Out of the thousands of books I've read, Aztec is easily in my top 5 reads. Beautifully told story, rich characters who had me emotionally invested from start to finish, I laughed, I cried, and all the while I was enthralled while simultaneously seeing the remaining pages grow thinner and thinner not wanting the story to end. And if you enjoy Aztec I highly recommend reading his book Raptor. You will not be disappointed.