BOOK REVIEW – DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY by Aimie K Runyan

Daughters of the Night SkyDaughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Historical fiction … good historical fiction … does more than just tell a story, it transports the reader to another place and time. It immerses them in a culture and events of the past… the courts of kings and queens of Victorian England, the American move westward in the 19th century, or the Eastern Theater of one of the world’s ‘great wars’. Wherever an author takes one, good historical fiction relives a period in history and captivates the reader.

DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY does that and more. In a bold departure from the standard offerings of World War II historical fiction, and with a verve and dedication to historical detail that is both daring and breathtaking, Aime K Runyan tells the story of a courageous group of female pilots in World War II Russia, called to defend their homeland.

In a rare display of feminism for the times, Comrade Stalin has declared equality for women, something that many of the male pilots and soldiers struggle to come to terms with. This is key to the story of the ‘night witches’ and one which lends an air of authenticity to the author’s retelling of the exploits of the 46th Taman Guards, formerly the 588th Night Bomber Regiment – Russia’s all female air force regiment.

“I’m going to learn how to fly a plane of my own, Mama.” Katya Ivanova tells her mother. Little does Katya know that one day her dream will take her to the battle front of the Second World War.

Love is fragile in time of war. It is often fleeting. And it is all too often, heartbreaking. And so Katya vows that she will not let a man deter or distract her from her ‘mission’. But… the heart wants what the heart wants and in wartime there is a greater urgency, a hunger, to live every moment as fully as possible, not knowing what tomorrow will bring… victory or heartbreak. Which will Vanya bring? Will the tragedy of war win out over love or will it bring a strength and determination to Katya she could not have foretold.

Ms Runyan has woven a tale rich in historical detail and all the imagery of a nation at war with a cast of truly heroic and memorable characters to make DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY one of the most compelling and compassionate stories of World War II and the brave band of women pilots and crews called upon to defend Mother Russia against the German war machine. Told with a bittersweet poignancy and a deep compassion for the human condition, I cheered at times and cried at others. The last 30 pages of DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY had me soaking one tissue after another.

Yes, but did you like it, Veronica?

In the immortal words of Paul Hollywood…

“I didn’t like it… I LOVED it!”

Captivating… beautiful… brilliant… heartbreakingly poignant… DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY is a ‘must-read’! I recommend it without reservation.

Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
(Writing under a large mushroom somewhere in the Pacific Northwest)
4 December 2017
(I received an e-ARC of this book through my book club.)

View all my reviews

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About VeronicaThePajamaThief

Bio: Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw Born in Lisboa, Portugal to parents of Portuguese/Russian descent, Veronica Marie and her wife, Christina Anne, call the Pacific Northwest home, where the couple are “still very much on honeymoon!” When not teaching and finishing her own studies for a Masters in Sociology, Veronica writes fiction, primarily noir - "I love dark!". Her long fascination with noir fiction prompted Veronica to try her own hand at writing fiction several years ago. She has been published in Pulp Metal Magazine, The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology, the horror anthology 100 Horrors, from Cruentus Libri Press, Nightfalls: an End of the World anthology, Drunk On The Moon 2: A Roman Dalton anthology and Gloves Off: Near To the Knuckle's debut anthology. Veronica has also appeared in the inaugural issue of Literary Orphans magazine and her horror/urban fantasy short story SOUL TAKER was recently chosen for inclusion in Lily Childs' february femmes fatales, an urban fantasy/horror anthology. Veronica counts among her mentors - Carole A Parker, Lily Childs, Paul D Brazill, Richard Godwin, Joyce Juzwik and Vicki Abelson. She is currently working on the third draft of her first novel – a memoir – as well the second draft of her first fiction novel, a fantasy novel and the publication of a collection of her flash fiction and short stories. Lily's The Feardom and Vicki Abelson's Women Who Write Facebook writing group have both been a tremendous source of support and inspiration for Veronica. Veronica’s writings can be found athttp://veronicathepajamathief.blogspot.com/ andhttp://veronicathepajamathiefwritespoetry.blogspot.com/, andhttps://veronicathepajamathief.wordpress.com/
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