I enjoyed this story, but it was much sadder than I was expecting. The main character has to go through some horrific things as a POW. Not unlike reading many of the other WW2 books. I wish there would have been more focus on the people and less on the suffering.
Overall a good book, but not one I will ever feel the desire to re-read.

I've had this book sitting on my to read pile for a few months. Every time I'd finish a book, I'd look at it knowing I needed to read and review it. When it came out I heard so many great things about it, the reviews were all high ranked. So when perusing NetGalley, I happened to see it and put in a request for a review copy. My request was approved and I had a copy waiting for me to be read. Life got a little busy and with everything going on, I just needed some light hearted, happily ever after reads, and not one about war and death and sorrow. I figured I'd enjoy this book because friends who have similar taste all marked it high. Well, I not only enjoyed it, I really, really enjoyed it. Yes, it's about war and death as I mentioned above. There's loss and heartache and pain, there's pure shock and disappointment, anger and ruthlessness. But there's also hope, love, healing and goodness throughout this book.

Lukas Ley is our hero in the story. He's 18, a recent high school graduate and more than ready to enlist in the war effort, go fight the nazis who killed his father and have his revenge. He's very green around the ears. Very, very green. All his initial plans fall through and he finds himself enlisted with the infantry in the army. Not at all what he wanted or expected. But, he's in the army now and is going to go to war so at least one of his goals was realized.

The book is divided into a couple different parts of Lukas' journey. Civilian, Soldier, Prisoner and Home. I really liked reading and watching the growth that Lukas went through in each of these sections. In the Civilian section, he is very naive, yet he's with his mother and girlfriend and so we get to read about and discover who he is as an individual. His past, his present life, his dreams and what makes him Lukas. His brother Bastien has been off in war and returns home wounded (you can read Bastien's book, The Rules in Rome, to learn his story-I haven't yet but am hoping to soon) and changed, yet very much so the same loving, older brother. I think that was one of my favorite parts of the civilian section, watching these two brothers interact. One returning from war with wisdom, and understanding that it isn't glamorous and glorious. He took Lukas aside and tried to teach him as much as he could for survival and to remove the appeal and glamour that was in front of Lukas' eyes. I was glad to see Lukas start to have an understanding of what he was going into and that his life wasn't going to be protected and a for sure return home. That he would need to be careful and realize the peril involved.

Without giving details about his life as a soldier and prisoner, because I'm sure most everyone knows what that life entailed for soldiers during WWII, I wanted to talk about his growth. Yes, again, his growth. Lukas is pretty much thrown right into the fray and front lines. He isn't well liked by several of his group, especially when they discover that Lukas was born and raised in Germany until he was 10. That doesn't go over too well for him. Yet, between his ability to speak the German language, and the training and knowledge his brother helped him gain, Lukas quickly becomes a soldier that is respected and trusted. He's still very green, but war makes a soldier grow up quickly. Lukas sees death of friends and enemies, he himself causes some of those deaths, he sees some pretty horrible acts happen and has to choose how he will react. Will he hide away? Or will he engage and try to protect and help? I enjoyed watching as Lukas, himself, realized he was changing. He was wrong about many of his perceptions and yet he had to adapt quickly if he wanted to survive. I loved seeing his relationship with those around him. They have to rely on each other. There are moments that he had a choice, go out on his own or help those around him. I'm sure that's not an easy choice, especially when death is a real possibility.

I was turning the pages pretty fast and really did not want to put it down. It was intense. It was fast-paced at some points. It was slow at some points. It was a very accurate depiction of war. The research and time spent on this book and the details really shows through, in the writing, storyline and details. I cheered Lukas on, I cried for him, I was afraid for him many times. It was a beautiful and sorrowful story, well worth the time spent reading and thinking about it.

I loved the letters written between Lukas and his family, but especially his girlfriend. Those letters, and the story had me constantly thinking of my grandfather. I never knew him, as he passed away years before I was born. But the stories shared by my mom and my grandmother helped me feel as if I did. A few summers ago my uncle found the daily itinerary of my grandfather's while he was in France/Germany. Just little snippets of each day, mostly saying what the Jerries were doing and where they were located and their advancement or retreat. Yet as I read that and looked at the map showing his location it brought me to understand his time in the war even better. Lukas and my grandfather's locations were surprisingly very similar. My grandfather was on the front lines and was in some of the major battles on the borders of France and Germany near the end of the war. His group were some of the first to help liberate some of the concentration camps. So between reading my grandfather's itinerary (written up by his commanding officer) and reading this book about Lukas, it opened my eyes even more to what happened to these soldiers and civilians who lived there.

