Wow. This book is in a class by itself. The history and the imagery in this story is more than than meets the eye. This is a story of history, of family, and of love.

There are multiple perspectives, including the enemy. This is a story of life and death and living in the midst of death. It is the story of the human spirit and fighting for the people and places that you love.

A.L. Sowards has a beautiful way with history. She brings to life an era of history of which I was unfamiliar. I haven't explored the history with the Ottoman's. Katja, Xavi, Willhelm, and Toby are characters that I can relate to and feel honored to have read the story through their eyes. Ahmed was a character that made me see the hate, the arrogance, and the greed of the Ottomans. The Viennese fought for their homes and their lives, and that made all the difference in what they were willing to do.

Aside from the history, there is an element of faith in the face of overwhelming odds. There is looking into the face of fear. There is learning to trust in love when everything tells you that nothing is going to be right again.

I received an early copy through NetGalley and was blessed to have the chance to review it.

I enjoyed "Before the Fortress Falls".

I wasn't sure what to expect, as I'd never read a book by A. L. Sowards, but I found her book interesting and enjoyable.
I knew absolutely nothing of the siege of Vienna in 1683. Reading the summary, I thought it happened in more ancient times, but the late 17th century seems relatively recent for the Turks to have gotten so close to completely invading Austria! Reading fiction is always a good way of discovering History - it makes it seem more "alive".

I liked discovering more about Vienna and its inhabitants at that time. It was interesting to be switching points of view between Katja, a young, well-bred lady, her brothers Wilhem and Xavier, courtier and soldier, Katja's sweetheart Toby, a counterminer, and Ahmed, a Turkish soldier. It was easy to follow each of them as they had very different roles to play in the war. I really appreciated the Viennese characters' relationships to one another, although I wish it would have been more developed. In all honesty, I was much more interested in reading about the characters, their lives, their emotions, their relationships, then about the war going on. In the current context especially, with the war in Ukraine, it makes it even harder to read about wars, death and suffering... And makes us even more grateful when we live in peaceful places.

*I received an eARC and this is my honest opinion*

Wow! This is a book that grabs ahold of you and doesn’t let go. This book will stay with me for along time! I felt a whole range of emotions while reading this book. I laughed, I cried, I was was heart broken, I worried. And I sighed with joy.

Before the Fortress Falls is a beautifully written story about the siege of Vienna by the Ottoman Empire in 1683. The story was so well researched and well written that you felt like you were there. It is told from the point of view of five different characters. Katja is a spunky courageous wealthy young women who chooses to stay in the city she loves rather than escaping with her older brother. Wilhelm, Katja’s brother, flees the city before the conflict starts to find help from other Christian countries. Xavier, Katja’s twin brother is a soldier fighting to save Vienna. Toby is an old friend of the family who works as a counterminer trying to stop the Turks from below ground. The final point of view is from Ahmed a Turk soldier. I really enjoyed getting to read the story from these different perspectives. It helped to get a feel for what life was like for all members of the conflict.

This is a story about courage, love , hope, forgiveness, and faith in God. It is a must read for historical fiction fans!

I recently read Heirs of Falcon Point, written by a group of authors, and absolutely loved the opening chapters (my favorite of the entire novel). Credit for these chapters goes to A. L. Sowards. After finishing the novel, I was sure to note this new to me author for future reference. When I came upon this book in NetGalley, I instantly requested it. As expected, this talented story teller has written another great novel. Before the Fortress Falls is jam packed with history (you will even find a glossary of terminology and a diagram or two within the first few pages), this novel will take readers to 17th century Vienna. There is a lot of realism in this novel. Characters are relatable and the storyline doesn't feel embellished. This makes the characters so much more relatable and the plotline believable. This story will pull on your heart strings. You may even shed a tear or two. It was truly well crafted and I can't wait to read another by this talented author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sometimes a book is just so good, and it’s hard to write a review that will do it justice. Told from five very different POVs during the Siege of Vienna in 1683, this story completely immerses you in the lives of the people that lived through it. The full range of human emotions can be felt while reading this book — hope, joy, love, faith, forgiveness, anger, betrayal, grief, heartbreak and so much more are woven through the pages.

I’ll shout it from the rooftops! Read. This. Book. It’s one of those stories that you didn’t know you needed in your life. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It will break your heart and put you back together, but it is so worth it. There is so much feeling in this book and the stories told within will stay with me for a long time.

