El Puente de los Asesinos is the seventh edition of the captain Alatriste series of novels. The title is loosely translated to mean The Bridge of assassins. The book is set up in Rome, Milan, and Naples. As is customary, Alatriste is accompanied by his foster son Inigo Balboa in the pursuit of more adventurous escapades. See the Adventures in the Book Corsarios De Levante. Alatriste receives orders to mediate in a plot that is bound to be a threat to the Spanish Crown.
The Plot
It involves carrying out an execution of the Doge of Venice which should take place during Mass in Christmas. After the assassination, he is required to impose a new individual to head the government. There is a catch though; this individual should conform to the interests of the Catholic kings originating from Italy.
For the team who includes Moor Guarriato, Sebastian Copons, Alatriste himself and other soldiers, they find it hard to even contemplate the execution. It is a plot which can only be defined as risky, challenging, filled with shock, and definitely quite fatal. All in all, it is everything but impossible.
At this point in time, Inigo is now a fully grown man and develops a certain perception about Spain. His perceptions are positive in that he believes Spain holds the opportunity to become significant in the entire world. In between there is a combination of feelings and thoughts. He is engulfed by uncertainty on what exactly lies in place for Spain in the near future.
The bridge of assassins is set up at a time when the Holy Roman Empire is experiencing gradual decline. Philip II rules over a section of central Europe up to the late 16th century. The Catholic rule is under threat from the German state, while Europe is facing growing pressure from the Ottoman empire of Turkey.
This book relates to present day Spain with the author noting that the present state of affairs is because of the ancient days which were filled with hypocrisy, unnecessary wars and obvious abuse of power. He also blames the dynamism of the church and religion. He is of the opinion that had Spain adopted transformation from an earlier age, it would be fully modernized by then. He regrets that the monarch missed such a golden opportunity.
He insists that the world has been governed by countries that adopted change and engaged in various life changing activities such as reading, embracing commerce, and progression. Spain, he notes, was lax in embracing these activities. They chose to remain angry and obscure an act that has resulted in their present precarious state.
Arturo Perez goes on to categorically state that contrary to the perception that many of readers have, his narrations do not at any one moment laud the sovereign Spain. His opinion about the character Alatriste is that he aimed at showcasing varying definitions of Spain. In his seventh edition of the series he says that his objective was to carry out an exploration of the politics of Venice which remain quite impactful to Spain.