Book Description:
The Former Russian Empire, 1918
Czech soldier Filip Sedlák never wanted to fight for the Austro-Hungarian 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 forever. But Nadia is determined to elude the Bolshevik agent who destroyed her family and find a way to survive in this changed world.
When Nadia takes refuge with the Czechoslovak Legion, the last thing she expects is an ally. But when Filip proposes a sham marriage to ensure her safe 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 world—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 hearts.
Rorie's Review:
Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres, even when I was a teenager. This author always does a really good job of bringing history to life, especially parts of history that I never even knew about. A Waltz With Traitors is exactly that. I don't think I've ever heard of the Czechoslovak Legion before, so I found this story fascinating. I know the author has done a good job with telling the story when I keep stopping to look up historical facts and constantly ask my family "Did you know...?" I did have to consult a map numerous times (because I tend to be a bit on the slow side) to figure out why they were heading east across Russia to make it to France. That may have been covered in the beginning of the book, but I don't remember if it said or not. Anyway, if high school history had been half as interesting as these books are, I would have paid much more attention.
Nadia was such a strong character. She went from a typical upper-class socialite to having her world turned completely upside-down and losing everything. She showed extreme fortitude and perseverance, and didn't give up no matter what she went through. Filip was equally as strong and admirable in character. The chemistry between them was a perfect fit for the story.
War is always horrible and this book does not shy away from or gloss over the realities of what these people lived through during that time period. It's also not overly graphic and descriptive about certain things, which I am also grateful for.
Definitely a well-written book, and I can see myself coming back to read this one more than once.
Andrea's Review:
A.L. Sowards does a great job writing historical fiction and creating wonderful characters. I was drawn to A Waltz With Traitors for those reasons, and also because my husband lived in Russia for two years and several of the cities she writes about are cities he lived in. I've been to the Czech Republic so the plight of those characters who were fighting for their own country meant even more having been there. I did have to Google the locations a few times to try to get my bearings (I'm still stumped about the mentions of traveling East so they could get to France??). The areas the book covers are so far apart, and it's a bit mind boggling to visualize how difficult it would have been for the people who were there.
I appreciated what I learned from the book. Whatever details I was taught about the conflicts of World War I are a bit hazy, but I don't recall any mention of the Czechoslovak Legion.
It was so interesting to see how priorities changed through their experiences. I'm very grateful that I live in a free country and haven't had to deal with so many of the issues in this novel.
Giveaway:
Title: A Waltz With Traitors
Author: A.L. Sowards
Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.
Published: March 2023
ISBN: 152442112X
Source: We received ecopies from Netgalley/the publisher. All opinions expressed are our own.
Purchase: Amazon Deseret Book
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