Daughters of the Night Sky marks my third experience with author Aimie K.Runyan and represents a significant shift in the scope of her storytelling. Inspired by the real-life exploits of the female aviators of the Soviet Air Forces, the novel explores the experience of the Night Witches through the eyes of a young woman facing the dramatic realities of a world at war.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I want to note my admiration for Runyan’s gentle handling of the material. It’d have been easy to stereotype the Night Witches as a group of gung-ho feminists hell bent on defying the patriarchy, but Runyan took obvious care to illustrate diversity within the ranks. Her characters are passionate, patriotic, and driven, but they are also emotional and exhibit a variety of traditionally feminine attributes and I loved the context and authenticity that lent her fiction.

Katya enjoys a romantic relationship with Vanya over the course of the story and while the plot line is a central component of the narrative, I was pleased to see that Runyan never allowed it to define her heroine. This actually became quite important to me as the novel progressed as I feared the love story would eventually overshadow Katya’s personal ambition, but my concern was ultimately unwarranted and I found great appreciation for how Runyan used Katya’s love life to round-out and balance her character.

Personally, I’d have loved to see more technical details in the fabric of the narrative, but that’s just me. Politically speaking, the novel is easy to follow which makes it ideal for those unfamiliar with the history and I felt the story itself a lovely compliment to the spirit of the women who inspired it.

Recommended to fans of war era fiction, particularly those who enjoyed either Suzy Henderson and Kate Lord Brown.

Runyan has a gift for writing historical fiction about strong women that aren’t taught about in history class. In Daughters of the Night Sky, we learn about women who become pilots in the Red Army under Stalin in World War Two. I never knew that Stalin essentially advocated for something like equal rights for woman. They still faced discrimination and the dismissive attitudes of men, and they were not required to fight. They could return home at any time, unlike the men. Also, they had to be better than their male counterparts. They had to be flawless.

Through the point of view of Katya, we learn about how the women of the Red Army faced danger not only from enemy gunfire, but also sometimes from male soldiers they were supposed to be fighting alongside.

Runyan did a great job with research on what it was like to be a pilot during that era. You really feel like you’re in the cockpit with those women, facing uncertainty not just about your own life, but about everyone you care about and even strangers. Fans of historical fiction will definitely want to add this to their to-be-read list. RELEASES JANUARY 1, 2018.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book.

This was one of those few and far between, one of a kind books, that entrenches itself in one's soul and mind. The book stars, Katya, a member of one of Russia's elite bombing regiments, consisting solely of women pilots and navigators in the 1940's, during a time of war. Author Aimie Runyan does such an exceptional job in detailing Katya's pride in country, sisterhood with her fellow women pilots, and doubts and insecurities about the family she left behind, and a husband serving elsewhere on the front lines, that Katya does not seem to be a character at all, but someone you would choose as a best friend. This was one of those books that you must see through to the end, but slowly, so that you can savor it until the last drop. Well done, Aimie Runyan!

Historical fiction at it's finest! Daughters of the Night Sky has all the things I love...history and strong women overcoming adversity. I was instantly drawn into Katya's story as she found love and fought to become a night bomber. I raced through the book but didn't want it to end!

I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thoughts Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own. Stepping away from what I normally read lead me to this gem of a book. It's a rich and emotional story that will keep you turning the pages until the end. Grab a box of tissues. You will need them. It's a story to be read slowly and savored.