The virgin of the sun : $b A tale of the conquest of Peru

Set in the early 1520s, the story follows a ragged band of Spanish conquistadors as they launch from a bleak, rain‑splashed island toward the fabled riches of the Inca empire. The author recreates the brutal march across towering Andes, the hunger‑filled harbors and the endless mist that cloaked the unfamiliar wilderness. Through vivid, travel‑journal detail the listener feels the cold, the fear, and the tantalising promise of El‑Dorado just beyond the horizon.

Among the historical figures, Francisco Pizarro emerges as a charismatic but ruthless leader, while the enigmatic Atahualpa and a handful of invented wise women lend voice to the culture they encounter. Their uneasy negotiations, secret oaths, and sudden betrayals unfold in tightly rendered dialogue drawn from contemporary chronicles. The novel balances factual backbone with imaginative episodes, giving a palpable sense of an empire on the brink of collapse and the desperate ambitions that drove it.