An enjoyable book, though not quiet what I had expected. There is certainly plenty of swashbuckling and intrigue and princes travelling in disguise in the mode of the three musketeers, but what really sets this apart is the way it captures 17th century Spain at a moment when it was both the richest and most powerful nation in the world and also sinking rapidly into decline. The decadence, the culture and the political currents are all well captured and Madrid's cultural life really comes alive. I did find the writing style and turn of phrase to be a little odd at times, though this may have been exacerbated by the english translation I was reading. All in all an entertaining little book which leaves me wanting to read the rest of the series. ( )

Some English was poor,such as the repeated use of the word 'unlighted' rather than 'unlit',havent finished it yet so cant quite review the story

Perez-Reverte seems to be a highly popular writer. I had come to this after the excellent The Dumas Club, full of expectations, but really this novel is sporadically good rather than sparkling throughout. Perez-Reverte has given us a charming inroad into a period of history that does deserve much more attention but a grandiose, opulent, baroque archway on a major literary highway it is not, in its own right. However, my estimation of the series increased with the second of them (see my comment under Purity of Blood) - one also has the distinct impression that the original is not that well served by the translation, which may be just one more reason to start learning Spanish. ( )

This is the story of Captain Alatriste, swordsman for hire now that he is no longer a soldier for Spain. It is narrated by Inigo Balboa, Alatriste's charge after the death of Inigo's father, giving a mixture of Inigo's hero-worship and naivete. Alatriste is hired by mysterious masked men to "rough up" a couple of travelers. Then another man, unmasked and a member of the Spanish Inquisition comes in and tells him to kill both men. And when it comes time to do the job, well, the results may just affect the rest of Captain Alatriste's life, if they don't end it.

I really struggled with this story and never really got invested in it. I think it was a combination of the narration (an American accent for the most part, but slightly lisped pronunciations when it came to the Spanish names) and my expectations (I was sort of expecting something along the lines of _Zorro_ by Isabel Allende). An overall okay read, but not outstanding either. ( )

This is the first of a series of swashbucklers by Perez-Reverte. It takes place in Madrid during the Inquisition. Spain is very profitable, but the people are hard-pressed for money, jobs etc. Alatriste is a former soldier that makes his money by sword. He has taken in a boy, Inigo, of a soldier that died in one of the many wars the Spanish were fighting. Inigo, the narrator, talks about the many scrapes that Alatriste is involved in as well as his own blossoming affection of a wicked girl. I enjoyed the short book and am looking forward to the next one. ( )