What do you think?
Rate this book
A Song for No Man’s Land #1
A Song for No Man's Land
He signed up to fight with visions of honour and glory, of fighting for king and country, of making his family proud at long last.
But on a battlefield during the Great War, Robert Jones is shot, and wonders how it all went so very wrong, and how things could possibly get any worse.
He'll soon find out. When the attacking enemy starts to shapeshift into a nightmarish demonic force, Jones finds himself fighting an impossible war against an enemy that shouldn't exist.
Andy Remic's A Song for No Man's Land is the first in an ongoing series.
But on a battlefield during the Great War, Robert Jones is shot, and wonders how it all went so very wrong, and how things could possibly get any worse.
He'll soon find out. When the attacking enemy starts to shapeshift into a nightmarish demonic force, Jones finds himself fighting an impossible war against an enemy that shouldn't exist.
Andy Remic's A Song for No Man's Land is the first in an ongoing series.
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 9, 2016
About the author
Andy Remic
57 books183 followersAndy Remic lives in Lincoln, UK, although his heart and viking soul belong to the Scottish mountains. Married with two children, Andy has a variety of esoteric and sometimes contrasting loves, including sword fighting, climbing, mountain biking, kick-boxing, Ducati motorcycles and retro-gaming. He recently wrote the computer version of his novel Biohell for the 48K Spectrum, in which many people are still stuck. He writes in both SF and fantasy fields, and is sometimes accused of literature. Current novels include: Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore and the upcoming Cloneworld, Theme Planet and TOX for Solaris Books, and the Kell’s Legend trilogy, Kell’s Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords for Angry Robot Books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
February 20, 2016
Reviewed at Bookwraiths.
A Song for No Man’s Land is a brutal and bloody triumph for Andy Remic. The portrayal of Robert Jones (British soldier in World War I) a gripping snapshot of the true horrors of war after all illusions of glory and honor are stripped away, leaving behind only the ghastly reality. And, somehow, while capturing the spirit of Tommies in the trenches, Mr. Remic was also able to imbue this tale with fantastical elements; mysterious beings appearing to our protagonist during the most horrible moments; their connection to him explained in numerous flashbacks. All of these diverse elements meshing together perfectly to tell a most compelling and riveting story.
From page one, Robert Jones is the focus of the narrative; his past life as a womanizer, alcoholic, and dedicated debaucher slipping away as he prepares to ship out to the front lines of the Great War in France. Naturally, though, he is out drowning his fears one last time in his favorite vices. At least, he attempts to before some of his “mistakes” find him, leading to a confrontation he survives only due to the unexpected intervention of one Charlie Bainbridge. This huge, mountain of a man becoming Robert’s steadfast friend thereafter.
Quickly (because this tale moves fast), time flashes forward, and now Robert and Charlie are preparing for the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, where they are anxiously awaiting their turns to “go over the bags” and charge into no man’s land: a scene right out of hell itself with dead and wounded soldiers, cratered and lifeless landscapes, and barbed wired killing fields. The fate of the two comrades in doubt the whole time; no promise being made that either will survive the horrors they are forced to charge out into.
And then – just as the horrors of the war take hold – the flashbacks begin in earnest. Not for Robert really, but for the readers themselves. These interludes to the past focusing on a young boy determined to brave a terrifying forest dubbed the “Devil Wood” and reach an unattainable goal. Obviously, a reader will assume this boy is either Robert or Charlie, but it isn’t crystal clear if that assumption is correct. At least not until the end of the story. But, no matter, the one thing which is easily understood is that something sinister and ancient lies before this innocent child – something which is calling out to him, whispering that an unnatural horror is about to befall mankind and that he has a role to play in it all!
Thereafter, Andy Remic steers this tale back and forth between the present and the past. The constant time shifts the main feature of the narrative, allowing fantastical elements to be slowly but steadily mixed into the story of the Great War until everything begins to take shape in the bloody mud of no man’s land. The amalgamation of the two different tones shaping Song into something unique, something both horrifying and compelling. The tearful moments nearly as abundant as the brutality of war, the contemplation of life nearly as prominent as the fantastical mysteries. All of it building to an ending which answers some questions but leaves even more unanswered.
No doubt, you can tell I enjoyed A Song for No Man’s Land. It was the perfect vehicle to highlight Mr. Remic’s talent for honestly portraying humanity in the worst of circumstances. No, it isn’t always pretty or easily digestible, but Song is Mr. Remic at his best, leaving you awed and shell-shocked, as you are forced to contemplate both the worst and best in ordinary people placed in inhuman circumstances.
I received this book from the Tor Books in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
A Song for No Man’s Land is a brutal and bloody triumph for Andy Remic. The portrayal of Robert Jones (British soldier in World War I) a gripping snapshot of the true horrors of war after all illusions of glory and honor are stripped away, leaving behind only the ghastly reality. And, somehow, while capturing the spirit of Tommies in the trenches, Mr. Remic was also able to imbue this tale with fantastical elements; mysterious beings appearing to our protagonist during the most horrible moments; their connection to him explained in numerous flashbacks. All of these diverse elements meshing together perfectly to tell a most compelling and riveting story.
