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Lammas Night
The New York Times–bestselling author explores the occult history of WWII in this thriller inspired by true events during the Battle of Britain. The year is 1940, and Great Britain’s forces struggle against the invincible Nazi war machine. France has fallen easily to Adolf Hitler’s army and England is next in his sights. A British secret agent pays the ultimate price to deliver early warning of the Führer’s secret plan to harness the awesome power of the occult to conquer Great Britain by launching a supernatural assault that no defending military force could possibly deflect. British Intelligence operative Col. John “Gray” Graham of MI6 is not only a valuable player in the great game of wartime espionage, he is also a practitioner of the ancient occult arts. In this life—and other lives before—Gray’s destiny has been firmly intertwined with that of his close friend Prince William of the British royal family. Now, with the future of Britain at stake, these two men, the spy and the royal, must rally the hidden adherents of the Old Religion, hoping to unite the British covens in defense of their endangered island homeland. But it will take more than combined Wiccan sorcery to repel the Reich’s black magic on Lammas Night—and the sacrifice required might be greater than imagined and truly terrible to endure. Lammas Night is a spectacular feat of creative imagination from the author of the acclaimed Deryni fantasy series. Smart, affecting, and brilliantly conceived, it is an enthralling combination of historical fiction, war novel, and the occult that will appeal to fans of all fantastic literature.
486 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 1983
155 people are currently reading
836 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Kurtz
92 books741 followersKatherine Kurtz is an American fantasy novel writer. She is best known for her Deryni series. She currently lives in Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
December 28, 2024
When I first read Lammas Night back in the ‘80s I found it fascinating and original. It’s an occult secret history, not just of the Second World War, but of all of British history. It reveals a secret and unbroken survival of the old pagan faiths in Britain, with highly placed practitioners who operated behind the scenes protecting and renewing the Land through occult means, including the ancient, cyclical sacrifice of the Sacred King. It reinterprets British history —the killing of King William Rufus, the murder of Thomas Beckett, Francis Drake and the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and more — through this lens, and brings all that history to bear on the occult efforts to foil Hitler’s planned invasion of Britain.
Lammas Night opens with an effective portrayal of the traumatic, chaotic sea lift that evacuated defeated British troops from Dunkirk. It conveys the terror and uncertainty of that famous retreat, sets the story in its time and place, and establishes the desperate stakes of that time.
But after that opening, it is a very long time before anything of note actually happens again. This is not anyone’s idea of an action story. A most charitable description would be that it is a novel of slow burning suspense. However, if you aren’t absolutely captured by the minutiae of occult and historical detail it provides, you could be forgiven for considering it dull. And repetitive. How you ultimately feel about it depends a lot on the expectations you take into it.
Kurtz writes well. Her descriptions of events, scenes, human interactions are all drawn skillfully. She is excellent at building tension, just not so much on resolving it. Much of the problem lies in the story she’s chosen to tell. Primarily, this is a novel of the occult, positing that there was significant occult working behind the scenes by both the British and Nazis that impacted the course of the war. The occult details that Kurtz centers — tarot readings, astrological charts, second sight, past life regressions — are all more passive than active, activities better described through telling rather than showing. Add to that the fact that Kurtz included way too much repetition (multiple past life regression sessions essential revisiting the same material from slightly different angles, several tarot readings that merely served to reinforce information already given rather than revealing new) and the story often slows to a frustrating crawl.
Rereading this story almost four decades later, I can’t ignore the pacing and repetitiveness of the story. Its premise is still fascinating, its creative reimagining of historical details still impressive. (Even its fictional hero, the Duke of Clarence, seems to be at least loosely based on the Duke of Kent, King George VI’s actual younger brother.) But its flaws are significant. I can still give it a qualified recommendation if you find its occult secret history premise intriguing, but understand that a bit of a slog awaits you.
Lammas Night opens with an effective portrayal of the traumatic, chaotic sea lift that evacuated defeated British troops from Dunkirk. It conveys the terror and uncertainty of that famous retreat, sets the story in its time and place, and establishes the desperate stakes of that time.
But after that opening, it is a very long time before anything of note actually happens again. This is not anyone’s idea of an action story. A most charitable description would be that it is a novel of slow burning suspense. However, if you aren’t absolutely captured by the minutiae of occult and historical detail it provides, you could be forgiven for considering it dull. And repetitive. How you ultimately feel about it depends a lot on the expectations you take into it.
Kurtz writes well. Her descriptions of events, scenes, human interactions are all drawn skillfully. She is excellent at building tension, just not so much on resolving it. Much of the problem lies in the story she’s chosen to tell. Primarily, this is a novel of the occult, positing that there was significant occult working behind the scenes by both the British and Nazis that impacted the course of the war. The occult details that Kurtz centers — tarot readings, astrological charts, second sight, past life regressions — are all more passive than active, activities better described through telling rather than showing. Add to that the fact that Kurtz included way too much repetition (multiple past life regression sessions essential revisiting the same material from slightly different angles, several tarot readings that merely served to reinforce information already given rather than revealing new) and the story often slows to a frustrating crawl.
Rereading this story almost four decades later, I can’t ignore the pacing and repetitiveness of the story. Its premise is still fascinating, its creative reimagining of historical details still impressive. (Even its fictional hero, the Duke of Clarence, seems to be at least loosely based on the Duke of Kent, King George VI’s actual younger brother.) But its flaws are significant. I can still give it a qualified recommendation if you find its occult secret history premise intriguing, but understand that a bit of a slog awaits you.
July 2, 2015
This is my favorite novel by one of my favorite authors.
A World War II spycraft novel, set during the Battle of Britain and incorporating a number of occult elements that were based on historical events, as well as the Divine Right of Kings and ritual succession and substitution and past lives. It is a complicated novel but she pulls it off very well.
What is more interesting is that some of the elements of book are based on real events. Several occultists, including most famously Dion Fortune, regularly performed rituals and ceremonies all throughout this period in defense and protection of their land. Since the Witchcraft Laws were still in effect (they weren't repealed until the 1960's) most were forced to do them in secret.
At ConFusion in 1987, where Katherine was guest of honor, she spoke about her research for this novel. At that time, people who participated in occult rituals during World War II were still alive, but most had never spoken about their experience and were very reluctant to do so even to that day. However, Katherine was persistent and was able to interview several such people, but under stringent circumstances. For more than two weeks, she was led blindly from one interview to another throughout England. Knowing the state of English weather, she asked that wherever she went, she would have clear skies and fair weather, and the people she interviewed said that it would happen. And every day, wherever she traveled, there she had clear skies and fair weather.
Until the last day, when she stayed over an extra day. Then it rained. Heavily.
A World War II spycraft novel, set during the Battle of Britain and incorporating a number of occult elements that were based on historical events, as well as the Divine Right of Kings and ritual succession and substitution and past lives. It is a complicated novel but she pulls it off very well.
What is more interesting is that some of the elements of book are based on real events. Several occultists, including most famously Dion Fortune, regularly performed rituals and ceremonies all throughout this period in defense and protection of their land. Since the Witchcraft Laws were still in effect (they weren't repealed until the 1960's) most were forced to do them in secret.
At ConFusion in 1987, where Katherine was guest of honor, she spoke about her research for this novel. At that time, people who participated in occult rituals during World War II were still alive, but most had never spoken about their experience and were very reluctant to do so even to that day. However, Katherine was persistent and was able to interview several such people, but under stringent circumstances. For more than two weeks, she was led blindly from one interview to another throughout England. Knowing the state of English weather, she asked that wherever she went, she would have clear skies and fair weather, and the people she interviewed said that it would happen. And every day, wherever she traveled, there she had clear skies and fair weather.
