Skybound

Not the usual war story. For one it's set in Germany and given from the POV of a German fighter plane mechanic. Two, just to be clear it's m/m. It's gentle, any physical sparks resulting from any tense, unspoken and of course forbidden desires are implied not, forgive me, hammered home.The story is set at the end of WWII, when the Allies are advancing and the Third Reich crumbling. Day and night bombers fly over German cities, day and night German fighter planes aim to bring them down. On the ground a mechanic, Felix, services the planes as and if they return, and he watches the skies for one in particular, the one flown by Baldur, a fighter ace so far above him in the social hierarchy of the time that they don't even speak to each other. Until...This is not a long story. It doesn't go into great detail about what is going on in the world at large, it focuses down on this small microcosm of human relationships as seen from Felix's POV. That doesn't mean it leaves you in ignorance about what is happening in the country/counties beyond the airfield's borders, instead everything is hinted at or extrapolated from what happens within the dwindling community of the airfield.There is an assumption here, that, with a few hints or fragments of throwaway conversation you are capable of imagining the horrors of what a war means to those enmeshed in it's visceral realities, and, as the reader, we know more about that than the characters themselves. We hold, in our heads, a bigger picture. We see, in our minds eye the newsreel footage. Empathise with worlds we have never seen first hand as we watch their inevitable self-destruction. This makes the whole more poignant than it's sparse writing style, slight size or even romantic storyline suggests.Although in just about every other way this book is different, it made me think of another book that challenged stereotypical viewpoints from WWII, one by Kurt Vonnegut, who was a POW when Dresden was bombed and experienced the results first hand. (Deeper issues approached obliquely.) So, it is a light m/m romance set just outside of Berlin in the last days of WWII, with a side serving on the survival of human emotions in a time of chaos and brutality. One I will be reading again.

This book was the start of my Aleksandr Voinov collection, and I've since gone on to download 'Special Forces' from his website, and 'Quid Pro Quo' from Riptide.As it's such a short read, it was hard to get fully invested in the characters, but I was pleased that Felix and Baldur got to the end of the war together, and it was very interesting to look at WWII from the German perspective.Felix was a mechanic, a dreamer, in love with Baldur and desperate to ensure that the object of his desire survived the war by taking really good care of his plane, but didn't realise that his love was returned. Baldur, a fighter pilot, was suave and smooth but not cocky, and obviously needed a lot of luck to survive doing his job, but as long as he had Felix to take care of his plane, was resigned (but not happy) to carry on in the war. When the end finally came, and Felix got injured in an air-raid on the airfield, it was Baldur who fought off the Allied planes (with some help), landed and collected Felix, and then surrendered in mid-air to be captured and taken as POW's.I was glad that they were finally out of the fighting, and had a chance to be together after the war.

Beautifully written and uplifting little novella, highly recommended for those who can appreciate high-quality historical fiction. Hope there's more like this on the way from A.V.

an incredible book - would recommend to anyone wanting a quick read

Enjoyed this story

What the -... I mean -... How could - ... Ok, please excuse me a moment while I collect myself and my scattered thoughts, they are auditioning to be jumping beans on a trampoline.*ahem*Now then...I will try to refrain from using crutches like "masterful" and "heart-thrashing", oh, and just plain ole "lovely" - you know, stuff like that.This is a blend of surrealism and reality worthy of the best Aran weave makers out there. Felix is surrealism as it lives inside our hearts and brains (especially when someone reciprocates), and Baldur is reality when seemingly crushed by perceived impending doom. Then, watch out! They swap aviators and Felix is the one who feels like he's slipping into the vice of certain darkness forever, and Baldur is the one who pedals them towards possibly more than they could have imagined or willed for themselves: SKYBOUND.I honestly can't remember if I've ever come thisclose to actually gasping out loud when I've simply rolled over the title of a story so well implemented in a sentence like this, nearly dumping me out of my proverbial hammock: the turning point in the story, the characters, and an unexpected exit from the round-a-bout that didn't even exist, that is, until one of them decided it sure as hell did and he was going to take it, for both of them. Fighting for the right to life and joy.I'm not one who needs a perfect ending or at least the permission to imagine my own scenarios of happiness when I get to the end of a great story. But somehow, with this one, we're left with the very delectably tempting chance to imagine... maybe... just maybe there are walks and brunches and cinemas on the menu for their days ahead, and sweaty, fulfilling nights as the more than well-earned reward for surviving it all.Simply put, this parachutes you into a head space that is freaking brilliant.Damn, who left that crutch there...Yeah, yeah, writing this review was almost as fun as reading this story. ;)