Great historical fiction about woman in Russia who joined the army as a sniper. Loved that it was based on a true character and gave a different perspective of the war in Russia. Would definitely recommend.

A solid historical fiction read, with a very interesting character: Mila Pavlichenko, a librarian, mother, and student writing a dissertation, who becomes a sniper for the Red Army in Russian during WWII. Although this is historical fiction, Pavlichenko was a real person, and the book follows her life fairly faithfully (the author's note at the end where Kate Quinn explains what she fictionalized and what was true was fascinating and incredibly helpful). Decent writing and a mostly propulsive plot (I felt about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through the pace slowed a little) - certainly a compelling story of an amazing woman.

The Diamonds Eye will be, without a doubt, a hit for historical fiction lovers. This was my first Kate Quinn book and I can totally understand why everyone loves her. Her writing is beautiful, her female characters are badasses, and she has a gift for storytelling.

That being said, I think I just need to accept that historical fiction is just not my genre. The story only really became interesting for me about halfway through the book, which is a bit too long to capture my attention. I struggled with the lack of dialogue between characters (just not enough for me) and the pace of the book was a bit too slow for me, which made it hard to reach for this book when I settled to read.

I will continue to recommend this one to HF lovers!

Another tense, fascinating book from Kate Quinn, based on a real life woman. Although it is difficult to read this with the current situation unfolding in Ukraine, the story of Mila Pavlichenko will draw you in immediately blogs.davenportlibrary.com/reference/the-diamond-eye-by-kate-quinn/

Another excellent book by Kate Quinn. Her writing is captivating, her characters are warm and real, and the adventures are always pulse-pounding. This one felt especially exquisite as our heroine has a deep connection to the library and research and history - things that, at the time, were not exactly friendly spaces to women. Very well done - I will be recommending.

International best selling historical fiction author Kate Quinn's book The Diamond Eye, an unforgettable World War II story about a quiet bookworm who became one of history's deadliest female snipers, has developed an unusual newsy relevance because it is set in Ukraine's snowbound city of Kiev (now known as Kyiv.)
Based on the true story of Mila Pavlichenko, a bookish history student and divorced mother of one son who joins the fight against Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia and within eighteen months develops a record as a lethal sniper known as Lady Death.
Kate had access to Mila's full journals recording her time at the front and this original material helps convert The Diamond Eye into a gripping story of unimaginable wartime hardship - doubtless being repeated all over again right now - with a passionate love story at its heart.
The battlefront detail is remarkable - the day by day death tallies, the bone-gnawing winter cold, the strategic setting up of their targets which involves hours of intricate 'hunting' of quarry in the snow-bound forests. It all comes alive in the most graphic detail.
The generally unspoken expectation for these operatives is they will fight to death. Few of them ever expect to come home.
But when news of Mila's three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefields of the eastern front and sent to America on a goodwill tour. She is received in Franklin D Roosevelt's White House, becomes a good friend of FDR's wife Eleanor Roosevelt, and goes on a speaking tour in the States and Canada that helps change public opinion in favor of the US entry into the Second World War.
It makes for a breath-taking story, bringing to life one of history's forgotten women, as well offering a compelling page-turner of a book which gives us insights into how human beings can face impossible odds, and live one day at a time with phenomenal courage. A must read for anyone who loves historical fiction.
Kate Quinn talks about The Diamond Eye on The Joys of Binge Reading podcast, Episode #213.

Kate Quinn's The Rose Code was such a masterpiece that it was going to be a hard act to follow. Take it from me and the other 30 people in my book group, though, that The Diamond Eye has its own merits and is already beloved by readers.

While Rose Code gave us multiple points of view, The Diamond Eye is a concentrated character study which follows the fascinating real-life figure from history, Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Reading the Author's Note was as enjoyable as reading the book because we learn how much research and care Quinn put into bringing this time in history to life, while also staying as faithful to historical record as possible. I have never read a historical fiction book that has been this close to the truth, and my hat is off. While reading about the day in and out of war in Russia during WWII was not my favorite part, it is something we don't have the opportunity to read about often, and it kept my interest enough to really appreciate the second half, where we follow Lyudmila on her tour of the US and see her interactions with the Roosevelts.

This is a book that will stay with the reader for a long time to come.

The Diamond Eye is a historical fiction story about a real person named Lyudmila ‘Mila’ Pavlichenko a young mother who enlists in the Russian army and goes on to become one of the most dangerous snipers in WWII. Portions of the book focus on her time spent on the battlefield, the injuries she endured, the sexism she faced, the nerves of steel she cultivated, etc... Alternately the book showcases her time spent with the Roosevelts stateside, the PR tour she went on in the hopes of getting more American assistance/steel involved in the war effort.

Kate Quinn does what she does best, intertwines factual details of real women in history with compelling fictional bits all to make a great book! I appreciated the author notes at the end and can't wait to attend a virtual event with Kate in the near future. Can't wait to see what strong/interesting female character she will write about/create next.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Diamond Eye
Kate Quinn
3/29/22

What an exciting and engrossing read. I have been a fan of Kate Quinn's for quite a while and was not disappointed with this book. I liked the mix of accurate historical facts with a fictionalized story mixed in there. I also always enjoy reading the author's note at the end of books to find out what is fictionalized and what is not. If you are a fan of Kate Quinn, you will not be disappointed with this book.

another wonderful story from Kate Quinn. Not only did I learn a lot, but I was entertained the whole way. The Ukraine-Russian setting is (unfortunately) so timely. Can't wait for her next one!

After the emotional high of The Rose Code, I'm not quite sure how I feel about The Diamond Eye. It felt unemotional and perfunctory. But that also seems appropriate given this book is about a Russian female sniper so perhaps this book does exactly what Quinn hoped - an unflinching look at Russia during WWII through the eyes of one of its best soldiers.

Kate Quinn is definitely one of my historical fiction Queens! Whenever its revealed that a new book by her is releasing, that book automatically shoots up to my most anticipated book of that year. Her stories are so well thought out and every single time I am amazed at the research and creativity she puts into each one of her stories.

The Diamond Eye has brought Lyudmila Pavlichenko's true story to life. Mila, also known as Lady Death, was a Russian female sniper with a confirmed record of 309 deaths during WWII - true fact! That tidbit of information alone made me instantly curious about the book and fascinated by the main character.

As with most historical fiction, expect a lot of intense moments and a lot of heartbreak. Also, make sure to read the wonderful authors note at the end of this one as it gives a great outline of what is truth and what is fiction throughout the story, it was the ultimate perfect touch to this outstanding piece of work!

Excellent! Based on the true story of Mila Pavlichenko a young mother and student who becomes a sniper for the Soviet army during WWII. Very well written, exciting and detailed. Kate Quinn writes wonderful books about extraordinary women. Highly recommend.

Kate Quinn always writes amazing books but there was something about this one that sticks with you so much... the story is SO real, because it is real! Thank you to HC for sending me a review copy.

Kate Quinn writes incredible historical fiction novels, full of detail, well thought out characters and heartbreaking stories. The Diamond Eye is just as incredible as her previous novels. While I haven't read The Huntress, The Diamond Eye slides in as my third favourite - but that doesn't mean I didn't thoroughly enjoy it!

The Diamond Eye flips between flashbacks of Mila's life as an incredibly deadly sniper in the war and her current memoir/current day after she was discharged. I did find this one quite long and drawn out, which gave me a bit of a struggle to get through some of the passages, but it still held enough interesting and thrilling content to keep me needing more. This book is still full of beautiful, and awful, characters, but also full of action. I loved that it followed a true story!

Although I felt the story was a little slow to start, I could not put it down after getting into this book based on the real life Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Mila is a very young mother, and after her husband leaves her, she works hard to attend university with the goal of becoming a historian and professor. As Hitler’s forces invade Russia, Mila’s plans quickly change as she becomes a sniper. Weaved into the story are her comrades in arms, love affairs, and more. The fictional part of the story builds the most tension once Mila is in the US to try to convince the President and the country to open a second front in the war. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this. Great historical fiction. Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Kate Quinn has done it again! I loved to learn about another view from the war perspective and talk about girl power! Mila and the other characters are so vivid that I felt that I actually knew them. Such a great read, highly recommend.

From my blog: Always With a Book

This is the fourth book I’ve read by Kate Quinn and I fall more in love with her writing every time. This book was a highly anticipated read this year and it did not disappoint. And true story – I’ve already read this one twice now…it’s that good!

I absolutely loved this one. Mila Pavlichenko, better known as “Lady Death,” is one of the most bad-a** characters I’ve ever read about and yet she’s a real person and I’m so glad Kate Quinn gave us her story. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction, especially WWII books, and don’t remember her name coming up.

I also loved the friendship she developed with Eleanor Roosevelt while on a goodwill tour to the USA. Eleanor Roosevelt is one of my favorite people, so I loved all the cameos she made throughout this book. This was probably my favorite part of the whole book, the scenes between the two of them. I loved the conversations that take place between the two, and my favorite quote from Eleanor is in the book:

“I reminded myself that you must do the thing you think you cannot do,” she said simply. “Always. And generally you find out you can do it, after all.”

Reading this book was such an immersive experience. The writing is so vivid and the characters so richly drawn that it all comes alive as you make your way through this book. It’s not always an easy read, as we are right alongside Mila in the field as she sets her sights on her targets and it is gruesome at times, but this was such an integral part of the story and really hit home her role. At the same time, we she her struggle with being in this role versus being a good mom for her son and this tugs at your heartstrings.

I loved that this is based on a true story and when you read the author’s note, it is even more impressive. I have loved all the books I’ve read by Kate Quinn, but I think this is now my new favorite. It is just so impressive and awe-inspiring. It is clearly so meticulously researched as is evidenced from the author’s note and I could not have loved this more – again, I’ve already read it twice and that is in a period of two months. I will definitely be recommending this one to all my friends that love historical fiction…it is definitely a must-read!

Another Quinn hit! Her books are always so interesting to read. The voices of the female characters always take me directly to that point in history she is describing.

We don't usually hear about a female sniper and how much more she has to do to be respected. Here it is!!