The Huntress audiobook

There’ll be a chance, Nina Borisovna, her father had said. Don’t ask, when you see it. Just fucking take it. 4 1/2 stars. I love historical fiction that introduces me to little areas of history that school lessons and history books never taught me about. Fiction is my passion, but I love it even more when it uncovers oft-buried truths. Here, Quinn blends fact and fiction to tell a story about three women: a murderess on the run, an aspiring photographer who may be in danger in her own home, and one of the Nachthexen. The Night Witches. These Night Witches were very real. I've heard the term before, but knew very little about this all-female Soviet bomber regiment. In this book, Nina fights her way out of the coldness and poverty of Siberia, away from her abusive father and towards her dreams of flight. As a Soviet pilot, she finds her true place and family. But, as the book is split between several different years - and we know where Nina ends up - there is an air of sadness about these chapters too-- a looming sense that something is going to go horribly wrong.Some years later, in a completely different time and place, a young Bostonian named Jordan longs to be a photographer but is held back because she is a girl. Fortunately, it looks like her new stepmother could offer a solution. But Jordan is constantly haunted by a picture she took back when her father first introduced Annaliese. Just one picture that seemed, for a brief moment, to show another side to the woman.In yet another time - and note that there are roughly five years between each of the time periods - journalist Ian Graham tracks down monsters. And no monster plays on his mind more than die Jagerin. The Huntress. A Nazi. A cold-blooded killer. He pursues her, accompanied by the same Nina we've met before, and finds himself trekking across the ocean in his chase.It's a very rich character-driven story, with many layers and secrets. Each of the characters is so well-drawn and complex, with Nina being especially fabulous. It is in turn a portrait of women fighting the constraints placed upon them by the societies in which they live, and a thrilling pursuit of a terrifying female villain. I feel I should say it is not much of a mystery, if that is something you're expecting. Uncovering the Huntress's identity is not the main focus; exploring the lives and aspirations of Nina and Jordan is.The only thing I didn't like so much was the romance. It wasn't that I minded them being together, but I found it an unnecessary development that added nothing to the story. There was already so much going on. Still, it's a small complaint really.Quinn reintroduces the same split time/perspective technique she used in The Alice Network, but I think it worked much better here. All of the perspectives were interesting and exciting to me. What I love most about both of the Quinn books I've read is how she puts women back into the history they have long been written out of. She reminds us that women were pilots and spies and fighters and... yes, even murderers. I liked it a lot.Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

"They called her die Jagerin-the Huntress. She was the young mistress of an SS officer in German-occupied Poland, the hostess of grand parties on the lake, a keen shot. Perhaps she was the rusalka the lake was named for-a lethal, malevolent water spirit."Here lies Chelsea, dead from a book slump brought on by The Huntress, because for once the hype lived up to my expectations and the book's execution. I'm not an avid reader of historical fiction, and in the past year I decided that I was taking a break from WWII fiction, due to the saturation and burnout I was feeling in the genre, but this is mostly post WWII fiction, so it doesn't count. Right? RIGHT. After seeing so many rave review surrounding The Hunty, I was cautiously optimistic that this would be an enjoyable read, but friends, this was a mind-blowing masterpiece. "Lake Rusalka: a lake in Poland named for a creature of the night, and during the darkest years of the war, a woman lived on her shores far more fearful than any witch who crawled from a lake's depths."The beauty of this novel is that it carries a powerful current of suspense without masquerading as a whodunnit. You know from the very beginning who has done what, but the format in which the author chooses to let the story unfold is profound, intoxicating, and dare I say more efficient than if she had tried to make any of the reveals embedded in the characters's identities. Multiple POVs, three to be exact, keep the pace moving quickly, and we are given bits of information from each angle, which plays out to be a beautiful weaving of many lives affected by a single monster of a woman. Not only are we privy to this tangling of fates, but inserted we have rich development of the hunting team and well as lush, atmospheric descriptions of the multiple settings, past and present. "What about the Huntress? She vanished at the war's end. She was not worth pursuing-a woman with the blood of only a dozen or so on her hands, when there were the murderers of millions to be found. There were many like her-small fish, not worth catching. Where will they go? Where did she go? And will anyone take up the hunt?"Of the many fabulous characters, Nina was my favorite protagonist, and that's a tough choice because they were all wonderfully flawed. But Nina, oh Nina, that woman has my heart. Talk about a complex, strong female who has no patience for laziness, yet shows her vulnerabilities in her own ways. I also felt that the character of the Huntress was one of the better villains I've read to date, and quite possibly the most excellent female monsters to grace the pages of a novel. Die Jagerin is truly a monster, but Quinn has given her so many dimensions and, most importantly, she has given her a horrific cause that she believes in with every fiber of her being. The moments she crafts between her and the other characters, especially Jordan, give an unsettling conflict that causes the reader to wrestle with the Huntress's disgusting "calling" and her humanity, emotion, and weakness. When an author can cause me to stop and ponder my feelings toward a monster, that is the telling of an excellent story.Fellow readers, I highly recommend you pick this one up, even if you aren't traditionally a fan of historical fiction. This one reads much more like a thriller; the beginning sets the stage and carries forth with an initial slow burn that develops into a full-blown compulsive page turner. I can see that this will easily be one of the top 10 novels of 2019 that I read, as it checked all the boxes for me, and I hope if you choose to read it as well, that you'll acquire your own precious experience with these characters.*I received a review copy via the publisher.

