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Skybound
Germany, 1945. The Third Reich is on its knees as Allied forces bomb Berlin to break the last resistance. Yet on an airfield near Berlin, the battle is far from over for a young mechanic, Felix, who’s attached to a squadron of fighter pilots. He’s especially attached to fighter ace Baldur Vogt, a man he admires and secretly loves. But there’s no room for love at the end of the world, never mind in Nazi Germany.
When Baldur narrowly cheats death, Felix pulls him from his plane, and the pilot makes his riskiest move yet. He takes a few days’ leave to recover, and he takes Felix with him. Away from the pressures of the airfield, their bond deepens, and Baldur shows Felix the kind of brotherhood he’d only ever dreamed of before.
But there’s no escaping the war, and when they return, Baldur joins the fray again in the skies over Berlin. As the Allies close in on the airfield where Felix waits for his lover, Baldur must face the truth that he is no longer the only one in mortal danger.
When Baldur narrowly cheats death, Felix pulls him from his plane, and the pilot makes his riskiest move yet. He takes a few days’ leave to recover, and he takes Felix with him. Away from the pressures of the airfield, their bond deepens, and Baldur shows Felix the kind of brotherhood he’d only ever dreamed of before.
But there’s no escaping the war, and when they return, Baldur joins the fray again in the skies over Berlin. As the Allies close in on the airfield where Felix waits for his lover, Baldur must face the truth that he is no longer the only one in mortal danger.
44 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2012
17 people are currently reading
1702 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 292 reviews
August 24, 2015
So damned good.
This story is talent focused by hard work. Rich symbolism metered by historical authenticity. Emotion tempered by artistic restraint.
Sickeningly good.
Thrilling.
Poetry: oh, the fucking poetry.
Romance like you dream about, set in a nightmare of smoke, and fire, and steel.
Yeah. That good.
I'm beginning to think people take issue with first person present tense because next to nobody can do it right.
Voinov does it right.
I am desperate to get a sip of whatever he was drinking the day he put this one to bed.
Already a classic.
This story is talent focused by hard work. Rich symbolism metered by historical authenticity. Emotion tempered by artistic restraint.
Sickeningly good.
Thrilling.
Poetry: oh, the fucking poetry.
Romance like you dream about, set in a nightmare of smoke, and fire, and steel.
Yeah. That good.
I'm beginning to think people take issue with first person present tense because next to nobody can do it right.
Voinov does it right.
I am desperate to get a sip of whatever he was drinking the day he put this one to bed.
Already a classic.
August 3, 2016
Aleksandr Voinov...
I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!
Hello Readers!!
Do you see it??
Well that's what I had to constantly hear from my friends!!
And so I decided it was time for me to experience some of the greatness.
And what did I find???
GREATNESS + GREATNESS = GREAT GREATNESS
--------------------------------------------------------
'If the world ends tomorrow,how will I go?Without ever having risked anything,or having done the one thing I can't stop thinking about?'
Baldur Vogt,Herr Leutnant,fighter pilot is a legend and Felix one the black men.Black men were the people who took care of the aircrafts and kept them in perfect running condition,the mechanics during the World War II in Berlin,Germany!!
A Lieutenant and a mechanic....there's a huge difference between their stations.
'He'd crush me like a cigarette butt under his heel.He can do anything to me.'
But there is a connection between them...a connection which can breach the huge chasm between their stations!!
'For me,he can walk on water,dance in clouds.I know he can't,really,but what he can and can't do pales into nothing when I look at him.'
But all around them their country is falling apart.They are losing the war.
Their worlds can end tomorrow.
So,what happens next??
Go and find out!!
But I'll say this much that this story celebrates love and life amongst a backdrop of death and destruction.
---------------------------------------------------------
Readers,I was amazed by this story!!
The power of these few words shocked me!!
I felt as if I lived their whole lives in these few pages!!
Bravo Mr. Voinov!!
You just gained yourself another fan.
That's all for now Readers.
Ta-Ta!!
May 11, 2017
**Price drop to $0.99 at Amazon US, 5/10/17 **
Voinov writes prose like poetry. I always get the sense that his words are carefully selected, that he spends hours contemplating each phrase. This was a lovely story about two German military men at the end of WWII. It was far far too short for my liking. It was like a small snippet of a greater story, which is why I was left feeling a little wanting. However, I appreciated it for what it was in all of its beautiful simplicity.
Voinov writes prose like poetry. I always get the sense that his words are carefully selected, that he spends hours contemplating each phrase. This was a lovely story about two German military men at the end of WWII. It was far far too short for my liking. It was like a small snippet of a greater story, which is why I was left feeling a little wanting. However, I appreciated it for what it was in all of its beautiful simplicity.
March 31, 2013
SPEECHLESS! Don't even know if I'm able to write a review about this gem.
If the world ends tomorrow, how will I go? Without ever having risked anything, or having done the one thing I can't stop thinking about?
August 24, 2012
REVIEW COMPLETED AUGUST 24, 2012
We race towards something so amazing and precious it strikes me dumb with its immenseness. I lose every sense of myself, every thought; there's just emotion and utter fulfillment.
Skybound is set in Germany at the end of World War II when The Third Reich is on its knees as Allied forces bomb Berlin. On an airfield near Berlin the young mechanic, Felix, meets the fighter pilot, Baldur Vogt. Felix secretly admires and loves Baldur for quite some time now. The story is told in first person from Felix's perspective.
43 pages.
Aleks got the most out of 43 pages. A-mazing. He captures the dark mood and brings so many expressive details to life. What can I say? Simply put, I love the author's voice. He does an outstanding job of portraying two vibrant and well-drawn characters surrounded by a dramatic setting. While reading this novella I could feel so many different emotions that were transpiring at that time. The panic, drama, angst as well as the hope are utterly palpable. Prepare yourself to savor a lyrical and very eloquent prose--so sensitive.
Without a doubt Felix and Baldur's romance is intense and beautiful. Since Baldur is the more experienced, he guided Felix with a subtle hand. It was so well done. The love scene is not overly explicit, and yet I loved it nonetheless. Having said that, their intimacy was very tender and lovely, and it lived up to the feel of this evocative little read.
And that's when I kiss him.
My heart is still plunging, but the other sensations are strong enough to make me forget about the nausea. His lips are softer than I imagined them. He's not wrestling for control. Neither is he demanding anything. The kiss is sweet, gentle, out of place. He lifts his eyebrows and puts a hand against my neck; the other hand squeezes mine, and I squeeze back. I'm no longer falling--I'm soaring now, breathless and miraculous, weightless. As if a wide blue sky has opened for me, like in the best moments of my glider training.
