“Angel Down” by Daniel Kraus

Pvt. Cyril Bagger has spent his life as a shiftless degenerate. In the Army, he swindles his way to survival by working the burial detail. He avoids frontline conflict as adroitly as he avoids emotional connection. All of that changes when he and a raggle-taggle squad of outsiders find an angel on the battlefield. What follows is as unexpected as it is harrowing.

This novel is breakneck unpredictability. Kraus is an absolute master of pacing, and it is on full display in “Angel Down.”  Written in a single, run-on sentence, it conveys a sense of headlong flight to the reader. It is rapid, breathless, and moves like a whirlwind. Then, with expert aplomb, the action stops in a deliberate moment to allow the reader a breath, a sigh, a pause in which to step away from the unrelenting pace. Only to fling them back in the trenches a moment later.

Despite the traumas of war being presented, the prose is elegant. The descriptions are rich, flowing, and descriptive. There are so many lines in this book that are heartrendingly beautiful. Kraus is a consummate researcher; his attention to detail is unparalleled. That depth of knowledge makes the descriptions of war so very believable and haunting.

“Angel Down” is a masterfully written piece of historical horror. It is gritty, dark, and absolutely unrelenting. I couldn’t put it down.