Book Review: The Militia House by John Milas

“I wonder if the whole reason I ended up here is because I gave up on everything, my life in the real world, whatever potential I had to do good or be a good person, the people who cared about me.”

📚

Set within an active war zone Marine base in Kajaki, Afghanistan, in 2010, The Militia House is a debut psychological gothic horror novel that explores the unremitting horrors of war. Through its protagonist, Corporal Loyette, the reader is immersed in the monotony, stress, misery, danger, dread, and lack of control experienced on a day-to-day basis. Hot desert temperatures, filthy living conditions, lack of modern conveniences, hazardous though monotonous jobs, extended stays, and unappetizing food form the backbone of the experience. These elements set the stage for the soldiers, who, as a result of their need for change and excitement, decide to explore the nearby abandoned barracks, referred to as the militia house.

The militia house comes with a creepy and horrifying history. Filled with filth, trash, graffiti, and eerie past remnants, the uber gothic barracks is a bizarre experience that negatively affects the soldiers, particularly Corporal Loyette, who suffers from nightmares, strange memories, and feelings of fear, insecurity, disillusionment, and inadequacy, and is relentlessly haunted by past mistakes and regrets. He appears to be suffering from PTSD (and/or possibly having a mental breakdown), as the latter portion of the novel reads like a fever dream where reality is hazy at best. Is the militia house haunted, or is something else happening?

The text employs military jargon that contributes to the monotony and otherworldly aspects, “otherworldly” in this case being the singular experience of military service and active war zones, both of which literally feel and are miles away from “normal” realities, existing in their own spheres foreign to anyone except the Marines operating within them. And while the jargon pulls the reader out of the story, it’s also effective, as it makes the reader feel on the outside of and separated from Corporal Loyette’s life, which appears to be a major thematic element.

The novel also appears to employ a lot of symbolism, some of which seems clear, but much of which isn’t (at least for this reader). This would make for a great book club discussion, as the unnerving storyline leaves the reader with many lingering thoughts, feelings, and questions.

Thank you to Henry Holt/Macmillan Publishers for providing a free copy of this recent release, won through a Goodreads giveaway. It was a haunting and thought-provoking read that will remain in my mind for a long time to come.

**To read my full review (submitted behind a spoiler warning), visit Goodreads. The above is an edited version with potential spoilers removed.

❤Amanda

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that, if you make a purchase using one of my links, I receive a small compensation to help support the time, work, and cost that go into creating my blog. Purchases made through Bookshop.org also support independent bookstores nationwide. Thank you for reading and supporting Her Infinite Archive!