynasties and set Teotihuacan royalty on the throne, intermarrying with local ruling families. Teotihuacan is an impressive, huge site with towering pyramids, long boulevards, and multiple housing groups, some like apartments. Their art and architecture was powerful and bold, but they left no actual writing to tell their story. There are hints that this culture provided roots for Palenque's dynasty, but nothing definitive. We spent many hours climbing pyramids and perusing museums, with informative talks by our archeologist guide. Our tour didn't involve actual excavation, though we studied how that took place, explored the ruins, and discussed architecture and artifacts.
Teotihuacan appears in the first book I wrote about ancient Mayas, Dreaming the Maya Fifth Sun (2006). This time-span story focused on Maya predictions around the calendar ending in 2012, and the interwoven lives of an ancient Mayan priestess and contemporary woman. Much action is set in Tikal, a venerable central-Guatemala site and major power. In 378 CE, a Teotihuacan lord named Fire Born (Siyah K'ak) "entered" Tikal and established a new dynasty. That same day, Tikal's ruler met his death either in battle or by sacrificial beheading. It seems this lord placed the son of Teotihuacan's ruler, Spearthrower Owl, on the throne by marrying him to the Tikal ruler's daughter. In my book, one protagonist takes part in the battle. Chan Hun, warrior from a nearby Maya city conquered by Fire Born, is in love with the female protagonist, Yalucha, native of Tikal. He is captured and later sacrificed, setting up a poignant "enemy lovers" story that weaves through centuries and involves the contemporary woman. The story gives readers a different perspective on 2012 "end of the world" from the Maya viewpoint, and offers hopeful outcomes for Maya cycle ending prophecies.
After Teotihuacan insinuated its ruling family onto the Tikal throne, it influenced dynasties in several nearby cities by installing puppet rulers. A second important Teotihuacan coup took place 50 years later, when a war lord from Tikal "arrived" at Copan and established a new dynasty. Copan was a large city at the Mayan southeastern frontier, which we now know as Honduras. Archeologists believe Sun-faced Quetzal Macaw (K'inich Yax K'uk Mo') was of Teotihuacan blood although born in Tikal. He brought artistic symbols and building styles of the central Mexico empire, greatly expanding Copan's structures and regional influence. Probably he killed the local ruler and married into that dynasty, continuing his lineage through seventeen generations and building impressive monuments featuring his image.
Eventually, the Mayas reasserted their political control as the foreigners were gradually absorbed into their society. Subsequent rulers and their cities reflected the characteristics of Mayan culture, though some artistic styles from Teotihuacan persisted. A building style called "talud-tablero" architecture and carved images of goggle-eyed warriors continued to appear. Teotihuacan's cult of warriors, militaristic symbols and gods, and use of spear-throwers (atlatls) in battle lingered for centuries.
There is a hint that Teotihuacan may have touched the Palenque dynasty. The first ruler on record ascended to the throne in 431 CE, congruent with timing of the empire's takeovers in Tikal and Copan. But, little evidence has been found of Teotihuacan affiliations. Palenque, despite its location on the northwestern Maya periphery, has less central Mexican style ceramics or sculptures than sites in the Maya central region. A few examples include Early Classic period moldmade figurines, probably of Mexican derivation; and flange bowls that have exceptionally massive solid slab feet. These large feet were typical of cylindrical tripod bowls from Teotihuacan. Ceramic pottery shards were found in Teotihuacan that were produced in Palenque. However, the great empire had residential groups populated by Mayas, Oaxacans, Haustecans, and other Gulf and West Mexico peoples. Exchange of ceramics was common, and these findings most likely resulted from trade.
Palenque, Tikal, and Copan were close allies for several centuries. Their common enemies were Kalakmul, dominant site in the northeastern Maya region, and Quirigua, a militaristic site located on the Usumacinta River, major travel and trade route. These cities often joined forces in battle. Several events in my stories of Mayan queens (Mists of Palenque Series) involve this complex of alliances and enmities. Palenque's great ruler K'inich Janaab Pakal gave refuge to Tikal's ousted ruler in 659 CE, then fought to restore him to the throne. Pakal's great-grandson, ruler Ahkal Mo' Nab III, may have visited Copan for a calendar ceremony in 731 CE. His granddaughter, Lady Ix Xoc, was sent to marry into the Copan dynasty in 742 CE. Both of these events are in my latest book, The Prophetic Mayan Queen: K'inuuw Mat of Palenque.
Whether anything else I learned on this archeological trek shows up in another book, I can't predict. It all goes into the "Maya-Mesoamerican cultural stew" that simmers ceaselessly in my brain.
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Thanks for hosting! I'm so glad Sol enjoyed the book! I loved reading about Leonide's archaeological dig. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteI always wanted to be an archaeologist!
ReplyDeleteSo have I . . . must have been one in a prior lifetime, since it has such a fascination for me.
DeleteMany thanks to Celticlady's Reviews for hosting my book. I'm really touched by the great review written by Sol A, and the immersion experience of reading the book. When readers lose track of time, lost in a compelling story, we authors know our writing has been successful!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome!
ReplyDelete