In his saga of a probable life of Quetzalcoatl of Mexico, Ben Nuttall-Smith gives life to scenes of Vikings, Irish monks, North American early peoples and Toltecs through his painter’s eyes via his much research into local flora and fauna. His action-filled, often lethal encounters with varying dialogues spin from poems to prayers in Latin and other rituals, until the reader’s imagination is fed enough to feel seasick on the Atlantic, or taste strange herbs, or be in awe of feather decorations. Nuttall-Smith is instructive and entertaining.
Bernice Lever. Prize-winning poet and author
This far-reaching novel eloquently displays the author’s love of history and storytelling. Mad God of the Toltecs rampages from monastic life in the old world to exotic practices on a distant continent. En route the reader is treated to the lifestyles of impoverished Irish monks, marauding Vikings, the first nations in a new world and the early civilizations of what would one day become Central America. Ben Nuttall-Smith has crafted a fascinating tale of enormous scope.
Anthony Dalton. Past National President Canadian Authors Association Author of numerous non-fiction books about the sea and about exploration
If you enjoyed Gary Jennings’ Aztec, Ben-Nuttall-Smith’s Mad God of the Toltecs is the book you’ve been waiting for. This blending of Irish, Norse, and Precolumbian mythology will keep you turning pages. Peopled with intriguing characters and with a meticulously researched historical background the action is non stop from shipwreck to Aztec sacrifice as the legend of Quétzalcoatl the feathered serpent is given a truly original twist.
Patrick Taylor. New York Times and Globe and Mail best selling author of the Irish Country series.
In his saga of a probable life of Quetzalcoatl of Mexico, Ben Nuttall-Smith gives life to scenes of Vikings, Irish monks, North American early peoples and Toltecs through his painter’s eyes via his much research into local flora and fauna. His action-filled, often lethal encounters with varying dialogues spin from poems to prayers in Latin and other rituals, until the reader’s imagination is fed enough to feel seasick on the Atlantic, or taste strange herbs, or be in awe of feather decorations. Nuttall-Smith is instructive and entertaining.
Bernice Lever. Prize-winning poet and author
This far-reaching novel eloquently displays the author’s love of history and storytelling. Mad God of the Toltecs rampages from monastic life in the old world to exotic practices on a distant continent. En route the reader is treated to the lifestyles of impoverished Irish monks, marauding Vikings, the first nations in a new world and the early civilizations of what would one day become Central America. Ben Nuttall-Smith has crafted a fascinating tale of enormous scope.
Anthony Dalton. Past National President Canadian Authors Association Author of numerous non-fiction books about the sea and about exploration.
In the time-honoured tradition of historical novels, Ben Nuttall-Smith's Mad God of the Toltecs skillfully weaves illuminating facts and engaging story and characters into a complex and colourful tapestry. As multiple cultures collide and commune, we are taken on an unparalleled adventure from the Emerald Isle to Iceland's windswept barrens to the boundless prairie and verdant forests of America to the steaming jungles of Mexico. We gain invaluable insights into the daily lives and grandeurs of the rich and creative First Nations cultures of the Americas as their destinies are played out in this sweeping saga of damnation and redemption.
Sylvia Taylor. author of The Fisher Queen, journalist, Editor.
Ben Nuttall-Smith describes First Nations tribes, during pre-Columbus times, as more culturally advanced than commonly thought. Most importantly, he vividly presents a remarkable way of life, in which man, nature, and the Divine are inseparable.
I heartily recommend this novel to teachers of early Christian and Native North American history and to all those who enjoy a tightly written, fast-paced, and highly entertaining read.
David C. Manning. Retired educator/curriculum developer (Native Studies)
