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jandi's review
4.0
Really exciting adventure book, in the style of Dumas' "Three Musketeers". Captain Alatriste is a veteran soldier and sword for hire who struggles to make a living while taking care of the son of an old friend who died in war. Lots of action and sword fighting (including Francisco de Quevedo!), cool characters and an interesting story.
The first line truly drew me in, and action did not stop until the end.
The first line truly drew me in, and action did not stop until the end.
lleullawgyffes's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
shiradest's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book, and thought I had reviewed it, (as I noted in 2018: "
Shira
Creî que habîa escrito una revista de este libro ya hace tiempo que tal vez se perdiô, pero bueno. Me encantô la trama y sobre todo la relacion entre Alatriste y Iñigo. / Thought I had reviewed this book some time ago, and maybe it got lost, but ok. I loved the drama and above all, the relationship between Alatriste and Inigo.")
citing especially the last line "que hubiera estado pensando" regarding the friend whose execution they watched, after feasting all night the evening before with the condemned man. So, to summarize, this book is about a 16th century Spanish soldier who forms part of the elite corps of loyal Spaniards fighting for the empire in many places, particularly Flanders. The hero, Captan Alatriste, is a solid man, not a man of trifles, but a decent man, raising as his adopted son the friend of a fallen comrade. There are so many beautiful moments that I must go find this book again and read it, especially since it has been over a decade now since I read it, and my Spanish has also improved, so the reading experience will be far easier, and maybe I missed a few things.
Shira
Creî que habîa escrito una revista de este libro ya hace tiempo que tal vez se perdiô, pero bueno. Me encantô la trama y sobre todo la relacion entre Alatriste y Iñigo. / Thought I had reviewed this book some time ago, and maybe it got lost, but ok. I loved the drama and above all, the relationship between Alatriste and Inigo.")
citing especially the last line "que hubiera estado pensando" regarding the friend whose execution they watched, after feasting all night the evening before with the condemned man. So, to summarize, this book is about a 16th century Spanish soldier who forms part of the elite corps of loyal Spaniards fighting for the empire in many places, particularly Flanders. The hero, Captan Alatriste, is a solid man, not a man of trifles, but a decent man, raising as his adopted son the friend of a fallen comrade. There are so many beautiful moments that I must go find this book again and read it, especially since it has been over a decade now since I read it, and my Spanish has also improved, so the reading experience will be far easier, and maybe I missed a few things.
kathleenitpdx's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
vilandra's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the characters and it’s well written, but it’s just so obviously the set up for future books that I didn’t enjoy it as much as earlier Reverte work. I think I would rather they had combined this with the next book, so there weren’t as many allusions to future events with no payoff.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
2.0
Pages: 242
“No era el hombre más honesto ni el más piadoso, pero era un hombre valiente.”
Spoiler
I had made a promise to myself last year to start reading more in Spanish again, but apparently that promise was soon forgotten... I only just managed to squeeze in this story before 2017 ended, which definitely wasn't what I had originally planned for the year. I have read Arturo Pérez-Reverte's work in the past, so I thought the first book of the Adventures Of Captain Alatriste would be a safe bet. This first book is simply named after the main character of this series set in 17th century Spain: El Capitán Alatriste. I have a weak spot for both historical fiction and books set in one of my favorite countries, Spain, so I thought I would really enjoy this one. Unfortunately, things turned out to be different. I know Spanish isn't my native language, but I both have a degree in Spanish Philology and have been using Spanish daily for years, so I can confirm the language itself wasn't a barrier. What did slow me down considerably is the general tone and pace of the story, and the fact that nothing much happened during the story. Not only was the historical setting quite weak and could have been elaborated a lot more, but I also found the way the story was told through someone close to Alatriste not entertaining at all. This probably has a lot to do with the writing as well as the lack of a proper plot and more action... I did appreciate the incorporation of old Spanish literature in the text. But still, I definitely won't be continuing this series any time soon.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
book_nut's review against another edition
3.0
Liked it; it was kind of a Spanish Three Musketeers (I liked the illusions to the Dumas book best), but... it kind of just ended. I don't mind series books, but I do like each one to (mostly) stand on their own. I felt like I was only getting half of a story. Which is never fun.
kristennd's review against another edition
4.0
Fast and fun. After the disappointment of his more modern stuff, it was nice to get back to swashbuckling and court intrigues. And I loved how he incorporated at least one bit of classic fiction into the story.