A lively and stirring tale of the brave vanguard of women pilots fighting for Russia and, as often, for respect from their male counterparts. My heart was in my throat as our heroine, Katya, took to the skies to live her dream and risk her life. As enthralled as I was by this dive into social and military history, it was the humanity of Daughters of the Night Sky that won me over: comrades, lovers, and families swept up and torn apart by war. Runyon delivers a well-paced and heartfelt story that fans of WW II novels should not miss.

Book Spotlight Posted on September 9, 2023: https://travelingwitht.com/2023/09/09/book-spotlight-womens-fiction/

This book was transporting: in time and place. When I read I felt completely transported. Well written and laced

Since childhood, Katya Ivanova dreamed of taking to the skies and escaping her small town life. While most girls dreamed of being a wife and mother, Katya dreamed of being a pilot. In 1941, she's a young pilot at a military academy in the Ural Mountains. With the Nazis on the march across Europe, she's called upon to use her wings to serve her country in its darkest hours. Not even the entreaties of her beloved husband, a sensitive artist who fears for her safety, can discourage her from doing her part as a proud daughter of Russia. Katya finds herself assigned to the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, one of the only Soviet air units composed entirely of women. The Germans quickly learn to fear the nocturnal raids by the daring pilots the began to call "Night Witches". The brutal campaign will extract a powerful price from Katya and her sister pilots.
Wow. Runyan has a powerful gift for writing about the voices of strong women from history be heard. Through her novel, I learned about the brave Russian women who flew for their country and served in ways that nobody expected them to be able to. I had no idea that Stalin had advocated for things like equal rights for women. The women pilots still faced discrimination and harassment at the hands of some of the men. And, unlike the men, they weren't required to fight. They could, at any time, decide to go home. But, that's what makes what they did all the more courageous. While the men knew that they'd be shot for desertion, the women in Katya's regiment were there completely by choice. They knew the great risks and overwhelming odds that they faced but chose to be there anyway. They also had far more to prove. To be recognized at all, they had to be far better than their male counterparts because there were many who were just waiting for them to fail. Through the eyes of Katya, we meet her sisters in arms. Runyan really wrote some amazing women. They were courageous and spunky, kind and tough. This was such an amazing, emotional roller coaster of a story and I am better for having read it.

I wasn’t able to finish this one. I did not finish this book because it wasn’t interesting enough to me

Unfortunately, I have not been able to finish this book, though I have tried on numerous occasions. I feel that I just cannot connect with the characters and do not find myself engaged in the plot.

A fascinating book about strong, brave and determined Russian women, whom became fighter pilots during WWII. Beautiful historical fiction about love, friendship, loss and sacrifice during wartime.
Excellent writing and a captivating tale. Thank you NetGalley for the copy for my review. All opinions are my own.

Aimie excels at female dynamics in a historical setting and I enjoyed Katja's story. The romance was done very well, and the book provided insight into a little known faction of WWI history.

I know pretty much nothing of Russian history, only learning the most after 1989, and the fall of the Soviet Union. I had this idea in my head that the government dictated where you lived and what your occupation would be. That they had very little freedom. But I’ve read more of Russian history lately and finding that is just not the case.

This is the story of the Night Witches, a group of Russian aviators whose job it was to hit German camps in the dead of night. It follows the life of Ekaterina and her dream of one day becoming a pilot, that she was just as good as the boys in school, even if she was a girl. She went to aviation school where she was a navigator and with her comrades showed they were just as good as men. Where she met her husband, Vanya, a pilot. With the Germans invading Russia it was up to them to help push the Germans back.

This was the story of women with dreams of being equal to men, in 1940’s Russia. To be looked at being able to do anything they were able to do. This book was inspiring to see the hard work these women endured to prove to Stalin and the Russian people that women were as capable of serving and fighting in war as men, maybe even more. I would definitely recommend this book.

I hadn't heard about the "night witches" before reading this novel and loved learning more about these women who served during WWII. I think that it's important to talk about the contributions women made to history even though everyone tried to keep them from making them.

In addition to talking about a very interesting and almost forgotten part of history, "Daughters of the Nighty Sky" also introduces a cast of interesting characters with complex motivations and well-developed relationships. I liked how the novel didn't portray everything as black or white but also includes moral dilemmas created by war.

Overall, this is a great novel with interesting characters.

