We continue the story of Antonio Perez in the strongest novel of the series yet. This is a brutal tale of civil war, dealing with themes of loyalty and duty and lost causes. There's some strong action and fight scenes including a truly excellent climax, and this novel is paced quite a bit better than the previous two. It's a shame this series hasn't been more widely read as it's a fascinating historical time period that hasn't yet been done to death like the Vikings, and I think there's a lot of room to tell great stories of medieval Spain, like Rudge is doing here.

The historical notes at the end of the novel detailing the story's deviation from the real plot of history are a welcome touch.