Review: The Sun Over Breda

The Sun Over Breda
by Arturo Perez-Reverte


Format: Paperback, 273 pages
Publisher: PlumeCover Design: Chin-Yee Lai, Thomas J. Abercrombie/Getty Images
Release Date: April 5, 2007
ISBN-10: 0-452289741
ISBN-13: 978-0452289741



In the third installment in the Captain Alatriste series, the story moves to the battlefields of the Netherlands. The Dutch lands are in revolt against the Spanish-Austrian monarchy and the crown is determined to hold onto the land. Diedo Alatriste has re-enlisted in his old tercio, both to avoid political troubles at home, but also to settle his restless nature. Inigo, as always, accompanies him as his servant.

The story opens with the capture of a Dutch military fort as part of an operation by Alatriste’s tercio to put the squeeze on the city of Breda. The siege of the city takes up a fair amount of the plot as well as two major battles between Spanish and Dutch forces. Full of fighting and action, this tale is a somewhat different book in the series.

The Sun Over Breda marks a slight shift in the series storytelling. The previous two books focused more on politics and intrigue on the streets and in the court of Madrid. The latest novel is an almost straight-up military tale from the point of view of 17th Century soldier. The reader gets a very in-depth look of the Spanish army as the empire’s power begins to wane.

I was surprised to learn with this book that the author is basing the series on an actual manuscript written none other than the books’ narrator. I look forward to seeing where the series goes from here.

The Sun over Breda is another good edition to the Arturo Perez-Reverte’s popular historical fiction series. Recommended for all fans.

Rating: 8/10

Review: Purity of Blood

Purity of Blood

by Arturo Perez-Reverte

Format: Paperback, 267 pages
Publisher: Plume
Cover Design: Artists Rights Society
Release Date: November 28, 2006
ISBN-10: 0-452287987

ISBN-13: 978-0452287987

Recently, I’ve been interested in reading more historical fiction so last fall I picked up Captain Alatriste, the first book in a series by Arturo Perez-Reverte, on the strength of several recommendations. Unfortunately, the book failed to grab me. Last week I decided to give the series another chance and bought the second book, Purity of Blood. I’m glad that I did.

Purity of Blood picks up about a year after the events in Captain Alatriste. The narrator, Inigo Balboa, is now nearly fourteen years old and is still serving the swordsman-for-hire, Diego Alatriste. A friend of the captain comes to hire him to infiltrate a convent and rescue a young woman being held against her will. The family has no legal recourse because the head priest has threatened to expose them as being of Jewish descent. In 17th Century Spain, this is tantamount to a death sentence. However, the plan goes awry and Alatriste and company are quickly caught up in a much higher struggle for power.

I have to say I really enjoyed Purity of Blood much more than the first book. My main complaint with Captain Alatriste was that it did not have enough of a plotline for the story. The plot quickly petered out and the rest of the book was filled with a narrative exposition on the political and cultural background. I love reading about history, but generally I don’t find it a good idea to tell a story this way.

The good news is that I did have to worry about this problem with the second book. Though the plotline slowed down a bit, it did continue all the way to the end. The ending ended up being a little anti-climatic, however, it worked for the story that the author was telling. I also liked that the poetry segments were far fewer in number this time around. I’ve never been a fan of verse and the Captain Alatriste seemed to have way too much of it.

Overall, Purity of Blood is a good historical fiction novel and definitely better than the first Alatriste book in the series. Recommended.

Rating: 8/10