The Diamond Eye
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-03-31 02:21:35
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kate Quinn
- ISBN：0062943510
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Judith Ness
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First time reading Kate Quinn and loved this book。
Denise
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Too much war for me。I pray that the Ukraine can find many just like this woman for their war now against Russia。 Fabulous book。 Filled with history。 The narrative keeps you reading。 I love Historical Fiction， just not so much war。 I am a child of the 60's。 Peace， Love， and Rock 'n Roll。 Too much war for me。I pray that the Ukraine can find many just like this woman for their war now against Russia。 Fabulous book。 Filled with history。 The narrative keeps you reading。 I love Historical Fiction， just not so much war。 I am a child of the 60's。 Peace， Love， and Rock 'n Roll。 。。。more
Stefanie
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The mud was caked under her nails and blood dripped from her brow as she burrowed deeper into the brush。 The branches scratched at her uniform， but she needed to bury herself to remain unseen。 She pressed the sight against her eye and watched the horizon， searching for the enemy。 Her breathing slowed to almost non-existence and the rhythm of her heart barely ticked as she waiting with bated anticipation for the enemy to make their appearance。 She would defend her home， no matter what it took。The The mud was caked under her nails and blood dripped from her brow as she burrowed deeper into the brush。 The branches scratched at her uniform， but she needed to bury herself to remain unseen。 She pressed the sight against her eye and watched the horizon， searching for the enemy。 Her breathing slowed to almost non-existence and the rhythm of her heart barely ticked as she waiting with bated anticipation for the enemy to make their appearance。 She would defend her home， no matter what it took。The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is based on the true story of librarian turned sniper， Lyudmila Pavlichenko。 This Ukrainian woman， strength abounding， fought to defend her country against Hitler。 Training herself as a sniper and taking out more than 300 of the enemy。 This woman is a testament of resilience， strength， and honor and it was truly a remarkable experience to read her story。Kate Quinn’s writing is captivating and if you’ve read her books before you know she writes in such a way that one must read at a slower pace to savor the story。 This book was no exception to this practice and I’m telling you， as a reader， to relish the words of this newest novel by Quinn。If you’re a historical fiction fan of the WWII era， and want a story about a strong， powerful woman fighting on the front lines。 Then grab a copy of this book ASAP！TW: War， Death， Genocide， Sexism， Death of a Loved One， Physical Violence （graphic descriptions of injuries）， Emotional Abuse， Racism， Rape。*I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review。 。。。more
Celia Morse
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Once again Kate Quinn has focused on a little known facet of World War 2 history， the story of a Russian female sniper selected to meet Eleanor Roosevelt at the height of the war to strengthen American support for the Russians fighting on the eastern front。Based on a true story， the novel is told in dual timelines at the start， Mila's 1943 visit to the US and the events in her younger life that made her into the most successful Russian sniper of the war。 Along the way， the reader learns more abo Once again Kate Quinn has focused on a little known facet of World War 2 history， the story of a Russian female sniper selected to meet Eleanor Roosevelt at the height of the war to strengthen American support for the Russians fighting on the eastern front。Based on a true story， the novel is told in dual timelines at the start， Mila's 1943 visit to the US and the events in her younger life that made her into the most successful Russian sniper of the war。 Along the way， the reader learns more about rifles and training than would be needed to understand the plot， and there are some horrific descriptions of battle scenes including the almost obligatory death of her lover。This is an excellent choice for readers looking for a World War 2 novel that breaks new ground but it's as much a history lesson as a novel。 。。。more
Melissa
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**Huge thank you to William Morrow Books for providing me with an ARC of The Diamond Eye in exchange for an honest review。**Odds are you’ve never heard of Mila Pavlichenko， but she’s a brazen strong-willed woman who picked up a rifle， left her family behind， and joined the fight against the Nazis。 She became known as Lady Death， one of the most lethal snipers。 The Diamond Eye brought Mila to life in this story of perseverance， friendship， love， hate， pride， and tragedy。This is probably my favori **Huge thank you to William Morrow Books for providing me with an ARC of The Diamond Eye in exchange for an honest review。**Odds are you’ve never heard of Mila Pavlichenko， but she’s a brazen strong-willed woman who picked up a rifle， left her family behind， and joined the fight against the Nazis。 She became known as Lady Death， one of the most lethal snipers。 The Diamond Eye brought Mila to life in this story of perseverance， friendship， love， hate， pride， and tragedy。This is probably my favorite Kate Quinn novel to date。 I love WWII historical fiction to begin with， but it takes serious skill by the author to tell a story with such care and precision。 I read this during the Russian invasion of Ukraine， which was perhaps a questionable decision， but in the end I felt it heightened my enjoyment of the book and my understanding of present-day issues。It’s energizing and motivating to read about the powerful women who make up so much of our world history， yet frustrating that I never learned about them in school when I was growing up。 Thank goodness for authors like Kate who refuse to let their stories disappear。 。。。more
