Thank you, Aimie K. Runyan, for introducing me to another facet of history I knew nothing about. The Night Witches showed strength and bravery unthought of in women at the time. I'm definitely off to do further research.

I honestly could tell by the writing of the first 2 chapters that it wouldn't be a good fit for our box and had to put it down. I may read it again in the future!

What a fabulous book! It was everything I’ve come to love about historical fiction and one of the most well written of any I’ve ever read. I was right there in the sky with Katya, dropping bombs, evading capture, dodging the enemies bullets. What an amazing look at a period of history I find so fascinating and a look at the life of a female bomber pilot, something I had no idea even existed in that era.

In addition to the fabulous history, this was also a beautiful love story and it’s characters were so well developed that I couldn’t help but connect with and come to love them.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction with beautifully written setting and characters. If you love to be in the middle of the action and feel like you’ve lived the story then this one is for you. I loved it.

Wow! That was my reaction when I read the final word of Aimie K. Runyan's Daughters of the Night Sky. I had hoped that taking a few days before writing the review would help me find a more eloquent way of expressing my feelings, but it didn't work. Every time I think of this novel, "wow" is still my first reaction.
Set in WWII, it focuses on a little-known group of female fighter pilots called "Night Witches." I had never heard of them, and I found my interest piqued when I read the novel's description. Once I started, I was hooked. Runyan is a new-to-me author, and I found myself in awe of how she developed both the story and the characters.
After reading this, I wonder how I had never heard of these women and marvel at what they had to endure to get even a fraction of the respect of their male counterparts. I love that this was a story that focused on characteristics of women, all of whom where different, but were determined to not only fly, but do their part for their country. World War II has not been a big "historic" interest for me, but I find it a testament to an author's skill that an interest has been sparked in me to find out more about not only the Night Witches, but WWII.
This is a novel not to be missed!

Such a great book! So fascinating to learn of the female pilots that flew for Russia in World War II. I loved learning about their sacrifices, friendships, the skills they acquired, and the atrocities that they saw and suffered. This is historical fiction at its finest, where there is a strong plot, character development, and storyline, while you are also immersed in history, learning something new and very eye-opening. Well done! I shed some tears, and rooted for these heroic and brave ladies.

I was first introduced to Aime K. Runyan with her Daughters of New France series, Canadian historical fiction set in the early years of Canada’s history. With Daughters of the Night Sky she has traveled well off the beaten track, venturing into Russia during the Second World War.

Daughters of the Night Sky is inspired by the female pilots known as the Night Witches and told through the eyes of one brave woman. With so many novels about World War II taking place in various European countries this was a refreshing change to see inside the Soviet Union, under the command of Stalin.

This was a learning experience for me as I did not know about these brave women who wanted to serve country while overcoming so many obstacles. The amount of research in this book is evident as the author portrayed a very vivid picture here, from the struggles these women endured to the desolate landscape and so much more.

Daughters of the Night Sky is a story of strength and bravery, how these women had a desire to do their part in the war effort and the determination to reach their goals. They sacrificed so much knowing each flight could be their last.

This book was a pleasure to read and one I recommend to those that love not just Russian, WW 2 history but those that crave something different.

My sincere thanks to the author (via netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let me preface this by saying that I am typically not a historical fiction fan. This book, however, has turned me into a fan. It grabbed my attention from the very first chapter and never let it go.

The characters are all amazing, the imagery and descriptions so stunning that I could imagine myself in the planes right along with the characters.

If you are a fan of literature, even if you don’t usually like historical fiction, go and read this.

What a bad-ass story. Female, Russian, WWII fighter pilots?? Who knew. The Daughters of the Night Sky blew me away. I thought I knew WWII era historical fiction. I read a lot of it and highly enjoy it. But this. This is a whole new area of history I knew nothing about. Runyan brings the story of these women alive. In today’s climate, this is an amazing story of feminism at it’s finest. These women had to not just hit expectations, but exceed them to even be noticed and taken seriously. These women would come to be nicknamed by the Germans as “The Night Witches”, who served in the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known later as the 46th "Taman" Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, of the Soviet Air Forces. They were incredibly brave women who gave their all to fight Hitler under Stalin. Though The Daughters of the Night Sky is a fictional tale, the story was inspired by real women and Aimie K. Runyan writes a spellbinding, gripping saga of these daring, bad-ass women. Fantastic read- Highly, highly recommending this one to everybody.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.

A superb portrait of wartime valor, Daughters of the Night Sky spotlights the accomplishments of the Russian military aviators known as the “Night Witches.” These all-female Red Army regiments flew harassment bombing missions against the Nazis under cover of darkness, in hand-me-down planes and without radios, to diminish the enemy’s strength and disrupt their sleep. It worked.

We see the action from the viewpoint of Ekaterina (Katya) Ivanova, who has dreamed of flying since childhood. With her widowed mother’s support, she enrolls in a military academy for aviators. The story follows her training, her excitement at acceptance into a volunteer regiment led by a renowned female major, and the daring sorties she flies as her best friend’s navigator – and through significant moments of exhilaration, cameraderie, and sorrow. There’s a subtle romantic subplot, and Katya draws sustenance from her beloved’s letters, but it doesn’t overwhelm her dedication.