*****
He's sitting at the piano, a snifter of cognac standing naked on the highly polished wood. He's bowed deep over the keys, fingers silently tapping them, not pressing hard enough to make any sound. A silent music only he can hear, and whatever he's hearing, it's slow and deliberate and terribly melancholic. And, the strangest thing is, I can almost hear it too.
When you are surrounded by pain, death and despair, love and devotion become even more important. It's worth fighting for.
Yes, love soars. Rich in historical details and beautifully written, Skybound will leave you breathless. It's such a soulful little read that will guide you from the depths of despair up into the sky of love. Treasure this little gem.
I'm tired, at peace, and I can't leave the place on his shoulder, not after I've found it.
Highly recommended.
We race towards something so amazing and precious it strikes me dumb with its immenseness. I lose every sense of myself, every thought; there's just emotion and utter fulfillment.
Skybound is set in Germany at the end of World War II when The Third Reich is on its knees as Allied forces bomb Berlin. On an airfield near Berlin the young mechanic, Felix, meets the fighter pilot, Baldur Vogt. Felix secretly admires and loves Baldur for quite some time now. The story is told in first person from Felix's perspective.
43 pages.
Aleks got the most out of 43 pages. A-mazing. He captures the dark mood and brings so many expressive details to life. What can I say? Simply put, I love the author's voice. He does an outstanding job of portraying two vibrant and well-drawn characters surrounded by a dramatic setting. While reading this novella I could feel so many different emotions that were transpiring at that time. The panic, drama, angst as well as the hope are utterly palpable. Prepare yourself to savor a lyrical and very eloquent prose--so sensitive.
Without a doubt Felix and Baldur's romance is intense and beautiful. Since Baldur is the more experienced, he guided Felix with a subtle hand. It was so well done. The love scene is not overly explicit, and yet I loved it nonetheless. Having said that, their intimacy was very tender and lovely, and it lived up to the feel of this evocative little read.
And that's when I kiss him.
My heart is still plunging, but the other sensations are strong enough to make me forget about the nausea. His lips are softer than I imagined them. He's not wrestling for control. Neither is he demanding anything. The kiss is sweet, gentle, out of place. He lifts his eyebrows and puts a hand against my neck; the other hand squeezes mine, and I squeeze back. I'm no longer falling--I'm soaring now, breathless and miraculous, weightless. As if a wide blue sky has opened for me, like in the best moments of my glider training.
*****
He's sitting at the piano, a snifter of cognac standing naked on the highly polished wood. He's bowed deep over the keys, fingers silently tapping them, not pressing hard enough to make any sound. A silent music only he can hear, and whatever he's hearing, it's slow and deliberate and terribly melancholic. And, the strangest thing is, I can almost hear it too.
When you are surrounded by pain, death and despair, love and devotion become even more important. It's worth fighting for.
Yes, love soars. Rich in historical details and beautifully written, Skybound will leave you breathless. It's such a soulful little read that will guide you from the depths of despair up into the sky of love. Treasure this little gem.
I'm tired, at peace, and I can't leave the place on his shoulder, not after I've found it.
Highly recommended.
November 10, 2016
Well, this was beautiful.
Beautiful.
I must admit I read this book because of Special Forces. Before that, this author wasn’t among my first. Somehow, that series ended up being a turning point for me, because now I’m curious enough to read his books.
So it wasn’t love at first sight but not I’m beginning to appreciate his style.
Yes, I’m late to the party, I know!
Ugly war. Ugly place. Ugly time. Ugly circumstances. Ugly everything. Except them.
If the world ends tomorrow, how will I go? Without ever having risked anything, or having done the one thing I can't stop thinking about?
Beautiful.
I must admit I read this book because of Special Forces. Before that, this author wasn’t among my first. Somehow, that series ended up being a turning point for me, because now I’m curious enough to read his books.
So it wasn’t love at first sight but not I’m beginning to appreciate his style.
Yes, I’m late to the party, I know!
Ugly war. Ugly place. Ugly time. Ugly circumstances. Ugly everything. Except them.
October 12, 2015
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW (October 12, 2015)
Clocking in at under an hour and a half, Skybound really is a low risk audibook to try.
Now, with that pitch out of the way, Skybound is one of the BEST audiobooks I’ve heard to date. When I originally read the ebook, I couldn’t believe HOW MUCH could be gloriously packed in 44 pages, Listening to the audiobook, I found myself in that same place…I couldn’t believe HOW MUCH could be gloriously packed in 1 hour and 25 mins.
I’m a part of a book club that has been friends for almost 3 years now. Skybound was one of those gems that we all read and loved together…that we raved about. So when Aleksandr Voinov announced he was releasing it in audio, we jumped on board to do a ‘reread’. WHAT A TREAT.
Matthew Lloyd Davies narration was flawless. It’s my first audiobook by a “non-American” narrator, and I wondered how I’d take to the accent. Davies voice is like butter…smooth and soothing. And as I listened, I felt swept away into the scenes of the story, yet shielded from the war that set the stage. I was enraptured in the deep affection between Felix and Baldur, but reminded of the time and place of their forbidden relationship. Between Voinov’s writing and Davies’ narration, I was so caught up in every emotion…I felt it all deeply.
If you haven’t read the book or listened to the audio, this is one that I would highly suggest doing both. It’s a love worth knowing over and over again.
If I could describe how really amazing this is, I’ll leave you with this: our bookclub, after listening to the audiobook, got together to discuss (virtually). I would leave you with notes from the discussion, but it basically went like this, “I loved it!” “OMG, so did I!” “Did you love it?” “I did! I’ve listened to it 3 times already!” “I didn’t know I could love the story any more than I already did!” “Don’t you just love it enough to go back and listen again?” …and there you have it. We loved it.
********************
ORIGINAL REVIEW (September 8, 2015)
I should be angry with Aleksandr Voinov for writing such SHORT "books", not even novellas...pamphlets, maybe. BUT, it would be impossible to be angry with Aleksandr Voinov because he could write ONE sentence and you'd love it, it would be THAT good.
"Skybound" felt like one sentence long...started and ended way too quickly. But it was beautiful. I don't classify it in any one genre (historical, M/M, romance, political)...but rather, a love letter, maybe, written from one to another. Where I'd normally get frustrated that I didn't get to know enough about the characters of Felix and Baldur in such a short read, I feel like I was actually rewarded with simply a strong sense of longing and love between the two. I felt almost voyeuristic into something so intimate shared between glances, clicks of a safety belt, shared cigarettes with much deeper meaning.
All in all, hard to describe how something so short could be so good. But it was...so, so good.
September 26, 2015
~~~
The question will be; is this 44 page book worth it's price? When something is priceless, like this book, then it is a privilege to own. Trust me, skip lunch, gift yourself this book and own a treasure.