Dana
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway and I was ecstatic！ Unfortuntately， it took a little longer to get to it than I had planned， but I finished it today。 This book is so timely and strikes a different nerve with the Russian invasion of Ukraine。 I would love to have known what Vartanov and Mila's impressions would have been。 Both Ukranian， he with his distrust/dislike of the Russians and her， with her allegiance to Russia。Let me start by saying I liked it。 The setting before the war a I won this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway and I was ecstatic！ Unfortuntately， it took a little longer to get to it than I had planned， but I finished it today。 This book is so timely and strikes a different nerve with the Russian invasion of Ukraine。 I would love to have known what Vartanov and Mila's impressions would have been。 Both Ukranian， he with his distrust/dislike of the Russians and her， with her allegiance to Russia。Let me start by saying I liked it。 The setting before the war and of the devastation after invasion/bombings are so descriptive， I felt like I could see and smell it。 The terror of war was made evident and I thought it was fascinating to follow Mila's journey from student to sniper。 The trials she went through as a soldier and the additional trials that the women had to deal with were humbling。 I thought Mila was well-developed and very REAL。 With the exception of Kostia and her first husband， Alexei， I didn't really feel like I got to know and care about any of the other characters。 Although I hated him， Alexei added to the story。 He was the guy you love to hate。 He was awful and narcissistic and every woman knows someone like him。 Kostia's arc was well developed and very satisfying。 As far as the remaining characters， I was disappointed that I didn't feel a sense of loss and need to grieve when her friends and platoon-mates were killed。 This is the biggest difference between this book and the author's last several books。 I was so invested in the secondary characters in other novels that when something happened to them， I felt it。 This one I didn't。 I also felt that the story structure was choppy， I didn't like it jumping from Mila's military history to her US tour and relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt。 The changing perspectives from Mila to Roosevelt to the marksman were disorienting。 Most of the time they were separated out， but a few times it changed within the chapter， one paragraph was the marksman， the next was Mila。 I didn't feel that the notes from Roosevelt really added to the story。Mila's story is fascinating， there is no doubt about that。 I enjoyed the book immensely and I learned a lot， as Kate Quinn has excellent research and historical detail that goes into her books。 However， this one just wasn't the 5 star rating that I have come to expect from her。 I liked it， I would recommend it， I will keep reading Kate Quinn。 It just wasn't her best， IMOThank you for the opportunity to read this novel prior to it's release。 It was a highlight of my year。 。。。more
Leslie
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Recommended by Renee on Booktalk etc。
Minna
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Thank you to Netgalley， William Morrow & Co。， and Ms。 Quinn for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title。 An honest review was requested but not required。 I am a fan of Ms。 Quinn's historical fiction novels， which I have found to be meticulously researched， compulsively readable， and each featuring a gratifying focus on a historical woman。 It's unfortunate that the timing of world events juxtaposes so awkwardly with the subject of this novel， a Ukrainian woman who fiercely insists she is Rus Thank you to Netgalley， William Morrow & Co。， and Ms。 Quinn for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title。 An honest review was requested but not required。 I am a fan of Ms。 Quinn's historical fiction novels， which I have found to be meticulously researched， compulsively readable， and each featuring a gratifying focus on a historical woman。 It's unfortunate that the timing of world events juxtaposes so awkwardly with the subject of this novel， a Ukrainian woman who fiercely insists she is Russian and reveres the Motherland above all else。 However， this book wasn't written in the last two months， and it isn't the author's fault in the least， so I tried not to let that change my opinion of the book。Lyudmila （Belov） Pavlichenko is a young single mother and student working on her dissertation when war breaks out; she enlists that same day。 Fortunately for Mila， she has credentials for a very specialized role: sniper/sharpshooter。 Mila puts her training to use in the only army in World War II to place women at the front lines。 More than training though， she is disciplined， methodical and has an innate talent for patience， camouflage， tactics and other skills that take her from competency to true greatness。 Thus she is chosen to represent the Soviet Union in a propaganda trip to the United States mid-War， in an effort to drum up US support for the SU。I was really impressed by the epilogue in which the author shared exactly how much of the fictional story was derived directly from research and from Mila's memoirs。 It seems surreal that a delegation of officers would or could leave during the war and "enjoy" months of glamour， tours， sightseeing and press conferences， then return to the front lines。 I felt the first half of the novel， where Mila is active on the front， was definitely the most gripping。 I flew through those pages， absolutely riveted to the story。 The portions in the US were a little less exciting even though the climax was clearly set to happen "here" rather than back in Europe。 Nonetheless it was a very exciting and rewarding story， and I recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction （particularly accounts of women in history）。 。。。more
