At the center of Noon’s historical thriller is Peruvian-born college student Jesus Ruiz’s discovery of an otherworldly history. While conducting research among the library stacks for his archeology studies, Jesus happens upon a hidden saga of the Incan Empire. His thirst for knowledge and interest in everything compels him to dig deeper, and he gradually uncovers a secret language and tales of supernatural powers among Incan peoples. The discovery leads him back home to Peru and eventually to Spain, where he is joined by friends and the secretive Father Juan. His further research with rare archives is mired by danger and mystical communications with an Incan goddess as Jesus uncovers surprising truths that hit close to home.

There is much to absorb in Noon’s dense, erudite novel. Jesus is a smart, athletic protagonist whose eagerness and hunger makes the adventure more appealing. Noon obviously delighted in crafting the intriguing premise of his novel that touches on complex themes of history, religion, oppression, and the politics of South America. The ambitious story shifts between multiple storylines and timelines across 5,000 BC, the sixteenth century, and the present, linked together and revealed through Jesus’s fact-finding mission. The bulk of the novel belongs to Jesus, and as we journey with him on this personal quest, we learn something about relationships to language, culture, and ancestors. Yet, the various histories and myths interspersed throughout make the novel’s narrative a bit scattered. It takes time to digest all of what is presented to us within these pages, detracting from the overall thrill of Jesus’s venture. Ultimately, though, Noon’s novel entertains with a kind of detective escapade that explores a real and imagined history and blurs the lines of reality and dream.

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