THE WRITING
The beautiful placement of each word in this story is something to cherish. A gem to be held dear. Aleksandr Voinov has truly outdone himself, which is saying something. It's clear that he cares deeply for this work, he sculpted it with a loving touch, creating a three dimensional book with shape and form. I was a devotee before this, but now, he has achieved a level in his writing that has me awestruck and honored to be sharing his writing journey.
THE STORY
Within these pages I was soaring and diving. Slowly climbing, reaching above the clouds of war, to a moment where time stood still. Then the terrifying dive back down, where the impact of reality made everything blurry and sharp. Where what matters becomes clear against the despair at the end of the world.
"A gentle, warm, sweet pain...."
THE CHARACTERS
Baldur Vogt - Ace fighter pilot who is the center of the universe, to Felix. Baldur is smooth, strong and charming. He just needs a little luck.
"There's a reflection of flame in his features, like in the painting of an old master. Flesh made light."
Felix - This story is seen through the eyes of Felix and it is easy to be inside him. At first seemingly timid we learn that he is so much more. He's surprising and brave and so beautifully in love. A wonderful character.
"Who am I to be worthy of him?"
__________________
Honestly, I had to trust Voinov on this one. WWII isn't my typical 'go to' for m/m romance. I should have known better and won't doubt again.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com
The question will be; is this 44 page book worth it's price? When something is priceless, like this book, then it is a privilege to own. Trust me, skip lunch, gift yourself this book and own a treasure.
"...my head against the cool comfort of the fighter plane's wheel, its wing shielding but never embracing me. I'm a cold nestling tonight."
THE WRITING
The beautiful placement of each word in this story is something to cherish. A gem to be held dear. Aleksandr Voinov has truly outdone himself, which is saying something. It's clear that he cares deeply for this work, he sculpted it with a loving touch, creating a three dimensional book with shape and form. I was a devotee before this, but now, he has achieved a level in his writing that has me awestruck and honored to be sharing his writing journey.
THE STORY
Within these pages I was soaring and diving. Slowly climbing, reaching above the clouds of war, to a moment where time stood still. Then the terrifying dive back down, where the impact of reality made everything blurry and sharp. Where what matters becomes clear against the despair at the end of the world.
"A gentle, warm, sweet pain...."
THE CHARACTERS
Baldur Vogt - Ace fighter pilot who is the center of the universe, to Felix. Baldur is smooth, strong and charming. He just needs a little luck.
"There's a reflection of flame in his features, like in the painting of an old master. Flesh made light."
Felix - This story is seen through the eyes of Felix and it is easy to be inside him. At first seemingly timid we learn that he is so much more. He's surprising and brave and so beautifully in love. A wonderful character.
"Who am I to be worthy of him?"
__________________
Honestly, I had to trust Voinov on this one. WWII isn't my typical 'go to' for m/m romance. I should have known better and won't doubt again.
Something pulls me towards him, irrespective of the impossibility of it all. I hope that he doesn't notice just as much as I hope that he's pulled too.
~~~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.blogspot.com
February 19, 2017
Oh! But Skybound sank its claws in me. What a beautiful short story, with prose that borders on poetry. Very touching. Surprising too. If my memory doesn't fail me, Special Forces was harsher, simply something else altogether and yet from the same author.
In a setting that feels like it's beyond the end of the world, on an airfield near Berlin, the mechanic of a German squadron of fighter pilots secretly longs for one of the pilots. While bombs come crashing down and Nazi Germany is on the verge of surrender, these two men bond. Contemplatively, shyly and still.. boldly. For they realize that they are between life and death, between dreaming and waking, and they might not survive another day.
"But what he can and can't do pales into nothing when I look at him. Something pulls me towards him, irrespective of the impossibility of it all. I hope that he doesn't notice just as much as I hope that he's pulled, too. What am I compared to a wingman he protects and who protects him, who knows what it is like to soar? Compared to comrades who stood by him in Russia? I merely maintain engines, change oil, and help with the other tasks, dirty, exhausting, and not glorious at all."
My only regret is that Skybound is so very short (honestly, FML!). In a way though, its length adds to the delicacy of the story. Yes, I now must read everything by Aleksandr Voinov.
In a setting that feels like it's beyond the end of the world, on an airfield near Berlin, the mechanic of a German squadron of fighter pilots secretly longs for one of the pilots. While bombs come crashing down and Nazi Germany is on the verge of surrender, these two men bond. Contemplatively, shyly and still.. boldly. For they realize that they are between life and death, between dreaming and waking, and they might not survive another day.
"But what he can and can't do pales into nothing when I look at him. Something pulls me towards him, irrespective of the impossibility of it all. I hope that he doesn't notice just as much as I hope that he's pulled, too. What am I compared to a wingman he protects and who protects him, who knows what it is like to soar? Compared to comrades who stood by him in Russia? I merely maintain engines, change oil, and help with the other tasks, dirty, exhausting, and not glorious at all."
My only regret is that Skybound is so very short (honestly, FML!). In a way though, its length adds to the delicacy of the story. Yes, I now must read everything by Aleksandr Voinov.
June 20, 2015
5 "Absolutely Beautifull" Stars
He’s a legend. Every green boy desires to be him. I don’t. My desires are more complicated.
Felix is a mechanic, working to repair fighter planes in WWII. They are losing the war. But his worst fear is losing his lieutenant. That's because Felix is secretly in love with the star pilot, Baldur. He watches daily as he soars into the sky, praying that he returns safely. He then repairs damages to his plane, only to live through the hell again. Never knowing when Baldur's plane won't return.
I don’t want to admit to the childish fancies I have about him. For me, he can walk on water, dance in the clouds. I know he can’t, really, but what he can and can’t do pales into nothing when I look at him.
War is ugly. It is where young men go to die. Yet, Skybound is poetic and beautifully written. I can always count on Voinov to send me through a myriad of emotions. Fear, apprehension, hope, love and despair. This was a short story, but it was hearty.
This is a must read…
September 1, 2012
I take my hat off to Mr Voinov. Because here I am giving one of my rare five-star ratings to a) a historical (about WWII, no less), b) told in present tense, c) and through a first person POV.
Anyone who knows me and my reading habits also knows that all of the above are major turn-offs for me. I avoid historicals like the plague. War stories at that? Please, no. I'll do anything you want, just don't make me read them. Present tense/first person POV? Kill me now.
Yet this? This? This was emotions, images, smells, tastes, consuming me and overwhelming me from the first paragraph. This was two characters I felt I knew even though Skybound is a short—too short!—story.
This was poetry.
And who cares about present tense, or first person POV. It was so beautifully done, I didn't notice. No, scratch that. It was exactly how this story should be told. Third person/simple past wouldn't have had the same effect on me. And who cares about the era. If this is what period pieces are, I'll read them any day, every day.
