Witches of the Dark: They were the joke of the Red Army. They became the terror of the Wehrmacht.

Based on the incredible true story of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, The Witching Hour is a gripping work of WWII historical fiction that brings the legendary Night Witches to life. In a desperate effort to halt the German invasion of the Soviet Union, an all-female air regiment is formed. Given obsolete wooden biplanes, they are dismissed by their comrades and underestimated by the enemy. But through sheer grit and ingenuity, these young women—a vengeful pilot, a brilliant astronomer, and a pragmatic mechanic—transform their weaknesses into the enemy's greatest fear, becoming the most decorated and feared unit on the Eastern Front.

This epic historical drama charts their journey from the frozen training grounds to the fiery skies over Stalingrad and Berlin. It is a story of the powerful sisterhood in war forged in the face of horrific losses and the constant threat of death. Facing not only the German war machine but also the prejudice of their own side, they must fight for their right to be called soldiers. This novel of courage and resilience explores the brutal cost of victory and the tragic betrayal that sought to erase these heroines from the very history they helped write.

## 7. Detailed Blurb

From the ashes of a nation on the brink of collapse, a legend took flight.

In the darkest days of World War II, with the German war machine pushing relentlessly across the Eastern Front, the Soviet Union makes an unprecedented decision: to form three all-female combat aviation regiments. Among them is the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, a unit composed entirely of women, from the pilots to the mechanics. To the men of the Red Army, they are a joke. To the enemy, they will become a nightmare.

Thrown into the crucible with obsolete Polikarpov Po-2 biplanes—little more than wood and canvas held together by wire—they are the underdogs, the forgotten, the disposable. But in the heart of this crucible, a powerful sisterhood in war is forged. Nadia Volkov, a fiery young pilot, flies for revenge. Zhenya Rostova, a brilliant astronomer, navigates by the stars her friend once studied. 

Anya Morozova, a master mechanic, fights her own war on the ground, keeping their "flying coffins" in the air with miracles of ingenuity.

Under the command of the indomitable Major Bershanskaya, they transform their weaknesses into terrifying strengths. They invent revolutionary tactics of aerial combat, including a silent, engine-idling glide that earns them their legendary name from the terrified German soldiers they hunt in the dark: the Nachthexen. The Night Witches.

Based on the incredible true story of one of the most decorated units in the Soviet Air Force, Witches of the Dark is an unforgettable epic of courage and resilience. It is a testament to the strong female protagonists who flew more than 23,000 sorties, facing not only a brutal enemy but also the deep-seated prejudice of their own side. This sweeping 

WWII historical fiction novel follows their journey through the pivotal battles of the war, from Stalingrad to the final, apocalyptic assault on Berlin, exploring the bonds of love, the pain of loss, and the tragic military betrayal that sought to erase these incredible women from the pages of history.