This is the first in a trilogy, translated historical fiction WW2 thriller from the authors, Eric Giacometti and Jacques Ravenne, set at the beginning of the war that focuses on the Nazi obsession with the occult and the supernatural, symbolised by the swastika itself, widely used to represent their political party. It begins with the Jewish Professor Otto Neumann, now a bookseller in Berlin, is preparing to leave the city when SS Colonel Karl Weistort, Head of the Ahneberbe, enters the shop, intent on acquiring and taking a rare book from the Middle Ages, 'Thule Borealis Kulten', containing valuable information as to the location of 4 ancient hidden symbols/relics of incredible power, vital in ensuring the Nazis win the war, and leaving behind a dying Neumann. The Ahneberbe engages in archaeological and esoteric research, supported by by Himmler, the powerful Reichsfuhrer, close to Hitler, convinced that the Nazis are destined to dominate the entire world.

Commander Malorley, Head of the SOE Propaganda and Psychological Warfare Division, a friend of the now dead Neumann, is determined the derail the Nazi hunt for the symbols and does not much care how he does it. He knows Weistort and the Nazis have ruthlessly and brutally acquired one relic from the caves of Tibet and are looking for a second in France at Montserrat, convinced it was hidden by the defeated Cathars. Despite Churchill's initial opposition, Malorley and two SOE agents embark on a dangerous undercover assignment, aided by the resistance, to foil the German mission and acquire this symbol for themselves. The Frenchman Tristan, art historian and art hunter, acquires an ostensibly worthless painting during the ransacking of a monastery, finds himself inadvertently caught up in the hunt for the relic, along with renowned archaeologist, Erika von Essling.

There is plenty of adventure and action in the narrative, although it takes quite a while before the different threads begin to connect, which can feel a little frustrating. I imagine this was because the authors were taking the opportunity to establish the characters and story for what is to follow in the coming books. This is a entertaining, dark and intense read that looks at the Nazis belief system, their conviction in their superiority, and the part the occult played in that and the decisions that informed the trajectory of the war. There are occasions when the storytelling feels less than seamless, no doubt due to having two authors and translation issues. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

I must admit that I really, really struggled with this book because although the story was good and the way the author weaved historical fact with fiction was well done and it was clearly well researched, it was just too slow for me and there was too much jumping from scene to scene making it hard for me to keep track as it didn't flow particularly well and I didn't get the excitement or tension that I was hoping for.

I accept that this is my view and this book will certainly appeal to a lot of people ... you just have to see how many 4 and 5 star reviews this has got to prove that but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.

This is the first part of a trilogy. The story starts in the late 1930's then moves into the first year of WWII.
There are a lot of characters and to keep them apart I focusssed mainly on the places they visited.

The looting of artifacts has started. A group of nazis steal a sacred symbol from Tibet and bring it back to Europe. The piece belongs to a bigger structure and the search is on to find the missing parts. The journey takes the reader all over Europe, sharing a lot of historical facts on the esoteric endevours of the nazis, who study the occult from a science point of view.

The Four Symbols presents a lesser known part of WWII which I found interesting. The scenery is as grey and oppressing as any book about war. The writing is captivating, with indepth characters travelling at a good pace.
I'm looking forward to the next part in this trilogy.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

wow though i initially loved this book as it started off fast paced it then slowed...interesting concept to the book based in the second world war

but on the whole the characters were well established and right on the money...well researched....

So well written so involving Picked it up and found myself reading late into the night.A book I will be recommending a series I will be following.#netgalley#hodderstoughten

This WWII thriller explores the importance of mysticism and the occult as the SS and an SOE officer race to find four symbols that the Germans believe will ensure their victory. Based on an ancient book, the Thule Borealis Kulten, Colonel Weistort has already retrieved the first symbol from Tibet. A clue to the second symbol is in a painting hidden in Spain that was stolen during the civil war. Finding the thief and deciphering the painting with his help leads to a former Cathar fortress in France. SOE officer Malorley has crossed paths with Weistort once before and with Churchill’s reluctant approval he heads a mission to stop him.

Giacometti and Ravenna take you into the heart of Germany, witnessing the suspicions and machinations of Hitler’s inner circle. Hess’ flight to the UK and the debate to open a second front against Russia are woven into their story. The action is fast paced, making this book hard to put down. This is the first book in the Black Sun Trilogy and it will have readers eagerly anticipating the next volume. I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for making this book available for my review.

This book was a lot of fun to read and I loved how it mixes paranormal with history.
It's well plotted, full of twists and turns, with a cast of interesting characters and a vivid historical background.
It was a gripping and entertaining read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This could have been a great book, but it was just all over the place and tried to incorporate way to much. Mysticism, honor, horror, Nazis, art works, war, spies, counter spies, every one in Hitler's inter circle and Churchill. The only reason I finished it was because I said I would do a review. It took me ages to get through the muck and fluff. Way to much dialog and back story that was of no use to the story.
The story of Germany trying to find the Holy Grail and invade and capture ancient relics from Spain then in France. The good news is I will not read the additional books.

Written well and seemed interesting but, at 31% through, decided it wasn’t my cup of tea. As said it was written well and seemed interesting.

The Four Symbols is a World War II thriller set against the shrouded beginnings and growth of Nazi ideology and the pursuit of ancient relics in establishing a new order - a Third Reich. Ancient swastika relics hold importance and deep meaning that foster a new religion and a supernatural potential that could garner unparalleled power.

As the Nazis exercised their ruthless and vicious intent on Jews and everyone who opposed their doctrine, Professor Otto Neumann was preparing to meet an old British friend, Malorley, and escape Germany. Before he could leave, Colonel Karl Weistort of the SS, and head of the Ahnenerbe, entered his book shop and confiscated an extremely old manuscript called the ‘Thule Borealis Kulten’ and left Neumann to die.

“Hunched over on his chair, Otto Neumann was slipping into darkness. The synagogue had become a torch before his eyes. Now he knew that the fires outside were only the beginning. Tonight, Germany was aflame. Tomorrow the world. All because of a book. A damn book.”

The Ahnenerbe is officially a cultural institute that conducts archaeological and esoteric research, but under the direct control of Himmler, there is a fixation with the occult, which sets a dark and evil tone to the already brutal activities of the SS. Commander Malorley explains to the British prime minister and golden circle, including Churchill and King George, the background of the relics and the importance of stopping Reichsführer Himmler’s supernatural quest.

“They managed to steal a book thought to be a legend—the Thule Borealis Kulten—from a bookseller in Berlin. It was written in the Middle Ages and is said to have belonged to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa before it disappeared. It tells a curious tale from a time long ago, before Ancient Greece, even before the pyramids. A mythical continent, Hyperborea, cradle of the so-called Aryan race, was faced with the onset of an ice age. Its inhabitants fled to the four corners of the earth, while their four lords hid the symbols of their power. Four swastikas symbolizing water, air, earth, and fire.”

With the first relic already discovered in Tibet by Weistort, Malorley convinces the British Government that they must race against the Germans in finding the remaining relics.

Eric Giacometti, crafts a wonderfully sinister story with tension and suspense maintained throughout. The adventure has similarities to Raiders of the Lost Ark, but a lot less focused on the all-action, all-conquering hero. The intelligent, personable and psychotic Weistort is a great antihero for the drama that unfolds and Malorley plays his counterpart extremely well. The third main character is Tristan and he is caught between the two sides delicately playing the game that will keep him alive and prevent the Germans from achieving their plans. The plot, while fascinating and packed with excitement contained a few holes that left me wondering. I’m not talking about the connection between the early Nazi party and the occult, because that was something the party actually established its roots in. The swastika in its left-facing form is an ancient religious icon from Asia, implying divinity and spirituality, which may have encouraged the Nazi party to use it with their own counter transformation. As with this story, the factions within the party claiming devotion to the occult became more marginalised.

This book is the first of a trilogy called the Black Sun Trilogy and as one relic was discovered at the beginning of this novel the three novels are likely to focus on a relic each. This is a trilogy worth following and I would rate this first book 4.5 stars. I would like to thank Exitgirl05 for recommending this book to me and to Hodder and Stoughton, and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

Nazi treasure hunters are trying to locate four ancient relics, which are sacred symbols to the Nazis, to win World War II and establish Nazi world domination.

Nazis working for the Ahnenerbe murder a professor and steal a rare book from the Middle Ages in Berlin that guides the search for the relics and they are soon able to pillage the first of the relics. Archeologists and academics across Europe are secretly trying to protect the locations of the remaining relics, working alongside the French and Spanish resistance and the British to stop the Nazis' reign of terror from expanding further throughout Europe.

The plot is an interesting and captivating mix between a treasure hunt, a spy thriller and historical fiction, with the backdrop of Europe during the Nazi regime.
There are several narrators in different countries. It seems a bit disjointed at first, but as the plot moves along, the connections between people, places and events significant to different characters become clear. I am assuming some plot threads were intentionally left hanging and be picked up again in the next books of the series.

I definitely got to know some new and interesting facts about the Nazi regime and WWII that I did not know, such as the extent of their obsession with mysticism and the occult and other, smaller, details about some of Hitler's inner circle. Character development could have been stronger at the beginning, but it did not take away from the plot.

I look forward to reading the next instalment of the series.

Struggled to get into this one but did still enjoy. 3 star average for me. I don’t think I would recommend unless someone specially asked for this type of book

Gripping and incredibly interesting, this was a slight diversion for the sort of novel that I usually read but it was nonetheless a thriller all the way through.
A clever plot with likeable characters.
Would recommend.

Complex thriller set during World War Two. Symbols,crosses,religion and evil all mixed together.. An interesting take on nazism.

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!


You can find the book on goodreads to add 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!

This brilliant book had me hooked from the first chapter, and the more I read, the more intrigued I became. We are dealing with Nazis, the Third Reich and Hitlers passion for the occult which has been well documented, but then, we have the Cathars, ruined castles, hidden chambers and dungeons, torture, death and betrayal, and then the book stops.....and you realise you want parts two and three, NOW!!
Hitler and his team of art specialists are looking for four swastikas, that have been hidden around the world. These previous symbols of peace, if all four are found, will confer power of such an extreme nature, that Hitler and Germany will not be defeated. British spies are sent abroad to frustrate these efforts, and find these four symbols are bring them back home to safety. Colonel Karl Weistort leads a team to the monastery at Montserrat, where the first symbol is hidden . Tristan is an art historian and hunter , who is reluctantly helping in this search, whilst spying for the British. I liked his character very much and hope his role will continue in the next books.
This book concludes in 1941, Rudolph Hess has flown to England to persuade Churchill to surrender, and we are learning some surprising facts about the Masonic lodges in England, and what Hugo Boss did for the Nazi party. So many twists and turns in a throughly addictive read!,
I loved this story, and rate it as a five star read. I will leave a review on Goodreads.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton and the authors, Giacometti & Ravenne, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Four Symbols in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I thought this book provided an intriguing read. The storyline was well thought out and written based on Hitler's obsession with the occult.
I was hooked and certainly can't wait for more in this series.

**Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for giving me copy of this book for an honest review!**
3.5* This book, set during World War II, combines fiction with real historical figures as characters. This includes Churchill, Hitler, Hess, Himmler, and the rest of Hitler's inner circle. The Nazi's Ahnenerbe, a group composed of scientists and soldiers, formed to prove Aryan superiority, has dispatched teams all over the world. They even sent a team to Tibet. They are looking for Four Symbols of power. We also have a British agent, Malorley, who convinced Churchill and his government to let him go into occupied France to disrupt a Nazi archaeological dig looking for one of these symbols. There's also another character, a Frenchman, Tristan, who finds himself with a group of Spanish resistance fighters at first, then being a prisoner of the SS, then in the centre of the Ahnenerbe search.
If there's a criticism, it's the portrayal of the whole dynamic among Hitler's inner circle - the backstabbing and the power-mongering - all interesting, but does not add too much into the plot. Reading through those tended to slow the pace down. I would have preferred just focusing on the search for the mythical symbols. This book is also very clearly the first one of a trilogy. The premise is introduced to us, but not everything is explained. Presumably, the loose ends will be tied up in books 2 and 3.

This is the first book in The Black Sun Trilogy. It is no secret that Hitler was fascinated by the occult and did everything in his power to find various relics that he thought would help his cause. While the book was slow in some parts the twists and turns makes the book worth reading. I am greatly looking forward to the next book.

Brilliant book! I'm sure this will end up being one of my favorites of this year!
Giacometti and Ravenne's excellent storytelling kept me equal parts horrified and captivated throughout a book filled with unforseen twists and turns.

The Black Sun trilogy begins just before the outbreak of World War II and takes place during its first years.
WWII has always held a terrifying fascination for me, partly because of what people are capable - and willing - to do to others in search of power.
The Four Symbols takes us on the hunt for centuries old relics, supposedly infused with immeasurable power which will bring the world to its knees before whomever holds them - and Hitler's Germany has the upper hand, being in possession of a book which points them to the relics' hiding places.

I personally enjoyed the added touch of the authors keeping the german titels for Nazi officers and commanders, but I can see that it could possibly be confusing.
I think that Giacometti and Ravenne made an excellent decision in alternating the narratives - especially nearing the end, where the frequency between the changes increased; I think it managed to convey a sense of hurried dread.