The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman - #BookReview #BlogTour

Samuel Val's life ended too suddenly one Saturday morning.

The day had been pleasant enough at first: a holy day of rest that he spent with his family in the old Khruvina synagogue. Mama, Papa, and Samuel's three little sisters, all together like always.

The littlest, Dorit, not quite three months old, was swaddled in a pink and white blanket. Samuel's mother Hinda tried in vain to calm the infant as her disgruntled wails cut through the chants of the congregation. Papa prayed louder, blushing so fiercely that his busy beard couldn't hope to hide his scarlet cheeks. He looked forward to the day when Dorit was old enough to be teased for being the loudest and smelliest baby in the history of the Vals.

***

Samuel Val is blessed with a loving family and a tight-knit community in his Jewish village of Khruvina. He dreams of becoming Khruvina’s Rabbi, but his dreams are crushed when his family is slaughtered by Nazi Officer Viktor Naden, the Beast of Belorussia.

With Samuel left as Khruvina’s only survivor, he joins the anti-Nazi resistance group known as the Black Foxes. Determined to avenge his family, he swears to hunt down and destroy Viktor Naden. Samuel’s mission of vengeance, however, is put on hold when he is forced to escort a Jewish refugee to a safehouse operated by Black Fox Ten, a high-ranked member of the resistance.

While on his mission to save a life, Samuel discovers that the Beast of Belorussia might be closer than he thought. All at once, Samuel is given the chance to destroy Viktor Naden…but the cost will be high.

Will Samuel sell his soul for vengeance?

Award-winning author Elyse Hoffman offers a heart-breaking and thought-provoking WW2 story.

***

This is the second book in a series of three. I have not read the first book, Fractured, and this did not have any impact on my understanding or enjoyment of this book. 

It is a very short book at only 126 pages and thus made for a quick read. It may be short, but it is a powerful novella and was easy to read in one sitting.

Set during World War II, the story opens in the small village of  Khruvina in Russia where the Nazis have arrived with the intention of murdering all the Jews in this community. 

The main character, Samuel, escapes this fate but witnesses the annihilation of his family and community as they attend synagogue.  He is a character who is easy to engage with. His grief and anger following the murder of his entire family drive him to seek revenge, making this an emotive read.

The secondary character, Amos, acts as a foil to Samuel's determination, causing him to question his motives and actions. Samuel is a strong character but Amos helps him to understand his own vulnerabilities.

The author has done a great job in pulling the reader into the story in such a short work of fiction. I felt completely absorbed by this story. It does finish quite abruptly, but this has only encouraged me to want to read the next book in the series. I will indeed be reading and reviewing Black Fox One later this month and I can hardly wait.

ISBN:  978 1952742255

Publisher:  Project 613

Formats:  e-book and paperback (currently available as Kindle Unlimited)

No. of Pages:  126

About the Author:   Elyse Hoffman is a best-selling author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. Having studied WWII since the age of thirteen and with interests in fantasy and Jewish folklore, she loves to combine them in her writing. Elyse started writing novels at fourteen and finished her first historical fiction work at fifteen. She studied English, History, and Law at George Mason University. In her spare time, she loves to read, work on pretty keyboards, and hang out with her co-authors - her Goldendoodle Ari and her ex-feral cat, Echo.

(ARC and media courtesy of The Write Reads)

(all opinions are my own)