El Sexto Sol /The Sixth Sun (Spanish Edition)

Murra's first novel is a bizarre mishmash of theories rich in Mayan prophecy and pre-Hispanic history. The Earth's axis has shifted, and the ice caps are melting, causing giant tsunamis and earthquakes. Coinciding with the birth of the sixth Sun, the last cycle of the Mayan calendar, these changes are prophetic signs of the nearing end of the world. A cryptic inscription—written on a parchment found within the skeletal structure of an antique desk—could save the world from a global catastrophe, but only a group of scientists stranded in the Mexican jungle, somewhere in the Yucatan peninsula, can decipher the text. Predictable yet intriguing, this narrative guides the spectator through the process of lucid dreaming, a form of consciousness achieved by the Shamans in order to obtain insight and supernatural powers. Surprisingly, this phenomenon becomes a centralized theme, linking each protagonist to a foreseeable and chaotic outcome. There is a lesson to be learned, or so the author greatly implies: Will humanity thwart tragedy before it is too late? Though the novel reads like a crude mockup of a Hollywood film, it is compelling. Recommended as a secondary holding for public libraries, as well as large bookstores.—Rick Villalobos, Villa Park P.L., IL