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The God of Nazi-Land Part I: The Führer’s Master
Adolf Hitler is dead and damned. The only way out of Hell is to repent, and repentance costs more than the fire.
When Adolf Hitler descends into the fiery depths of Hell, he is met with a grim revelation: Satan does not rule this realm alone. Instead, Hell is divided into many Zones, each ruled by a vengeful Master, a human being granted godlike power to torment the damned.
Hitler is condemned to Nazi-Land, a nightmarish corner of the underworld where he is surrounded by the very monsters he once commanded: Himmler, Goebbels, Goering, and Reinhard Heydrich, the Butcher of Prague. Every form of torture is visited upon the Nazis, an unyielding punishment for their monstrous crimes during the Second World War.
But just as Hitler's torment settles into its rhythm, a new Master arrives in Nazi-Land: a seven-year-old Jewish girl. Soft-spoken, melancholic, and eerily familiar...
This new Master is unlike all the others. She refuses to torture the Nazis, and her mercy threatens to shatter the brutal, unforgiving order of Hell itself.
Now, Hitler and his Nazi cronies must protect the very person they would have once gladly killed: a Jewish child. But strange forces move in the outskirts of Hell, determined to keep the underworld exactly as it has always been.
In a battle between mercy and vengeance, the future of the afterlife hangs by a thread. For Hitler, escape may prove crueler than damnation. And in the heart of Hell, one little girl will decide what the damned deserve.
A meticulously researched and devastatingly complex portrait of evil in eternity, from bestselling author Elyse Hoffman.
When Adolf Hitler descends into the fiery depths of Hell, he is met with a grim revelation: Satan does not rule this realm alone. Instead, Hell is divided into many Zones, each ruled by a vengeful Master, a human being granted godlike power to torment the damned.
Hitler is condemned to Nazi-Land, a nightmarish corner of the underworld where he is surrounded by the very monsters he once commanded: Himmler, Goebbels, Goering, and Reinhard Heydrich, the Butcher of Prague. Every form of torture is visited upon the Nazis, an unyielding punishment for their monstrous crimes during the Second World War.
But just as Hitler's torment settles into its rhythm, a new Master arrives in Nazi-Land: a seven-year-old Jewish girl. Soft-spoken, melancholic, and eerily familiar...
This new Master is unlike all the others. She refuses to torture the Nazis, and her mercy threatens to shatter the brutal, unforgiving order of Hell itself.
Now, Hitler and his Nazi cronies must protect the very person they would have once gladly killed: a Jewish child. But strange forces move in the outskirts of Hell, determined to keep the underworld exactly as it has always been.
In a battle between mercy and vengeance, the future of the afterlife hangs by a thread. For Hitler, escape may prove crueler than damnation. And in the heart of Hell, one little girl will decide what the damned deserve.
A meticulously researched and devastatingly complex portrait of evil in eternity, from bestselling author Elyse Hoffman.
Hardcover
About the author
Elyse Hoffman
17 books398 followersElyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. Having studied WWII since the age of thirteen and with interests in fantasy and Jewish folklore, she loves to combine them in her writing. Elyse started writing novels at fourteen and finished her first historical fiction work at fifteen. She has published eight books: five in a series called The Barracks of the Holocaust, and three novels, including The Book of Uriel, Where David Threw Stones, and Fracture. In her spare time, she loves to read, work on pretty keyboards, and hang out with her co-authors - her Goldendoodle Ari and her ex-feral cat, Echo.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 1, 2026
This is disgusting.
avoid-as-fuck
October 2, 2026are you ok???
obviously, we don't want to empathize with him.
obviously, we don't want to empathize with him.
Review of advance copy
The premise is so unusual that it could have gone wrong very easily. This book surprised me. Hitler in Hell, surrounded by other Nazi leaders, then forced into a completely different dynamic when a seven-year-old Jewish girl becomes their new Master? It’s a lot.
But the book is much more thoughtful than the title might make you expect.
