I've read many World War Two novels, and I began The Four Symbols expecting a "run of the mill" WWII reading experience. I was happily surprised. This is not a romanticized wartime novel. This was grittier, more brutal, and likely, unfortunately, much more true to events.

We begin in 1939 Tibet and Colonel Karl Weistort is searching for relics that have supposed occult power in museums and in the hands of collectors. These symbols, namely swastikas, are coveted by Hitler. Weistort is relentless and vicious in his search. S.O.E. Commander James Malorley is also hunting for these at the behest of Winston Churchill.

The action moves between the players swiftly, sometimes causing a bit of confusion. But it is in the way that the authors instill a sense of fear that stands out most for me. The dangers, stress, and fear that is felt by any of the characters at any time was such that I took more breaks reading this than I usually do. I could almost feel the panic when, while blindfolded, shots were fired.

This a fantastic start to a trilogy, one I am going to be continuing.

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.

*3.5 star, but rounding up*

I had The Four Symbols (Sacred Grounds) on my NetGalley shelf for a lot longer than I would like to admit, but I finally got around to reading it a couple of months ago. If I’m honest, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting.

To begin with, I felt that the story jumped around a little too much, and it made it confusing, and difficult to follow at times. We were introduced to a lot of different characters, in a lot of different places, doing lots of very different things. However, I was still enjoying each part individually, and all of the pieces did eventually fall in to place, and come together.

The book as a whole does evoke a lot of feeling, but I didn’t find myself getting attached to any particular character. But the majority of the main characters in the story are awful people (most of them are Nazi’s), so of course the only feeling I felt towards them was hatred. It was interesting to read a book where the Nazi’s were actually the main characters though, as I don’t think I’ve ever read anything where that has been the case before (apart from maybe The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas).

The actual storyline was really enjoyable, and it would be interesting to find out how much of it was based on real life events. I’m extremely interested in history, especially WWII, but I’ve never heard of a lot of the missions and events in this book, so is it entirely fabricated? Or is it based on some real truth that I just haven’t heard about before? It does include a lot of characters that were real people, and who played major parts of WWII. It’s definitely something I am going to look in to more.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but not as much as I had anticipated. There are definitely some interesting areas of the story that can be explored more, which I am hoping will happen in the sequel, Good & Evil, which I plan on reading soon.

I give The Four Symbols (Sacred Grounds) a 3.5 star rating!

As usual, Giacometti and Ravenne have surpassed themselves.

I got excited when I saw that there was a new book published by Giacometti and Ravenne on one of my favourite subjects, the Nazis, and their lust for power through esoteric means. This time it’s Himmler and his lust for gathering occult powers from every known source, including Tibet. However, I couldn’t find the strength within me to cope with the sheer ruthlessness and extreme violence that Giacometti and Ravenne use to describe how this evil regime set about gaining more occult powers.

Normally I can cope with egregious torture scenes however, they were too much for me and I had to stop reading. I’m just so pleased that others could persist and that the authors’ have received so many 4 and 5-star reviews.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

I absolutely love a good conspiracy theory and I love thrillers that embrace this. The Four Symbols digs deep into the hidden mysteries of the Nazis and their obsession with the occult. Its a whirlwind of a book and it gives you everything you’d expect., There’s plenty of action, global locations, nefarious plots, secret societies. The pace does waver at times, but it’s still a solid, enjoyable thriller.

I always love a WW2 Historical Fiction and this one did not disappoint, especially because it included a type of magic treasure hunt.

The characters of this book were very well written and I did not expect the reveal about two of them at the end, which has me very intrigued about the next book and where they will end up going. I just found all of the characters so interesting and deep, they were all so complex and I just loved that about this book because it really had me very confused about who was going to do what next and why. My personal favourite was Tristan and I cannot wait to see what happens to him in the next book because he holds a whole load of promise, him and Erika because she is a strong female archaeologist who seems absolutely awesome.

The plot, as I said was based on a magical treasure hunt after four mystical objects (hence the name of the book) and I loved it. Of course, we had all the cool historical parts too with the SOE agents and the French resistance, and less nice we had the Nazis. However, I found that the parts to do with the Germans and the Nazis were super well written and very well handled which was something that I found super great about this book. Parts of it were more graphic than I anticipated but that didn't put me off the book in any way at all. I loved how we got to see so many different parts of the story at once as well because it allowed the reader to get a real sense of what was happening in several places at once.

The writing, as I've said was really good because not only was everything handled incredibly well but also the characters were created in such depth that they felt like real people. I cannot wait to read the next book, as I keep saying, because not only can I not wait to see what happens next but I also really want to keep reading these author's work.

Oh man...where do I start? It took me forever to finish this book. 'The Four Symbols' by Giacometti Ravenne is undoubtedly a well-researched book, but it is too slow and not as fast-paced as a book like this should be.