From page one, Robert Jones is the focus of the narrative; his past life as a womanizer, alcoholic, and dedicated debaucher slipping away as he prepares to ship out to the front lines of the Great War in France. Naturally, though, he is out drowning his fears one last time in his favorite vices. At least, he attempts to before some of his “mistakes” find him, leading to a confrontation he survives only due to the unexpected intervention of one Charlie Bainbridge. This huge, mountain of a man becoming Robert’s steadfast friend thereafter.
Quickly (because this tale moves fast), time flashes forward, and now Robert and Charlie are preparing for the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, where they are anxiously awaiting their turns to “go over the bags” and charge into no man’s land: a scene right out of hell itself with dead and wounded soldiers, cratered and lifeless landscapes, and barbed wired killing fields. The fate of the two comrades in doubt the whole time; no promise being made that either will survive the horrors they are forced to charge out into.
And then – just as the horrors of the war take hold – the flashbacks begin in earnest. Not for Robert really, but for the readers themselves. These interludes to the past focusing on a young boy determined to brave a terrifying forest dubbed the “Devil Wood” and reach an unattainable goal. Obviously, a reader will assume this boy is either Robert or Charlie, but it isn’t crystal clear if that assumption is correct. At least not until the end of the story. But, no matter, the one thing which is easily understood is that something sinister and ancient lies before this innocent child – something which is calling out to him, whispering that an unnatural horror is about to befall mankind and that he has a role to play in it all!
Thereafter, Andy Remic steers this tale back and forth between the present and the past. The constant time shifts the main feature of the narrative, allowing fantastical elements to be slowly but steadily mixed into the story of the Great War until everything begins to take shape in the bloody mud of no man’s land. The amalgamation of the two different tones shaping Song into something unique, something both horrifying and compelling. The tearful moments nearly as abundant as the brutality of war, the contemplation of life nearly as prominent as the fantastical mysteries. All of it building to an ending which answers some questions but leaves even more unanswered.
No doubt, you can tell I enjoyed A Song for No Man’s Land. It was the perfect vehicle to highlight Mr. Remic’s talent for honestly portraying humanity in the worst of circumstances. No, it isn’t always pretty or easily digestible, but Song is Mr. Remic at his best, leaving you awed and shell-shocked, as you are forced to contemplate both the worst and best in ordinary people placed in inhuman circumstances.
I received this book from the Tor Books in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank both of them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
May 27, 2016
A fairly well written, and haunting, tale of WWI, with an odd splash of fantasy mixed in that, to me, felt out of place with the overall tone. I appreciate the goal of the story, but in the end it did not fire on all cylinders for me. I found myself oddly disconnected throughout, and despite the relatively longer format for a novella, it still didn't accomplish quite as much as I would hope.
It's a decent read, especially if you're into military/war stories.
It's a decent read, especially if you're into military/war stories.
January 1, 2019
Nazis, demons, PTSD......the idea was better than the execution. I thought the PTSD portions were well written, thought out and gave me empathy for the characters. The rest of it was scattered a bit eye rolling at times. I wasn't buying into the larger storyline and won't continue the series.
February 5, 2016
I’ve spent a while trying to gather my thoughts on this book and what to say about, but I can’t help but surmise that it’s a story with more pages than content. Quite a lot of it feels like a song stuck on repeat, but one that occasionally and magically teases you with bits of other important and interesting notes before returning to the same-old, same-old.
Set during World War I, we get plenty of combat scenes as our lead protagonist, Robert Jones, fights in the trenches, alongside his friend and fellow soldier, a big man with a big personality named Bainbridge. They have an easy friendship that becomes strained as the war goes on, each man seeing their share of injuries and…other things. Strange things. Monstrous thing. There’s…something…lurking in the woods and haunting the battlefields, although too often this feels like a minor footnote in Remic’s narrative until the big finale and a resolution that leads neatly into the larger auspices of this series.
While there are plenty of great depictions of life on the front-lines of The Great War, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something missing. The focus on the battles, too, began to feel a bit stale by book’s end, and I can’t hep but wonder if Remic was stalling a bit to fill a word count requirement.
That said, the final chapter provides a nice bit of illumination and meat to the mythological structure underpinning the nature of the war in Remic’s hands, and sets the stage for the next book. A Song For No Man’s Land, in its resolution, feels more like an appetizer for Return of Souls, which I’ll be diving into shortly. I suspect there’s a promising series to be had here, but at the moment I’m enjoying the ideas (dark but intermittent bits of fantasy set against the front-lines of WWI) more than the execution.
Set during World War I, we get plenty of combat scenes as our lead protagonist, Robert Jones, fights in the trenches, alongside his friend and fellow soldier, a big man with a big personality named Bainbridge. They have an easy friendship that becomes strained as the war goes on, each man seeing their share of injuries and…other things. Strange things. Monstrous thing. There’s…something…lurking in the woods and haunting the battlefields, although too often this feels like a minor footnote in Remic’s narrative until the big finale and a resolution that leads neatly into the larger auspices of this series.
While there are plenty of great depictions of life on the front-lines of The Great War, I couldn’t help but feel like there was something missing. The focus on the battles, too, began to feel a bit stale by book’s end, and I can’t hep but wonder if Remic was stalling a bit to fill a word count requirement.
That said, the final chapter provides a nice bit of illumination and meat to the mythological structure underpinning the nature of the war in Remic’s hands, and sets the stage for the next book. A Song For No Man’s Land, in its resolution, feels more like an appetizer for Return of Souls, which I’ll be diving into shortly. I suspect there’s a promising series to be had here, but at the moment I’m enjoying the ideas (dark but intermittent bits of fantasy set against the front-lines of WWI) more than the execution.
