Kate Quinn has developed a captivating and unforgettable story based on real people and events. She truly brought Lyudmila Pavlichenko's story to life within a fictional tale many years after the original events occurred. 

THE DIAMOND EYE is the story of Mila Pavlichencko, a bookish history student, in Kyiv, 1937 as Hitler's invasion of Ukraine and Russia upends her life as it did to millions of others. A history student turned deadly sniper is the trajectory that Mila embarks upon, becoming known as Lady Death. When news of her 300th kill reaches the news, she is pulled from the front lines and sent to America on a goodwill tour. 

I was quickly enraptured with THE DIAMOND EYE within the first few pages. Kate Quinn is a phenomenal author and storyteller. 

Mila is the perfect main character for this story. She is smart, brave, courageous, and feisty which you can see this from the very beginning. Her character arc is extremely well done with many terrifying and horrible situations/events shaping her as a person in a time of great loss.

I loved that there was a touch of romance and kinship that develops over the course of the novel. It was heartwarming to see something beautiful grow out of a terrible time in history. I felt so many different emotions as I read and found myself crying more times than I count. An extremely evocative and moving tale. 

I enjoyed that there was alternating chapters between the frontlines and Mila's tour in America. I was torn between which path I'd like to know most about in the moment but was so satisfied by the way this story unravelled. 

Kate keeps the reader on their toes throughout the novel with many twists and turns that I truly didn't expect, some culminating to jaw-dropping shock. 

THE DIAMOND EYE is a novel that I will not forget anytime soon.