Paige
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Really interesting story - I had no idea about this Soviet female sniper from WW2。 I thought the book was good。 It intertwines different stories to a final， dramatic conclusion。 Kate Quinn has a way of telling these WW2 stories that is very good。 Looking forward to her next book！
Claire Hogg
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Kate Quinn does it again！ A haunting tale of a female sniper from Kiev uses her skills to make her father and son proud。 She works against all odd: fate， the war， the men， and weather to do her job and do it well。 I learned about trench warfare， the horrid conditions， the true sacrifice so many offered。 Then Mila finds herself being toured around America to raise awareness and support for their cause--which is another war in and of itself。 You cheer for her， you cry for her and you are changed b Kate Quinn does it again！ A haunting tale of a female sniper from Kiev uses her skills to make her father and son proud。 She works against all odd: fate， the war， the men， and weather to do her job and do it well。 I learned about trench warfare， the horrid conditions， the true sacrifice so many offered。 Then Mila finds herself being toured around America to raise awareness and support for their cause--which is another war in and of itself。 You cheer for her， you cry for her and you are changed by her。 Such a timely book as you learn more about the Ukraine and it's complicated history。 。。。more
Melissa
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Ever since I read The Alice Network， I knew Kate Quinn was going to be one to watch for。 Since then， I've read all her recent World War II themed historical fiction novels。 I don't even have to look at the synopsis to know I want to read her next book。 So when I got my hands on an advanced copy of The Diamond Eye， I didn't check the synopsis until right before I started reading it。 Imagine my surprise at the initial location of this novel， based on the timing of everything going on right now。 Th Ever since I read The Alice Network， I knew Kate Quinn was going to be one to watch for。 Since then， I've read all her recent World War II themed historical fiction novels。 I don't even have to look at the synopsis to know I want to read her next book。 So when I got my hands on an advanced copy of The Diamond Eye， I didn't check the synopsis until right before I started reading it。 Imagine my surprise at the initial location of this novel， based on the timing of everything going on right now。 This was a compelling narrative。 I didn't know anything about Lyudmila Pavlichenko， so it was interesting to see her story brought to life in this way。 I appreciated Kate's notes at the end and how she explained where she took liberties with Mila's story。 She also provided other sources to find out more。 This was the first of Kate's recent novels to focus on one heroine （with some villain narrative interspersed throughout）。 I was wondering if there would be enough for her to fill an entire novel， but she clearly did an amazing job with it。Mila was fierce and passionate about her work and I was cheering for her the entire time。 There are some sad moments， as well as some really good redeeming ones。 I love Mila's friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt。 It's so unexpected and really sweet too。 I couldn't imagine leaving my kids behind for so long to do everything Mila was doing to protect her country and I commend her for that。 I don't really have any casting ideas for this one， but I pictured Alexandra Krosney as Mila the entire time。 Originally posted at Chick Lit Central。 There's also a giveaway （ending 4/3/22）。 。。。more
BOOKLOVER EB
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In Kate Quinn's "The Diamond Eye，" Lyudmila （Mila） Pavlichenko is a Ukrainian university student and aspiring historian。 Having become pregnant at the age of fifteen， Mila Belova marries the father of her baby， Alexei Pavlichenko， a handsome and charming older man。 Her marriage turns out to be a mistake， and she takes on the role of single parent to her bright and beautiful son， Rostislav （Slava）。 However， she also makes the difficult decision to enlist in the Russian army after the Nazi invasio In Kate Quinn's "The Diamond Eye，" Lyudmila （Mila） Pavlichenko is a Ukrainian university student and aspiring historian。 Having become pregnant at the age of fifteen， Mila Belova marries the father of her baby， Alexei Pavlichenko， a handsome and charming older man。 Her marriage turns out to be a mistake， and she takes on the role of single parent to her bright and beautiful son， Rostislav （Slava）。 However， she also makes the difficult decision to enlist in the Russian army after the Nazi invasion， secure in the knowledge that her parents will take care of her child。 Mila becomes a skilled sharpshooter known as "Lady Death" who， during her illustrious military career， tallies over three hundred kills。"The Diamond Eye" goes back and forth in time between Mila's activities as a young and naïve woman， her exploits as a battle-hardened soldier on the front lines， and her visit in 1942 to America on a public relations mission， where she meets President Franklin Roosevelt and befriends the first lady， Eleanor。 Amazingly， much of this story is true。 Quinn drew on Pavlichenko's memoir and other sources to glean information about the real Mila。 