Toltec

by Alex Walker

At the end of the American Civil War, two young opposing cavalry officers confront each other in a brief skirmish, but through a temporary truce, suddenly discover they have the same great grandfather. Their newfound blood kinship leads them to escape the war that will soon be over. They journey to Mexico where the two learn of an ancient Toltec city in the Yucatan jungle where, according to legend, a vast treasure is buried beneath the city’s pyramid—they decide to search for it. Guided by a young Mexican and his beautiful sister, they are pursued by ruthless and dangerous rival treasure hunters. But the most unlikely pursuers are an American general and special Pinkerton agents sent to capture the deserters and return them for trial. Throughout their harrowing quest, our young adventurers encounter terrifying jungle hazards, mysterious caverns, deadly hidden traps, and violent confrontations with descendants of the ancient Toltecs. A startling discovery is made—something that could drastically change the world—even destroy it. This creates a potential danger to mankind and a serious moral conflict between our two Americans and the reckless manipulation of ambitious government and military leaders—all leading to an unexpected and explosive conclusion.

Genres: Historical Fiction

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2012

Reviews

[P.C. Windham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the character development quite lacking, especially the character of Rosita. Why was she even there, for most of the book I forgot she was even in their party. She added nothing to the story and the few times she spoke it was to say how scared she was with only one or two times with helpful information for the explorers. No, the Rosita character was completely useless and no reason for her to even be there. At first I thought she was going to end up as a strong female character and I was sorely disappointed.

The premise of the book is good, but the execution of the story was weak. Fast paced yes, but too much head hopping. Half the time I found it hard to know whose perspective I was supposed to be reading, this problem occurs from the very first sentence to the ending of the book.

The moment they found Roman/Greek architecture in South American cities I knew the writer was bringing in ancient aliens, which was fine by me but having them find a fully operational ship stretches credulity. Even though some of the characters were college educated, there would have been no way they could have understood even the more simpler explanations from the ship's database let alone repaired the ship not with the educational and tech level in the mid 1800s.

I will be reading the sequel novels in hopes that the writer has evolved in his story telling.

[Haven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex Walker's Book "Toltec" reads like a modern take of the Indiana Jones series featuring the ancient past as a setting. During the close of the Civil War, two men realize they are relatives of each other. Instead of staying for the continuation of the battle, they venture off on a dangerous quest to find the riches in an old Toltec city.

I didn't feel especially close to the characters; however, I appreciated the similarities and differences of their personalities. As for the plot, it was exciting and engaging, but at the same time seemed to follow the same pattern as many action and adventure stories. I especially appreciated the twisted ending that left me a bit baffled.

If I could change one thing about the story it would be the pace of the ending. I would slow the ending down and add more details. I don't want to disclose too much information here or I'll just be spoiling the entire book (which is pretty good by the way). I just felt like the story rushed to come to a close. It got a little confusing near the end.

All in all, great book! I hope others like it too.

#goodreads #giveaways

[Steven Howes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out well being somewhat of a hybrid of "Raiders of the Lost Arc" and "The Wild, Wild West (tv show). For me, it deteriorated toward the end, becoming more like a mid-19th century version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" or "Fire in the Sky", and I couldn't wait to be done with it so I could move on to something else. I have heard it said that one must be willing to suspend disbelief in order to enjoy such a book. However for me, there is just too much disbelief to suspend.

I found the part of the story about searching for a lost Toltec city and treasure both interesting and plausible. The possibility of communication between early European and meso-American cultures was also intriguing and some recent findings indicate that some of this may have in fact occurred. However, the author lost me toward the end. Certainly there has been much speculation regarding the possible effects of "ancient aliens" on historical events but the ending was just a bit far out for my liking.

[Michael Karpovage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Met Alex Walker at the Atlanta Writers Club book fair and we exchanged autographed novels since we both share a love for military history and adventure. TOLTEC had lots of adventure for sure. Plus traps, cliffhangers, peril and shootouts. And lots of treasure I was wanting to dig my hands into. This was an extremely fun read reminiscent of an Indiana Jones movie. You sort of can predict the straightforward plot but you cannot help to keep turning the pages wanting to know what's coming next. And then the ending hits you like a freight train. Did not expect that ending. At first I was a bit taken aback, but considering some of the theories lately on ancient cultures it fits right in with today's trends. The way Simon and Elijah handled their predicament in the end will leave you very well satisfied. I'm looking forward to reading Walker's next book, CUZCO, hoping for some more adventurous escapism.

[Alex Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The link below will take you to a recent professional literary review of Toltec. http://redcityreview.com/our-reviews/...