Austin Briggs has spent over 10 years researching the history of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish Conquest with a dream of creating a historical fiction series that would fascinate readers who like a good history-based tale. He even went so far as to experience some of the magical rites of the ancient Mexica himself. He has always been obsessed with learning about other cultures; in addition to his time in the lands that were once occupied by the Aztec peoples, he has also lived in Russia, Japan, England, Switzerland, Cambodia, Lithuania, and Uzbekistan. He has been a soldier in the army, an officer in the United Nations, and a global manager in a Fortune 10 company... We're often told that history is written by the winners. His stories are told from the perspective of those who lost -- though they went down fighting. His fascination with the Aztec Empire during the time of the Spanish Conquest began because he is intrigued by the idea of a society that is about to lose itself entirely. He wanted to show how difficult and painful -- and sometimes strangely inspiring -- that process can be.