Prisoner of the Inquisition

By Theresa Breslin

When the holy inquisition arrives in Zarita’s town in Spain, her life as the magistrate’s daughter is suddenly being watched and suspicion is lurking everywhere. Saulo is the son of a beggar and, after abandoning his sick mother and leaving her to suffer silently, he follows his father into the town and then watches helplessly as he is hanged wrongfully. Saulo escapes death and manual labour but is forced to become a slave at sea. He vows to kill the magistrate and all his family so he can avenge his father. The two main characters take separate journeys over the coming years as the inquisition kills more and more people, but, they are both young and they feel heavily the guilt and horror of the blood they have on their conscience. When they meet again amid the royal court of the king and queen, fail to recognize each other at first, but then face once more the guilt, betrayal, and horror of the past and its consequences, they both realise just how ruthless the inquisition can be.

I really liked reading this book as it tells two stories that intertwine at the beginning and the end of the novel. It follows the two main characters through their individual journeys, one far out at sea, one inland. Both Saulo and Zarita’s lives are deeply affected by the arrival of the inquisition and they seek refuge and forgiveness for the wrong doings they have committed. Breslin describes many scenes of torture, adventure, and passion throughout the book and it is really easy to visualise and imagine just how traumatic the experience would have been. This, among many other reasons, is why I thoroughly enjoyed this novel as it allows you to see in your mind what, in your opinion, the characters are seeing at each point in the book. Breslin uses fantastic description, especially in Saulo’s fight scene, and it really adds to the book.

The book is narrated in alternate chapters by Saulo and Zarita (except for a few which are third person) and I think this makes the book quite unique as, nearing the final chapters, they pick up from each other and you can imagine all the scenes from both points of view when the characters are together. When narrating his part of the novel, Saulo frequently returns to the day his father was killed and expresses both his hatred for the magistrate and his daughter, and also his guilt for having left his mother to die. He describes how he is feeling often and this allows you to deduce what kind of character he is. Zarita’s chapters however are not filled with guilt as, over time, she seems to get caught up in her own life and the inquisition and she forgets, or doesn’t think about, the beggar and his son, Saulo. Because of this, out of the two main characters, my favourite is Saulo as his chapters are more heart-felt and his personality seems more ‘real’.

Overall, I think that this book was great. I think that the way Breslin has described in the dual narration each chapter is fantastic and that the characters she has created are unique and have realistic personalities. This novel is, in places, a little dark but this adds to the overall structure of the book and compels you to read on! Finally, I think that the plot of this novel is great as it twists at the end and is full of deceit. I would definitely advise everyone to read this amazing novel!

Eleanor, Year 8