The Darkest Hour

Product Description My name is Lucie Blaise.I am sixteen years old.I have many aliases, but I am none of the girls you see.What I am is the newest recruit of Covert Ops.And we are here to take down Hitler.After the Nazis killed my brother on the North African front, I volunteered at the Office of Strategic Services in Washington to do my part for the war effort. Only instead of a desk job at the OSS, I was tapped to join the Clandestine Operations--a secret espionage and sabotage organization of girls. Six months ago, I was deployed to German-occupied France to gather intelligence and eliminate Nazi targets.My current mission: Track down and interrogate a Nazi traitor about a weapon that threatens to wipe out all of Western Europe. Then find and dismantle the weapon before Hitler detonates it. But the deeper I investigate, the more danger I'm in. Because the fate of the free world hangs in the balance, and trusting the wrong person could cause millions of lives to be lost. Including my own. From School Library Journal Gr 8 Up—Following the loss of her brother on the African front in World War II, American Lucie Blaise joins a covert operations group in France. Tasked with unspeakable acts of espionage, Lucie and a cadre of other fearless women work tirelessly for the Allies. When a young Austrian comes forward with information about sinister Nazi plans, Lucie and her comrades in arms must decide whether to trust him and act on what could be a disastrous turning point in the war. Rife with action and intrigue, this work explores a little-known history of women in World War II. The novel passes the Bechdel test with flying colors as the two protagonists and occasional rivals escape Nazis on trains, down alleyways, and through the countryside. While the narrative takes a turn for the outlandish as the book progresses, Richmond makes clear in her author's note that the stories she is illuminating were no less than extraordinary. VERDICT Fast-paced and fascinating, this book is sure to please readers in search of a historical adventure.—Erinn Black Salge, Saint Peter's Prep, Jersey City, NJ Review Praise for The Darkest Hour"Rife with action and intrigue, this work explores a little-known history of women in World War II. The novel passes the Bechdel test with flying colors . . ." -- School Library Journal"Thrills, action, and the moral certainty of fighting Nazis drive this thriller." -- Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Only Thing to Fear"Richmond makes an impressive debut with this alternate history . . . She twists history and throws in creative exploitation of superpowers to deliver a fast-paced adventure." -- Publishers Weekly "Reminiscent of series like The Hunger Game and Divergent, but the alternative-history angle adds a spark of its own." -- Booklist"An outstanding debut that will thrill readers of all ages."--SciFiPulse.net" The Only Thing to Fear can be summed up in two words: realistically frightening . . . This heart-stopping novel goes to the extremes of what could have been and what may have been done." --TeenReads.com"The plot is fast-paced and will appeal to both historical fiction and science fiction readers." -- Library Media Connection Praise for The Darkest Hour"Rife with action and intrigue, this work explores a little-known history of women in World War II. The novel passes the Bechdel test with flying colors . . ." -- School Library Journal"Thrills, action, and the moral certainty of fighting Nazis drive this thriller." -- Kirkus Reviews Praise for The Only Thing to Fear"Richmond makes an impressive debut with this alternate history . . . She twists history and throws in creative exploitation of superpowers to deliver a fast-paced adventure." -- Publishers Weekly "Reminiscent of series like The Hunger Game and Divergent, but the alternative-history angle adds a spark of its own." -- Booklist"An outstanding debut that will thrill readers of all ages."--SciFiPulse.net" The Only Thing to Fear can b