My original Reich audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

During the final days of World War II, Germany is losing and Hitler refuses to accept the failure of his beloved Third Reich. Many of his top staff are as war weary as Germany’s many enemies and question his decision of murdering innocents. The only way to end the bloodshed is to end their insane leader’s life. Except Hitler has an almost inhuman ability to survive.

This alternate history portraying Hitler as a monster (and not in the figurative sense) is satisfying in many ways. It eases our group consciousness over his many war crimes. Who could stop such a creature? It also explains, though somewhat weakly, why Germany couldn’t shake such a cruel leader. Germans were human too, how could they stomach such atrocities.

There are essentially two stories linked into one book. One, the mutilated officer who wants to save Germany from Hitler, and two, the U-boat commander who finds himself face to face with evil personified. The two men are similar in temperament and honor, only one can succeed.

It is an action novel that slowly morphs into a horror story as we learn about Hitler’s true nature. Hitler as a personality is limited and the listener is left to his own imagination as to how he came to be, or what kind of event created such a creature. But there is so much lore, we don’t really need much prodding. It is enough to know he exists and must be stopped at all costs.

This little slice of history, rewritten to explain, and in some ways, forgive Germany is entertaining in the way all alternate histories are; it tickles our imagination: “What if?” The listener is asked to suspend their beliefs and try this one instead. It is close enough. Military enthusiasts will appreciate the late World War II setting as it is well depicted, especially in the claustrophobic confines of a leaky U-Boat.

Pete Milan narrates the story with his deep, resonant voice that is easy on the ears. His character voices are good and his accents are believable; each easily discernible.

Horror and military fans looking for an action based alternate history will find Reich a good listen. It is hard to call it enjoyable without trivializing the enormous tragedy of World War II, but perhaps satisfying is a better description.

Audiobook was provided for review by the narrator. ( )

“Reich” by Donald Allen Kirch:

Kirch does it again! He manages to pen a twist like no other! I hate to say what it is for fear of ruining the story for anyone else, so suffice it to say, evil has a new name in an old game. A quick read and great story.

~ Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “The Other Side: Melinda's Story”

3.75 stars. Hah, Goodreads, take that.

This review also posted on a href="http://www.abookwithaview.com">A Book With A View

Hitler. Blood-sucking fiend.That sounds about right. Hitler. Blood-sucking fiend. Vampire. Good analogy! He did feed on the lives of millions of people. Hitler. Blood-sucking fiend. Vampire.Oh, you mean for real? Now that sounds intriguing.

So goes a loose interpretation of my internal dialog upon hearing about Donald Kirch’s Reich, a different type of vampire story, and every bit as terrifying as Dracula. I love a good horror thriller, and I prefer my vampires to be pure malevolent evil over pretty, sparkly and baseball playing. But I expected an entertaining yet whimsical story blaming the Holocaust on non-human monsters. That isn’t what I got at all. Instead, I found myself transfixed by a horror story so well interwoven with history it felt like historical reenactment, like true history written in narrative form.

The novella is broken into two parts, each based on a real incident. The first, stuffed into a very long prologue, is a fictionalized account of the attempted assassination of Adolph Hitler in July 1944. Dubbed the 20th July plot, the plan was to kill Hitler with a bomb placed under a conference table in order to overthrow the Nazi government.

The second section, which takes up most of the book, is based on an obscure piece of history that would just be silly if it hadn’t actually happened. After the war, a bottle washed up on a beach near Copenhagen containing a note claiming to be from a crewmember of the u-boat named Nauecilus; it was written on a page ripped from the ship’s logbook. I won’t tell you any more than that as it would take away some of the suspense of the story, but let’s just say it was such an odd little message that I had a hard time believing it was true. I couldn’t believe that anyone other than a few nuts in the area would take note, let alone given any attention by anyone with connections. Yet a search on the web not only produced stories about this bottle and its contents, but photos of three separate articles published in 1946 in three different Australian newspapers. Australia. The information was purported to be from The Associated Press and Reuters. Someone took this event seriously enough to make it international news. Obviously it got little more attention than that and slipped into the most obscure annals of WWII history. And then Donald Kirch found it and ran.

