The Visionary Mayan Queen - (Mists of Palenque) by Leonide Martin (Paperback)

About the Book

The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik'nal of Palenque is historical fiction set in the ancient Maya city Palenque in the sixth century. From these misty tropical jungles, a royal Mayan girl with visionary powers, becomes the first woman ruler of her city. But while this young ruler learns the craft of leadership, relatives plot with enemy cities to overthrow the dynasty. In the midst of betrayal and power struggles, she learns the most important lessons of her life. Her choices could lead to ruin or bring her city to greatness.

Book Synopsis

The Visionary Mayan Queen: Yohl Ik'nal of Palenque is historical fiction set in the ancient Maya city Palenque in the sixth century. From these misty tropical jungles, a royal Mayan girl with visionary powers, becomes the first woman ruler of her city. But while this young ruler learns the craft of leadership, relatives plot with enemy cities to overthrow the dynasty. In the midst of betrayal and power struggles, she learns the most important lessons of her life. Her choices could lead to ruin or bring her city to greatness.

Review Quotes

The Visionary Mayan Queen . . . a story that is fully imagined yet as real as the ancient past that it gives voice to . . . The characters here are fully realized, vivid and alive. . . the novel weaves fact with speculation without ever seeming heavy handed. The reader is able to understand the truth of these people's lives and struggles while also welcomed in to a conception of the world that is bigger than anything they might have expected or experienced before. Writer's Digest

The Mayans have always seemed so mystical and interesting but I never really read a lot about them. Now that I have read this glorious story of historical fiction I am hooked. I liked this story so much and that Leonide Martin actually broke away from the story at times to give facts about findings in the ancient Mayan ruins. I liked the writing style and the story line so much that I absolutely had to find other books by her. This is a fascinating story that will capture your attention and maybe spark an interest that up until now lay dormant. That is certainly what it did for me. I really appreciate this author taking history and making it so readable and enjoyable. Carol Clancy

I really loved this book! I have been studying Mayan Science and Religion since 1991. I visit the lands of the Maya and go to the sacred pyramids often. What Ms. Martin did in this book was bring to life the time of the ancient Maya! She must have been Mayan herself at one time. Her imagery takes you right into the heart of the Maya civilization and culture. I've been to Palenque many times . . . Ms. Martin takes me into the time of the ancient Queens of the Maya and brings them to life! This was so much fun to read I can't wait to read her next book! Patricia Morris Cardona

Spellbinding, exciting and beautifully paints a picture into the little publicized world of the ancient royal Mayan Queens. . . the history of this epic period comes alive through the story of the personal and political lives of its important rulers. If you like historical fiction, you will surely enjoy this first book of a planned trilogy. Simone Malbeouf

Fascinating journey into the mists of time . . given the author's training, she offers far more depth into the world of the Maya than a typical scholar, researcher or novelist. The book will appeal to anyone interested in the complex, intriguing and sometimes unfathomable world of this ancient culture, as well as any reader who loves historical fiction. Lynn Albright

This historical novel captures the reader from page one with its engaging plot, finely drawn characters, and revelation of the Mayan culture . . transported me to another world . . If you like historical fiction, you will love this novel. Ariana

Absolutely captivating book. . From page one, the author reeled me in to the forest and then into the story. I could feel the sun on my face as the character did. This story was rich with detail and really well written. Beverly Clark

A page turner . . draws the reader in with the drama of the era and convincing visionary scenes. One can smell the incense, feel the tension, share the spirituality, experience the battles, and live the lives of the characters. . highly recommend this book as an excellent read with historical significance. Heather & Norm Rath

. . . magically written. The novel achieves three things, first, the story takes the reader through a fascinatingly entertaining tale, second through the world of the Maya and lastly the scenery descriptions allows the reader to become an eye witness to the story. Yvonne Perez

What stood out to me was the amazing amount of description that the author gave to every scene. This kept me engaged throughout and never wanting to put the book down. Each and every paragraph was well-developed as the story moved along without a hitch. This book has a writing style of its own. From what I have read, I would not be surprised if this book became a bestseller. Highly recommended! Ricky M. Hansen

The novel is vividly written with vibrant storytelling, strong dialogue and authentic characters that spring to life and that ring true to the Mayan culture of that time. The author does a stunning job of keeping this story fast-paced, compelling, emotional and drama rich, and engaging to the very end. L. Collins

This is a beautifully written book that brings Mayan history to life for the reader in fictional form. . . highly recommend this book if you like to read ancient world fiction. You are transported deep into the ancient Mayan culture because of the research and writing skills of Leonide Martin. S. Gallardo

The author has great skills at world building and crafting a fantasy story that will keep the reader engaged and entertained from cover to cover. I was happy to see that this was a series book and look forward to reading more by this author in the near future. Reader's Digest

The quality of this novel is top notch. What a pleasure to read something that is not predictable like so many books on the market these days. A nice surprise for any reader, but fans of complex world building will be absorbed by this one. Reader's Digest

About the Author

Leonide (Lennie) Martin Retired California State University professor, former Family Nurse Practitioner, currently author and Maya researcher. My books bring ancient Maya culture and civilization to life in stories about both real historical Mayas and fictional characters. For historical accuracy, I researched Maya archeology, anthropology and history from the scientific perspective. For indigenous viewpoints, I studied with Maya teachers including Aum Rak Sapper, Guatemalan Priestess-Daykeeper and Hunbatz Men, Itza Maya Elder-Daykeeper. I lived in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico for five years to apprentice with Hunbatz Men, becoming a Solar Initiate and Maya Fire Woman in the Itza Maya tradition. The ancient Mayas created the most highly advanced civilization in the Western hemisphere, and my work is dedicated to their wisdom, spirituality, scientific and cultural accomplishments through compelling historical novels. For more information about my writing and the Mayas, visit: