I grew up with a special interest in World War II, which carried over into the books I picked to read as an adult. I’ve fallen into the romance and thrillers hole over the last few months, so it was refreshing to pick up a WWII novel as part of my Hype TBR game for YouTube.

That book happened to be The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn and y’all, I became obsessed. Our main character is Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who was a real Soviet sniper during WWII. Yes, I checked partway through the book because I wanted to know if it was really real and if so, what she looked like.

Mila is separated from her husband, and promises her son that she will be both mom and dad. So, when the war comes, she does what the young men are doing and enlists. She works her butt off and goes from being a research librarian at home to a sniper with hundreds of kills, and she is amazing. I mean, anyone who earns the nickname “Lady Death” is someone that I want to read about. The war side of the story is brutal, and her former husband is one annoying piece of gum on her boot.

The story follows her journey through the war, but also her American tour where she befriends Eleanor Roosevelt. However, there are other characters at play on this storyline, trying to make her take the fall in a devious plot.

The Diamond Eye is entirely engaging. There is so much action throughout this book, but also so many emotions. It is an unbelievable ride, which is expected because it is fiction. I appreciate that Quinn included a long author’s note to explain what was based on fact and where she had fun with the story.

I feel like my thoughts about this book are so jumbled and I’m not doing it a proper service, but I promise you, it is fascinating. If you love a WWII novel or stories about tough-as-nails women, definitely give The Diamond Eye a shot.

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