The Palace at the End of the Sea

Theo Sterling #1

by Simon Tolkien

A young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity—and a cause—at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War in a thrilling, timely, and emotional historical saga.

New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling’s world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies too.

From New York’s Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Theo’s harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Spain, War, Literary Fiction, Coming Of Age

453 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

Simon Tolkien is the author of No Man’s Land , Orders from Berlin, The King of Diamonds, The Inheritance, and Final Witness. He studied modern history at Trinity College, Oxford, and went on to become a London barrister specializing in criminal defense. Simon is the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien and is a director of the Tolkien Estate. In 2022 he was named as series consultant to the Amazon TV series The Rings of Power. He lives with his wife, vintage fashion author Tracy Tolkien, and their two children, Nicholas and Anna, in Southern California. Follow Simon at https://www.simontolkien.com/

Reviews

[Beata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed one of the Author's other novels, so was thrilled to have been granted a copy of his latest offering. Unfortunately, I did not find much that appealed to me.
Theo Sterling as a child finds out about his background that is denied by his father, and over next years he tries to define his identity. The story starts in New York just before the Depression, and continues in Europe where, thanks to his mother's second marriage, he is given an opportunity to observe different environments.
The novel is easy to read, but characters do not develop as the story progresses, and I found them rather unbelievable, for instance Theo's mother and his step-father's relationship or de Lisle's fascination for Bolshevik Russia seemed implausible, or perhaps as a reader I was not fully convinced by the Author.
This book is Volume 1, and I hope Volume 2 is more captivating.
*Many thanks to Simon Tolkien, lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for arc in exchange for my honest review.*

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story follows Theo Sterling from his childhood in New York during The Great Depression to his schooling in England at the rise of Fascism and onto Spain, where he gets caught up in the beginnings of the Spanish Civil War.

It could be a good story about causes and belief, but unfortunately, Theo is (for me) a particularly unlikeable child and young man. Fair enough he's not exactly been lucky having been born at a time when everyone except the ultra rich were flung into poverty but he's the most easily led character I've come across in a long time.

He does show some admirable qualities, such as compassion, in his younger days, but he begins to follow causes blindly from his teens. And it's never because he's passionate about a cause - he's just desperate to impress people. So he ends up fighting for communism because of a charismatic boy at public school, then he fights the fascists because he fancies some girl and finally becomes involved with the anarchists because of a pretty girl.

Now I don't imagine that there weren't people like this who saw the civil war as a romantic adventure only to find out that getting shot is the same no matter who you fight for; or saw communism as a balm to cure capitalism but they don't make for great "heroes". I certainly didn't warm to Theo at all.

The narration by Thom Rivera was also problematic. Theo's voice was fine but Sir Andrew, Theo's stepfather sounds like a Monty Python character; a Welsh schoolboy wandered between Welsh and Scottish; I think one couple was Irish but they could have been English West Country. Saving the best for last, the clear winner was Theo's Mexican mother, who was one "ay ay ay" away from being Speedy Gonzalez. My advice, as always, to narrators is that if you cannot do anything but caricatures of accents then don't attempt them.

I'm sorry to sound so negative and I'm happy I'm in the minority but there wasn't enough history and, failing that, there were no great characters. The story is set at a fascinating time in history but this felt like so much melodrama with little substance.

Not for me.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for the audio advance review copy.

[Shree G · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Palace at the End of the Sea is a book that transports the reader to different cultures at different times. Using the book as a voice, the author very beautifully and meticulously approaches holy customs, lineage, and progressive thinking while keeping the storyline engaging and interesting.

Some parts of the book stand out more than others. It is like watching a tense and riveting movie scene unfold before you when the story's characters get confrontational, questioning customs and traditions linked to the faiths they follow. The author succinctly shows the points of view of three generations of the Stern/Sterling sons, each zealously defending their opinions and decisions about the old and the new.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Back to the review. There is a constant dialog or self-introspection about the dichotomy of one's beliefs, and the perennial dilemma about wanting to blend in (read when in Rome, do as the Romans do), or be steadfast about carrying the rituals and customs of our ancestors.

