When I first got this book in the mail, my initial reaction was "What?". I have to say that it was quite unexpected. I thought it was part of their wargaming series, but it turns out that it is the first book in what's known as Dark Osprey. I have to assume this will be the beginning of books on the supernatural and if so, they very much picked a good one for the initial offering.

Those of us who have watched any of the Indian Jones movies will realize that there is a tie-in between Nazis and the supernatural; "I hate these guys". You will find some rather obtuse references to the events in these movies in the book.

The major premise is that after the end of WWI, Hitler and others were obsessed with the occult. Even before he gained power, there were secret societies who delved into the supernatural, but the Nazi movement concentrated on those things which were in the distant past of the Aryan race.

It revolves around the search for items that provide the secret powers of Vril and those objects used to harness or even produce that power. The author really has a knack for story telling as he melds real history in with this rather off-beat version, complete with secret societies, secret Nazi organizations (run by the SS of course), as well as quotes from luminaries in the party and elsewhere.

We are taken on a number of searches for things like the Yeti, Holy Grail, and the source of occult powers in Tibet. The alleged use of werewolves under Nazi control is covered as are several secret bases, including one in Antarctica where Nazi flying saucers of various designs created havoc with Admiral Byrd's expeditions in 1948.

Once you get into it, and thanks to all the German names and descriptions it takes a bit, you'll find a very well done alternate history that just borders on the plausible. It is a book that I found to be quite interesting and unusual. A book that while not the normal equipment, campaign and uniform publication we are used to getting from Osprey, is well worth picking up.

August 2013

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