This book was so phenomenally written. The timing of the book was a little bit kismet. There were so many portions of the book that resonated with things going on in the world. A.L. Sowards wrote in such a way that you gained perspective and emotion from all sides of the conflict then, granting the readers of today a greater compassion.

I was worried at first about the multiple points of view. However, I never felt lost or like things were head hopping. Everything flowed in a natural way giving layers and depth to the story. Each point of view brought us into the conflict on a personal and emotional level that grips your heart and stays there with days after you finish reading.

Though there was romance in this book, I wouldn’t necessarily label it a romance. Just life. A beautiful portrayal of life continuing to turn in the middle of commotion and the choices and consequences that would entail.

I was fascinated with every turn of the page. Her knowledge of the historical event and her descriptions of the moments was incredibly real. The author also had a way of easing the almost constant tension and heartache with moments that made you cheer, swoon and smile.

This book is emotionally gripping, beautifully descriptive and wonderfully told. It has quickly jumped to one of my all time favorite historical fictions.

So good.
Well written and researched. I really liked the characters and their dynamics. Would definitely recommend.

This is a timely and beautiful story about people protecting themselves against the odds. I love historical fiction and placing myself in those events vicariously. A.L. Sowards did a wonderful job of bringing this story to life. She brought in various characters who I came to care for.
There is violence described in this story that could be upsetting if you struggle with it. However, I did not feel that it was inappropriate.

I absolutely love historical fiction- especially ones by this author. She is so dedicated to research and an accurate showing of events that I know I am getting a good feel for the story just as it played out. A.L. Sowards is a master storyteller and I always feel so fortunate reading her books.

This book is based on war. Vienna and her determined people, fighting to save their city, their people, their way of life. Because it's war, this story is a hard one to read. There is so much sorrow, loss and fighting but there is also inspiration to be found. Threads of hope and most definitely resilience. The story follows three siblings and their different paths throughout the war. I learned things as I read and that always feels good. I didn't really understand mines and countermines so that part was especially interesting to me. I actually didn't know anything about this particular battle in Vienna before reading this but one day when I make it to Vienna, I will think of this story and remember as I witness it's current beauty.

I also felt my compassion growing for those who are facing the ravaging effects of war right now. It all feels so real and raw. My heart aches for the many people suffering.

"You keep working, and you keep praying. Grip your hope tightly and don't let it go. Clouds may darken it, may blot it out completely, but it's worth holding on to, even when you can't feel it or see it."

This book brought me to tears. My emotion was real and that's how I know this story is a great one. Not many books bring my tears flowing. 💙

Content: violence- most graphic in nature, death, peril, kissing. There are Christian elements and talk of God.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Like all of my prevous A.L. Sowards adventures I knew absolutely nothing about the time period in which the story takes place. Let's be honest for just a minute, how many of us actually learned about history in the 1600's? Not me! Ok, maybe it was briefly covered in an art history class but that's not the same thing. Linked together? Most definitely, but not the same thing. Luckily for those of us who aren't historians but still love historical fiction, Sowards has included a few vital things to help us out. YAY! First, she includes a small dictionary of words and terms we may not be familiar with. To be honest I read through this list three different times. Once before starting, as the fighting scenes picked up, and again at the end. You probably don't need to read it that many times but it helped me "see" everything so much better. Second, is maps and diagrams of the Vienna fortress! I love maps in books and found these two images so helpful. I loved that I could flip to my maps (use a sticky note to mark these pages) with each attack and advance that occured. They helped me understand the fortresses strengths and weaknesses, how the Ottoman Army was attacking, and why they may have chosen that area and order.

My favorite thing about this novel was the theme of finding and holding to hope and faith during the darkest times. A.L. Sowards wove these moments throughout the novel in an incredibly realistic and relatable way. One of my favorite moments in the book is when Katja says "I believe in God...so why is my faith so shaken? Why am I so scared all the time?" This entire conversation rings with truth, but these two sentences might be my favorite of the entire book. I love that Katja admits that her faith is shaken and she is scared, if not terrified, but she still believes in God. In my life I have felt this quite a few times. It's almost like these huge moments of faith shaking fear are moments when we have to choose what to hold on to and how we will proceed. Are we going to curl up in a ball and do nothing? Or do we push on and do our best despite the circumstances that surround us? These are moments that we all face or will face in our lives to some degree. This conversation brought tears to my eyes while also filling my soul with hope.

A.L. Sowards does an amazing job bring history to life! This story will make you feel like you are living in the midst of a seige! So many emotions! I was hooked from the first page and didn't want to put it down.

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

I was honestly nervous starting this book. When it starts with a detailed map and glossary of terms I get kind of lost. I fully didn't understand all that was going on but I enjoyed the story immensely! A big part of the story is about war but I didn't find it too graphic. I loved all the characters! A family who is separated by war and disagreements, the connection of twin siblings, a childhood friendship rekindled and grows to more, and friends gained and lost along the way. There were moments of despair and agony but also moments of hope and enlightenment. It was beautifully written!
"Love is enough, Katja. Enough for us to be happy now, with whatever time we have. I know it’s hard. I know we might have only days or weeks. But have faith; have courage. Don’t let our happiness be one more casualty of this war.”

A story of siege, family, courage and love
This book focuses on the personal impact of the Ottoman siege on Vienna giving both the perspective of the inhabitants of Vienna and the some of the attacking forces. The story revolves around the fictional (although records were researched to provide basis for this family) Schor family of two brothers and one sister. The older of the brothers, Wilhelm, is a courtier and caught up with his wife in the upper-class expectations and desires. The second son, Xavier, has joined the army after a falling out with his brother and has not had contact since. The sister, Katja, lives with Wilhelm but struggles with some of the societal expectations. The book opens as Vienna receives word that the Ottoman troops are preparing to attack the city and Wilhelm his preparing his family including Katja to flee the city with the emperor. As the family is leaving the city events inspire Katja to jump from the carriage and return to Vienna in the hopes of seeing her twin brother Xavier. The siege does indeed bring Xavier and Katja together as well as others all striving to keep Vienna free at tremendous cost to all. Throughout the book you also see the perspective of Ahmed, a member of the Ottoman forces who had been taken from his family as a young child and raised to fight the Christians. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

I am so excited for everyone to be able read this amazing book!

This book is a beautiful piece of historical literary art. Using real events A. L. Sowards creates a fictional family and places them in one of the most pivotal battles in history, facing the mighty and feared Ottoman Turks. The tension began rising from page one and it didn't let up until the resolution at the end of the book! There may have been some sleep lost while reading this book due to staying up too late and then not being able to stop thinking about it.
There is something for all readers here: battle scenes, family discord and healing, romance (very proper and clean), faith, loyalty, and history. It did not disappoint!

Considering that the people of Ukraine are currently faced with a similar situation it feels even more poignant that we face similar threats in our time. Through April 30, 2022 the author is donating all profits from sales of this book to charities supporting the Ukrainian people.


#ALSowards #BeforeTheFortressFalls #HistoricalFiction #WarFiction #HistFic #ChristianHistoricalFiction #ChristianFiction #CleanRomance #Vienna #SiegeOfVienna #HelpUkraine

“‘Why do you come up here so often when it causes you discomfort?’ Katja climbed the final few steps and halted at the view… ‘I come to witness.’ Her voice was but a whisper.”

How can I put into words the feelings I’ve felt while reading this masterpiece? I’ve wept, smiled, and been touched by this powerful yet tender story of love, loss, faith, family, and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. Before the Fortress Falls tells the true story of the siege of Vienna of 1683. While considered historical fiction, the author has taken great pains to include as accurate a portrayal as possible.

It’s a story of courage about a people who were surrounded on all sides. (To say history repeats itself is never more true than now when a different people face an equally impossible situation in March 2022.) They were outnumbered and the city was to be conquered not for any noble reasons but for greed and power. Through the endearing characters of Katja, Toby, Xavier, and Wilhelm, A.L. Sowards shares the physical battles as well as the emotional and spiritual battles of love, hope, and forgiveness. I find it best not to know much going in, but just know that this is a beautiful story of romance and hope in spite of the horrendous circumstances. Interestingly, as there are two sides to every battle, the author provides the voice of Ahmed to share the Turkish perspective and experiences of the siege.

