The Visionary Mayan Queen Yohl Ik'Nal of Palenque The Mists of Palenque Book 1 edition by Leonide Martin Romance eBooks
Download As PDF : The Visionary Mayan Queen Yohl Ik'Nal of Palenque The Mists of Palenque Book 1 edition by Leonide Martin Romance eBooks 
Enter the world of a Mayan Queen
Yohl Ik'nal, first Mayan woman ruler, must overcome forces opposing her rule . . . betrayal and revenge, attack by enemy cities, and shamanic powers. Using her visionary ability, she saves her city from destruction, builds temples to honor her father and the Gods, and brings prosperity to her people while finding a love that sustains her.
But she foresees a time of darkness and devastation coming. Danger lurks ahead and she must choose a successor, either her weak son or willful daughter. Can she trust her vision to reveal the will of the Gods? The results of her choice will lead to ruin or bring her city to greatness.
Discover the opulent world of royal court intrigue, exotic ceremonies on towering pyramids, shamanic journeys, calendars and healing sciences of the ancient Mayas. Experience the excitement of sacrificial rituals and strategic battles for dominance in this exquisite city soaring in mountain mists.
A dynasty hangs in the balance . . .
The Visionary Mayan Queen Yohl Ik'Nal of Palenque The Mists of Palenque Book 1 edition by Leonide Martin Romance eBooks
There have been a lot of good novels written about ancient Greece and Rome, both in classic and contemporary literature. I often wonder why there hasn’t been more fiction written about ancient Mesoamerica—the Maya, the Aztecs, the Inca. So when I came across Leonide Martin’s 2013 novel The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik’nal of Palenque, I was intrigued enough to give it a try (especially since Amazon was giving the ebook away for free at the time). This is the first book of the Mists of Palenque series, in which Martin chronicles the lives of four rulers of that ancient Mayan city. I have an armchair archaeologist’s interest in the Maya and have been fortunate enough to make one trip to the ruins of Palenque, one of my favorite places on Earth. I thus approached the book with an eager interest in its subject.Martin’s prose is polished and well-crafted, and she knows how to construct a satisfying plot. She also does a great job of thinking like a Maya and writing from that cultural perspective. Her copious research into Mayan history and culture is evident on every page. While her skills as a writer are readily apparent, I disagree with some of her creative choices. She lost me with the opening scene, in which the future Mayan queen Yohl Ik’nal uses astral projection to converse with what appears to be an Englishwoman of the 19th or 20th century (subsequent volumes may prove me wrong about the details). Isn’t the civilization of the ancient Maya fascinating enough? Does it need to be dressed up in supernatural mummery to make it more palatable to a general audience? Martin’s diligent attention to historical detail and anthropological accuracy make such mystical passages all the more glaring. Though it is necessary to show the importance of mysticism, mythology, and astrology in Mayan life, Martin treats the visions and gods as reality, even to the point where they drive the plot and thus direct the course of history.
Halfway through the book Martin inserts a flash forward to the present day in the form of an archaeologist’s journal. This new narrator describes her participation in a dig at Palenque in which the bones of Yohl Ik’nal are discovered. This device was very successful and illustrates how science can prove a more compelling narrative strategy than the supernatural. It would be great if Martin would expand on this brief interlude and construct an archaeological novel in which two plots, past and present, are intertwined.
While I admire Martin’s encyclopedic knowledge of the Maya, at times she lays on the cultural description so thick it overpowers and deadens the plot. If I wanted to read long lists of what the Maya ate, drank, or sat on, I’d rather get if from a nonfiction source like the Handbook to Ancient Life in the Maya World. She also concentrates too much on royal pageantry and religious ritual at the expense of daily life. Imagine a novel in which every day is Christmas. To some extent all the pomp and circumstance obscures the reader’s view of Mayan culture. One welcome scene involving a family of common farmers was very engaging but all too brief.
Not every reader will share my objections to this book. My preference for the secular over spiritual in historical novels is a criticism I’ve leveled at other ancient-world fictions, from Madeline Miller’s recent Hellenic novel The Song of Achilles to Lew Wallace’s classic biblical epic Ben-Hur. Decide for yourself whether that sort of thing is your cup of tea. Martin’s skills as a writer are admirable, enough so that her Palenque series will surely find its share of avid fans.
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The Visionary Mayan Queen Yohl Ik'Nal of Palenque The Mists of Palenque Book 1 edition by Leonide Martin Romance eBooks Reviews
My deepest gratitude to the author for uncovering this fascinating glimpse into the history of the first Mayan queen in the Jaguar dynasty of B'aakal. Not only was the story suspenseful, but it provides the reader with a firsthand look at what it was like to have lived in a powerful Mayan city during the sixth century.
The book opens in 562 CE and allows us to gain insight into the world of the Maya at that time. We also begin to learn more about the training the young woman receives on her path to becoming a great seer and visionary, as well as a ruling queen. I found these passages to be of particular interest - especially for anyone drawn to the world of shamanism. The author's descriptions of journeying are really some of the best I've ever read, and provide deep insight into this spiritual practice.
The book has been meticulously researched, and given the author's training, she offers far more depth into the world of the Maya than a typical scholar, researcher or novelist. The book will appeal to anyone interested in the complex, intriguing and sometimes unfathomable world of this ancient culture, as well as any reader who loves historical fiction. I cannot wait for the 2nd installment in this series.
The Visionary Mayan Queen is about the Mayans first female ruler. Yohl Ik'nal is the only surviving child of Kan Bahlam I, the ruler of the Palenque. Yohl Ik'nal is trained to become the next ruler of the Palenque. There has never been a woman ruler before, and Yohl Ik'nal must bear the weight of the responsibility. She has a vision that her reign could lead to the downfall of her kingdom. When Yohl Ik'nal becomes ruler, she faces many challenges. She knows that each decision she makes could either save or bring ruin to her own people. She wonders if the successor should be her weak son or her strong-willed daughter. She also learns that there is a conspiracy of nobles, who dissent her reign that are planning on bringing destruction to her city. Does Yohl Ik'nal have what it takes to save the kingdom or must she witness the decline of her dynasty?
I was eager to read The Visionary Mayan Queen because I did not know much about the Mayans. Yohl Ik'nal’s story intrigued me because she was a woman ruler of the Palanque, a great city in the jungle that the Mayans eventually abandoned. I wanted to learn more about who she was. In this novel, Yohl Ik'nal starts out as an idealistic girl. She dreams of traveling to far away places. However, she has to quickly mature once she is the chosen successor. Throughout the novel, I thought that Yohl Ik'nal was a strong and capable ruler. She cared about her kingdom and wanted to lead it into greatness rather than see it into its decline. She was beset by hard choices, and I thought that she made wise ones.
Overall, this was an intriguing novel about an unknown ancient Mayan queen. Except for Yohl Ik'nal, I thought there was not much development with secondary characters. The novel seemed rushed in most parts, especially the battle scenes. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, and this made it hard for me to experience it. I also did not like how the story suddenly switched to the 1992 discovery of an ancient Mayan tomb in the middle of the plot. It was jarring and could have been added at the end or left out. However, the author showed that she clearly did her research on Mayan history and culture. She brought the abandoned city of Palenque to life. The Visionary Mayan Queen is full of political and courtly intrigue, drama, and romance that is sure to treat historical fiction lovers. I am excited to read the next book in the series, The Controversial Mayan Queen, which is about Yohl Ik'nal’s daughter Sak K’uk. This novel will certainly be a refreshing read for those who want to take a break from the usual European or United States setting novels.
There have been a lot of good novels written about ancient Greece and Rome, both in classic and contemporary literature. I often wonder why there hasn’t been more fiction written about ancient Mesoamerica—the Maya, the Aztecs, the Inca. So when I came across Leonide Martin’s 2013 novel The Visionary Mayan Queen Yohl Ik’nal of Palenque, I was intrigued enough to give it a try (especially since was giving the ebook away for free at the time). This is the first book of the Mists of Palenque series, in which Martin chronicles the lives of four rulers of that ancient Mayan city. I have an armchair archaeologist’s interest in the Maya and have been fortunate enough to make one trip to the ruins of Palenque, one of my favorite places on Earth. I thus approached the book with an eager interest in its subject.
Martin’s prose is polished and well-crafted, and she knows how to construct a satisfying plot. She also does a great job of thinking like a Maya and writing from that cultural perspective. Her copious research into Mayan history and culture is evident on every page. While her skills as a writer are readily apparent, I disagree with some of her creative choices. She lost me with the opening scene, in which the future Mayan queen Yohl Ik’nal uses astral projection to converse with what appears to be an Englishwoman of the 19th or 20th century (subsequent volumes may prove me wrong about the details). Isn’t the civilization of the ancient Maya fascinating enough? Does it need to be dressed up in supernatural mummery to make it more palatable to a general audience? Martin’s diligent attention to historical detail and anthropological accuracy make such mystical passages all the more glaring. Though it is necessary to show the importance of mysticism, mythology, and astrology in Mayan life, Martin treats the visions and gods as reality, even to the point where they drive the plot and thus direct the course of history.
Halfway through the book Martin inserts a flash forward to the present day in the form of an archaeologist’s journal. This new narrator describes her participation in a dig at Palenque in which the bones of Yohl Ik’nal are discovered. This device was very successful and illustrates how science can prove a more compelling narrative strategy than the supernatural. It would be great if Martin would expand on this brief interlude and construct an archaeological novel in which two plots, past and present, are intertwined.
While I admire Martin’s encyclopedic knowledge of the Maya, at times she lays on the cultural description so thick it overpowers and deadens the plot. If I wanted to read long lists of what the Maya ate, drank, or sat on, I’d rather get if from a nonfiction source like the Handbook to Ancient Life in the Maya World. She also concentrates too much on royal pageantry and religious ritual at the expense of daily life. Imagine a novel in which every day is Christmas. To some extent all the pomp and circumstance obscures the reader’s view of Mayan culture. One welcome scene involving a family of common farmers was very engaging but all too brief.
Not every reader will share my objections to this book. My preference for the secular over spiritual in historical novels is a criticism I’ve leveled at other ancient-world fictions, from Madeline Miller’s recent Hellenic novel The Song of Achilles to Lew Wallace’s classic biblical epic Ben-Hur. Decide for yourself whether that sort of thing is your cup of tea. Martin’s skills as a writer are admirable, enough so that her Palenque series will surely find its share of avid fans.
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