It’s hard to put into words how I feel about “Angel Down” by Daniel Kraus. The incomprehensible brutality of war is juxtaposed with a journey of self reflection, friendship. It took me a bit to get into this book partially due to its unique format of a run on sentence and every paragraph beginning with “and” but then it grabbed me and never let go. Kraus’ absolutely beautiful prose depicts the abominable horrors of war so effectively I found myself rereading parts to fully absorb them. This book is a momentous achievement in challenging the reader to think about the whole of human history and how we have chosen to rain endless violence upon the earth while also depicting those small familial and friendship connections that truly define the beauty of our lives. This book will remain in my thoughts for a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I give Kraus all the credit in the world for what he does: A completely new approach EVERY single time he writes a book.

He has way more hits than misses, but for me, this one is a miss.

This time he's barking up the "literary novel" tree, with this World War I novel.

I just couldn't get into the flow of his writing. Go read another one of his books, because he really is a genius storyteller.

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.

In direct conversation with Dies: A Sentence by Vanessa Place, Angel Down by Daniel Kraus is a stunning, challenging read that heavily rewards all who see it through. With beautiful prose, it's an astonishing read that is highly recommended.

I'm blown away, Kraus' writing took me captive from the get go, the entire book is one sentence...I KNOW, extremely propulsive and engaging I've never read anything like this, doubt I ever will, I thought it was action packed, emotional and thought provoking, amazing!

I have never, ever read a book like Angel Down before and I doubt I ever will again.

In Angel Down by Daniel Kraus, my newest review book from Net Galley, a group of soldiers in the middle of a war are sent to find out who is making a loud shrieking noise. They investigate and find out that its an Angel. Their lives will never be the same.

Thats all I’ll tell you about Angel Down’s plot. However if I want do a review of Angel Down, then I have talk about how its written. You could totally skip the rest of this review if you don’t want spoilers about that. I understand. I’ll tell you right now that Angel Down is a masterpiece. Its a beautiful book that I feel very lucky to get to read and review. Are you going? I can wait.

Are you gone yet?

Last chance.

Okay. Still here? Angel Down is one sentence. The entire book is written as one continuous sentence. There are many commas but no periods. There are paragraph breaks and chapters but there is always an and to tell you that the sentence continues in the next chapter. If the entire book had been written without paragraph breaks and no chapters, well, it would’ve been impossible to read. And the book totally breaks the paragraph rule later on and has a section with no paragraph break that was a bit difficult to read but I was already invested in the book. There was no way I was stopping.

I have to admit at first I wasn’t sure if I was into the way the book was written. I considered maybe not finishing the book at first. The book was readable but I wasn’t sure if it was grabbing my attention. And then I thought to myself Well try to read it aloud. So I started to read the book aloud and the story started to CLICK. Angel Down feels like a story that someone is telling aloud to someone else. It feels like a breathless narrative that someone is telling and they can’t stop because if they stop they won’t be able to finish the story. The narrative so very intense.

Angel Down is a book that you wouldn’t hand a kid. Not because there aren’t kids that would be able to read the book. There are some pretty smart kids out there. However Angel Down is a very graphic, no holds barred story that gives you what you expect to see in a graphic war story. And what you don’t expect to see too. We never saw this kind war in Saving Private Ryan or many other war movies out there. This war isn’t pretty. Its heart-breaking. Your heart will break throughout this book.

And its beautiful. The entire book is beautiful.

Its written in third person, with one character’s point of view. Its tragic and heart-breaking and gasp inducing and poetry and its unlike anything I’ve read. And yes I’m totally borrowing some of its unique style for this for review. Though I definitely think I could never write this entire review as one sentence. I love sentence endings too much.

Angel Down is a brilliant book. It won’t be for everyone. Some people who start it, won’t finish it. Other people will declare it a masterpiece like I do and some likely will think its trash. Its a brave book by a brave author. Angel Down is a total risk. And this reviewer believes with his whole heart that it works.

If you stayed this long for this review, then you know what, you owe to yourself to read Angel Down. You should. Be brave and take a risk. Its not for the faint of heart but if you are brave and you believe, not in me, but you believe that there are books that can reach to your soul and show you something new then this book might be for you. Angel Down could be a life changing book. Then again, it may just be a book. A brave book. Whatever you take from this book, it’ll really depend on you. The book giveth and the book eventually ends.

I’ll never forget Angel Down. And you better believe it’ll be on my list of best books of 2025. Thats going to be one hell of a list. This year has been unbelievable for books!

Angel Down by Daniel Kraus comes out on July 29th, 2025. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this book. Thank you to the writer for being so brave,

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for letting me read an eARC of Angel Down by Daniel Kraus. I absolutely loved this brisk, action-packed novel from the author of Whalefall, which was another great read. Private Cyril Bagger is a brilliant protagonist as he is thrust into becoming a protector for an angel against the backdrop of World War I. The action was propulsive and kept me turning the page to find out what would happen to Bagger and the angel. I highly recommend reading Angel Down when you get a chance if you love historical war and action novels.