It doesn’t focus only on punishment. At first, Nazi-Land seems built around exactly that: endless suffering for people responsible for horrific crimes. Then this child arrives and refuses to continue torturing them, and suddenly the entire idea of justice in this version of Hell becomes much more complicated.
I also liked the reversal of having Hitler and the other Nazis protect a Jewish child.
The worldbuilding of Hell also surprised me. It isn’t just a generic fiery background; there are different Zones, Masters, rules, and forces working against each other, which gives the story a bigger scope.
This is definitely not going to be a book for everyone. The use of real historical figures, especially Hitler and other Nazi leaders, makes it uncomfortable by nature. But that seems to be exactly the point.
For me, the most memorable part was watching the book ask what happens when someone chooses compassion in a place built entirely around vengeance.
Very strange, very dark, and much more reflective than I expected.
But the book is much more thoughtful than the title might make you expect.
It doesn’t focus only on punishment. At first, Nazi-Land seems built around exactly that: endless suffering for people responsible for horrific crimes. Then this child arrives and refuses to continue torturing them, and suddenly the entire idea of justice in this version of Hell becomes much more complicated.
I also liked the reversal of having Hitler and the other Nazis protect a Jewish child.
The worldbuilding of Hell also surprised me. It isn’t just a generic fiery background; there are different Zones, Masters, rules, and forces working against each other, which gives the story a bigger scope.
This is definitely not going to be a book for everyone. The use of real historical figures, especially Hitler and other Nazi leaders, makes it uncomfortable by nature. But that seems to be exactly the point.
For me, the most memorable part was watching the book ask what happens when someone chooses compassion in a place built entirely around vengeance.
Very strange, very dark, and much more reflective than I expected.
October 1, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC. I can appreciate the research that went into this book, it was clearly a lot of work. I had high hopes for this book. The premise sounded so interesting and after reading, I feel like the description does not match the story. When I saw that it was a book about Hitler being tortured in Hell, I was expecting something somewhat like the movie Little Nicky, if you know what I mean. Ultimately, there was almost zero torture and was as if Hitler and the other Nazis were having a redemption arc. I could NOT get down with the humanization of the Nazis. Focusing on the backstories of Hitler and Reinhard to help the reader empathize was, in my opinion, in such poor taste. I kept waiting for something big to happen, and when things finally started happening, the book ends abruptly. I know there is somewhat of a prequel to this book, so maybe it would have made more sense and I would have liked it more had I read that. I love historical fiction, but this was just not it for me.
October 2, 2026
This book was offered as a free read on NetGalley and I loved the title - it appealed to an irreverent side in me. I also looked forward to seeing Hitler getting his just reward for his horribleness. However, that’s really not the premise - it’s about four of the most evil men - Hitler, Himmler, Goering and Heydrich - having to protect their new hellish master, 613, or a Jewish girl.
The world building is a large part of the book. The characters get to relive real events - the author writes of her research in Historical Notes and her bibliography is impressive and includes credible historians - which is their hell. Hitler and Heydrich take the lead in this book as I guess there is a Part 2 coming. Initially they are trying to kill their master and almost did but then they meet the master, a seven year old Jewish girl who says she’ll never torture them, they must protect her (which is ironic).
I think the concept had a lot of merit. Telling the story from the POVs of these vile men was good too - their thoughts were as bad as they were. But the story goes nowhere. What’s the denouement? If I have to wait for book two then this book seems a waste of my reading time especially if I have to wait a year for that - that’s what turned me off on the sequel to The Fourth Wing. It’s an unsettling read is a good read but it was a bit too long.
A while back I read Look Who’s Back, a German satire on what would happen if Hitler came back. The book had a great premise, theme and delivered. I hoped this book was going to do that. Turning the tables on the men who wanted to wipe out Jews is clever. The writing is solid but I hate cliffhangers.
This book isn’t going to be for a lot of readers. You’ve got to have an irreverent sense about life to take this on to appreciate the thought-provoking elements in it - and there are many good ones.
My thanks to NetGalley and Project 613 Publishing for granting me access to this ARC.