Furthermore， in her afterword， Quinn explains the ways in which she blended fact and fiction in her telling of this fascinating tale。Although the plot is engrossing， Quinn's writing style leaves much to be desired。 She goes over the same information too often; the descriptive writing is overwrought （"the fury clawed and coiled， liquid and molten at the core of me"） and cliché-ridden; and her characters are largely one-dimensional。 For example， Alexei is nasty and condescending， but we never get a sense of why this talented surgeon—who could have any woman he wants—torments his estranged wife for years。 On the other hand， Mila's kind， affectionate， and protective lover， whom we meet later， is Alexei's opposite in personality。 Nevertheless， readers who enjoy novels about wartime adventures （some of which are shocking and bloody）; passionate romance; the struggle of a young woman to earn respect for her deeds rather than her looks; and the political， economic， and cultural contrasts between the U。 S。 S。 R。 and America during the 1940s， will likely find the "The Diamond Eye" enlightening and diverting。 。。。more
Iz
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Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this one。 A WWII story seen from the eyes of a Russian soldier。 Oh yeah， and that soldier just happens to be the deadliest sniper in history。。。。AND female。 I loved the idea explored throughout the story。 The idea that a woman can have many identities， yet sometimes they have to push one down to excel at another。 A woman has to be certain things， at certain times。 Mila was a mother， student， friend， soldier and sniper。 "The mother and the sniper both， succeed Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this one。 A WWII story seen from the eyes of a Russian soldier。 Oh yeah， and that soldier just happens to be the deadliest sniper in history。。。。AND female。 I loved the idea explored throughout the story。 The idea that a woman can have many identities， yet sometimes they have to push one down to excel at another。 A woman has to be certain things， at certain times。 Mila was a mother， student， friend， soldier and sniper。 "The mother and the sniper both， succeeding at both。"The relationship between Mila and Alexei was particularly engaging， and often infuriating！ "Jump， little Mila"。。。。。grrrrrr。It was compelling to follow Mila as she lands in America and becomes the poster child for Russian propaganda while at the same time hear Eleanor Roosevelt's perspective observing her。 The use of various POV throughout was very effective。 The multiple timelines work well too。 A favorite quote:"Snipers must make themselves calm in order to succeed， and that is why women are good at sharpshooting。 Because there is not a woman alive who has not learned how to eat rage in order to appear calm。" - BOOM。 Overall a very enjoyable read。 Be warned that it will have you going back and forth to your computer looking up which parts of the story are factual。 Big thank you to William Morrow， Harper Collins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 For more book recommendations， follow me on IG @librarianreadspop。 。。。more
Larissa
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Loved this！ Once again Quinn impressed me with a well-written historical fiction novel that highlighted a not widely well known， but very impressive woman。 I couldn't tear my eyes away from the description of Lyudmila's life。 With historical fiction， it can sometimes be difficult to get into the novel or things start slow。 This has never been my experience with Quinn's writing， and The Diamond Eye is no exception。 For me， Mila's characterization and her story were top-notch and the best part of Loved this！ Once again Quinn impressed me with a well-written historical fiction novel that highlighted a not widely well known， but very impressive woman。 I couldn't tear my eyes away from the description of Lyudmila's life。 With historical fiction， it can sometimes be difficult to get into the novel or things start slow。 This has never been my experience with Quinn's writing， and The Diamond Eye is no exception。 For me， Mila's characterization and her story were top-notch and the best part of the novel。 I loved Lyudmila's perseverance， strength， love for history/books， romance and her relationships with her family。 She's an inspiring historical figure that I will not be soon forgetting。Personally， the part I didn't like as much was surprisingly the fictional components of the novel。 I feel they were pretty far-fetched。 In this case， I feel Mila's story was impressive enough on its own， that further embellishments actually took away from it and felt contrived。 As the ending of the book mainly featured this， I feel it lessened the impact of the novel slightly。 。。。more
Aaron
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This book is very interesting and i enjoyed reading it a lot， it is kind of a scary book about a women in war， it shows how people assume what a women should be， The women named Mila dose her hardest to break these stereotypes and make everyone realize that women are not what all people assume them to be。
Miriam
