Sharpe's Sword (Sharpe, #14)

Title: Sharpe's Sword (Sharpe, #14)

Author: Bernard Cornwell

Published in: 1983

Date read: 13th October 2017

Score: 4/5

Genre: Historical fiction

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Sharpe's Sword" by Bernard Cornwell, published in 1999, is the eleventh novel in the Richard Sharpe series. Chronologically, it is set earlier, during the pivotal summer of 1812, immediately preceding the Siege of Badajoz, a key moment in the Peninsular War. This book plunges Major Richard Sharpe into a high-stakes espionage and rescue mission, entangled with a treacherous French spy and the terrifying Spanish Inquisition.

The story begins amidst the preparations for the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, where Sharpe is involved in the brutal fighting. However, his main challenge comes when he is assigned to protect a British agent, Major Richard Sweet, who is seemingly a brilliant spy. But Sweet is an arrogant and incompetent man, quickly captured by the French.

The true focus of the mission shifts when Sharpe learns that Sweet's capture jeopardizes a vital intelligence network, and, more critically, that an invaluable British spy, Major Michel Lavigny, has been betrayed and captured by the French. Lavigny is being held by the notorious and utterly ruthless French spymaster, Major Ducos (who will later become Sharpe's personal nemesis in "Sharpe's Revenge").

Sharpe's objective becomes twofold: to rescue Lavigny, who holds secrets vital to Wellington's campaign, and to thwart Ducos's plans. This mission takes Sharpe and his loyal Sergeant Patrick Harper deep behind enemy lines into a Spain where both French soldiers and the revived, fanatical Spanish Inquisition pose deadly threats.

The "sword" of the title is a symbol of Sharpe's professional honor and his commitment to justice. He is also gifted a magnificent, ancient Spanish sword, which becomes a symbol of his mission and his struggle.

Ducos, a master of psychological warfare and torture, holds Lavigny in a remote, well-guarded convent, working to extract the vital intelligence. Sharpe must use all his cunning, stealth, and fighting prowess to infiltrate the heavily guarded location. He encounters terrifying aspects of the Inquisition, including their brutal torture methods, as he tries to locate and free Lavigny before it's too late.

The novel is a tense, espionage-driven thriller that showcases Sharpe's skills as a commando and an intelligence operative. He battles not only the French but also the pervasive fear instilled by the Inquisition and the constant threat of betrayal.

The climax involves a daring infiltration and a brutal confrontation within the Inquisition's torture chambers and the convent itself, as Sharpe faces Ducos and the fanatical priests to rescue Lavigny and prevent the secrets from falling into French hands. "Sharpe's Sword" is a gripping tale of espionage, torture, and desperate heroism, setting the stage for future confrontations between Sharpe and Ducos.

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)