Anyone who knows me and my reading habits also knows that all of the above are major turn-offs for me. I avoid historicals like the plague. War stories at that? Please, no. I'll do anything you want, just don't make me read them. Present tense/first person POV? Kill me now.
Yet this? This? This was emotions, images, smells, tastes, consuming me and overwhelming me from the first paragraph. This was two characters I felt I knew even though Skybound is a short—too short!—story.
This was poetry.
And who cares about present tense, or first person POV. It was so beautifully done, I didn't notice. No, scratch that. It was exactly how this story should be told. Third person/simple past wouldn't have had the same effect on me. And who cares about the era. If this is what period pieces are, I'll read them any day, every day.
Read
December 7, 2016Improved and re-edited second edition.
October 3, 2015
Supreme brilliance. Powerful treasure. Deadly defenders.
Skybound is a prime example of how easy it is to fall in love with the addicting serenade of Voinov’s voice. Strikingly rhythmic, he creates his vision with such dazzling clarity you’ll find yourself dazed when forced to return to reality.
I was instantly captivated and savored every sentence, every word, and every morsel. It is doubtful such depth is conceivable in no more than a few dozen pages, yet somehow he manages the task. I’ve read books with 10 times the volume which held a 10th of the power.
It’s a swift ride, so strap in and hang on- you are about to be hauled back in time, to a time of frantic war.
Germany.
1945.
Combat is incessant with dwindling hope of victory. Felix, an aircraft mechanic, is secretly infatuated with Baldur, a gallant fighter pilot. Watching from afar he discreetly takes meticulous care with the metal weapon his hungered comrade straps himself into.
Every bolt, every single part and piece receives Felix's devoted attention and he cares for the plane as if it truly is an extension of the man inside. Time is slipping and with it their greatest chance of survival. A near miss in the sky permits a private recovery time for the courageous aviator and Felix accompanies him to his home. Risks are taken and rewarded immensely. Soon Felix finds his heart spinning out of control and helpless to protect the one thing he desires to save the most.
I was literally left speechless. Pure perfection I was told, and it was no lie. Do yourself a favor and join this free-fall of emotions, you won’t regret it!
*5 treasurable stars*
NOTE: Listening was even more amazing, which I didn't think was possible.
If you don't 'do' audio, listen to me...Start here! But understand that you are starting with the best.
Skybound is a prime example of how easy it is to fall in love with the addicting serenade of Voinov’s voice. Strikingly rhythmic, he creates his vision with such dazzling clarity you’ll find yourself dazed when forced to return to reality.
I was instantly captivated and savored every sentence, every word, and every morsel. It is doubtful such depth is conceivable in no more than a few dozen pages, yet somehow he manages the task. I’ve read books with 10 times the volume which held a 10th of the power.
It’s a swift ride, so strap in and hang on- you are about to be hauled back in time, to a time of frantic war.
Germany.
1945.
Combat is incessant with dwindling hope of victory. Felix, an aircraft mechanic, is secretly infatuated with Baldur, a gallant fighter pilot. Watching from afar he discreetly takes meticulous care with the metal weapon his hungered comrade straps himself into.
Every bolt, every single part and piece receives Felix's devoted attention and he cares for the plane as if it truly is an extension of the man inside. Time is slipping and with it their greatest chance of survival. A near miss in the sky permits a private recovery time for the courageous aviator and Felix accompanies him to his home. Risks are taken and rewarded immensely. Soon Felix finds his heart spinning out of control and helpless to protect the one thing he desires to save the most.
I was literally left speechless. Pure perfection I was told, and it was no lie. Do yourself a favor and join this free-fall of emotions, you won’t regret it!
*5 treasurable stars*
NOTE: Listening was even more amazing, which I didn't think was possible.
If you don't 'do' audio, listen to me...Start here! But understand that you are starting with the best.
August 13, 2016
It was beautiful, breathtaking...it was Voinov.
I slowly mutate to Voinov's junkie.
My kindle at the moment looks like a small collection of all his books that I've found, bought and downloaded on Amazon and on the Internet. Right now I just don't want to read anything else.
I wanted to read this short story in between, and now I am sitting here and ...again can't find the right words...
Who can expect this emotional depth from only 43 pages?..
There are not too many writers who can do it.
Aleks can.
Sometimes we don't need words...
Frederic Chopin - Prelude in E-minor(op.28.No 4)
This is not a short novel...it is a poem...it is a poetry....
Somebody can write....
August 16, 2014
5 SkYbOuNd sTaRs
Be Still My Beating Heart, be Still..I Say...Alek what have you done to me!!
I swear my heart flips and unleashes a thousand butterflies in me every time I read one of Aleksandr Voinov masterpieces.
Skybound Blew. Me. Away. - Poetic Perfection.
Germany, 1945 WWII
This story is seen through the eyes of Felix a young aircraft mechanic, who's attached to a squadron of fighter pilots. He has admired and secretly been in love with Lieutenant Baldur Vogt from afar.
A poignant romance that will stay with you forever.
I defy you not to fall in love with this remarkable story.
Be Still My Beating Heart, be Still..I Say...Alek what have you done to me!!
I swear my heart flips and unleashes a thousand butterflies in me every time I read one of Aleksandr Voinov masterpieces.
Skybound Blew. Me. Away. - Poetic Perfection.
Germany, 1945 WWII
This story is seen through the eyes of Felix a young aircraft mechanic, who's attached to a squadron of fighter pilots. He has admired and secretly been in love with Lieutenant Baldur Vogt from afar.
....For me, he can walk on water, dance in the clouds. I know he can’t really, but what he can and can’t do pales into nothing when I look at him....
A poignant romance that will stay with you forever.
I defy you not to fall in love with this remarkable story.
April 25, 2020
An unlikely connection between pilot and mechanic sets in motion feelings that can't be taken back. Can luck prevail for these two to have a chance when defeat is all but a given?
Starkly showing the tragic loss of all that is inevitable in war, hope if any, is overshadowed by an abundance of fear. There's little opportunity to take comfort in small pleasures and the prospect of a future is impossible to think of.
Fortuitously, these two seize an opening to survive another day. It may not be the best of circumstances but the possibility of maybe coming out alive, alive with a purpose - each other - is worth the risk.
This was a simple novella, circumspect in its execution but no less powerful in evoking the feels of eking out what little gift possible from such horror endured.
Starkly showing the tragic loss of all that is inevitable in war, hope if any, is overshadowed by an abundance of fear. There's little opportunity to take comfort in small pleasures and the prospect of a future is impossible to think of.
Fortuitously, these two seize an opening to survive another day. It may not be the best of circumstances but the possibility of maybe coming out alive, alive with a purpose - each other - is worth the risk.
This was a simple novella, circumspect in its execution but no less powerful in evoking the feels of eking out what little gift possible from such horror endured.
January 12, 2019
3.5 love soars stars!
So good! I just wished it was longer because it definitely had the potential but even in a few pages I felt the passionate love of these characters. ♥️
So good! I just wished it was longer because it definitely had the potential but even in a few pages I felt the passionate love of these characters. ♥️
March 19, 2019
Didn't like
August 23, 2012
”I lose every sense of myself, every thought; there’s just emotion and utter fulfillment.”
I search, need, and crave certain things from my reads in life right now. Power. Emotion. Hope. Stories, words, and characters that make my stomach drop, heart hiccup, face flush, and head whirl. In short, make me feel. I know I will always find these things, that power, and so much more in an Aleksandr Voinov story.
Skybound tugged on my heart and soul with longing, romance, and hope. In 1945 Nazi Germany, hope was hard to come by. But Felix and Baldur may have found hope in each other. Baldur, a fighter pilot, takes to the sky to defend and fight for Germany. While Felix, the squadron’s mechanic, remains on the ground repairing the machines that take his Baldur into battle. Felix has been in love with Baldur from afar, instilling all of his care and admiration into Baldur’s plane to keep him safe in the sky. But a close call in the air brings these two men closer than ever. In war, risking your heart could be the most dangerous leap of all. Love is always precious, but somehow when we find love in the midst of pain, ugliness, death, and chaos—it feels even more precious.
“If the world ends tomorrow, how will I go? Without ever having risked anything, or having done the one thing I can’t stop thinking about?”
Hope and love soar through this story from the first breath to the last. I fell in love with Felix, Baldur, and the words. Every word seemed to add a layer of intimacy and emotion to the mix. Whether Mr. Voinov was describing the plane’s temperament, the sky’s vastness, or the contents of a basket, the words projected and held such power and beauty. That rush, shock and jolt to the heart when your love walks into the room and talks to you was captured here perfectly! It took my breath away.
My favorite character though could be the sky herself. The sky always held such inspiration for me. The truest blue sky I ever saw was on a sad day in American history. A day when the sky became something new. Walking to work, I even noted how beautiful the sky looked. Clear. Bright. Alive. For years after though, I could not look to the sky without seeing the pain and chaos of those dark days in September. I can’t help wondering what Felix and Baldur saw when they looked to the sky. Beauty, loss, fear? Does a fighter ace still see the awe or feel the wonder in the sky after war? I hope they saw love. Each other’s love and concern in the clouds and color. After reading these words, I can’t seem to stop looking up to the sky--searching for inspiration once again.
A beautiful story that flew right in and stole my heart. Go, go read it! A true gem to read again and again.
Extra Ramble:
“we just didn’t expect the war to devour our own country”
That line made me want to set up camp in a library corner and flip, search, and live in my history books. A thought provoking line that stirred my love of history again. We never seem to see what war is going to do to our homes and hearts until…later.
Go see what Aleksandr Voinov’s words pull out of you.
February 21, 2015
Written February 21, 2015
4.4 Stars - Heartbreaking nervously thrilling and yet so romantic beautiful
Okay, a MUST Aleksandr Voinov book to read apparently. My friends Andrea, Bev, as well as Loederkoningin, told me so a year ago. Better do as the ladies are telling me. Late mostly, but an obedient girl.
***********************************************************
Skybound is a WWII romance in just 50 pages.
A story about two German men —in the war bravely fighting for their "Deutschland" and their dear people— those last weeks 1945 when 'The Third Reich' is on its knees as the Allied forces bomb Berlin to break it at last.
One mans, a young mechanic Felix', admiration and growing feelings for a very brave fighter pilot, Baldur Vogt. It's also maybe a start to something new. But are there any chances for happiness to hope for when the world is burning? ~ Gripping!
A lovely, well written novella to just enjoy. I loved that this was a touching love-story about two German men. We all know they lost that terrible war but there is always love to find.
Higly recommended!
I LIKE - romances set in a horrifying time as well
4.4 Stars - Heartbreaking nervously thrilling and yet so romantic beautiful
Okay, a MUST Aleksandr Voinov book to read apparently. My friends Andrea, Bev, as well as Loederkoningin, told me so a year ago. Better do as the ladies are telling me. Late mostly, but an obedient girl.
***********************************************************
Skybound is a WWII romance in just 50 pages.
A story about two German men —in the war bravely fighting for their "Deutschland" and their dear people— those last weeks 1945 when 'The Third Reich' is on its knees as the Allied forces bomb Berlin to break it at last.
One mans, a young mechanic Felix', admiration and growing feelings for a very brave fighter pilot, Baldur Vogt. It's also maybe a start to something new. But are there any chances for happiness to hope for when the world is burning? ~ Gripping!
‘I’m no longer falling—I’m soaring now, breathless and miraculous, weightless. As if a wide blue sky has opened for me, like in the best moments of my glider training.’
A lovely, well written novella to just enjoy. I loved that this was a touching love-story about two German men. We all know they lost that terrible war but there is always love to find.
Higly recommended!
I LIKE - romances set in a horrifying time as well
December 21, 2012
Immediate, romantic, and entrancing. It perfectly expresses the bliss in discovering another person. I can feel the story going on past the last page.
September 16, 2023
Wonderful short book. Quiet, intense and harsh due to the WWII setting but oh so beautiful.
August 25, 2012
Sometimes the stars align and you get both perfection and a personal experience you won't forget ever. I was in the lucky position of downloading this book while I was in Berlin for a vacation and I read it almost everyday in the week I was there.
It's impossible not to in awe of this amazing city which was able to re-invent and re-build itself a couple of times, of its incredible architecture. It's also impossible not too see testimony of the destruction of WWII, because all sites present you with pictures of before/after and you can still see the signs of the shots into the façades of many buildings.
It was with a sort of reverence and torn-up conscience that I thought of Baldur Vogt's hopeless and useless fighting and defense of Berlin, of those last acts of commitment to his own people by a soldier on the wrong part of history.
It was moving to read the story of these two men, Felix and Baldur, doing what they feel is still their duty, but not because of ideology, but because they're trying to keep someone or something they love alive. Felix, the mechanic, a Black Man of the ground crew, lives for Baldur Vogt, he mends and takes care of his flying machine as if it was a living thing, because it carries the man he's fallen in love with. Leutnant Vogt is first of all a pilot, with a mix of bravado and real courage, and it seems that the approaching end of the war, of his world, brings him to look for a last connection, for the last reason to come back and then to go fight again.
The story is terse, poetic, heartbreaking, intense. It's told in the first-person, present tense point-of-view of Felix. His job leaves him with dirty hands and on the ground, but Felix has a soaring heart, an adventurous soul whose wings he hasn't been able to spread. He has the voice of a dreamer, caught in a labyrinth of ugly impossibilities: Being a pilot, hoping for a future, loving the man he desires. Felix is not bitter, he's quietly resigned. When we meet him, he's living in the moment and refusing to think a few hours ahead of what's happening in the now. Leutnant Vogt seems unattainable, they're apart because one belongs to the heroic flying crew, the other to an ordinary ground crew; they also have different backgrounds because Felix's origins seem humble, while Baldur comes from money. The one thing they have in common - men loving men - sets them apart from their peers and brings them close.
But Vogt says to the smitten Felix
"I did notice your face under the oil."
and the impossibility is shredded, destroyed and among rubble, oil, defeat, destruction, they become lovers. I liked that sentence, it's the surprising discovery of a treasure in a dirt lot, the vein of gold in the rocks. It gives to the one man in the crowd his dignity, his human dimension and it still calls to a part of our soul that is impossible to suppress, not even during disastrous times.
I think short stories are underrated, because I dare anyone to pack so much in less than 50 pages. Apart from the precious story of the protagonists, there's an amount of research which is astounding and you can feel history as a live background, not as a list of details that show off a bunch of notes.
Do you want to read something else, something highly literary and precious? Something that plays the keys of your emotions? Read this.
My silly fan-girl moment:
It's impossible not to in awe of this amazing city which was able to re-invent and re-build itself a couple of times, of its incredible architecture. It's also impossible not too see testimony of the destruction of WWII, because all sites present you with pictures of before/after and you can still see the signs of the shots into the façades of many buildings.
It was with a sort of reverence and torn-up conscience that I thought of Baldur Vogt's hopeless and useless fighting and defense of Berlin, of those last acts of commitment to his own people by a soldier on the wrong part of history.
It was moving to read the story of these two men, Felix and Baldur, doing what they feel is still their duty, but not because of ideology, but because they're trying to keep someone or something they love alive. Felix, the mechanic, a Black Man of the ground crew, lives for Baldur Vogt, he mends and takes care of his flying machine as if it was a living thing, because it carries the man he's fallen in love with. Leutnant Vogt is first of all a pilot, with a mix of bravado and real courage, and it seems that the approaching end of the war, of his world, brings him to look for a last connection, for the last reason to come back and then to go fight again.
The story is terse, poetic, heartbreaking, intense. It's told in the first-person, present tense point-of-view of Felix. His job leaves him with dirty hands and on the ground, but Felix has a soaring heart, an adventurous soul whose wings he hasn't been able to spread. He has the voice of a dreamer, caught in a labyrinth of ugly impossibilities: Being a pilot, hoping for a future, loving the man he desires. Felix is not bitter, he's quietly resigned. When we meet him, he's living in the moment and refusing to think a few hours ahead of what's happening in the now. Leutnant Vogt seems unattainable, they're apart because one belongs to the heroic flying crew, the other to an ordinary ground crew; they also have different backgrounds because Felix's origins seem humble, while Baldur comes from money. The one thing they have in common - men loving men - sets them apart from their peers and brings them close.
But Vogt says to the smitten Felix
"I did notice your face under the oil."
and the impossibility is shredded, destroyed and among rubble, oil, defeat, destruction, they become lovers. I liked that sentence, it's the surprising discovery of a treasure in a dirt lot, the vein of gold in the rocks. It gives to the one man in the crowd his dignity, his human dimension and it still calls to a part of our soul that is impossible to suppress, not even during disastrous times.
I think short stories are underrated, because I dare anyone to pack so much in less than 50 pages. Apart from the precious story of the protagonists, there's an amount of research which is astounding and you can feel history as a live background, not as a list of details that show off a bunch of notes.
Do you want to read something else, something highly literary and precious? Something that plays the keys of your emotions? Read this.
My silly fan-girl moment:
May 1, 2013
***5 Brilliant Stars***
Skybound takes place during World War II. Felix is an aircraft mechanic, who has secretly admired Baldur Vogt -- a flying ace.
If the world ends tomorrow, how will I go? Without ever having risked anything, or having done the one thing I can't stop thinking about?
***************
I want to learn his body, find every pleasure it’s hiding. All this reverence and simple awe I feel when I touch him, feel his breath brush my skin. Whatever he calls this, it feels so very precious to me.
***************
We race towards something so amazing and precious it strikes me dumb with its immenseness. I lose every sense of myself, every thought, there's just emotion and utter fulfillment.
The writing was stunning and amazing!! I can't say enough about the writing! I don't even think I can even write a proper review for this. I absolutely loved it! The story was told in Felx's POV. It was a really short read but it was written so well, that I felt so many emotions during its short length. I teared up! The descriptions of everything going in World War II had me melancholic, but seeing them being able to love when they were caught in the middle of it all, was beautiful. It was just brilliant and beautifully well done by Aleksandr Voinov.
December 22, 2012
I have done this review 3 or 4 times over and none seems worthy of Skybound. So I'm keeping it short.
Simply put it is an astounding piece of poetic brilliance that I will hold dear forever. It's only 43 pages and I can honestly say that I feel honoured to have read it. It is something I will read over and over again and still find some new meaning within the prose.
I recommend this to everyone. Skybound is just the most stunning piece of writing which carries every emotion. The honest sensuality is all heart and hope. The mood is sometimes panicked and sometimes desperate.
Again I say, with my hand over my heart and everything. This is the best of the best. Sorry about the cliche but I have no other words, I'm kind of struck dumb here.
Simply put it is an astounding piece of poetic brilliance that I will hold dear forever. It's only 43 pages and I can honestly say that I feel honoured to have read it. It is something I will read over and over again and still find some new meaning within the prose.
I recommend this to everyone. Skybound is just the most stunning piece of writing which carries every emotion. The honest sensuality is all heart and hope. The mood is sometimes panicked and sometimes desperate.
Again I say, with my hand over my heart and everything. This is the best of the best. Sorry about the cliche but I have no other words, I'm kind of struck dumb here.
April 11, 2017
If the world ends tomorrow, how will I go? Without having risked anything, or having done the one thing that I can't stop thinking about?
Yeah so… It’s not that I couldn’t stop thinking about reading books by Aleks, but I was intrigued again and again and again and… you got it, right? And then I chickened out every damn time. I’m so glad I finally risked it, because Skybound was absolutely awesome. I will so read moooooore books by Aleks. I can’t wait, actually.
I’m a sucker for beautiful language, and only after the first page, I knew I was in for a real treat:
Nobody else exists to me when he lands. Everything stops existing when he takes off, as if he takes it all with him when he goes up there, to places I'll never see again.
First person narration is my favourite of all, because it makes me feel and see and be there. Nothing pulls me more into a story. The present tense even enhances that effect here, I think. Scenes like this, picking a detail and exploring it so visually, are beyond amazing.
