I had bought both this and Captain Alatriste (see my separate comment under that title) together, inspired by the experience of the Dumas Club. This, the second in the series, is a much better tale, and I hope this will be the case as the epic unfolds in translation. The desirous and yet quailing young heart of Íñigo Balboa y Aguirre before the imperious precociousness and porcelain beauty of Angélica de Alquézar, the schooled, relaxed mercenariness of Martin Saldana, and the morose yet valiant Alatriste himself seem brightened as it were by a fresh layer of vital varnish atop the previously slightly wooden figures that the author whittled in the first book. ( )

This is the second in Pérez-Reverte's series about Diego Alatriste, a sword-for-hire in 17th century Spain. Moving from the intrigues with England of the first book, this story brings the characters up against the Spanish Inquisition, as Alatriste and Iñigo are betrayed in an attempt to extract a young girl from a convent. These are not sugar-coated historical romances. The author has no hesitation over populating the story with fanatic priests who will torture major characters, with corrupt political figures who do not scruple to burn innocents at the stake in order to score a political "point" over an opponent. Nor does he attempt to make his main characters more sympathetic by imbuing them with 21st century mentalities.

The plot line of the book is not overly strong. Nothing unexpected happens to surprise the reader. However, the pacing is well done and the book is a quick and pleasant read. In the balance, I'd have to say I enjoyed this slightly less than Captain Alatriste, but will not hesitate to read the third. As with the first book, fans of Dumas' musketeer books will likely enjoy this one, though I continue in my belief that the books are not as similar as many make out—the persective of gallant, somewhat naïve d'Artagnan gives us a far different world than that of the cynical, brutal, somewhat amoral Alatriste. ( )

Great characters and atmosphere but a surprisingly thin plot that lacks action. ( )

CAPITAN ALATRISTE

This is the first sequel to Captain Alatriste, and is very similar in structure and tone to the original. Most of the characters made their appearance in the first book as well. As with the first book, the plot is a simple, straightforward one. That’s not a bad thing. It takes on a decidedly dark tone (perhaps more so than the original), and Perez-Reverte is certainly not above allowing bad things to happen to good people. Such is life in Spain of the 1620s. Some readers may find the prose too sparse, but it does create a fast-moving read. At times, I found the narrator’s – Alatriste’s teenage ward describing the tale in his old age – mention of events that had not yet happened to be distracting and annoying, but it does provide a sense that this is merely one anecdote in a convoluted continuity.

As with the first volume in the series, this is a slim volume with a relatively short page count, a large font, and plenty of white space per page. Perez-Reverte continues his tendency to intersperse the prose with numerous snatches of poetry. You may find this charming, or you may find it tedious. I am somewhere in the middle, vaguely wondering what the point is. The translation is very smooth and doesn't distract the reader.

I will most likely continue reading the series – as long as I continue finding them in the remainder bin – but just be aware: absolutely nothing unexpected happens in the book.

Review copyright 2008 J. Andrew Byers ( )