Reich begins with a thorough telling of the assassination attempt told from the point of view of Stauffenberg, a participant in the event. The wealth of information—from details about a previous aborted attempt by Stauffenberg, to who was in the room and where, to what Stauffenbrg and his cohorts believed would happen to Germany after the act, to the fact that Stauffenberg was missing two of his fingers and one eye—are described in detail. This section was so well told and gripping, I couldn’t put the book down, even to put a sweater on when I was freezing. The world felt real to me, like I was there. The section was rather long for a prologue but none of it was superfluous. Every word contributed to the atmosphere and suspense. I felt that this section was very well written and almost could have stood alone. I liked the writing a lot when it's at its best like here. It is dark and controlled like the scenes, and flavored with the era."

The novella then moves on to the true monster story within the context of an historical piece. The U-boat Nauecilus is helmed by Captain John Meyer, a patriotic and devoted German and a friend of Stauffenberg equally disgusted by the Nazis. After a tense battle with allied ships, the U-boat returns to port only to be told they have an urgent and secret mission to transport a very high-ranking official to Norway. They don’t find out until he boards who this person is, but by then the reader has been introduced and has been suitably frightened.

There follows a suspenseful horror story about a vicious, inhuman vampire and the men who fight it. This section is again rife with historical details that make it believable and that indicate a heavy level of research. I learned a new thing or two (which I verified were not fiction) which is always pleasant.

The idea that human monsters in history were in fact real monsters like demons and vampires is not a new idea, but it’s usually mentioned in an aside in an Urban Fantasy novel about something completely different. I’ve heard things like, “Oh, yes, Stalin was a demon, too, although we don’t like to talk about it.” But here, it’s the focus of the plot. What I particularly liked was that in this tale, it is alluded to that Hitler was a human monster and didn’t turn into a vampire until close to the end of the war.

“You ask good questions tonight, Klaus. The Corporal has been this way since he had been attacked last month in Berlin. For some reason known only to him and God, he wants his meetings at night.” (pg. 14)

(For those not up on Hitler minutiae, Hitler was called the Corporal because that is the highest rank he achieved in the military.) I prefer that we acknowledge the evil that humans are capable of rather than blaming it on the unknown; I like us to never forget who the real monsters are. So I like the idea that turning into a vampire didn’t, in fact, change Hitler a whole lot, that most people in his inner circle didn’t see a big difference. Regardless, a plot based on this idea isn’t something I’ve seen before and it works.

I wish the story were longer. I believe this could have been a full-length novel with action scenes that were more fleshed out and suspenseful, more peril to the protagonists, a greater number of incidents to show how much of a monster this thing really is, and a greater use of the ship. What was there was very good; drama and fright and creepiness abound. My belief that it could be a longer book is mostly due to the fact that I just wanted more. The action moved from scene to scene lickety-split, keeping me enthralled from the first to the last page. I wanted more scenes with the monster and how terrifying it was. What I had to be satisfied with flowed well with a good balance between narrative and dialog, between action and suspense-inducing slow times. It kept me turning page after page.

As such, the pacing was excellent, building up suspense with the tightness of the prose and emotions of the players. This was particularly true in the prologue. Later, when we spend a lot of time in the heads of Meyer and Starger, where their thoughts and opinions are pretty clear, the subtle but equally intense emotions aren’t as prevalent. Big emotions like fright and anger are obvious, but the writing isn’t descriptive enough to tell me what else someone is thinking. This would normally bother me yet I’m not sure that such a thing is necessary for the audience. This is a horror story designed to illicit those big bad emotions; horror is not about subtleties. We are meant to be scared, horrified, and disturbed, and with the quick moves from scene to scene, there isn’t really much time to notice such feelings aren’t there. So perhaps this lack is a good thing, allowing the pace throughout to carry on steadily.

The characterization, too, was mostly quite good even though that is not always immediately obvious. Stauffenberg is by far the most believable and real individual to me, probably due to Kirch’s excellent research. Meyer’s first officer Lieutenant Jordan Starger is a close second. When we first meet Meyer himself he felt a bit like a clone of the would-be assassin Stauffenberg, but he eventually moves into his role of respected and accomplished ship’s captain, and his individuality surfaces. He proves to be a strong leader and intelligent man. Given how he is established as a nationalistic German who does not like the Nazi’s but loves his country, his actions and words fit him well. We never doubt who he is or what he believes. There is no time where he says or does something that is not in keeping with his persona. This is even true when he supports his men in their attempt to force a young man to sleep with a stranger in order to lose his virginity.