4.5 stars rounded up! Ian, Tony, and Nina join forces to track the Huntress. Nina was a Russian Bomber Pilot. The Huntress was a Nazi War criminal. In the aftermath of the war Hunter becomes the hunted. Nina gambled everything to join the Night Witches, which is an all female night bomber regiment wrecking havoc on Hitler's eastern front. But when she is thrown across the path of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the huntress, Nina must use all her wits to survive. Jordan McBride is seventeen years old and grows up in Post WWII Boston. She is determined to become a photographer. Her father brings home a fiance and Jordan thinks that she is hiding something. Jordan has to look into her past and what she finds may threaten all she holds dear. She realizes that there are mysteries buried deep.This was a historical fiction novel and I just love this genre. I loved the descriptions of the 1940's and 1950's Era and felt like I was there. The author did a great job researching this. I loved the author's writing style. I loved The Night Witches and the bonding of the sisters. They were bad asses. I fell in love with the characters. They were so well developed. I thought the author brought them to life. I loved the dynamics. My favorite character was Nina. She was bold, reckless, daring and very brave. She feared nothing. I also loved the Rusalka. The huntress was a monster. She was just plain evil and a mystery. She was also a coward. I loved the revenge against her. It was just so clever. I loved Jordan too. I just loved the ending. It was just amazing. It was gripping, nailbiting, and so suspenseful. My heart was pounding and I had to come up for air. Wow! This one is one of my favorite historical fiction novel for this year so far.I can't wait to read The Alice Network!This was a Traveling Sister Read and it was a great and fun discussion.I want to thank Netgalley, William Morrow, and Kate Quinn for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read this because I really enjoyed The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. I loved reading about the women of a spy network, who played important and dangerous roles in WWI that I had never heard about. These women were not in my history textbooks. In this novel, Quinn has given us another story of courageous women, this time depicting the role of the Russian women flyers, known as Night Witches who flew planes and bombed Nazis during WWII. I had no knowledge of these courageous women either, so I’m grateful that Quinn has enlightened me through these novels. While this is a work of fiction, it is well researched and I appreciate that we are told about the real individuals that these characters are based on as well as the actual events.This story is not perfect. It’s a little too long and a predictable romantic thread diluted the story for me some. Having said that, I was especially drawn into the story of Nina Markova, one of the Russian bombers. She crosses paths with “ die Jagerin, the Huntress, the young mistress of an SS officer in German-occupied Poland” capable of unspeakable violence against women and children. With a connection to Ian Graham who has lost a young brother in the war and to the younger brother, Nina joins forces with Ian in his work at The Vienna Refugee Documentation Center. Ian, a former war correspondent now working to find Nazi war criminals and bring about justice. The chase to hunt down the Huntress takes them to America and it held my interest until the very end. The narrative moves around in time until a satisfying ending. A very good work of historical fiction, in spite of a shortcoming for me in the story line.I received an advanced copy of this book from William Morrow/HarperCollins through Edelweiss.

A journalist, a lawyer and a Russian woman pilot are teaming up to find the one of the ruthless, dangerous Nazi war criminal Huntress to bring back the justice. This is breathtaking, compulsive, fantastic journey with amazing and memorable characters. My all time favorites are Nina Markova curses like a sailor, flies like a bird in the air, powerful, vivid, feverish, fearless pilot. She is a great portrait of a night witch hunter!And Jordan, young but so smart, talented photographer,50’s version of Nancy Drew! It’s a great combination of historical thriller and romance genres! I always adore the books with strong, disobedient heroines! And also the villain, huntress who was a great portrait of relentless, merciless, cold blooded child killer Annalise gave me so much creeps. She was depicted so real, so naturally that makes you think you’re reading a biography about real-time war criminal.Don’t forget the satisfying, exciting finale reminds you of old Hitchcock spy/ thriller movies! So happy to read this book and can’t wait to read Alice Network and other books of this author.

