#BlogTour: Daughters Of Victory by Gabriella Saab @GabriellaSaab_ @Harper360UK @RandomTTours #DaughtersOfVictory #GabriellaSaab #HistoricalFiction #RandomThingsTours

Book Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of The Last Checkmate comes a brilliant novel spanning from the Russian Revolution to the Nazi occupation of the Soviet Union and following two unforgettable women…their fates intertwined by ties of family and interrupted by the tragedy of war. Perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff, and Elena Gorokhova.

Russia 1917: Beautiful, educated Svetlana Petrova defied her stifling aristocratic family to join a revolution promising freedom. Now, released after years of imprisonment, she discovers her socialist party vying for power against the dictatorial Bolsheviks and her beloved uncle, a champion of her cause, was murdered by a mysterious assassin named Orlova. Her signature? Blinding her victims before she kills them. Svetlana resolves to avenge his death by destroying this vicious opponent, even as she longs to reunite with the daughter she has not seen in years.

USSR 1941: Now living in obscurity in a remote village, Svetlana opens her home to Mila Rozovskaya, the eighteen-year-old granddaughter from Leningrad she has never met. She hopes to protect Mila from the oncoming Nazi invasion, but when the enemy occupies the village, Svetlana sees the young woman fall under the spell of the resistance—echoing her once-passionate idealism. As Mila takes up her fight, dangerous secrets and old enemies soon threaten all Svetlana holds dear. To protect her family, she must confront her long-buried past—yet if the truth emerges victorious, it holds the power to save or shatter them. A risk Svetlana has no choice but to take. 

My Review:

Daughter’s Of Victory is a sweeping, absorbing piece of historical fiction from a new author for me.

Firstly The Russian Revolution and the Second World War are two of my favourite time periods so I knew from the start that I was going to love this book. The author has clearly done a lot of research and I eagerly drank in all the wonderful details the author includes in the story. The descriptions were so vivid that I often felt I was actually there watching everything unfold alongside the characters. I especially liked learning more about the rise of Lenin and the difference between the two revolutionary groups as I don’t think I knew much about them before.

The two main characters Svetlana and Mira were two very strong women whose dedication to their cause was very admirable. I liked following them through the book though I found myself getting frustrated with the unfairness of their situation at times. These two characters are actually based on real life historical character’s which I really loved. It always adds an extra element to the story for me when you know someone really went through events in a book.

This book does start off a little slow as the author sets the scene but soon picks up and becomes incredibly absorbing. I loved following the two timelines and the exploits of the two amazing main characters. The author does a great job of merging the two storylines in a realistic way which made me feel more involved in the story and care about what was happening to them. I liked that the author doesn’t take the easier, happier route in the story as it kept me on edge and not sure which way the story would go.

The ending was brilliant and very emotional. I kind of wish that it had ended a slightly different way but it’s definitely an ending that will stay with me. The author has included a very interesting author’s note which gives the reader more information about the real life historical character’s and her thought process whilst writing this book.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper 360 for my copy of this book.

About The Author:

Gabriella Saab is the author of The Last Checkmate. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor of business administration in marketing and lives in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama, where she works as a barre instructor. She is of Lebanese heritage and is one of the co-hosts of @hfchitchat on Twitter, a recurring monthly chat and community celebrating the love of reading and writing historical fiction.