Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Having really enjoyed the first book in this series I was super excited to start this book to see what happened to the characters and how the plot continued to unfold.

The characters, just like in the last book, were incredibly written and I thought that it was really interesting to see more of the high ranking Nazis in this book. Especially because we got the odd perspective shift to Hitler as he was starting his journey to the power he has reached during the main events of the novel. My favourite characters continued to be developed after the events of the first book and to see them become deeper people was honestly such a delight and I cannot wait to see where they go in the next book. We were also introduced to some new characters, including Ian Fleming (the author of the James Bond novels) which I thought was a really nice addition, as well as Crowley who was a very interesting character and I am intrigued to see where his character goes in the next book.

The plot was well-paced and I liked how it travelled around just like the first one, as well as being fitted in among the actual historical events that the book is set around. It was full of twists and turns yet that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me just want to keep reading in order to find out what was going to happen and to find out whether the SOE mission was going to succeed in getting their hands on the new swastika that they were hunting It was just so interesting, partly again because we were able to see a young Hitler and get a bit more of an insight into the magic lore aspect of this book. And of course, we still had the treasure hunting aspect of the book that took us from Crete to Berlin to Venice and I just loved how that was still integral to the story.

The writing, again just like the first book, was wonderful and yet again it just kept me so engaged the whole way through. I was so tempted to just keep going and read it all in one sitting. And of course, the characters and the historical aspects of the novel were still handled incredibly well and I genuinely think that these authors are so talented and I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment of this series.

Good & Evil is the much anticipated second book in the Black Sun Series. A hugely enthralling historical thriller that pitches the forces of the Allies against the Axis Powers in the Second World War, in a race to find four powerful supernatural swastika relics. The victor will achieve the decisive military, political, social and economic power to win the war and dominate the world in its aftermath.

“Their power is limitless. They impose their will on entire peoples. Nazism and Fascism are both avatars of pagan religions. They’re the gods of a new era.”

Commander James Malorley, heads up the Special Operations Executive (SOE), in London and following on from the first book (The Four Symbols), the Allies have already retrieved two relics and sent one to the US. The Nazis under Himmler’s secret research institute, the Ahnenerbe, have the ancient manuscript Thule Borealis Kulten and are searching for relics that remain hidden.

Heavily involved with the Allies are Winston Churchill, King George VI and Ian Fleming – yes, it’s him and as espionage capability develops, British Intelligence adopts the 007 code. Malorley’s team is joined by Aleister Crowley, a leading occultist with dubious history and bad taste, but with attributes that can help the Allies. He does, however, have connections with several characters may be undercover German spies and this leads to suspense and uncertainty of who can be trusted.

One spy we know from the first book is Tristan Marcas, who works with the acting head of the Ahnenerbe, Erika Von Essling. While they have developed an intimate relationship, Erika has no reason to doubt Tristan’s loyalty and they both appear to be pursuing an agenda that promotes Himmler’s standing with Hitler and bringing power to the Axis. Deciphering the codes and text from the Thule Borealis Kulten is like the Da Vinci Code proposition. The details of the plot and puzzle are meticulously drawn, and it weaves seamlessly through all the historical facts that are well documented. The mystery of the relics and the power they bestow is unclear. Should we ask the question, is the power they grant a force for good or evil?

The structure of the book is excellent as it switches back and forward between the two sides with a pace that delivers the momentum and energy that underpins a desperate race to find these relics, first. In addition, there is another fascinating thread delivered through the novel that goes back in time to tell Adolf Hitler’s story, from his first world war experiences with several influential people he met, the philosophy of Nazism and how a seemingly insignificant man managed to elevate himself to captivate and influence the people he spoke to.

“It’s more than a cult of personality, it’s worship. Worship that pushes people to sacrifice their lives for their god.”

A scary sentiment that if far too close to the bone in today’s world, especially when you look at their appearance and think “Really”.