I mentioned Lukas' letters to his girlfriend and went off for a minute about something else. Growing up I knew my grandmother had all of her letters from my grandfather. She wouldn't let us read them because we were young and they had some very personal subjects in them. But a few years before she passed away, I went to visit her with my mom. She pulled out her letters and let me read them. What a special thing to still have and to see the love my grandfather had for her. To read his thoughts and love, yet know where he was at and what he was seeing. I couldn't imagine. I loved that the author added in the letter writing. I'm sure most soldiers didn't write about what they were experiencing or seeing, they tried to have a moment to forget it all and feel normal, or connected with home.

Again, it was a very well written novel. Definitely one that is not all happy and wonderful, but shows many deeper emotions and struggles. I would highly recommend this for YA and older. Well done!

Content: Clean. It is war time and the author doesn't sugar coat what happened. It's not overly graphic or something that I think would be inappropriate for youth to read. I would recommend parents reading it first or knowing that it talks about death and loss, fighting, battles, shooting, bombs, bayonets killing people, some PTSD, starvation, imprisonment, mistreatment, beatings, a woman being raped (nothing graphic, just know that she was). Of course all aspects of war are touched on, but it is written clean.

I received a copy from the publisher, Covenant Communications, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Defiance by A. L. Sowards is a WWII story. I started reading historical fiction this year and this is slowly becoming one of my favorite genres. Each book brings something new even if they mostly cover the same time period. In this story, Lukas is a German- American who has recently graduated from high school. The war is ongoing and his brother Bastian is serving his country in the military. Lucas is at home with his mom although he is about to enlist and join the forces. I like the fact that the author took us through the enlisting process. Through Lukas story, I found out about the different factors that determine the kind of work a recruit can do. Lukas had an issue with his eyesight and needed spectacles and so he faced challenges with getting the jobs that he really wanted. As a person who wears glasses, I have never thought about how this can be limiting if I wanted to join certain careers.

The story begins with life before the military. I liked the relationship between Lukas and the girl next door, Bella. It was really cute how he would sneak over to help her milk the cows so that they could spend time together. The conflicts between Lukas’ family and their neighbors was detailed from the start. It was clear that they were not accepted in the community due to their Germany heritage despite the fact that they were Americans.

The second section of the book which is the main story is set at the war. This was interesting but still tough to read about. The author did a fantastic job in this world building and the action was well portrayed without being graphic. We got to meet different soldiers through Lukas and formed connections with them. My heart broke when we lost some of the soldiers. I wanted everyone to survive but this of course couldn’t happen. I was nervous for Lukas due to his age and inexperience and was proud of each of his achievements. The character development in this book was masterfully done. Everyone was so well crafted that they all felt real.

A section of the story is set in the POW camp and then the last section was after war. I won’t say anything more about the plot-line so as not to ruin it. This is a story that every reader should experience for themselves. I loved the themes of family and friendships especially during the war. The author also covers the issue of identity. In this case, are soldiers defined by who they become due to the wars? Does war change people and make them a worse/better version of themselves? As a Mormon Christian, Lukas really struggled with his identity. I thought this was an interesting angle and couldn’t wait to see how it would work out for our young MC.

The book is narrated through first-person narration which made it even more engrossing. It felt like I was right there with Lukas sharing in his experiences and struggle to survive. Lukas was such an endearing MC and it was wonderful to follow the narrative through his PoV. The setting of the book is America, mainly Virginia, Luxemburg where the war was fought and parts of Germany such as Frankfurt.

This book was quite well-written hence making it an addictive read. It was clearly well researched and this made it more realistic. At the end, the author gives details of the research and different inspirations for the book. If you like historical fiction, then this is a book that you will enjoy. The book mainly focuses on the war although the love story is in the background. I have heard great things about A. L. Sowards. She is said to be one of the best authors in historical fictions and after reading this book, I totally get why. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

My Thoughts:

First off thank you to Netgalley who provided me with this arc. This book was really good and well researched. I love historical fiction especially about WWII so I knew I had to read this. The author has other books about the era and I cannot wait to read them. I would recommend this book to everyone. The cover is also really well done.

Plot:

The plot follows the story of Lukas, a German born american citizen, while he fights in the infantry in Europe. The plot helps Lukas develop into a well rounded character and we see how he developed. It takes him from basic training to being a prisoner of war. Their are battle scenes but none to graphic. The story is flowing and fast paced.

Characters:

Lukas is a complex character who as the story goes along becomes even more complex. He changes from a young man of 18 to a battle hardened man by the end of the story. His mother is also a big character in the story and cares deeply for her son. His Brother Bastien is also a wonderful character who helps his brother even with his own war wounds still healing. The men he fought with are also well written and add to Lukas's story.