February 13, 2016
A Song for No Man’s Land is a dull, depressing slog of a novella that never seems to figure out what it wants to say. For all of its short length, it seems to drag on interminably before finally sputtering to a stop right when things seemed to almost start to get interesting. It is the first book in a series of at least three, so perhaps that can be forgiven, but I’m not sure I care enough about Robert Jones to want to come back for more.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
Read the full review at SF Bluestocking.
August 26, 2022
2.5 stars. This was okay. At first I thought it might end up really working for me, because I generally find stories about World War I really horribly fascinating and sad, and easy to get drawn into. And this had a speculative bent, so even better! But I just... idk, I got nothing out of this. I didn't like the characters, the mythology wasn't written in a way that made it mean anything to me, and it felt extremely disjointed. I see that there are three book in this series, and I feel like it would have been better as one long book. Because where it ended... it's not even that it was a cliff-hanger; it was just supremely unsatisfying. As always, I found it interesting to get perspectives of the Great War, especially from men on the ground, but it wasn't enough to make me really enjoy this.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Tim Gerard Reynolds; no complaints there. This just wasn't for me, sadly. I very much doubt I'll continue the series.
Content warnings:
Listened to the audiobook as read by Tim Gerard Reynolds; no complaints there. This just wasn't for me, sadly. I very much doubt I'll continue the series.
Content warnings:
February 17, 2016
Review also published here
A Song for No Man's Land truly is an odd one. It is far more of a historical soldier's tale set during World War I than a fantasy, and yet a fantasy story it is. I somehow wonder if it had to be, though.
The supernatural elements only really creep in as part of the reality of the plot in the final chapters, and personally, that was too late. I would have been fine without it, or having them be down to the characters' deteriorating psyche and closeness to death's door. But then things moved quickly, and I scratched my head. Things came out of left field, and somehow it tainted some very strong scenes that had me captivated already.
And yet still it held a certain charme, and I want to know where this series will be going with it all. The characters of Robert Jones, George Webb and Charlie Bainbridge all had a good amount of depth and development to them, and a sense of humanity. They all brought the desperation of being involved in the Great War to the fore in different ways. They all were broken, both by the war and their prior life experiences. And yet they were all sympathetic in my eyes, at least most of the time.
It is down to the gritty trench warfare that focused so much on the characters, their mental state, their behavior under unsurmountable stress, and the repetitiveness of their lives in the army, that my rating is the way it is. I liked it, I did very much. It clicked for me, and I even enjoyed the traumatic flashback sequences throughout.
But I also believe that this could have easily been a better story had it been a one-shot, without the supernatural spin. Up until the finale, few changes would need to be made at all to turn this from a good into an excellent novella. The anti-war message remains strong and the shrapnel cuts deep, but in the end the effects felt blunted.
Either way, I'll be reading the sequel.
A Song for No Man's Land truly is an odd one. It is far more of a historical soldier's tale set during World War I than a fantasy, and yet a fantasy story it is. I somehow wonder if it had to be, though.
The supernatural elements only really creep in as part of the reality of the plot in the final chapters, and personally, that was too late. I would have been fine without it, or having them be down to the characters' deteriorating psyche and closeness to death's door. But then things moved quickly, and I scratched my head. Things came out of left field, and somehow it tainted some very strong scenes that had me captivated already.
And yet still it held a certain charme, and I want to know where this series will be going with it all. The characters of Robert Jones, George Webb and Charlie Bainbridge all had a good amount of depth and development to them, and a sense of humanity. They all brought the desperation of being involved in the Great War to the fore in different ways. They all were broken, both by the war and their prior life experiences. And yet they were all sympathetic in my eyes, at least most of the time.
It is down to the gritty trench warfare that focused so much on the characters, their mental state, their behavior under unsurmountable stress, and the repetitiveness of their lives in the army, that my rating is the way it is. I liked it, I did very much. It clicked for me, and I even enjoyed the traumatic flashback sequences throughout.
But I also believe that this could have easily been a better story had it been a one-shot, without the supernatural spin. Up until the finale, few changes would need to be made at all to turn this from a good into an excellent novella. The anti-war message remains strong and the shrapnel cuts deep, but in the end the effects felt blunted.
Either way, I'll be reading the sequel.
February 13, 2016
“… soldiers praying to a god they no longer believed in … for a miracle that couldn’t happen.”
Excellent set up, good storytelling crippled by inept plotting. The Great War (WW I) as seen by Tommies who neither know nor care about the politics; they just want to survive. But perhaps the Huns aren’t the only ones hunting them.
“You will be a hero … but more importantly, you will strive to do what’s right.”
Reveals the supernatural element slowly, so the reader (intentionally, no doubt) at first wonders what is real and what is hallucination. But, even with each chapter labeled as to its time and place, the skein of the story is twisted, knotted and occasionally broken. Needlessly repetitive.
“How could one man take praise … when so many of his friends were dying out there in the dark?”
It’s good; it might have been better as a novella. Or, since there seems to be a second (and third) volume, combine that book with this to make one decent story.
“Sometimes lies are the only option.”
Three stars was a gift.
“Is he dead?” “Aren’t we all?”