I rub my hand on my coveralls before I offer him fire; he bends closer to take the flame rather than the lighter. My hands are steady, even though I expect them to lose that at any moment. I’ve never been so relieved to be able to snap the lighter shut, though I could have watched his face illuminated by fire for an hour.
Okay, so I obviously really liked the writing style :-) Now for the setting and the plot: 1945, in Berlin, shortly before Germany capitulates.
So, I have an advantage that you all or most of you don’t have. I’m German and I live in Berlin—only since a little over a year, but still. I live here. I don’t reminisce about the past that much, but it’s just great to read a book set in your country and not many books are set here. Every small reference here or there made me love the book even more. Every German word was just lovely to read. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t much, and you’ll enjoy the book just fine.
I really love how Aleks brings the world and characters alive without needing lengthy descriptions. Everything he writes is simply three-dimensional. Loved it.
The romance was so, so, soooooo romantic. Yes, that :-) Tender, desperate, hopeless and hopeful. The ending was absolutely perfect. I mean, this was the most romantic desperate hopeful thing to do. Perfect.
Highly recommended. 5 stars!
I also listened to the audio book
which was absolutely great. I had a really bad experience with an audio book once that put me off for a long while, but this one convinced me to give them a new try. Really, it was lovely. I don't like it when the voices are over the top, because I think it's ridiculous, but here it was just right.
Yeah so… It’s not that I couldn’t stop thinking about reading books by Aleks, but I was intrigued again and again and again and… you got it, right? And then I chickened out every damn time. I’m so glad I finally risked it, because Skybound was absolutely awesome. I will so read moooooore books by Aleks. I can’t wait, actually.
I’m a sucker for beautiful language, and only after the first page, I knew I was in for a real treat:
Nobody else exists to me when he lands. Everything stops existing when he takes off, as if he takes it all with him when he goes up there, to places I'll never see again.
First person narration is my favourite of all, because it makes me feel and see and be there. Nothing pulls me more into a story. The present tense even enhances that effect here, I think. Scenes like this, picking a detail and exploring it so visually, are beyond amazing.
I rub my hand on my coveralls before I offer him fire; he bends closer to take the flame rather than the lighter. My hands are steady, even though I expect them to lose that at any moment. I’ve never been so relieved to be able to snap the lighter shut, though I could have watched his face illuminated by fire for an hour.
Okay, so I obviously really liked the writing style :-) Now for the setting and the plot: 1945, in Berlin, shortly before Germany capitulates.
So, I have an advantage that you all or most of you don’t have. I’m German and I live in Berlin—only since a little over a year, but still. I live here. I don’t reminisce about the past that much, but it’s just great to read a book set in your country and not many books are set here. Every small reference here or there made me love the book even more. Every German word was just lovely to read. Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t much, and you’ll enjoy the book just fine.
I really love how Aleks brings the world and characters alive without needing lengthy descriptions. Everything he writes is simply three-dimensional. Loved it.
The romance was so, so, soooooo romantic. Yes, that :-) Tender, desperate, hopeless and hopeful. The ending was absolutely perfect. I mean, this was the most romantic desperate hopeful thing to do. Perfect.
Highly recommended. 5 stars!
I also listened to the audio book
which was absolutely great. I had a really bad experience with an audio book once that put me off for a long while, but this one convinced me to give them a new try. Really, it was lovely. I don't like it when the voices are over the top, because I think it's ridiculous, but here it was just right. 
December 30, 2012
The only thing I did not like was the length of the story.... I WANT MORE!
Yet, it is amazing how something so short can be so good and beautiful and emotional....
I adored Dark Soul and I just knew I would love this one too, apparently with some authors you will never be disappointed...
This is simply AMAZING! And I am simply at loss of words...
Felix and Baldur... wow... I felt so many emotions... from angst, to hope, to panic that nothing will end up good... then relief... I even cried!
Yes I did miss Baldur's POV but that did not make it less amazing.
The "scene" was not explicit at all and I did not care because I loved everything about this story.... their love was so beautiful... so tender in the darkness of the war...
my favorite quotes:
"Nobody else exists to me when he lands. Everything stops existing when he takes off, as if he takes it all with him when he goes up there, to places I’ll never see again."
"For me, he can walk on water, dance in the clouds. I know he can’t, really, but what he can and can’t do pales into nothing when I look at him."
"Unplayed sound is like unspoken words....
....He’s bowed deep over the keys, fingers silently tapping them, not pressing hard enough to make any sound. A silent music only he can hear, and whatever he’s hearing, it’s slow and deliberate and terribly melancholic. And, the strangest thing is, I can almost hear it too."
"I 'm hypnotised. Entranced. "Are you guessing it by now?" he asks, his voice so low, as if there were other people in the room who must never know. Swallowing is painful now. I’m busy enough just with breathing. I feel astutely that this is the only opportunity I’ll ever have to risk everything, neck and life and sanity."
"I want to learn his body, find every pleasure it’s hiding. All this reverence and simple awe I feel when I touch him, feel his breath brush my skin. Whatever he calls this, it feels so very precious to me."
August 16, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
4.5 stars
Taking place on an airfield outside of Berlin near the end of the war in 1945, Felix the airplane mechanic lives from liftoff to landing, moving forward in a steady crescendo, fixing the planes on the ground and waiting for them to return for more needed work. The war, now turning into a German defensive, is Felix's only real experience with adult life, no matter the cruel parody of life that it is. He's quite an innocent, his dream to fly with the men of the squadron, but relegated to the ground crew after failing the test. He watches the pilots with something akin to hero worship, but none more than Baldur, one of the best of the pilots. The two grow closer after Felix pulls a bullet out of Baldor's plane -- a near-miss that seems to upset Felix more than it does Baldor. They soon become friends and when they have time to take what seems like it might be their last weekend off, they grow closer, resolutely living in the moment and without contemplation of any possible future together when all their countrymen and women and children around them are paying for the actions of the Führer.
As tedious as it must be to write a story marketed towards English speaking readers from the mindset of a German during WWII, it is similar for this reviewer. I realized that when less than two pages in I found myself subconsciously giving each sentence ten times the weight and examination as I would a normal story. Some of that is ingrained habit, of course, on a subject that can easily incite heated feelings, but some of it is also because I was interested in seeing how the author would write the story. With this premise, suddenly it seems like the tone, the characters, and the many little details within carry so much more weight than with another story with a different setting. I know that the author knows this, especially with the note on the story about the exhaustive research he did. And I know it will be the same for most readers. I found myself a little torn about this fundamental question. I tend to be a peacemaker -- someone who doesn't like to ruffle feathers and hates conflict. I know that about myself by now, so my natural inclination towards this review is to completely disregard the politics and focus on the story. In a way, that is a discredit to the story, but I also feel like the story was handled well, in the sense that it was character driven and gives just enough character opinion (POV of Felix) to give weight to German sentiment of the time near the end of the war without it swallowing up the whole story. I can't speak to the accuracy of statements like: "Just a few weeks ago, we were "winning the war." Now, though, propaganda has become resigned, accusatory, as if all the losses and destruction are our fault.", but I will interest me enough to read lots of other reviews of the story to see what other reviewers might think. I don't really know enough about how different groups of Germans at the time thought, so I can't quite say if I believe Felix's statements seem to represent his character. I'm keeping an open mind.