Until the last day, when she stayed over an extra day. Then it rained. Heavily.
January 9, 2016
I have two minor quibbles with this book, one related to style and one related to substance.
My stylistic quibble is that the book seems to lean more towards tell than show. The tell is done skillfully, and it's hard to see how one might get around it when so much of it turns on historical episodes, but there are parts where it does feel a little slow. I cried at the end; I saw one part coming, hard as it was, but not .
My substantive quibble is that
Those two things aside, I really enjoyed this book. The historical references, some of which are borne out by documented fact (e.g., the popular contemporary belief that Sir Francis Drake rebuffed the Spanish Armada with the help of Britain's witches) are fascinating and make me want to hunt up more information. Whether they were effective or not, I have no doubt that witches of all persuasions across Britain were actively attempting to thwart the Nazis, and Hitler's failure to execute Operation Sea Lion is still something of a miracle.
My stylistic quibble is that the book seems to lean more towards tell than show. The tell is done skillfully, and it's hard to see how one might get around it when so much of it turns on historical episodes, but there are parts where it does feel a little slow. I cried at the end; I saw one part coming, hard as it was, but not .
My substantive quibble is that
Those two things aside, I really enjoyed this book. The historical references, some of which are borne out by documented fact (e.g., the popular contemporary belief that Sir Francis Drake rebuffed the Spanish Armada with the help of Britain's witches) are fascinating and make me want to hunt up more information. Whether they were effective or not, I have no doubt that witches of all persuasions across Britain were actively attempting to thwart the Nazis, and Hitler's failure to execute Operation Sea Lion is still something of a miracle.
December 25, 2012
Ten times more boring than you think.
Apparently, Hitler is an occultist, and some very boring English Wiccans are trying to stop him by convening a grand coven of witches on Lammas Night in the hope they can implant a suggestion for him not to invade Britain. There's a lot of gas about old pagan Britain, but very little action: English and German Witches never really come into direct physical contact, and the bulk of the book is about the relation between two men, one who might be a human sacrifice for the other. This is on the good side.
The paganism in the book is stupid. It's impossible to take the main character seriously when the source of his magic is...astrology. Reading astrology charts. Seriously. He never really does anything else: no direct fighting, no battle, just bopping around trying to convince people to do the Grand Coven and regress into past lives. Also, in the first fifty pages, he drinks a lot of tea.
Don't be misled by the premise. Something that should have been a rousing pulp adventure is really a dull book that has no action at all. Pass.
Apparently, Hitler is an occultist, and some very boring English Wiccans are trying to stop him by convening a grand coven of witches on Lammas Night in the hope they can implant a suggestion for him not to invade Britain. There's a lot of gas about old pagan Britain, but very little action: English and German Witches never really come into direct physical contact, and the bulk of the book is about the relation between two men, one who might be a human sacrifice for the other. This is on the good side.
The paganism in the book is stupid. It's impossible to take the main character seriously when the source of his magic is...astrology. Reading astrology charts. Seriously. He never really does anything else: no direct fighting, no battle, just bopping around trying to convince people to do the Grand Coven and regress into past lives. Also, in the first fifty pages, he drinks a lot of tea.
Don't be misled by the premise. Something that should have been a rousing pulp adventure is really a dull book that has no action at all. Pass.
July 14, 2021
One of my all-time favourite books, and proof (I reckon), that you can't judge a book by its cover. Because the cover of this one is really awful and hideously stereotyped. But inside...time to get it off the shelf again, and it still gets me at the end.
August 10, 2025
3.75🌟
Enjoyable historical fantasy, if a bit long-winded and repetitive.
Enjoyable historical fantasy, if a bit long-winded and repetitive.
March 6, 2017
The greatest sacrifice
I've been meaning to read this book for decades.
Keeping in mind that this is speculative fiction, so one has to let go of any deep attachment to historical accuracy, somehow Lammas Night still had me brushing up on British royalty of the past 120 years.
There is a deep reverence for the many forms of the magical arts woven throughout this tale - an almost seamless blending of the mystical with the mundane which lends strength to the conviction of the characters' beliefs and practices. That magic simply "is" once one has eyes to see it, and that it has always been thus, is a driving narrative within the story.
My one huge criticism would have to be leveled at the overblown "Satanic" references and attributions, but given the time period the tale is set in (WWII) and when the book was written, I suppose that's to be expected.
If you're at all the sentimental type, you'll want to have tissues handy during several passages in the book. Overall, this was a wonderful "what if" fictionalized version of an actual event.
I've been meaning to read this book for decades.
Keeping in mind that this is speculative fiction, so one has to let go of any deep attachment to historical accuracy, somehow Lammas Night still had me brushing up on British royalty of the past 120 years.
There is a deep reverence for the many forms of the magical arts woven throughout this tale - an almost seamless blending of the mystical with the mundane which lends strength to the conviction of the characters' beliefs and practices. That magic simply "is" once one has eyes to see it, and that it has always been thus, is a driving narrative within the story.
My one huge criticism would have to be leveled at the overblown "Satanic" references and attributions, but given the time period the tale is set in (WWII) and when the book was written, I suppose that's to be expected.
If you're at all the sentimental type, you'll want to have tissues handy during several passages in the book. Overall, this was a wonderful "what if" fictionalized version of an actual event.
March 20, 2019
This is a re-read of a book I remember as a five-star novel, but which, coming to it again many years later, and with more mature eyes, I realize is rather flawed. The novel has three major problems which you can’t get around; you can either live with them or not. If you can turn a blind eye to them, it’ll be five stars for you, if not, you could be giving it two stars, or one. And people do. I’m in the 3.5-ish stars bracket, but I’ll round down to 3 for balance, rather than up to 4, because Kurtz is a major writer and this is a work that’s attracted upwards of 760 ratings. So…
Twenty-five years ago, for me this was an automatic five stars because it was one of very few books that dealt seriously, respectfully and compassionately with alternative religious belief. (These days, so many books have dealt respectfully with the old religion that Lammas Night is by no means extraordinary; and the treatment has been done just as well in many places -- I’m thinking of Falconstone, for a start: catch my review here on Goodreads) The thrust of the novel is that magic will be used to defeat Hitler on the level of psychological warfare. Our occult practitioners against his, during the Battle of Britain. It’s a brilliant idea, and the research behind it is equally brilliant. So what went wrong at the level of execution?
Three things, as I said above. First is the author’s unfortunate habit or re-re-re-repeating herself. She rehashes the material so often, the book falls off-pace: some will call it dull or even tedious; others will say it “bogged down”. In fact, it bogs down right after the Dunkirk sequence, before the 100pp mark, and never really recovers. It’s still moving at a snail’s pace when it reaches its crescendo … and regrettably, by the time it gets there, Kurtz has dissected the material so many times, the “climax” has no “whoomph” factor; though, admittedly, it is extremely moving. I must wonder why a good editor at Ballantine didn’t just delete whole pages to solve this problem and get the story moving. Certainly, modern day editors wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) let a writer get away with this. (A mate of mine is transitioning right now between semi-pro and full-pro, and his experience of today’s “didactically draconian” editors (my term!) is … startling. Kurtz was far from a first-time author with Lammas Night, so she was allowed to get away with “blue murder.” I seriously doubt she’d have slipped Lammas past today’s editors as-is. Hmm.)