“You condone this type of action from your men?” the first officer asked.
Meyer’s smile disappeared. “We all have had to be pushed into love once or twice in our
lives, Number One. I see nothing wrong with this.”
“I think that it should be left to the individual, sir. That is all I’m trying to say. No disrespect was intended.”
“Under normal conditions I would tend to agree with you. But, we are at war. Life is finite. The unexpected is always around the corner.” Meyer paused, sad. “Death is a horrible thing, Number One. But, to leave the bonds of this life without ever knowing love or the soft touch of a woman on a cold night is the most horrible thing of all.” (pg. 36)

The sad but believable truth here is that these men equate sex with love. As much as it repulses me, this attitude fits with the characters as it does with many men in the real world, especially in the machismo laden world of the military; Meyer is a life-long naval officer.

The passage also shows us Starger’s youth and belief in fairness. Like Meyer, this character at first glance is very similar to another, in this case Corporal John Kane, aide to Stauffenberg: both are naïve and eager to the point that they come across as puppy dogs, soaking up every word their mentors speak. This is in line with movies of the era where military aides were frequently little more than yes-men. Starger is necessarily a far more realized character and soon shows himself to be a good officer capable of critical thinking

He’s a good little soldier and his confusion about the Fatherland, the Nazis, and Meyer’s aberrant opinions conflict within him, making him unsure as to how he should react at times. This is an ongoing struggle for Starger throughout the book, and I found it as intriguing as the vampire story. It is well handled, and for the most part, his transition from good little soldier to officer who does what needs to be done, is believable.

Unlike Starger’s opinions, Meyer’s loose lips regarding the Nazis are difficult to be believed and clearly difficult for Starger. For example, Meyer refers to Starger as “Number One,” a moniker which, while delightful for us Star Trek fans, isn’t the smartest choice given that it’s a Britishism and both men know this. Another time, the captain deflects a comment from his first officer with,

Watch yourself, Starger,” Meyer warned. “I’ll only take you and this Nazi nonsense to such a degree. I am a conservative monarchist by nature, and all this “Master Race” bullshit is quite tasteless in my eyes. It would not look good for your record if I were to transfer you off this ship before your first year is up.” (pg. 30)

I don’t believe such carelessness would allow Meyer to last long in the Third Reich, although being out to sea most of the time probably would protect him somewhat. Perhaps it helps that he has a long and illustrious record in the military to back him up. Perhaps no one suspects him because he only speaks about these things to those he believes he can trust. And true, the resistance had to find and connect with like-minded individuals somewhere. These possibilities don’t make it a whole lot more believable to me, but they did allow me to suspend my disbelief.

Starger is an unknown, green eared recruit when Meyer speaks to him above, but Meyer does see something in him. At first he doesn’t care for the man but even then he notes, that Starger, “had only one redeeming quality: He wasn’t a Nazi.” (pg. 25) But shortly, greatly due to enduring battle together, the two men begin to trust one another. Meyer becomes more vocal about his attitudes and sees Starger as a potential ally and begins to confide in the young man, saying,

“You know, as well as I, that we are losing this war.”
Starger choked on his drink. He gave his captain a frightened look. “I would watch who I said that to, if I were you. You never know who might be listening.”
“Germany’s days in France are numbered.”
Starger was shocked. With his loyalties divided between his political party and his captain, he tried to see if anyone was listening. (pg. 37)

It is only later that we begin to understand Starger’s motivations. At one point, the crew begin to suspect Meyer’s loyalty to their nation (reinforcing the point that it’s shocking he would have lasted this long). Starger brings this information to Meyer who defends himself with,

“I question, Number One, because I am human. It is our nature to question. Our right.” Meyer paused, “But, to answer your question: I’m as loyal as you are, but only to Germany. I fight for country, not king.” (pg. 47)

But at that point, Starger’s reply is surprising and reveals the man underlying the good soldier saying,

“I understand, sir. I have long awaited a brave young boy to step forward and tell the Emperor that he is naked … I do not serve the Party, sir. I am here to protect those I care about.” (pg. 47)

His loyalty is to his superior officer, the man he admires and supports, and to his people, and those facts are clear and his actions believable throughout in that context. His growth and development during the course of the story is necessary and well done.

