"As blackness enveloped him, the last thing he heard was a voice shouting, seemingly from very close by, 'Away! Away! Back to the fleet! He is taken! He is lost! It was Gomez.'"
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Magellan's Cross by Richard J. Field Trafford Publishing
book review by RJM Terrado
The Magellan's Cross chronicles how the historic first voyage from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean has changed the lives of two unlikely pairs, and set their paths that could otherwise have never crossed. The novel centers on the life of Martin Olden, a young Englishman who was forced to join Ferdinand Magellan's expedition due to fear of excommunication and inquisition in Cordoba. Olden's initial hesitation to heed the arrangement made by his Uncle was later justified in the novel: Magellan died in the Cave of the Kra while he found himself torn between an oath to a dying Magellan and his love for Lalu, a native Shaman.
With the humbling death of Magellan as the backdrop, Field has successfully created real surroundings and situations. He captures the implacable will and spirit of Lapulapu to defend his territory and people while relating Olden and Magellan’s experiences to those missionaries whose commitment is to advance Christianity. Blending history and romance with a hint of swashbuckler, Field offers a highly descriptive and well-written piece of art from which readers may generate information, meaning, and understanding of diverse cultural dynamics.
Magellan's Cross is a story of war, survival, prison, and love rolled into one. It emphasizes extraordinary endurance, incredible faith, and a remarkable exercise of courage amid cultural, religious, and linguistic differences. If not for its length (579 pages), the novel is a terrific read for historical fiction fanatics especially those who are familiar with the encounter between Magellan and Lapulapu.
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