“The Eagle’s Shadow” is a WWII historical fiction book by Michael Reit. This book begins with the Nazi’s invading Austria then continuing on their journey to Poland. I know so little about Hitler’s takeover of Czechoslovakia, that learning more about that was interesting. The largest fault I had with this book was the pacing, which was uneven and, at times, the not always smooth writing.

The Eagle's Shadow is an interesting read, though it didn't fully captivate me. The plot has potential with its action and historical elements, but the pacing felt uneven at times, and some characters could have been more developed. Overall, it’s an enjoyable story, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression.

I've read all of all of Michael Reit's novels, but I found this one the least compelling. I did find the historical elements very informative. I was interested in the maneuvering of the Nazi's as they invaded Austria, then the Sudetenland, the Czech's, and finally Poland. I was involved with the characters and cared about their struggles to evade capture, their confusion over which way to escape or where to go that would be safe. The situations Adela either put herself into or found herself in were really quite heroic. Felix's struggles were enormous, yet he never gave up. He was obviously the symbol of the whole of the few jews during the holocaust who were lucky enough to just "make it" through the help of friends, networks or pure perseverance.

Sometimes awkwardly written, this book soon began to capture my attention, and in the end I rate it a four-star introduction to the beginnings of the Second World War in Europe, from the Austrian Anchluss to the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. I especially enjoyed (if that's the right word) Hitler's takeover of Czechoslovakia, when a clever and relentless bully outwitted Britain and France to get his way, just as Putin is playing the Trump administration today. A cast of sympathetic characters, from Karl the opportunistic Nazi to Felix the enterprising Jew, brings these events to fictional life. Well done, altogether.

I found this to be an intriguing historical fiction that is set on the cusp of the second world war. It portrays the takeovers of Austria and Czechoslovakia from 3 different viewpoints, Felix: a young jewish man living in Vienna, Adela: a young women in Czechoslovakia who works for the government, and finally, Karl: a Nazi who's work for the party has him deployed into several key areas as the story unfolds. This was my first novel that explored the years leading into the war and it was such a fascinating look at what life was likely like for those living in the counties that first fell under Nazi control. It took me a couple chapters to get into the storylines but once I was in, I was hooked! The pacing of the story was perfectly done, and the POVs shifting felt insanely natural with the progression of the plot. The characters were unique yet relatable in their own ways and each brought something different that added to the story. I really like how the author integrated many German and Czech words throughout, anything from street names, titles, foods etc, as it added to the authenticity, making you feel as though you're in the story with the characters.
This is the first book in "The Covert War Chronicles" and I cannot wait for the author to continue on in the series.