A Waltz with Traitors

By: A.L. Sowards

Narrated by: Jason Tatom

Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Czech soldier Filip Sedlák never wanted to fight for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. So at the first opportunity, he defected to the Russians. Now he and others like him have formed the Czechoslovak Legion. Their goal: leave the chaos of Russia, sail to France, and help the Allies defeat the Central Powers, thereby toppling a hated empire and winning an independent Czechoslovakia.

With the fall of the tsar, Nadia Linskaya’s life is in ruins. Her family is dead, her lands are confiscated, and her aristocratic world is gone forever. But Nadia is determined to elude the Bolshevik agent who destroyed her family and find a way to survive in this changed world.

When Nadia takes refuge with the Czechoslovak Legion, the last thing she expects is an ally. But when Filip proposes a sham marriage to ensure her safe passage across Siberia, she takes it. Neither Filip nor Nadia expect real love, not when the legion has to take over the longest railroad in the world—and then hold it against Bolshevik counterattacks, partisan sabotage, allied intrigue, and a set of brutal Siberian winters. At risk is the future of Czechoslovakia, the fate of Russia—and their hearts.

©2023 Covenant Communications, Inc. (P)Covenant Communications, Inc.

Beautifully told peek into history

Historical fiction is one of my most read genres and I always appreciate when I can discover a lesser known piece of history through a well written novel. I was especially interested to learn that this book followed a group of soldiers called the Czechoslovakian Legion and featured the forming of Czechoslovakia because I have some Czech heritage and have not read many stories featuring people of this nationality.

A.L. Sowards is known for her meticulous research and ability to tell tough stories without being graphic--both of those things definitely apply here. The story transports you across former Russia and exposes you to all the complexities of the politics and split loyalties of the time. It is definitely not a light read with many painful things happening, but the author balances the harsh realities of war with moments of hope, light, and beauty. Trigger warnings are worth checking out and heeding, but none of the things included were graphic in nature.

Pick this up if you are looking for a deep dive into an intriguing piece of history, a tender love story involving a marriage of convenience, light Christian elements, and a group of people seeking out good and right in a messy world.

The narrator was easy to listen to and used the accents well.

this story evoked so many emotions, and I wanted a happy ending for the characters I quickly fell in love with.

I loved the story, I loved that it swept over a time period that I have only read about in history books. that time period came alive with the story and details! I loved this book! I have loved all of her books!

loved it

The narrator did an amazing job! I was struggling reading due to the Russian names so I got the audio book. His pronunciation seemed great. I liked reading along in my book as I listened to the audio book.
Another fantastic historical fiction novel by A.L. Sowards! I had never heard the story of the Czechoslovak Legion. I loved learning of their courage and the miracles they experienced as they fought their way across Russia and Siberia. This is also a beautiful story of faith and learning to trust God. Nadia and Filip's love story weaved throughout the story of the Legion was so touching.