The other characters were fairly well rounded as well. Even Hitler is nice to someone at one point, despite usually being angry and screaming all the time. I appreciate this extra dimension given to a monster. But there is a priest who plays a large part in the second half of the book who doesn’t work as well for me. Although there were some original and engaging elements to his character, there were others that didn’t quite fit or weren’t consistent. For example, his opinions were too instant and strong and changed too rapidly for an experienced priest used to hearing the wild and varied words of parishioners asking for absolution. Then again, as an Irishman, he is undoubtedly prone to boisterously announcing his opinion in extremes, if my family and Hollywood stereotypes are to be believed. Regardless, he was an interesting character, and once I accepted these aspects to his personality, he was who he was, and rounded out the group well.

One of the more problematic things for me was the presentation of women. The only females that exist in this book are a prostitute, who has no name even to her consort and who is referred to only as “The French Woman” or even just “The Woman”; a teenager literally rolling in the hay with her beau existing solely to be a victim of slaughter; and an innocent “girl” who exists to be a fairly insignificant love interest. These are little more than stick figures who are mostly unnecessary. None of them appear in more than a few pages.

Not that this is in the slightest bit unusual when it comes to stories about the war. Since women weren’t part of the military or leadership of that era, they rarely exist in novels or film as anything other than wives, mothers, servants and love interests. This bothers me, because they were still a part of society. They still had opinions on things, especially those that related directly to what was happening in their own lives. Here in the US, WWII was a time for women to realize that they could do the things men could do as they took over jobs in factories and hospitals and elsewhere, vocations that were almost exclusively held by men. This was out of necessity as their husbands were sent off to war leaving these positions unfilled.

While the societally acceptable young woman in the book, Kate Donavan, might not have said anything when the men were discussing tactics, it would have been nice if Kirch allowed her more of a presence at the table. Pages went by with no mention of her even though she was in the room. I think she would have reacted in some way to the frightening and bizarre pictures they were spinning; widening eyes, tense muscles, deep concentration—there had to be something to describe. If it were true that she wouldn’t say anything, then at the very least, this body language would have been nice.

Perhaps I’m expecting too much for a novella. Truthfully, I think most men and many women don’t think about these things when writing. We are so socialized to accept the popular view, which in this case is the media’s portrayal of women in that era, that it doesn’t occur to us to challenge it. But even given that, Kate and one of the young men are supposedly falling in love, and there is not enough evidence to make this feel real—physical attraction yes, romance no. This is another reason why I think this book could have been longer.

The woman does finally backbone up a bit, to invent a verb. At one point, she comes running after the men after she was told to stay put. She overhears them saying something and asks, “Where?” but that is the extent of her inquiry. The men are clearly not pleased she came and she does show her frustration.

“Kate, you have been a wonderful soldier,” Meyer proclaimed, sadly. “It’s time to go home.”
“What?” Kate said, insulted.
“He’s right, dear,” Donavon agreed. The priest was busy refilling his empty bottles with water from a nearby fountain. “This is no place for a woman.”
Kate started to storm off. Her expressions clearly let the men know that she was angry with them and their old-fashioned ideals.
“I can’t believe this,” Kate yelled, walking away. “Men!” (pg. 95)

The problem is, all she came to do was tell Starger he was brave and kiss him, and then she leaves without trying to find out more information. I wish she had come to help. The response of the men is typical and apropos of the time so I don’t fault it, but it was terribly annoying:

The three realized that they had done the correct thing [by sending her back]. (pg. 95)

Overall, this was an entertaining read. There was a bit too much foreshadowing, the heroes were a bit too perfect, and the manuscript would have done well having a professional copy editor (people: no one can copy edit their own work, not even copy editors). But this is eclipsed by the wealth of historical information pervading the story that is used to further the plot: how Hitler the vegetarian becomes Hitler the vampire, how Hitler was easily seasick and this affected his behavior aboard the u- boat and so forth in addition to my examples above.

Despite my concerns, even about the women, I really enjoyed the book. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in monsters, vampires or the supernatural in an historical or military context. You might even learn something; I did, and I think that’s pretty unusual in a horror book.

The author provided a copy of this book for the purpose of review.



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