Kevin Powers's Fourth Novel Shifts From Iraq to the First World War

Kevin Powers's fourth novel returns to the themes of his acclaimed debut The Yellow Birds, winner of the 2012 Guardian first book award, but shifts from Iraq to the first world war. The story follows Roy, the arrogant heir to a wealthy Virginia landowner, and Ennis, an orphan living in a mountain shack. They first clash over Samantha, the minister's daughter, who chooses Ennis over Roy.

After a punch-up cements their unlikely friendship, Roy joins the army as an officer and persuades Ennis to enlist as a private, a decision that haunts him. Ennis proves a natural killer, while Roy is overwhelmed by responsibility and terrifying dreams. Powers, a US army veteran and machine-gunner in Iraq, writes violence with unsettling authority, from battlefield set pieces to war crimes and a pandemic.

The novel's strongest bond is the one forged between Roy and Ennis, born of a brawl and reinforced by shared brutality. Despite less believable characters, Powers's economical prose delivers a gripping tale that ends with a powerful reminder of war's heartbreak.