Title: The Winter Warriors

Author: Olivier Norek

Genre: Historical Thriller

Publisher: Orenda Books

Publication Date: 11th September 2025

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

November, 1939. A conscription officer arrives in the peaceful farming village of Rautjärvi. The Soviet Union has invaded, and for the first time in its history as an independent country, Finland is at war.

Setting off into the depths of winter to face the Red Army, the small group of childhood friends recruited from Rautjärvi have no idea whether any of them will ever return home. But their unit has a secret weapon: the young sniper Simo Häyhä, whose lethal skill in the snow-bound forests of the front line will earn him the nickname ‘The White Death’.

Drawing on the real-life figures and battles of the Finnish-Soviet Winter War, The Winter Warriors is a riveting, heart-pounding, utterly epic historical thriller from one of Europe’s most acclaimed crime writers.

Review:

This is a fascinating and harrowing account of the Finnish-Soviet Winter War in 1939-1940. It’s not a conflict I knew very much about, possibly because of its proximity to World War Two, so this was a really informative and revealing read for me. It is historical fiction but honestly reads more like nonfiction in many ways, so evidently well researched and faithful to actual events is The Winter Warriors. The story mostly follows a group of childhood friends from a small area in Finland, Rautjärvi, who are called up in the fight against the Red Army. One of them is Simo Häyhä, who is now considered to have been one of the most deadly snipers in history. We follow Simo and his friends through the intensity and horror of war. Consequently, it is often an incredibly harrowing read but that is utterly necessary. The horror and violence of war needs to be evident for its impact to be understood and The Winter Warriors does this in a way that is harsh but not gratuitous. I found it an extremely compelling read and found Simo a fascinating historical figure that I’m glad I now know a little more about. I would absolutely recommend this piece of historical fiction meets facts if you have any interest in the 20th century and its seismic conflicts – an illuminating read from start to finish. 

★★★★

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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