The Incas

by Daniel J. Peters

Intrigue, betrayal, warfare and family relationships form the fabric of this absorbing, 1072-page epic of the Inca empire in the two decades preceding the Spanish invasion.

The love interest is provided by Cusi Huaman, a young Inca warrior once scorned as a weakling by his father, and Micay, a healer and daughter of a Chachapoya rebel chief. Around them swirl dozens of historical and fictional characters, including three war chiefs who become the last Inca emperors.

Writing with the detail and accuracy customarily accorded anthropological treatises, Peters (Tikal: A Novel About the Maya) recreates ritual initiations, internecine feuds, the crushing of rebellions and the active presence of the gods in daily life. Though the pace is slow and stately, this expansive novel plunges the reader into a maelstrom climaxed by the arrival of Francisco Pizarro and the "Bearded Ones" in 1532.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

1057 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wholly absorbing novel concerning the last few decades of the Inca Empire as lived by an Incan warlord, Cusi and his wife Micay. We are thrust into a whole civilization and its waning years. The so-called "Bearded Ones" [the conquistadors] arrive in their "floating houses" with their "military beasts", "metal blowguns that shoot thunder" and greed for gold. They finally wipe out the whole culture. We live through family life, court intrigue, smallpox epidemic [fought by Micay and her bevy of healers, known as "White Women"], the civil war between the ruler and a brother, and final downfall of the empire. A fascinating look at this culture. Heavily detailed: the author must have researched his material thoroughly except I regret the lack of a bibliography. I was glad human sacrifice was not brought into the story but for a couple of ambiguous references to "sacrifices". I learned a lot, the main thing being: Incas were only one tribe among many, but they were the aristocrats and rulers; the other 30 or so tribes were subservient unless a member was made an honorary Inca. As the novel was 1000+ pages, I often felt the novel could have been pruned to a more manageable length--hence my rating; otherwise I would have rated it higher. I was glad for the glossaries: names of characters; Quechua [the Inca language] terms; geographical locations and names of tribes. I kept referring to them all through the novel.

Recommended.

[Tlaloc · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only competitor to Gary Jennings when it comes to exploring the life of a character in a long-lost culture, The Incas is masterfully written from a both literary and historical perspective. The difficulty with reading such expansive epics is the sadness one feels when it finally does end.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the details of the ancient Inca culture woven into the descriptions of the last 20 years before the Spaniards came.

The main characters are Cusi, an Inca... and Micay, a young girl who was born into one of the hundreds of tribes subdued by the Inca and molded into an Empire as large as the Roman Empire. The point of view alternates between the two, who are of different classes as well as often in different locations as the armies travel the length and breath of the Inca Empire. Interesting descriptions of the three main climates of Peru: desert on the rainless coast, the high mountains of the Andes and Altiplano in the center, and the Amazon Basin located just over the mountain from Machu Picchu.

A truly classic historical novel, it ranks with Far Pavilions(India), Gone with the Wind (America)Quo Vadis (Rome),and others that take you back in time and immerse you in the culture and lifestyle of the past.

Although it is long, it is suspenseful. Although it has battles and violence it is not unduly graphic. It gives an amazing sense of reality to the belief these people had in their system of gods, but the characters live their lives with noble values that reach across time and culture to uplift your heart with the strength of their character.

The characters grow and change from their experiences and life lessons of forgiveness and endurance, love and loyalty, strength and dependability are learned. It involves several generations and thus interesting contrasts of points of view, as well as insight into how the culture changed rapidly, leaving them adrift in a new and different world.

[Andrew Pixton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a few months to finish this behemoth. It's very immersive, schooling you in what it might've been like to live in the latter period of the Inca Empire, Tawantinsuyo, which is the point of historical fiction. Having taught English there for 2 years, I enjoyed reading of places I'd been to. I will say that the history of the story was off in parts from what I'd heard. This book is old, and so could be due for an update on that end, but it might also be that my own understanding was off, either in my sources or my memory. For example, in MacQuarrie's book, The Last Days of the Incas, he said that Inca succession was prone to challenges, granting the competition as a kind of vetting process. We don't see that here and I'm not seeing it anywhere else, so maybe not.

This book captures the complexity of real historical figures. There was a moment where I thought he was promoting Atahualpa as a purely good leader in contrast to Huascar. But the former shows his own flaws as well. This is only not true of the two main characters: Cusi and Micay. Of those two, what depth they did have seemed softer and more contrived or forced than naturally conflicted. I'm not even sure what I was supposed to get out of Cusi's spiritual journey or what Micay's journey even was, if she had one at all. So I'd say character development was the weaker point of the story. It might've served better to have a slightly broader spread of POV characters, but I tend to grade these based off of my favorite works of historical fiction.

