In the Courts of the Sun by Brian D’Amato

In the Courts of the Sun is an original story that weaves together Mayan history, modern day science, game theory and the Mayan apocalypse that is predicted to occur on Dec. 21, 2012.  The narrator is a modern day descendant of the Maya, Jed DeLanda, who has spent his life hungering to retrieve his lost heritage.  He is a math prodigy who spends his time playing Go against his computer and raking in profits from online trading.  His secret weapon is a Mayan divination ritual called the Sacrifice Game that was once used for predicting corn harvest cycles and now proves useful in predicting corn futures.  When Jed’s former mentor and game theorist, Taro, and a mysterious game designer named Marena, ask Jed’s opinion on a newly discovered Mayan codex, his life is changed forever.  The codex is an ancient book that contains an account of a Game predicting the end of the world.  Taro and Maurena need Jed to “travel” back to AD 664 to learn to play the original version of the Sacrifice Game. With the future of humanity in Jed’s hands, the scientists plan to replicate Jed’s brainwaves and send them through a “desktop wormhole” back into the mind of a Mayan king.  Instead, something goes horribly wrong and Jed ends up in the body of a ballplayer named Chacal who is about to kill by ritual sacrifice! 

This book is long and is a little technical in places. Jed is an engaging narrator, though, who tells his story in an easy and often humerous style.  In the Courts of the Sun is an exciting doomsday science fiction thriller and is the first of three books in a series.  Anyone who has an interest in the Mayan culture and civilization will find this an interesting glimpse into the past.

Mary Beth – York                            ISBN 9780525950516