Freedom’s Fire

by Katelyn Douglas

Leon Wagner, a determined Jewish man, finds himself trapped in the brutal reality of a Nazi concentration camp. With every ounce of his strength, he clings to the belief that he will be reunited with his beloved wife, Aadelheide, and their children. Through beatings, starvation, and the constant threat of death, Leon's journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of hope.

Riker Schind, an SS Lieutenant, struggles with his conscience as he uncovers the horrific truths behind the regime he serves. Haunted by his past and the role he plays in the suffering around him, Riker's journey towards redemption is fraught with peril and soul-searching decisions. His encounters with prisoners, especially with Leon, challenge his beliefs and force him to confront the darkness within his own soul.

Will Leon find the strength to survive and reunite with his family? Will Riker redeem himself from the shadows of his past? Or will they never see the light on the other side of the tunnel?

Genres: Historical Fiction

295 pages, Paperback

Published August 19, 2025

About the author

Katelyn Douglas is an author with a passion for spreading truth and her faith through fiction whose novels combine her love for History and the hope of the Gospel. She is known for her gripping and gritty narratives and relatable characters, is notorious for working on several projects at a time, and writes deep stories of faith that affirm the truth that there is no one too far gone for God to redeem.

Reviews

[Savannah McCrary]

This was quite a gripping historical fiction novel set in Nazi Germany, following a Jewish Christian man named Leon and an SS officer named Riker.

In fact, it was so gripping I read the entire book in one day!

Some novels are character-driven, and some are plot-driven, but this one (to me, anyway) was very theme-driven. The main focus of the book was the themes and messages. Forgiveness, redemption, hope, trust in God, light in the darkness, love of family, and helping those in need, are all at the heart of this novel.

It seems most Christian fiction that has a theme of redemption is a romance, but I am pleased to say that this one was not! Both of the main characters (Leon and Riker) are already married when the book begins, and while they clearly love their wives (which is good, of course!), and there were a few kisses, it wasn’t too much for unromantic me!

This is the first book in a trilogy, so it ends without wrapping everything up and Leon and Riker still believing some lies. (I was wanting to grab them and give them a good shake and tell them to stop being stupid and listen to the people who love them and are trying to help them!). My favorite characters were Riker’s mother and his sister, Angelina. I love it when books have good parent characters and healthy sibling relationships, and while Riker’s father was terrible, his mother was great, and I enjoyed his interactions with his sister.

It was focused on the themes and character development with World War II history more being the backdrop of the story rather than the focus (or at least so it seemed to me), however the history that did come into the book was all accurate to my knowledge. (And I have spent several years doing in-depth research on World War II and the Holocaust!). The depictions of life in a concentration camp all lined up with what I have read in memoirs of Holocaust survivors.

One criticism I’d seen of this book was that the Jews in here are reading the New Testament and talking about Jesus, but they are Christian Jews. There were many Jews living in Germany at this time who had converted to Christianity, so that is historically accurate.

Also, I have read of real SS officers who no longer wanted to participate in the murder of the Jews and instead helped Jews, so that part was realistic, too. It did seem a little surprising to me in this book that it took Riker as long as it did to figure out that the Jews were being killed, but he admitted himself that he’d been stupid and should have guessed it.

As far as content warnings, it is about the Holocaust, and much of the book takes place in a concentration camp, where the suffering and brutality is accurately portrayed. It shows the horrors, but it wasn’t as detailed as some books I’ve read. If you’ve read my book Trains and Tulips, I’d say it’s comparable to the concentration camp and prison scenes in there for the most part. Additionally, there is a villain who commits suicide (onscreen, but not overly graphic), and one of the main characters had an abusive father and has some PTSD from that.

Overall, I thought this was a gripping story of survival and redemption set against the backdrop of World War II Germany and I definitely recommend it!

[Raven Markov]

This is a powerful story that dives into the experiences of individuals in the Holocaust. With interwoven messages about hope and redemption amid tragedy and despair, this story portrays grace and salvation in a beautiful and raw way.
I loved seeing the rich character development of both Leon and Riker throughout the book. Their journeys kept me invested in the story through their transformation and growth along the way. Only to be completed with a heartwarming ending that has me itching to see what happens in book #2!!

[Lexi T. Walker]

So, I accidentally finished that in one sitting. It was . . . wow. Just wow.
I need to read the rest of the series. This is one of those books you recommend to emotionally devastate someone because you know it’ll be worth it in the end.

Probably not a great read for those who can’t handle the tragedies of history or avoid sad books in general. It’s got a bittersweet ending and a lot of rough themes/scenes throughout, but knowing the redemption arc continues in the next books is heartening.

I need to read the next books.

This is a positive review, for those who were confused. 💔🥺

[S.L. Klein]

A heart-wrenching testament of God's faithfulness, even when it's too hard to see Him moving. In Freedom's Fire, Douglas shines a light on one of history's darkest times, highlighting the despair while hinting at hope. With relatable characters and profound wisdom, his first book in a trilogy will leave you desperate to know the ending.

[Aubrey Taylor]

I truly enjoyed this book. The author's passion for God's love and mercy are evident throughout the pages of Freedom's Fire. While these themes could be illustrated in many a setting, she has risen to the challenge of painting them against the backdrop of the German side of the Second World War. This is important and timely. Eighty years on, a more accurate portrayal of the German story is needed, and Ms. Douglas offers us one in the pages of this book. My hope is that she will continue to learn as much as she can about this complicated and nuanced topic, which is too often misrepresented, and that she will continue to share her findings through wonderfully complex, relatable, and memorable characters.

[Ev]

The way I want to unread this book so much. What is this for a piece of shit. It‘s so historically wrong it hurts me physically. First of all - has the author any knowledge of Jews? Jesus is not important in the Jewish religion and also they don‘t read the bible. Why tf should they read the bible, it has nothing to do with their beliefs or religion. Also how have the Jews in this book enough energy in the evening to even do something except sleep i mean the concentration camps were literally there to kill them through work. It‘s completely unrealistic and also the fact that the SS general didn‘t know what he got himself into wtf. What is he, blind? At least after crystal night everyone new what was happening especially since he was in the SS and the SS and the SA led that. That book is bullshit for representation of WW2 and it angers me that people will read that book and find it educational even though its historically wrong. It feels like the author didn‘t even research.

[Heather Longtreader]

Freedom’s Fire is an amazing beginning to what is bound to become a favorite series, and a must have for any accurate historical fiction lovers! The story was amazing and very touching. It was very accurate to the time, and the characters struggles, fears, and actions were authentic and realistic. Fin has to be my favorite by far, closely followed by Riker.
A HUGE plus for me was the fact that there was no trashy romance. I have become accustomed to reading historical fiction, (especially WWII era books) with an eye out for things going sketch. I’ve chucked several books that take a hard left in the area of guy-girl relationships. This book was such a refreshing change from that! The love between Leon and his wife, and Riker and his wife was sweet and gentle without becoming graphic. It was like a breath of fresh air to read.
The characters were engaging, the story was exciting and well-told. I laughed and cried, and even scolded characters a few times.
Also, I loved the beauty of the characters faith and relationships with God. Christianity was woven into the very foundations of this book, and it was honest and heartfelt. Not preachy at all!
I really can't wait for the next book to be released! It is going to be so fun to read, and I already have money set aside. The minute it's out, I'll be buying it. I can't say I've done that for many series, but this one was something else.

[Sara Thren]

This book.
Wow.
It's raw, it's beautiful, it's historically accurate, and, *saturated* in faith. The characters are vivid and relatable.
I cried twice.
Maybe my favorite thing about this book is the author's commitment to keeping the romantic content wholesome and sparkling clean. I've been forced to DNF more than one WWII era novel because of the fade-to-black romance scenes and I never once worried that Katelyn would do this.
Overall, really recommend for readers of historical fiction, particularly for lovers of raw and emotional, direct prose.

[Zreads]

The Holocaust is a very sensitive topic, and a book that aims to spread the Gospel using the Holocaust is inherently problematic and dangerous.

[Sariel Persis]

This book was just so absolutely phenomenal!!! I was blown away by how wonderfully it was written. Katelyn’s prose is just amazing!!! There were various noises of distress for the characters and many repetitions of “Leon/Riker, grow a brain cell!!!” I knew it would be a good book because I have friends who have recommended it, but I was blown away by just how good it is!!! I have read a LOT of historical fiction, and studied WWII history extensively because I was going to major in that historical era (which didn’t happen, but I still study WWII history). This is quite possibly the best historical fiction I have read. I really loved the attention to detail and the characters. It is historically accurate, which is great!!! I cried like 3 or 4 times—and I don’t cry at books very often. This book is going on my favorites shelf for sure.