The chapter structure we have here isn't very helpful to it. You have sections and chapters in each section, with leaps of time between each. I don't begrudge those leaps, this is history and it'd be odd to not do it, but we ought to see notes or mentions about the times skipped as well as what changes. He does it subtly in some parts the way a deft writer can, but in other areas, we're in the dark on something important and for no purpose. It didn't help move things along. Another weakness being pacing, which is hard to do in such an expansive and long story but I felt like it could've been managed more in parts. The prose was okay, more focused on immersion than great quotes of which I don't really have any to relay.

I wasn't a fan of the magic. I love fantasy, particularly historically strong fantasy, but I like my history to be just history. It's one thing to show me their perspective as people believing in magic, like a pair believe their romance is validated by a dream, and another to make it an actual divine message. The whole Spanish arrival thing would've been even better if not prophesied because I already know they're coming, I can already feel the ominousness and don't need the fourth wall broken for it. But the magic isn't pervasive and I can appreciate that in some instances it crumbles into a hard skeptic's reality in the story.

It struck me in reading this just how similar the Roman and Incan empires were. I don't usually like comparing things that way, but since we know so much about the Romans they're a good standard. Both built and impressive road network spanning tremendous landspace. Both conquered foreign peoples, inserting their own officials, and adopting or allowing the foreign gods while also including their own as more supreme. Both had very orderly governments, amazing temples, elaborate hierarchies, and an efficient agrarian machine.

[Chrisl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed and learned from the novel by Peters, but didn't much like his other books. For readers interested learning more about the Pizarro conquest of South America, I recommend "Last Days of the Incas" : a fine non-fiction work that supplements and enhances this fictional story of the end of the Inca.

Would favorably compare MacQuarrie's "Last Days ..." to Gwynne's Empire of Summer Moon" perspective / treatment of Comanche Tribe demise.

The Last Days of the Incas
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I am interested in pre-Columbian New World cultures. The book is well written, in addition to being packed full of information about the 14th century Incas. It follows the lives of Cusi, an Inca boy, and Micay, a Chachapoyas (Inca ally) girl, through their childhoods and adulthood, right up until the time of the capture of the Inca emperor by Franzisco Pizarro. Both main characters are likeable but very human, and I liked watching the personalities of these and other characters change and develop with age and circumstance. The book never felt like the 1000-page behemoth it was - it read quickly. I will have to see if Daniel Peters has written anything else.

[Mamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really impressed by the world he created and described, overall really liked the characters, but wasn't always pulled in by the plot of the story (slow at parts and not always tons of unity). I'm really glad I read it, though, because it made me feel like I was in Peru again. Also, it reminded me of an Incan Gone with the Wind. :)

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished it. I can't believe the research this author did for this book. Probably wouldn't have read this except a friend recommended it for reading before my trip to Machu Picchu in the Spring. It certainly helped me imagine what it might have been like in the 1500's.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating story...and it is based on FACT! Can't believe how prejudiced we all are about the European societies and forget how important the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans were. Very enjoyable read.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sad end to a once great people..all due to cruel rulers, in my opinion.
Would have given five stars were it not for random sexual content.

[Ed Heinzelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

picked this up in 2019 at a charity book sale. didn't really pay it much attention thinking the heft of it indicated an academic tome. huh! Historical Novel! This covers the decline of the Inca empire in the face of internal tensions, small pox, and the arrival of the Spanish. Compelling characters and story lines and accurate as far as I can tell descriptions of the social and political culture of the time. Good enough that I will look for Mr. Peters similar efforts around the Maya.

[Tina Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rich story of the last years of the Inca Empire. The decimation of the Inca peoples by the smallpox brought over by the conquistadors, the choices people make, and the destruction of one of the great empires of its time

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating book about Inca civilization. It is well written with many colorful characters. The accuracy of historical facts is hard to verify. I was reading the book in preparation for visiting Peru, it was very helpful

[Thomas Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it...

[M Beal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this in my local little free library. Someday I want to find it in paperback, reading this in hardcover is a beast

[Daniel Finley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I spent an embarrassing amount of time on a 1050 page long historical epic about the Incas. Some of it was at least interesting.

[Jodi McMaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why this novel isn't more well known. I love Cusi and Micay-and I love to hate their opponents. The world building is superb, and the story moves along at a nice pace. I'd put it up there with Shogun or Tai-Pan or Winds of War. It's epic and moving.

[Cws]

AI Pet

[Christopher Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the other two in the series, but well worth the slog.