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Kate Quinn brings readers another thriller set during WWII， this time in Russia and the US。 As always， Quinn delves into the lives of forgotten women who made important contributions to WWII。Meet Mila， a marksman with more than 309 enemies killed on the Russian front during the German attacks on Odessa and Sevastopol。 It's cold， it's brutal， and it's hard work。 Life is full of sorrow and death with only a few happy interludes。 The chapters echo a memoir she will write。The second theme features M Kate Quinn brings readers another thriller set during WWII， this time in Russia and the US。 As always， Quinn delves into the lives of forgotten women who made important contributions to WWII。Meet Mila， a marksman with more than 309 enemies killed on the Russian front during the German attacks on Odessa and Sevastopol。 It's cold， it's brutal， and it's hard work。 Life is full of sorrow and death with only a few happy interludes。 The chapters echo a memoir she will write。The second theme features Mila as a representative sent with the Russian delegation to ask FDR for assistance against the Nazis。 FDR is the target of an assassin with Mila set up to take the fall。Throughout， you'll read Eleanor Roosevelt's diary entries with her reactions / responses to Mila。The stunning， captivating book will hold your attention throughout， as you experience war on the Russian front and get a birds-eye view of an assassination plot。Thanks to Goodreads giveaway and Harper Collins for an ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Karren Sandercock
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Lyudmila Pavlichenko is separated from her husband Alexei， she wants a divorce， he's stalling and they have a son Slavka。 She lives in Kiev， when the Germans invade in 1941， the woman with an interest in historical events and she will become part of World War Two history。 Mila joins the 25th rifle division， she’s taken a marksmanship course and becomes a sniper。 Mila shoots from underground man made nests and hidden in bushes and from the tops of buildings。 A comrade made a joke， to be a good sn Lyudmila Pavlichenko is separated from her husband Alexei， she wants a divorce， he's stalling and they have a son Slavka。 She lives in Kiev， when the Germans invade in 1941， the woman with an interest in historical events and she will become part of World War Two history。 Mila joins the 25th rifle division， she’s taken a marksmanship course and becomes a sniper。 Mila shoots from underground man made nests and hidden in bushes and from the tops of buildings。 A comrade made a joke， to be a good sniper， you need a weapon， a knife， two ammunition pouches， patience and a non-reflective flask containing a little vodka。 Mila didn’t find killing people easy， she wanted her son to have a future and due to her accuracy she became known as Lady Death。 Mila is a strong woman， she’s given birth， been wounded and seen many of her comrade’s die in combat。 Mila’s made over three hundred kills， after being injured at Sevastopol， she’s sent on a tour of America and the Russians desperately want America to form a second front and divide the German forces。 At first the Americans didn’t know what to make of Mila in her army uniform and makeup free face and she won them over with her humility。 In Washington Mila meets Eleanor Roosevelt， they become friends and Mila's being stalked。 The battle descriptions in the narrative are brutal， you read about the types of weapons used， the injuries they caused and the bolt action rifle Mila preferred as a sniper。 Mila was human， she fell in love， had her heart broken， she kept going because she didn’t want the Germans to win and for her son。 I received a copy of The Diamond Eye from NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia in exchange for an honest review。 Kate Quinn has done it again， by using known facts and her imagination to create a historical biographical story about one inspirational woman’s fight to staunch the flow of war with her rifle in Russia and then with her voice in America and five stars from me。https://karrenreadsbooks。blogspot。com/https://www。facebook。com/KarrenReadsH。。。 。。。more
Lisa
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Mila Pavlichenko was seduced at 15， had a son， completed a course in marksmanship and became known as 'Lady Death' because she became a sniper and killled so many Germans in WW2。 It wasn't until she went to the White House， however， that she faced her greatest danger。。。This amazing and exciting story is based on the true story of this famous Russian sniper。 Kate Quinn has brought it to her life with her beautifully written tale of Mila's brave fight against the Nazis and her two great loves。 The Mila Pavlichenko was seduced at 15， had a son， completed a course in marksmanship and became known as 'Lady Death' because she became a sniper and killled so many Germans in WW2。 It wasn't until she went to the White House， however， that she faced her greatest danger。。。This amazing and exciting story is based on the true story of this famous Russian sniper。 Kate Quinn has brought it to her life with her beautifully written tale of Mila's brave fight against the Nazis and her two great loves。 There is， necessarily， a lot about the war and the fighting in the story， which can be quite harrowing， and I preferred the account of Mila at The White House and her adventures in Hollywood。I certainly want to read the real memoir now and other books by Kate Quinn！I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review。EDITIONtOther FormatISBNt9780008523022PRICEt£13。99 （GBP 。。。more
Quinnell Flanagan
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I don’t even have words to describe this book right now， but I have to write a review for my works newsletter so I’ll update this once I’ve written that ;）
Debbie