The second problem is that the book was crying out to be vetted … not by an English native speaker (which most Americans are) but by a *British* native speaker, and better yet, someone who was there during the War years. The numerous differences between American English and British English are both subtle and glaring … and there’s a gaffe or three on virtually every page. In a 400+ page book, this makes for so many “oopsie” moments that in the end one is gritting one’s teeth. A native British speaker could have caught them on one read-through. The errors are incredibly frequent, and ridiculously annoying, given how simple it would have been to avoid this. It’s only American hubris to take for granted that an American can utterly master the subtleties of British English, and then not even have the manuscript reliably checked -- meaning, not by a fan who won't or can't be critical -- prior to publication. Grrr.
(The worst mis-usage of the language, appearing repeatedly, which rubbed me the wrong way big time, was Kurt having people refer to, and address, HRH Prince William as “my prince.” No Englishman post the era of Shakespeare and Marlow would have uttered these words: they’re right out of historical (or fairytale!) fiction, and a complete anachronism in 1943. It’s a whimsical mistake American writers might easily make, and which a British editor would have picked up and blue-penciled immediately. The polite form of address for a prince is “Your royal highness,” and subsequently “sir,” and in third person, “his royal highness.” This Prince William was also Duke of Clarence, and the polite form of address for a duke is “Your grace,” or in third person, “his grace.” Normally, the polite form would be used the first time in either the day or conversation, after which everyone would revert to “sir.” But, “My prince”?! Not outside of a fairytale storybook. Ack.)
The third problem is … sigh. Lammas Night is a full-throttle bromance. In fact, it’s such a bromance, you can drop the ‘b’ there. It’s an intimacy-free love story between two guys. I suspect it was written as a gay story, then all intimacy was deleted from the publication draft. This is how it reads. You constantly expect Gray and William to fall into each other’s arms; and I genuinely wish they had! I understand that in ’83, when the book was published, it would have been commercial suicide to do it as a gay book; not that gay romances didn't abound in fiction at the time: they did. But a mass-market fantasy, from an established author … dealing as it does with royalty (however fictitious) … would never have been produced as a glbt book in an era when homophobia still raged. The result is a bromance more passionate than a lot of gay (*not* sex-saturated m/m!) romances. It reads … oddly. I’m extremely familiar with the great bromances of literature (such as Moby Dick and so on), film (Gallipoli and what not) and TV (yep, classic Trek, Starsky & Hutch, so forth). But Lammas Night is like this lot shot up on steroids. It’s a gay book with all intimacy deleted … and for those of us who appreciate "honest" glbt novels like the aforementioned Falconstone, The Deceivers, whatever, the net result is more distracting than satisfying. In fact, just … odd.
So, you’re down to a brilliant idea somewhat spoiled in the execution. The novel is astonishingly slow; the language is mangled; the relationship is super-passionate without the seemingly-promised breathless payoff; and the writer’s habit of re-re-rehashing the material robs the novel’s crescendo of any “whoomph.”
All of which makes for 3.5 stars. I’ll be generous with that last half star, because it *is* a terrific idea, and a power of research went into the set-up. A firmer editing hand would have improved it enormously, following which a quick vetting by a born-British editor would have pulled it up right into the five star bracket. *Sigh*
Recommended if you’re fascinated by the WWII era, and/or the occult, and/or bromance. You may skip through a lot of the repetitious passages, but you’ll still quite enjoy it; keep the Kleenex handy at the end.
Twenty-five years ago, for me this was an automatic five stars because it was one of very few books that dealt seriously, respectfully and compassionately with alternative religious belief. (These days, so many books have dealt respectfully with the old religion that Lammas Night is by no means extraordinary; and the treatment has been done just as well in many places -- I’m thinking of Falconstone, for a start: catch my review here on Goodreads) The thrust of the novel is that magic will be used to defeat Hitler on the level of psychological warfare. Our occult practitioners against his, during the Battle of Britain. It’s a brilliant idea, and the research behind it is equally brilliant. So what went wrong at the level of execution?
Three things, as I said above. First is the author’s unfortunate habit or re-re-re-repeating herself. She rehashes the material so often, the book falls off-pace: some will call it dull or even tedious; others will say it “bogged down”. In fact, it bogs down right after the Dunkirk sequence, before the 100pp mark, and never really recovers. It’s still moving at a snail’s pace when it reaches its crescendo … and regrettably, by the time it gets there, Kurtz has dissected the material so many times, the “climax” has no “whoomph” factor; though, admittedly, it is extremely moving. I must wonder why a good editor at Ballantine didn’t just delete whole pages to solve this problem and get the story moving. Certainly, modern day editors wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) let a writer get away with this. (A mate of mine is transitioning right now between semi-pro and full-pro, and his experience of today’s “didactically draconian” editors (my term!) is … startling. Kurtz was far from a first-time author with Lammas Night, so she was allowed to get away with “blue murder.” I seriously doubt she’d have slipped Lammas past today’s editors as-is. Hmm.)
The second problem is that the book was crying out to be vetted … not by an English native speaker (which most Americans are) but by a *British* native speaker, and better yet, someone who was there during the War years. The numerous differences between American English and British English are both subtle and glaring … and there’s a gaffe or three on virtually every page. In a 400+ page book, this makes for so many “oopsie” moments that in the end one is gritting one’s teeth. A native British speaker could have caught them on one read-through. The errors are incredibly frequent, and ridiculously annoying, given how simple it would have been to avoid this. It’s only American hubris to take for granted that an American can utterly master the subtleties of British English, and then not even have the manuscript reliably checked -- meaning, not by a fan who won't or can't be critical -- prior to publication. Grrr.
(The worst mis-usage of the language, appearing repeatedly, which rubbed me the wrong way big time, was Kurt having people refer to, and address, HRH Prince William as “my prince.” No Englishman post the era of Shakespeare and Marlow would have uttered these words: they’re right out of historical (or fairytale!) fiction, and a complete anachronism in 1943. It’s a whimsical mistake American writers might easily make, and which a British editor would have picked up and blue-penciled immediately. The polite form of address for a prince is “Your royal highness,” and subsequently “sir,” and in third person, “his royal highness.” This Prince William was also Duke of Clarence, and the polite form of address for a duke is “Your grace,” or in third person, “his grace.” Normally, the polite form would be used the first time in either the day or conversation, after which everyone would revert to “sir.” But, “My prince”?! Not outside of a fairytale storybook. Ack.)
The third problem is … sigh. Lammas Night is a full-throttle bromance. In fact, it’s such a bromance, you can drop the ‘b’ there. It’s an intimacy-free love story between two guys. I suspect it was written as a gay story, then all intimacy was deleted from the publication draft. This is how it reads. You constantly expect Gray and William to fall into each other’s arms; and I genuinely wish they had! I understand that in ’83, when the book was published, it would have been commercial suicide to do it as a gay book; not that gay romances didn't abound in fiction at the time: they did. But a mass-market fantasy, from an established author … dealing as it does with royalty (however fictitious) … would never have been produced as a glbt book in an era when homophobia still raged. The result is a bromance more passionate than a lot of gay (*not* sex-saturated m/m!) romances. It reads … oddly. I’m extremely familiar with the great bromances of literature (such as Moby Dick and so on), film (Gallipoli and what not) and TV (yep, classic Trek, Starsky & Hutch, so forth). But Lammas Night is like this lot shot up on steroids. It’s a gay book with all intimacy deleted … and for those of us who appreciate "honest" glbt novels like the aforementioned Falconstone, The Deceivers, whatever, the net result is more distracting than satisfying. In fact, just … odd.