There are numerous hardships for Katya and her fellow aviators to overcome, from insufficient rations and icy temperatures to subtle resentment and outright sexual harassment. They enter into a man’s world quite literally, as exemplified by the male uniforms and undergarments distributed to them (complete with flap at the front, which they joke could be a place to hold their lipstick), but they modify them to almost fit. Tough and disciplined, they know they must surpass men’s expectations and accomplishments to be taken seriously. Soviet ideals stressed gender equality, and the novel acknowledges Comrade Stalin’s approval of these military women while providing examples of his totalitarianism.

In historical novels about multiple women, authors tend to slot them into compartments, creating characters representing different societal groups through their contrasting backgrounds: the snobby rich girl vs. the ambitious poor one, city-dwellers vs. naïve country folk, etc. Fortunately, as in her previous two books set in early Quebec, Runyan avoids this temptation. The aviators have unique characteristics and motivations, and despite their occasional disputes, she emphasizes how Katya and the others unite to perform their courageous mission. They form tight quartets – pilot, navigator, armorer, mechanic – whose lives are mutually dependent.

It’s a pleasure to see the author grow in strength as a novelist while adapting to a new historical setting. Her tension has grown sharper, her characterizations deeper, the emotional quality more penetrating. At one key moment, I worried she’d plotted herself into a corner, but this wasn’t the case; I found myself impressed by how this situation was resolved. With its absorbing blend of technical details and emotional resonance, Daughters of the Night Sky is a great way to wrap up your historical fiction reading year, or to start your new year of reading in 2018.

(First published at Reading the Past)

What an absolutely amazing book! This is a story about strong Russian women fighter pilots during WW2. These women were so very brave and I really enjoyed their story. The writing was wonderfully descriptive and I felt like I was right there in story! I received an advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

I had heard of Aimie Runyan through a readers group I belong to, but had never read any of her books although her first two have been on my radar for awhile. This book was a wonderful introduction to her as an author. I went into Daughters of the Night Sky not knowing anything about the female Russian pilots who bombed the Germans during WWII, but that did not keep me from understanding or enjoying this book. Runyan clearly did a lot of research on the subject and has managed to put us squarely in the middle of the war with her vivid descriptions. The writing is excellent, the characters are real and believable, and the story grabs you and brings you in close the entire time. Overall a very enjoyable read.

I was provided an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of WWII fiction but this was a totally new look at the war for me. This historical fiction was about Russian women pilots who bombed German areas during the war. The author did extensive research for this book and her research made this book even more interesting and intriguing.

Katya wanted to be a pilot from a young age and her mother encouraged her to be whatever she wanted to be. Of course, there were very few women pilots at the time so Katya was met with resistance and scorn from men during every step. Her teacher in school felt that women should become mothers and stay at home and refused to teach her mathematics in school until her mother intervened. When she got accepted to flight school, the male pilots treated the women terribly and even the male instructors were unfair to the females. After all of the people trying to keep her from reaching her goal, the war started and she was accepted into an all female regiment. Though she wants to help her country win the war, she also wants to be with her new husband and keep herself safe as he requested. She is torn between helping her country and being a brave example for the other women in her group and being the person that her husband wants her to be until she realizes that the only way she'll be happy in her life is to follow her dreams.

This is a wonderful, well written novel about female pilots during the war who not only had to fight the enemy but they also had to fight the prevailing belief of the day that women should stay at home. It's a book about bravery and loyalty and following your dreams no matter where they lead.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

I read so much WWII historical fiction that I thought I covered every aspect, but the story of the women's regiment of pilots of the Russian Red Army was so interesting! I found myself cheering on Katya all the female pilots, mechanics, and navigators as they worked hard training to become accepted as flying soldiers, called Night Witches, as they made bombing raids and even beat the men in the number of sorties made. Bravo, Ms. Runyan, on your inspiring story.

Daughters of the Night Sky is my first time reading Aimie Runyan and I was not disappointed. I am not normally one to read about War especially WWII. This book written about the women in group called “Night Witches they were the women Russian pilots that wreaked havoc on the Germans, sometimes they were even better at it than their male counterparts. Katya is the main character in Daughters of the Night Sky. Katya always wanted to be a pilot and she worked hard at fulfilling her dream. She needed her mother to speak to her teacher to make sure she was taught exactly what the males in her class were learning. Katya worked very hard to get her wings along the way she met her pilot husband who while in flight school was her advocate. There are so many emotions, there is romance and there is heartache, Amie is a very descriptive writer that pulls you into the story. You feel like you are living in the book. I could not put this book down and I definitely did not want it to end. I will be looking for more of Aimie’s books in the future.

MY REVIEW OF ‘DAUGHTERS OF THE NIGHT SKY’ by Aimie K. Runyan

Kudos to Aimie K. Runyan, author of “Daughters of the Night Sky” (Lake Union Publishing, Publication date January, 2018) for writing such an enticing and intriguing novel combining Historical Fiction and Fiction, which are the genres for this story. The story takes places during World War Two, mostly in Russia.

I can appreciate Aimie K. Runyan’s hours of historical research for this novel. The author writes about the daring women in the Night Bomber Regiment of Russian fliers, known as the “Night Witches”. The “Night Witches” were known to do major damage to the German companies in the area.

The characters of the story are described as brave and courageous, in these complex and complicated times. Katya Ivanova has always dreamed of being a pilot, flying in the skies. It is a tough battle, because women were often discriminated in the education they got, and the jobs that they could do. Katya works extremely hard in her studies to be able to accomplish her dreams. She is encouraged and supported by another Pilot, who becomes her husband. Can there be time for War and Love?

As the war with the Germans intensifies, Katya is called upon to fly the combat planes for Mother Russia. Her husband has gone to the front to fight there, and really wants Katya to think about this. Katya is determined that she will fight for Mother Russia the best way that she can, in the air. Katya meets other women, and they work together on the ground and sky to fight for their Mother Russia. The women are proving they can be a force to be reckoned with. At time, there are doing better than their male counterparts.

Nothing is fair in love and war. War can be devastating, and there are casualties and dangers. I love that the author has written about a courageous and brave group of women who were able to not only live their dreams, but fight bravely together for their country. They had to fight discrimination in everything from education, to the supplies they were given for combat. Men were given better supplies to fight with during the war. The women did not have radios in the planes that they were used to flying, making their jobs more dangerous and complicated. The women had to sew the uniforms they were given so they would fit.

The author discusses the importance of pursuing your dreams, the importance of family and friends, loyalty, trust, love, hope and faith. The author also mentions how devastating war can be, and the importance of the choices that we make. I received an ARC of this book from The Ninjas-Great Thought Great Readers for my honest review.

Daughters of the Night Sky by Aimie K. Runyon, is a wonderful and very engaging account of the women who flew airplanes for the Soviet Union during World War II, focusing on one very dedicated pilot, Katya Ivanova. Because Josef Stalin, in line with the communist party platform, declared that women should be treated equally, women like Katya were able to enter flight schools and could also fight alongside men in the war, although they were not required to participate in combat. The women found they had to work twice as hard and accomplish twice as much to prove themselves to their instructors and the male pilots, because, despite Stalin's equality directive, the double standard was still very much ingrained in these men. But with the Germans rapidly approaching Moscow, the Soviet Union found they needed these women, who either served as pilots, navigators, flight mechanics and engineers, and who flew both bombing and harassment sorties over the German camps. They were so effective that the Germans saw them as a formidable adversary and called them "The Night Witches."

This book was well researched, and I felt like I was a "sister-in-arms" with all the women pilots as I cheered them through flight school and combat. I raced through this book and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, from Katya's flight school struggles and war sorties, to her romance with the top male pilot at her school. All the women pilots had their own unique stories and reasons for fighting, and I shared their successes and heartbreaks with them. These women were truly amazing and brave, and were instrumental in turning the tides of the war with Germany.

I recommend this book without reservation, and Amie Runyon has definitely whetted my appetite for learning more about these women pilots and their contributions and sacrifices for the Soviet war effort.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My WWII genre books are one if not the #1 genre I read. I am adding this one to my favorites list. This novel educated me to events I did not know about. Learning about the Night Witches was fascinating. I will definitely recommend this book to others. Once you begin this book, it is hard to put down. A moving, stirring tale of daring women during war.

I found this story to be very interesting. It was a great story in to the female aviators of Russian. I found this author to be very descriptive in her writing. I felt like I could see the story unfold. I will definitely check out more books by this author.


I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own.

What an incredible story of strong women! I have never heard of Night Witches and the incredible work that they did. But not only did they fight in the war, they also had to deal with their male comrades and many prejudices while misses and loving their families and facing death each and every day! Ms. Runyan does a marvelous job in showing the emotions and strength of each women who were heroes in helping defeat Hitler. A must read for Russian and World War II history! Thank you Great Thoughts Ninjas and Aimie Runyan for the opportunity to read such an amazing book!

Prepare to be captivated by this poignant, heart-in-your throat novel about war, sacrifice, courage and love. The story revolves around Katya, a young woman committed to helping her country, who has earned the opportunity to serve her country as a fighter pilot during WWII, but at what cost? She is devoted to her husband and her mother, but she is also dedicated to her sisters-in-arms who depend on her leadership, her bravery, and her humanity. Katya not only has to fight off the Germans determined to shoot her down, but she must also steel herself against men who resent her place fighting among them. There are so many layers to this story, as we get to know all of the women who take their places with Katya; extraordinary women who each have their own stories, their own families, their own secrets...perhaps some the bravest women I've ever read about. This compelling story is a shining example of historical fiction; learning about a part of WWII and women's history that I knew nothing about, as I became emotionally involved with these characters and their unique stories.