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!

Amazing historical masterpiece!

“Maybe all the darkness makes it easier to recognize the light.” A.L. Sowards is one of my favorite historical fiction authors who really makes history come alive. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to A Waltz with Traitors via audiobook. It’s perhaps one of her best works and an instant classic that sweeps the reader back in time to the early 1900’s during Russia’s upheaval and WWI. She weaves a beautiful, tragic tale around the true story of the Czechoslovakian Legion, hoping to march to France to join the allies and gain independence for their homeland. It’s a story of love, loss, and faith as two unlikely people enter a marriage of convenience while facing the brutalities of war amidst freezing Russian winters.

Czech soldier Filip Sedlak has put his lot in with the Russians. Their goal is to take over and control the Russian railroad which stretches across the expanse of the empire. Fighting against the Bolsheviks, saboteurs, and even their own allies to secure their way across Russia makes for never a dull moment as each stretch of train track brings new danger & worries.

When he meets Nadia, she’s on the run after witnessing the deaths of her entire family. As an aristocrat, her life is forfeit if caught. Filip tries to save her by offering a sham marriage that’ll be annulled once she reaches the safety of Ukraine. But along the way, they begin to realize despite their differences, that they care for each other and both want the marriage to be real. As with any good Slavic story, the road to happiness is fraught with tragedy and danger. They must overcome nearly insurmountable odds to find hope and love.

I absolutely loved Nadia! She is a true heroine who endures so much. Through it all, she never loses hope or her faith despite the awful things she goes through. Filip is a brave, courageous man who easily falls for the beautiful Nadia. He’s so kind and thoughtful of her, but isn’t secure enough in himself to believe she could love him. I loved when they waltzed together and found simple things to enjoy. Without saying too much, my heart ached for them both during some of their trials. Be assured though, this is not the typical Russian tragedy, and there is a hopeful ending.

The author’s meticulous attention to detail and historical accuracy makes this a thoroughly interesting, hard to put down read. While she takes special care to include only enough detail for the reader to understand what’s going on, she doesn’t shy away from the tragedies of war. Those sensitive to assault, miscarriage, and violence may want to read the author’s note at the beginning.

The male narrator does a great job bringing these characters to life. I especially liked the way he distinguished between the characters with different accents. He also injected just the right amount of emotion appropriate for the tenor of the story.

Highest of recommendations to this amazing historical fiction masterpiece and encourage anyone who enjoys history to read or listen to the audiobook version. I received an advanced complimentary listeners copy from the author. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.

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.