Excellent set up, good storytelling crippled by inept plotting. The Great War (WW I) as seen by Tommies who neither know nor care about the politics; they just want to survive. But perhaps the Huns aren’t the only ones hunting them.
“You will be a hero … but more importantly, you will strive to do what’s right.”
Reveals the supernatural element slowly, so the reader (intentionally, no doubt) at first wonders what is real and what is hallucination. But, even with each chapter labeled as to its time and place, the skein of the story is twisted, knotted and occasionally broken. Needlessly repetitive.
“How could one man take praise … when so many of his friends were dying out there in the dark?”
It’s good; it might have been better as a novella. Or, since there seems to be a second (and third) volume, combine that book with this to make one decent story.
“Sometimes lies are the only option.”
Three stars was a gift.
“Is he dead?” “Aren’t we all?”
February 9, 2016
More than just a war story
This novella is not for the fainthearted. Nor is it for those seeking a quick fix of what I understand to be the usual Remic fare of bloody action and violence.
Yes, it's bloody. Yes, it's exciting. But 'A Song for No Man's Land' is so much more than just a war story.
Bringing uniquely surreal and fantastical elements to a vivid backdrop of WW1 trench warfare, 'Song' explores the very nature of war and humanity. Eerie, visceral and poignant, 'Song' tells the story of Jones, a British soldier who becomes more and more disillusioned with both war and humanity as the war progresses. Told through a combination of first person diary entries and third person accounts, 'Song' is engaging and cleverly paced. Furthermore, it overflows with incredible imagery that would not be out of place in the poetry of Sassoon or Owen.
This is the first I've read of Andy Remic, and I can say for damn sure I'll be going back for more.
This novella is not for the fainthearted. Nor is it for those seeking a quick fix of what I understand to be the usual Remic fare of bloody action and violence.
Yes, it's bloody. Yes, it's exciting. But 'A Song for No Man's Land' is so much more than just a war story.
Bringing uniquely surreal and fantastical elements to a vivid backdrop of WW1 trench warfare, 'Song' explores the very nature of war and humanity. Eerie, visceral and poignant, 'Song' tells the story of Jones, a British soldier who becomes more and more disillusioned with both war and humanity as the war progresses. Told through a combination of first person diary entries and third person accounts, 'Song' is engaging and cleverly paced. Furthermore, it overflows with incredible imagery that would not be out of place in the poetry of Sassoon or Owen.
This is the first I've read of Andy Remic, and I can say for damn sure I'll be going back for more.
September 9, 2017
More like 3.5 stars.
For most part I enjoyed this book. It was a mix of the horrors of war and fantasy. It focused around Robert Jones, a man that finds his way into the trenches of war. We go through the hell that he and his comrades go through. Mixed in with that are these fantastical creatures that appear every now and then. We also get flashbacks into his past when these creatures first appeared. Very interesting way in which the elements are mixed in together.
I really enjoyed the writing. Remic has a way of writing that just makes you feel the need to stay with it. There was a point when I was a bit bored but carried on. I also got confused with what is what on the fantasy creatures but it all worked out in the end. Recommended reading.
For most part I enjoyed this book. It was a mix of the horrors of war and fantasy. It focused around Robert Jones, a man that finds his way into the trenches of war. We go through the hell that he and his comrades go through. Mixed in with that are these fantastical creatures that appear every now and then. We also get flashbacks into his past when these creatures first appeared. Very interesting way in which the elements are mixed in together.
I really enjoyed the writing. Remic has a way of writing that just makes you feel the need to stay with it. There was a point when I was a bit bored but carried on. I also got confused with what is what on the fantasy creatures but it all worked out in the end. Recommended reading.
July 18, 2017
”A Song For No Man's Land” by Andy Remic [4/5]
This is one of the novellas of tor.com. I read some in the past and I really like that there is a publisher who publishes novellas (without them being part of a popular series) frequently.
I really like historical fantasies and this has a very strong horror aspect to its fantasy elements. Remic delivers a gripping novella in a very dark setting.
War is hell
The setting in this novella is very well done. I like that this is set in World War I and not WW II (because I have read way too many historical novels dealing with WW II in the past) and I think the horror of the trenches, which is in no way romanticised (I kind of feared the author would show the reader a glorified view of war but that is fortunately not the case), added to the supernatural horror elements in this novella. The atmosphere of war is captured perfectly in descriptions of the attacks, death and misery in the trenches, and the (explicit) language of the soldiers.
All of the novella's POVs show the reader how dirty/dangerous/horrendous war is. I don't think there is a chance to say “war is a good/not that bad thing” when you have read this novella. I was very surprised by this as I think fantasy has a tendency to glorify fighting a war.
And you don't have to deal with humans only
The novella's supernatural elements are mythic creatures (I never heard of before reading this. But I asked Google and I think they are very interesting). They are of Scandinavian origin so I don't entirely get what they have to do with a British soldier but as this novella is the first in a series I hope the reader gets to know this in one of the future instalments. It feels like the monsters are pushing in our world and there are some really intense scenes in the flashbacks of the main character. The monsters are terrifying and may send a chill down your spine.