So, you’re down to a brilliant idea somewhat spoiled in the execution. The novel is astonishingly slow; the language is mangled; the relationship is super-passionate without the seemingly-promised breathless payoff; and the writer’s habit of re-re-rehashing the material robs the novel’s crescendo of any “whoomph.”
All of which makes for 3.5 stars. I’ll be generous with that last half star, because it *is* a terrific idea, and a power of research went into the set-up. A firmer editing hand would have improved it enormously, following which a quick vetting by a born-British editor would have pulled it up right into the five star bracket. *Sigh*
Recommended if you’re fascinated by the WWII era, and/or the occult, and/or bromance. You may skip through a lot of the repetitious passages, but you’ll still quite enjoy it; keep the Kleenex handy at the end.
June 29, 2021
It's 1940, and Britain's war against Nazi Germany isn't going well. The British Expeditionary Force has been evacuated from Dunkirk back to England, and while the evacuation was a success, it was also a retreat. Hitler is planning an invasion of Britain, and the British military and political leadership really don't know how they're going to mount an effective defense.
Col. Sir John Graham, "Gray" to his friends and family, is a military intelligence officer--and also a high-ranking member of an occult group, practitioners of the Britain's traditional, ancient rites. This group, the Oakwood group, and other occult groups in Britain, are planning their own response to Hitler's invasion plans. This includes responding, more directly than conventional military forces can, to Hitler's own occult assault on Britain and Britain's military forces.
In addition to his occult colleagues, Graham has another dear friend--Prince William, Duke of Clarence, the (fictional) twin brother of King George V's youngest son, John, who died at age fourteen. This close friendship is going to lead to some serious complications as the Oakwood group works to organized a unified British occult response to Hitler.
Gray, with few trusted close friends outside of the Oakwood group, which is basically his family--son, father-in-law, nephew, niece, brother-in-law and sister-in-law--turns to his friend Prince William to talk about some of his stress over lack of success in recruiting other occult groups to work in coordination with the Oakwood group. This is the first time he's actually told William that his occult involvement goes beyond party tricks and trying to extract useful military information from Hitler's known occult activities, and he tries to keep that to a minimum. William, though, becomes seriously interested, especially after Gray tells him that he's cast both their astrological charts, and they may have known each other in a previous life.
Over the next weeks and months, William becomes more involved and aware, while Gray tries everything he can to build the cooperation Britain needs among its occultists. Gray's efforts include a memory regression to find out how Sir Francis Drake managed to bring the occult groups of England together in a Grand Coven to stop the Spanish Armada. Gray, we learn, was Drake, in one of his previous lives. We also get hints that William, in a former life, was also there.
There's a tangle of surprises and revelations as the story unfolds. Gray and William have been connected in many previous lives--and it's in those previous lives, and their connection, that they find the answer to what they need to do.
Along the way, we also meet the agent, a former member of the Oakwood group, who infiltrated one of the Nazi covens, one very close to Hitler. Dieter is a very skilled ceremonial magician, and German, and Gray and others are, with reason, no longer sure they can trust him.
Yet they may not be able to do what they need to do without trusting him.
This is an extremely well done alternate, or perhaps hidden, historical novel. The characters are all very well done. Kurtz also treats all the faiths represented here with respect, not feeling the need some see to disdain some to respect the others.
It's been many years since I first read this, and I was hesitant to pick it up again after so long. Many fondly remembered books turn out not to quite so excellent as one remembers them. This one, though, I find u have rather more appreciation for it than I did when I first read it.
Highly recommended.
I bought this book.
Col. Sir John Graham, "Gray" to his friends and family, is a military intelligence officer--and also a high-ranking member of an occult group, practitioners of the Britain's traditional, ancient rites. This group, the Oakwood group, and other occult groups in Britain, are planning their own response to Hitler's invasion plans. This includes responding, more directly than conventional military forces can, to Hitler's own occult assault on Britain and Britain's military forces.
In addition to his occult colleagues, Graham has another dear friend--Prince William, Duke of Clarence, the (fictional) twin brother of King George V's youngest son, John, who died at age fourteen. This close friendship is going to lead to some serious complications as the Oakwood group works to organized a unified British occult response to Hitler.
Gray, with few trusted close friends outside of the Oakwood group, which is basically his family--son, father-in-law, nephew, niece, brother-in-law and sister-in-law--turns to his friend Prince William to talk about some of his stress over lack of success in recruiting other occult groups to work in coordination with the Oakwood group. This is the first time he's actually told William that his occult involvement goes beyond party tricks and trying to extract useful military information from Hitler's known occult activities, and he tries to keep that to a minimum. William, though, becomes seriously interested, especially after Gray tells him that he's cast both their astrological charts, and they may have known each other in a previous life.
Over the next weeks and months, William becomes more involved and aware, while Gray tries everything he can to build the cooperation Britain needs among its occultists. Gray's efforts include a memory regression to find out how Sir Francis Drake managed to bring the occult groups of England together in a Grand Coven to stop the Spanish Armada. Gray, we learn, was Drake, in one of his previous lives. We also get hints that William, in a former life, was also there.
There's a tangle of surprises and revelations as the story unfolds. Gray and William have been connected in many previous lives--and it's in those previous lives, and their connection, that they find the answer to what they need to do.
Along the way, we also meet the agent, a former member of the Oakwood group, who infiltrated one of the Nazi covens, one very close to Hitler. Dieter is a very skilled ceremonial magician, and German, and Gray and others are, with reason, no longer sure they can trust him.
Yet they may not be able to do what they need to do without trusting him.
This is an extremely well done alternate, or perhaps hidden, historical novel. The characters are all very well done. Kurtz also treats all the faiths represented here with respect, not feeling the need some see to disdain some to respect the others.
It's been many years since I first read this, and I was hesitant to pick it up again after so long. Many fondly remembered books turn out not to quite so excellent as one remembers them. This one, though, I find u have rather more appreciation for it than I did when I first read it.
Highly recommended.
I bought this book.
August 30, 2011
I finished reading Lamma’s Night about a week ago. I bought this back in '83 or '84 when it came out because I loved Kurtz’ Deryni fantasy series and it’s been waiting patiently on a shelf for me to discover it ever since. Its waiting wasn’t in vain; I’ve been trying to organize my huge pile of unread books and there it was (along with four unread books from the Deryni series).
The big swastika on the cover caught my attention and the tagline of the cover “Could the witches of England weave a spell to stop him [Hitler] from destroying their land” reminded of the one for Bitter Seeds (2010) by Ian Tregillis “It’s 1939. The Nazis have supermen, the British have demons, and one perfectly normal man gets caught in between”
I enjoyed Tergillis’ book and I remembered liking Kurtz’ writing so I thought I’d give it a try.
I’m glad I did; it was pretty enjoyable. It reminded me a bit of the Deryni novels, perhaps it was the handling the royals or maybe it was in the way the political maneuverings played into the story. Although it’s been at least 20 years since I read any of them, so my memory of them is bit dim.
Lamma’s Night is a more traditional good vs. evil book than Bitter Seeds. Unlike Bitter Seeds we actually see very little of the Nazis and from what we do see nothing invites our sympathy.
The majority of the story is told from the point of view of Colonel John Graham of the British Secret Service. At least that’s his day job. He is also an occult practitioner, and manages to marry the two careers somewhat successfully, using his occult abilities (and the abilities of others in his group) to augment his more mundane intelligence gathering. Its wartime and his superiors are much more interested in results than means. Which is good, because practicing magic is still illegal in England.
Other than Graham, the other focal point character is William, a fictional youngest brother of King George V. Before the war, William worked for Graham in intelligence and they became friends. William is fairly far down in the line of succession and wants (perhaps needs) to do more for the war effort than shake the hands of the troops and generally be a morale booster.
Perhaps needless to say he becomes more involved than either he or Graham would ultimately want.
As with most novels I read set in historical times, I wish there was a detailed afterward explaining how the historical events line with the events of the book. I’m always curious, but never so curious to do the research myself…
It was a goo0d read. Now that I know where they are, I may read a couple of Kurtz’ other books I found in the unread pile, not to mention those four unread Deryni novels.
The big swastika on the cover caught my attention and the tagline of the cover “Could the witches of England weave a spell to stop him [Hitler] from destroying their land” reminded of the one for Bitter Seeds (2010) by Ian Tregillis “It’s 1939. The Nazis have supermen, the British have demons, and one perfectly normal man gets caught in between”
I enjoyed Tergillis’ book and I remembered liking Kurtz’ writing so I thought I’d give it a try.
I’m glad I did; it was pretty enjoyable. It reminded me a bit of the Deryni novels, perhaps it was the handling the royals or maybe it was in the way the political maneuverings played into the story. Although it’s been at least 20 years since I read any of them, so my memory of them is bit dim.
Lamma’s Night is a more traditional good vs. evil book than Bitter Seeds. Unlike Bitter Seeds we actually see very little of the Nazis and from what we do see nothing invites our sympathy.
The majority of the story is told from the point of view of Colonel John Graham of the British Secret Service. At least that’s his day job. He is also an occult practitioner, and manages to marry the two careers somewhat successfully, using his occult abilities (and the abilities of others in his group) to augment his more mundane intelligence gathering. Its wartime and his superiors are much more interested in results than means. Which is good, because practicing magic is still illegal in England.
Other than Graham, the other focal point character is William, a fictional youngest brother of King George V. Before the war, William worked for Graham in intelligence and they became friends. William is fairly far down in the line of succession and wants (perhaps needs) to do more for the war effort than shake the hands of the troops and generally be a morale booster.
Perhaps needless to say he becomes more involved than either he or Graham would ultimately want.
As with most novels I read set in historical times, I wish there was a detailed afterward explaining how the historical events line with the events of the book. I’m always curious, but never so curious to do the research myself…
It was a goo0d read. Now that I know where they are, I may read a couple of Kurtz’ other books I found in the unread pile, not to mention those four unread Deryni novels.
February 12, 2008
Supposedly, this is a story that reflects a real happening in which several covens convened in Britain to simultaneously make a "cone of power" in hopes to send a psychic message to Adolf Hitler to warn him off any future invasion of Britain. The event supposedly happened on Lammas Night, August 2, 1940. The book is set right around that time, where a local occult group now headed by one Sir John Graham (Gray) is trying to muster up support for that same event, only to meet rejection after rejection by members and heads of each different esoteric tradition. Gray just happens to be a leading member of MI6 working on a case involving Hitler's use of the occult in Germany during the war. The leadership of the Oakwood group to which Gray belongs has just passed to him, and he finds himself having to make decisions that are very hard to bear.
The book takes one of its major themes from Margaret Murray's The Divine King in England : "the principles of kingship in Britain were bound up with the murder of the sacred king demanded by the old religion of witchcraft," this quotation from this site. I suppose I'll have to find this book, because this theory is actually very interesting. Yikes! Another book to add to my stack! But if you are at all interested in this sort of thing, you will enjoy Lammas Night. Sometimes it gets a bit wordy, but all in all, a wonderful read.
recommended
read: 4/09/2006
The book takes one of its major themes from Margaret Murray's The Divine King in England : "the principles of kingship in Britain were bound up with the murder of the sacred king demanded by the old religion of witchcraft," this quotation from this site. I suppose I'll have to find this book, because this theory is actually very interesting. Yikes! Another book to add to my stack! But if you are at all interested in this sort of thing, you will enjoy Lammas Night. Sometimes it gets a bit wordy, but all in all, a wonderful read.
recommended
read: 4/09/2006
November 1, 2008
I've been wanting to read this for a while since it's kind of a cult classic. And it was OK. While there was a LOT of infodumping in the narrative, it was somewhat integrated into the plot. In many ways, though, it was very dated, and not in a fun way.
October 12, 2025
I liked the concept of this standalone from Katherine Kurtz more than I liked the book. At the beginning of the Second World War, the German forces briskly overcame western Europe, until they reached the English Channel, twenty or so miles holding their forces back. The expectation was that Britain would not last long. But Hitler never gave the order. Kurtz' idea was that a group of witches (male and female) became the bastion which stopped the advance.
So far, pretty interesting. But then Kurtz adds another element: these witches are unknowing reincarnations of previous saviours of England from foreign conquest, and, not only that, they also have visions of their earlier selves, their ancestors. The extra explanations and the scenes with the earlier incarnations take up space, make the story fatally slow moving. It should have stayed a Second World War fantasy novel, without the introduction of such people as Walter Tyrrell (who saved England by killing the unworthy king William II, or Sir Francis Drake, or basically all the people you could imagine who had a role in the development of English history.
The principal character, an imaginary brother of Edward VIII and George VI, also becomes less rounded, as there is a lack of space to properly develop him and his role in the plot. So much more could have been made of him!
To me, this meant the novel which came out of this idea becomes too cumbersome with the extra weight this adds. It also becomes lengthy, prolix, and just far to wordy. If I had been her editor, I would have suggested cutting out at least a third.
So far, pretty interesting. But then Kurtz adds another element: these witches are unknowing reincarnations of previous saviours of England from foreign conquest, and, not only that, they also have visions of their earlier selves, their ancestors. The extra explanations and the scenes with the earlier incarnations take up space, make the story fatally slow moving. It should have stayed a Second World War fantasy novel, without the introduction of such people as Walter Tyrrell (who saved England by killing the unworthy king William II, or Sir Francis Drake, or basically all the people you could imagine who had a role in the development of English history.
The principal character, an imaginary brother of Edward VIII and George VI, also becomes less rounded, as there is a lack of space to properly develop him and his role in the plot. So much more could have been made of him!
To me, this meant the novel which came out of this idea becomes too cumbersome with the extra weight this adds. It also becomes lengthy, prolix, and just far to wordy. If I had been her editor, I would have suggested cutting out at least a third.
February 26, 2020
This book seems to exist to challenge any expectation you might have going into a novel about witches in magical warfare with Nazis. There's very little time spent on black masses and evil deeds, hardly any espionage, and minimal action. Instead, there's an emphasis put on interpersonal relationships, both intimate friendships and inter-coven politicking of an all-too-believable sort. The book is pretty middle heavy and manages to combine the minutiae of magical practice with the minutiae of military life for some fairly ponderous stretches. Certainly, lengthy explanatory passages come with the territory in occult novels, but I had the sense that I was reading repeated passages at times (I'd argue that no book needs three detailed tarot-reading scenes). Several moments played as dramatic reveals landed with significantly less impact because their importance had been detailed in prior chapters. That having been said, the central characters were fully-fleshed and their relationship resonated with a certain truth, so I can't discount the book entirely. Those looking for a subtler brand of occult fiction may find something to enjoy more than I did.
October 17, 2021
This was a re-read for me. I read this originally about twenty years ago. I had forgotten how well the relationship between the two main characters was done, and how powerful their combined stories are. Back then, I didn't appreciate the depth of the "sacred king" aspect of the story was, but I certainly had a much deeper appreciation of what was written. Kurtz writes an excellent story here. Well worth reading.
January 2, 2020
Still an enjoyable read but too much backstory and a little slow moving. Still, if you enjoy Nazis and the Occult this book should get the job done.
July 7, 2016
Here we have a strange "what if" scenario, set during 1940 when German invasion of Britain seemed imminent, and people in MI6 are desperate to protect Britain by every means possible.
Strangely, my opinion hasn't changed since the first (and only) prior reading many years ago. The writing is good, as expected, and the characters live and breathe as people. The setting surrounds them appropriately without being dwelt upon... but the plot just doesn't grab me. I walked away feeling a little meh, which is disappointing. The magic is darker and more ominous than that in the Deryni books, though readers will notice many familiarities in style and workings, and did make me feel a little icky at times but that wasn't the reason. I think I just felt a little let down by the overall ending.
If you want to know a little of what to expect in terms of the occult: A fair amount, in fact. And unfortunately,
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Now, with the future of Britain at stake, these two men, the spy and the royal, must rally the hidden adherents of the Old Religion, hoping to unite the British covens in defense of their endangered island homeland. But it will take more than combined Wiccan sorcery to repel the Reich’s black magic on Lammas Night—and the sacrifice required might be greater than imagined and truly terrible to endure.
Lammas Night is a spectacular feat of creative imagination from the author of the acclaimed Deryni fantasy series. Smart, affecting, and brilliantly conceived, it is an enthralling combination of historical fiction, war novel, and the occult that will appeal to fans of all fantastic literature.
Strangely, my opinion hasn't changed since the first (and only) prior reading many years ago. The writing is good, as expected, and the characters live and breathe as people. The setting surrounds them appropriately without being dwelt upon... but the plot just doesn't grab me. I walked away feeling a little meh, which is disappointing. The magic is darker and more ominous than that in the Deryni books, though readers will notice many familiarities in style and workings, and did make me feel a little icky at times but that wasn't the reason. I think I just felt a little let down by the overall ending.
If you want to know a little of what to expect in terms of the occult: A fair amount, in fact. And unfortunately,
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Now, with the future of Britain at stake, these two men, the spy and the royal, must rally the hidden adherents of the Old Religion, hoping to unite the British covens in defense of their endangered island homeland. But it will take more than combined Wiccan sorcery to repel the Reich’s black magic on Lammas Night—and the sacrifice required might be greater than imagined and truly terrible to endure.
Lammas Night is a spectacular feat of creative imagination from the author of the acclaimed Deryni fantasy series. Smart, affecting, and brilliantly conceived, it is an enthralling combination of historical fiction, war novel, and the occult that will appeal to fans of all fantastic literature.
November 13, 2014
This was not what I expected.The main character is a male. There is only one female character in this one and she is not prominently featured. Britain is at war. Hitler has invaded France and is now preparing to invade England. The tiny island has experienced this before and all those of the old faith now prepare to stop Hitler. Enter Graham called Gray whom spy system informs him Hitler is now involved in black magic. Enter Prince William of the royal blood (a prince who never actually existed)
In this story, he is the twin of Prince John who died young.
It turns out Prince William and Gray have lived lives together before and have deeply entwined ties.
On Lammas Night as all the coven of England raise a cone of power to repel Hitler, Gray realizes it is not enough. A sacrifice is required as in the old days.The last part of this is quite compelling and hard to put down. I fought sleep to finish this!
If you are unaware of the old Celtic religion and their practices you may think this a fantasy. However many in England and many other countries still practice what they call "The Old Religion" or "Wicca."
In this story, he is the twin of Prince John who died young.
It turns out Prince William and Gray have lived lives together before and have deeply entwined ties.
On Lammas Night as all the coven of England raise a cone of power to repel Hitler, Gray realizes it is not enough. A sacrifice is required as in the old days.The last part of this is quite compelling and hard to put down. I fought sleep to finish this!
If you are unaware of the old Celtic religion and their practices you may think this a fantasy. However many in England and many other countries still practice what they call "The Old Religion" or "Wicca."
April 23, 2008
Fair to good representation of Witchcraft as a relgion. The mysticism was portrayed quite well as was the traditional structure and secrecy of covens, circles, and groves. Not to mention the rivalry!
I was disturbed (deeply) by the seemingly blind acceptance of the need for human sacrifice. Perhaps there are very traditional European groups that belive that way. .... but I don't know of any. But then ..... who would unless they were members .....?
I was disturbed (deeply) by the seemingly blind acceptance of the need for human sacrifice. Perhaps there are very traditional European groups that belive that way. .... but I don't know of any. But then ..... who would unless they were members .....?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2016
A classic novel of occult forces in World War II, now available as an ebook.
The witches, occultists, and Druids of Britain must band together to counter Hitler's black magicians and avert an invasion. But the price may be higher than they are willing to pay. All of the characters are fictional, but the events may have some basis in fact.
Recommended.
The witches, occultists, and Druids of Britain must band together to counter Hitler's black magicians and avert an invasion. But the price may be higher than they are willing to pay. All of the characters are fictional, but the events may have some basis in fact.
Recommended.
December 20, 2012
This is one of my favorite books ever. Just awesome.
April 11, 2023
3.5 stars
I liked the concept, I liked the approach it took to magic as grounded in ceremony and logistics. The book even goes as far as name dropping Dion Fortune, referencing "the Acts of John" and a number of existing practices/beliefs, including the idea of the sacred king who must be slaughtered for the good of the land. I even liked the motif and depiction of the sacrifice inherent in the practice. But. This is another book that needed another draft/a stricter editor. So much of the language and the depiction of the social structure rang false to me. I remember one particular discussion of the mystique of royalty that pulled me out of the narrative so much and just sounded so idealized and possibly American, I actually stopped reading to check whether the author is British. The perfect love and perfect trust principle bothered me a little, too, for several different reasons. Graham and William may have worked together on field operations and developed trust that way but Graham definitely sets a post-hypnotic suggestion first and asks permission later and conceals all kinds of information from him throughout the story. The whole situation between the leaders of the coven and Graham is also questionable. Maybe it is meant to be the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot dynamic perfected but I can also see it going in any number of questionable, unwholesome or even just way less "stiff upper lip" directions. Finally, the way William's sacrifice plays out just distinctly felt like cheating to me. I guess it satisfies the letter of the law but the spirit? Sabotaging a plane is not even close to landing the killing blow as many prior incarnations of Graham were asked to by William's prior incarnations. Graham is not even present when the plane goes down. So much for his regret that the slayer does not follow the slain. His son volunteered to fly the plane and died in the crash, though, so perhaps he was considered Graham's stand-in for ritual purposes? Graham, of course, was unaware of this until he saw the plane lift off and certainly never gave his blessings so the substitution idea feels like a stretch. In fact, for all the emphasis on the logistics, the magical practice of the lodge falls apart as the book goes on.
Ultimately, this was a promising premise but the pacing, the rehashing of certain elements and the lack of sufficient editorial oversight kept the novel from achieving its full potential.
I liked the concept, I liked the approach it took to magic as grounded in ceremony and logistics. The book even goes as far as name dropping Dion Fortune, referencing "the Acts of John" and a number of existing practices/beliefs, including the idea of the sacred king who must be slaughtered for the good of the land. I even liked the motif and depiction of the sacrifice inherent in the practice. But. This is another book that needed another draft/a stricter editor. So much of the language and the depiction of the social structure rang false to me. I remember one particular discussion of the mystique of royalty that pulled me out of the narrative so much and just sounded so idealized and possibly American, I actually stopped reading to check whether the author is British. The perfect love and perfect trust principle bothered me a little, too, for several different reasons. Graham and William may have worked together on field operations and developed trust that way but Graham definitely sets a post-hypnotic suggestion first and asks permission later and conceals all kinds of information from him throughout the story. The whole situation between the leaders of the coven and Graham is also questionable. Maybe it is meant to be the Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot dynamic perfected but I can also see it going in any number of questionable, unwholesome or even just way less "stiff upper lip" directions. Finally, the way William's sacrifice plays out just distinctly felt like cheating to me. I guess it satisfies the letter of the law but the spirit? Sabotaging a plane is not even close to landing the killing blow as many prior incarnations of Graham were asked to by William's prior incarnations. Graham is not even present when the plane goes down. So much for his regret that the slayer does not follow the slain. His son volunteered to fly the plane and died in the crash, though, so perhaps he was considered Graham's stand-in for ritual purposes? Graham, of course, was unaware of this until he saw the plane lift off and certainly never gave his blessings so the substitution idea feels like a stretch. In fact, for all the emphasis on the logistics, the magical practice of the lodge falls apart as the book goes on.
Ultimately, this was a promising premise but the pacing, the rehashing of certain elements and the lack of sufficient editorial oversight kept the novel from achieving its full potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2017
Lamas Night
World War II is in full swing, the British are evacuating Dunkirk. Among the soldiers and the intelligence people fleeing , a British agent named Michael Jordan is among them. On his person are some valuable photographs about the Nazi occult program. Wounded and making his way across the English Channel even after the boat he is on sinks, Michael must get to John Graham. Michael is also a member of a witch cult.
From the bowels of Germanys' occult program, John Graham, witch father and M16 agent accesses the second road to infiltrate the German occult program. He sees Sturm, a dark magician dedicated t Satan. Sturm protects Hitler from any from of occult attack.
France has fallen and something must be done quickly to thwart Hitler's next move, invading England. The military handles troop movements but the witches of England must do something magical to veer Hitler's plan. John Graham has the unfortunate the task. Of trying to unite the witches and occultist and have them do their Lamas Night Ritual to defeat Hitler or at least get him to change his mind. Not all the witches agree, there are still laws on the books against witchcraft, some other witches Just do not agree.
To get the witches to cooperate John must find a leader who will unite the witches. Only one person who could really qualify and that's Prince William. The Prince is a fifth wheel, will never inherit the throne, cannot go into deep action due to the fact he is royalty. He is of then old blood. Slowly to William learns about the witch cult and the witch blood that flows into his veins. Will Prince William succeed in uniting the witches?
This work of fiction covers a lot of ground. It talks about Sir Francis Drake and his magic that supposedly stopped the Spanish Armada from invading. Then there are the pat life regression where in the various members discover what their past live were like and what roles they play. Remember the king is tied to the land and a sacrifice must be made every 7 years.
World War II is in full swing, the British are evacuating Dunkirk. Among the soldiers and the intelligence people fleeing , a British agent named Michael Jordan is among them. On his person are some valuable photographs about the Nazi occult program. Wounded and making his way across the English Channel even after the boat he is on sinks, Michael must get to John Graham. Michael is also a member of a witch cult.
From the bowels of Germanys' occult program, John Graham, witch father and M16 agent accesses the second road to infiltrate the German occult program. He sees Sturm, a dark magician dedicated t Satan. Sturm protects Hitler from any from of occult attack.
France has fallen and something must be done quickly to thwart Hitler's next move, invading England. The military handles troop movements but the witches of England must do something magical to veer Hitler's plan. John Graham has the unfortunate the task. Of trying to unite the witches and occultist and have them do their Lamas Night Ritual to defeat Hitler or at least get him to change his mind. Not all the witches agree, there are still laws on the books against witchcraft, some other witches Just do not agree.
To get the witches to cooperate John must find a leader who will unite the witches. Only one person who could really qualify and that's Prince William. The Prince is a fifth wheel, will never inherit the throne, cannot go into deep action due to the fact he is royalty. He is of then old blood. Slowly to William learns about the witch cult and the witch blood that flows into his veins. Will Prince William succeed in uniting the witches?
This work of fiction covers a lot of ground. It talks about Sir Francis Drake and his magic that supposedly stopped the Spanish Armada from invading. Then there are the pat life regression where in the various members discover what their past live were like and what roles they play. Remember the king is tied to the land and a sacrifice must be made every 7 years.
January 26, 2021
This was a densely written story, historically accurate and yet complete fiction as to the actual characters within the novel. There are two major themes in this book: WWII and the need to defeat Hitler, and belief systems that have endured for centuries, perhaps millennia, that predate and encompass Christianity without precluding any of its beliefs.
The historical accuracy of this novel led me to look for proof that some of the characters actually existed, when they did not; this, along with the densely-written plot and characterization, made the novel both fascinating and sometimes hard to read. Published in 1983 and set in 1938, the references to period-specific technology sometimes use terminology that is now outdated and sometimes hard to follow, which negatively impacts the story; in addition, the beginning of the novel appears to assume familiarity with older belief systems and their traditions, information on which is not provided until later in the novel, which adds to the difficulty in following the story. The use of British naming customs for members of the nobility adds to this difficulty; I was at least a quarter of the way through the book before I was certain that several names all referred to the same character. Because of these issues, I had difficulty getting into the book at first, but once I did, it was fascinating and hard to put down. The occult practitioners of Great Britain are all working, in their various groups, to stop Hitler - but can they work together? At the same time, past lives of several characters are revealed, and their interactions in various events repeat over the centuries - will those interactions need to repeat again? And if so, can the current incarnations force themselves to follow the pattern? As the plot interweaves between past and present, the comparison and contrast between times becomes more apparent. Worth reading, especially if you enjoy the occult and/or historical fiction from the WWII era.
The historical accuracy of this novel led me to look for proof that some of the characters actually existed, when they did not; this, along with the densely-written plot and characterization, made the novel both fascinating and sometimes hard to read. Published in 1983 and set in 1938, the references to period-specific technology sometimes use terminology that is now outdated and sometimes hard to follow, which negatively impacts the story; in addition, the beginning of the novel appears to assume familiarity with older belief systems and their traditions, information on which is not provided until later in the novel, which adds to the difficulty in following the story. The use of British naming customs for members of the nobility adds to this difficulty; I was at least a quarter of the way through the book before I was certain that several names all referred to the same character. Because of these issues, I had difficulty getting into the book at first, but once I did, it was fascinating and hard to put down. The occult practitioners of Great Britain are all working, in their various groups, to stop Hitler - but can they work together? At the same time, past lives of several characters are revealed, and their interactions in various events repeat over the centuries - will those interactions need to repeat again? And if so, can the current incarnations force themselves to follow the pattern? As the plot interweaves between past and present, the comparison and contrast between times becomes more apparent. Worth reading, especially if you enjoy the occult and/or historical fiction from the WWII era.
September 28, 2024
The good:
This story has a fairly realistic portrayal of witchcraft and pagan practices. And that's such a rarity in itself that I can't help but give it five stars. The book is very nicely researched, and the author had contact with real-life British practitioners who were alive back in the 40s. I love all the ritualistic scenes. The story and the characters are engaging, and the ending is very moving,
The bad:
Lammas Night could have used some serious editing. It's repetitive, and every plot point is telegraphed miles away. This very British story reads very American. It's also a book written in more innocent times, when a cast composed entirely of aristocrats and (one) royal doing nothing but selfless and heroic things wouldn't raise eyebrows. Unfortunately, with all the actual British royalty scandals and valid discussion about class privilege and wealth concentration, I felt my suspension of disbelief challenged at every turn.
I really wish there were more books written about the British pagans' resistance against the Nazis. It's a fascinating theme from a fascinating era. However, I couldn't help but feel that Lammas Night would have been more effective with a more mixed cast of witchcraft practitioners who joined forces with some poor bastard who just happened to be a direct descendant of the Stuarts or the Hanovers.
This story has a fairly realistic portrayal of witchcraft and pagan practices. And that's such a rarity in itself that I can't help but give it five stars. The book is very nicely researched, and the author had contact with real-life British practitioners who were alive back in the 40s. I love all the ritualistic scenes. The story and the characters are engaging, and the ending is very moving,
The bad:
Lammas Night could have used some serious editing. It's repetitive, and every plot point is telegraphed miles away. This very British story reads very American. It's also a book written in more innocent times, when a cast composed entirely of aristocrats and (one) royal doing nothing but selfless and heroic things wouldn't raise eyebrows. Unfortunately, with all the actual British royalty scandals and valid discussion about class privilege and wealth concentration, I felt my suspension of disbelief challenged at every turn.
I really wish there were more books written about the British pagans' resistance against the Nazis. It's a fascinating theme from a fascinating era. However, I couldn't help but feel that Lammas Night would have been more effective with a more mixed cast of witchcraft practitioners who joined forces with some poor bastard who just happened to be a direct descendant of the Stuarts or the Hanovers.
March 25, 2018
In this prequel to Kurtz's Adept series, we are taken back to England in 1940 just prior to Hitler's Operation Sea Lion. It is a mash-up of suspense/mystery, war story, paranormal fiction, and a dash of historical fantasy thrown in. The conceit is that Hitler is an occultist and using his powers to win the war for Germany. When the Brits uncover his plans to invade England, a grand coven of witches is convened to attempt to stop him (successfully, since we all known Hitler never managed his invasion). The plot is light and fun, with a few emotional moments, though none as heart-wrenching as they otherwise could have been.
Because unfortunately, this isn't up to Kurtz's usual standards. The whole reads a little like a fully fleshed-out outline. In other words, it has all the bones of the story, but it is all told to us through the narrator rather than the actions and dialogue of the characters. So it felt a little more distant and I was disconnected as a reader.
It remained a light, enjoyable read overall. The fun mash-up premise was worthwhile. However, it is not one I have re-read and enjoyed as I have the Adept series.
Because unfortunately, this isn't up to Kurtz's usual standards. The whole reads a little like a fully fleshed-out outline. In other words, it has all the bones of the story, but it is all told to us through the narrator rather than the actions and dialogue of the characters. So it felt a little more distant and I was disconnected as a reader.
It remained a light, enjoyable read overall. The fun mash-up premise was worthwhile. However, it is not one I have re-read and enjoyed as I have the Adept series.
June 26, 2019
It is 1940 and Nazi Germany is overrunning Western Europe, with plans to carry the invasion to the shores of England. Hitler believes in the occult, and hopes to use the powers of magic to help conquer the island. Sir John Graham works for British Intelligence, in a special division tasked with determining the extent of the Nazi efforts based on the occult. Secretly, he is also leading the counter efforts by England's witches and other occult practitioners to wield these same powers to repel the Nazi attack.
The occult has defended England in the past, defeating the Spanish Armada and preventing Napoleon from crossing the Channel. But can it stand against the powerful might of the Nazis? And will the defense of the nation require a royal sacrifice?
Opening with the evacuation of Dunkirk and carrying through the Blitz, this book provides some powerful historic glimpses into one of the darker periods in modern British history, a time when the very survival of the nation seemed at risk. Kurtz proves her writing skill in the powerful images she conjures of the defeated troops returning from Dunkirk, as well as the masterful way she weaves the speculative elements of this story into the greater historical perspective.
The occult has defended England in the past, defeating the Spanish Armada and preventing Napoleon from crossing the Channel. But can it stand against the powerful might of the Nazis? And will the defense of the nation require a royal sacrifice?
Opening with the evacuation of Dunkirk and carrying through the Blitz, this book provides some powerful historic glimpses into one of the darker periods in modern British history, a time when the very survival of the nation seemed at risk. Kurtz proves her writing skill in the powerful images she conjures of the defeated troops returning from Dunkirk, as well as the masterful way she weaves the speculative elements of this story into the greater historical perspective.
February 9, 2019
Exciting semi historical novel
I called this book "semi historical" because it took place during WWII. That part is true. The part that may or may not be true is that groups of witches, or occult practitioners, united on Lammas Day night to use their powers & stop Hitler. When it doesn't work it's determined that a bigger sacrifice is needed.
Very well written book; beautiful, lovely descriptions of "old religion" rites & ceremonies. I love the characters, who are military men, strong & brave yet caring &loving on the inside. This story describes practices in witchcraft, both white & black, hypnosis and past life regression. I don't want to reveal any of the details of the story. Ms. Kurtz is a thorough researcher & although we don't know if anything in the book actually happened, she makes you feel that it could. I really enjoyed this novel & couldn't wait to read more.
I called this book "semi historical" because it took place during WWII. That part is true. The part that may or may not be true is that groups of witches, or occult practitioners, united on Lammas Day night to use their powers & stop Hitler. When it doesn't work it's determined that a bigger sacrifice is needed.
Very well written book; beautiful, lovely descriptions of "old religion" rites & ceremonies. I love the characters, who are military men, strong & brave yet caring &loving on the inside. This story describes practices in witchcraft, both white & black, hypnosis and past life regression. I don't want to reveal any of the details of the story. Ms. Kurtz is a thorough researcher & although we don't know if anything in the book actually happened, she makes you feel that it could. I really enjoyed this novel & couldn't wait to read more.
August 3, 2025
It got a bit boring toward the end, but all in all, I liked it.
I was especially impressed by Katherine Kurtz' research and how well she wrote it into her story.
BTW, I did read the Lammas part on Lammas. :-D
I started reading this in 2023, and then had two years' pause, and finished it 2025
I read my notes and saw this: "It's so lovely and soothing to read this compared to the The Cult of Venus: Templars and the Ancient Goddess crap. Even though what Katherine Kurtz writes about - magic being real - is obviously not real, but Katherine doesn't believe it to be, and she knows more about it than David knows about what he believes to be true... and Katherine's people are believable, likable, intelligent, feeling, real, and not idiots."
I was especially impressed by Katherine Kurtz' research and how well she wrote it into her story.
BTW, I did read the Lammas part on Lammas. :-D
I started reading this in 2023, and then had two years' pause, and finished it 2025
I read my notes and saw this: "It's so lovely and soothing to read this compared to the The Cult of Venus: Templars and the Ancient Goddess crap. Even though what Katherine Kurtz writes about - magic being real - is obviously not real, but Katherine doesn't believe it to be, and she knows more about it than David knows about what he believes to be true... and Katherine's people are believable, likable, intelligent, feeling, real, and not idiots."
March 15, 2018
I really didn't expect to like this book. I got it as part of a Humble Bundle and kind of picked it up on a whim. There are some weaknesses -- Kurtz repeats things a lot, a lot of the scenes where Graham explains things to William feel a bit contrived, and the foreshadowing is so heavy-handed that it makes the characters seem a bit dull not to be picking up on things earlier -- but overall the characters are very well drawn and the story is quite engrossing. There are a lot of details about what is going on both in the worlds of the military and the occultists that make it seem almost more like history than fiction. It seems that it is based on some true stories and Kurtz really did her research to be as authentic to the occultists as possible. Although she was never on my radar before, I'll probably pick up another of her novels sometime in the future.
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