The interesting backdrop of my novel, The Tower’s Alchemist, deals with Hitler’s obsession with the occult. There are plenty of fascinating documentaries out there detailing how the fuhrer and his elite SS believed in and practiced the occult in hopes of reclaiming what they believed was a lost heritage (such as being the descendants of the race of Atlantis)–and their destined future.
The word “occult” comes from the Latin occultus, which means secret or hidden. The occult is about obtaining hidden knowledge, and often has an element of mysticism or divination. Whether it’s the Spear of Destiny or the prospect of unlocking hidden preternatural abilities (check out Madam Blavatsky when you have the chance), this era–not too different from some aspects of spiritism in the Victorian era–experienced a surge of interest in the magical during a time when we had some of the most interesting advances in the physical sciences.
As for the premise of the novel, Hitler’s desire for hidden knowledge and power leads him to form an alliance with Octavian Eckhard, a Cruenti warlock who commands the Black Wolves. The strength of their alliance and whether or not Octavian has an agenda of his own as he watches from the shadows remains to be seen. Yet, this is the world that my main character (Isabella) finds herself in, where she joins the fight and runs spy missions against the Nazis. Her latest one is to capture and extract another alchemist, Dr. Veit Heilwig, who created an alchemical weapon as deadly as an A-bomb.
Welcome to the world of The Tower’s Alchemist!