1521: The Defiance

 1521: The Defiance depicts Magellan's visit to the Philippines while circumnavigating the world. The book is fascinating in several ways. First, the book's historical nature invites intrigue. Of the many Spanish and Portuguese explorers, Balboa, Cabrillo, Columbus, etc, I can name Magellan, but I can't exactly remember what he did. This book solves that.

Beyond the book's topic, the writing is superb. This is the introduction of Magellan: “Ferdinand Magellan stood at the prow of the Trinidad, one gloved hand resting on the rail, the other clenched behind his back.” This description isn't long; it doesn't slow the narrative down, but it does perfectly paint a picture in my mind. I see Magellan in this pose. This vividness occurs throughout the book.

The story features characters like Lapulapu, a tribal leader; Enrique, a translator; Pigafetta, a scribe; and others. Many of the characters are based on real people. In fact, Pigafetta is probably the reason we know what we know about the voyage. In doing just a bit of digging, the book seemed to be meticulously researched. 

Pigafetta, in his actual, historical writing about the voyage, has a passage that reads: “When morning came, forty-nine of us leaped into the water up to our thighs, and walked through water for more than two crossbow flights before we could reach the shore. The boats could not approach nearer because of certain rocks in the water. The other eleven men remained behind to guard the boats.“

The book mirrors these details. In this scene, there are 49 men. The distance is also described in the same terms, two crossbow flights. And 11 men are left guarding the boats. 

Perhaps less historical is the author’s engagement with the characters' thoughts. After reading the book, I feel like I really understood Magellan’s motivations as well as Lapulapu's. Magellan has this larger-than-life aura about him, and his actions carry a weight to them. It is a quality that is a bit hard to define, but gives the story a weight to it as well. 

I loved this book, and I highly recommend it. The history is fascinating, the characters are well established, and the narrative is engaging. For those interested in historical fiction, Philippine history, or the Age of Exploration, this book is great! 

Length: 218

Perspective: 3rd person, limited

Tense: past

Kindle Unlimited: No

Where to buy: https://www.amazon.com/1521-Defiance-Charleston-Lim-ebook/dp/B0GTPP1FPP