Human characters in an inhuman war
The characters are really important to this novella. There are three important characters and all of them provide three different perspectives on the war they are fighting in. Robert Jones is disillusioned by the reality of war and suffers from the situation he is in. But he is still able to do what he thinks he has to do. Bainbridge is the one soldier you will hear talking positively about his experiences in the trenches. You would probably call him a bit fanatic. But he is loyal to his friends and comrades. Webb is the one who would have preferred not being a soldier in the first place. He is frightened but he does as he is told. All of them seem to be real and are very human. They contrast the inhumanity of the monsters very well.
The POVs are depicted in different ways. Jones's perspective you get through diary entries but the others are 3rd person narration. Sometimes the jumping in the perspectives is a bit annoying and I don't know if three perspectives are not a bit much for such a short story.
A monstrous war
You are interested in a historical fantasy/horror story?
You are interested in a fictive account of the trenches not only with soldiers but also with monsters?
Don't look further. Try this novella.
This is one of the novellas of tor.com. I read some in the past and I really like that there is a publisher who publishes novellas (without them being part of a popular series) frequently.
I really like historical fantasies and this has a very strong horror aspect to its fantasy elements. Remic delivers a gripping novella in a very dark setting.
War is hell
The setting in this novella is very well done. I like that this is set in World War I and not WW II (because I have read way too many historical novels dealing with WW II in the past) and I think the horror of the trenches, which is in no way romanticised (I kind of feared the author would show the reader a glorified view of war but that is fortunately not the case), added to the supernatural horror elements in this novella. The atmosphere of war is captured perfectly in descriptions of the attacks, death and misery in the trenches, and the (explicit) language of the soldiers.
All of the novella's POVs show the reader how dirty/dangerous/horrendous war is. I don't think there is a chance to say “war is a good/not that bad thing” when you have read this novella. I was very surprised by this as I think fantasy has a tendency to glorify fighting a war.
And you don't have to deal with humans only
The novella's supernatural elements are mythic creatures (I never heard of before reading this. But I asked Google and I think they are very interesting). They are of Scandinavian origin so I don't entirely get what they have to do with a British soldier but as this novella is the first in a series I hope the reader gets to know this in one of the future instalments. It feels like the monsters are pushing in our world and there are some really intense scenes in the flashbacks of the main character. The monsters are terrifying and may send a chill down your spine.
Human characters in an inhuman war
The characters are really important to this novella. There are three important characters and all of them provide three different perspectives on the war they are fighting in. Robert Jones is disillusioned by the reality of war and suffers from the situation he is in. But he is still able to do what he thinks he has to do. Bainbridge is the one soldier you will hear talking positively about his experiences in the trenches. You would probably call him a bit fanatic. But he is loyal to his friends and comrades. Webb is the one who would have preferred not being a soldier in the first place. He is frightened but he does as he is told. All of them seem to be real and are very human. They contrast the inhumanity of the monsters very well.
The POVs are depicted in different ways. Jones's perspective you get through diary entries but the others are 3rd person narration. Sometimes the jumping in the perspectives is a bit annoying and I don't know if three perspectives are not a bit much for such a short story.
A monstrous war
You are interested in a historical fantasy/horror story?
You are interested in a fictive account of the trenches not only with soldiers but also with monsters?
Don't look further. Try this novella.
September 12, 2017
Originally posted on Grimdark Magazine
I love WW1 history. I’ve tread in the mud where Australian soldiers put our tiny nation in the world’s eye with their bravery and mateship on the Western Front, where governments destroyed generations of people from every corner of the planet, and where a new style of warfare put permanent scars on the fields of Europe that are still visible a century later.
Andy Remic has hit that feeling of horror–much like we see in All Quiet on the Western Front–with a dark fantasy angle that felt smooth and enjoyable in his novella. Robert Jones joins the war to avoid a drinking debt and clean up. His past–not his financial past, but his childhood run in with some fantastical beasts in the Devil Wood–has chased him into the biggest slaughter the world has ever lay witness to.
Remic has done an excellent job portraying one man’s tale amongst the vast backdrop of the war, while weaving in an excellent slice of horror.
It’s not a Grimdark book in our sense of the word, but there is plenty to love in there.
I love WW1 history. I’ve tread in the mud where Australian soldiers put our tiny nation in the world’s eye with their bravery and mateship on the Western Front, where governments destroyed generations of people from every corner of the planet, and where a new style of warfare put permanent scars on the fields of Europe that are still visible a century later.
Andy Remic has hit that feeling of horror–much like we see in All Quiet on the Western Front–with a dark fantasy angle that felt smooth and enjoyable in his novella. Robert Jones joins the war to avoid a drinking debt and clean up. His past–not his financial past, but his childhood run in with some fantastical beasts in the Devil Wood–has chased him into the biggest slaughter the world has ever lay witness to.
Remic has done an excellent job portraying one man’s tale amongst the vast backdrop of the war, while weaving in an excellent slice of horror.
It’s not a Grimdark book in our sense of the word, but there is plenty to love in there.
May 11, 2016
DNF. Good read and quite unique, but can't get myself through it with the other books I'm reading.
December 28, 2020
A Song for No Man's Land is the first in Andy Remic's novella trilogy of the same name. I saw it recommended on social media and was captivated by its hauntingly beautiful cover. Like a grimdark version of Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful. This, combined with an excellent blurb had me excited to read it. I have always liked the idea of blending World War One with fantasy. Unfortunately, A Song for No Man's Land did not live up to my expectations.
