After the Downfall

Rating NR Genre fantasy Author Harry Turtledove Publisher Night Shade Books

Harry Turtledove’s National Best Seller After the Downfall is an exciting and imaginative mix of history and fantasy.  The story follows a Nazi soldier named Hasso Pemsel who is left to guard the Berlin museum in 1945.  Although majority of the relics are gone or ruined, the Omphalos stone still remains.  This magical stone is responsible for hurling the unsuspecting Pemsel into a fantasy world which includes such mysterious wonders as wizards, goddesses, dragons, and more. 

In this fantasy world, Pemsel meets the beautiful blonde-haired, blue eyed people called Lenelli, as well as their goddess who comes in human form, Velona.  He counsels the Lenelli with the knowledge and ideals he has learned from being a Nazi soldier.  His counsel assists the Lenelli and Velona in their war against a race they deem unworthy and low, the Grenye.  

Although the world into which he is hurled is very different from his own, Pemsel soon sees that the Lenelli are much like the German Nazis and the war is much like the War he is fighting at home, and this becomes very unsettling to him.  After witnessing first hand the cruelty and savagery that the Lenelli inflict upon the Grenye, his previous ideals and beliefs begin to crumble.  

After the Downfall is an alternate history work that is believable, yet very imaginative.  Not only is the book entertaining, but it also reveals some insight into the psyche of a Nazi soldier.  Turtledove uses his story telling skills to illuminate how easy it is for the world, fantasy or not, to get completely absorbed in ideals based on nothing but hate and ignorance.  After the Downfall is a very absorbing book and the reader will not be disappointed.