AUTHOR INTERVIEW & BOOK REVIEW: The Rise of the Spider by Michael P. Spradlin
ABOUT THE BOOK
1929, Heroldsberg, Germany. Rolf might only be twelve years old, but he’s old enough to know that things have not been good in his country since the end of the Great War. Half of Germany is out of
work, and a new political movement is taking hold that scares him.
Every night, Rolf’s father and older brother, Romer, have increasingly heated arguments about politics at the dinner table. And when two members of the new Nazi Party, Hans and Nils, move to town as part of the Hitler Youth, Rolf is uneasy to see how enamored Romer is by their promises of bringing Germany to glory.
Rolf doesn’t trust Hans and Nils for a moment. For all their talk of greatness, they act more like bullies, antagonizing shop owners who are Rolf’s friends and neighbors. Yet Romer becomes increasingly obsessed with their message of division, and Rolf watches in horror as his family fractures even further.
When there is an act of vandalism against a Jewish-owned business in town, Rolf fears Romer might have had something to do with it. Can Rolf find a way to intervene before things get any worse?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MICHAEL P. SPRADLIN (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author of the Spy Goddess series, The Youngest Templar series, and the Web of the Spider series, as well as several works of historical fiction, including the Western Heritage Award–winning Off Like the Wind: The Story of the Pony Express. He currently resides in Lapeer, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, and his schnoodle, Sequoia. Learn more at MichaelSpradlin.com.
MICHAEL P. SPRADLIN (he/him/his) is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author of the Spy Goddess series, The Youngest Templar series, and the Web of the Spider series, as well as several works of historical fiction, including the Western Heritage Award–winning Off Like the Wind: The Story of the Pony Express. He currently resides in Lapeer, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, and his schnoodle, Sequoia. Learn more at MichaelSpradlin.com.
INTERVIEW
*What's the 'story behind the story'?
"This is a story that will be told through the eyes of six young people, in six different books, growing up in pre-war Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. They observe their changing country, devastated by World War I as Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party begin their inevitable rise to power."
*If I could travel anywhere, I would go ...
"I would go back to the lovely little town of Heroldsberg, Germany where RISE OF THE SPIDER is set."
*What part of the book was the most fun to write?
"It’s always the characters that are the most fun to me. In the case of RISE OF THE SPIDER, I really enjoyed having Ansel comment on the turmoil the country is going through from his twelve year old perspective."
*How much research did you need to do for your book?
"I’m still doing it! Quite a bit. I traveled to Nuremberg and Heroldsberg and spent a great deal of time in newspaper archives, especially the New York Times and the BBC."
*I hope my book will ....
"I hope RISE OF THE SPIDER and the subsequent books in the series (the next book THREAT OF THE SPIDER goes on sale Summer 2025) will remind us that we must guard against the rise of extremism in any shape or form. We must remain vigilant. Zealously guard our freedoms and above all else VOTE!”
REVIEW
Michael P. Spradlin's new series packs quite a punch. Set in the years prior to World War II just as the Nazis are coming to power in Germany, the series follows the experiences of a group of young people facing the challenges of the time. The opening title, Rise of the Spider, sees young Rolf dealing with the growing conflict between his father and brother. His brother's choice to join the Hitler Youth creates a great deal of tension in the household as does their family's failing business. Rolf must decide what path he is going to walk as he sees the way the Nazis treat people and his brother's growing involvement. At 123 pages, this book powerfully depicts the way the country fell into Hitler's growing web. Historical fiction books like this one remind readers of the tough choices that sometimes have to be made and the risks that still exist in the world. Recommended.
BOOK #2 IN THE WEB OF THE SPIDER SERIES IS COMING NEXT SUMMER!
WEB OF THE SPIDER #2: THREAT OF THE SPIDER
On sale June 4, 2025 in hardcover and paperback
The plot of this story revolves around free speech and press as the main character's father, a journalist,
disappears after printing criticism about the Nazi Party.
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