It follows Private Robert Jones, a Welshman who volunteers for the Great War in order to escape his debts back home. He is joined by Charlie Bainbridge, a jolly giant of a man with a knack for fighting and with whom Jones forms a strong bond of brotherhood. We accompany them through the trenches on the front line during the Somme and later Passchendaele. Remic does a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere, from the terror and tension of going over the top (or 'bags') to the frantic chaotic nature of war to the eerie silence of no man's land in the aftermath.
There is a high degree of authenticity to make this a faithful historical work of fiction, including: locations, chronology of events / battles, weapons and even the slang used by Jones and the other soldiers. There are plenty of f-bombs as you might imagine would be the case from a bunch of men constantly facing death, but Remic adds a nice touch of replacing them with a simple '——' as soldiers in World War One often did when writing. There is also some homage paid to certain World War One poetry, such as Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est, which I really liked.
Remic gradually introduces the fantastical element over the course of the novella. The flashbacks are where the fantasy truly thrives as we follow a young Jones on his adventures through the deep forests of his childhood. He is hunted by shadowy creatures, which could be truly real or the imagination of a little boy. It is hard to tell. As the story progresses, we start to see these same creatures stalk Jones through the trenches and across no man's land. Again, it brings to question of whether or not these things are real or, in this case, the hallucinations of a shell-shocked soldier. I really like what Remic has done here.
Unfortunately, I do have a number of grips with A Song for No Man's Land, the primary being what felt like far too little plot stretched across more pages than is needed. I believe every word should count when it comes to shorter fiction, be it a short story or a novella, but found some segments inconsequential to both the plot and the character development of Jones. I also found some segments repetitive. For example, I lost count of the number of times the characters fell in and out of consciousness. It worked well the first time, and the second, but the third, fourth and fifth times felt like overkill.
Another issue I had was the constant switching between first person, third person limited and third person omniscient. This is not necessarily a bad thing but I found it works better in full length novels as opposed to a novella. The first person chapters serve as Jones' diary and this is when A Song for No Man's Land is at its best. Unfortunately, these engrossing chapters are broken up by third person chapters which are often when the action takes place. They are still enjoyable, the action visceral and vividly brought to life, but they are not as compelling as Jones' diary chapters. Also, there is random head hopping towards the end of the novella that doesn't feel necessary. Personally, I would have preferred if Remic had focused on one narrative style.
Overall, this is a good read. A Song for No Man's Land is atmospheric, vividly captures the horrors of war, and has some moments of brilliance. However, both the plot and narrative style did not work for me. Of course, this is just my opinion and what did not work for me will no doubt work for other readers. I purchased the trilogy but feel no urge to continue with the sequel, Return of Souls, just yet.
It follows Private Robert Jones, a Welshman who volunteers for the Great War in order to escape his debts back home. He is joined by Charlie Bainbridge, a jolly giant of a man with a knack for fighting and with whom Jones forms a strong bond of brotherhood. We accompany them through the trenches on the front line during the Somme and later Passchendaele. Remic does a fantastic job of capturing the atmosphere, from the terror and tension of going over the top (or 'bags') to the frantic chaotic nature of war to the eerie silence of no man's land in the aftermath.
There is a high degree of authenticity to make this a faithful historical work of fiction, including: locations, chronology of events / battles, weapons and even the slang used by Jones and the other soldiers. There are plenty of f-bombs as you might imagine would be the case from a bunch of men constantly facing death, but Remic adds a nice touch of replacing them with a simple '——' as soldiers in World War One often did when writing. There is also some homage paid to certain World War One poetry, such as Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est, which I really liked.
Remic gradually introduces the fantastical element over the course of the novella. The flashbacks are where the fantasy truly thrives as we follow a young Jones on his adventures through the deep forests of his childhood. He is hunted by shadowy creatures, which could be truly real or the imagination of a little boy. It is hard to tell. As the story progresses, we start to see these same creatures stalk Jones through the trenches and across no man's land. Again, it brings to question of whether or not these things are real or, in this case, the hallucinations of a shell-shocked soldier. I really like what Remic has done here.
Unfortunately, I do have a number of grips with A Song for No Man's Land, the primary being what felt like far too little plot stretched across more pages than is needed. I believe every word should count when it comes to shorter fiction, be it a short story or a novella, but found some segments inconsequential to both the plot and the character development of Jones. I also found some segments repetitive. For example, I lost count of the number of times the characters fell in and out of consciousness. It worked well the first time, and the second, but the third, fourth and fifth times felt like overkill.
Another issue I had was the constant switching between first person, third person limited and third person omniscient. This is not necessarily a bad thing but I found it works better in full length novels as opposed to a novella. The first person chapters serve as Jones' diary and this is when A Song for No Man's Land is at its best. Unfortunately, these engrossing chapters are broken up by third person chapters which are often when the action takes place. They are still enjoyable, the action visceral and vividly brought to life, but they are not as compelling as Jones' diary chapters. Also, there is random head hopping towards the end of the novella that doesn't feel necessary. Personally, I would have preferred if Remic had focused on one narrative style.
Overall, this is a good read. A Song for No Man's Land is atmospheric, vividly captures the horrors of war, and has some moments of brilliance. However, both the plot and narrative style did not work for me. Of course, this is just my opinion and what did not work for me will no doubt work for other readers. I purchased the trilogy but feel no urge to continue with the sequel, Return of Souls, just yet.
March 17, 2025
A short, but fairly enjoyable WW1 horror story, A Song for No Man's Land blends both the true horrors of war and the supernatural horrors of something else lurking in the No Man's Land with moderate success. I like the premise, and, for the most part, like the execution, though my main problems arise form the prose style itself (very stilted, over-use of many conventions and techniques that once I spotted were distracting more than immersing, not to mention some rather 'unfitting' comparisons in similes or metaphors). The characters are fine enough, being neither spectacular nor offensive in anyway notable, and the story does seem to be setting up a larger plot involving the supernatural aspect, but it does leave you wishing there was more going on, with the 'climax' being fairly anti-climactic as far as the final confrontation though (even if there are obvious 'stakes').
WW1 flavored horror stories are hard to comeback, so I'll say this is worth checking out for those in that niche like myself who like seeing the horrors of war and other horrors collide, even if the execution is lacking. Its short enough that I don't feel like my time was wasted and I did enjoy my time for the most part, strange similes and prose style aside. It was good enough I want to check out the next one.
2.5/5, a flawed but otherwise good enough time
WW1 flavored horror stories are hard to comeback, so I'll say this is worth checking out for those in that niche like myself who like seeing the horrors of war and other horrors collide, even if the execution is lacking. Its short enough that I don't feel like my time was wasted and I did enjoy my time for the most part, strange similes and prose style aside. It was good enough I want to check out the next one.
2.5/5, a flawed but otherwise good enough time
October 16, 2019
Drunkard Robert Jones is rescued by a local man, Bainbridge from some thugs who want him to pay his gambling debts, and they both enlist to escape them. [I think … honestly I thought the audio had skipped a section. One minute they’re in an alley with thugs, the next they are in the trenches.]
They end up serving together, saving each other’s lives under German shelling.
My problem is I can’t work out what the story is supposed to be about. I can’t see why Bainbridge and Jones were even friends.
How do you make a ‘monsters in the trenches’ story… boring? And the ‘twist’
And the language… not my style
1 star
In the Tor audio collection – the blue one. [I guess that’s the problem with ‘collections’; you get some things you would not normally listen to – and that can be good or bad.]
They end up serving together, saving each other’s lives under German shelling.
My problem is I can’t work out what the story is supposed to be about. I can’t see why Bainbridge and Jones were even friends.
How do you make a ‘monsters in the trenches’ story… boring? And the ‘twist’
And the language… not my style
1 star
In the Tor audio collection – the blue one. [I guess that’s the problem with ‘collections’; you get some things you would not normally listen to – and that can be good or bad.]
August 24, 2018
A very simple war story about pseudo-German soldiers (so we think) turned to flesh-eating beasts. What made it much more bazaar and frightening is that it took place during WWI; which means trench warfare. Just imagine the darkness, the midnight shrieks of pain, the footsteps, the random sniper taking someone's helmet off and their eyes along with it. It's quite eerie.
The monsters are two-fold. Both the mythical ones that devour men and the ones who wear uniforms and walk on two legs instead of four. In war, all men are monsters. Only the ones who win the battle and make it back get to call themselves "human" again.
The monsters are two-fold. Both the mythical ones that devour men and the ones who wear uniforms and walk on two legs instead of four. In war, all men are monsters. Only the ones who win the battle and make it back get to call themselves "human" again.
January 30, 2018
3.75 stars.
At some point, the author thought 'WWI is interesting, but it really needs to be bleaker and have more ominous dread--perhaps some kind of stalking, supernatural beasts.' the book is a short, visceral gut punch that does a great job of evoking mood. there does not seem to be a strong narrative story arc, however, which makes it harder to get engaged in the plight of the characters. still, the action is very well written and the author it does a great job of conveying the utter futility and insanity that surely must have been trench warfare.
At some point, the author thought 'WWI is interesting, but it really needs to be bleaker and have more ominous dread--perhaps some kind of stalking, supernatural beasts.' the book is a short, visceral gut punch that does a great job of evoking mood. there does not seem to be a strong narrative story arc, however, which makes it harder to get engaged in the plight of the characters. still, the action is very well written and the author it does a great job of conveying the utter futility and insanity that surely must have been trench warfare.
February 22, 2026
A teen friend at church handed me this because she loves it and thought deeply about it. I know she did, because the copy she loaned me is covered with annotations--she was in conversation with the book the whole way through and I could add an extra star just for the delight of reading her voice alongside Remic's. Ultimately, this type of WWI/fantasy book is never going to be my sweet spot, but I'll read as many as my friend gives me just to hear her talk about a book she loves.
December 29, 2019
I wanted to like this book more, I just couldn't connect with the story or any if the characters. It's well written and has many interesting elements. The author weaves a good mystery for how the two stories he's telling are connected. I just, couldn't get into it. I expect I'm just at a place where I don't much care about dudes and their war experiences.
August 2, 2019
Listened to the audiobook
A Song for No Man's Land falls into a similar subgenre that Pan's Labyrinth does: a wartime novel interspersed with moments of fantasy. Robert Jones is a man who tries to get his shit together after a life of gambling and debauchery, so he enlists in the army during World War I. It also flashes back to a boy running through the "Devil Wood" and the horrors that lie within.
What I really enjoyed were the duality of magical horror and the horrors of war. The existential questioning that arises when you're trapped in an impossible situation. The images were grounding and harrowing. I couldn't really connect with the main character, however. I think because the work is so short and trying to juggle a few concepts at once, he gets a little lost. But for those who enjoy grim historical fiction with a touch of magic should definitely give this one a read.
