Author Description

In the drought-stricken city of Ch'altun, even prayer has become a form of politics. When the sacred crown that calls rain disappears from its reliquary, the keepers of the court must untangle a chain of deceit reaching from the temple steps to the city's highest council. Investigator Ix Ch'elel - guardian of ritual precision - joins forces with the weary herald Ch'ok and the craftsman Aj Uc to uncover who would dare misuse a relic that speaks to the gods themselves. As factions vie to summon the storm for their own ends, they must decipher traces of blue resin, whispers in council, and the dangerous ambition of men who wish to turn devotion into theatre. Set in a vividly realized Maya metropolis where sound, craft, and ceremony govern survival, The Crown That Calls Rain is both an archaeological mystery and a meditation on faith, power, and the fragile mathematics of honesty. A sequel to The Sound of Rubber on Stone, this novel continues the compelling Maya Pok-ta-Pok Mysteries series. Rain is coming. Whether it blesses or judges depends on who dares to call it.