The year is 1626 and Alatriste and Inigo his personal assistant have returned from the battle. This book is founded in Seville and is the fourth novel in the continuing series of the Captain Alatriste series. See El Sol De Breda for more information about the war.
During the Flanders war, Alatriste demonstrated commitment and skill. He served with dignity in the face of uncertainties and challenges. The quest to save Breda from the siege was not an easy one. There was blood and death involved. Upon their return to Spain, they are exhausted, memories of the bloody war are still fresh in their minds, they are cash strapped, and have rare expectations of receiving any job offers.
Amidst all these challenges, him and his soldiers emerged victorious, something which unbeknown to Alatriste will see him receive a job offer from the king himself. The Spanish empire has since transformed to treacherous levels. After a few days Alatriste is presented with a limited job offer.
The Job Offer
The job involves recruiting and commanding a dozen of mercenaries and swordsmen which Alatriste and Inigo the narrator accept with ease. Their job will be to oversee the sufficient protection of a yacht and a splendid amount of illicit gold returning from the West Indies. The king has chosen Alatriste to commandeer the operation due to his devotion and diligence towards work. Again he understands that only he can adequately protect the Spanish crown which plays a major role in the control of America’s wealth.
This sets a new field for an adventure that will see Alatriste, Inigo and their colleagues come eye to eye with long time enemies as well as form new interactions. Of notable mention is the fact that Alatriste will meet his long time enemy Gualterio Malatesta, something that he rarely expects.
About The Novel
This book is not only interesting and nerve wrecking, it is gripping and absorbing. It however, does not contain any historical events as seen in the previous publications. It is based on Seville and Andalusia. Readers have since become used to various characters from previous publications. The same will make a dramatic entrance in this series in their trademark innovative and impeccable manner to transform the story into an irresistible adventure.
There are details about Andalusia of the 17th century which demonstrate the amount of research that was put in place for this novel. Readers may however have to be armed with a good map and an encyclopedia in order to relate into the books content. While this is not a prerequisite requirement to appreciating the novel, it will come in handy because no historical information about the characters or events is included.
The events involved in this book are relatable to present day global situations especially in the political world. For instance, the gold that Alatriste and the troops are set to recover is headed to private pockets rather than to the king’s treasury. Chances are high that it may end up in coffers belonging to the enemies of Spain.
But Alatriste is determined to recover the gold and divert it to the rightful coffers of the king. All this he does not for the purpose of stamping his patriotic status or even achieving glory, for to him, those two terms have since been abused enough. His sole mission is to recover the gold from the enemy.