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Hyena Road
Based on the new feature film starring Paul Gross, Rossif Sutherland and Allan Hawco
Reminiscent of American Sniper and the Academy Award–winning The Hurt Locker, Hyena Road plunges deep to the heart of the Afghanistan war zone. Three men stand at the intersection of modern warfare – a murky world of fluid morality where all is not as it seems. Thrown together are Pete, a veteran ISAF intelligence officer, Ryan, a Canadian sniper, and The Ghost, a legendary mujahedeen warrior who has mysterious reappeared. Three different men, three different worlds, three different wars. Driving the high-stakes political and military gamesmanship between them is the danger-filled construction of Hyena Road, an 18-kilometre stretch of concrete through Panjwaii that international military leaders call “a dagger in the heart of the Taliban.” Hyena Road is an action-packed story of on-the-ground combat, impossible choices and the personal costs of war.
Reminiscent of American Sniper and the Academy Award–winning The Hurt Locker, Hyena Road plunges deep to the heart of the Afghanistan war zone. Three men stand at the intersection of modern warfare – a murky world of fluid morality where all is not as it seems. Thrown together are Pete, a veteran ISAF intelligence officer, Ryan, a Canadian sniper, and The Ghost, a legendary mujahedeen warrior who has mysterious reappeared. Three different men, three different worlds, three different wars. Driving the high-stakes political and military gamesmanship between them is the danger-filled construction of Hyena Road, an 18-kilometre stretch of concrete through Panjwaii that international military leaders call “a dagger in the heart of the Taliban.” Hyena Road is an action-packed story of on-the-ground combat, impossible choices and the personal costs of war.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2015
39 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 19, 2019
Hyena Road is the best piece of war fiction I have ever read. The story follows a Canadian sniper detachment in the War in Afghanistan, whose lives and duties become intertwined with a shadowy military intelligence officer. This intelligence officer has become obsessed with a legendary mujahideen fighter from the Soviet-Afghan War who disappeared decades ago and has mysteriously resurfaced, known only as The Ghost.
The thing I appreciated most about this book was that it was well-researched. The mannerisms and military protocols described in this book are 100% accurate for the Canadian Forces. Gross must have collaborated with the Canadian military for this book to be so accurate. Though some of the information, like the weapons and vehicles they use, is available online, Gross uses numerous catchphrases that Canadian Forces members say to this day, and I don't see how else he could know them.
Aside from accurately describing the Canadian military, the book is richly detailed in general, describing Afghanistan, its culture, and the ISAF mission in tremendous detail. It brilliantly explores the human side of war and the consequences of it. It is gripping, tense, and incredibly action-packed right from the opening pages. It combines blistering close-quarters combat and thrilling espionage. It's literally Body of Lies and American Sniper melded together, and it's a deeply-rewarding, unforgettable experience.
Highly recommended.
The thing I appreciated most about this book was that it was well-researched. The mannerisms and military protocols described in this book are 100% accurate for the Canadian Forces. Gross must have collaborated with the Canadian military for this book to be so accurate. Though some of the information, like the weapons and vehicles they use, is available online, Gross uses numerous catchphrases that Canadian Forces members say to this day, and I don't see how else he could know them.
Aside from accurately describing the Canadian military, the book is richly detailed in general, describing Afghanistan, its culture, and the ISAF mission in tremendous detail. It brilliantly explores the human side of war and the consequences of it. It is gripping, tense, and incredibly action-packed right from the opening pages. It combines blistering close-quarters combat and thrilling espionage. It's literally Body of Lies and American Sniper melded together, and it's a deeply-rewarding, unforgettable experience.
Highly recommended.
January 3, 2025
An excellent way to tell a story from 3 points of view!
Brilliantly done and made me feel as if I was there.
I love that it did not feel like biased story-telling.
4 Stars
Brilliantly done and made me feel as if I was there.
I love that it did not feel like biased story-telling.
4 Stars
November 12, 2015
As civilians we'll never truly understand the brutalities of war and the devastating split-second decisions they need to make. Even the soldiers who get to come home are never the same. Great story. Really good quick read. Heartbreaking and a suiting fit to finish on Remembrance Day. Lest We Forget.
June 19, 2016
A story about a Canadian sniper detachment serving near Kandahar, Afghanistan. Very interesting and strongly recommended.
February 12, 2020
This is a really great book and an eye opener for those that dont understand Canada's role in the middle east conflict. I would have given it 4 stars but there are so many military short terms that I feel it took away from the story. I know what many of them mean and it was still annoying at times. for anyone that isnt up on military terms and jargon they would spend most of their time looking up the meanings in the back of the book.
Dont get me wrong, this is still a really good book. I think all Canadians should read books like this to better understand our military's role in the world today.
Dont get me wrong, this is still a really good book. I think all Canadians should read books like this to better understand our military's role in the world today.
November 13, 2015
Passed the time with this one on the plane and in the airport. It was ok. Nothing spectacular about the writing, some decent action - no real connection with the characters. Worth a look if it's your genre of choice.
January 24, 2018
Afghanistan’s is a 5000-year-old culture that predates Christianity, Islam and Judaism and is beyond the comprehension of Western Society. Half a million Russians couldn’t subdue them nor even Alexander the Great. Canadians got suckered into blundering into the conflict initiated by the Americans. This and the conflict in Iraq have served only to create for us more enemies and send young men and women home in body bags and others injured in mind and body. The present book is brings to text a feature film directed and produced by the author. If you like the book or the movie I would commend to your attention the CBC Radioplay Afghanada.
June 10, 2020
A very good story set in the Afghan war that provides a realistic portrait of the situation and attitudes of the participants. Heavy on the action without being overly indulgent in violence (i.e. not particularly macho.). Exciting plot with realistic (conflicted) characters. The romance however does seem a bit contrived - but then perhaps I'm wrong on that. Highly recommended to those looking for realistic modern warfare novels (not the military-techno-thriller style).
October 16, 2017
This was a very detailed story of a mission a group of Canadian soldiers undertook to protect a newly built highway in Afghanistan called Hyena Road. There were lots of soldier code words and short forms but the story was easy to follow and the characters well developed. It was very moving and tense and showed how difficult some decisions are to make in the heat of battle.
December 30, 2019
I don't normally read movie novelizations as they are typically very bad; basically like reading a movie. However, I am very glad I took a chance on this one. It was very enjoyable, moved quickly, and wrapped up things pretty well. Keep in mind this is a movie novelization as you do not have the depth of story you would have in a normal novel. Read it and enjoy the ride.
September 24, 2018
I read the book and watched the movie. I enjoyed how the book was about the road and not about other factors. It had an intricate plot which could have gone either way untill the end. It was more a Detective Novel then a war novel.
December 10, 2021
I enjoyed the movie, Hyena Road, so this felt like a logical companion. A little odd in that it came after the movie and not before, as most novels do. Well worth the read, whether you enjoy Canadian stories or war stories.
March 4, 2017
Good book about the Canadian forces in Afghanistan. I liked the movie better.
September 12, 2019
Great read
An excellent exciting read. Well crafted. Holds your interest until the very end. The author writes very well. Well researched.
An excellent exciting read. Well crafted. Holds your interest until the very end. The author writes very well. Well researched.
Read
December 21, 2019Just another post 911 war story
well told.
Believable characters.
Not the kind of ending I appreciate.
well told.
Believable characters.
Not the kind of ending I appreciate.
September 1, 2020
I simply do not like this book.
There are few things in this life that I don't appreciate, and screenplays based on.. this, are exactly one of them.
There are few things in this life that I don't appreciate, and screenplays based on.. this, are exactly one of them.
December 19, 2021
Read this book a year ago and watched the movie.
May 11, 2022
This war book will keep you guessing who is on which side. Young girls are stolen, and the Canadian leaders disagree on what to do. The ending will bread your heart.
September 25, 2022
Ok read
February 10, 2017
Have you ever watched any of GENERATION KILL? It's more likely that you've seen that than the odds you've come across Paul Gross's movie so far; the latter has only been in theatres for a short time, whereas the former pops up on HBO a lot. If you pick up this book you'll understand where I draw the comparison.
For those of you who are not Canadian, allow me to give you a brief Paul Gross primer: He's a ridiculously handsome and talented actor/director/writer who's best known internationally for playing the prototypical Mountie on a show called DUE SOUTH (fun fact: Mark Ruffalo got his first tv role on said show. Seriously. Go read his IMDb quotes); here in the True North he's known as a versatile thespian whose passion projects have included the likes of his WWI film PASSCHENDAELE and, now, HYENA ROAD. He's big into our nation's often undiscussed war history, having grown up in a military family himself, so when I heard he was working on a film about our troops in Afghanistan I wasn't surprised. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've now read the book, a novel fashioned from his original screenplay and not the other way around, and one which is graced with the man's considerable talent for words.
I'd be lying, though, if I said this was fun to read.
