Firebird (The War Birds Cycle #1)

Drawing from extensive research on the House of Romanov and Russian female pilots in WWII, per an author’s note, Wein (Stateless) crafts a thrilling series opener whose swift pace rivals that of a fighter plane. Russian teen Nastia graduates high school just as WWII begins. Her mother was a spy, and her father was part of the unit that killed Czar Nicholas II, and their stories have long fascinated Nastia, who was raised to be a fierce Soviet patriot eager to fight for her motherland; she joined after-school clubs to prepare for combat and trained as a pilot. At the war’s onset, she’s tasked with training male pilots. But after her hometown of Leningrad is taken hostage and her unit is forced to evacuate to Moscow, Nastia—along with her mysterious mentor and her father’s former comrade, the Chief—is drafted into the first all-woman aviation unit, led by renowned female pilot Marina Raskova. Fascinating details of the war, such as the impact of extreme cold in the winter of 1942, are peppered throughout taut battle scenes. Nastia’s bravery and commitment to her country is palpable across this dynamically told war tale that reimagines well-known history. Ages 13–up. Agent: Ginger Clark, Ginger Clark Literary. (Sept.)