I think the problem I have with the story is that it feels too much "cinematic" I mean, it would look great on-screen, and I genuinely believe it could be a tv series of great success, but most of the time, it feels like it was a companion book to a movie/tv show and that's why it feels weird. It has all the elements of a screenplay and very few elements of a book. There are too many characters and too many plots, I was halfway through the book, and I had already forgotten what had happened "months" before. It has conspiracies, action, violence, but a lot of it falls flat on the page. It's too much. And by the end, the book gives no real answers; you'll only get more questions for plots that don't even matter to the story.

One thing I didn't like above all else: I spent too much time with the Nazis, hearing their thoughts, how they felt...you know, that are famous historical figures you don't want to spend too much time with, like Hitler or Himmler. I get it; they are characters in this book, and they needed their space, but I think the book would have benefitted from less time with the Nazis and more in-depth scenes with the good guys.

Sometimes knowing what the bad guys are doing instead of experiencing their feelings is way better than reading pages and pages about it. Just my opinion, though. Mysticism, looting artifacts, artifact hunters, and Cathars are something that captivates me, though so... it's not enough to earn four stars, but it's enough to keep me glued to this trilogy at least for a second book. I hope the second book will have half the characters and a plot that is more linear to follow. When the story opened in Berlin in 1938, I had high hopes, but after that, it kept moving from place to place to place to yet another place, and I get it, artifacts were hidden everywhere, but trust me, less is more.

When the stakes are too high, they also don't look realistic, and that's how you lose a reader midway.

This book falls under historical fiction, particularly during WWII. It’s one of the new genres I have come to appreciate. There’s so much that happened during WWII! I’m finding it quite fascinating to dive into the different perspectives during this wartime.

To be honest, I had a really rough time starting this book. I’ve admitted before that starting a new book with new characters isn’t my favorite part of reading. This book in particular, I feel like it took a dozen or so chapters for me to feel grounded and understood what was happening. After that, the rest of the book seemed to flow smoothly.

The setting changes in location as multiple events are happening simultaneously. This may be part of my issue in the beginning. All these characters and locations eventually come together while they seem to all be working towards a common goal of finding these artifacts and are willing to kill for it.

This action-packed book is full of descriptions of each person and surroundings that stretches the story. Sometimes such detail is necessary, but in parts of this story, it’s a bit much. I think the story would have moved along more easily without so many descriptions.

My favorite character is Tristan. He seems to academic death more than once and even lived through a fake death! This guy has been through the ringer, or so it seems. Yet, he always keeps his promises and survives another day it’s amazing!

Another favorite character is Laure. She’s strong willed and protective of her property that’s taken by the Germans. Her castle being excavated once again without her approval. She takes things in stride, but can be a bit emotional. She’s a curious person that is blunt in her demeanor.

This story takes place in 1939-41, basically during WWII. It speaks a lot about the Germans, French, Spanish, and English. It’s interesting how archaeologists are quite involved in finding these relics. It also speaks of the love of astrology, romance, and morbid humor.

A digital copy of The Four Symbols by Giacometti & Ravenne was provided by Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley. I give this book 3 out of 5 tiaras because I felt it was unnecessarily long and drawn out and I felt lost in the beginning with all the various settings. I also expected it to end with the characters coming together again, but it’s part of the Black Sun series, so maybe it’ll happen in the next book.

I received a copy of this novel from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The moment I began reading The Four Symbols I was instantly hooked. From the depth of the characters to the details of the scenes taking place it sucked me in. This is a great novel for anyone who knows anything about WWII, and who knows things about the Nazis and the occult, who would like a fun and fast paced story about these things set in a more fictional setting.

The characters were well written and gave heart to the resistance fighters that were trying to break free from Nazi hold.

Absolutely loved it and look forward to reading the next ones in the series.

This is the first book in a trilogy thriller based on WW2. The story starts in the late 1930's then moves into the first year of WWII.

The book combines fiction with real historical figures as characters. This includes Churchill, Hitler, Hess, Himmler, and the rest of Hitler's inner circle. The story follows the Nazis in their pursuit of the ancient swastika relics they believe to have an unparalleled supernatural power that could ensure their victory, and the allies who are trying to stop them.

The plot is an interesting and captivating mix between a treasure hunt, a spy thriller and historical fiction, with the backdrop of Europe during the Nazi regime.

There were entirely too many characters, locations and timelines to keep track of. I think this story needs some streamlining for the sequels, it has a fascinating premise but the execution was not quite right for my taste.

WWII occult fiction is always hit-or-miss with me. I have to be in the right mood for a Dan Brown or similar writing topic and style. This is a wonderfully fast-paced adventure with vivid imagery of a war-torn continent mixed with the mysticism of older faiths.

I loved this very much! The characters, the actions and even the plot itself! Very inspiring for my own book too!

