Inca

I found Inca to be a remarkable story on two levels. On one, it provides a complete history of the Inca empire's final decades, full of lush cultural detail that prompted me to take a long online tour of Incan artwork, and bump Peru up several places on my travel-to-do list. Woven into this is a personal story of ambition, power struggles, and the relationship between a father and son - and though it takes place in an empire now centuries dead, the humanity that drives it is universal. In popular knowledge and culture, the Inca are underrepresented for some reason. Most people probably picture them as being mostly similar to the more popular Aztec - at least I know I did before reading this novel. But in reality, with one of the world's biggest mountain ranges between them, the Inca and Aztec people had very little in common. The Incan empire was one of the greatest of its time, and learning more about it - from its solid gold gardens to its deadly obsidian labyrinth - was consistently fascinating. The broadest and most interesting fact conveyed by the novel defies one of the few pieces of common wisdom about the Inca, which is that the invading Spanish were the sole authors of their destruction. In truth, as the novel reveals, the empire's strength had been waning for some time, and violent internal discord was beginning to break it up before the first white man ever reached their shores. Accordingly, the bulk of the novel takes place before the Spanish arrive, and shows us that their invasion was only the last in a string of catastrophes. We see all this through the eyes of Haylli Yupanki, whom we meet when he still bears his child name, Waccha. The novel takes us from his upbringing and his coming of age through to his elder years as one of the most quietly influential men in a dying empire. Haylli is deeply inspired by his father, and driven also by a fierce sense of passion and competition. His nemesis, the warrior-prodigy Chalcucima, motivates him to distinguish himself in unique ways by using his natural intelligence and cunning, and Haylli fights Chalcucima in many battles both friendly and unfriendly. It is nearly impossible to provide a summary of Inca's storyline and cast of characters, spanning decades and generations as they do, but that is for the best: the joy of the story comes from living with Haylli, sharing the surprise of new encounters and the memories of old ones, and watching the evolution of relationships that last a lifetime. There is much change to be witnessed, for Haylli is the kind of person who grows from an unsure boy into a man who (I won't tell you how or why) pushes his all-powerful emperor out of a window. The amount of research that went into Inca is staggering. In conveying all that knowledge, Micks strikes the perfect balance: staying committed to accuracy without getting bogged down in details or feeling like a textbook. The story is well-paced and never boring, and at times it pleasantly diverts into intriguing locations like the Chaski messenger school, where trainees climb a mountain with whips at their back. The challenge is in the complexity of a story with such an epic scale: there are many characters, relationships and locations at play, and keeping everything straight can at times seem daunting. Luckily, a thorough glossary and a notated map are included, and they make it easy to get back on track if you ever get lost. Inca is a terrific novel. Work of this calibre is rare in independent fiction, and indeed even any undertakings of this magnitude are hard to find. In Inca, Micks does more than tell a good story: he captures the flavour of an entire way of life, offers knowledge about a remarkable part of history, and shares something mysterious and exotic while making it relatable and real.

Great Historical Fiction Read reminiscent of Gary Jennings styled writings (which is a huge praise in its self). Characters known within Inca History expanded and developed to help one understand the devastation of the Incan Empire. Amazing character development interwoven with adventure & history. Will be reading his other books next.

I loved this book. I own a tour service in Bolivia and read it on my kindle on nights I was trekking through areas the story was set in. For that and for the wonderful story (beautiful relationships) it was one of the best reading experiences I've had in years. While a work of fiction, Geoff Micks drew from much of the evidence we have of the Inca and created a perfect tapestry from which to set out and explore the histories with a sense of bearing and perspective. For this reason I now recommend this book to many of my clients looking to further their understanding of pre-Hispanic history. There is only one thing I found fault with in this book. Having lived in Andean culture for years the behavior was sometimes implausible from a cultural context, although I would expect that from anyone who hadn't spent many years living here. Great research.

This book is a great example of why I love historical fiction. I learned about a civilization that I knew very little about through interesting characters and the author made the story entirely realistic and enjoyable. Hope he writes more on the subject!

I enjoyed reading the novel as preparation for a trip to Peru (it's one of very few historical novels on the subject). Based on my knowledge of other sources, it's clear that the author has done his homework and is careful to include legitimate history into the account. To author's credit, Machu Picchu is only mentioned in passing, and other, lesser known parts of the Inca empire are given greater focus. Despite the length, it was a page-turner for the most part. One certainly sympathizes with the tragic destiny of the central character. I found certain aspects of the novel somewhat amateurish. American colloquialisms such as "okay" and "yeah" coming from mature Inca military figures seemed jarring. The description of the Inca school system was a bit too similar to modern day high-school to be believable. Intimate scenes, and there are 3 or 4 relationships described here, are overly idealized. In other words, some of the passages are complex and compelling, while others are closer to fan-fiction level. Reader, take heed.