As for the story itself, it is one the best short stories I've read by Voinov. There's an incredibly pervasive dour tone throughout the whole story that sets the mood for the hopelessness Felix feels and witnesses in Baldur. It makes the case of continual hopelessness and the stark reality of their future as well when, at the climax of the story, the tone doesn't change.
I always notice the sensory detail in Voinov's work, and this story didn't let me down. The flashes of color among the grey provide a stark dissonance. All the sense are used effectively, taste, scent, touch, and sound come forward to have more meaning against desolate towns that are described in drab sights. When looking at a basket full of food under a red-checked cloth, Felix narrates: "He pauses for a moment, gazes down at the towel, and we might be thinking the same -- that it looks, from the corner of the eye, like blood-spattered cloth. The pattern is too regular, however, and the whole ordered madness of war is in dissolution everywhere else, so it can't live in that basket."
I don't have criticism for the story, and if this is just a taste of a longer novel soon to come (whether about these characters or not), then I'm very excited to see what Voinov will release in the near future.
4.5 stars
Taking place on an airfield outside of Berlin near the end of the war in 1945, Felix the airplane mechanic lives from liftoff to landing, moving forward in a steady crescendo, fixing the planes on the ground and waiting for them to return for more needed work. The war, now turning into a German defensive, is Felix's only real experience with adult life, no matter the cruel parody of life that it is. He's quite an innocent, his dream to fly with the men of the squadron, but relegated to the ground crew after failing the test. He watches the pilots with something akin to hero worship, but none more than Baldur, one of the best of the pilots. The two grow closer after Felix pulls a bullet out of Baldor's plane -- a near-miss that seems to upset Felix more than it does Baldor. They soon become friends and when they have time to take what seems like it might be their last weekend off, they grow closer, resolutely living in the moment and without contemplation of any possible future together when all their countrymen and women and children around them are paying for the actions of the Führer.
As tedious as it must be to write a story marketed towards English speaking readers from the mindset of a German during WWII, it is similar for this reviewer. I realized that when less than two pages in I found myself subconsciously giving each sentence ten times the weight and examination as I would a normal story. Some of that is ingrained habit, of course, on a subject that can easily incite heated feelings, but some of it is also because I was interested in seeing how the author would write the story. With this premise, suddenly it seems like the tone, the characters, and the many little details within carry so much more weight than with another story with a different setting. I know that the author knows this, especially with the note on the story about the exhaustive research he did. And I know it will be the same for most readers. I found myself a little torn about this fundamental question. I tend to be a peacemaker -- someone who doesn't like to ruffle feathers and hates conflict. I know that about myself by now, so my natural inclination towards this review is to completely disregard the politics and focus on the story. In a way, that is a discredit to the story, but I also feel like the story was handled well, in the sense that it was character driven and gives just enough character opinion (POV of Felix) to give weight to German sentiment of the time near the end of the war without it swallowing up the whole story. I can't speak to the accuracy of statements like: "Just a few weeks ago, we were "winning the war." Now, though, propaganda has become resigned, accusatory, as if all the losses and destruction are our fault.", but I will interest me enough to read lots of other reviews of the story to see what other reviewers might think. I don't really know enough about how different groups of Germans at the time thought, so I can't quite say if I believe Felix's statements seem to represent his character. I'm keeping an open mind.
As for the story itself, it is one the best short stories I've read by Voinov. There's an incredibly pervasive dour tone throughout the whole story that sets the mood for the hopelessness Felix feels and witnesses in Baldur. It makes the case of continual hopelessness and the stark reality of their future as well when, at the climax of the story, the tone doesn't change.
I always notice the sensory detail in Voinov's work, and this story didn't let me down. The flashes of color among the grey provide a stark dissonance. All the sense are used effectively, taste, scent, touch, and sound come forward to have more meaning against desolate towns that are described in drab sights. When looking at a basket full of food under a red-checked cloth, Felix narrates: "He pauses for a moment, gazes down at the towel, and we might be thinking the same -- that it looks, from the corner of the eye, like blood-spattered cloth. The pattern is too regular, however, and the whole ordered madness of war is in dissolution everywhere else, so it can't live in that basket."
I don't have criticism for the story, and if this is just a taste of a longer novel soon to come (whether about these characters or not), then I'm very excited to see what Voinov will release in the near future.
August 18, 2012
It is the end of the 3rd Reich. Its last days, its last hours. It is the end of World War II and its last battles.
The imagery and the flying action managed to give something epic to the story despite its shortness, while the pace alternated between the excruciating wait of the impending defeat and the rapidity with which the world and the characters’ lives could fall over.
Lieutnant Baldur Vogt is an eagle, Félix a laborious ant who worships him from the ground until his hero comes to him.
Together, they became simple men stealing moments of intimacy, snatching something for themselves from the chaos, building so much in so little time in order to choose finally how to face the end of this war.
The 1st person POV, the restraint and the poetic words made me share these so very fragile and so very precious moments in a unique way, intimately but with the delicacy they deserved.The shortness of it all gave me a feeling of overwhelming urgency.
It was a little like holding a beautiful, trembling bubble in my hands, fearing the moment it would burst and hoping….
All in all, Skybound is rather a long prose poem than a short story. Simply perfect.
The imagery and the flying action managed to give something epic to the story despite its shortness, while the pace alternated between the excruciating wait of the impending defeat and the rapidity with which the world and the characters’ lives could fall over.
Lieutnant Baldur Vogt is an eagle, Félix a laborious ant who worships him from the ground until his hero comes to him.
Together, they became simple men stealing moments of intimacy, snatching something for themselves from the chaos, building so much in so little time in order to choose finally how to face the end of this war.
The 1st person POV, the restraint and the poetic words made me share these so very fragile and so very precious moments in a unique way, intimately but with the delicacy they deserved.The shortness of it all gave me a feeling of overwhelming urgency.
It was a little like holding a beautiful, trembling bubble in my hands, fearing the moment it would burst and hoping….
All in all, Skybound is rather a long prose poem than a short story. Simply perfect.
May 3, 2023
Wow. This blew my mind. Brilliant.
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