Captain Alatriste () is a series of novels by Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte. It deals with the adventures of the title character, a Spanish soldier and man of fortune living in the 17th century. Series El capitán Alatriste (Captain Alatriste, 1996): In 1623, Diego Alatriste and Italian sword-for-hire Gualterio Malatesta are paid by two mysterious masked characters to kill a pair of unknown English visitors in Madrid as news reaches the city that the Spanish siege of Bergen op Zoom has been repelled. Limpieza de sangre (Purity of Blood, 1997): Madrid, 1623. A woman is found murdered in front of a church. Later, Quevedo seeks help from Alatriste to rescue a girl forced to enter a convent; meanwhile Alatriste's young squire Íñigo Balboa deepens his infatuation with the adolescent maidservant of the Queen, Angélica de Alquézar. About the "purity of blood" demanded from Conversos. El sol de Breda (The Sun over Breda, 1998): Spanish Netherlands, 1624–1625. Alatriste and Íñigo join the Spanish Army and fight in the war against Dutch rebels, in particular the siege of Breda. El oro del Rey (The King's Gold, 2000): Seville, 1626. After their participation in the Flanders War, Alatriste and Íñigo return to Spain, where they become involved in an affair involving a Spanish treasure fleet ship full of contraband gold newly arrived from the Indies. El caballero del jubón amarillo (The Cavalier in the Yellow Doublet, 2003): Back in Madrid, Alatriste initiates a relationship with the famous actress María de Castro. However, he will encounter a rival for her affections amidst new intrigues at Court. Corsarios de Levante (Pirates of the Levant, 2006): Alatriste and Íñigo go through different adventures along the Mediterranean coast, fighting Barbary pirates from Southern Spain to Turkey. El puente de los asesinos (The Bridge of the Assassins, 2011) Alatriste and Íñigo get mission to take part in an attempt of coup d'état in Venice to depose the Doge of Venice . As of December 2006, the book sleeve of Corsarios de Levante suggested that the novels El puente de los asesinos, La venganza de Alquézar and Misión en París were planned. , only El puente de los asesinos has been published. Adaptations A movie based on the series, titled Alatriste, was released on September 1, 2006, directed by Agustín Díaz Yanes and starring Viggo Mortensen. Pérez-Reverte was inspired to begin the series due to a lack of treatment