Basically all I knew about this period of history was a little history book about Pizaro that my classroom had in 2nd grade. I tried this book on a whim because I was looking for some ebooks to read while traveling. This book is a fascinating window into an under represented culture. It's amazing. If you like historical fiction or just good storytelling you should immediately add this to your list of books to read. This was one of the best books I have ever read.

An engrossing novel that describes the culture, customs, and history of the Incan empire from the Incan perspective and explains the perfect storm of civil war, hubris, and arrogance that led to its ultimate downfall. I would have given it five stars if it had been better edited; apparently neither the author nor the editor knows when to use the word 'me' as opposed to 'I' and there are some misused verbs --- all of which interrupt the flow of the story. This book is both fun and well researched --- the best kind of historical fiction.

There is one great problem with novels about the Incas: I already know there won't be a happy ending, for the fate of this people is one of the most crushingly tragic stories in history. For this reason I was reluctant to even start reading it. But the story is so well narrated that it captivated me before I could put it down. The portrayal of life in the Inca empire reads like some fantasy novel about an exotic imaginary kingdom. The protagonist isn't a mighty warrior or prince, but a master accountant. His purpose in life is not self-aggrandizement or glory, but simply to run an empire so that its inhabitants can live prosperous and decent lives. I was charmed by the portrayal of "writing" with knots and strings, and of a great 'quipu house' full of yarn and counting stones. The description of the Incas' meticulous record-keeping boggles the mind. Their society wasn't exactly democratic, but somehow, during their heyday, they did manage to do better by the people of Peru than anyone since. Narrator Haylli has misadventures with schoolmates, and later with plotting backstabbers. But it is only about 2/3 of the way through the book when the real trouble starts. A series of ever more horrific disasters befalls the narrator and his people: plague, devastating civil war, and finally the Spanish invasion. (To imagine what this must have been like, think of an invasion from space.) So no, there is no way it could end happily. Nevertheless, this story is so vivid and well-written that I could not put it down. The author says he plans to write more stories about the Incas, and I sure hope he does. Sign me up!

Many years ago I stumbled upon Gary Jenning's AZTEC and was very much impressed with the details in the book. The book was so vivid that I had dreams about being in Tenochtitlán during its rise and fall. A few weeks back, I found Geoff Micks' INCA and downloaded a copy on my Kindle. Early on, I got the impression that INCA was inspired by AZTEC, that Haylli possessed many of the extraordinary qualities of Mixtli, that the ascent and destruction of Tahuantinsuyu paralleled that of Tenochtitlán. As I progressed through the book until I finished it today, I have to say that I'd still would have immensely enjoyed the book even if I didn't read AZTEC first. For all fans of historical fiction, or for students of world history, or to the people currently living in the remnants of the Inca empire, I highly recommend this book! Haylli's struggles and triumphs make him an unforgettable protagonist. Micks' description of contemporary life during the height of the Inca empire is very skillful, and the pages on the empire's destruction were truly an emotional ride. There are also small seemingly insignificant details that make this book special: the tying of quipus, the secret of chaski training, and my personal favorite -- the bundle of grass from one's hometown. I LOVE THIS BOOK! I hope Geoff Micks writes a sequel.

This is one of those books i could stay up all night reading. I'm a sucker for books set in exotic and historic locations, and have never read any from the point of view of the Incas, while there are some strange lexical choices, overall the experience of the book is enough to elevate it. Exploring the Inca world is fascinating, and although sometimes the language they use is out of place. The author succeeds in filling Tahuantinsuyu with engaging and memorable characters. While it is impossible not to compare it to Gary Jenning's Aztec. For all intents and purposes they share basically same plot except for a shift in setting. Inca is an entertaining and haunting book in its own right. It doesnt surpass or come close to how dark or unsettling Aztec is, but it portrays the spirit of this civilization well, andd is definitely worth the investment

A bold and excellent attempt at describing the Inca at their most powerful and also their decline.The story is written around recorded facts and real characters with our hero being although imagined as near to possibility as can be.The style of writing is very professional and leads you through the highs and lows of Inca civilization and power describing their armies,conquests and punishments.Their way of life and sustainability which initself was almost modern and of course the gold and the final conquest by the Spanish and its complete destruction.If you enjoy a quality read then this kindle book is for you and I would also recommend his later book Zulu.

One of the best books I've ever read, and easily the best one I read in 2018. Micks is a master at world-building, and this work would be impressive even if it weren't his first novel. Haylli Yupanki is an incredibly complex character that the reader will empathize with. Micks went to great lengths to create a main character that is relatable yet imperfect. As I devoured this book I felt like I was standing next to Haylli the entire time. I loved with him and suffered with him, and I have Micks to thank for that. Micks also makes it clear that many historical texts on the Inca will argue against the historical world that he created, which I appreciated. He clearly put a lot of love into this book, to the benefit of the reader. If you're on the fence, don't be. Absolutely read this.

Inca was terrific - a page turner, as well as full of interesting information about the Inca