Captain Alatriste.

CAPTAIN ALATRISTE. Arturo Perez-Reverte. Tr. from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden. 2005. Read by Scott Brick. 6 cds. 7 hrs. Penguin Audio. 0-14-305764-2. $29.95. Cardboard; plot, author, reader notes. SA

Welcome to Spain of the 17th century, an era of remarkable cultural achievements but also a time of political intrigue, the Thirty Years' War and the Spanish Inquisition. In this sinister climate, when thinly disguised, highly placed masked men approach Diego Alatriste and wish him to kill two English newcomers, the swordsman-mercenary dares not refuse the commission. But when the Englishman asks for mercy, not for himself but for his friend, Alatriste has too much honor to kill so courageous a man. He little realizes that one of his intended victims is Charles, Prince of Wales, there to woo and, with luck, wed the Spanish Infanta; or that his inaction could change the course of Spanish history.

This is an intelligent swashbuckler with atmosphere and action aplenty. As reader, Brick indulges in little character differentiation; rather, he demonstrates with lightly accented, expressive reverence all that the younger first-person narrator feels for a heroic captain who becomes a legend. Some strong language. Francine Levitov, Attorney, New York, NY

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.