Spoils

February 6, 2017
The horrors of modern war in Iraq in 2003 are vividly described in this debut novel by Iraq War veteran Van Reet, focusing on the deadly connections between a female American soldier, an American tank crewman, and a fervent jihadist insurgent. At an obscure roadblock near Baghdad, Army Specialist Cassandra is a gunner on a Humvee, idealistic and proud of her service. Private Sleed, the tank crewman, is naïve and easily manipulated. And Abu Al-Hool loses a leadership struggle with Dr. Walid, an Islamist extremist. Sleed and his crew have abandoned their posts to loot a palace when Walid and Al-Hool’s fighters attack the American roadblock, and Cassandra is wounded and captured by the jihadists, beginning 55 days of torture, abuse, and exploitation for propaganda. Sleed feels guilty that their dereliction of duty contributed to Cassandra’s capture. While the Americans search for Cassandra, Al-Hool suspects Walid will have him killed, so he makes desperate plans to avoid assassination and to seek his revenge. Cassandra’s POW captivity is horrific; Dr. Walid’s final propaganda use for her is calmly diabolical and will have surprising and devastating effect. Van Reet’s unsettling tale is an authentic portrayal of combat with its chaos, fear, and the finality of death. It is also a sobering commentary on war’s brutality and the burning intensity of Iraq’s jihadist insurgency.

A roadside firefight in the early days of the Iraq War sets the stage for a harrowing audiobook that explores both sides of the conflict. Each main character has his or her own narrator, allowing listeners to more easily follow the story's shifts in time. Nicol Zanzarella portrays Cassandra Wigheard, whose Humvee is attacked in the opening chapter. Restrained and thoughtful, Zanzarella depicts Cassandra as a proud soldier amid the foibles of war. Andrew Eiden portrays Private Sleed with a gung-ho delivery that plays with stereotypes of U.S. soldiers before transcending them. Armando Duran exudes authority and world-weariness as Abu Al-Hool, a lifelong jihadist who is uneasy with terrorist extremism. Circumstances of war weave these narrative threads into an experience that listeners will not soon forget. A.T.N. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine