The first novel clearly tackling the Carlist theme and classified as falling into the Realism rubric is El patriarca del valle (1862) by Patricio de la Escosura, the Isabelline officer during the First Carlist War and a friend of O’Donnell later on. El Patriarca is a key work of early realist period; in terms of literary style it advances techniques typical for a new era, yet in terms of key message it conveys the same anti-Carlist narrative, presenting the opponents as hypocrites ran by the Jesuits and as murderers of bestial cruelty. The novel, fairly popular in the 1860s, features an extremely complex plot, covering also events of 1830 in France. It is valued by historians, as sections referring to the Madrid setting during the early phases of the war are possibly based on the author's first hand experience.Bullón de Mendoza 2004, p. 127 Matilde o el Angel de Valde Real by Faustina Sáez de Melgar (1863), a historical novel partially set during the war and issued almost simultaneously as Escosura's work was far less popular amongst the public because of the sex of its author rather than because of its literary quality.Bullón de Mendoza 2004, p. 128 Ellos y nosotros by Sabino de Goicoechea (1867) is the work based on extensive factual research and appearing to be of historiographic value; e.g. the discourse to what extent "fueros" formed part of the Carlist ideario of the 1830s is partially based on this very work, considered veristic in its literary style.Bullón de Mendoza 2004, p. 129 Among the authors in transition between Romanticism and Realism Antonio Truebaby some Trueba is counted among authors of “Segundo Romanticismo español”, Begoña Regueiro Salgado, Las guerras carlistas en la obra de Antonio Trueba y en la tercera serie de los Episodios nacionales de Benito Pérez Galdos, [in:] José Manuel González Herrán et al. (eds.), La historia en la literatura española del siglo XIX, Barcelona 2016, , p. 310; some tend to place him rather in the Realism rubric, as a follower of Fernán Caballero, Mariano Baquero Goyanes, El cuento español: del romanticismo al realismo, Madrid 1992, , pp. 67-75 was the one who made Carlism very much present in his novels and short stories, published mostly in the 1860s and 1870s.”existe un autor que alude al conflicto [carlista] en prácticamente toda su obra”, Regueiro Salgado 2016, p. 310 At times he might have appeared equidistant towards the Liberals and the Carlists; due to his Basque fuerismo some suspected him even of nurturing Carlist sympathies. However, though missing the usual anti-Carlist venom and liberal militancy, Trueba's works like Cuentos del hogar (1875) presented the fuerista and the Carlist causes as entirely incompatible.if fighting in the Carlist ranks the Basques are usually presented as drafted by force; Trueba himself twice fled the Vascongadas to avoid the Carlist rule, Regueiro Salgado 2016, pp. 315-322