Daniel Kraus delivers another unexpected and wildly unique stunner of a novel. “Angel Down” is unlike any war story you’ve read or will probably read. Written using almost only commas, there is a breathless pacing to the book. The prose perfectly envelopes you with the horrors and nightmares of war. A group of soldiers in WWI find an angel on the battlefield and you aren’t prepared for or expecting anything that comes next. I love stories that make me ponder how a mind could dream this up and “Angel Down” is one of those. The structure, the plot, the characters are all expertly realized. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

ANGEL DOWN – by Daniel Kraus

‘Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War. . . . But his survival instincts are put to the ultimate test when he and four other grunts are given a deadly mission: venture into the perilous No Mans Land to euthanize a wounded comrade.’

Daniel Kraus’ writing style in ANGEL DOWN is not only unique but a perfect fit for the narrative of this supernatural horror story…

‘Bagger, already weighed down in mud and blood, further heavies in the dreary certainty that the shriek won’t ever end, just like the war won’t ever end, like the carnage won’t ever end, it’s a sentence in a book careening without periods, gasping with too many commas, a sentence that, once begun, can’t ever be stopped, a sentence doomed to loop back on itself to form a terrible black wheel that, sooner or later, will drag each and every person to their grave …’

Recommend!

Scheduled For Release – July 29, 2025 – Though Subject To Change

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books (Simon & Schuster), for providing me with an eBook of ANGEL DOWN at the request of an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital advanced book! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In the movie 1917, the director used a unique filming technique that presented the entire story in one continuous, long scene. I enjoyed this so much because I, as the viewer, felt like I was right there, the unbroken storyline creating an intimacy that made the horror of war even more alarming. This book reminded me of that.

This writing style was different and unique. From a letter written by Daniel Kraus’s editor, it is explained that this is the first manuscript presented by Kraus in this style. And I have to admit, it worked really well. I’ve always disliked reading Faulkner because I was turned off by the long paragraphs and run-on sentences. But this? This hooked me.

Let me explain. The story opens with the word ‘and’, continuing on in a stream of consciousness for the duration of the book. Please don’t let this dissuade you from reading this! While there was not even one single period in this book, I found the writing to be well-crafted and masterful. The message of the story, the deep-seated trauma and gore of war paired with shaking courage and hesitant friendship, towered over the more traditional presentation of syntax and grammar.

Let’s talk about the angel. It is a stereotypical image of angels throughout time: beautiful, lithe, ethereal, otherworldly. But there is something a little off about the angel, and as our characters discover throughout the novel, it might present a barrier to what we think we’ve always known about angels and religion in general. I feel Kraus wrote this angel creatively and cannily, exhibiting a new body of knowledge related to where we stand in the greater crux of the universe. He did well in making Bagger, the main character, feel as small as an ant against the churning machine of war and death, asking the question of what it means to be a soldier, a human, a willing friend, while balancing his more base instincts of protecting himself and his life.

Bagger tries so hard to dislocate his involvement in the war, his place in the disgusting and dirty grit of it but ultimately feels himself slowly broken open by a much-too young boy in Army fatigues who has no business in the trenches of France. It is this friendship that everything in the story hinges upon. It’s heartbreaking and touching. I found myself absorbing the story as I would someone verbalize it to me. I’m not much of an audiobook listener, but I imagine this story would be a great audiobook. Either way, it worked well for me and I truly enjoyed this one.

4.5/5 stars

A historical horror was not what I was expecting from this author but it was so disturbingly perfect! I read Whalefall in 2023 and have been itching for another Danial Kraus release that sounded up my alley. I didn't even release this was a thing until I saw this while browsing Netgalley. And this was sooo good, let me tell you, I was devouring this so quickly whenever I picked it up. The setting and atmosphere were very well written, the characters (Bagger, Arno, and Veck mainly) and their trauma all felt very raw and quite true to the ways war can destroy a person's life. One of the best part about this book was the writing, the style itself was so strange but weirdly fitting for the story, and the prose itself was stunning. I was continuously highlighting sections of paragraphs, and I NEVER highlight anything in books. I'm gonna be babbling about this for a while, sorry not sorry. Can't wait to get my hands of the finished copy!

This has to be a DNF for me. I've tried multiple times to get into it, but the way it's written is just a brick wall for me to actually appreciate the story. I get the intention, I get WHY it's written the way it is, and I think it'll work really well for certain people (it may even work beautifully as an audiobook). But as it stands, I just couldn't get a grip of it.

Absolutely heartbreakingly incredible. Best book I've read in ages. Kraus works a special kind of magic here, pulling you into a miserable, hopeless, horrible situation and makes you yearn for a happy ending, despite the despair and tragedy of war. And he does it in one brilliant sentence. I've never read anything like it. One of the most self-assured, unapologetic, unrelenting stories I've ever been pulled into. It's breathlessly done, you feel every moment of violence, every second of fear, every knock backwards and still you want to move on with Bagger and Arno and the rest of these doomed soldiers. I will recommend this to every single person I know, it's necessary, vital, inspiring, brutal, gorgeous.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this novel!

Due to the ‘unique’ format, one giant sentence with each section beginning with the word ‘and’. This approach made it tough to get into the story. I was unable to finish it at this time. However, once the audio becomes available I would like to revisit.

Thank you again!

Pub Date: July 29, 2025

A huge thank you to @atriabooks for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ALL THE STARS)

There is a sadness that I feel whenever I finish an extraordinary, phenomenal book; I’m aware that I won’t experience reading this book for the first time again and I get a bit worried that I’ll spend the rest of my life searching for another book that made me feel this way. This is exactly how I felt after reading @kraus_author WHALEFALL, and I am unsurprised it's how I feel after reading ANGEL DOWN; I know there’s me before reading ANGEL DOWN and there’s me after reading ANGEL DOWN.

ANGEL DOWN is a masterpiece; Kraus has written an incredibly unique and innovative novel that is heartbreaking, beautiful, brutal, brilliant, horrific, and yet still, hopeful. Even the structure of ANGEL DOWN is brilliant and works and I can’t imagine reading ANGEL DOWN any other way. To me, ANGEL DOWN is an unflinching examination of war, humanity, our desires, and what it means to live and be alive. The imagery of war in ANGEL DOWN is haunting and there are passages in this book that will forever stick with me. Incredibly smart and well written, ANGEL DOWN is the type of book that I’m always longing to read. Kraus is one of the best writers and ANGEL DOWN is a must read.

thank you to the publishers for the ARC! this was beautifully written, following the story of soldiers finding an angel on the battlefield. lot of commentary on war and the selfishness of man. this was very very well written, the prose was so impressive. the only thing that wasn’t really for me was the format! every paragraph starts with ‘and’, and there’s no periods, only commas!! but i still enjoyed this plenty

Kraus' Whalefall left me emotionally devastated and I have been chasing that in a book ever since. So I definitely jumped at the chance to read his new book coming out this July. Kraus did not disappoint! Set during WWI, deep in the trenches, this story is gritty, dirty, and gruesome and the main character, Cyril Bagger, is not a person you could typically cheer for. I don't want to give too much away, but, yes, there is also an angel in this story and I am always looking for books with angels as characters. There is a stylistic choice made in this book that may turn some readers off, but I personally loved it and felt it very much added to the story. I love how beautifully Kraus can turn a phrase.

I enjoyed my time with Daniel Kraus’s “Whalefall,” so when I saw “Angel Down” was available as an ARC, I quickly downloaded it, excited to visit another one of Kraus’s worlds. Unfortunately, this just didn’t do it for me nor did I enjoy my time.

While the description of a WW I soldiers stumbling upon a fallen angel — key to ending the war — sounded interesting in practice, execution on the other hand, is laughable. Kraus weaves together a story where each sentence starts with an “and.” What follows are run on sentences confusing and monotonous. It’s a shame beyond what I mentioned before because WW I rarely gets as much focus as WW II and a story of a group of soldiers struggling to survive in No Man’s Land sounded great. It’s just not the case here. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Cyril Bagger knows that he's lucky, and also that his luck is running out. He's supposed to be on the front lines of WWI, but he's mouthy and rude and gets himself assigned to burial duty--a terrible job, sure, but one he prefers to fighting and risking death. So when he and a few other career shirkers are assigned to find the wounded soldier shrieking incessantly, they're not excited. But the shrieker turns out to be an angel, a literal angel, and they know they need to bring her back to their commander, that she can help them win the war.

There's a lot going on here: the horrors of war (and Kraus, with his usual body-horror descriptions, shows these quite well), duty, religious faith, the unending violence of humankind. The book is one very long run-on sentence, which is a little hard to deal with but makes sense for the frantic unendingness of the character's thoughts and actions.theres a lot of character growth, but it doesn't feel like it somehow. Maybe it didn't slow down enough to give that space and that's the problem?

I've liked a lot of Krause's other work better than this one--I never connected with any of the characters, really; never felt truly invested in them. This seemed more an exploration of form over character--nothing wrong with that; it just wasn't for me this time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC! This reading experience took a lot out of me. I could not get behind the writing style. When the paragraphs got too big, the run on sentences were too much to handle. I do realize it was a stylistic choice but it just didn’t vibe with me. The story was absolutely wild and I did enjoy the plot. I did not enjoy the graphic animal gore, I can handle a lot but kittens are my line I guess.