5+++ starsWell, I have my first serious contender to The Heart’s Invisible Furies as my book of 2019. I loved Ms. Quinn’s The Alice Network, but The Huntress is simply brilliant!Three alternating narrators tell the story. We have Ian Graham, a troubled British war correspondent who after the war turns his mission into bringing war criminals to justice. Then there is Nina Markova, my favorite character by far. Nina is a lost soul until she fights her way into becoming a member of the Soviet all women’s night bomber regiment, nicknamed The Night Witches by the Nazis. Nina’s passion, brashness, toughness, and zeal are second to none. Our third main character is Jordan, a young American woman who is inspired to become a professional photographer as opposed to the usual routine of marrying young and having lots of babies. These character’s stories eventually merge as Nina and Ian come to America to search for The Huntress—a Nazi war criminal who performs many unthinkable acts before disappearing underground across the pond.There are many things to love about this story. What enthralled me most was the character of Nina Markova. I thought she was brilliantly portrayed. Secondly, I seek to learn when I read historical fiction, and this book is a terrific introduction to the Soviet women aviators who were the only female flyers in the air during WWII. How brave these women were! Their courage, sense of teamwork and love for each other are inspirational. The multiple themes of the book are wonderful: The brutality of the war, its fallout, and how our characters cope. The concept of teamwork, and how much more one can accomplish with compromise. When to go all in on goals and when to let them go. When to realize there is a better way. When to stick with a lover and when to fold. What is forgivable and what isn’t. I could go on and on. I found much suspense in this tale, particularly in the latter part of the novel. The tension had me riveted, and I ended up totally off schedule in my real life. Oh, and in the middle of the book there is a nod to The Alice network, a nice touch for those who have read that book. The only negative thing I can say it that for the first half of the book I had a bit of a hard time reconciling the Nina of the early 40s with the Nina of 1950, but that faded away. Not a bad enough demerit to drop my rating.I always appreciate a good epilogue and this book has one. Plus a mini “post-epilogue epilogue” at the end. And don’t pass by the Author’s Note at the end end. All in all, this was a glorious read for me. No historical fiction fan of World War II stories will want to miss The Huntress. I would love to see some type of sequel with these characters. I see how it could be entirely possible if the author wants to grab the baton and run with it. Are you listening Ms. Quinn?Many thanks to the Hennepin County library and the Libby app for loaning me an e-copy of this novel.

This is my first book from Kate Quinn, and it definitely will not be my last!Nina Markova. Wait until you meet her. She is born in Soviet Russia, and she’s fearless. When World War II is looming and about to knock on her front door, she joins the Night Witches, a group of all-female bombers. Nina is shot down behind enemy lines and crosses paths with the Huntress, a Nazi with the worst reputation for murder you can possibly imagine. Ian Graham. He’s a British war correspondent present from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials. He leaves his life of journalism behind to hunt Nazis who have escaped persecution, and who is the most elusive on his target list? The Huntress. Nina and Ian join up to find the Huntress. Jordan McBride. A seventeen-year-old living in post WWII Boston. She’s drawn to photography even though everyone in her family discourages her. Her mother passed away years ago, and when her father brings home a fiancée, Jordan finds the German woman unsettling and secretive. Jordan uses her camera to find out where her new stepmother comes from and what secrets she may be hiding from her past. Overall, I found The Huntress to be original and heart pounding. Of all the WWII stories I’ve read, I had not heard of the Huntress. I also was fascinated with the Night Witches’ work, and I adored all the characters. This book has something for everyone with its engaging mystery, touch of romance, and riveting plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure of reading this novel. I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

This was my first novel by this author and I can see why she is a popular author. The research she did is evident and she included a very detailed account of the "Night Witches", an all female group of pilots who flew for Russia.  The bomber pilot is Nina Markova , she teams up with Ian who is a journalist who is out to catch a Nazi war criminal, known as "the Huntess". He has personal reasons for wanting to bring her to justice.Jordan is a seventeen year old living in Boston, who gets entangled in the efforts of the Nazi hunters. She has suspicions of her father's German fiancée and when she captures an image on her camera, it "haunts" her and gives her a feeling of uneasiness. Things do escalate as Jordan digs for the truth.I enjoyed Jordan's chapters the most and felt Nina's were almost too detailed to hold my attention and the book is a longer read. The suspense was spiked as the team closed in on the hunted. Thanks so much to the publisher and EW for a review copy. Book comes out in Feb. 2019

The most engrossing portion of this novel centers on Nina who is one of the Soviet Night Witches during WWII. The Night Witches is a moniker for the 588th Night Bomber Regiment consisting of all female members. Since their planes only held two bombs, these night flyers flew more than eight missions per night to harass and precision bomb the German military. Riveting stuff. Nina has a potentially deadly encounter with “The Huntress” and eventually winds up pursuing her with dedicated Nazi Hunters. Nazi hunting proves to be a tedious endeavor with a great deal of painstaking cross referencing lists and working against governments and countries no longer interested in pursuing free Nazis post Nuremberg. The Huntress has committed an atrocity but her reasons are never clear other than that “she likes it.” So, I was left thinking about her motivation. Is she an average German committing the incomprehensible out of Nazi Party zeal or is it simply that her murderous nature is given free reign due to the Nazis being in power? Either way what she does is beyond monstrous.

Warning: before you start this book, you need to clear your calendar and turn your phone off. You will not want to be interrupted until you get to the end. This book has it all - fantastic characters that you care about, a plot that will keep the tension high, some laughter and even more tears.This book takes place in the early 1950s with some flashbacks to WWII. The war is over but everyone knows that there are still former Nazis hiding all over the world. Ian, a British war reporter and his friend Tony are tracking down Nazis and have a special interest in The Huntress, the lover of an SS officer, she shot several young children for fun near the end of the war. They are helped by Nina who can identify the Huntress due to a run in with her. Nina's story is so exciting - she was a member of the Soviet Night Witches - an all female group of night bombers who bombed Hitler's armies on the Eastern front. The third main character is Jordan who lives in Boston with her father and wants to be a famous photographer. She is thrilled when her widowed father meets and marries a German woman but can't help but think she is hiding something. Ian, Nina and Jordan are all from totally different worlds but their stories collide as they all try to find the woman who affected their lives so strongly. I loved the way all of their stories were brought together at the end of the novel.This is a fantastic novel with characters I won't soon forget. Nina is armed with a straight razor, Ian with his words and Jordan with her camera as they attempt to find the Huntress and bring her to justice. You'll be cheering them on as attempt to bring this evil woman to be punished for her crimes.Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

OH MY GOD YES! 5 STARS! A perfect blend of historical fiction and crime solving. Synopsis: Ian Graham used to be a British war correspondent. But after 15 years of writing, he needed to “do” rather than tell; so he started an independent business hunting Nazi leaders and bringing them to justice. His most elusive target remains. She’s known as the Huntress. And he has a personal vendetta against her. Then you have Nina who, unfortunately, witnessed the Huntress’ lethal crimes. She barely survived as a prisoner of war and now joins forces with Ian to locate their target. And lastly, there's Jordan, a 17-year-old Bostonian. Her dad has been widowed for years and has finally found love again. But something is off about her dad’s new love interest. As their relationship turns toward marriage, Jordan starts to dig into her future stepmom’s past. What she finds could shatter everything.Review: HOLY CRAP! This was brilliant. Kate Quinn was masterful in weaving three distinct perspectives into one plot. Everything written was necessary. I found that I craved the backstories of Nina, Ian, and Jordan. It helped tremendously in building their individual pursuits. I don't think this plotline would have been successful otherwise. They all had one objective - justice. Jordan's tethered on the need to know the truth, while Ian and Nina wanted to avenge Seb. I immediately connected to Jordan's subplot. Her story is very coming of age - defining her path in life outside of just being a bride. I loved it. I loved her tenacity and curiosity. She set the "detective" air in motion from the get-go. But I found myself rooting for Nina most. Her tough, reckless exterior is so apparent that when you see glimmers of raw emotion escape her, you truly have a visceral reaction. She was magic. Ian is the backbone. He was the glue that brought everyone together and kept the story emotionally engaging. His pain is real and his need for community is pure. Tony is a terrific supporting character. I adored him. He was a breath of fresh air when all the tensions were high. The dynamic would be so different if he wasn't a part of this. God, the ending! It was so suspenseful, noble, unrushed, and real. The tie in with the Rusalka was fantastic. Again, Nina was the star! PLEASE GO READ THIS. It's utterly worth it! My review is sparse because I don't want to spoil anything!!PS. Please tell me that there are some of you begging for a sequel?!

I had the distinct pleasure of reading an early copy for a cover quote and I was taken in from page one hook, line and sinker. Expertly researched, perfectly constructed, this is a riveting dual-time periods read. Kate Quinn excels in transporting the reader back in time, without so much as a bump or wrinkle or awkward yank. She's one of the reasons why so many people love historical fiction. If you loved THE ALICE NETWORK, you'll want to grab this one when it hits bookstore shelves.