A review by bookbustle
The Four Symbols (Black Sun Trilogy, #1), by Eric Giacometti, Maren Baudet-Lackner, Jacques Ravenne
5.0
iven that I am a huge history nerd, World War II and Nazi Germany are not really a field I'm super familiar with, but I wanted to give The Four Symbols a try. I am so glad that I requested this book! I am a sucker for political intrigue and I love a good YA fantasy novel centered around magic. This book has intrigue by the tons and the magic is more occult-y, but I still found it really interesting reading about the ancient mythology in this book!
I threw on some Wagner (Ride of the Valkyries) and could not put this book down! Set in the very early days of World War II (the prologue is set during Kristallnacht), the narrative navigates through several different plot lines that showcase a cast of characters from many different sides. The reader is taken on a journey with SS officers in search of ancient artifacts. Winston Churchill and the British make an appearance as they attempt to foil the scheming of the Nazi government. We see French espionage, along with other characters who float in and out of the narrative as the authors masterfully weave the entire story together. I really enjoyed the semi-vignette style of the writing. A chapter can have more than one storyline playing out, though the jumps seem jarring, I would argue that this is intentional. It simulates the fluidity of war and geopolitics.
This is the first book in a trilogy that promises to span the entire war, and what an opening salvo it is! This book contains some graphic violence as it tackles literal war and figurative war via undercover operations and spy games.
Other reviews have noted that this book reads like a Dan Brown novel, which I wholeheartedly agree that it does! I would also recommend this book to fans of Tom Clancy, Stephen Ambrose, Dan Brown (obviously), and Robert Ludlum. Great read for someone who enjoys war games books, international espionage, complex plots/subplots, and an overall engaging read about World War II!
Add this to your to be read list! Publication date is September 3rd, 2020! A perfect pre Labor Day weekend purchase!
I received a galley copy of this novel courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review!
I threw on some Wagner (Ride of the Valkyries) and could not put this book down! Set in the very early days of World War II (the prologue is set during Kristallnacht), the narrative navigates through several different plot lines that showcase a cast of characters from many different sides. The reader is taken on a journey with SS officers in search of ancient artifacts. Winston Churchill and the British make an appearance as they attempt to foil the scheming of the Nazi government. We see French espionage, along with other characters who float in and out of the narrative as the authors masterfully weave the entire story together. I really enjoyed the semi-vignette style of the writing. A chapter can have more than one storyline playing out, though the jumps seem jarring, I would argue that this is intentional. It simulates the fluidity of war and geopolitics.
This is the first book in a trilogy that promises to span the entire war, and what an opening salvo it is! This book contains some graphic violence as it tackles literal war and figurative war via undercover operations and spy games.
Other reviews have noted that this book reads like a Dan Brown novel, which I wholeheartedly agree that it does! I would also recommend this book to fans of Tom Clancy, Stephen Ambrose, Dan Brown (obviously), and Robert Ludlum. Great read for someone who enjoys war games books, international espionage, complex plots/subplots, and an overall engaging read about World War II!
Add this to your to be read list! Publication date is September 3rd, 2020! A perfect pre Labor Day weekend purchase!
I received a galley copy of this novel courtesy of NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review!