On the Edge of the Blade

Through the pages of the popular series of historical-adventure novels by Pérez-Reverte, a fearless warrior of the Spanish king's army strides with a sword in hand, and in his free time from battles, he is a duelist, adventurer, noble outlaw, and hired killer, a man of honor, Diego Alatriste, whom they call captain for his incredible bravery. In the novels that continue the series, he still balances on the edge of the blade and finds himself in dangerous situations from which an ordinary man would hardly emerge alive — he stands in the way of a villain who is plotting the crime of the century, barely escaping the fate of being a victim of love for a great actress, sails the Mediterranean Sea, fighting Turks and pirates, and in Venice must carry out a difficult mission in his familiar role as a hired killer. Arturo Pérez-Reverte is a former military journalist, a celebrated author of brilliant historical, military, adventure, and detective novels, translated into forty languages, and a holder of prestigious literary awards. The Alatriste series is one of his highest literary achievements: here he brilliantly plays on the field where such famous masters of adventure-historical novels as Alexandre Dumas, Rafael Sabatini, Emilio Salgari have left a bright mark, and he does not yield to them in the slightest. 'Captain Alatriste,' wrote the author’s colleague Alberto Montaner about the series, 'has earned the honor of becoming one of those characters who have entered the club of literary myths and have forever settled in the collective imagination. A serious achievement, considering that there are only a few Spaniards in this club: El Cid, Don Juan, and Don Quixote.' This volume includes the fifth, sixth, and seventh novels of the 'Captain Alatriste' series: 'The Cavalier in the Yellow Cloak,' 'Corsairs of the Levant,' and 'The Bridge of Assassins.'