“The book’s pacing is cinematic . . . adrenalized.” — New York Times

“Rich in equestrian and military detail . . . It’d take wild horses to pull you away.” —Entertainment Weekly

When Corporal Elijah Russell’s superb horsemanship is revealed during a firefight in northern Iraq, the young army Ranger is assigned to an elite Special Forces unit preparing to stage a secret mission in eastern Afghanistan. Russell’s task is to train the Green Berets — fiercely loyal to their enigmatic commander, Captain Wynne — to ride the horses they will use to execute this mission through treacherous mountain terrain. But as the team presses farther into enemy territory, the nature of the operation only becomes more mysterious and Wynne’s charismatic power takes on a darker cast. Ultimately, Russell finds himself forced to make a choice: on one side, his best friend and his most deeply held beliefs; on the other, a commanding officer driven by a messianic zeal for his mission. This taut, action-packed novel fuses the Western and the war story into a compellingly original tale.

“This novel feels like Cormac McCarthy meets Tim O’Brien. I could not stop reading it.” — Philipp Meyer, author ofThe Son

[author photo] © Mark Fortenberry