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* AffablyEvil: The most important Aztecs - the old emperor Motecuhzoma X, the spiritual leader Tetzahuitl and the former's son [[spoiler:and later emperor]] Extepan.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Catherine and Alex. Her father, king Stephen, was against their liaison, since Alex was divorced already. [[spoiler:Later, Alex cheats on her with her sister. Now that's... [[IncrediblyLamePun bad]].]]
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Catherine and Alex. Her father, king Stephen, was against their liaison, since Alex was divorced already. [[spoiler:Later, Alex cheats on her with her sister. Now that's... [[IncrediblyLamePun bad]].]]
to:
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* AllohistoricalAllusion: Many. In 1967, there was a big battle at Jerusalem, for example.
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* [[spoiler:AlternateSelf: For additional irony, it's Bevan's.]]
* AnotherDimension / AlternateTimeline: The story is set there, from our POV. [[spoiler:Later, Catherine and Victoria get banned to our Earth - for them, AnotherDimension!]]
* AnotherDimension / AlternateTimeline: The story is set there, from our POV. [[spoiler:Later, Catherine and Victoria get banned to our Earth - for them, AnotherDimension!]]
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* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler:Extepan's.]]
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* BilingualBackfire: Catherine understands and speaks Nahuatl.
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* BreadAndCircuses: Catherine accuses the Aztecs to do so - the British armed forces are dissolved, and the saved money is used for reducing taxes and social services.
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* BreadAndCircuses: Catherine accuses the Aztecs to do so of this - the British armed forces are dissolved, and the saved money is used for reducing taxes and social services.
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* ChristianityIsCatholic: Since the Aztecs converted to Catholicism, more close to the truth in this world. However, the Aztec kind of Catholicism allows polygyny, courtisans and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking eating dog meat.]] Some other people suspect that they're only superficially Catholic and follow their old rites secretly.
* TheClan: The Aztec royal family.
* TheClan: The Aztec royal family.
to:
* ChristianityIsCatholic: Since the Aztecs converted to Catholicism, more close this is closer to the truth in this world. However, the Aztec kind of Catholicism allows polygyny, courtisans and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking eating dog meat.]] Some other people suspect that they're only superficially Catholic and follow their old rites secretly.
* %%* TheClan: The Aztec royal family.
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* CrazyPrepared: The Aztecs.
* CrypticBackgroundReference: Many.
* CrypticBackgroundReference: Many.
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* GenuineHumanHide: The Aztecs do this sometimes, even though they converted to Catholicism.
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* HumanSacrifice: Occasionally, some Aztecs still do it.
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* InSpiteOfANail: Centuries after history diverges, people and concepts from our world still appear.
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* TakeOverTheWorld: The Aztecs do it.
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''The Aztec Century'' is an AlternateHistory novel by Christopher Evans set in a world where, you guess it, the Aztecs become a superpower thanks to Cortez betraying Spain and sheer infinite amounts of good luck and competence on their side.
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''The Aztec Century'' is an AlternateHistory novel by Christopher Evans set in a world where, you guess it, the Aztecs become a superpower thanks to Cortez UsefulNotes/HernanCortez betraying Spain and sheer infinite amounts of good luck and competence on their side.
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Trope was cut/disambiguated due to cleanup
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* EatTheDog: The Aztecs do it routinely and literally.
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No longer a trope.
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* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler:Victoria with Alex]]
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* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: The narrator is one, and her sister Victoria also plays an important role. Then, there's her friend Precious Cloud, a Sioux princess (or the equivalent). [[spoiler:Subverted: Precious Cloud goes mad and kills herself, Victoria cheated on Catherine with the latter's husband, and later goes mad too. Oh, and they're banished to AnotherDimension.]]
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Added image, marked ZC Es.
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aztec_century.png]]
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----
!!Examples:
!!Examples:
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!!Examples:
!!Tropes present in this novel:
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* TheChessmaster: It seems many Aztec princes have to be that.
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* PhonyVeteran: She meets some of those.
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* TheEmpire: [[{{Mayincatec The Aztecs]]. At least for Catherine.
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* TheEmpire: [[{{Mayincatec [[ModernMayincatecEmpire The Aztecs]]. At least for Catherine.
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trope renamed because of confusion and misuse; it's not just "a kingdom"—this was a ZCE at best
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* TheKingdom: Britain.
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'''The Aztec Century''' is an AlternateHistory novel by Christopher Evans set in a world where, you guess it, the Aztecs become a superpower thanks to Cortez betraying Spain and sheer infinite amounts of good luck and competence on their side.
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte fought with UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte fought with UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin UsefulNotes/JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* AlternateHistoryWank: At the end of the story, the Aztecs control the whole Earth [[spoiler:and start to explore other dimensions.]] And they manage to conquer Berlin only a few years after they overwhelmed Britain. And nobody seems to care - the only time the Aztecs are stopped (well, for some decades... and in North America only...), it takes the united talents of UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, Wellington and AndrewJackson to do so.
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* AlternateHistoryWank: At the end of the story, the Aztecs control the whole Earth [[spoiler:and start to explore other dimensions.]] And they manage to conquer Berlin only a few years after they overwhelmed Britain. And nobody seems to care - the only time the Aztecs are stopped (well, for some decades... and in North America only...), it takes the united talents of UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, Wellington and AndrewJackson UsefulNotes/AndrewJackson to do so.
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* {{Cricket}}: In part 2, Extepan, Richard and Catherine watch the game between England and [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Azania]]. She was warned that someone would try to set up a bomb hidden in a cricket bat. [[spoiler:It's prevented from going off, but afterwards, Victoria of all people gets arrested and accused of collaborating with anti-Mexican groups.]]
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----
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----
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* BritishRoyalFamily: Catherine's branch of the family ("of Marlborough") never came into existence in our world.
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* ShoutOut: [[{{Zorro}} Zozo]] is an Aztec hero in California fighting with an epee. And many more.
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* ShoutOut: [[{{Zorro}} [[{{Franchise/Zorro}} Zozo]] is an Aztec hero in California fighting with an epee. And many more.
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* QueenVicky: Was assassinated in 1893.
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* ThePope: Leo, also a Mexican.
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* AlternateHistoryWank: At the end of the story, the Aztecs control the whole Earth [[spoiler:and start to explore other dimensions.]] And they manage to conquer Berlin only a few years after they overwhelmed Britain. And nobody seems to care - the only time the Aztecs are stopped (well, for some decades... and in North America only...), it takes the united talents of NapoleonBonaparte, Wellington and AndrewJackson to do so.
to:
* AlternateHistoryWank: At the end of the story, the Aztecs control the whole Earth [[spoiler:and start to explore other dimensions.]] And they manage to conquer Berlin only a few years after they overwhelmed Britain. And nobody seems to care - the only time the Aztecs are stopped (well, for some decades... and in North America only...), it takes the united talents of NapoleonBonaparte, UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte, Wellington and AndrewJackson to do so.
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
to:
* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, NapoleonBonaparte UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* TheEmpire: TheAztecs. At least for Catherine.
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* TheEmpire: TheAztecs.[[{{Mayincatec The Aztecs]]. At least for Catherine.
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Andy Warhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, GoreVidal Creator/GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Andy Warhol Creator/AndyWarhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
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* [[spoiler:AlternateWorldCounterpart: For additional irony, it's Bevan's.]]
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* [[spoiler:AlternateWorldCounterpart: [[spoiler:AlternateSelf: For additional irony, it's Bevan's.]]
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* BritishRoyals: Catherine's branch of the family ("of Marlborough") never came into existence in our world.
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* BritishRoyals: BritishRoyalFamily: Catherine's branch of the family ("of Marlborough") never came into existence in our world.
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* [[GratuituousForeignLanguage Gratuituous Nahuatl]]: "auianime" (courtesans), and many more.
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* [[GratuituousForeignLanguage Gratuituous [[GratuitousForeignLanguage Gratuitous Nahuatl]]: "auianime" (courtesans), and many more.
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* MagicFloppyDisc: ALEX seems to fit on one.
* MagnificentBastard: Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma and supreme priest Tetzahuitl. And probably several of them in the past.
* MaryTzu: Despite coming from a tropical country, the Aztecs can even fight well and win in Alaska, Scandinavia and ''Russia''.
* MagnificentBastard: Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma and supreme priest Tetzahuitl. And probably several of them in the past.
* MaryTzu: Despite coming from a tropical country, the Aztecs can even fight well and win in Alaska, Scandinavia and ''Russia''.
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* MagicFloppyDisc: MagicFloppyDisk: ALEX seems to fit on one.
* MagnificentBastard: Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma and supreme priest Tetzahuitl. And probably several of them in the past.
* MaryTzu: Despite coming from a tropical country, the Aztecs can even fight well and win in Alaska, Scandinavia and ''Russia''.one.
* MagnificentBastard: Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma and supreme priest Tetzahuitl. And probably several of them in the past.
* MaryTzu: Despite coming from a tropical country, the Aztecs can even fight well and win in Alaska, Scandinavia and ''Russia''.
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* {{Squick}}: [[spoiler:Catherine's ex-husband Alex]] is skinned, and his skin is worn like a suit during the festival of Xipe Totec.
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* PersecutionFlip: Part of the premise.
* PhonyVeteran: She meets some of those.
* PhonyVeteran: She meets some of those.
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'''The Aztec Century''' is an AlternateHistory novel by Christopher Evans set in a world where, you guess it, the Aztecs become a superpower thanks to Cortez betraying Spain and sheer infinite amounts of good luck and competence on their side.
Then, in the year 1990, the Aztecs (which already control France, Italy, Spain and Serbia in Europe), invade Great Britain.
The story is narrated by princess Catherine, who's 21 when the invasion of Britain happens.
The novel was published in 1993 and won the BritishScienceFictionAward of 1994.
----
!!Examples:
* AffablyEvil: The most important Aztecs - the old emperor Motecuhzoma X, the spiritual leader Tetzahuitl and the former's son [[spoiler:and later emperor]] Extepan.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Catherine and Alex. Her father, king Stephen, was against their liaison, since Alex was divorced already. [[spoiler:Later, Alex cheats on her with her sister. Now that's... [[IncrediblyLamePun bad]].]]
* AllJustADream: Catherine suspects that they were drugged, and isn't sure anymore what really happened after she and Victoria [[spoiler:were arrested by the Aztecs, witnessed Extepan's crowning, an Aztec wearing Alex' skin, and were sent to our Earth. At the end, Catherine wonders whether her former life was this.]]
* AllohistoricalAllusion: Many. In 1967, there was a big battle at Jerusalem, for example.
* AlternateHistoryWank: At the end of the story, the Aztecs control the whole Earth [[spoiler:and start to explore other dimensions.]] And they manage to conquer Berlin only a few years after they overwhelmed Britain. And nobody seems to care - the only time the Aztecs are stopped (well, for some decades... and in North America only...), it takes the united talents of NapoleonBonaparte, Wellington and AndrewJackson to do so.
* [[spoiler:AlternateWorldCounterpart: For additional irony, it's Bevan's.]]
* AnotherDimension / AlternateTimeline: The story is set there, from our POV. [[spoiler:Later, Catherine and Victoria get banned to our Earth - for them, AnotherDimension!]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Play an important role. Richard to Xochinenen, Extepan to Precious Cloud. And in the past, the Aztec royals intermarried with the Ming in China, then helped toppling the unpopular republic in the 1960s, and take over the country.
* ArtificialIntelligence: ALEX, which has the personality of the real Alex. [[spoiler:It's really a fake, used by the Aztecs who caught Alex and use him to make the computer-unsavvy Catherine their UnwittingPawn. While she was thinking that ''she'' damaged the Aztecs - and suspected Bevan.]]
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler:Extepan's.]]
* BackFromTheDead: The Aztecs tell Catherine that Alex was killed when Edinburgh was conquered, even showed her a headless dead body which looked like Alex', but she'll meet him later again.
* BaitAndSwitch: PlayedForDrama, oh so much. [[spoiler:Precious Cloud breaks the ice of a frozen lake to make people think she wanted to drown herself. Instead, she committed suicide by hanging somewhere else, which is discovered onyl after they wasted an hour at the lake.]]
* BilingualBackfire: Catherine understands and speaks Nahuatl.
* BlandNameProduct: [=MexTaco=] is a big fast food chain with a logo in gold and red.
* BreadAndCircuses: Catherine accuses the Aztecs to do so - the British armed forces are dissolved, and the saved money is used for reducing taxes and social services.
* BritishRoyals: Catherine's branch of the family ("of Marlborough") never came into existence in our world.
* [[ButNotTooForeign But not too Aztec]]: Extepan is the son of the Aztec emperor, but his mother was a Spanish noblewoman.
* TheChessmaster: It seems many Aztec princes have to be that.
* ChristianityIsCatholic: Since the Aztecs converted to Catholicism, more close to the truth in this world. However, the Aztec kind of Catholicism allows polygyny, courtisans and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking eating dog meat.]] Some other people suspect that they're only superficially Catholic and follow their old rites secretly.
* TheClan: The Aztec royal family.
* LesCollaborateurs: To Catherine, everyone who is willing to accept the Aztec occupation of Britain. Since her brother Richard wants to be king, she's conflicted.
* CrazyPrepared: The Aztecs.
* {{Cricket}}: In part 2, Extepan, Richard and Catherine watch the game between England and [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Azania]]. She was warned that someone would try to set up a bomb hidden in a cricket bat. [[spoiler:It's prevented from going off, but afterwards, Victoria of all people gets arrested and accused of collaborating with anti-Mexican groups.]]
* CrypticBackgroundReference: Many.
* CulturedBadass: Extepan got his education in a ''calmecac'', which is for religious education, but still makes a great commander.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In the first part, after the conquest of Berlin, the Aztecs sign a non-aggression pact with Poland.
* EatTheDog: The Aztecs do it routinely and literally.
* TheEmpire: TheAztecs. At least for Catherine.
* [[RepublicOfMarySue Empire of Mary Sue]]: The Aztecs. Worst things happening to them: A few of their people get killed, but none which can't be replaced, and a few people in unimportant positions screw up. And not only are they capable to take over the world with their military, they're also shrewd diplomats, create solar panels working perfectly, new plants which can grow in the desert, and have a popular culture with the combined influence of Hollywood (movies, TV series), Japan ({{Anime}}, VideoGames, toy robots) and Paris/Milan (fashion).
* EnemyCivilWar: At one point, Catherine gets help from an American Indian - a Comanche, whose people was almost eradicated by the grandfather of the current Aztec emperor. By this way, she learns about a secret project of the Aztecs which looks like a mirror made of obsidian - unfortunately, not what it does.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: The narrator is one, and her sister Victoria also plays an important role. Then, there's her friend Precious Cloud, a Sioux princess (or the equivalent). [[spoiler:Subverted: Precious Cloud goes mad and kills herself, Victoria cheated on Catherine with the latter's husband, and later goes mad too. Oh, and they're banished to AnotherDimension.]]
* FemmeFatale: [[spoiler:In a strange twist, Catherine has to act like this towards her own husband Alex - when she discovers he isn't dead. They caught in the act by Maxixca, and it doesn't end well.]]
* FunWithAcronyms: "Advanced Learning and Evaluation [[ShoehornedFirstLetter matriX]]", which Alex helped to create.
* FuturisticPyramid: The Aztec step pyramids are both this and cultural.
* GambitPileup: Catherine tries to be smarter than the Aztecs. Too bad they seem to be a race of chessmasters.
* TheGamblingAddict: Alex likes to make big bets.
* GenuineHumanHide: The Aztecs do this sometimes, even though they converted to Catholicism.
* TheGhost: Princess Margaret who went to Russia before the book started and only communicates by letter with Catherine.
* [[GoodCopBadCop Good governor, bad governor]]: The Aztecs seem to play this game with the Brits. Nauhyotl (a cousin of the emperor and uncle of Extepan) who's very strict, is succeeded by Extepan after the former is assassinated, but when he has to leave for Russia, Maxixca takes the helm and becomes worse than ever.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: The Aztecs like to smoke their traditional pipes. Bevan, Alex and others smoke cigarettes.
* [[GratuituousForeignLanguage Gratuituous Nahuatl]]: "auianime" (courtesans), and many more.
* HeroicBSOD:
** After seeing what happened to [[spoiler:her brother - see "Squick" -]] Victoria loses her mind and regresses to the mental level of a small child.
** Precious Cloud also has one after her baby is born. She thinks there's still a baby inside her. [[spoiler:She kills herself.]]
* HumanSacrifice: Occasionally, some Aztecs still do it.
* ImAHumanitarian: Some Aztecs. [[spoiler: And Catherine suspects that the Aztecs might have fed ''her and Victoria'' pieces of human meat, hidden under tasty sauces. To make things worse, it's implied that it might have been ''Alex''' meat.]]
* InsistentTerminology: The empire is generally called the Aztec one, but the ruling people are the Mexicatl, and some of them don't like to be called Aztecs.
* InSpiteOfANail: Centuries after history diverges, people and concepts from our world still appear.
* JerkAss:
** Bevan supposedly is on Catherine's side, but acts like this to her. He never was a fan of the monarchy.
** Maxixca, who looks down on white people.
** And some racist Brits in a pub Catherine visits with Extepan who suspect she sleeps with him. [[spoiler:It's not true - yet.]]
* TheKingdom: Britain.
* KnightInShiningArmor: Discussed. A British woman whose son goes to school claims that the Aztec propaganda depicts them as this.
* MagicFloppyDisc: ALEX seems to fit on one.
* MagnificentBastard: Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma and supreme priest Tetzahuitl. And probably several of them in the past.
* MaryTzu: Despite coming from a tropical country, the Aztecs can even fight well and win in Alaska, Scandinavia and ''Russia''.
* MissingMom: Catherine's, and Extepan's. They both were six or younger when they lost her.
* TheMole: Zig-zagged with [[spoiler:Bevan. He's a servant of them. But he doesn't seem to like it and acts suspiciously. But then he helps them finding a hiding place. But the Aztecs find them, and he's there with them. But later he says that they naturally found them after combing the place, and threatened him with a gun, which he had in his back when they were caught. Confused yet? And that's only in part 1.]] Played straight with [[spoiler:Alex, or what Catherine thinks is the AI he created.]]
* TheNicknamer: Bevan. Extepan is "son number one", Maxixca is "Mad Mash".
* NukeEm: Tsaritsyn (also known as Volgograd / Stalingrad in our world), which is occupied by the Aztecs at that time. The Aztecs retaliate by destroying first Rzhev and then Ekaterinburg, killing the Tsarist family. And Catherine's sister Margaret.
* ThePlague: "New Indian smallpox", a disease from America which decimated the Europeans (though probably not as much as European diseases in our world's America). The story lampshades that without this factor, the Aztecs never could've fought off the whites.
* PlayfulHacker: Alex who worked for the ministry of defense, and Bevan, surprisingly. They use ALEX to spy a bit on the Aztecs and confuse their plannings by creating ghost armies. [[spoiler:It doesn't help much. In fact, the Aztecs use Catherine's belief that ALEX is speaking the truth to let the Russians think that the Aztecs won't attack them.]]
* ThePope: Leo, also a Mexican.
* QueenVicky: Was assassinated in 1893.
* ReassignedToAntarctica:
** After Victoria is sexually harassed by the Aztec prince Tlacahuepan, he is reassigned to Canberra.
** The officer Pachtli is responsible for a human sacrifice, Catherine suspects. He gets reassigned to Greenland.
* LaResistance: There is one, but Catherine finds it hard to make contact with them, being a princess, even if she would like to. Only Bevan is able to do so, and she suspects he might not be reliable.
* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Andy Warhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Catherine wants to be this. How well she succeeds, is arguable. The first three years after the Aztec conquest of Britain, she, Victoria and Alex just hide in a house in Wales. Later, after they get caught, Catherine at least spends months travelling through the country, looking into hospitals and such (without warning) to check how well her people are treated, and can tell the Aztecs about problems.
* ShoutOut: [[{{Zorro}} Zozo]] is an Aztec hero in California fighting with an epee. And many more.
* {{Squick}}: [[spoiler:Catherine's ex-husband Alex]] is skinned, and his skin is worn like a suit during the festival of Xipe Totec.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: The princesses used to play they were the Bronte siblings in their youth. So when they sign the letters with "Charlotte" and "Anne" respectively, they know that the letter is genuine.
* TakeOverTheWorld: The Aztecs do it.
* TitleDrop: In part 3, they visit the set of a blockbuster movie - "The Aztec Century".
* WorthyOpponent: Catherine and the Aztecs for each other.
* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler:Victoria with Alex]]
----
Then, in the year 1990, the Aztecs (which already control France, Italy, Spain and Serbia in Europe), invade Great Britain.
The story is narrated by princess Catherine, who's 21 when the invasion of Britain happens.
The novel was published in 1993 and won the BritishScienceFictionAward of 1994.
----
!!Examples:
* AffablyEvil: The most important Aztecs - the old emperor Motecuhzoma X, the spiritual leader Tetzahuitl and the former's son [[spoiler:and later emperor]] Extepan.
* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Catherine and Alex. Her father, king Stephen, was against their liaison, since Alex was divorced already. [[spoiler:Later, Alex cheats on her with her sister. Now that's... [[IncrediblyLamePun bad]].]]
* AllJustADream: Catherine suspects that they were drugged, and isn't sure anymore what really happened after she and Victoria [[spoiler:were arrested by the Aztecs, witnessed Extepan's crowning, an Aztec wearing Alex' skin, and were sent to our Earth. At the end, Catherine wonders whether her former life was this.]]
* AllohistoricalAllusion: Many. In 1967, there was a big battle at Jerusalem, for example.
* AlternateHistoryWank: At the end of the story, the Aztecs control the whole Earth [[spoiler:and start to explore other dimensions.]] And they manage to conquer Berlin only a few years after they overwhelmed Britain. And nobody seems to care - the only time the Aztecs are stopped (well, for some decades... and in North America only...), it takes the united talents of NapoleonBonaparte, Wellington and AndrewJackson to do so.
* [[spoiler:AlternateWorldCounterpart: For additional irony, it's Bevan's.]]
* AnotherDimension / AlternateTimeline: The story is set there, from our POV. [[spoiler:Later, Catherine and Victoria get banned to our Earth - for them, AnotherDimension!]]
* ArrangedMarriage: Play an important role. Richard to Xochinenen, Extepan to Precious Cloud. And in the past, the Aztec royals intermarried with the Ming in China, then helped toppling the unpopular republic in the 1960s, and take over the country.
* ArtificialIntelligence: ALEX, which has the personality of the real Alex. [[spoiler:It's really a fake, used by the Aztecs who caught Alex and use him to make the computer-unsavvy Catherine their UnwittingPawn. While she was thinking that ''she'' damaged the Aztecs - and suspected Bevan.]]
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: [[spoiler:Extepan's.]]
* BackFromTheDead: The Aztecs tell Catherine that Alex was killed when Edinburgh was conquered, even showed her a headless dead body which looked like Alex', but she'll meet him later again.
* BaitAndSwitch: PlayedForDrama, oh so much. [[spoiler:Precious Cloud breaks the ice of a frozen lake to make people think she wanted to drown herself. Instead, she committed suicide by hanging somewhere else, which is discovered onyl after they wasted an hour at the lake.]]
* BilingualBackfire: Catherine understands and speaks Nahuatl.
* BlandNameProduct: [=MexTaco=] is a big fast food chain with a logo in gold and red.
* BreadAndCircuses: Catherine accuses the Aztecs to do so - the British armed forces are dissolved, and the saved money is used for reducing taxes and social services.
* BritishRoyals: Catherine's branch of the family ("of Marlborough") never came into existence in our world.
* [[ButNotTooForeign But not too Aztec]]: Extepan is the son of the Aztec emperor, but his mother was a Spanish noblewoman.
* TheChessmaster: It seems many Aztec princes have to be that.
* ChristianityIsCatholic: Since the Aztecs converted to Catholicism, more close to the truth in this world. However, the Aztec kind of Catholicism allows polygyny, courtisans and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking eating dog meat.]] Some other people suspect that they're only superficially Catholic and follow their old rites secretly.
* TheClan: The Aztec royal family.
* LesCollaborateurs: To Catherine, everyone who is willing to accept the Aztec occupation of Britain. Since her brother Richard wants to be king, she's conflicted.
* CrazyPrepared: The Aztecs.
* {{Cricket}}: In part 2, Extepan, Richard and Catherine watch the game between England and [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Azania]]. She was warned that someone would try to set up a bomb hidden in a cricket bat. [[spoiler:It's prevented from going off, but afterwards, Victoria of all people gets arrested and accused of collaborating with anti-Mexican groups.]]
* CrypticBackgroundReference: Many.
* CulturedBadass: Extepan got his education in a ''calmecac'', which is for religious education, but still makes a great commander.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In the first part, after the conquest of Berlin, the Aztecs sign a non-aggression pact with Poland.
* EatTheDog: The Aztecs do it routinely and literally.
* TheEmpire: TheAztecs. At least for Catherine.
* [[RepublicOfMarySue Empire of Mary Sue]]: The Aztecs. Worst things happening to them: A few of their people get killed, but none which can't be replaced, and a few people in unimportant positions screw up. And not only are they capable to take over the world with their military, they're also shrewd diplomats, create solar panels working perfectly, new plants which can grow in the desert, and have a popular culture with the combined influence of Hollywood (movies, TV series), Japan ({{Anime}}, VideoGames, toy robots) and Paris/Milan (fashion).
* EnemyCivilWar: At one point, Catherine gets help from an American Indian - a Comanche, whose people was almost eradicated by the grandfather of the current Aztec emperor. By this way, she learns about a secret project of the Aztecs which looks like a mirror made of obsidian - unfortunately, not what it does.
* EverythingsBetterWithPrincesses: The narrator is one, and her sister Victoria also plays an important role. Then, there's her friend Precious Cloud, a Sioux princess (or the equivalent). [[spoiler:Subverted: Precious Cloud goes mad and kills herself, Victoria cheated on Catherine with the latter's husband, and later goes mad too. Oh, and they're banished to AnotherDimension.]]
* FemmeFatale: [[spoiler:In a strange twist, Catherine has to act like this towards her own husband Alex - when she discovers he isn't dead. They caught in the act by Maxixca, and it doesn't end well.]]
* FunWithAcronyms: "Advanced Learning and Evaluation [[ShoehornedFirstLetter matriX]]", which Alex helped to create.
* FuturisticPyramid: The Aztec step pyramids are both this and cultural.
* GambitPileup: Catherine tries to be smarter than the Aztecs. Too bad they seem to be a race of chessmasters.
* TheGamblingAddict: Alex likes to make big bets.
* GenuineHumanHide: The Aztecs do this sometimes, even though they converted to Catholicism.
* TheGhost: Princess Margaret who went to Russia before the book started and only communicates by letter with Catherine.
* [[GoodCopBadCop Good governor, bad governor]]: The Aztecs seem to play this game with the Brits. Nauhyotl (a cousin of the emperor and uncle of Extepan) who's very strict, is succeeded by Extepan after the former is assassinated, but when he has to leave for Russia, Maxixca takes the helm and becomes worse than ever.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: The Aztecs like to smoke their traditional pipes. Bevan, Alex and others smoke cigarettes.
* [[GratuituousForeignLanguage Gratuituous Nahuatl]]: "auianime" (courtesans), and many more.
* HeroicBSOD:
** After seeing what happened to [[spoiler:her brother - see "Squick" -]] Victoria loses her mind and regresses to the mental level of a small child.
** Precious Cloud also has one after her baby is born. She thinks there's still a baby inside her. [[spoiler:She kills herself.]]
* HumanSacrifice: Occasionally, some Aztecs still do it.
* ImAHumanitarian: Some Aztecs. [[spoiler: And Catherine suspects that the Aztecs might have fed ''her and Victoria'' pieces of human meat, hidden under tasty sauces. To make things worse, it's implied that it might have been ''Alex''' meat.]]
* InsistentTerminology: The empire is generally called the Aztec one, but the ruling people are the Mexicatl, and some of them don't like to be called Aztecs.
* InSpiteOfANail: Centuries after history diverges, people and concepts from our world still appear.
* JerkAss:
** Bevan supposedly is on Catherine's side, but acts like this to her. He never was a fan of the monarchy.
** Maxixca, who looks down on white people.
** And some racist Brits in a pub Catherine visits with Extepan who suspect she sleeps with him. [[spoiler:It's not true - yet.]]
* TheKingdom: Britain.
* KnightInShiningArmor: Discussed. A British woman whose son goes to school claims that the Aztec propaganda depicts them as this.
* MagicFloppyDisc: ALEX seems to fit on one.
* MagnificentBastard: Aztec ruler Motecuhzoma and supreme priest Tetzahuitl. And probably several of them in the past.
* MaryTzu: Despite coming from a tropical country, the Aztecs can even fight well and win in Alaska, Scandinavia and ''Russia''.
* MissingMom: Catherine's, and Extepan's. They both were six or younger when they lost her.
* TheMole: Zig-zagged with [[spoiler:Bevan. He's a servant of them. But he doesn't seem to like it and acts suspiciously. But then he helps them finding a hiding place. But the Aztecs find them, and he's there with them. But later he says that they naturally found them after combing the place, and threatened him with a gun, which he had in his back when they were caught. Confused yet? And that's only in part 1.]] Played straight with [[spoiler:Alex, or what Catherine thinks is the AI he created.]]
* TheNicknamer: Bevan. Extepan is "son number one", Maxixca is "Mad Mash".
* NukeEm: Tsaritsyn (also known as Volgograd / Stalingrad in our world), which is occupied by the Aztecs at that time. The Aztecs retaliate by destroying first Rzhev and then Ekaterinburg, killing the Tsarist family. And Catherine's sister Margaret.
* ThePlague: "New Indian smallpox", a disease from America which decimated the Europeans (though probably not as much as European diseases in our world's America). The story lampshades that without this factor, the Aztecs never could've fought off the whites.
* PlayfulHacker: Alex who worked for the ministry of defense, and Bevan, surprisingly. They use ALEX to spy a bit on the Aztecs and confuse their plannings by creating ghost armies. [[spoiler:It doesn't help much. In fact, the Aztecs use Catherine's belief that ALEX is speaking the truth to let the Russians think that the Aztecs won't attack them.]]
* ThePope: Leo, also a Mexican.
* QueenVicky: Was assassinated in 1893.
* ReassignedToAntarctica:
** After Victoria is sexually harassed by the Aztec prince Tlacahuepan, he is reassigned to Canberra.
** The officer Pachtli is responsible for a human sacrifice, Catherine suspects. He gets reassigned to Greenland.
* LaResistance: There is one, but Catherine finds it hard to make contact with them, being a princess, even if she would like to. Only Bevan is able to do so, and she suspects he might not be reliable.
* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: Several. Karl Marx was an entrepreneur, NapoleonBonaparte fought with AndrewJackson and Wellington against the Aztecs, GoreVidal and TomWolfe are president and VP of New England, Andy Warhol (still called Warhola) who leads an Aztec animation film studio, JosephStalin was prime minister of Russia under his birth name but was assassinated in 1939...
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Catherine wants to be this. How well she succeeds, is arguable. The first three years after the Aztec conquest of Britain, she, Victoria and Alex just hide in a house in Wales. Later, after they get caught, Catherine at least spends months travelling through the country, looking into hospitals and such (without warning) to check how well her people are treated, and can tell the Aztecs about problems.
* ShoutOut: [[{{Zorro}} Zozo]] is an Aztec hero in California fighting with an epee. And many more.
* {{Squick}}: [[spoiler:Catherine's ex-husband Alex]] is skinned, and his skin is worn like a suit during the festival of Xipe Totec.
* SomethingOnlyTheyWouldSay: The princesses used to play they were the Bronte siblings in their youth. So when they sign the letters with "Charlotte" and "Anne" respectively, they know that the letter is genuine.
* TakeOverTheWorld: The Aztecs do it.
* TitleDrop: In part 3, they visit the set of a blockbuster movie - "The Aztec Century".
* WorthyOpponent: Catherine and the Aztecs for each other.
* YourCheatingHeart: [[spoiler:Victoria with Alex]]
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