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.

A fascinating exploration of some of the weirder aspects of Nazism, including the fascination with the occult. I liked the effort taken to bring a sense of truth and history to the story. I wish I had read the other books in the series first, but the book really does stand alone.

Amazing experience reading this .. I keep getting drawn in whenever I set it aside (I have to sleep, right?) It took me a while to engage with characters but when their plight became clearer, I was in .. yes, sure, cliches of the era are here but in a way the shorthand , as it were, makes reading experience faster/ pacier.. I just know I'm going to look for earlier ones in series ...

Hellbound is the final book in a superb supernatural spy thriller series, called the Black Sun Trilogy. During the Nazi reign in Germany in the 1930s and 40s this epic trilogy portrays the story of the hunt for four sacred swastika icons that could provide such supernatural power that the holder will control the outcome of World domination. As we head into this final book, set in 1942, the Nazis have one swastika, the Allies have one, one is lost in the sea off Venice and the fourth was once owned by the Romanovs and is now the focus of this last and decisive hunt. Whoever finds the fourth icon will tip the balance of power in their favour.

Tristan Marcas is a French double agent working for the Allies and his relationship with German, Erika von Essling, typifies the precarious and terrifying balance in determining true intentions. During a period of history where deceit and espionage were unrelenting and deeply disguised, trust is a commodity that cannot be traded. The atmosphere of the dark clandestine and sinister era of World War II is wonderfully maintained and delivered at a non-stop pace. With pressure coming not only from apparent enemies but also from within, Tristan is not sure if anyone will want him alive when this is over.

While the conclusion of the trilogy bears witness to history and the destination of the final swastika is unsurprising, how this is developed by Giacometti and Ravenne is impressive, exciting and hugely entertaining. I have commented on the previous books that it did remind me of Indiana Jones, and that is very true although with less tongue-in-cheek dialogue and much darker overall.

If you love an action-packed adventure, and a race to find powerful icons that can sway the outcome of World War II, this is going to make you smile like being told chocolate is good for you. I can highly recommend this book and I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

Hellbound is the final book in a superb supernatural spy thriller series, called the Black Sun Trilogy. During the Nazi reign in Germany in the 1930s and 40s this epic trilogy portrays the story of the hunt for four sacred swastika icons that could provide such supernatural power that the holder will control the outcome of World domination. As we head into this final book, set in 1942, the Nazis have one swastika, the Allies have one, one is lost in the sea off Venice and the fourth was once owned by the Romanovs and is now the focus of this last and decisive hunt. Whoever finds the fourth icon will tip the balance of power in their favour.

Tristan Marcas is a French double agent working for the Allies and his relationship with German, Erika von Essling, typifies the precarious and terrifying balance in determining true intentions. During a period of history where deceit and espionage were unrelenting and deeply disguised, trust is a commodity that cannot be traded. The atmosphere of the dark clandestine and sinister era of World War II is wonderfully maintained and delivered at a non-stop pace. With pressure coming not only from apparent enemies but also from within, Tristan is not sure if anyone will want him alive when this is over.

While the conclusion of the trilogy bears witness to history and the destination of the final swastika is unsurprising, how this is developed by Giacometti and Ravenne is impressive, exciting and hugely entertaining. I have commented on the previous books that it did remind me of Indiana Jones, and that is very true although with less tongue-in-cheek dialogue and much darker overall.

If you love an action-packed adventure, and a race to find powerful icons that can sway the outcome of World War II, this is going to make you smile like being told chocolate is good for you. I can highly recommend this book and I would like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in return for an honest review.

Hellbound is the third book in the Black Sun trilogy and a monumental finale of the series.

World War II has officially begun and everyone is trying to unite all four sacred swastikas to achieve world power. The German Nazi government has one swastika, the Allies have hidden another in the USA, and the third swastika is lost in the Mediterranean in Venice.
Now set in 1942, the hunt for the last remaining swastika symbol has begun. Behind the scenes, the Nazis, the Allies, and Russia are all racing to find the last swastika that will seal the fate of the world. The allies are doing what they can to prevent this last swastika, which used to belong to the Romanov family, from falling into the hands of the Nazis. French spy Tristan Marcas is still working undercover for the Allies, pretending to help Himmler and the SS in their search for the swastika. But old foes reappear and he is increasingly concerned that he will become expendable to the Germans as well as to the Allies once he has located the last swastika. Tristan’s search for the swastika takes him to London, but when German Abwehr agents there close in on him and also capture and torture Allied agents, all hell breaks loose.

