A reader's companion to the captain and his century

Capitán Alatriste is an independent, reader-made companion to Arturo Pérez-Reverte's seven-novel saga of a 17th-century Spanish swordsman — and to the Golden Age of Spain that the books bring so vividly to life.

The site exists for people who have finished the novels and want to keep living in their world: the taverns and back alleys of Habsburg Madrid, the tercios bleeding out in Flanders, the galleys of the Mediterranean, the poets and painters of a magnificent, exhausted empire. We write about the books and their characters, the 2006 film, the author's life and craft, and the real history, art and swordplay behind the fiction.

What you'll find here

• Reviews and reading guides for all seven novels, in and out of order
• Character studies — Alatriste, Íñigo, Quevedo, Angélica, Malatesta and the rest of the company
• History and culture of the Spanish Golden Age, from the letter of marque to Velázquez
• Notes on the film and the author's journey from war correspondent to novelist

A note on sources and images

Where we discuss real people, events, book covers, portraits and film stills, those materials remain the property of their respective owners and are referenced here for the purpose of commentary and criticism. Public-domain Golden Age paintings and engravings appear throughout to set the scene.

Have a correction, a suggestion, or just want to talk books? Get in touch — every message is read.