History states that World War I was triggered by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary on June 28, 1914, at the hands of the revolutionary group Young Bosnia.
Although this is true, traditional historians fail to acknowledge the trove of recovered censored documents citing Franz Ferdinand’s murder was a false-flag operation concocted by Kaiser Wilhelm II and a veiled faction of his Prussian Secret Police dedicated solely to occult and paranormal activities.
These documents state the kaiser’s true intent was to provoke France into battle for harboring an elusive fugitive wanted by the German Empire—an enigmatic and shadowy figure known in elite intelligence circles as “The Sommelier.”
Elizabeth Báthory was a Hungarian land baroness who supposedly lived under house arrest in her final years for cannibalizing hundreds of children in the early 1600s. This is in direct contradiction to redacted files obtained by MI6 citing Elizabeth Báthory was far more dangerous than her historical record implies and was also alive well into the early twentieth century.
The historical accounts surrounding the German Empire’s entrance into World War I and Elizabeth Báthory’s death in 1614 are gross falsifications.
This is the true story of Kaiser Wilhelm’s quest for immortality and global domination through his unholy alliance with the demi-demon Elizabeth Báthory, which ravaged northern France during the Battle of Arras in World War I.
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I found the second book of The Nosferatu Conspiracy to be an entertaining yarn, combining horror and history into a thriller of two vampire hunters fighting a vast occult conspiracy. Even though I had come into the series in the second book, I certainly want to go back and read the first book. I’ll also be picking up the third in the series when it’s out.
The Sommelier is the second book in The Nosferatu Conspiracy series by Brian James Gage. A synopsis of the first book, The Sleepwalker, provides an excellent framework for readers in this riveting, chilling, and hair-raising tale that is both unsettling and addictive.
German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II, the ruler of the Prussian Empire, is working toward world domination and searching for the bottle of Vlad Dracula’s blood so that he and his mistress can achieve immortality and conceive a superior and untouchable child personified by evil. Augusta, Wilhelm’s wife, has stooped to devious measures in the hopes of stopping the mistress from becoming her successor.
Creatures with supernatural abilities and powers also want to obtain the bottle of blood along with an enchanted sword for their own nefarious reasons. The warlock in possession of the items is on a quest to find and protect Prince Felix Yusupov. Felix and his best friend, Rurik Kozlov, have left Saint Petersburg, Russia, for Bucharest, Romania, to settle a score and keep loathsome individuals, vile creatures, and demonic entities from succeeding in their gruesome activities. They are armed with the necessary equipment and supplies to help protect themselves from physical attacks caused by supernatural means. In their travels, challenges greet them at every step along the way, with their lives constantly in jeopardy. They run across allies who possess magical abilities, which are utilized in facing off against bloodthirsty beings with grotesque appearances and sadistic intentions.
Gage has penned a gut-wrenching thriller packed with heart-pounding twists and non-stop action. It is split into three parts, each with thematically relevant titles that superbly tie the story together. Chapter headings include the date and time relevant to when events take place. Some headings also include excerpts about covert activities involving the top echelon of the Kingdom of Prussia, a clipping about unlawful acts covered in a once publicized Berlin newspaper, and a German fairy tale centered around a witch in the story. The author has created a diverse cast of characters who possess a unique variety of personality traits, special powers, and unforgettable physical characteristics. The depiction of brutal acts of violence and spine-tingling fight sequences fits in well with the characters involved in situations that could have a favorable or unfavorable outcome.
The Sommelier includes vampires, warlocks, witches, werewolves, undead humans, swords imbued with mysterious powers, magical incantations, strong family and friendship bonds, treachery, clandestine meetings, horrifying battles, kidnappings, dark secrets, telepathy, and torture. The story is jam-packed with tension, suspense, and epic twists and turns that keep readers engaged in anticipation of what will happen next.
Gage has written a thriller that will keep readers thoroughly engrossed and give them goosebumps. The English translation is provided for foreign words and phrases. Scattering of profanity throughout the book is used judiciously and suits the characters. At the end of the story, Gage includes a brief overview of what will transpire in The Last Seraph, the conclusion to a blood-curdling series that is not to be missed.
I loved the intermingling of history with the vampire lore and magic. James Gage weaver an interesting take that is worth the read. Was the history 100% accurate? Probably not, but an author needs poetic licence to make the story unfold and work. This series is well worth your time and i, for one, can't wait to get the third concluding book! You rock Mr. Gage - keep up your work!
I tried to start this immediately after I finished the first book in the series but I think my brain needed a break. I started over a few days ago and it was definitely worth the pause.
I'm amazed at the amount of research that must have gone into this book and the intertwined pieces of everyday lore that we accept but don't necessarily question regarding Vlad the Impaler, witches, werewolves, and other supernatural things.
Granted, there is an element of hokiness in this text that I don't recall from the first book- a bit of overstretching, perhaps, but it did make me giggle.
All that aside, it is a well-written book and definitely appeals to my interest in historical fiction combined with the supernatural.
I'm looking forward to the release of the third and final book.
DNFing at 80% …. I’m really detesting how boring this book is and what a disappointment it is compared to the first book, which I really enjoyed. All the cool facets of the story and the more worthwhile characters are put on the back burner for the half-baked numerous subplots and filler characters that honestly should have been reworked or left in the rough draft. It feels like rather than just following what should have been the logical aftermath of the first book, the author turned its back on that in favor of making an amalgamation of fantasy troupes. I’m pretty relieved to end this book now… it was becoming a real slog.