The world building is a large part of the book. The characters get to relive real events - the author writes of her research in Historical Notes and her bibliography is impressive and includes credible historians - which is their hell. Hitler and Heydrich take the lead in this book as I guess there is a Part 2 coming. Initially they are trying to kill their master and almost did but then they meet the master, a seven year old Jewish girl who says she’ll never torture them, they must protect her (which is ironic).
I think the concept had a lot of merit. Telling the story from the POVs of these vile men was good too - their thoughts were as bad as they were. But the story goes nowhere. What’s the denouement? If I have to wait for book two then this book seems a waste of my reading time especially if I have to wait a year for that - that’s what turned me off on the sequel to The Fourth Wing. It’s an unsettling read is a good read but it was a bit too long.
A while back I read Look Who’s Back, a German satire on what would happen if Hitler came back. The book had a great premise, theme and delivered. I hoped this book was going to do that. Turning the tables on the men who wanted to wipe out Jews is clever. The writing is solid but I hate cliffhangers.
This book isn’t going to be for a lot of readers. You’ve got to have an irreverent sense about life to take this on to appreciate the thought-provoking elements in it - and there are many good ones.
My thanks to NetGalley and Project 613 Publishing for granting me access to this ARC.
October 2, 2026
The novel places one of history's most infamous perpetrators inside a system where escape appears to depend not on endurance, cleverness or force, but repentance. That creates a fascinating problem. What could repentance possibly mean for someone responsible for suffering on such an enormous scale? Is remorse meaningful if it appears only after punishment begins? Can regret born from pain ever be separated from simple self-interest? If a person apologizes because Hell is unbearable, has anything morally significant happened?
These are difficult questions because the book chooses perhaps the most extreme imaginable person through whom to ask them.
These are difficult questions because the book chooses perhaps the most extreme imaginable person through whom to ask them.
September 22, 2026
3.5 stars
The God of Nazi-Land was a wild ride with many standout elements. The opening graphics were incredible. I would’ve loved it as a graphic novel! You can tell how much WWII research went into the book, and the premise felt original. Its take on hell and suffering was fascinating.
I liked how unsettled I felt while reading, and I enjoyed it overall. I can't quite pinpoint it, but I felt like something was missing from the story.
I am interested in reading part 2.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
The God of Nazi-Land was a wild ride with many standout elements. The opening graphics were incredible. I would’ve loved it as a graphic novel! You can tell how much WWII research went into the book, and the premise felt original. Its take on hell and suffering was fascinating.
I liked how unsettled I felt while reading, and I enjoyed it overall. I can't quite pinpoint it, but I felt like something was missing from the story.
I am interested in reading part 2.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
September 30, 2026
Hitler’s punishment in Hell is grotesque, relentless and fittingly merciless, but the arrival of a seven-year-old Jewish girl changes the entire weight of the story. What begins as supernatural retribution gradually becomes a meditation on guilt, memory and whether repentance has any meaning when the crime is almost beyond comprehension. The contrast between monstrous historical figures and the quiet presence of a child is especially effective. Dark, uncomfortable and deliberately provocative, this is the kind of book that asks the reader to consider not only punishment, but what justice can possibly look like after unimaginable evil.
October 2, 2026
There is also an important difference between remorse and redemption, and The God of Nazi Land benefits from understanding that distinction. Remorse is an internal recognition of wrongdoing. Redemption suggests something larger: restoration, forgiveness or a moral transformation significant enough to alter judgment. Those concepts become extraordinarily complicated when applied to crimes for which restoration is impossible.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3,5 stars rounded to 4
Thank you to NetGalley and Elyse Hoffman for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book immediately caught my attention from the title and cover only, and the description promised me an interesting story: Hitler and his highest-ranking Nazis are tortured in Hell by one master after another, each with God-like powers, until their new master, a seven-year-old Jewish child, arrives and promises never to torture them as long as she is in charge. They must now protect her for their own well-being and safety, despite everything they believed in.
This book is very unsettling. It is written from the POVs of different Nazis (mostly Hitler and Heydrich), and they are obviously terrible people. Their thoughts are horrible, and even when they are doing something good, or even thinking something good, it is always tainted by the most twisted reasoning.
Overall, I liked this book. The extensive historical research adds authenticity and encouraged me to learn more about World War II. It paints a complex portrait of some of the worst people in history while making us wondering: Does everyone deserves mercy ?
I still have a few issues with this book. Mainly, this is clearly (as stated in the title) a Part 1 rather than a Book 1. Without spoiling anything, the story feels unfinished, and I couldn't identify a narrative arc within this book. We are left on a cliffhanger, and it feels like the first half of a larger story.
Despite its structural issues, I found this book unsettling (in a good way) and thought-provoking. I am left wondering where Part 2 will take us and how it will chose to answer the unanswered philosophical questions Part 1 has raised.
Thank you to NetGalley and Elyse Hoffman for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book immediately caught my attention from the title and cover only, and the description promised me an interesting story: Hitler and his highest-ranking Nazis are tortured in Hell by one master after another, each with God-like powers, until their new master, a seven-year-old Jewish child, arrives and promises never to torture them as long as she is in charge. They must now protect her for their own well-being and safety, despite everything they believed in.
This book is very unsettling. It is written from the POVs of different Nazis (mostly Hitler and Heydrich), and they are obviously terrible people. Their thoughts are horrible, and even when they are doing something good, or even thinking something good, it is always tainted by the most twisted reasoning.
Overall, I liked this book. The extensive historical research adds authenticity and encouraged me to learn more about World War II. It paints a complex portrait of some of the worst people in history while making us wondering: Does everyone deserves mercy ?
I still have a few issues with this book. Mainly, this is clearly (as stated in the title) a Part 1 rather than a Book 1. Without spoiling anything, the story feels unfinished, and I couldn't identify a narrative arc within this book. We are left on a cliffhanger, and it feels like the first half of a larger story.
Despite its structural issues, I found this book unsettling (in a good way) and thought-provoking. I am left wondering where Part 2 will take us and how it will chose to answer the unanswered philosophical questions Part 1 has raised.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Elyse Hoffman for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book caught my attention from the title and cover alone, and the description promised something twisted and interesting: Hitler and his highest-ranking Nazis, tortured in Hell by one master after another, until their new master turns out to be a seven-year-old Jewish girl who promises never to torture them as long as she’s in charge. Now they have to protect her, despite everything they claimed to believe in.
The concept is great, and it’s clear Elyse Hoffman knows her WWII history. The book is written from the POVs of different Nazis (mostly Hitler and Heydrich), and their thoughts are exactly as horrible as you’d expect — even their “good” moments are tainted by twisted reasoning. That part worked.
Where it fell apart for me was the structure. I kept waiting for something big to happen, some turning point that justified the setup, and it just never got there. This is a Part 1, not a Book 1, and it reads that way leaving the story feeling unfinished. I wanted this to build to something, and instead I was left with a lot of setup and no payoff.
It’s not a bad book, and the premise is genuinely compelling. It just wasn’t what I was looking for in this installment. I’m curious about Part 2, but I went in expecting more resolution than I got here.
This book caught my attention from the title and cover alone, and the description promised something twisted and interesting: Hitler and his highest-ranking Nazis, tortured in Hell by one master after another, until their new master turns out to be a seven-year-old Jewish girl who promises never to torture them as long as she’s in charge. Now they have to protect her, despite everything they claimed to believe in.
The concept is great, and it’s clear Elyse Hoffman knows her WWII history. The book is written from the POVs of different Nazis (mostly Hitler and Heydrich), and their thoughts are exactly as horrible as you’d expect — even their “good” moments are tainted by twisted reasoning. That part worked.
Where it fell apart for me was the structure. I kept waiting for something big to happen, some turning point that justified the setup, and it just never got there. This is a Part 1, not a Book 1, and it reads that way leaving the story feeling unfinished. I wanted this to build to something, and instead I was left with a lot of setup and no payoff.
It’s not a bad book, and the premise is genuinely compelling. It just wasn’t what I was looking for in this installment. I’m curious about Part 2, but I went in expecting more resolution than I got here.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the author and Net Galley for providing this ARC.
I read the majority of this book on a train journey from Hell. It was quite apt really. What better backdrop than to immerse myself in the Zone of Hell dedicated to the most significant and heinous Nazi figures.
No one could deny that this alternative fantastical Nazi-themed historical fiction is both creative and well-studied. The author's passion for the subject clearly shines through and one feels like they are in good hands on reading the subject matter.
The author also expertly melds real historical facts and events with artistic licence and fantasy, to the effect that the two contrasting elements are in perfect symbiosis throughout.
I do not intend this to sound like a criticism, but it does read more like well-written fan fiction than "proper" literature. It's a style thing, but I can't quite explain why.
Overall, it's a strong piece of work and I'm looking forward to Part 2.
I read the majority of this book on a train journey from Hell. It was quite apt really. What better backdrop than to immerse myself in the Zone of Hell dedicated to the most significant and heinous Nazi figures.
No one could deny that this alternative fantastical Nazi-themed historical fiction is both creative and well-studied. The author's passion for the subject clearly shines through and one feels like they are in good hands on reading the subject matter.
The author also expertly melds real historical facts and events with artistic licence and fantasy, to the effect that the two contrasting elements are in perfect symbiosis throughout.
I do not intend this to sound like a criticism, but it does read more like well-written fan fiction than "proper" literature. It's a style thing, but I can't quite explain why.
Overall, it's a strong piece of work and I'm looking forward to Part 2.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Full honesty, I am all about a book that portrays Hitler being tortured....
...but this wasn't it.
Was it a good read? I guess, ultimately it was OK. There were parts that hit me deep in my soul. It was kinda twisted that in some places I felt pity for Adolf Hitler. Pity for his officers. But this ultimately felt like the world's longest bedtime story that culminated in a five second cliffhanger. Admittedly I liked that cliffhanger.
This book was incredibly well researched, but about 50ish pages too long. I am on the fence about reading the next part.
...but this wasn't it.
Was it a good read? I guess, ultimately it was OK. There were parts that hit me deep in my soul. It was kinda twisted that in some places I felt pity for Adolf Hitler. Pity for his officers. But this ultimately felt like the world's longest bedtime story that culminated in a five second cliffhanger. Admittedly I liked that cliffhanger.
This book was incredibly well researched, but about 50ish pages too long. I am on the fence about reading the next part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy
okay this book was actually kinda insane lol. I picked it because it sounded so weird and I needed to know how it would work. Hitler being in Hell is already wild, but then a little Jewish girl becomes the Master and doesn’t wanna torture them?? That’s when it got really interesting for me.. It’s dark but also weirdly emotional sometimes and it makes you think about forgiveness and if some people are just too horrible for it. Some parts was a little confusing and heavy but overall I really liked the concept. Definitely not a normal book and probably not for everyone but I’m glad I read it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Historically anchored, morally complex, and emotionally powerful. Hoffman’s newest WWII‑adjacent speculative novel brings mercy into Hell through a seven‑year‑old Jewish Master. Heavy themes, nuanced character arcs, and a Part 1 ending that leaves you wanting more.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/11802...
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/11802...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
This book is simply not for me, and that's okay.
I decided to DNF at chapter 8. I just had a hard time getting into the book/story. this could simply be me and my current headspace, but the cover gave the impression that it was a graphic novel so I was a little surprised when it turned out to be a traditional novel.
This book is simply not for me, and that's okay.
I decided to DNF at chapter 8. I just had a hard time getting into the book/story. this could simply be me and my current headspace, but the cover gave the impression that it was a graphic novel so I was a little surprised when it turned out to be a traditional novel.
October 3, 2026
Will not read
Netgalley advertised this to me and I just ... don't understand why anyone thought now was the time to humanize and imagine a redemption for nazis, while the world is being burnt by people emulating men like these ones.
Netgalley advertised this to me and I just ... don't understand why anyone thought now was the time to humanize and imagine a redemption for nazis, while the world is being burnt by people emulating men like these ones.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews