The book is part of a series but they all work well as stand alone novels. The author weaves the present, past and supernatural elements of the books together splendidly and it was easy to differentiate which part of the book that I was reading.

She is a good storyteller, and I have been very impressed by this series of books. There were some good twists and turns throughout the book and I was satisfied with the ending.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a supernatural element thrown in.

I love historical fiction especially historical fiction that is about the holocaust/Nazi's for some reason and so I really enjoyed this. I couldn't put it down and so will definitely be looking for more by the author

In 1930s Germany, Stefan, a teen who was thrown out of his home for being gay, ends up joining the Nazi Brownshirts, committing acts of violence and bonding with other gay Nazis. It's there he meets and falls in love with Axel, the son of a rich Nazi sympathizer who is very closeted. When the Brownshirts are murdered during the Night of the Long Knives, Stefan and Axel are spared, but each takes a different path and they break up. Axel becomes a member of the SS, moving up the ranks. While Stefan rebels against the Nazis and joins the Black Foxes, a resistance group that saves Jews. But after Stefan is recruited by Ha-Satan as the master of a section of Hell, he and Axel meet up again to great consequence.

I was drawn to read this book because of the gay main character, the time period and the paranormal twist. But the writing just wasn't very strong and there were a number of anachronisms (e.g., terms like "biphobic") that took me out of the story. The book is part of a series, but I didn't feel compelled to read another volume.

Thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an ARC.

I’ve enjoyed Elyse Hoffman’s prior novels, and so jumped at the chance of reading her forthcoming novel, The Hangman’s Master.

Stefan is thrown out of his home at the age of sixteen by uncompromising parents who could not accept his being gay. Homeless, he eventually finds a place in Hitler’s Brownshirts, where he beats up Jews and opponents of the Nazi Party., but it’s also where he meets Axel, who becomes the love of his life. As Hitler’s policies become darker, he realizes that he can’t abide what the Party has become, and becomes a virulent anti Nazi, joining a resistance group known as the Black Foxes. While on a mission for them, he has a supernatural encounter, forever changing him.

I found the novel to be well written and quite engaging, and also difficult to put down. This reader also appreciated the historical notes at the end of the book.

The Hangman’s Master is part of Hoffman’s Project 613 series, and characters from some of these books either make an appearance or are mentioned in the course of the narrative. This, however, shouldn’t detract from enjoyment of the book, and it can be approached as a standalone novel.

My thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing an ARC of the novel.

I DNF'ed this book. It just wasn't for me. I tried to push through and finish it to give a full-length review, but I couldn't continue. I guess I'm not into books like these.

I received an ARC e-copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My opinions and statements are my own.