“Crossing Worlds” is the rise of the Aztecs. It is set in the pre-Aztec central Mexican area. The author has done extensive research of the Aztecs and the other groups that existed in the area during the same time.
Zoe Saadia has done a great job with this book. It is very well written. Her characters are very interesting, intriguing and very believable. The story is exciting and deeply affecting.
I loved the previous books and I am more intrigued each time I get a new book by Zoe Saadia. “Crossing Worlds” is the first book in the second series and the saga continues making each page even more interesting. I followed the boys that took refuge in the highlands and I was utterly intrigued.
This is an author that you need to follow if you love history, mystery and excitement
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If you love historical fiction or have a fascination with pre-Columbus Mexico, this book and series is a must read. Crossing Worlds is the second book in the Rise of the Aztec Series. In the first, The Highlander, the story was about a highlander's curiosity and eventual settling with the lowlanders. He was both fascinated and frustrated by their ways, and often landed in trouble. Crossing Worlds picks up two years after The Highlander ends, with a role reversal between two unlikely best friends who come from competing hostile tribes, both very different in their fortunes and customs.

One of the friends, a lowlander, is a would-be emperor, but ends up on the run when his people lose a war with the current superpower tribe in the region. His highlander friend takes him to the highlands where he is a refugee for a couple of years. Many of the highlanders hate him because he comes from a warring tribe. Part of this magnificent story is about overcoming bigotries, with much the rest about a leader being perceptive enough to see the bigger picture when those around him cannot.

The Highlander and the Lowlander being best friends under the circumstances would be much like an Israeli and Palestinian becoming best friends today, or a black man and a white man during the days of slavery in the United States. It is an extraordinary friendship that Zoe Saadia wrote perfectly in The Highlander and has done so again here in Crossing Worlds.

The first two books in The Rise of the Aztec series is full of adventure, danger, romance, thrills, great characters, deception, clever females, strong males and backstabbing antagonists. Both books kept me engaged during the entire read.

Having read The Highlander and Crossing Worlds in this series, I look forward to The Emperor's Second Wife, which along with the fourth book is already on my Kindle. I love great historical fiction and this series certainly qualifies. Zoe Saadia is an excellent writer and her books are well-crafted.
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I just finished Crossing Worlds. Book #2 in Zoe Saadia's exciting rise of the Aztecs series. My love for this period in general has been enhanced by her work. Saadia's blend of history and fiction, reads almost like a modern parable. I found myself thinking that the power of friendship can be a much stronger force than war to change political and world affairs. The change in Mesoamerican history was accomplished through the friendship of Kuini and Coyotl, her two main characters. Though sworn enemies, they form an alliance that will better their empire and the life of it's people. Her writing style is easy to read, and more than once I found myself getting caught up in the drama of the story. I highly recommend this series to any reader, no matter what genre you desire. There is a little something here for everyone, adventure, politics, history, even some romance. You will not be disappointed. Thanks you Ms Saadia for a beautifully researched and well written series. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. ( )