Warrior Prince (historical fiction) A novel set during a period when the Mayan civilization reached its greatest glory. It is a fast paced action story about a Mayan prince, Shield Jaguar III, and his drive against all odds to become king. The current Mayan king, Bird Jaguar IV, is dying; his heir is only a boy. The king's half brother and his chief counselor are locked in conflict, each maneuvering to usurp the throne and become the next king. Set in the jungles of the Guatemalan Lowlands during the mid Eighth Century, the ancient Mayan city of Yaxchilan comes to life. Warfare is rampant and enemies are on all sides. The story encompasses warriors battling, pagan rituals, human sacrifices and primal festivals bringing the physical and spiritual world together, as ordained by the gods. The novel is solidly based on archaeological evidence and the recent interpretation of the Mayan hieroglyphs found at Yaxchilan. The characters in the novel are real persons who lived in the Eighth Century and the storyline follows events recorded on their stone monuments. Their story is told by a renowned archaeologist who, upon excavating a drug used in ancient ceremonies, takes it and is transported back in time for brief periods where he becomes a royal Mayan warrior and companion to the prince, Shield Jaguar III. While in the past, he falls in love with a Mayan princess and his desire to be with her drives him to return time and time again. Dr. John Telford, retired executive director of the Detroit public schools, in the forward, states: "The novel 'Roar of a Jaguar--The Legacy of a Mayan Prince' is a book that will entertain both young and old alike. Its historical basis is suitably sufficient to use it in an educational environment within the library system or as a supplemental reading.