A Song for No Man's Land falls into a similar subgenre that Pan's Labyrinth does: a wartime novel interspersed with moments of fantasy. Robert Jones is a man who tries to get his shit together after a life of gambling and debauchery, so he enlists in the army during World War I. It also flashes back to a boy running through the "Devil Wood" and the horrors that lie within.
What I really enjoyed were the duality of magical horror and the horrors of war. The existential questioning that arises when you're trapped in an impossible situation. The images were grounding and harrowing. I couldn't really connect with the main character, however. I think because the work is so short and trying to juggle a few concepts at once, he gets a little lost. But for those who enjoy grim historical fiction with a touch of magic should definitely give this one a read.
January 12, 2022
A dreamy take on the Great War.
The only problem I have with this book is the editing. Maybe for the print edition it’s different but the kindle version is just… it needs to be redone. The story overall is fun. Nightmarish at times I’d recommend it.
The only problem I have with this book is the editing. Maybe for the print edition it’s different but the kindle version is just… it needs to be redone. The story overall is fun. Nightmarish at times I’d recommend it.
October 20, 2022
Not a great book, but a fun read. I had trouble with some choices the author made, especially on the vocabulary of the narrator. The characters were not very distinct and a bit boilerplate. But the setting is great and I love the idea of WWI with demons.
October 6, 2025
3.5 🌟
In this WWI novella, Remic painted the realistic horrors of trench war and a strange sub-plot that I didn't always follow well.
He clearly was a talented author, and I look forward to reading more from him.
In this WWI novella, Remic painted the realistic horrors of trench war and a strange sub-plot that I didn't always follow well.
He clearly was a talented author, and I look forward to reading more from him.
March 12, 2017
I've only been on goodreads a couple of weeks, and this is the first book I've read from a recommendation. Wouldn't normally go for a Great War book, but I was interested in the supernatural side mentioned in the blurb. Really glad I read this book, the trench warfare scenes were quite harrowing, really felt the fear and despair of the soldiers going over the top. The slow inclusion of the demons and the flashbacks explaining the reasons of why they were being seen were excellently paced and I just had to keep reading to find out more. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely read the other books in the series.
April 6, 2021
This story was very light on fantasy, and was heavy on the war aspect. Not bad, but not for me.
February 9, 2017
Robert Jones has been haunted by visions and creatures since childhood, some friendly, some not. He's been on balance something of a failure in life, but now The Great War has broken out, and he enlists in the hope of finally making his family proud of him.
When he's lying badly wounded on the battlefield, and thinks things can't get worse, his creatures appear again.
The story alternates between Jones as a young boy, Jones as a soldier in the war, and Jones writing his diary and his memoirs.
This is a beautifully told story, unfolding its mysteries layer by layer. Is Jones strong enough for the war? Is he strong enough for what haunts him? What choices can he face harder than killing his fellow man in combat?
It's lyrical and moving, and well worth your time. Recommended.
When he's lying badly wounded on the battlefield, and thinks things can't get worse, his creatures appear again.
The story alternates between Jones as a young boy, Jones as a soldier in the war, and Jones writing his diary and his memoirs.
This is a beautifully told story, unfolding its mysteries layer by layer. Is Jones strong enough for the war? Is he strong enough for what haunts him? What choices can he face harder than killing his fellow man in combat?
It's lyrical and moving, and well worth your time. Recommended.
February 13, 2017
No certain I want to continue this series.
May 31, 2016
Eso de que no debés juzgar un libro por su portada es muy cierto.
A Song for No Man's Land busca contar una historia de horror/fantasía ambientada en la Primera Guerra Mundial, pero no logra cuajar porque a pesar de que la idea es buenísima, esta se vuelve tediosa muy rápido porque Andy Remic no es precisamente el mejor escritor del mundo y parece que mordió más de lo que podía tragar al querer situar su historia en un escenario tan trágico como lo fueron las trincheras de la PGM. Aparte que el único personaje interesante llega como a 3/4 de la historia y eso en un libro de 120 páginas como que no ajusta.
Sus puntos fuertes son que al menos es corto y ese pedazo de portada.
A Song for No Man's Land busca contar una historia de horror/fantasía ambientada en la Primera Guerra Mundial, pero no logra cuajar porque a pesar de que la idea es buenísima, esta se vuelve tediosa muy rápido porque Andy Remic no es precisamente el mejor escritor del mundo y parece que mordió más de lo que podía tragar al querer situar su historia en un escenario tan trágico como lo fueron las trincheras de la PGM. Aparte que el único personaje interesante llega como a 3/4 de la historia y eso en un libro de 120 páginas como que no ajusta.
Sus puntos fuertes son que al menos es corto y ese pedazo de portada.
May 8, 2020
I don't believe I understood what I was getting into until I had started reading. Throughout the story I have one question, where is he going with this? Everything gets explained at the very, very end. What I absolutely loved about this short story is the elements of Faerie. I was taken back to "Faerie Tale" by Raymond E. Feist, with it's dark and interesting elements. The story is set in World War 1, so I gained a new appreciation for those poor young men in the trenches, buried in the mud and rain, and facing their deaths. While I liked this book, I'm not that into the story to read "Return of Souls".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews