The Historical Fiction Shelf

A Waltz with Traitors
A. L. Sowards
Covenant Communications
http://www.covenant-lds.com
9781524421120, $17.99, PB, 328pp

https://www.amazon.com/Waltz-Traitors-L-Sowards/dp/152442112X

Synopsis: Czech soldier Filip Sedlak never wanted to fight for the Austro-H= ungarian Empire. So at the first opportunity, he defected to the Russians. = Now he and others like him have formed the Czechoslovak Legion. Their goal:=
leave the chaos of Russia, sail to France, and help the Allies defeat the = Central Powers, thereby toppling a hated empire and winning an independent = Czechoslovakia.

With the fall of the tsar, Nadia Linskaya's life is in ruins. Her family is=
dead, her lands are confiscated, and her aristocratic world is gone foreve=
r. But Nadia is determined to elude the Bolshevik agent who destroyed her f= amily and find a way to survive in this changed world.

When Nadia takes refuge with the Czechoslovak Legion, the last thing she ex= pects is an ally. But when Filip proposes a sham marriage to ensure her saf=
e passage across Siberia, she takes it. Neither Filip nor Nadia expect real=
love, not when the legion has to take over the longest railroad in the wor=
ld -- and then hold it against Bolshevik counterattacks, partisan sabotage,=
allied intrigue, and a set of brutal Siberian winters.

At risk is the future of Czechoslovakia, the fate of Russia -- and their he= arts.

Critique: A deftly written, original, and inherently entertaining novel tha=
t fully showcases author A. L. Sowards' impressive and narrative driven sto= rytelling talents, "A Waltz With Traitors" is a compulsive page turner of a=
read from cover to cover. While especially and unreservedly recommended fo=
r community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for = personal reading lists that "A Waltz With Traitors" is also readily availab=
le in a digital book format (Kindle, $5.99).

Editorial Note: A. L. Sowards (www.ALSowards.com) is the author of multiple=
historical fiction novels, with settings spanning the globe from the fourt= eenth to twentieth centuries. Her stories have earned a Whitney Award, seve= ral Whitney Finalists positions, and a Readers' Favorite Gold Medal.

Blackout Book Club
Amy Lynn Green
Bethany House Publishers
c/o Baker Publishing Group
6030 East Fulton Road, Ada, MI 49301
www.bethanyhouse.com
9780764240836, $29.99, HC, 400pp

https://www.amazon.com/Blackout-Book-Club-Lynn-Green/dp/0764240838

Synopsis: An impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to WWII pu=
ts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian and book club=
organizer in small-town Maine. The women of her book club band together as=
the war comes dangerously close but their friendships are tested by secret=
s, and they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost.

Critique: Amy Lynn Green is the kind of novelist who has a total mastery of=
narrative based storytelling that will keep the reader's full attention fr=
om first page to last. Her forth (and latest) novel, "The Blackout Book Clu=
b" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in World War=
II and Christian oriented historical fiction. With deftly crafted and memo= rable characters, a plot with many an unexpected turn and twist, "The Black= out Book Club" is unreservedly recommended for community library General Fi= ction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The = Blackout Book Club" is also available in a paperback edition (9780764239564=
, $17.99), and in a digital book format (Kindle, $17.09).

Editorial Note: Amy Lynn Green (www.amygreenbooks.com) has always loved his= tory and reading, and she enjoys speaking with book clubs, writing groups, = and libraries all around the country. Her debut novel, "Things We Didn't Sa= y", was nominated for a 2021 Minnesota Book Award, won two Carol Awards, an=
d received a starred review from both Booklist and Library Journal.

The Voyage: Part I
Robert Vincent
http://www.robvincent.org
Archway Publishing
www.archwaypublishing.com
9781480898967, $28.95, HC, 140pp

https://www.amazon.com/Voyage-Robert-Vincent/dp/1480898961

Synopsis: In 1832 the USS Hayes sails the Indian Ocean, guided by its lord = and master, Captain Gellins. Meantime a shipmate is wrongly accused of stea= ling and faces the fatal lash. Likewise, he is just one of many who have be=
en accused of false charges: others who have already met their end at the g= ratings; all from the lies supplied to the captain by shipmate Penderghast.

Who can tell what will happen if certain other shipmates take the law into = their own hands to try and right this injustice? And if the plot succeeds, = what may follow?

"The Voyage: Part I" is the tale of a young sailor's journey to the truth a=
s he becomes embroiled in events beyond his control and through an act of s= acrifice ironically unleashes an ancient curse.

Critique: An erudite work of historical fiction by novelist Robert Vincent,=
"The Voyage: Part I" will have a very special appeal to fans of such liter= ary gems as 'Mutiny On The Bounty". Inherently fascinating and deftly craft= ed, "The Voyage: Part I" is especially and unreservedly recommended for bot=
h community and academic library Historical Fiction collections. It should =
be noted for personal reading lists that "The Voyage: Part I" is also avail= able in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Robert Vincent (http://www.robvincent.org) is the author of=
several screenplays, novels, and dramatic works. He is also the writer and=
illustrator of a children's book.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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(dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review

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