Indie Spotlight and Book Review: Wolves at the Gate by Bart Stark

Cover of the book Wolves at the Gate, a WWII Alternate History, accompanied by a WWII military helmet

Indie Spotlight is my effort to share Indie books with as many readers as possible. You can help too by sharing this post with your social media followers. Below is my review of an interesting alternate history novel, Wolves at the Gate. This is another review I did for The Historical Novel Society.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Lieutenant Jim Fraser was in turns eager and terrified. His Bravo Company led the American offensive to liberate Charleston, but would his wife Florie and their twin girls trapped behind German lines survive the coming battle?

Consider another Second World War. Due to a twist of history during his youth, Adolf Hitler turns west and out to sea against England and America in alliance with fascist Japan and Italy. After the British Empire falls, the Axis turn on an outnumbered and unprepared United States. Instead of being waged in far off land, total war rages across the Hawaiian Islands and South Carolina, down our streets and into the homes of our families.

BOOK REVIEW

In this WWII alternate history, Hitler spends a small part of his younger years in America and realizes that there are some there who agree with his views. In August 1940, Germany attacks an important British naval port, eventually causing England to fall. These events change history. After England falls, Germany and the rest of the Axis powers turn their focus on a very unprepared United States. As the Japanese invade Hawaii, Germany turns toward Charleston, South Carolina. This book is told through the eyes of many characters, including an Army National Guard lieutenant and his wife; a German paratrooper and his wife; an Army sniper; a German spy; and many military leaders on all sides of the war.

This is an intriguing novel, with a detailed and well-researched scenario. The specifics of how and when the Nazis end up in America are very believable. The plot is intricate and well thought out, but there is so much detail that I sometimes felt bogged down. There are also shifting points of view from so many people that I sometimes felt rushed from one character to the other. That being said, the premise of this novel is strong, and the author does a great job laying plain the horrors and atrocities of war. A Dramatis Personae at the beginning helps the reader keep track of the many characters.

The story is not concluded in this novel, so it appears to be the start of a series. I’m curious to see where it goes in the future. Those interested in World War II fiction and strategic military fiction will enjoy this book.

My rating is 4.4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book via The Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bart Stark is a U.S. Army paratrooper and a combat veteran, who later entered a life of crime as a prosecutor and defense attorney. Now, Bart is beginning the third act of his life as a novelist.

After leading a vagabond life which took them across America and Europe, Bart and his wife settled in the highlands of Panama. His favorite pastime is hiking his dogs in the jungle and daydreaming dystopian futures for his characters.

PURCHASE LINK

Click on the image below to view on Amazon. **Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read this book for free.

BEFORE YOU GO

Remember, if you read the book, be sure and leave a review. It’s so important for authors and will help them immensely. Also remember to share this post with your social media followers.

Self-Published Saturday: September 4, 2021/Leviathan

Self-Published Saturday continues! Again, Self-Published/Indie authors have to do it all, from editing to cover design to marketing and beyond. This Saturday feature just attempts to give them a little help and introduce books to readers who may not have seen them before. This is a repost of a review I did of Leviathan, a World War I Novella by Malcolm Havard. I was blown away by his ability to captivate the reader and felt transported to the cockpit of a WW1 plane. See below.

BOOK REVIEW

Leviathan is a fascinating ride with a young pilot through the British skies during World War I. The thoughts of the pilot flash back and forth from his BE2 single engine biplane, to his mission, to events from his past. He’s chasing a Zeppelin, the Leviathan that has come to invade his country and attack its people.

The author’s description of flying the World War I era biplane was so meticulous and detailed that I felt like I was in the cockpit of the plane, learning to fly. At the same time it was filled with emotion, as the pilot’s thoughts flashed back and forth from his plane and his surroundings to events from his life. I was completely impressed by the author’s ability to transport us into this plane and into this pilot’s inner feelings and experiences. Malcolm Havard is an Indie author who has written a gem in my opinion. I would highly recommend this for anyone interested in World War I historical fiction or aviation, or anyone who just wants to read a great story.  

I downloaded a copy of this novella on Kindle Unlimited, where members can read it for free.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Malcolm Havard

Malcolm grew up in Sheffield, has lived and worked in Australia and the Middle-East but now lives in Crewe in Cheshire, England. He is a prolific and award-winning author who writes both novels and short fiction. He has, in the past, worked in a variety of genres.

Despite the variety, all have a similar DNA containing strong, often flawed but believable characters and telling great stories. His current body of work includes the mountaineering thriller, The Last Mountain, a 1950s Spy novel, Contrail, and Touched, a haunting novel about love and loneliness.

He has now found a niche writing historical fiction usually with an aviation background. He has published bestselling stories about WW1 and Hurricane Season, a blend of fiction and non-fiction stories and features centered around the legendary aircraft, the Hawker Hurricane. He has just written the second book in his LMF series set in WWII, and has recently released the first of the Three Brothers Trilogy, which covers a family during the turbulent period of 1910 to 1939.

Link to Malcolm Havard’s Website

Link to Buy Leviathan by Malcolm Havard on Amazon

*Kindle Unlimited Subscribers can read this for free.

Link to My Goodreads Review

Link to my Amazon Review (“Helpful” Votes Appreciated)

Two Reminders before you go:

  1. If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. This is very important to self-published authors.
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Book Review: Along A Storied Trail

Tansy Calhoun loves her job as a Kentucky packhorse librarian during the Great Depression. At the same time, she longs for the kind of romance she finds in the books she reads. When a handsome writer comes to town, she dreams she may have found it at last. But is love actually closer than she thinks? Perdita Sweet has lived in the Kentucky mountains a long time and has become as hardened as the rocky soil.   As someone who has loved and lost, she thinks she can see the best choice for Tansy.  But will Tansy listen?

This is enjoyable Christian fiction about a pack horse librarian, one of the many during the Depression who brought books to those who were living in poor and hard-to-reach mountain areas. I appreciated the fact that Tansy not only brought books to people in need, but she also spent time reading to those who couldn’t read. The trials of living in isolated mountain communities are shown, but also evident is the closeness of the people in those communities. Through the life-hardened Perdita, we learn how God can open your heart by giving you the opportunity to help others. Along a Storied Trail is a heartwarming romance with strong Christian themes of reaching out to others in need and trusting God’s plan.  Fans of Christian historical romance will enjoy this captivating tale.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Revell, for Historical Novels Review, the magazine of the Historical Novel Society. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ann H. Gabhart

Ann H. Gabhart caught the writing bug at the age of ten and has been writing ever since. An award winning author, she’s published many books for both adults and young adults. Her books cover several genres from historical to small town family stories to cozy mysteries (mysteries published with author name A.H. Gabhart). Her ideas are sparked by events in Kentucky history and by experiences in her own family. Her first Shaker novel, The Outsider, was a finalist for the ECPA Christian Fiction Book of the Year. Love Comes Home won the Selah Book of the Year award, and These Healing Hills was the Faith, Hope & Love Readers’ Choice Women’s Fiction Book of the Year. 

Ann lives on a Kentucky farm not far from where she was born. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren. Ann enjoys hiking on her farm with her grandkids and her dogs, Frankie and Marley. See more about her books at her website or join the conversation on her Facebook page.

BUY LINKS

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo