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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
William Schutmaat’s The Imagined Kingdom opens in 1822 London, where Scottish soldier Gregor MacGregor presents members of White’s Club with a map of Poyais, a Central American country he claims to rule as Cacique. Raised in the Scottish Highlands, MacGregor enters military service before joining South America’s wars against Spanish rule, where he moves into the circle of Simón Bolívar. Battlefield success changes what MacGregor believes is possible for his future. As campaigns take him through the Caribbean, his appetite for command turns into a desire for a country of his own. By the time MacGregor returns to Britain, he has the title he wants and a kingdom ready to present to the public. He now has to persuade investors and prospective settlers that Poyais offers the future he promises them.
William Schutmaat’s The Imagined Kingdom follows Gregor MacGregor as his military reputation feeds the destiny he imagines for himself. MacGregor is a mixed bag when it comes to genuine likability, but there’s no question about his magnetism. He is developed into a fully fleshed-out adventurer, and his belief that greatness belongs to him is so ingrained it transcends the page. This wild ambition leaves readers conflicted, especially once he starts turning the reputation he has earned into stories about the man he wants to be—but that's exactly why the novel is so darn good. As a young officer, he invents a noble lineage backed by imaginary fortunes, then, in Aux Cayes revives the title of Inca to restore his standing. The period details are incredible, breathing life not only into the early nineteenth century, but MacGregor's entire world: Arismendi’s kerosene-lit office has maps draped across the walls, and Sans Souci Palace drips with gilded mirrors, with musicians performing Haydn during dinner. This is a sweeping epic that is neither a short nor a light read, but MacGregor is exactly the kind of larger-than-life figure worth reading about, and worth every moment spent in the story. Very highly recommended.
