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Monday, December 4, 2017

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

Daughters 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

NEW YA READ

I hope I didn't lose you at YA, because Charlie's story is anything but ordinary. First, I'm going to tell you my plan, and then I'll let you have a sneak peek into Charlie's world. Today is release day, and the reviews from the ARCs I sent out are rolling in, so if you don't believe me, go check them out for yourself.

The Plan:

Charlie will have two books as a teenager, and so will Sean. Same story, different POVs.

Becoming Charlie - Part One

Becoming Charlie - Part Two

Becoming Sean - Part One

Becoming Sean - Part Two

The end of both of the second parts will have alternate endings. See, this series is good for all ages, well, above 13 anyway. The first ending at the end of part two will end completely for the younger audience with a HEA, while the other will end on a pretty big cliffhanger. Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that you will read both endings. And that's completely fine. You're going to need that closure to get you through until I get the ADULT book written. Yes, Charlie and Sean are 15 and 17 in part one. They are 16 and 18 in part two. They will be 25 and 27 in book 3. One book will wrap up their adult book, and yes, it will be titled...

Becoming Us.

Here's the prologue. If you decide to purchase the book and love it, please return and leave an honest review. And tell your friends. Word of mouth is the best advertisement.

Prologue

Mental pain is a real thing.

In most cases, when mental pain is triggered, the brain sends signals to the heart, causing it to contract so fiercely that it pulls the tendons and nerves—the heartstrings—that support the most important muscle in the human body. Sometimes these tendons snap, causing an intense, physical reaction. Most of the time, this type of pain stays in the chest area, settling in around the heart, making the individual who is experiencing it hyperventilate or feel extreme discomfort. Instances that might cause this to happen are getting your heart broken, losing a friend, loved one or pet, witnessing or hearing about something horrible or even reading a good ugly-cry book.

There is another type of mental pain that is so much worse. The type of mental pain I'm referring to is so severe and traumatic that, almost immediately after the mind registers what happened, it starts to shut down as a defense, and in some cases blacks out and causes the person to forget what took place, a condition also known as amnesia. Numbness and/or bouts of anger usually occur when this happens. Some triggers for this type of mental pain are losing a child, accidentally killing someone, being a victim of rape or PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), to name just a few.

I suffer from the second one. Or maybe I should say that I used to suffer from the second one. The day Sean Reese walked into my life was the day I started to heal and live again. My name is Charlie Mason. If you have a little while, I'd like to tell you my story.

BUY THE BOOK HERE:

The Becoming series will be available at B&N, Kobo, iBooks and anywhere else digital books are sold. If you'd like a paperback, those can be purchased at Amazon, too.