Title: NADYA’S WAR
Author: C.S. Taylor
Publisher: Tiny Fox Press
Pages: 300
Genre: Historical Fiction
BOOK
BLURB:
Nadezdah "Little Boar" Buzina, a young pilot with
the Red Army's 586th all-female fighter regiment, dreams of becoming an ace.
Those dreams shatter when a dogfight leaves her severely burned and the sole
survivor from her flight.
For the latter half of 1942, she struggles against crack
Luftwaffe pilots, a vengeful political commissar, and a new addiction to
morphine, all the while questioning her worth and purpose in a world beyond her
control. It's not until the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad
that she finds her unlikely answers, and they only come after she's saved the
life of her mortal enemy and fallen in love with the one who nearly kills her.
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Seven of us zipped through the overcast
sky, a dozen meters beneath the cloud layer. Gridnev flew lead and a girl named
Tania from First Squadron flew on his wing. Alexandra and I cruised next to
them about thirty meters away. I pictured myself as a modern version of my
ancestors who rode into battle on horseback, courageous and strong. If only
they could see me now, sailing through the air to drive off the invaders. I
wondered if they’d be proud or jealous. Maybe both.
The four of us escorted a flight of
three Pe-2s from the 150th High-Speed Bomber Regiment across the
snowy landscape. That unit was led by Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Polbin who I’d
heard was quite the commander. I’d also heard he enjoyed music and sang well,
like me, which made me think we’d get along—even if he was a die-hard communist
and loyal to Stalin.
The twin-engine Peshkas flew nearly
as fast as our fighters, something I was grateful for. I’m certain the three
crew members inside each bomber were thankful as well, since unlike the German
Heinkels and Stukas, these planes were tough to catch for any aircraft. That
being said, I was glad I was in my Yak-1. I wouldn’t have wanted to fly one of
those bombers at all, no matter how prestigious they were. They were still big
targets, and far less nimble than the fighter I had. I prayed we’d keep them
safe.
All the Pe-2s, however, did have
fresh, winter paint jobs. Their off-white and tan colors hid them well in the
surroundings, and if I wasn’t paying close attention, I’d even lose sight of
them from time to time. Their target was a rail depot the Germans were using to
bring in supplies and troops headed to Stalingrad.
Obliterating it would disrupt logistics and force the Luftwaffe to keep it safe
once rebuilt.
With luck, the Germans wouldn’t
spot the Peshkas until the bombs were already dropping and they were headed
home. I fantasized about how easy of a mission this could be as we went deeper
into enemy lines. Those thoughts almost turned into dreams as the drone from my
fighter’s engine combined with the dreary sky nearly put me to sleep, despite
the digging pain in my arm.
“Tighten up, Little Boar,” Gridnev
called out over the radio.
My eyes snapped to the formation.
I’d drifted away from the bombers by a good fifty meters sideways and at least
that in altitude. I glanced over my shoulder to see Alexandra off to my right.
She’d stayed with me even as I wandered. “Reforming now. Thought I saw
something below and wanted a better view.”
C.S. Taylor is a former Marine and avid fencer (saber for
the most part, foil and epee are tolerable). He enjoys all things WWII,
especially perfecting his dogfighting skills inside virtual cockpits, and will
gladly accept any P-38 Lightnings anyone might wish to bestow upon him. He’s
also been known to run a kayak through whitewater now and again, as well give
people a run for their money in trap and skeet.
His latest book is the historical fiction, Nadya’s
War.
