What a great book! The beginning was a bit hard to follow at first, with various smaller characters disappearing and then reappearing later when you've forgotten who they are. But most of the book is a smooth ride. It has a plot that keeps you guessing and a main character (Archie) whom you can't help but root for during his quest to find his daughter while also being tempted and torn apart by two different ancient Mesoamerican gods. Irvine expertly handles the suspense of the story so much so that the last sixty pages which entail the denouement of the plot and Archie's dangerous travails in Kentucky caverns far below the earth are nail-bitingly exciting. Because of this I'm tempted to give it five stars, but after some consideration four is probably a more accurate rating for the book as a whole. Well worth the read, it's too bad this book is now out of print. It's definitely a keeper in my opinion. ( )

A Scattering of Jades tells a dark, arcane story, so if you don't like that sort of thing, don't bother reading it.

It concerns an ancient plot to bring into power a malevolent Aztec deity, Tlaloc, that in some ways is the antithesis of the being currently in power. One man's daughter is unfortunate enough to be part of the necessary sacrifice.

The problem is, he's not even sure it's his daughter, and the forces aligned with Tlaloc are a downright nasty bunch with no intention of letting him get in the way. The world will be destroyed and remade -- or left as is -- depending on his decisions.

The characterization will make you believe, the magic will make you wonder, the end will make you wish there were a sequel.

Oh, and the Tochtli will freak you out. Seriously.

Not sure how much the fault is mine and how much the author's, but I'm giving up on this one at page 126 (right after one character bites the ear off another for no apparent reason). Lots of Aztec words and terms flying around, but somehow I'm not getting pulled in to the narrative. It's not convincing, somehow. The sense of wonder, of magic, is totally missing, for me. Could be that the characters are not developed enough to care about...but it could also be that this genre (whatever genre describes "Tim Powers books") is just not working for me anymore. Back when I used to find the idea of "more than one history of the world" (Crowley) to be appealing, this book might have held my interest. No longer. Take that for what it's worth. ( )

With the exception of having to stumble over the awkward names at first, I thoroughly enjoyed this fantastic horror/mystery. Set partially in Kentucky (my home for a while) it blends South American Indian myth with historic fact to create a nearly believable tale. And it has mummies in it. You can't lose with mummies. ( )

http://matociquala.livejournal.com/716396.html#cutid1 ( )