Despite coming from a family with a deep military history, not unlike Mr. Gross, I've always found myself a bit squeamish when it comes to war tales, whether on screen or on the page, fiction or otherwise. (Maybe that's a "because of" rather than a "despite." Huh. Epiphany. Moving on.) GENERATION KILL was way, way too brutal and graphic for my tastes, and if you glance at the twisted stuff I read you'll know that's saying a lot. HYENA ROAD - the book - veers into territory like that: very keen moments of the pain and fear and anger these often young men and women experience while serving for their country, and occasional questions about exactly who they're really serving and why. No choices are simple for the three main characters. Everything costs something. It's a bleak look into the grey zone that so many of our front line fighters have to live in every day during their tours.
It's not easy to read at times, but since it's based on well-researched real events I don't suppose it's meant to be easy.
My final rating wavers between a 3.5 and a 4-star, mainly because I found myself getting logged down by jargon at points and that pulled me out of the story, and also because, as I've said, it's not an "enjoyable" read. Not for me, anyway. But it's an important and interesting story for those who aren't well-versed in what Canada's military role has been in the Gulf, and I'm glad that Mr. Gross has written a largely untold story here. For that reason I'll go with 4 stars. If you're a war buff, check it out. And given the pedigree of the writer and the cast, I'm guessing that the film version is probably a good bet, too. It just won't be a whole lot of fun.
For those of you who are not Canadian, allow me to give you a brief Paul Gross primer: He's a ridiculously handsome and talented actor/director/writer who's best known internationally for playing the prototypical Mountie on a show called DUE SOUTH (fun fact: Mark Ruffalo got his first tv role on said show. Seriously. Go read his IMDb quotes); here in the True North he's known as a versatile thespian whose passion projects have included the likes of his WWI film PASSCHENDAELE and, now, HYENA ROAD. He's big into our nation's often undiscussed war history, having grown up in a military family himself, so when I heard he was working on a film about our troops in Afghanistan I wasn't surprised. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I've now read the book, a novel fashioned from his original screenplay and not the other way around, and one which is graced with the man's considerable talent for words.
I'd be lying, though, if I said this was fun to read.
Despite coming from a family with a deep military history, not unlike Mr. Gross, I've always found myself a bit squeamish when it comes to war tales, whether on screen or on the page, fiction or otherwise. (Maybe that's a "because of" rather than a "despite." Huh. Epiphany. Moving on.) GENERATION KILL was way, way too brutal and graphic for my tastes, and if you glance at the twisted stuff I read you'll know that's saying a lot. HYENA ROAD - the book - veers into territory like that: very keen moments of the pain and fear and anger these often young men and women experience while serving for their country, and occasional questions about exactly who they're really serving and why. No choices are simple for the three main characters. Everything costs something. It's a bleak look into the grey zone that so many of our front line fighters have to live in every day during their tours.
It's not easy to read at times, but since it's based on well-researched real events I don't suppose it's meant to be easy.
My final rating wavers between a 3.5 and a 4-star, mainly because I found myself getting logged down by jargon at points and that pulled me out of the story, and also because, as I've said, it's not an "enjoyable" read. Not for me, anyway. But it's an important and interesting story for those who aren't well-versed in what Canada's military role has been in the Gulf, and I'm glad that Mr. Gross has written a largely untold story here. For that reason I'll go with 4 stars. If you're a war buff, check it out. And given the pedigree of the writer and the cast, I'm guessing that the film version is probably a good bet, too. It just won't be a whole lot of fun.
November 6, 2016
I was surprised by how good this book is. Although this is a relatively short book, it is a compelling story with convincing characters and relationships.
The story revolves around the opening of a newly paved road in the middle of a war zone. The Canadian general responsible for opening Hyena Road intends it to be “a dagger in the heart of the Taliban.” However, we learn the real consequences of the building of that road through three main characters: the veteran Canadian intelligence officer, the Canadian sniper, and the experienced Afghan warrior. Through their interrelationships we get a glimpse of the complexities of this war and the well-meaning, and ultimately futile, Canadian involvement in it.
I haven’t seen the movie. I, like everyone, loved Paul Gross in Due South. However, I have found the films he has written since to be very disappointing. His film Passchendaele for instance, tried to put a love story into the middle of one of history’s bloodiest battles. I read Hyena Road because I was intregued by the summary on the cover. Although there is a love relationship between two characters in the book, it is not central and actually plays well to the themes.
The story revolves around the opening of a newly paved road in the middle of a war zone. The Canadian general responsible for opening Hyena Road intends it to be “a dagger in the heart of the Taliban.” However, we learn the real consequences of the building of that road through three main characters: the veteran Canadian intelligence officer, the Canadian sniper, and the experienced Afghan warrior. Through their interrelationships we get a glimpse of the complexities of this war and the well-meaning, and ultimately futile, Canadian involvement in it.
