Before the Fortress Falls by A.L. Sowards is a beautiful work of historical fiction set in Vienna in 1683. The story revolves around the prominent and affluent Schor family and the role each will play when the Ottoman army takes siege of Vienna. Wilhelm, the eldest, after whisking his family out of harm's way, travels to Poland to enlist the aid of the King and his army in battling the Turks. Xavier, the younger brother, returns to Vienna with the Imperial Army in hopes of holding the city till reinforcements arrive. And Katja, Xavier’s twin sister, turns back to Vienna with her violin in tow, determined to assist her beloved city and the army any way she can. Along her journey, Katja becomes reunited with Toby, a treasured childhood friend.
Katja's life dramatically changes as she sews sandbags and later nurses wounded and broken soldiers, along with the sick who remain in Vienna. She works tirelessly to aid the sisters and doctor while the battle rages all around her. Meanwhile, Xavier leads his men in battle day after day to keep the Turks from gaining ground, while Toby, a master craftsman, becomes a counterminer to thwart the Ottoman army from tunneling through his city. And it is within the confines of Vienna, against all odds of survival, that a tender and fragil love will blossom between Toby and Katja.
From what is happening in Europe, to the battle scenes, to the activity of the counterminers, to the makeshift hospital, everything is done in such an authentic manner in this book. I can’t say enough about the characters too, especially Wilhelm, Xavier, Katja, Toby and Ahmed, just to name a few. They are so genuine and so well written, it enabled me to see the war through their eyes, to feel their frustration, rage and fear. The scenes are raw and emotional and I have to admit I cried at least twice. I usually have a favorite character in most of the books I read and after serious consideration I have to pick Xavier. A beautiful brother and friend, a fierce and loyal soldier, stalwart to the end. If you love historical fiction, Before the Fortress Falls is a book I highly recommend. You will not be disappointed!
I want to thank NetGalley and Covenant Communications for an ARC of Before the Fortress Falls by A.L. Sowards. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Like all of my prevous A.L. Sowards adventures I knew absolutely nothing about the time period in which the story takes place. Let's be honest for just a minute, how many of us actually learned about history in the 1600's? Not me! Ok, maybe it was briefly covered in an art history class but that's not the same thing. Linked together? Most definitely, but not the same thing. Luckily for those of us who aren't historians but still love historical fiction, Sowards has included a few vital things to help us out. YAY! First, she includes a small dictionary of words and terms we may not be familiar with. To be honest I read through this list three different times. Once before starting, as the fighting scenes picked up, and again at the end. You probably don't need to read it that many times but it helped me "see" everything so much better. Second, is maps and diagrams of the Vienna fortress! I love maps in books and found these two images so helpful. I loved that I could flip to my maps (use a sticky note to mark these pages) with each attack and advance that occured. They helped me understand the fortresses strengths and weaknesses, how the Ottoman Army was attacking, and why they may have chosen that area and order.My favorite thing about this novel was the theme of finding and holding to hope and faith during the darkest times. A.L. Sowards wove these moments throughout the novel in an incredibly realistic and relatable way. One of my favorite moments in the book is when Katja says "I believe in God...so why is my faith so shaken? Why am I so scared all the time?" This entire conversation rings with truth, but these two sentences might be my favorite of the entire book. I love that Katja admits that her faith is shaken and she is scared, if not terrified, but she still believes in God. In my life I have felt this quite a few times. It's almost like these huge moments of faith shaking fear are moments when we have to choose what to hold on to and how we will proceed. Are we going to curl up in a ball and do nothing? Or do we push on and do our best despite the circumstances that surround us? These are moments that we all face or will face in our lives to some degree. This conversation brought tears to my eyes while also filling my soul with hope.
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