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Oh my God！！！ Kate Quinn never disappoints but this one was by far the best so far。 A story of Russia in the time of Hitler and Stalin。 A time of war but more than that a story of one woman Ludmyla who was fighting for her country。 Not for Russia。 Not for Stalin。 For her son to have a future。 For her right to finish her history degree。Mila Pavlichenko turns from student to sniper in hours after her homeland is invaded。 She doesn't think about what she's done。 She just knows she wants to fight。 Mi Oh my God！！！ Kate Quinn never disappoints but this one was by far the best so far。 A story of Russia in the time of Hitler and Stalin。 A time of war but more than that a story of one woman Ludmyla who was fighting for her country。 Not for Russia。 Not for Stalin。 For her son to have a future。 For her right to finish her history degree。Mila Pavlichenko turns from student to sniper in hours after her homeland is invaded。 She doesn't think about what she's done。 She just knows she wants to fight。 Mila quickly becomes a sniper who no man can match。 The men discovered they needed her。 I was completely surprised by this novel and how I could barely look away long enough to do other things in my life。 I just finished and I'm already wanting to read it again。 。。。more
Shannon
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Another win from Kate Quinn！！ This latest WWII historical fiction book is based on the real life of Russian history student turned sniper， Mila Pavlichenko。 Dubbed 'Lady Death，' Mila racked up 309 official kills before being sent to America as part of a Soviet delegation trying to garner American support on the Eastern front。 I loved how the story was told in alternating timelines between Mila's rise to the famous lady sniper and her experience in Washington DC where she befriends Eleanor Roosev Another win from Kate Quinn！！ This latest WWII historical fiction book is based on the real life of Russian history student turned sniper， Mila Pavlichenko。 Dubbed 'Lady Death，' Mila racked up 309 official kills before being sent to America as part of a Soviet delegation trying to garner American support on the Eastern front。 I loved how the story was told in alternating timelines between Mila's rise to the famous lady sniper and her experience in Washington DC where she befriends Eleanor Roosevelt and finds herself in the sights of an American sniper。Full of romance， intrigue， brave deeds and strong， indomitable women and a twist at the end I didn't see coming。 This book had everything I love about great historical fiction and I really enjoyed learning about this woman I'd never heard of before！ I read an advance copy but I know this book will be amazing on audio too narrated by Saskia Maarleveld。 I'm almost sad I didn't wait to listen to the book first but when a new Kate Quinn book comes into my hands I drop everything to read it！Highly recommended with a detailed author's note included at the end of the book and actual pictures of the real Mila Pavlichenko （one of 800，000 women who served in the Russian army during WWII）。 Historical fiction fans don't want to miss this one！ 。。。more
Christie«SHBBblogger»
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Title: The Diamond EyeSeries: standaloneAuthor: Kate QuinnRelease date: March 29， 2022Cliffhanger: noGenre: historical fiction， warWhen you’re young and you’ve known nothing but peace， you assume there will always be time for everything。One of my favorite things about this book was that it was compulsively readable。 Oftentimes with historical fiction， you have to be patient while attempting to get engrossed in the book。 Setting the historical scene and balancing fact and fiction can be a time c Title: The Diamond EyeSeries: standaloneAuthor: Kate QuinnRelease date: March 29， 2022Cliffhanger: noGenre: historical fiction， warWhen you’re young and you’ve known nothing but peace， you assume there will always be time for everything。One of my favorite things about this book was that it was compulsively readable。 Oftentimes with historical fiction， you have to be patient while attempting to get engrossed in the book。 Setting the historical scene and balancing fact and fiction can be a time consuming thing， albeit usually worth your while。 Similar to world building in fantasy books， slow and steady can win the race in a big way。 In The Diamond Eye， Kate Quinn manages to add just enough historical detail to transport you while simultaneously drawing you in from page one。 I managed to plow through a book of this heavy nature in less than twenty-four hours。 The author's trademark dual timeline plot that eventually merges past and present was used once again。 Personally， I found the past sections to be a much more engrossing read than the Washington present sections， partly because I was most excited to read about this heroic female figure's wartime contribution on the front。 Mila Pavlichenko was a fascinating study of contradictions。 She was at once an introverted， intelligent， abused young mother， and a fierce survivor with a will of steel and enduring loyalty to her country。 She may get knocked down time and again， but no matter what transpires to break her spirit， she picks herself up to fight again every single day。 The last person you would expect to become a decorated wartime sniper would be a studious young woman whose self-confidence had been damaged by her emotionally abusive ex。 You truly see her evolve throughout the story as she gains an incredible amount of grit。 She fights sexism from her peers and commanding superiors and simply uses it to become stronger。 Not only does she rise in the ranks to lieutenant， she earns the respect of the men under her command at a time when women were barely tolerated on the front。 She wanted to be seen as an individual whose talent helped to make a difference-the goal wasn't glory and acclaim。 She managed to achieve both。“I am death。” To over one hundred invaders， anyway。 Not enough， the thought whispered。 Too many， whispered an answering thought。The "past" sections focused on the development of Mila as a sniper as well as the close personal relationships that molded her。 Her best female friend Lena， her "shadow" sniper partner Kostia， and Kitsenko。 There was a bit of a love triangle here that crops up， though it doesn't take over the real story in the forefront of the plot。 