I loved the way Katja’s music played an important role in this story. It’s a gentle reminder that even in the darkest times, music and beauty can nourish the soul and provide comfort. I loved the relationships in the story especially between Katja and Toby and Xavier. I also enjoyed Wilhelm’s perspective that helped us see the diplomatic efforts to save Vienna. Faith also plays a poignant role in this story and is expertly woven throughout.

While there are battle scenes depicted as well as deaths and injuries, it is not overly graphic and the author perfectly balances the need for accurately portraying what happened with reader sensibilities. This story really captured my heart . It’s a must read and I highly recommend it to those who love historical fiction and romance. Have your tissues handy because this will definitely tug at your heartstrings. Thanks to the author and publisher for providing an advanced copy of this story. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

I have had the privilege of reading this book twice. The first time I read it was in July 2020 when it was still a work in progress. I loved it then and hoped that it would be picked up and published quickly. Here we are in April 2022 on Publication Day and I've just finished reading it for a second time but this time with a completely different perspective. The novel is set in 1683 at the time when the extremely large army of the Ottoman Empire were doing their very best to capture the Imperial city of Vienna which was a base for Christendom at the time. The story begins a few short days before attacks begin and the city goes under siege. For the reader it starts in the home of the Von Schor family as Wilhelm tells his sister Katya that it s time to leave the city for safety as they will go to seek help from others to return and fight against the Ottomans.

The Von Schor family has had their share of troubles since the death of their patriarch. Wilhelm is the eldest and his two siblings are twins, Katja (Katharina) and Xavier. A little over a year before our story begins, Xavier and Wilhelm had a falling out and Xavier left the city and has not returned or resolved things. Wilhelm's wife is expecting their second child and though similar in age to Katja their relationship has been tense since Xavier's departure.

This is the point where the story suddenly took on a whole new life for me seen through the lens of the past six weeks since the Ukraine has been under attack. Decisions had to be made and made quickly. Was it better to leave Vienna or stay and fight? Would it be cowardly to go or would it just make sense? If the fortress fell the likely result for survivors would be slavery, rape or death. They knew they were outnumbered and would be unable do hold the fortress without help. For those who stayed, they knew they would have to take up arms to protect themselves and work as a team that included women and children all doing their best to hold out until help would come. This book was written long before the attack on Ukraine but it mirrors what is happening in real life now in so many respects and that made the novel even more real to me and kept me with bated breath even though I knew how things were going to turn out.

This is not a part of history that I ever studied in school, but Sowards has been a master instructor for me ( as she has in other of her novels that I have read). Her research is exhaustive and her diagrams, maps and extensive vocabulary list are extremely helpful in visualizing the story she is telling. It is the kind of book that gets me searching for pictures so I can better understand just what the different weapons looked like or what the different hairstyles were. Suffice it to say, I learned a lot about the time and the political influences that went into the battle for Vienna.

The story is told from the perspectives of the Schor siblings, Tobias Vischer, a master joiner and long time friend of the Schor twins, but also through the eyes of Ahmed, a Janissarie of the Ottomans who hoped to earn some of the spoils of victory so he could woo the woman he loved. Wilhelm makes the decision to leave with his pregnant wife and Katja, but circumstances change and Katja leaves the carriage taking them away to protect her heirloom violin and support her hometown. On her way back to their home she reconnects with Toby, whom she hasn't seen in years. He is staying to help protect the city. Xavier enters the picture when he arrives with a group of soldiers to help prevent the Ottomans from succeeding, but many of the soldiers, including Xavier, are sick with the bloody "flux" or dysentery. Katja nurses him back to health all the while sewing sand bags to add to the fortifications. Toby becomes a counter-miner though he has no experience with mining. His job is to discover where the Turks have their mines and try to destroy them before the Turks can damage the walls of the city. The weapons are vastly different to those used in today's war, but the devastation is similar. Food gets ever more scarce. So many are sick or wounded. There aren't enough weapons, but the spirit of the Viennese is immense and they all work their hardest to survive never knowing whether help will arrive in time.

This is a book full of action and the battles have a level of realism that may be disturbing to some but which likely downplays just how awful it really was. It was a nail-biter for me and as is true with war, death was ever present. Friends were lost. Hope wavered at times as exhaustion set in. Sleep was almost non-existent on occasion (including for me as I read through the middle of the night!) and yet Hope was never completely extinguished and when Katja payed her violin for her patients and her brother, it burned ever brighter. Love and faith helped them hold together as family, friends and as a relationship developed between Katja and Toby.