The Four Symbols is a solid thriller set during WWII. This really explores the Nazi philosophy and Hilter's obsession with the occult, which is a different take on most WWII-era stories. Parts were slow, but overall I was invested in the story and excited to see where it went., Giacometti and Ravenne pulled together a giant cast of characters and had them all well-developed. A good start to a proposed trilogy. Looking forward to where the story will go from here.

Authors Eric Giacometti & Jacques Ravenne (http://www.giacometti-ravenne-polar.com) published the novel “The Four Symbols” in 2020. This is the first of their “Black Sun” series, and their fourth novel together.

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in pre-war Europe. German Himmler has sent SS operatives of the Ahnenerbe in pursuit of objects of obscure supernatural powers. German SS Colonel Karl Weistort has led one team to the Himalayas and found one object. An old book alludes to three other items of power hidden around the world.

If they can find all these objects the Nazis feel assured of success in their war. Churchill doesn’t believe in these occult powers. On the other hand, he doesn’t want Germany to have any advantages.

British Commander Malorley, with Churchill’s approval, begins a search for the other objects. Mallorey heads to France where the next object is thought to be hidden. When he arrives he finds Weistort all ready at work with a team of archeologists.

Caught up with the Germans is the Frenchman Tristan Destrée. Destrée seems to be as much a criminal as he is knowledgeable about antiquities. Adding to the mix of characters are German archeologist Erika von Essling and Frenchwoman Laure d’Estillac. The dig site in France is on d’Estillac property. Essling is leading the excavation. All these characters come together with a bit of romance and French resistance fighters in a struggle for the object.

I enjoyed the 10.5 hours I spent reading this 384-page WWII era thriller. The novel is very reminiscent of the Indiana Jones movies. The novel starts slowly and it takes a while for the plot to develop. It did not feel like it had a smooth flow. That is perhaps due to translation from their native French. This is the third novel (The others were Shadow Ritual & The Lafayette Sword) of Giacometti and Ravenne that I have read. They have all been very enjoyable. I do like the selected cover art. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

You can access more of my book reviews on my Blog ( https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/).

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Set in Europe during WWII, the Reich has an ancient artifact in their sights. Once obtained, this artifact will occult powers would lead them to victory and a Reich that lasts a thousand years. Their enemies know about their goal and are just as determined to thwart them.

Having read quite a lot of non fiction books about WWII, I was intrigued at reading a fictional account with a focus on the occult. It started off well but I soon found the characters were rather flat - Tristan, Malorley etc were fairly interchangeable personality-wise, whilst the female characters seemed to be there mostly to provide the few moments of romance/sex. I found myself speedreading through some sections. Overall, I found it a little disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Hodder & Stoughton, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

This book was not quite what I expected. I had been thinking it'd be along the lines of a Clive Cussler or Dan Brown-like re-telling of WWII with some insight on the Nazi organization. There were some intriguing elements, the focus on the occult was really fascinating. It was an element of WWII that I wasn't as familiar with.

There were entirely too many characters, locations and timelines to keep track of. I think this story needs some streamlining for the sequels, it has a fascinating premise but the execution was not quite right for my taste. I think it's also a risk having large chunks of the book told from the viewpoint of the Nazi torturers, for a person like me who wants characters to relate to, I found myself wanting to rush through those sections and get back to characters I could relate to.

Exciting World War 2 story mixing occult forces and actual events. The main part of the tale centres on the search for an ancient swastika hidden in a Cathar castle in southern France and the race to claim it between the SS and SOE. Full of great twists and turns with a surprise ending that neatly sets the scene for the next episode!

Not at all like Dan Brown’s books. The characters really are flat and shallow. Even the villains, which are historically real, fell flat for me. Lots and lots of characters and subplots. There is action and blood don’t get me wrong. But in the end (and it ends with a cliffhanger) it just never seemed to pull me in.
Thanks for the opportunity to preview this anyway, Netgalley.

I found parts of this book very interesting, but parts were confusing and unappealing to me. I liked the prologue and the idea of a book being of central importance. But I guess I got a little lost in the occult side of things. There were a lot of characters to keep straight and I struggled a bit. Perhaps fans of magical realism and occult will appreciate this book more than I did.

Hats off to Giacometti and Ravenne on this brilliant book! I was hooked from the first chapter!
Set in World War II, this thriller managed to add a mystical and occult dimension to the historical period I was never really interested in and make me feel like I was on a quest similar to the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The story follows the Nazis in their pursuit of the ancient swastika relics they believe to have an unparalleled supernatural power that could ensure their victory, and the allies who are trying to stop them.
Giacometti and Ravenne marvelously alternate the narratives between several protagonists and locations always keeping you at the edge of your seat. The heroes and antiheroes are so well written that at times I didn't know whether to root for the Nazis or the allies.
I cannot wait to read parts 2 and 3!
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.