First, thanks to Balzer and Bray and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book. I requested it clear back in November, as soon as I saw it available because I LOVED the first book, Prisoner of Night and Fog, and you can go read my review of that one HERE. What I love about this series is that it is about Hitler, but it starts after World War I, and we are seeing his rise and leading up to World War II. I have always been fascinated and had to read all things about World War II. Rarely did I ever really get my interest peaked by World War I history. But the first book did that for me. To see how they really were all connected, and one really led to the other, and that is why I love this book, and now its sequel, so much.
Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke (Prisoner of Night and Fog #2)
by Anne Blankman
416 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 21st 2015
At the end of the first book Gretchen and Daniel had escaped from Germany and Hitler. Gretchen had always looked up to Hitler, he had been her Uncle Dolf. But when she fell in love with a Jew, and found out that Hitler was behind the murder of her father, she was now no longer his darling. She lost her mother by having to run away, and her mother had to go live with her parents. Her brother was now dead, also because of Hitler. Daniel had to leave his family as well. This book begins with Gretchen staying with her friend that had lived in the boarding house her mother ran in the first book. He is a psychologist, and had been there to try to learn more about Hitler and study him. He's now invited Gretchen to live with his family and continue her schooling. Daniel is working for a paper in England, only instead of the hard-hitting reporting that he was used to, he is now doing the social/gossip page. He gets a message that someone in his family needs him and he goes back to Germany, even knowing it will be dangerous for him there. When Gretchen gets a coded message saying that Daniel has been charged with a murder and is on the run, she knows that she must go back and help him. Back in Germany they must try to prove Daniel's innocence while staying out of the hands of Hitler and his men, who will probably execute them on sight. It is a very suspenseful story, but so much stuff to learn about the time period. German gangsters, how the police became part of Hitler's group, how all the political parties used to get along in the country.
I really just love how the author weaves true historical facts and events in with wonderful fictional characters that you really care about. Characters that don't make it through everything unscathed, they suffer tragedies and losses and even permanent debilitating injuries. And for the most part, they do act the way you would think people really act. Even if there is still some of the silly stuff that people in love in books seem to do. And it was like watching the Titanic movie, you rooted for the people, even knowing that in the end the really bad things, like the boat sinking or in this case Hitler rising to power, are still going to happen. Even though you know if they do prove what they try to prove, it won't actually end up saving Germany and all the people in the Holocaust, you still root for them to do what they can. So irritated that the copy of the first book I ordered for the school library where I work hasn't arrived yet, because reading this sequel made me want to talk and share the first one again with teachers and students.
BOOK LINKS:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22838220-conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke?ac=1
Amazon paperback: http://tinyurl.com/l8ecbco
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke-anne-blankman/1120020441?ean=9780062278845
Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Conspiracy-Blood-Smoke-Anne-Blankman/9780062278845
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke/id903967365?mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/es-ES/ebook/conspiracy-of-blood-and-smoke
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Prisoner of Night and Fog: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17668473-prisoner-of-night-and-fog
Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.
After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.
Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.anneblankman.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7012378.Anne_Blankman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnneBlankman
TOUR SCHEDULE:
http://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com/2015/02/tour-schedule-conspiracy-of-blood-and.html
Details: 3 prizes
GRAND PRIZE: Win a signed ARC of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG and a signed ARC of CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE (US Only)
FIRST PRIZE: Win (1) of (2) signed ARCs of CONSPIRACY OF BLOOD AND SMOKE (US Only)
Starts: April 13th, 2015
Ends: April 22nd, 2015
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