Title: NADYA’S WAR
Author: C.S. Taylor
Publisher: Tiny Fox Press
Pages: 300
Genre: Historical Fiction
BOOK BLURB:
Nadezdah "Little Boar" Buzina, a young pilot with the Red Army's 586th all-female fighter regiment, dreams of becoming an ace. Those dreams shatter when a dogfight leaves her severely burned and the sole survivor from her flight.
For the latter half of 1942, she struggles against crack Luftwaffe pilots, a vengeful political commissar, and a new addiction to morphine, all the while questioning her worth and purpose in a world beyond her control. It's not until the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad that she finds her unlikely answers, and they only come after she's saved the life of her mortal enemy and fallen in love with the one who nearly kills her.
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Seven of us zipped through the overcast sky, a dozen meters beneath the cloud layer. Gridnev flew lead and a girl named Tania from First Squadron flew on his wing. Alexandra and I cruised next to them about thirty meters away. I pictured myself as a modern version of my ancestors who rode into battle on horseback, courageous and strong. If only they could see me now, sailing through the air to drive off the invaders. I wondered if they’d be proud or jealous. Maybe both.
The four of us escorted a flight of three Pe-2s from the 150th High-Speed Bomber Regiment across the snowy landscape. That unit was led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Polbin who I’d heard was quite the commander. I’d also heard he enjoyed music and sang well, like me, which made me think we’d get along—even if he was a die-hard communist and loyal to Stalin.
The twin-engine Peshkas flew nearly as fast as our fighters, something I was grateful for. I’m certain the three crew members inside each bomber were thankful as well, since unlike the German Heinkels and Stukas, these planes were tough to catch for any aircraft. That being said, I was glad I was in my Yak-1. I wouldn’t have wanted to fly one of those bombers at all, no matter how prestigious they were. They were still big targets, and far less nimble than the fighter I had. I prayed we’d keep them safe.
All the Pe-2s, however, did have fresh, winter paint jobs. Their off-white and tan colors hid them well in the surroundings, and if I wasn’t paying close attention, I’d even lose sight of them from time to time. Their target was a rail depot the Germans were using to bring in supplies and troops headed to Stalingrad. Obliterating it would disrupt logistics and force the Luftwaffe to keep it safe once rebuilt.
With luck, the Germans wouldn’t spot the Peshkas until the bombs were already dropping and they were headed home. I fantasized about how easy of a mission this could be as we went deeper into enemy lines. Those thoughts almost turned into dreams as the drone from my fighter’s engine combined with the dreary sky nearly put me to sleep, despite the digging pain in my arm.
“Tighten up, Little Boar,” Gridnev called out over the radio.
My eyes snapped to the formation. I’d drifted away from the bombers by a good fifty meters sideways and at least that in altitude. I glanced over my shoulder to see Alexandra off to my right. She’d stayed with me even as I wandered. “Reforming now. Thought I saw something below and wanted a better view.”
C.S. Taylor is a former Marine and avid fencer (saber for the most part, foil and epee are tolerable). He enjoys all things WWII, especially perfecting his dogfighting skills inside virtual cockpits, and will gladly accept any P-38 Lightnings anyone might wish to bestow upon him. He’s also been known to run a kayak through whitewater now and again, as well give people a run for their money in trap and skeet.
His latest book is the historical fiction, Nadya’s War.
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Review:
Nadya has earned the nickname of Little Boar as a pilot within the Russian Red Army’s 586th all-female fighter regiment during World War II for her fierce determination and charging the enemy. Nadya dreams of becoming an Ace pilot and bringing pride to her family for her service during the war. However, when an aerial fight leaves Nadya as the only survivor and with burns and trauma, she struggles to fly again. Nadya soon finds herself addicted to morphine and able to fly, bent on revenge to shoot down the German Pilot who killed her friends. She also finds herself under investigation with a very dangerous man. With the help of her friends, her mechanic Karla and new partner, Alexandra, Nadya continues to fly and come closer to becoming an Ace as well as shooting down the German pilot.
Nadya's war pulled me into the world of female pilots during the war. While I was aware that women from several countries fought in the war, I did not know about the Russian all-female fighter regiment. Nadya's point of view was very interesting, since she is very eager to prove herself, but does not fall in line with Stalin's values; primarily, Nadya is still religious. The aerial fights drew me in the most, I could see the details of the planes and feel the adrenaline of the maneuvers. The characters that made of the regiment were all interesting, however, I do wish some of the others were fleshed out more. Nadya was steadfast in her beliefs, to the point of being boorish, earning her a nickname. At points she did seem immature, although, like many of the others fighting in WWII, she was very young. The romance that was introduced was very surprising, especially for Stalin's Russia, this was ok with me, but didn't seem to have enough of a prominent role. The story arc seemed to be lacking something for me, I felt like I was waiting for something that didn't happen. Either the romance or the revenge story needed to come to a head in a bigger way. Overall, an intense story of women fighter pilots in World War II.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
Nadya has earned the nickname of Little Boar as a pilot within the Russian Red Army’s 586th all-female fighter regiment during World War II for her fierce determination and charging the enemy. Nadya dreams of becoming an Ace pilot and bringing pride to her family for her service during the war. However, when an aerial fight leaves Nadya as the only survivor and with burns and trauma, she struggles to fly again. Nadya soon finds herself addicted to morphine and able to fly, bent on revenge to shoot down the German Pilot who killed her friends. She also finds herself under investigation with a very dangerous man. With the help of her friends, her mechanic Karla and new partner, Alexandra, Nadya continues to fly and come closer to becoming an Ace as well as shooting down the German pilot.
Nadya's war pulled me into the world of female pilots during the war. While I was aware that women from several countries fought in the war, I did not know about the Russian all-female fighter regiment. Nadya's point of view was very interesting, since she is very eager to prove herself, but does not fall in line with Stalin's values; primarily, Nadya is still religious. The aerial fights drew me in the most, I could see the details of the planes and feel the adrenaline of the maneuvers. The characters that made of the regiment were all interesting, however, I do wish some of the others were fleshed out more. Nadya was steadfast in her beliefs, to the point of being boorish, earning her a nickname. At points she did seem immature, although, like many of the others fighting in WWII, she was very young. The romance that was introduced was very surprising, especially for Stalin's Russia, this was ok with me, but didn't seem to have enough of a prominent role. The story arc seemed to be lacking something for me, I felt like I was waiting for something that didn't happen. Either the romance or the revenge story needed to come to a head in a bigger way. Overall, an intense story of women fighter pilots in World War II.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
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