Another excellent entry, as we continue exploring the life of El Cid through the eyes of Antonio Perez. Fun characters, hectic battles, and the colorful political backdrop of early Medieval Spain make this a quick and entertaining read.

Antonio is a fun character, but I found myself a bit frustrated with his love triangle story. It felt a bit forced, a way to create tension between the main characters and to keep them separated until a time jump brought them together again, and it comprised a decent chunk of the early parts of the novel. I enjoy the relationships between the characters, but Antonio's  pining for Jimena struck me as more of a plot device than as a realistic human emotion, especially considering he has a beautiful wife and children of his own. 

The battles, as always, are great, as are the politics and the descriptions of landscapes and the differences between the Christian and Muslim realms.

Very interested to see how the story moves forward as Antonio looks for Rodrigo in exile.