This book is heavier than her other books. I went in expecting a romance that took place in the war--like her other novels. This is more of a story about the war, what it did to the men who were soldiers, and redemption. It was more depressing than hopeful until the VERY last few chapters.
The writing was good. The characters were likable--enough that I was sad when some of them died. The whole story was engaging, yet somber. It read more like "Night" her series.
I am glad I read it, but will absolutely be up front about the tone of the book when I recommend it to any other readers.

This is one of those books I had to pause and catch my breath after reading. not only was it incredibly well written, but it was impossible not to feel for Lukas as he transformed from school boy to soldier then prisoner. If you love WWII lit, Defiance is well worth the read!

I loved this book. Not because it was particularly happy, or because it had a hopeful ending, but because it focused on one character and told their story exceptionally well. Through all of the emotional ups and downs I was enraptured in Lukas’s experience and I was incredibly thankful that not too much time was dedicated to the explication of others. The result was that the narrative was personal, heartfelt, and impossible to look away from.

I was very pleased to receive a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I have read several of the authors books before and always enjoyed them. This particular book has some characters which were apparently introduced in the author's previous book "The Rules in Rome". I have not read that book, but it made no difference to my enjoyment of this one.

The main character in this World War Two centred story is Lukas Ley, a young Morman man who was born in Germany but emigrated to the US with his family after his father had been detained and presumed killed by the Nazi's. He knows that war is coming for the US and dreams of becoming a pilot only to discover that poor eyesight will keep him out of anything to do with the air force. He has a girl that he cares for deeply but their relationship is not approved of by her father because of his German background.

When the call-up finally arrives, Lukas finds himself in the infantry and ultimately in Luxembourg as part of what became known as the "Battle of the Bulge". His skills as a German speaker are of vital use to both him and his company.

Soward excelled in her descriptions of what it was like for him to be in battle. As I was reading I felt as if I was there alongside him seeing what was happening. The horror of war and how quickly one loses comrades is very evident. Over time he and his fellow soldiers are placed in harder and harder positions and more and more men die in an instant. Ley learns what it is to kill someone and over time feels that he is changing from the moral man that he was when first called up.

Told from the first person perspective, I really felt drawn into the action and the struggle to survive. Soward's vivid description of how Ley was eventually forced to surrender to the Germans and what life was like as a POW struck a particular chord with me. My uncle was captured by the Germans in Italy and I had the privilege of interviewing him abut what happened next. Much of what he told me is similar to what happened to Ley although as an officer his treatment would have been at least a little better. He told me about riding in cattle cars and reading what it was like for Lukas Ley to ride in a cattle car as bombers flew over brought me back to my uncle's experiences and filled in for me some of what he probably didn't share with me.

When war finally ends, Lukas wonders if his soul can ever be salvaged or forgiven for all that he has seen and done. I am sure he was suffering from PTSD and it needed family to remind him that his faith was one which meant he was unconditionally loved and forgiven. War damages people - mentally as well as physically and I feel the author expressed this in a very real way.

I highly recommend this action packed novel to anyone interested in learning more of what it was like to be a soldier in battle at that time.

I received this as a free ARC from NetGalley and Covenant Communications. I was not the target audience. I am a Baptist. I should have researched it a bit before I requested it. First, it was classified on NetGalley as history, and it’s not. It’s historical fiction. Second, I should have found out about the publishers. Covenant Communications is a Mormon publishing house. What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry I requested this book. If I had looked into it more, I would have known I wouldn’t agree with large portions of it and would never have requested it.
Usually, I avoid historical fiction about WW2, because I hate it when authors warp historical facts to fit their story. Sowards avoided that and did an excellent job of keeping the feel of the time period. I could almost believe I was reading a biography rather than a piece of fiction. Oh, there a few moments when the action was interrupted by some odd moralizing. After a bit that detracted from the flow of the story, and towards the end it lost a little bit of the feeling of reality and started to feel like any adventure novel, but for historical fiction, it handled history very well.
As in all faith-based fiction, religion was a large part of this book. It was just a part of the hero’s life. It didn’t seem forced, well maybe in one or two places, but more it was the story of a young man stepping out into life and trying to make the faith he grew up in his own. That’s where it got heartbreaking. The only assurance he had of heaven was based on his works. For example, when he is thinking of his father, he states that he’ll see him again if he’s good, and not because he knows Christ. Christ is spoken of, but it’s not the Christ of the Bible. It’s the Christ of Mormonism, a Christ who loves us because ‘he is our brother’ and not because He is a merciful God. He is not a Christ who is the ‘only begotten son of God’. While faith is promoted, it’s not a faith that can bring us into a personal relationship with God through Christ. The hero doesn’t turn to God’s Word, the Bible, for comfort and guidance; instead, he turns to the Book of Mormon.
I rated it so low because its purpose was to share a faith, but not the Biblical saving faith of Christ’s atoning death, burial, and resurrection, but a faith of works.