To quote the author, 'Michael Sterling was not a religious man, but he had an unswerving faith in his adopted country.'

Theo's father Michael rebelled against his parent's beliefs to accommodate his non-Jewish wife. The author handles this topic ever so gently, yet explains it with lucid and crystal-clear prose.

This book taught me many new things about Jewish customs. I have worked with Jewish people and know some basics, but this was different. For example, I learned about 'Silent Shiva.' I also discovered that the Jewish holy book, the Torah is kept in a container called a 'mezuzah.'

This book is also a 1930's travel guide to New York. From shimmering churches to Coney Island, and everywhere in between, the reader is taken on a first-class tour across the Big Apple. I'm sure those who live in NY would relate to these places much more. Yours truly took Google Maps' help to relate to the parts in the story to assimilate the picture in my head better.

The first Theo series novel was exciting, and I look forward to reading the next one!

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting novel but could of been shorter

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well thought out plot

Engaging story of a young man in New York City at the start of the Great Depression. The story moves to England and his coming of age there. This story reminded me of A Tree Grows vin Brooklyn and other expertly crafted works. Enjoy!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel follows Theo Sterling through his adolescence. His journey starts in New York when he gets taken by his paternal grandfather and learns that he is part Jewish. His father comes to get him when he realizes where he is. Theo is a very intelligent boy who doesn't feel close to his father, who runs his own business, nor does he feel support from his mother, who is a Mexican refugee. Theo is forced to leave school at the young age of 14 to join his father in running his business during the Great Depression. From then on, Theo is challenged throughout his journey in life as he moves to England and becomes friends with a Communist student at his boarding school.

I find this novel at times to be incredibly boring. I love historical fiction, but for the first novel in the series, I felt like too much was going on at times while also giving nothing exciting or impactful. Theo is going through life learning to determine who he is and what type of person he is going to be, but he just came across as wishy-washy and sort of limp as a character at certain times in the book. I kept forgetting this is going to be a series of books, so I am keeping an open mind and I'm still interested to see where this series goes in regards to development in story line and character development. I did not like the ending however, it just felt like it was cut off short, but once again had to remind myself this is the first book, so maybe that was on purpose.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Why did I read? I like historical fiction and main character was Jewish (sort of). Would I read again? Maybe, I think so because it wasn't too long of a read.

[William de_Rham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers seeking a good historical novel that takes place during the period between the 20th Century’s two world wars should find much to enjoy in “The Palace at the End of the Sea.”

Author Simon Tolkien has given us a sweeping tale that follows young Theo Stern through his late childhood and teenage years as he caroms from Manhattan’s striving middle class to poverty on the Lower East Side to an English boarding school for children of the rich and powerful to Spain and its burgeoning civil war. Along the way, he struggles to come to terms with his Jewish heritage, his father’s repudiation of Judaism and his death, his mother’s devout Catholicism and her remarriage to a member of the British aristocracy, the deprivations of The Great Depression, the politics of the era, and the conflicting tenets of Christianity, Communism, and Fascism. Throughout the story, young Theo’s unwavering desire is to change the world for the better. His challenge is to figure out how.

Although the novel has absolutely nothing to do with contemporary times, it treats some of the issues we’re dealing with today, including, most especially, whether, when confronted with a conflict, one must pick a side.

All in all, I enjoyed this story very much, especially the author’s treatment and depictions of various settings.

“The Palace at the End of the Sea” is advertised as the first in a forthcoming series. I look forward to the next volume.

[♡Heather✩Brown♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

#ad much love for my advance copy @otrpr + @amazonpublishing #partner

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖆𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖊 𝖆𝖙 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕰𝖓𝖉 𝖔𝖋 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖊𝖆
< @simontolkien_novelist >
ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ᴠɪᴀ ᴋᴜ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴ ɴᴏᴡ

I don’t think a book has ever moved me more or evoked such emotions that I’m usually such a pro at numbing and avoiding. But every now and then there comes a book that just crashes past all my defenses and hits me in ways I never thought possible.

