Region 6 by Ian James Krender is set in an alternative timeline in which Germany won World War 2.

The two main characters are Thomas and Stephen. Thomas is born into a working-class family tainted by distant Jewish heritage. After witnessing his parents brutal murder and facing a lifetime of low-paid factory work, he joins the resistance movement. Stephen has led a privileged life. Born into a wealthy family, he has enjoyed the fruits of National Socialism. After graduating from Cambridge, he joins the Gestapo and is placed undercover to spy on Thomas.

I won't give away any spoilers but I will say that I love this type of books set within alternative histories.

Received a review copy from the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

#Region6 #NetGalley

“Region 6: What if the Allies had lost?” eBook was published in 2019 and was written by Ian Krender. Mr. Krender has published two novels.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence, Mature Situations, and Mature Language. The story is set in an alternate history where Germany won WWII.

The two primary characters are Thomas and Stephen. Thomas has grown up in Region 6, what we know as the UK. He is part of the working class and has experienced first hand the ruthlessness of the Nazi occupiers. Stephen has led a privileged life in Region 6 since her father is part of the Gestapo. He has followed in those footsteps and joined the Gestapo himself.

Thomas has joined the resistance movement. Stephen is sent in as a spy to make friends with Thomas and find out more about what the resistance is planning. Stephen though is disillusioned by what he learns. That, and a growing relationship with Thomas persuades him to help the resistance.

I found the 5.5 hours I spent reading this 272-page alternate history interesting. I generally like alternative history novels and almost anything dealing with WWII. When I selected this novel I did not realize there was a significant LGBTQ component to the story. I came close to just ditching the book with a Rule of 50 at the 66% mark. As far as the resistance thread to the plot goes, that seemed realistic, but the end of the novel was less believable. The cover art is reflective of the story. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Region 6 was an easy read where the story grabs you from the start. The author managed to create a very plausible world in the aftermath of WWII, considering how WWII actually was and the characters were well written. Even if Region 6 is a standalone, I think the concept would work great as a trilogy, especially considering the ending.

Not the best alternative fiction i’ve read, bit well thought out and executed. Definitely interesting and thought provoking

Reading alternative history books, a genre I enjoy, the most important thing is to create a believable set up. I think Krender's set up is believable and he creates a vivid dystopian alternative timeline where the Nazis have won the war and have turned 1980s Britain into Region 6, an entirely Nazi controlled outpost where the populace are controlled with water additives to affect behaviour and the people who are not affiliated with the occupiers live and work in dreadful conditions. The story follows Thomas, who is one of the people who lives in a slum and works in a TV factory, and Stephen who has wealthy parents who gift him Nazi party membership for his birthday. Stephen has a good education, living parents and a good life but both men are struggling with forbidden homosexuality. When Thomas becomes involved in a resistance organisation, Stephen is sent to investigate him and the two men form a relationship.
This is not a particularly detailed depiction of their relationship and there are no sex scenes as such. I thought the characters well drawn and their motives well thought out. Thomas in particular is a character who is a bit rough around the edges and seems believable. I liked the way that the resistance fighters were depicted, and it made me think about how we consider terrorists. The plot is good too, although I think the end seemed a little rushed. Overall though I thought this was a very promising novel and I would read morby the author.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley.


Well written.. NOt my typical "go to style read".. that's for sure.. but it was an interesting read.

Region 6 takes place in war torn England 40 years after Germany wins the war in Europe. The two main characters are Tom, a young man whose parents were murdered by the SS and who has limited prospects due to distant Jewish relatives, and Stephen, whose parents are supporters of the occupying Germans. As you can probably guess they live vastly different lives.
The descriptions of the devastation still very apparent in parts of England are vivid and contrast greatly in the parts where the German occupiers and their British sympathizers live and work..
Tom, facing a lifetime of menial factory work eventually joins the Resistance while Stephen joins the Gestapo and is tasked with infiltrating said Resistance - where once confronted with the truth of the Holocaust finds himself questioning everything he has ever believed in.
As a huge fan on the alt-history genre I looked forward to reading Region 6 and was not disappointed - the story grabbed me from the very start and the details of a very different Second World War will make readers extremely grateful that the outcome was very different from the one portrayed by the author. I highly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys a well written and original story.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

Well written and grips you from the start. The concept has been used by other writers but found this not as complicated or political as others. There are only a handful of main characters so an easy read. Read the book in tow sittings, which is unusual for me nowadays.