Daniel Kraus

Angel Down Daniel Kraus

Winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction! From the New York Times bestselling author of Whalefall, and the co-author of The Shape of Water alongside Guillermo del Toro. A stylistically bold and innovative, cinematic horror novel about greed and paranoia, set amongst the grit and mud of the trenches in WW1. Perfect for fans of Stephen Graham Jones and Alma Katsu. - 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. A thunderous gallop of a war novel, a new classic, a best-in-class example of speculative fiction. - New York Times. 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). Kraus demonstrates what a seasoned author is capable of at the highest level of literary ambition. - John Milas.