Good & Evil is action-packed, with supernatural forces at play, full of suspense with clinging anxiety around spies, double agents, risk of discovery and menace lurking everywhere. A gripping page-turner. I enjoyed this one immeasurably and it is perfect for fans of the Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones. The fourth relic is up for grabs in the third book and I’m watching carefully for the release of the third book in the series. I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

Good & Evil is the much anticipated second book in the Black Sun Series. A hugely enthralling historical thriller that pitches the forces of the Allies against the Axis Powers in the Second World War, in a race to find four powerful supernatural swastika relics. The victor will achieve the decisive military, political, social and economic power to win the war and dominate the world in its aftermath.

“Their power is limitless. They impose their will on entire peoples. Nazism and Fascism are both avatars of pagan religions. They’re the gods of a new era.”

Commander James Malorley, heads up the Special Operations Executive (SOE), in London and following on from the first book (The Four Symbols), the Allies have already retrieved two relics and sent one to the US. The Nazis under Himmler’s secret research institute, the Ahnenerbe, have the ancient manuscript Thule Borealis Kulten and are searching for relics that remain hidden.

Heavily involved with the Allies are Winston Churchill, King George VI and Ian Fleming – yes, it’s him and as espionage capability develops, British Intelligence adopts the 007 code. Malorley’s team is joined by Aleister Crowley, a leading occultist with dubious history and bad taste, but with attributes that can help the Allies. He does, however, have connections with several characters may be undercover German spies and this leads to suspense and uncertainty of who can be trusted.

One spy we know from the first book is Tristan Marcas, who works with the acting head of the Ahnenerbe, Erika Von Essling. While they have developed an intimate relationship, Erika has no reason to doubt Tristan’s loyalty and they both appear to be pursuing an agenda that promotes Himmler’s standing with Hitler and bringing power to the Axis. Deciphering the codes and text from the Thule Borealis Kulten is like the Da Vinci Code proposition. The details of the plot and puzzle are meticulously drawn, and it weaves seamlessly through all the historical facts that are well documented. The mystery of the relics and the power they bestow is unclear. Should we ask the question, is the power they grant a force for good or evil?

The structure of the book is excellent as it switches back and forward between the two sides with a pace that delivers the momentum and energy that underpins a desperate race to find these relics, first. In addition, there is another fascinating thread delivered through the novel that goes back in time to tell Adolf Hitler’s story, from his first world war experiences with several influential people he met, the philosophy of Nazism and how a seemingly insignificant man managed to elevate himself to captivate and influence the people he spoke to.

“It’s more than a cult of personality, it’s worship. Worship that pushes people to sacrifice their lives for their god.”

A scary sentiment that if far too close to the bone in today’s world, especially when you look at their appearance and think “Really”.

Good & Evil is action-packed, with supernatural forces at play, full of suspense with clinging anxiety around spies, double agents, risk of discovery and menace lurking everywhere. A gripping page-turner. I enjoyed this one immeasurably and it is perfect for fans of the Da Vinci Code and Indiana Jones. The fourth relic is up for grabs in the third book and I’m watching carefully for the release of the third book in the series. I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

So when I started this book, It wasn't what I had imagined or assumed. As I read on, it felt like I was missing something...like there wasn't this huge build up of characters that you normally have in one of book. Silly me. Should gave done my research!
This is the 2nd book, due to be released in, what will inevitably be, a great series of books. I detest reading out of order but this was so cleverly written that I didn't feel too out of the loop.
The story follows several characters through WW2, even Hitler, as the search for four swastika relics is underway; relics that, in the wrong hand, could tip the balance of the war between good and evil.
The book is cleverly written in a way that mixes wartime facts with creative fiction, even with an appearance from Ian Fleming and some Bond references for fun.
I didn't expect to like but I did and I will be doing breaking tradition and reading out of order to truly get to grips with this series.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for an advance copy of ‘Good & Evil’ by Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne. I purchased its audiobook edition, narrated by Luke Thompson, to listen alongside reading for an immersive experience.

The novel was originally published in France in 2019 and translated into English by Maren Baudet-Lackner in September 2020 in ebook and audiobook editions with the paperback edition following in late November.

This is the second in the Black Sun Trilogy, historical thrillers set during World War II. As it is a trilogy, the books should be read in order to appreciate the plot and character development.

Following on from the events in ‘Four Symbols’, it is now November 1941. Germany is winning the war. Their leaders are certain that they must continue the quest for the three remaining all-powerful swastikas and reunite them with the fourth that is hidden away in Himmler's mountain stronghold.

