A review by archaicrobin
The Militia House by John Milas

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I had never heard of this book before. I was browsing Libby looking for a new digital read and this one caught my eye. Marines tasked with loading and unloading cargo in preparation for another battalion to fire giant guns, is in the middle of nowhere in Afganistán during the war. They’re bored out of their minds living in terrible conditions when they hear the story if the Militia house. A haunted ramshackle house near their camp that is horrifically haunted by Russian soldiers that had been skinned a live inside. Corporal Loyette finally breaks down and accompanies his Junior Marines to the house in hopes of breaking the monotony and livening their spirits. What they find is a truly haunted house that won’t ever let them leave…..

This story is wonderfully written with a terrifying mix of psychological and supernatural horror. Loyette discusses the day to day horrors of war intermixed with the supernatural horrors of the house making it hard to discern between what is actually happening and what isn’t. The characters are well written and I was attached to all of them, dreading what might happen.

The author was a marine deployed during the war himself and it shows from the thoughts and details in this book. This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year and I will be recommending it to everyone. While the ending is ambiguous and the book overall is very dark and depressing, it is such a powerful look at the pointlessness of war and the people unfortunate enough to get swept up in it. A very haunting but powerful read. 
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