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A review by sirissacgluten
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Besties, Kate Quinn has done it again. I’m not a fan of WWII fiction, but I will never hesitate to read a WWII novel if Kate Quinn is at the helm.
The Diamond Eye is almost a pseudo-autobiography, an engrossing re-imagining the official (state-sponsored) memoir of Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. When German troops reach the borders of the USSR, Mila abandons her quiet life as a library research assistant and history student to enlist in the Red Army. The book moves between her time acclimating to the horrors of war as she hones her deadly sharpshooting skills and her subsequent goodwill tour across America.
4/5: I really enjoyed this one; it wasn’t my favorite of Quinn’s (The Rose Code and Mistress of Rome hold that honor), but it was impeccably researched and full of interesting characters. Fans of The Huntress in particular should love The Diamond Eye’s deeper dive into Soviet resistance during the war.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Diamond Eye is almost a pseudo-autobiography, an engrossing re-imagining the official (state-sponsored) memoir of Soviet sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. When German troops reach the borders of the USSR, Mila abandons her quiet life as a library research assistant and history student to enlist in the Red Army. The book moves between her time acclimating to the horrors of war as she hones her deadly sharpshooting skills and her subsequent goodwill tour across America.
4/5: I really enjoyed this one; it wasn’t my favorite of Quinn’s (The Rose Code and Mistress of Rome hold that honor), but it was impeccably researched and full of interesting characters. Fans of The Huntress in particular should love The Diamond Eye’s deeper dive into Soviet resistance during the war.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Medical content, Death, Violence, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Gore, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Stalking
Minor: Genocide, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, and Antisemitism