In London Churchill decides that he has to mobilize double agent Tristan Marcas in order to beat the Nazis to the remaining swastikas. Assisting Tristan is the infamous occultist, Aleister Crowley, and a young Naval Intelligence officer named Ian Fleming.

As with ‘Four Symbols’ this was a very entertaining treasure hunt adventure that blends fiction with history, including aspects of the occult that were a secret factor in the conflict. It was especially satisfying to see Crowley doing his bit for the war effort. A number of recent biographies have focused on the possibly of his working for the British Intelligence services, mainly during the Great War.

The authors clearly have a strong understanding of the history of the occult and incorporated this alongside the more traditional history of 20th Century Europe.

It again is a strongly plotted, entertaining conspiracy thriller. ‘Hell bound’, the third and final book in the trilogy, will be published in January. Even if the outcome of the war is known, I can hardly wait for more adventures with Tristan Marcas and his team.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

World War Two thriller which goes back into Hitler's early life to explain his rise. Dragged on occasion and you probably need to have read the first book in the series.

An excellent and highly entertaining story that kept hooked turning pages as fast as I could.
I loved the mix of historical characters/facts and fantasy and the excellent world building.
The characters are fleshed and the plot is tightly knitted.
It's gripping story and I can't wait to read the next installment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Around the world, Nazi treasure hunters are trying to locate the remaining swastika artefacts in their strive for Nazi world domination.
Double agent Tristan Marcas and Nazi archaeologist Erika von Essling continue their search on the Greek island of Crete and in southern Germany, while James Malorley is trying to impede the hunt with his network of spies from London.

It’s a spy eat spy world and as new alliances become apparent, old ones are questioned.
In 1941 Europe, the danger of inadvertently confiding in a traitor is real.

Now a resident in the Tower of London, Rudolf Hess is hypnotised by the former owner of London’s Hellfire club. Sadistic rituals are performed by London’s secret Nazi sympathisers. Flemming also makes an appearance. Once again, the Nazi obsession with the occult takes center stage. Frequent flashbacks to times significant in Hitler’s life, such as his rejection from the academy (1909), his admission to a secret society set on reviving the Arian race and his time fighting in WWI, provide a somewhat loose background, merging historical fact and fiction.
The ongoing world war is only mentioned in passing, such as that Hitler’s army has started to invade Russia.

The book is an entertaining and suspenseful treasure hunt meets spy thriller. Highly recommended.

Since I read the first book in the series earlier this year, I was familiar with the characters and it only took a minute to remember what had happened to them previously. As this book continues straight where the first left off, it seems helpful to read the books in order, as the connections of different characters and places might otherwise be confusing.
I am not really a fan of the cover of the book.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

If the first book was good, this book was even better. I'd read the first book and I was afraid that the second part would let me down. I'm happy to say that this book proved me wrong.

So, in the first part, we saw Hitler's obsession with the swastikas and the lengths the Nazis went to secure them. They have already got one and are hot on the trails of the other three. Germany has no scope of losing the war once they have the swastikas on their side.
We get to see Tristan, this time better than the last. There are also references to James Bond that I enjoyed reading. Now I can't wait to get hold of the next part!

Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and the authors for this ARC in return for an unbiased review.

Will not be giving feedback on this book. Could not finish the first book in the series. Did not like it and never finished it.

In return for an honest and unbiased review, I received a reading copy from Net Galley and the authors.

I have just finished reading book two in the Black Sun series. The authors are ERIC GIACOMETTI and JACQUES RAVENNE. The book is called GOOD AND EVIL and continues the saga begun in THE FOUR SYMBOLS, which I previously reviewed.

The stories involve the hunt for four ancient representations of the infamous Nazi symbol, the swastika. Supposedly, the holder of any of these long lost symbols will have certain powers over the military, economic and political parts of his or her country. If you control more than one, your power magnifies.

On the Allied side is Commander James Malorley of the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.). His team consists of Laure d’Estillac, a French woman with ties to Montsegur (of Cathar fame) who has been recruited to the S.O.E. and Ian Fleming (yes that Ian Fleming of James Bond fame). Making cameo appearances are Winston Churchill and King George VI.