A romance would have been difficult for countless reasons during that time。 The life or death situations she endured every day took a huge toll on her emotionally until there wasn't much left to give。 As well， getting involved with one of the men could wreak havoc on the friendships she had painstakingly built。 It was a monumental risk with potentially devastating consequences。 There really was no question in my mind whom Mila would choose if it did happen， because right from the start you feel the attraction between them。 Mila tries to ignore as well as discourage what is budding before it gets a chance to grow。 However， the persistent charm of her pursuer is not as easy to shoot down as the enemy in her crosshairs。 This person gives her the total respect and acceptance she had always craved in her life as well as unconditional love。 It's something that she's smart enough to know is a gift that many never find and she takes the leap， putting her vulnerable heart on the line。 When you're reading a wartime story， you would expect a lot of tragedy and hardship， and yes， there was much of that here。 But there was also a lot of inspiration to discover from the heroes so often forgotten throughout history。 That's the key thing I took out of this novel。 Where there is extreme adversity， you can find spectacular courage to make you feel proud of the persevering human spirit。 The dichotomy of the Nazi's grisly crimes and the heart of those who stood courageously for freedom is a striking glimpse of human nature。 Kate Quinn always manages to give us the hope without abandoning the harshness it took to get there。 I admire her skill in crafting her story as well as honoring female heroes with her detailed research。 If you love war novels based on real life events and people， you can't go wrong with this author。 I urge you to give her a chance because you will surely reap the rewards of her words。 I hadn’t asked for any of this。 I wanted to stay home， cuddle my son， finish my damned dissertation。 I didn’t necessarily want the other side dead; I only wanted them gone。 But they weren’t going， and so help me， I would settle for dead。FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 。。。more
Valarie
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The story of Mila Pavlichenko is totally fascinating。 What an interesting woman！ I had no idea there were female snipers during WWII。 I really enjoyed getting to know Mila and the people around here。 There were a few too many military details in this book for my liking and it wasn't quite as gripping at The Rose Code for me。 But it's still a great read and I will recommend it to others！ Thanks @netgalley for the ARC！ The story of Mila Pavlichenko is totally fascinating。 What an interesting woman！ I had no idea there were female snipers during WWII。 I really enjoyed getting to know Mila and the people around here。 There were a few too many military details in this book for my liking and it wasn't quite as gripping at The Rose Code for me。 But it's still a great read and I will recommend it to others！ Thanks @netgalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
bookishwithwine
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Book Rating: 4。5Wine Pairing: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet SauvignonMy Thoughts~Kate Quinn can do no wrong in my personal opinion。 After reading The Alice Network I knew she would be an auto read author for me。 I love how strong the female characters are in her books， and reading about positions they had way back when it was unheard of for a female to hold such jobs and do it better than a man！ Our main character Mila was everything you could possibly want in a strong female and m Book Rating: 4。5Wine Pairing: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet SauvignonMy Thoughts~Kate Quinn can do no wrong in my personal opinion。 After reading The Alice Network I knew she would be an auto read author for me。 I love how strong the female characters are in her books， and reading about positions they had way back when it was unheard of for a female to hold such jobs and do it better than a man！ Our main character Mila was everything you could possibly want in a strong female and more。 A young single mother， a college student， a soldier and a sniper。 Talk about a woman that holds a lot of power and she’s only in her 20’s！ If you’re a fan of Kate Quinn then you won’t want to miss this。 。。。more
Amy （amy_alwaysreading）
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（4。5⭐️） No one writes quite like Quinn。 She has a way of taking historical fact and weaving it into a compelling， unputdownable read that feels fresh and inspired。 She is in a league of her own， and it would be a disservice to this book to simply consider it “more WW2 historic fiction。”309 kills。 That’s Ludmila Pavichanko’s official kill count。 That number doesn’t include kills she couldn’t verify， and， most importantly， it doesn’t tell her full story。 Devoted mother， book worm， budding historia （4。5⭐️） No one writes quite like Quinn。 She has a way of taking historical fact and weaving it into a compelling， unputdownable read that feels fresh and inspired。 She is in a league of her own， and it would be a disservice to this book to simply consider it “more WW2 historic fiction。”309 kills。 That’s Ludmila Pavichanko’s official kill count。 That number doesn’t include kills she couldn’t verify， and， most importantly， it doesn’t tell her full story。 Devoted mother， book worm， budding historian。 Mila is not the cold-hearted heroine you’d expect。 She’s steely yet tender。 She’s devoted to the mission yet sensitive。 I was fully endeared to Mila and her story… laughing at her jokes， swooning alongside her as she discovered love， fearing for her safety， and sitting with her in the trenches as she resolved to fight for a better future for her son。 