Gear up for swashbuckling adventure in the second “riveting”* historical thriller in the internationally acclaimed Captain Alatriste series.
The fearless Alatriste is hired to infiltrate a convent and rescue a young girl forced to serve as a powerful priest’s concubine. The girl’s father is barred from legal recourse as the priest threatens to reveal that the man’s family is “not of pure blood” and is, in fact, of Jewish descent—which will all but destroy the family name. As Alatriste struggles to save the young hostage from being burned at the stake, he soon finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a conspiracy that leads all the way to the heart of the Spanish Inquisition.
Janet Maslin
On the whole, once it extricates itself from a backlog of long names and previous plot developments, Purity of Blood hits the high note of Captain Alatriste and sustains the series' uncommon verve.f
— The New York Times
Warren Bass
Perez-Reverte's enthusiasm is contagious, and the story is propelled by his glee. When the last echo of the last clang of the last duel has died away down the muddy streets of Madrid, readers will be hungry for the next volume. They should expect more of the same -- which is, after all, the point. When asked about a job, Alatriste pauses, thinks and responds, "It will involve swordplay, I imagine." Give us the foils. Come on.
— The Washington Post
Publishers Weekly
Those looking for seriously entertaining thrills will welcome Perez-Reverte's second 17th-century Spanish swashbuckler featuring the exploits of stoic, honorable Capt. Diego Alatriste (after 2005's Captain Alatriste). A father and two brothers accompany Alatriste on a mission to rescue their sister from the convent in which she has been imprisoned. Things go wrong when an old enemy of the captain ensures that Alatriste's ward, 13-year-old Inigo Balboa, falls into the hands of the Inquisition. With the aid of the great Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo, all is made right. Rich in historical detail and sardonic observations, the narrative begins leisurely. The pace picks up, but the action is never so breathless as to sweep the reader along, as with Captain Alatriste. Still, this will matter little to fans, who are sure to look forward to further installments in the series. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
After the darkly engaging Captain Alatriste, our eponymous hero returns to rescue a girl from a convent. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
From the Publisher
Praise for Purity of Blood“It’s great fun in the tradition of historical swashbucklers such as The Three Musketeers or The Scarlet Pimpernel.”—The Boston Globe
“Grabs the reader from the get-go with its moddy evocation of a lost time.”—USA Today
“In between the flash and the clanging of swordplay, Alatriste navigates the perilous dungeons of Inquisition-era Madrid. Absolutely riveting from beginning to end.”—*Entertainment Weekly
“A feast of dark historical detail and believable danger in which celebrated figures, such as poet Francisco de Quevedo and painter Velázques, are mixed in for authentic flavor.”—The Denver Post
“Purity of Blood hits the high note of Captain Alatriste and sustains the series’ uncommon verve.”—The New York Times
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