Blood and Jade

Book excerpt: When a treacherous noble seizes the realm of Balan-Ke and massacres all the king's children, a small, clubfooted boy named Pacal becomes the Bone Clan's only hope. BLOOD AND JADE tells of his mother, Lady Quetzal. Armed with little more than prophecy, vowing to regain the Jade Crown, she takes Pacal into exile. Hunted by the enemy, cut off from all she loves, Lady Quetzal grows as both leader and mystic until the gods Themselves become her allies. The perilous adventures of seven-year-old Pacal are also told in BLOOD AND JADE. The unwitting pivot of prophetic events, Pacal is marked by the gods, stolen by slavers and befriended by heroes as he fights to endure and face his destiny. This is the story of a dynastic struggle for survival and salvation. BLOOD AND JADE illuminates the time of the Classic Maya when majestic cities adorn the jungle like jewels, when Lords of The Blood wage taboo wars, when foreigners maraud ancient borders, and when common people suffer and despair. It is a story of magic and myth, when the powers of the human spirit triumph over all.