I haven’t seen the movie. I, like everyone, loved Paul Gross in Due South. However, I have found the films he has written since to be very disappointing. His film Passchendaele for instance, tried to put a love story into the middle of one of history’s bloodiest battles. I read Hyena Road because I was intregued by the summary on the cover. Although there is a love relationship between two characters in the book, it is not central and actually plays well to the themes.
January 17, 2016
I have come to like Mr. Gross as a writer but I really have enjoyed the movies that this talented director and actor have brought to life. When I saw this latest novel concerning our Canadian military in Afghanistan, well, I bought it and immediately moved it up my must read list. I have as yet seen the movie as this novel is based on the screenplay but if it is anything like the book I will be chasing down the film. This is a work of fiction but I had heard of the Hyena road which is very much real in the Kandahar city district. The novel was quite entertaining with believable characters and stories that sound familiar to anyone who has read the numerous non fictional events penned by many of our fine men and women who served in the conflict. Not sure if Mr. Gross had the honor of visiting the troops on assignment but he seemed to have a solid grasp of the emotions of the people involved and was able to put it to writing with clear absorbing insight. I will conclude with just this reflection, any novel that brings me to tears, fiction or non, receives kudo’s from me.
May 18, 2016
Before reading Hyena Road, I knew next to nothing of the story and had not seen the movie upon which this book is based (ok, it's based on the screenplay, but you get the idea). It is an easy read, and relatively brief. Paul Gross does a good job of capturing the politics and moral challenges (to say nothing of the physical risks and dangers) facing Canadian and Allied forces in the Middle East. The end is unpredictable (in my opinion) and I will spare any readers a summary of the brief but interesting story and I will also with hold any spoilers. Hyena Road is certainly relevant if you know anyone in the Canadian military serving in the middle east or if you are at all interested in some of the politics of the role Canada plays in peace-keeping and redevelopment in the Middle East. I recommend this book for a quick but enjoyable piece of somewhat realistic fiction.
June 9, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised to find this in a used book store as I was traveling and picked it up because I had already seen the movie preview and was curious. Not really a typical combat/war novel but I think it may reflect very well the complicated situation of the still ongoing conflict in Afghanistan that began after 9/11. A bit of a Kipling and Michener flavor as the author reflects the challenges for Westerners of comprehending how Afghans think about their lives and the events around them. Looking forward to how it translates into film as the script was apparently the basis for the novel.
November 16, 2015
Based on the film of the same name, "Hyena Road" is the story of two Canadian soldiers and their interactions with the Afghan people. The novel is based on the screenplay written by Paul Gross and I imagine the majority of the dialogue is in the movie. If you've watched Gross' s previous war film "Passchendale" there are a few similarities including a little bit of romance. The fact that I had also been familiar with that film made the ending inevitable. Still there is enough content that I felt it gives the reader a good context for Canadian involvement in Afghanistan.
November 28, 2015
This was a really good book, especially because I love hearing about the Canadian military in good ways. I also like how it was written by a Canadian aswell. The only thing that I have an issue with is it seems to be a tad repetitive and drags on after a while because they show the same sequence from different points of view. Dispite this I would suggest this to a friend and as usual it was far better than the movie.
January 3, 2016
Well written, easy to read & engaging. Enough depth to the characters to get to love, or loath, them a bit yet not over burdened with irrelevant detail. The story unfolds smoothly but I found I went back to the opening pages to clarify how it started - the beginning, although enticing, was somewhat confusing and out of place once the story unfolded.
Still a good read for anyone wanting a glimpse into life as a soldier in a war that can't be won.
Still a good read for anyone wanting a glimpse into life as a soldier in a war that can't be won.
May 28, 2016
While somewhat insightful and intriguing, the cliched love story element (which I was not expecting) cheapened the book.
It was obviously movie-turned-book, as opposed to the reverse most are used to seeing, and as a result was not well written, seeming disjointed in places. I think the intention was to produce realistic fiction, but somehow the realistic part was misssed, as is often the case in movies.
It was obviously movie-turned-book, as opposed to the reverse most are used to seeing, and as a result was not well written, seeming disjointed in places. I think the intention was to produce realistic fiction, but somehow the realistic part was misssed, as is often the case in movies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2016
While the plot is certainly engaging, the setting suffers from a very nasty case of tokenism. Soldiery is portrayed as a constant adrenaline rush, the military terminology is incorrect and reeks of hyper masculinity. Its an entertaining book in the same way the film was, but it does not do justice to the conflict or those involved.
June 2, 2016
Probably not valued a 5 stars. But a strong 4. This short fiction about a Canadian military group of snipers in Afghanistan was entertaining, exciting and fun to follow because of the canadianisms in it that you never see.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews