Wrath becomes Her

 By: Aden Polydoros

Location: FIC POL

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Horror, Jewish Mythology and that is a LOT of Genres

Frankenstein meets Inglourious Basterds in this stunning Jewish historical horror novel from the award-winning author of The City BeautifulVera was made for vengeance.Lithuania, 1943. A father drowns in the all-consuming grief of a daughter killed by the Nazis. He can’t bring Chaya back from the dead, but he can use kishuf — an ancient and profane magic — to create a golem in her image. A Nazi killer, to avenge her death.When Vera awakens, she can feel her violent purpose thrumming within her. But she can also feel glimpses of a human life lived, of stolen kisses amidst the tragedy, and of a grisly death. And when she meets Akiva, she recognizes the boy with soft lips that gave warm kisses. But these memories aren’t hers, and Vera doesn’t know if she gets—or deserves —to have a life beyond what she was made for.Vera’s strength feels limitless—until she learns that there are others who would channel kishuf for means far less noble than avenging a daughter’s death. As she confronts the very basest of humanity, Vera will need more than what her creator gave Not just a reason to fight, but a reason to live.

JESS

The emotions in this book. This is a unique take on the vengeance of a father who lost his daughter in WWII. He creates a Golem, Vera, who, while containing some of the daughters' real memories and feelings, is still a tool used to kill the Nazis responsible for her death.

A gorgeous cover. Lyrical descriptive writing. A golem made for vengeance. Jewish MCs in WWII in Lithuania.

Somehow I’m a sucker for beautifully written historical stories these days. I’m there for the pain, the grief, the rage, to acknowledge we did so much wrong in the past and still do.

Wrath Becomes Her is different than the historical books I’ve read before. Vera is a golem made for vengeance, made from the mud from the river. She doesn’t only look like a human being, she feels like one too, with emotions running through her body from a human life once lived. I’m not only a sucker for historical stories, but I’m also a sucker for sadder ones, and this book is full of feelings. Akiva’s and Ezra’s grief was so palpable, and I felt their rage against the Nazis seep through my body. Add Vera’s struggles with finding her identity, worsened by the constant turmoil of Chaya’s emotions, and I flew through the pages.

This story is for anyone who loves to read a different WWII story, with a fantasy twist and Jewish main characters but without the holocaust as a central theme.

 Mariake reviewed on Goodreads