This story kept me enthralled. It made me cry and haul out the kleenex. It made me think of those suffering under siege right now and stop to say a prayer on their behalf. It showed that in war everyone loses but that it is possible to survive and rebuild. This battle apparently had a momentous impact on history, really weakening the power of the Turks and allowing Christianity to flourish with fewer incursions after the siege. There is much food for discussion here and I would highly recommend this book to others.

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #Covenant Communications and the Author for allowing me to read and advanced readers copy. All opinions are entirely my own.
A.L. Sowards has chosen to donate her earnings for this book (through April 2022) which will go to charities benefiting victims of the war in Ukraine.

Before the Fortress Falls is an absolutely spectacular story! 😍
Sowards knows how to tell a story with strong history and amazing characters! You are in the story from the first page and you will not want to set it down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Before the Fortress Falls" is about a pivotal battle that occurred at Vienna in 1683. There were five point-of-view characters to provide "firsthand" experience of various aspects of the battle: Wilhelm worked as a diplomat to help gather an army of allies to break the siege; his brother Xavier lead a group of musketeers tasked with defending the walls of Vienna; his sister Katja helped with the sick and injured in the hospital; their childhood friend, Toby, used his carpentry skills to shore up the countermines and take the battle underground. Plus brief scenes from the viewpoint of an enemy officer. At first, it felt like the characters mainly existed to allow the reader to experience the major events of the siege. Interesting historical details about the siege were woven into the suspenseful writing and brought the siege alive in my imagination.

About halfway through, I started to care about what happened to them. Toby and Katja managed to spend more time together, renewing their friendship but also supporting each other through the hard times and falling in love. Toby, Katja, and Xavier struggled with the loss of friends and eventually the feeling that it was a hopeless battle. Xavier (and the others) found hope and strength from his Christian faith and his belief in a better life after death. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful historical, especially to anyone interested in what it'd be like to be in a siege.

European history was my favorite in college. I enjoyed this book so much. There was so much history and research packed into this story that you felt like you were there living it with them. I of course loved the love story between Katja and Toby, but I really enjoyed all the other points of view as well. It helped give a well rounded story, as well as included more history that we would not have had if we'd only had Katja and Toby's POV.

There is a warning at the beginning that while it is a clean novel, there are still some sensitive and harder parts of war that were addressed. There were parts that were a little harder for me to read, but I still appreciated them being part of the story. War is awful and I appreciate the way the author handled it.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Wow! I don't know why I'm always amazed each time I read a historical book written by this author but I am. A.L. Sowards always does a fantastic amount of research so she can be as historically accurate as possible, and it shows as this story came to life while I read about the Ottoman Empire attacking Vienna.

I love knowing what each character is thinking so I really liked getting the different points of view from multiple characters. There are the three siblings Wilhelm, Katja and Xavier (Katja's twin). Then Toby, a childhood friend of Katja and Xavier, shares his point of view. Toby is a joiner by trade, but becomes a counter miner during the war. The last point of view we get is Ahmed, a Turkish soldier who's fighting with the Ottoman army. I found his POV to be very interesting as he thinks he's on the right side of the war and God will help them defeat the Christians.

The romance between Katja and Toby is NOT the main storyline of the book but it's a sweet childhood friends to more story. I can't imagine meeting up with a childhood friend I hadn't seen in several years only to fall in love in the middle of a war. Would I have the courage to marry him with such a strong possibility to lose him at any time?

I didn't know anything about the 1683 siege of Vienna and found it fascinating how the city was designed to be protected from invasion since this was not the first time they had been invaded. Learning how they destroyed businesses and homes outside of the city wall to prevent the Turks from having a place to stay, the counter mining and how that worked was so interesting. I appreciated the maps and the list of terms the author included at the beginning of the book. They were very useful when I needed to know what something was or had trouble picturing where one place was in relation to another.

This isn't a just a story about a war--it's a story of a group of people coming together and fighting to keep an enemy from taking hold of everything they held dear. We see the three siblings overcome their differences and make peace with each other. There are scenes of war but the author isn't overly graphic in her descriptions. If you're like me, once you start reading this book you're not going to want to stop--so consider yourself warned.

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