This is a memorable portrait of a real heroine who deserves a bold spotlight in history。 It’s not lost on me that Mila is a {badass} Ukrainian fighting against an invader。 It appears Ukrainians have always been born of hearty， brave stock。 Well over 400 pages， I was fully engrossed in this riveting story… from adept character development to cinematic atmosphere to beautiful prose， I couldn’t put this book down until I turned the last page。 And even then， I wasn’t ready to be done。 Much like our protagonist， Quinn has hit the mark with her latest novel。 I partnered the physical book with the audio。 The narration by Saskia Maarleveld is nuanced and gave Mila a distinct voice。 My one qualm would be that the narration of the marksman was not set apart， and therefore necessary to notate that distinction in the print。 Thank you to Kate Quinn， William Morrow， and Harper Audio for the advanced #gifted copies of this book to read and review。 。。。more
Stacy
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The Diamond Eye is beautiful， suspenseful， heartbreaking and inspiring。 Told in two timelines， starting with Mila Pavlichenko's story from student in the library to sharpshooter on the battlefield， as well as Mila's press tour in Washington DC。 Both were incredibly engaging， and I enjoyed the snippets from Mila's official and unofficial memoirs， which were unique ways to start chapters。 I loved how Kate Quinn showcases how Mila navigates love， loss and leadership。 I looked forward to finding out The Diamond Eye is beautiful， suspenseful， heartbreaking and inspiring。 Told in two timelines， starting with Mila Pavlichenko's story from student in the library to sharpshooter on the battlefield， as well as Mila's press tour in Washington DC。 Both were incredibly engaging， and I enjoyed the snippets from Mila's official and unofficial memoirs， which were unique ways to start chapters。 I loved how Kate Quinn showcases how Mila navigates love， loss and leadership。 I looked forward to finding out how much was inspired by true events and what was fictionalized for the book and the author's note did not disappoint。 Did I have a harder time than usual getting through this given the current events unfolding in Ukraine？ Absolutely。 However， that did not play into my review at all。 The book is a testament to the loss and destruction the individuals of this region have and unfortunately continue to endure。 The audiobook is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld， who brings a fiery Mila to life。 She was incredibly moving， I had to wipe my tears away listening to this waiting for my daughter to finish dance class。Thank you to Harper Audio for the advanced copy and the opportunity to share my honest review。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Davida Chazan
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Quinn had no idea when she wrote this book about this famous WWII sniper born in Kyiv that there would be a war on in Ukraine when it was released！ Read my review of this amazing novel here。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/03/2。。。 Quinn had no idea when she wrote this book about this famous WWII sniper born in Kyiv that there would be a war on in Ukraine when it was released！ Read my review of this amazing novel here。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2022/03/2。。。 。。。more
Elise Lynn
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Absolutely loved this book; Kate Quinn killed it again！
Lauren （thebookscript）
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Kate is one of the most popular historical fiction writers。 So it's fairly shocking that I haven't read any of her books yet。 When I got the opportunity for an audio copy of this book I jumped at the opportunity。 The Diamond Eye will be on my top favorites of 2022， and if you're a historical fiction fan。。。do not miss out！ This is the story of Mila Pavlichenko。。。。a quiet girl who turns into one of history's most deadly snipers。 What I love about this book is that it is an absolutely immersive exp Kate is one of the most popular historical fiction writers。 So it's fairly shocking that I haven't read any of her books yet。 When I got the opportunity for an audio copy of this book I jumped at the opportunity。 The Diamond Eye will be on my top favorites of 2022， and if you're a historical fiction fan。。。do not miss out！ This is the story of Mila Pavlichenko。。。。a quiet girl who turns into one of history's most deadly snipers。 What I love about this book is that it is an absolutely immersive experience。 Mila is such a dynamic character that I was there for her story from the first moment she picks up a gun to the moment she takes her last kill。 She doesn't let her job define who she is。。。especially as a woman and yet a sniper encompasses so much of who she is and who she has learned to become。 I really was intrigued with learning about the Soviet side of WW2 and how they were the front lines during Germany's initial deadly attacks。 This is a book about women in war， and how people assume what a woman should be。 Mila breaks stereotypes， doesn't care what others think of her and she leads with her heart。 This is a book about the ugliness of war， the friendships we keep and the ones we let go。 I loved the dynamic created between Mila and the people she surrounds herself with。。。whether that be her partner， her romantic interests， even down to the first lady of the United States。 Let me tell you the audiobook is not one to miss。 It was a complete experience and I had a hard time putting it down。 It made an almost 500 page book a breeze and I was never at any point disinterested in anything that was happening。 I am so glad I chose to pick this up， and definitely plan on hitting up Quinn's backlist。 。。。more
Amanda
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