I absolutely loved this irreverent and creative reimagining of Cortes' attempted conquest of Moctezuma's empire in modern day Mexico City. The ending is everything I wanted it to be, so satisfyingly anticolonialist but also so devastating with the knowledge of what could've been but wasn't in our reality. The power of this book is with the slow dismantling of the Spanish characters as "civilized." This defiance of hegemonic power is subtle but effective.

I really appreciated the different characters and perspectives we get, especially Atotoxtli and Malinalli, two very intelligent and savvy women with very different fates.

My favorite chapter is one towards the end that most obviously breaks the fourth wall to describe a fictional character's perspective as a Spaniard viewing Moctezuma's city of Tenochtitlan. The breakdown of Christian hegemony and the idea of Christianity as the default was excellent and very moving.

As someone who loves Mexico City, one of the world's greatest cities, I will never look at it the same way again. This book is a must read.

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. I was really hoping to enjoy this novel, which features the Spanish explorers that first encountered the Aztec. But I found the pace very slow and difficult to engage with, plus I was hoping to see the female translator as the main protagonist. I am sure this novel will appeal to a specific audience but I didn't feel it was a good match for me personally.

You Dreamed of Empires by Alvaro Enrigue was absolutely FANTASTIC. I loved this book. The writing was so well done. The story kept me drawn in and I didn't want it to end. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read it before its release. I cannot wait to recommend this book to literally everyone.

It's no easy feat to turn a historic clash of cultures that affected world history for centuries into an anti-historical psychedelic comedy, Álvaro Enrigue delivers in Natasha Wimmer's translation. You've never seen Montezuma through such a trippy, Dayglo lens as this!

Such a richly drawn, fantastic, and engrossing world. I've never read historical fiction like this before--I couldn't put it down.

"You Dreamed of Empires" is definitely one of the more unique reads that I've encountered lately, and would be more than happy to recommend to those who are searching for exactly such an experience. It's an intriguing mix of Tenochtitlan at its peak being brought to full life through vivid descriptions, a dreamlike narrative, and an honestly surprising dash of subversiveness tying it all together.