The book is a spy thriller and a treasure hunt in one and very fast-paced and entertaining. It was fun to read the entire series and to find out how the authors explained the end of World War II.
The Black Sun Trilogy books are best read in order, to make sense of the different characters and their history and role they play in the series.

The end of WWII is well known but a very interesting alternative of why it ended and how Germany was defeated is provided here.
While I had extensively studied WWII in history class in high school, I still got to know interesting details, such as Stalin having planted watermelons in his well-tended garden in a datcha in the suburbs of Moscow, which he loved serving at official dinners.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and authors Giacometti and Ravenne for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Authors Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne (http://www.giacometti-ravenne-polar.com) published the novel “Hellbound” in 2021. This is the third book in their “Black Sun” series and their fifth publication.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of violence. The story is set in 1942. There are three primary characters. Frenchman Tristan Marcas, German Erika von Essling, and French SOE agent Laure d'Estillac

The Germans are looking for the last of the alleged sacred Swastikas. They believe Germany will easily complete the conquest of Russia once they have it. Of course, not all within the German hierarchy believes in the paranormal solution. Enough in power do to aggressively continue the search. The British for the most part, think the Swastika's magical ability is rubbish. However, they want to pursue any available options to disrupt German war efforts.

Marcas is still operating deep undercover as a double agent. His romantic interest in von Essling continues to grow. He continues to pursue the last of the Swastikas. There is a connection between the last Swastika and the Romanov Royal family. The trail to the Swastika leads Marcas back to London.

I enjoyed the 8.5+ hours I spent reading this 308-page WWII era thriller. This is very much an ‘Indiana Jones’ type of tale. It is pure entertainment. I like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

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I had a lot of fun in reading this series and this is the excellent last installment.
It's highly entertaining and well written, it kept me hooked and entertained.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date January 28, 2021.***

3.5 - 4 stars

I found this to be an enjoyable ending to the Black Sun trilogy. The historical ending is known from the start, but the journey there was very interesting due to the well-written characters and storyline.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Hellbound’ by Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne in exchange for an honest review. It was originally published in the French language in 2020 and translated into English by Maren Baudet-Lackner in January 2021. I did purchase its ebook and audiobook editions on publication.

‘Hellbound’ is the third and final book in their Black Sun Trilogy of historical thrillers set during World War II. Following the events in ‘The Four Symbols’ and ‘Good & Evil’, the hunt for the final relic reaches its climax.

It is now July 1942 and while Britain has ruled out the risk of invasion, Russia is suffering as Hitler's armies continue their assault. Stalin and Churchill meet to plan strategies. Meanwhile, the Nazis continue their occult war seeking to tip the scales in their favour.

Double agent Tristan Marcas is searching for the Romanov treasure, which is said to harbour the final of the four sacred Swastikas as the battle comes to a head...

This has been a cracking adventure that I have thoroughly enjoyed. I have appreciated the degree of historical research within this trilogy, especially with respect to its occult aspects.

I am hoping that following the success of this trilogy that further novels by Eric Giacometti and Jacques Ravenne will be published in English.

Hitler’s interest in the occult is well documented, but how would the war have ended if Germany had been able to harness the powers that he hoped to find? The first book of the Black Sun Series introduced the story of the four sacred swastikas and the idea that their possession could ensure victory. Germany acquired one, a second one was sent to America for safety and a third was lost in Venice. Hellbound completes the trilogy with the search for the fourth symbol.

Tristan Marcus, a Frenchman, has been working for Himmler to recover the symbols. Unbeknownst to Himmler, he is also working for Malorley of the SOE to prevent Himmler’s success. Opening with the death of Tsar Nicholas, who had possessed the fourth symbol, the story quickly moves to Germany, Paris and its’ catacombs and finally to England. The outcome of WWII is a matter of history, but Giacometti and Ravenne make the journey to that outcome an exciting one. I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for providing this book for my review.

We are now in 1942 and this is the 3rd and final instalment of this trilogy. Tristan Marcus is still searching for the mystical swastikas.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series which at times has been very tense and action packed.
Will all swastikas be found? Will their hidden power be used? Read and find out.

The final episode of the Black Sun Trilogy. All ends are tied up, there are some spectacular twists, but most importantly the book is believable. Good, bad and evil characters all play their parts in their hunt for relics which will determine the future of mankind. It's hard to say more without revealing spoilers. Recommended.

Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton, and NetGalley for an ARC.