Hoffnungslose Ziele II (ePub)

Hoffnungslose Ziele II: Anna's Crusade is a fantasy novel and direct sequel to Hoffnungslose Ziele: A Dark Journey of Lost Causes. The story begins in the year 1891, 23 years after the end of the main story in Hoffnungslose Ziele. Anna and Gustav, both immortal vampires at this point, have married, and are residing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, having emigrated to the United States of America at the end of Hoffnungslose Ziele.

Anna's seemingly happy life is turned upside down by a visit from who else but Metia, the demigoddess who helped everyone survive the events of Hoffnungslose Ziele (after endangering them in the first place). Far from the mysterious and cocky Baltic demigoddess who was introduced in the first novel, the Metia who faces Anna is contrite, nervous, and a bit jealous. She confesses that she has a grown son, and that Gustav is the father.

This shocking revelation, along with evidence of a rogue vampire engaging in a Wisconsin murder spree, prompt Anna to leave her comfortable life behind and go off on a journey to face the legacy of the dark time she suffered under Jacobus, her vampiric abductor, captor, and master in 1866. Fighting her own jealously and insecurity, Anna starts a "crusade" to find Jacobus' other victims and save them from damnation as Gustav and Metia saved her a lifetime ago. Along the way, she discovers a great deal about herself, and questions much of what she had once believed.

Meanwhile, a vampire from the ancient world with immense power and an army of demons has gathered every evil thing to him, and started a hunt for Gustav and Metia's son, Milan, and his descendants. Anna's personal crusade and Metia's fates thus become intimately intertwined as they face this common enemy and seek to protect who and what they love most in this world.

The story focuses on Anna as the main character, whereas its predecessor divided the focus among six protagonists. Although there is a very real physical journey in this story, there is also an emotional journey as Anna finally begins dealing with a past she had buried, but never truly escaped. We also get to see how the other protagonists from the first book have fared 20-some years after completing their dark journey, and the disparity between mortals and immortals (and the pain of the latter at watching the mortals they love fade with age while they remain forever young).

The story also introduces Milan, along with several new characters, and contains a very personal connection to the author. Finally, we at long last get a clearer look at the "Old Gods" who were alluded to in the first book, but who rarely influenced events directly. This book explains more of the mythology that remained in the background of the first book.