Angel Down (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

Angel Down (Pulitzer Prize Winner)

$34.79

Review Quotes: "A thunderous gallop of a war novel, a new classic, a best-in-class example of speculative fiction. Mysterious and full of grace, rambling and ducking and shifting for 285 dizzying, blood-soaked, astonishing pages." --New...

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Review Quotes:
"A thunderous gallop of a war novel, a new classic, a best-in-class example of speculative fiction. Mysterious and full of grace, rambling and ducking and shifting for 285 dizzying, blood-soaked, astonishing pages." --New York Times Book Review

" Angel Down's structure is essential to its impact, mirroring the experience of war that Kraus describes so vividly. It's not only a strikingly original horror novel; it's a piece of perfectly executed literary gymnastics. A stunner." --Neil McRobert, Vulture

"[An] inventive metaphysical horror tale. . . . Kraus has a clear grasp on our worst impulses. An impressive and surprising take on war-story tropes." --Kirkus, (starred review)

Review Quotes:
"[ Angel Down] unfolds like a chant, in short paragraphs each beginning with the word and, and readers will quickly fall under Bagger's narrative spell as they see the visceral and gruesome toll war takes on the entire planet. Is Bagger going to survive through a miracle or by luck? A brilliant novel that will encourage its readers to live their best lives, despite the horrors that surround them. For fans of John Milas' The Militia House (2023) and thought-provoking tales that sow discomfort through story and narrative structure, such as Agustina Bazterrica's The Unworthy (2025)." --Booklist (starred review)

Review Quotes:
"A vivid tale...Kraus ramps up the tension with the relentless cadence of his prose, offering no breaks from the action but finding room for glorious lyrical flights...With this vigorous narrative, Kraus breathes new life into the war novel." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Review Quotes:
"This novel leaves you breathless. You can't guess where it's going, or how it's going to get there. Just, let it take your hand, pull you through these trenches, this war, this century, this . . . this life." --Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author

Review Quotes:
"Disorienting and utterly sublime -- a spiritually fulfilling literary gauntlet. This book is a miracle." --Eric LaRocca

Review Quotes:
"Kraus demonstrates what a seasoned author is capable of at the highest level of literary ambition. The most gripping, unforgettable account of war in recent memory -- American war fiction is certain to be haunted by this book for years to come." --John Milas

Brief Description:
"The critically acclaimed author of the "crazily enjoyable" (The New York Times) Whalefall returns with an immersive, cinematic novel about five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war. Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception, swindling fellow soldiers at every opportunity. 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 Man's Land to euthanize a wounded comrade. What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell. Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict"--

Review Quotes:
"A literary masterwork of unparalleled dexterity and ingenuity. One of the best things I've ever read. I'm absolutely blown away." -- Josh Malerman

Review Quotes:
"An absolute revelation, a hymn that sings of the humanity found within history's horrors. Here is a novel that will restore your faith in what the written word is capable of capturing." -- Clay McLeod Chapman

Review Quotes:

"Daniel Kraus has done it again. Angel Down is a dark and frenzied tale, set on the hellish landscape of WW1 France--where amid mayhem and death, something unexpectedly miraculous happens that will change the lives of several men, forever. Kraus writes with a prose that is at once witty in its observations and searing in its depictions, offering glimpses of humanity amid the brutally inhumane theatre of war. This is a story of the supernatural. But it is also a reminder that the horrors we most often face are the ones we create ourselves." --P. Djèlí Clark, author of Ring Shout

Biographical Note:
Daniel Kraus is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. His novel Angel Down was the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner, a New York Times Top 10 Book of the year, and a national bestseller. His novel Whalefall received a front-cover review in The New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist, and was named a Best Book of Year by NPR, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and more. With Guillermo del Toro, he coauthored The Shape of Water, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus coauthored Trollhunters, which was adapted into the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series. He cowrote The Living Dead and Pay the Piper with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Kraus's The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch was named one of Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Books of the Year. Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both Rotters and Scowler), and has appeared multiple times as Library Guild selections, and more. Kraus's work has been translated into over twenty-five languages. He lives with his partner in Chicago. Visit him at DanielKraus.com.

Review Quotes:
"A bold and exceptional novel from the author of Whalefall. Kraus has taken the classic war story and crafted something completely unique." --Library Journal (starred review)

Publisher Marketing:
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER - NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR - USA TODAY BESTSELLER

The critically acclaimed author of the "crazily enjoyable" (The New York Times) Whalefall returns with an immersive, cinematic novel about five World War I soldiers who stumble upon a fallen angel that could hold the key to ending the war.

Private Cyril Bagger has managed to survive the unspeakable horrors of the Great War through his wits and deception. 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 Man's Land to euthanize a wounded comrade.

What they find amid the ruined battlefield, however, is not a man in need of mercy but a fallen angel, seemingly struck down by artillery fire. This celestial being may hold the key to ending the brutal conflict, but only if the soldiers can suppress their individual desires and work together. As jealousy, greed, and paranoia take hold, the group is torn apart by their inner demons, threatening to turn their angelic encounter into a descent into hell.

Angel Down plunges you into the heart of World War I and weaves a polyphonic tale of survival, supernatural wonder, and moral conflict.

Review Citations:

  • Library Journal 05/30/2025 pg. 9 (EAN 9781668068458, Hardcover)
  • Publishers Weekly 05/12/2025 (EAN 9781668068458, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
  • Booklist 05/01/2025 pg. 51 (EAN 9781668068458, Hardcover) - *Starred Review
  • Kirkus Reviews 12/30/0001 (EAN 9781668068458, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Contributor Bio:Kraus, Daniel
Daniel Kraus is a New York Times bestselling writer of novels, TV, and film. His novel Angel Down was the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner, a New York Times Top 10 Book of the year, and a national bestseller. His novel Whalefall received a front-cover review in The New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist, and was named a Best Book of Year by NPR, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and more. With Guillermo del Toro, he coauthored The Shape of Water, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus coauthored Trollhunters, which was adapted into the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series. He cowrote The Living Dead and Pay the Piper with legendary filmmaker George A. Romero. Kraus's The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch was named one of Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Books of the Year. Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both Rotters and Scowler), and has appeared multiple times as Library Guild selections, and more. Kraus's work has been translated into over twenty-five languages. He lives with his partner in Chicago. Visit him at DanielKraus.com.