A review by kim_hoag
Purity of Blood by Arturo Pérez-Reverte

4.0

This is the third of the author's books I have read and the second in the Alatriste series. There is the stickiness of reality to them that I enjoy. I also enjoy the moody protagonist, Captain Alatriste, almost an antihero except for the glimpses of a moral streak. Yes, he's a bit of a stereotype—strong, silent, and deadly, but set against the 17th century Spanish Empire of constant war, deceit, and the Inquisition the character works very well. Pérez-Reverte sets the historical stage for the Captain who has seen too much and killed too often. The moodiness of the character is in the atmosphere of the novel as well and I enjoy immersing myself in it. Mind you, it comes at a price. The sentence structure is sometimes difficult to wade through and not for all tastes: “Gallants lurked behind columns or beside the font to offer the ladies holy water; beggars sat on the steps outside the door, exhibiting their sores and pustules and the mutilations supposedly earned in Flanders, even Lepanto, and....” The sentence goes on for four more lines. But when there is action the descriptions and the characters become clear and vivid. The Fencing Master, an aging master facing a last fight, was my favorite book of Pérez-Reverte, but I'll be returning for more of the good Captain's bouts with life when I get the chance.