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THE SUN OVER BREDA
“After the dark and moody swordplay of Captain Alatriste and Purity of Blood, featuring impeccably ethical mercenary-hero Capt. Diego Alatriste, Porez-Reverte marches us to Flanders for the Siege of Breda in 1624-25. The good captain has rejoined his regiment to help Spain take the city, and his faithful young retainer, I igo Balboa, again narrates events. Professional to a fault, the Spaniards conduct difficult and dangerous raids without complaint while staging an effective protest over lack of pay. The captain coolly dispatches a fellow soldier who has insulted him after threatening I igo and just as coolly refuses to be drawn into a sanctioned duel with soldiers on the opposing side. Unfortunately, Alatriste does get a bit lost in the panoramic action-a real pity, given his riveting presence. This is very much a blow-by-blow account of battle, with the one overarching point of contention being whether the captain appears in Velazquez's sprawling Surrender of Breda. Not all readers will find it as engaging as the first two books in the series, though it's intriguing to see this battle from the Spanish perspective, and Porez-Reverte is faultless in his portrayal of war as hell.
—Library Journal
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