Montezuma's Daughter

'Montezuma’s Daughter' is an adventure novel by H. Rider Haggard examining the repercussions of the violent altercations between European explorers and the native Aztecs. Written from the perspective of a colonialist Englishman in the form of a memoir, the story chronicles the race against time in the daring quest for revenge by the narrator Thomas and his companion, the Spanish cavalier, Juan.

Murder, blood-lust, the Spanish Inquisition, the Aztecs, horrifying religious rituals and love closely follow Thomas on his labyrinthine path towards total retribution. Penned by none other than President Theodore Roosevelt's favourite author, 'Montezuma's Daughter' continues to rank among the most celebrated and emblematic examples of Haggard’s literary prowess. A must read for those who loved Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Treasure Island' and who are prepared to read an adventure story that will splash it out of the water.

If you are a fan of the Indiana Jones series, you'll be thrilled to find out that the Allan Quatermain series has exerted a direct influence on some of the daring action highlights throughout the franchise. Henry Rider Haggard (1856-1925) was an English adventure story writer, who is credited with the establishment of the "lost world" genre. Haggard wrote a bit on social and political issues as well, but he gained literary prominence with his famous novel 'King Solomon’s Mines'. Some of his other most important works include 'She: A History of Adventure', 'The People of the Mist', and 'Montezuma’s Daughter'.