I’m not a RR Tolkien fan - I shouldn’t say that exactly because I’ve never read his books - so I had no expectations or comparisons like I’m sure some others might have / so this review is as a clean slate kind of.

The writing is on another level - must run in the family 😉 but seriously you will just lose yourself in this story. The plot is compelling and you won’t want to stop reading. I loved the setting, there’s just something I find magical about the 1920-1930’s. Even when the most horrible stuff is happening.

I’m so excited to have already signed up for the book following this one The Room of Lost Steps - Like SO EXCITED! I def want to go read his backlist now.

🎧 I also listened to the audio while following along and found the narrator Thom Rivera did a phenomenal job bringing this story to life. If you have KU you can listen and read (ebook) to this one for free. Highly recommend it.

[Hannah Ballew · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is far too long and to only be volume 1. I feel like I wasted so much time reading this. Theo and his life is interesting enough but this entire book drags way too much with so little character development that the amazing history the author is trying to dip us into is lost.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable but even though it is a series, the ending was too abrupt.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8. Rounded up because of the writing. An interesting historical fiction starting in the late 1920s and ending in the mid 30s that follows Theo Sterling, a young boy born in New York City to a Mexican mother (who escaped Mexico when her parents were killed by the communists in the early 1930s) and a Jewish Polish emigre, and the challenges of Theo’s growing up, including his search for family, to his conversion to the cause of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. Theo was born into a well to do family, but whose lives are totally and tragically upended during the Depression, he is later sent to an English boarding school, and then later at his stepfathers palatial estate in Spain. Very well written (by JRR Tolkien’s grandson), but I thought the novel meandered in parts with no real focus. An interesting take on how Theo developed his political leanings as well as on the atrocities and polarization starting to take place in the Spanish Civil War. Also, although I understand this is a series, the ending was way too abrupt and did not finish the story as I would have expected.

[heptagrammaton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Simon Tolkien (yes, a relation to Conlang Granddady) writes a bildungsroman that is kind of about class conflict up into the Great Depression, and immigrant identity, and the rise of fascism, and pre-revolutionary Spain that is chiefly a boarding school novel, whose typical for the genre interpretable as -eroticism homosociality is still somehow a better romance subplot than the actual romance subplot.
   But mostly it is a novel full of detached and age-discordant, if not outright ahistorical, narrativization through internal monologue that feels like the self-insertion of an author who has mistaken centrism and indecision for an acknowledgment of political complexity.

   Not a badly written book and not unenjoyable, maybe. But feeling aimless, reactive, wanting. Perhaps in want of a spar with an editor's pen.

This is a cruel country, says Sir Andrew, the English noble landowner of a wine plantation, describing the persecution and murder of Jews during the autos-de-fés. (Nevermind that England didn't have Jewish subjects to persecute because she'd expulsed them three centuries before Spain.) Throughout the narrative his point of view is distinctly WASP-ish (for all he is a Catholic), reflecting the superiority of a scientific, civilized, sober, juridical, orderly, queueing North.

____
notes on this (as an audiobook):
   I am not much of an audiobook person - they are too many other works primarily created for the audio media that I am interesting in for me to make space for them - so that is to keep im ,omd. (I either like elocution crisp and homogenous enough to allow me to listen to it at 2.3x speed, or with soundscapes rich, textured and overengineered enough to force me not to. Book narration tends to fall in the middle. That said, Thom Rivera as a narrator seemed solid, though I personally disliked(?) his rendering of accents.)
____

{This is a review of an advanced reader's digital copy, made available through NetGalley. Provided by Brilliance Publishing. This reviewer has no special interests to disclose, except for hyperfixations and pedantries made evident throughout the corpus of this reviewer's reviews.}

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story itself was good but most of the characters were just annoying. I did not grow up in the 1920's, etc. and have not faced the challenges people faced back then. But Theo was basically annoying. His thoughts were all over the board. He changed his mind and his feelings every other page. His stepfather was one of the few characters that was likeable. But bratty Theo couldn't see that for most of the story. And Maria. My gosh. Don't get involved with that nutcase. Esmond? Another one to avoid. Talk about a kid that could not handle peer pressure - Theo. Too bad no one told him to jump off a tall building... And I will pass on the sequel.

