Review: Rajah Versus Conquistador

Title: Rajah Versus Conquistador: A King's Gambit in the Age of Conquest
Author: Kahlil Corazo
Publication: 1 May 2025 by Pagecraft
Genre: Adult, Fantasy
Content warnings: War, blood, death
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A King’s Gambit. A Conqueror’s Ambition. A Battle That Will Shape a Nation.

Cebu, 1521. At the center of the Visayan seas, Rajah Humabon rules through ritual, trade, and blood. When foreign ships arrive bearing steel, gunpowder, and the cross of an unfamiliar God, he sees not just a threat—but a once-in-a-generation opportunity. Led by the relentless Ferdinand Magellan, the Castilian fleet promises power and divine favor. But in Sugbo, every alliance is a wager, every ritual a weapon, and every oath a potential betrayal.

As Humabon gambles for survival and dominion, the feared warrior Lapulapu emerges to challenge both king and invader. What begins as diplomacy becomes sacred deception. What ends in massacre is remembered as myth.

Rajah Versus Conquistador is a speculative epic of religion, sacrifice, and statecraft—told in two the psychospiritual journey of a Southeast Asian strongman, and the theological unraveling of a crusading knight. Blending indigenous memory with historical record, the novel reimagines the fateful clash that birthed Philippine Christianity and reshaped a nation’s soul.

For readers of Shogun, Dune, and Wolf Hall, this is not just the story of a battle—but of the spiritual technologies behind empire, the hidden women who shaped it, and the battle of memories that still rages beneath our festivals and flags.

Have you ever been curious about where our slang words came from? I’m quite a fan of this kind of knowledge—even when it’s not from a formal source—as long as it makes sense to me. Take the word “giatay”, for example. Some people use it as an expression when they hear something disagreeable or even when a sentence makes them recoil. But it actually comes from a piece of bed furniture called atay, which was once common in many homes. The expression originated from the phrase “Gi-atay na siya kay,” meaning someone is already bedridden—lying on the atay, waiting for their end time.

Rajah Versus Conquistador awakened my geeky side for this kind of lore. It broadened how I see my own culture and faith as a Bisaya. The vivid imagination that unfolds inside the payag of one of the great rulers of the Philippines is so well written that you might accept it as fact—especially because it’s told as if you are Humabon. He was intuitive, and so are you. The writing is deeply persuasive.

What struck me the most was the portrayal of women in the book. They’ve been silently weaving our governing systems in the background! Long ago, women already held power, and men like Humabon recognized that. Unlike others who have viewed them merely as fragile or child-bearers—something that sadly still persists in some people’s thinking today—this book presents them as clever and capable. I have some idea of the sad events in the past (and present) that led to their stories being excluded from the texts shared with the masses. But Rajah Versus Conquistador makes sure they are not forgotten.

I also appreciated that the book gave us Magellan’s perspective. To me, it didn’t seem unfair—we’re shown the intent behind his actions. Still, I won’t dwell on his part, as his story has already been written and read countless times. What this book stirred in me is a stronger desire to know our story.

Rajah Versus Conquistador is a historical fiction novel set in Cebu, Philippines. It lays out a preserved memory of culture, leadership, and devotion—especially from the often hidden but powerful positions. Certainly an engaging read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kahlil Corazo is a writer based in the southern Philippines. He grew up in Pari-an, downtown Cebu, the heart of what was once Rajah Humabon’s domain and where this novel takes place. His scholarly work lies in the intersection of the figure of the Southeast Asian Orang Besar (Big Man) and René Girard’s scapegoat mechanism. Rajah Versus Conquistador is Kahlil’s debut novel.
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Source of copy: Author through Book Chickas PH - Thank you! · I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.