Sharpe's Fury (Sharpe, #11)

Title: Sharpe's Fury (Sharpe, #11)

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Published in: 2005

Date read: 16th August 2017

Score: 4/5

Genre: Historical fiction

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Sharpe's Fury" by Bernard Cornwell, published in 2006, is the 19th novel in the Richard Sharpe series. Chronologically, it is set in January and February 1811, during the Peninsular War, immediately following the events of "Sharpe's Battle." This instalment sees Sharpe and his men plunged into a perilous mission behind enemy lines in a Spain gripped by brutal guerrilla warfare and a fanatical Catholic resistance.

The story begins shortly after the Battle of Barrosa. Major Richard Sharpe is enjoying a brief respite when he is given a new, highly sensitive, and secret assignment by Wellington. He is tasked with escorting a seemingly unassuming man, El Mirador, a Spanish spy and Jesuit priest, deep into French-occupied Spain. Their mission is to rescue a small group of British officers who are being held captive in the heavily fortified city of Ciudad Rodrigo, which is under French control. These officers possess crucial intelligence about French movements.

However, the mission quickly goes awry. El Mirador reveals himself to be a cunning and ruthless figure with his own fanatical agenda, believing himself to be on a divine mission. He leads Sharpe and his Chosen Men not just to the captive officers, but into a direct conflict with a powerful and zealously Catholic guerrilla leader, Father Salvador, who views all non-Catholics (including the British) with deep suspicion and hostility. Salvador believes the British officers are heretics and deserves to die, or be sacrificed.

Sharpe and his men find themselves caught between the French army, the hostile Spanish guerrillas, and the treacherous manipulations of El Mirador. They must navigate a treacherous landscape filled with ambushes, betrayals, and the constant threat of capture or death. The harsh winter weather and the desperate nature of the war further complicate their survival.

The "fury" of the title refers to several aspects: the fury of the war itself, the fanatical religious fervour of some of the Spanish guerrillas, and Sharpe's own growing fury at being caught in a trap between ostensible allies and deadly enemies.

Sharpe must use his cunning and his lethal skills to rescue the captive officers, outwit both the French and the fanatical Spanish, and uncover the true motives of El Mirador. He and his men face incredible odds, including facing down vengeful priests and fighting their way through a besieged, French-held city.

The climax involves a desperate, brutal fight within Ciudad Rodrigo, as Sharpe attempts to extract the British officers amidst intense fighting and the fervent religious zeal of their captors. "Sharpe's Fury" is a tense, action-packed adventure that highlights the complex and often brutal nature of the Peninsular War, where allies could be as dangerous as enemies, and faith could be as deadly as any weapon.

Comments:
I read all of the Sharpe books in chronological order, one after the other. When I have looked back, I have not separated them at all unless there is a specific thing to add which will be after saying that I suddenly loved historical fiction and anything that Bernard Cornwell writes.

Books that we've read by Bernard Cornwell (28):
Sharpe's Eagle (Sharpe, #8) (1981), Sharpe's Gold (Sharpe, #9) (1981), Sharpe's Company (Sharpe, #13) (1982), Sharpe's Sword (Sharpe, #14) (1983), Sharpe's Enemy (Sharpe, #15) (1984), Sharpe's Honour (Sharpe, #16) (1985), Sharpe's Regiment (Sharpe, #17) (1986), Redcoat (1987), Sharpe's Siege (Sharpe, #18) (1987), Sharpe's Rifles (Sharpe, #6) (1988), Sharpe's Revenge (Sharpe, #19) (1989), Sharpe's Waterloo (Sharpe, #20) (1990), Sharpe's Devil (Sharpe, #22) (1992), Sharpe's Battle (Sharpe, #12) (1995), Sharpe's Tiger (Sharpe, #1) (1997), Sharpe's Triumph (Sharpe, #2) (1998), Sharpe's Fortress (Sharpe, #3) (1999), Sharpe's Prey (Sharpe, #5) (2000), Sharpe's Trafalgar (Sharpe, #4) (2000), Gallows Thief (2001), Heretic (The Grail Quest, #3) (2003), Sharpe's Havoc (Sharpe, #7) (2003), The Last Kingdom (The Saxon Stories, #1) (2004), Sharpe's Escape (Sharpe, #10) (2004), Sharpe's Fury (Sharpe, #11) (2005), The Pale Horseman (The Saxon Stories, #2) (2006), Sword Song (The Saxon Stories, #4) (2007), Lords of the North (The Saxon Stories, #3) (2007)