For the first time in Russian - the newest novel by the famous Arturo Perez-Reverte, author of such international bestsellers as “The Flemish Board”, “The Dumas Club” (the literary basis of “The Ninth Gate” by Roman Polanski with Johnny Depp), the seven-volume adventures of Captain Alatriste (film adaptation with Vigo Mortensen), etc. “Reverte has again invented a new genre, this time the medieval western,” wrote the newspaper El Mundo, and ABC Cultural put it even more categorically: “Reverte has made a masterpiece out of the history of El Cid.” Yes, the main character of this book is the Castilian nobleman Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid Campeador (“The Winner”), the hero of the medieval “Song of my Cid” and the tragedy “Cid” by the great French playwright Pierre Corneille, as well as numerous folk legends and romances. Expelled from his native Castile with a handful of loyal people, the former commander-in-chief enters the service of the Emir of Zaragoza, fights with Ramon the Fratricide, Count of Barcelona, and repels the invasion of the cruel Almoravids, invariably sending the Castilian king Alfonso the share of military booty due to his vassal duty and yearning for his wife left in Castile Doña Jimena. During his lifetime, Sid (from the Arabic “sidi” - “lord”) acquired legendary features and was considered the standard of a brave knight who fought both Christian tyrants and Moorish ones... “El Sid is not just an exemplary historical novel, but a magnificent a book generally speaking, without any genre restrictions. Prepare to get lost in it.” (ABC).