“In the wake of a brutal war with a rival cartel, a certain drug lord flees Mexico and ends up halfway around the world, where he runs into a Japanese organ broker doing business in Jakarta. After their fateful meeting, the two of them travel to Japan in order to establish a new business in the organ trade. There, the former cartel leader takes a young, lonely boy under his wing. These three lives gradually become inextricably entangled in a web of crime, violence, and human flesh…” (Yen Press)
Yen Press is no stranger to publishing literature beyond its regular offerings of light novels, having printed work by Makoto Shinkai, Tomihiko Morimi, and Yuba Isukari, to name but a few. However, these works still exist adjacent to Japanese pop culture and contain elements that speak directly to both manga and light novel fans. Kiwamu Sato's “Tezcatlipoca”, on the other hand, is a unique beast, a trip into the darkest and most corrupted corners of the earth, an engrossing, yet disturbing dive into the global black market of organ harvesting.
Spanning just over 500 pages, Sato's “Tezcatlipoca” is a meticulously researched fictional work that conjures deplorable figures forged through extreme violence and corruption. Within the large cast, no character is redeemable with those feeling guilt for their involvement being swept up in the violent nature of the business or their own addictions that their roles in the machine, despite their objections, remain unforgivable. The two central figures are a disgraced Japanese surgeon doctor, Suenaga, who looks to build a niche market within organ trafficking/harvesting, and, more importantly, the surviving sicario of a once notorious drug cartel, Valmiro. Between these two, they build a crime empire based on maximizing every aspect of the illegal market of selling body parts and enforcing their will through extreme violence.
However, the crime-heavy novel's allure does not rest solely in exploring the gritty underworld of trafficking, as it vividly explores religious fanaticism in Valmiro's worship of the Aztec gods and how it shapes his approach to life, both in cruelty and entitlement. Sato's ability to conjure up imagery of the ancient Aztec warriors and their rituals, modernizing them into the context of gang warfare, is almost surreal in its extremity–hearts are carved and offered to gods along with dismembered limbs and strips of flesh as keepsakes or offerings. Consequently, Valmiro's appearance at any point in the book brings such a sense of foreboding that affects all those around him. Every character's attitude and mannerisms shift when in the presence of the ex-sicario. Valmiro is, easily, one of the most daunting and horrific figures to be committed to the page and Sato uses him effectively to shape the lives of many around his divine goal of total domination and unquestionable allegiance.
The extreme content does make the book difficult to approach, especially for those who prefer reading to unwind, with the length further adding to the challenge in approaching the work. However, the daunting 500+ pages become palatable as the various character arcs start to intertwine under the ever-watchful presence of Valmiro. Patience is required, and the content of the book does make it ideal to read alongside lighter material, but the flow and wealth of info make it easy to sink hours into unravelling the story.
Arguably, the only thing missing from this release is a forward or afterword to help give context or additional perspectives to the work, something that Yen Press seems to always forgo in their novel releases. While not taking away from the book, the amount of effort put into the hardcover release to bring it to the West, a few extra pages with notes would have been a welcome addition. Notably, it feels slightly amiss to not have an author's note to give a bit more perspective on what drew him to the subject matter and the research that went into creating “Tezcatlipoca” beyond listing the reference materials at the end.
There is no denying that Sato is a masterful storyteller and the nightmares he conjures in “Tezcatlipoca”, through both crime and mysticism surrounded by death, are explored with intricate detail that draws the reader deep into the world of corruption and fanaticism. Its brutality will hinder some, but those able to stomach its contents will find an unforgettable, immersive piece of fiction that will shake the readers to the core. Those who enjoy challenging literature will benefit greatly from checking this out, as the depth of content goes beyond just crime fiction into the dark depths of history and the depraved lengths people will go to reach their goals. This is a masterful work, that, if you can stomach the content, deserves to be read.
