By Right of Conquest; Or, With Cortez in Mexico

A young Englishman named Roger finds himself drawn into a daring scheme when the modest trading ship Swan drops into Plymouth’s harbor in 1516. The bustling port, still rising from the shadow of rival towns, becomes the launchpad for his restless spirit and the promise of distant riches. Encouraged by his cousins and the ship’s owner, he accepts a startling proposal that will take him far beyond familiar seas.

The Swan’s voyage carries the crew across uncharted waters, through storm‑tossed nights and the peril of a sudden shipwreck that strands them on an unknown shore. From the wreckage they crawl into the heart of the New World, where the towering city of Tenochtitlán looms and the formidable conquistador Hernán Cortés commands a fragile alliance of Spaniards and native allies. Roger’s first encounters with the Aztec empire reveal a world of splendor, fierce resistance, and uneasy cooperation.

As tensions rise between the conquistadors and the indigenous peoples, Roger is thrust into courtly intrigue and the raw violence of conquest. He watches the clash of cultures, the allure of hidden treasure, and the fragile hopes of those who might side with the newcomers. Listeners will be swept along with his youthful courage as he navigates a landscape where loyalty, bravery, and survival are constantly tested.