I've written before about my appreciation for stories about strong women. This novel is full of them. The premise was absolutely fascinating. I am not familiar at all with the Russian perspective of World War 2 and I certainly had no idea about their female pilots. I enjoyed this glimpse into their world. As with her previous novels, Aimie Runyan has written about women who support and encourage each other

Katya is a strong heroine and although a bit too perfect, she was someone I enjoyed getting to know. The relationships between the women were the core of the story and their resilience and strength was refreshing. Relationships, regardless of type, are never drama-free and here they are explored in a realistic way. Especially between Katya and Oksana.

Predictably, most of the men were stereotypical chauvinists of the time, but there was one scene in particular where the male major was verbally dressed down by his female counterpart. I loved that scene, because he'd been a jerk.

There is growth and maturity among these pilots from when they first arrive at training camp to when the war ends. There are battles and death and victory and loss. I could see the ending that was coming and while it fits with the story, I'm still not sure I loved it. But the story itself? That I enjoyed. That I can recommend.

I have promoted this book and its author extensively on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram., but will not be writing a formal review.

Received a copy from NetGalley for my review.

This was a great book from start to finish. A quick read that will leave you feeling good. I had no idea about these awesome women. Thanks for writing this one.

Really good book! It was interesting to read and learn about the female pilots who flew for Russia during WWII. Their bravery and dedication were amazing. The fact that they outperformed the male flight crews is not surprising. They had to work much harder to be acknowledged for their accomplishments.

I appreciated the author's note at the end in confirming where she deviated from fact. Her effort to provide a true picture of the "Night Witches" and their experiences was worthwhile.

I could have done without the sex scenes...they didn't really add value to the story. But other than those few episodes, the book is one I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a unbiased review.

DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY Written by Aimie K. Runyan
January 2018; 316 Pages (Lake Union Publishing)
Genre: historical fiction, war, world war II, women, Russia, romance

(I received an ARC from the PUBLISHER via NETGALLEY)

RATING: 2.5 STARS

I was very intrigued with this novel's synopsis. It was not only a book featuring a woman set during World War II, but it takes place in Russia. I have not read many fiction books about or set in Russia, especially not a book like Daughter in the Night Sky. I may have had too high expectations as I found the the novel hard to get into and hold my attention. Often I read several pages and it seemed like much had happened. I am very picky about romances...in that it either clicks with me or it doesn't. I felt Katya a bit wooden in this aspect. What I did like about the book was the passion behind the book, about the subject matter. I am looking forward to researching more about this time in Russia and about the women in the war.

Loved the characters in this book! It was a fun, quick read that I really enjoyed.

Terrific novel. Beautifully written. Fabulous women protagonists.

This was such an amazing book! These characters were so amazing, These girls endured so much in fighting fir their country. Finding love and loss in the midst of a war was at times unbearable to read . The sacrifice that that experienced was heartbreaking: Highly recommend

Rating 4.5

This historical fiction novel covered an element of World War II I had never even heard of. Katya Ivanova has always been fascinated with airplanes. After years of training, Katya has been assigned to the Russian 588th Night Bomber Regiment—one of the only Soviet air units composed entirely of women - and a group that would become famous and dubbed the "Night Witches" by the Germans.

The story follows Katya - a superb navigator, her pilot and best friend - Taisiya, Oksana - who risks all for her love of her country, and Sofia - the major who leads the women to triumph along with Polina and Renata her mechanic and armorer through their training and combat action. Katya flew a total of 1,106 sorties before the war ended. These were strong, independent, courageous women, and Runyan does an excellent job with historical detail to bring this heartfelt, true story to life. I knew very little about the Russian role in World War II and nothing about this amazing group of women.
There was a perfect balance between plot, characters, and setting all while telling a compelling story that is both tragic and uplifting.

The only thing that kept me from giving this story a 5 was a few swear words (which I could have overlooked) but also a much too detailed lovemaking scene between Katya and the pilot she went on to marry.

** I received a complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Inspirational and well written this book took me on a journey to 1941. Katya Ivanova was a young pilot reaching her dreams during a bleak time in history. She does her part to help her country and this book tells us of a part of history many may not know. I love learning about women reaching their goals and taking on roles they want no matter what is typical of the time. This woman is an inspiration as she becomes on of "Russia’s most decorated military heroines". Thanks for writing it.