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A review by whatyoutolkienabout
The Vengeance of Samuel Val by Elyse Hoffman
5.0
Introduction
I was given a copy to review as part of the Book Tour hosted by Henry Roi PR and Black Coffee Book Tours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. I will always try to avoid spoilers in all reviews as well. #BlackCoffeBookTours #TheVengeanceofSamuelVal #ElyseHoffman #BookTour #HistoricalFiction #HenryRoiPR #AD #BookReview
Review
The Vengeance of Samuel Val is the third work I have read by Elyse Hoffman and I was incredibly pleased to see Amos return after reading Fracture. As with Elyse’s other novels this is a heart-breaking and also thought-provoking story set in World War 2. I am actually surprised how much I enjoy Hoffman’s works considering that generally I am not a fan of fiction sent in the great wars. But once again this novella does not disappoint at being poignant and also heartbreaking.
Samuel Val was blessed with a living family and tight-knit community in his Jewish Village. He dreams of becoming the village’s Rabbi but his dreams are crushed when his family and the village are crushed by Nazi Officer Viktor Naden, known as the Beast of Belorussia. Left as the only survivor, Samuel joins the anti-Nazi resistance known as the Black Foxes. Determined to have his revenge he swears to hunt down and destroy Viktor Naden. His mission 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 will discover that the Beast of Belorussia might be closer than he thought. All at once he is given the chance to destroy the monster who has haunted him but the price will be high. Will Samuel sell his very soul to get his revenge? You will have to read to find out.
While this is a short novel of around 110 pages it certainly does not hold back. It was lovely to see Amos again but it was also so saddening to read the atrocities that the Jewish people had done to them in the war. As always Hoffman does not hold back with this and we can fully sympathise with Samuel if we do not always agree with his actions and methods. One thing I did love was how Amos plays a rather important role once again at turning people’s views around. It is hard to say more without spoiling it.
What I always like about Hoffman’s characters and writing is she shows the duality of not only the people but how their beliefs and ideals can often be questioned. She highlights the dangerousness of following hateful rhetoric blindly without taking a step back to think and consider. But on top of this we still first hand the historic atrocities that people suffered under Nazi rule. A short story but one that will stay with you long after finishing.
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#BlackCoffeBookTours #TheVengeanceofSamuelVal #ElyseHoffman #BookTour #HistoricalFiction #HenryRoiPR #AD #BookReview #BookReviewer #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book
I was given a copy to review as part of the Book Tour hosted by Henry Roi PR and Black Coffee Book Tours. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. I will always try to avoid spoilers in all reviews as well. #BlackCoffeBookTours #TheVengeanceofSamuelVal #ElyseHoffman #BookTour #HistoricalFiction #HenryRoiPR #AD #BookReview
Review
The Vengeance of Samuel Val is the third work I have read by Elyse Hoffman and I was incredibly pleased to see Amos return after reading Fracture. As with Elyse’s other novels this is a heart-breaking and also thought-provoking story set in World War 2. I am actually surprised how much I enjoy Hoffman’s works considering that generally I am not a fan of fiction sent in the great wars. But once again this novella does not disappoint at being poignant and also heartbreaking.
Samuel Val was blessed with a living family and tight-knit community in his Jewish Village. He dreams of becoming the village’s Rabbi but his dreams are crushed when his family and the village are crushed by Nazi Officer Viktor Naden, known as the Beast of Belorussia. Left as the only survivor, Samuel joins the anti-Nazi resistance known as the Black Foxes. Determined to have his revenge he swears to hunt down and destroy Viktor Naden. His mission 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 will discover that the Beast of Belorussia might be closer than he thought. All at once he is given the chance to destroy the monster who has haunted him but the price will be high. Will Samuel sell his very soul to get his revenge? You will have to read to find out.
While this is a short novel of around 110 pages it certainly does not hold back. It was lovely to see Amos again but it was also so saddening to read the atrocities that the Jewish people had done to them in the war. As always Hoffman does not hold back with this and we can fully sympathise with Samuel if we do not always agree with his actions and methods. One thing I did love was how Amos plays a rather important role once again at turning people’s views around. It is hard to say more without spoiling it.
What I always like about Hoffman’s characters and writing is she shows the duality of not only the people but how their beliefs and ideals can often be questioned. She highlights the dangerousness of following hateful rhetoric blindly without taking a step back to think and consider. But on top of this we still first hand the historic atrocities that people suffered under Nazi rule. A short story but one that will stay with you long after finishing.
Hashtags
#BlackCoffeBookTours #TheVengeanceofSamuelVal #ElyseHoffman #BookTour #HistoricalFiction #HenryRoiPR #AD #BookReview #BookReviewer #BookBlogger #BookHoader #FantasticRead #BookDragon #BookShark #BookReader #Bookstagram #BookNerd #BookReader #BookLover #BooksBooksBooks #BookAddict #Book