On the Axis side is Erika von Essling acting head of the SS Ahnenerbe a prominent Nazi archaeologist. Her assistant is Tristan Marcas an art historian and Erika’s paramour. Making cameo appearances are Hitler, Mussolini, Heydrich, Goebbels, Himmler, Hess and Goring.

Aiding Malorley is Aleister Crowley a leading British occultist, author and man of bad taste. Another key figure is Jorg Lanz, a former monk, founder of the periodical Ostara and the man who introduced Hitler to Aryanism in 1909.

The story drifts from Hitler’s years as a failed art student in Vienna (1909), his military career in World War I, his rise to power in Germany and finally to World War II. These episodes explain why Hitler was evil man that he was. These parts of the book were extremely informative.

The story centers around one of the aforementioned swastikas. It is found at the end of the story somewhere that is truly surprising. The incidents surrounding the mysterious artifact are very plausible. One of the artifacts (from book one) is now on its way to the United States via a ship. There is at least one more to find.

There are a few references to Ian Fleming’s hero James Bond that I thought were fun references. They include Hugo Drax, 007, the card game baccarat and beautiful women.

As you can see, there are enough real people and incidents to make the whole story seem plausible. However, it is a novel. The authors deserve a lot of praise for melding the fact and the fiction.
If you are a fan of WWII history, history in general, spy thrillers and mysteries, you will have fun reading these books. They are fast paced, informative and action packed with a little romance thrown in. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

GO! BUY! READ!

The second in the Black Sun series, I loved it even more than the first!
The book follows an allied SOE team on the trail of 4 symbols that would all but ensure a Nazi victory in WW2 - the action is non-stop and the characters compelling

Make sure you read book one before you tackle this one though!

Highly recommended for fans of history and the occult

This sequel did not disappoint. As a history buff I loved noticing familiar places and names in history and how the author chose to depict them within the novel.
Cannot wait for the third book.

Well written book but not really my cup of tea.Could not really get into the story.Did not seem to follow a easy story line.

Second in the trilogy and it just gets better and better. Lots of tension and action as Tristan Marcus continues his quest to deny Hitler access to the mystical swastika symbols. Ian Fleming makes his appearance and we glimpse links to his future writing.
All I can say is I am looking forward to the final part of this trilogy.

When I finished reading The Four Symbols back in June, I was really looking forward to this the second part of the story. I am sorry to say that this second volume did not come close to matching the quality of the first. I even checked to make sure that it was the same translator; it is. The only interesting thing gleaned was the origin of "007".

For me, this second volume is only half as good as the first and so 2 Stars rather than the 4 for volume one.

Having read the first book in this trilogy, I was able to understand exactly what was happening in this installment. This is not meant to read as a standalone and I felt like I wouldn't be able to get my footing if I'd jumped right into this book. Several genres are written to be standalone in the middle of series, but this isn't one of those.

I found the story to be interesting, as with the first book, and it's just enough of an alternate history to really capture your attention and keep it through the narrative! There are several overlapping storylines that are wound through the book, which made it a new experience every time I pulled up another chapter. Ever the adventure, thriller novel! I am very excited to see the conclusion in the next installment! Both writers are incredibly skilled and I am glad to have been able to read these novels!

I would certainly recommend this to fans of history, alternate history, WWII, and thriller novels!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good & Evil seamlessly transitions from the first book, The Four Symbols, and continues to build on the momentum. It does not suffer from the story building most second books in a trilogy tend to fall victim too. In fact, I think I enjoyed this one more than the first book. I was invested and wanted to know what happened next. I think the authors really hit their stride with this title.

I have not read the first book in this series. Maybe if I’d had I would’ve liked this as much as the other people who’ve reviewed it.

Instead, it was a challenge for me to get through this book.

The five pages of the Prologue were good. And the bits about Hitlers (fictional) history were interesting. But the other parts, well, I just didn’t care. The book jumped right into five or six characters who I knew nothing about. The assumption was that I knew their history and their relationships. After awhile it just became frustrating and I didn’t care what the characters were doing or what dynamic was suppose to occurred between them.

In the end, if you had read the first book, it seems you might like this one. Otherwise you have better use of your time

#netgalley #goodevil