AUTHOR: Gabriel Sanchez Ogáyar
PUBLISHER: Ginger Ape Books & Films, S.L.
GENRE: Historical Fiction
READER’S NAME: Milly C. Lugo-Rios
DATE: March 26, 2014

History aficionados would find in Gabriel Sanchez Ogayar’s book a treasure of adventure bursting with cultural information during a particularly crucial stage in Spain’s history. The plot takes place after the defeat of Moorish rule in Granada and revolves around the Christian rulers underhanded schemes to obtain absolute power. They aim to crush the beliefs and traditions of the remaining moors in order to solidify their control of the city. To accomplish their goal, local government, aided by members of the Spanish Inquisition, seek to destroy all Islamic printed materials, especially, Islam’s holy book – the Koran; thus, the subtitle of Ogayar’s work, “Las Guerras del Libro.” (The Book Wars)

Los Inquisidores de Granada is heavily annotated with explanations and definitions of Islamic terms and information regarding particular locations of historical value. While these footnotes sometimes tend to be distracting, they do help explain the intricate societal and cultural mores among the people of Granada from that period.

The dialogue and style is similar to fiction written during the 15th and 16th century in Spain and Portugal. The appeal of Los Inquisidores de Granada lies in the treatment of the Spanish Inquisition and their indiscriminate regulations. This underlying theme is enhanced by strong characters who engage the readers and help bring the series of events to a human level. Readers who enjoyed the historical epics such as Ken Follett’s books The Pillars of the Earth and World Without End would enjoy reading Ogavar’s trilogy Las Guerras del Libro. (The Book Wars)