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Orphan, Vincente de Rocamora, is eager to fight to avenge the death of his father, but his older cousins and mentors have other plans for him. Vincente becomes a Dominican, rising quickly to become the infanta's confessor and a clerk for the king's adviser, Olivares, one of the most powerful men in all of Spain.

The intrigues of the court and his cousins' ambitions to make the Rocamora family powerful keep Vincente on his feet. Thankfully, Vincente is a clever actor, handsome, and a master of disguise. Even so, a stain upon the family's pure blood status, his love for the infanta, and a rival clan, plague Vincente. And the higher he rises in power, the more risky every decision becomes for him.

This is a well-written novel solidly grounded in historical fact. In addition, the dialogue is believable and the characters complex. Unfortunately, the plot, which promises to be page-turning, is weighed down by excessive visual and historical detail. Every outfit is described in full as are interiors, weapons, and physical characteristics of even minor characters. The details are not uninteresting, there are just far too many of them. In addition, historical explanations appear on almost every page, slowing down dialogue and action. To be sure, some historical context is necessary and the reader will definitely learn a great deal about 17th-century Spain. However, all these interruptions to the narrative make this an easy book to put down. If the author would cut this novel down to under 300 pages, it would be an excellent read.