[Paul Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gifted writer whose talents far exceed his famous grandfather.

That being said, this novel is a tragedy from Page 1. There is no joy, humor, no relief from oppression/depression that poor Theo must endure. So Palace is quite a downer. There is a second volume/sequel, but I’m not compelled to read any further.

A single child of successful father who denies his Jewish culture, and Mexican immigrant mother obsessed with Catholicism. The Great Depression hits, the business collapses, the father un-alives himself, the widow marries a rich Brit missionary and moves to Spain, where the government is being toppled by anarchists and Communist Socialists.

It’s all a bit dreary. Cannot recommend.

[Tony da Napoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read. I think many of the reviews I have read may be missing the point. This is first a historical narrative and the characters are second to the historical information/messages.

It takes place from the US stock market '29 crash (in NYC tenements) onward to eventually describe some of the happenings in pre-WWII Spain from unique viewpoints and points of view. From NYC to rural villages and barrios. Workers, farmhands, and land owners. The religious and the secular/atheists.

I was about to abandon the book, but stayed with it and glad I did. The author succeeds in his goal of telling about the social structures, poverty vs wealth conflicts, fascists vs socialists, etc., in NYC and then those leading up to the Spanish civil war that preceded WWII. Yes, the character development and depth may be lacking for some, but he compensates with the historical story telling.

I leave detailed analysis and descriptions to reviewers with that skill and just give my overall take.

TIP: Read the Afterward Author's Note before you begin the book.
I think Tolkien made a mistake by not putting this information in a Forward section as it explains the what, why and wherefore of the book and helps make sense of it all.

Agreed, the ending leaves you perhaps unfairly and abruptly hanging in what seems to be a ploy to get you to book 2... but I am going there in any case as I think there will be much "new" history to be learned from it... character and emotional development aside.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, expressive, and engaging!

The Palace at the End of the Sea is a rich, captivating tale set during the late 1920s, early 1930s that sweeps you away between the bustling streets of NYC, the stuffy halls of an English boarding school to the beautiful Spanish countryside and into the life of Theo Sterling a young man born to an ambitious Jewish father and a stoutly religious Catholic mother who is struggling to identify his roots, purpose, and place in the world.

The prose is sincere and descriptive. The characters are multilayered, vulnerable, and lonely. And the plot is an absorbing tale of life, loss, love, familial drama, self-discovery, grief, friendship, courage, hope, survival, as well as a little insight into life both in the USA during the Great Depression and Spain during the rise of fascism.

Overall, The Palace at the End of the Sea is a fascinating, immersive, thought-provoking start to the Theo Sterling duology by Tolkien that had just the right amount of intrigue, conflict, turmoil, and passion to keep me invested from start to finish and an ending that left me more than a little eager to see how this story is possibly going to end.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweeping coming of age epic taking the reader from pre-depression New York to the playing riles of an English public school, to pre-Spanish civil war Spain, and taking in everything from religion to capitalist-socialist-Marxist-fascist politics, from family politics to friendships and first loves. A very decent read with lots to engage the mind, and a history lesson thrown in.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read all of part 1 and couldn't go any further. I was so surprised that I picked such a disapointing book, that I reread the description again to try and see what went wrong. It's completely different then the synopsis. Yes, it starts just before the great depression but it goes on and on about the main characters life and his parents. It's very religious and there is exhaustive backstory about both of the parents religions and what they think about it and how it affects their lives.

When I read a historical fiction I want to be taught about history. I'm educated, but I don't particularly know anything about the great depression and I learned nothing new.

It is full of boring played out stereotypes; the bullies are dumb football players, his mom is super emotional, his dad is strict and scary, his parents embarrass him etc... I think I've seen this before and I didn't even like it the first time. And I'm sorry but his first experience of true happiness is being on a sports team? I think I'm going to throw up.

Don't even get me started about the entire dialog sounding his mother! She's always crying and emotional? And he resents her for it? She is a very poorly written character. Near the end of part 1 the author does reel themselves in a little bit and try to make it better but the damage had already been done.

Maybe part 2 would redeem the book as the characters are taken out of their bad situation but I don't have any interest in finding out.

[Roberto · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the son of immigrants who fled the Spanish Civil War, I was curious to confirm stories that I have been told girl you up. The authors underlining story of Theo growing up in New York going through the great depression, and then moving to England and from England to Spain is very well written kept me glued to the book highly recommended five stars. in today’s world where fascism is a real concern in the United States, it is a warning bell for us as well. Excellently written.

[Yari · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien (book cover is in image) is the coming of age story for Theo Sterling. Set in 1929, New York City, it tells us of the turbulent relationship he has with his his Jewish Father and Mexican mother. Dealing with themes loss of a family members, identity and the Spanish Civil War, this book is the first installment of Theo Sterling's life journey, and I look forward to reading the next installment by the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The narration by Thom Rivera is the first time I have had the opportunity to experience Rivera and was great. I will be looking for more from him.

Thank you @brilliancepublishing, @amazonpublishing / Lake Shore Publishing and @netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC and read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 01 2025

#BrilliancePublishing
#LakeShorePublishing
#ThePalaceattheEndoftheSea
#SimonTolkien
#ThomRivera
#HistoricalFiction
#ComingofAge
#yarisbooknook
#NetGalley

[Star Gater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for allowing me to audibly read and review The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien on NetGalley.

Narrated by Thom Rivera

Published: 06/01/25

Stars: 3.5

Book started off strong. Early in the first of three parts I made fresh coffee knowing I was going to be up most of the night. I enjoyed the storytelling. The first two parts flew. A lot happens, but nothing major. This is a coming of age story with immigrants, Christian, Jewish, boarding school, communism and death all happening at a young age for Theo. The book is written basically as his life evolves. I wasn't impressed with the third part, and I feel like I will be the outlier.

Narrator did a nice job.

Overall, I recommend.

[D. Colwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

Wasn’t prepared for a book two. But i guess the story stands alone. There is no need to continue the story, there is no cliff-hanger, however …. I received this book for free, a monthly amazon giveaway. Not sure i want to buy book two. I don’t like there authors who play this game of continuing the story requiring purchase of a second book. I did enjoy the story and i recommend it.

[Jessica R. Quintanilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

The vivid descriptions and raw emotion throughout Theo's experience kept me coming back for more. Can't wait to start the next book!

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

13% through, 58 pages read of 455. Definitely worth continuing. Theo, the protagonist, is a very interesting, complex character.
Finished reading. Now want to read the follow-up novel about the Spanish Civil War.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous, interesting story with significant historical events! Theo Sterling is a fascinating character & I enjoyed the richness of the different settings, including vivid scenes at the British boarding school & beautiful descriptions of Spanish village life.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Meg Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review:

The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien is a richly detailed historical coming-of-age novel that examines identity, family, and ideology against the backdrop of 1930s New York and beyond. Theo Sterling’s story is a deeply layered exploration of adolescence, caught between the contrasting worlds of his Jewish father and Catholic mother. As the Great Depression unfolds, Theo navigates personal loss, family tensions, and the rising political ideologies that threaten to reshape the world around him.

Simon Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandson, brings meticulous research and vivid historical context to the story. From bustling New York streets to the halls of an English boarding school and the Spanish countryside, readers are transported across cultures, classes, and continents. The narrative handles complex themes—fascism, communism, social inequality, and religious identity—with sensitivity, never overwhelming the reader, while offering insights into how these forces shape the choices and beliefs of young people coming of age in turbulent times.

Theo is an observant and thoughtful protagonist. Unlike many traditional “chosen ones” in historical or young adult fiction, he is not a hero in the conventional sense. He reflects, questions, and absorbs the world around him, often wrestling with moral dilemmas that resonate beyond his own life. The novel does an excellent job showing the tensions of trying to balance personal values with societal pressures, and the subtle exploration of parental influence and expectation adds an emotional depth that feels real and poignant.

I also appreciated the audiobook narration by Thom Rivera, whose accents and character voices enhanced the reading experience, helping to distinguish the many perspectives and cultural nuances. Switching between the ebook and audiobook made the story even more immersive, and I found myself pausing frequently to reflect on the historical and moral complexities the book raises.

While the story occasionally feels dense due to its rich historical detail and introspective passages, these elements are part of what makes it rewarding. It’s not a fast-paced thriller but a thought-provoking, emotionally intelligent novel that encourages readers to consider the social and political forces shaping our world, both then and now.

The Palace at the End of the Sea is the first half of a duology, and it leaves readers eager to see how Theo’s journey will continue as he confronts the ideologies and challenges that will define his adulthood. Fans of historical fiction, coming-of-age stories, and novels that probe moral and social complexities will find this an engaging and reflective read.

[Linda Zagon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most impressive and powerful books that I have read this year is “THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA” By Author Simon Tolkien. The Genres for this book are Historical Fiction, Coming of Age, Literary Sagas, Historical War, and Political Fiction. In this well researched and well written novel, the author vividly describes the historical scenery and landscapes, and the dramatic characters. The timeline for this story starts in 1929 and continues through the Spanish Civil War. I eagerly await the second book in this saga. The young protagonist, Theo Sterling finds his world upside down by the Great Depression. Theo’s father is a Jewish Businessman, and his mother is a devout Catholic refugee from Mexico. Theo’s father believes in the American Dream. Theo’s mother seems to be emotionally fragile. When tragedy strikes, Theo and his mother are forced to survive. Theo meets different people with certain ideologies, and begins to question his identity.

Theo finds himself leaving New York’s lower east side and headed to an English Boarding School. Again, he witnesses how society can change, and different ideologies are encouraged. He has seen protests, and the dangers. He questions what is fair, and what to support. This reminds me of the Complicated Political Climate today, where our children are aware and searching for truth, hope and peace. I highly recommend this thought-provoking and powerful novel.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Palace at the End of the Sea by Simon Tolkien is a sweeping epic historical drama of a young boy, Theo Sterling. In this story Theo navigates his childhood through the Great Depression in New York City, then on to England as he attends a boarding school through his teens, and lastly to a small town in Spain just as their civil war is starting to unfold.

You can see by his writing that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree as Simon (grandson of JRR Tolkien) beautifully captures the historical events of those days. His research is immaculate and I was easily immersed into each location that Theo found himself in.

I have the sequel ready to go of The Room of Lost Steps and can’t wait to jump in to see how young Theo Sterling’s story continues. I find the historical aspects of each location fascinating and I feel like I’m learning so much that I had absolutely no knowledge of, especially the Spanish Civil War. This is truly an eye opening tale.

*Thanks so much to partners Amazon Publishing and OTRPR for the gifted ARC!*

[Brett Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. I’ve read all of Tolkiens books and have enjoyed each one so I was excited for another adventure since finishing No Mans Land (also highly recommend). I was not much of a book reader so when I was given my first Tolkien book, Orders From Berlin, I was hooked. The author is very good at developing characters. In this book he does a great job with the main character, Theo, but also with the other characters that help shape the story and Theo’s understanding of society, politics, relationships and human behavior. Tolkien has a way of throwing in a surprise when you’re not expecting it. His impressive use of words to describe sights and smells to make you feel like you are in the book. I enjoyed learning about actual historical events that were tied into the fictional story from the Great Depression leading up to the Spanish Civil war. There’s even a little romance. I enjoyed it and I can’t wait to read part two!!