THE DESERTER
WRITTEN BY WAYNE TURMEL
REVIEW WRITTEN BY JOE COMPTON
PUBLISHER: ACHIS PRESS
PUBLISHED: JANUARY 15, 2026
LENGTH: 279 PAGES
GENRE: HISTORICAL FICTION
SYNOPSIS: Algeria 1908.
Gil Vincente is a Boer War veteran, broken and adrift on the rough streets of Marseille. Desperate, he seeks discipline and renewed purpose in the unforgiving ranks of the French Foreign Legion. At first, he finds it, but not for long. When a treacherous soldier frames him for murder, it forces the new legionnaire to run for his life.
Now Gil must fight to clear his name while pursuing the real killer through the rugged Atlas Mountains. With the Legion on his heels and time running out, will he find justice or be forever branded a coward and deserter?
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What stands out and strikes you almost immediately is the amazing manner in which details are handled here. There is such an incredibly beautiful landscaping that happens with so many of the elements in this book, from the scenery to descriptive battles, to the props and tools, to the discipline and order of a military regime, to the emotions and scars, both physical and mental, left for the characters we follow.
This all reads out on this incredibly grandiose epic scale, the likes of many of its predecessors in this environment, and this time that of a Lawrence of Arabia, Paths of Glory, The Longest Day, or Doctor Zhivago. The flawless ways in which this time period is captured and presented down to the details of fabrics and specific tools, to the very organization that is represented here in the Foreign Legion, all feel so much bigger than it is.
It helps sell a lot of the slower elements to this very intriguing and finally interwoven conclusion. More on that in a moment. You are mesmerized by the sheer scope of it all, from the flowing landscapes to the enormous battles, because of the manner in which Wayne treats you to very well-defined and very minute detailed characters here. We feel as they feel, we know they harbor secrets, and we see how they handle certain moments, and we are riveted by all of that. In a lot of cases, it's who we root for and who we see as the real enemies. We see their true natures develop and come out, and it is all a fascinating study in the stresses of times and of circumstances. It is an absolutely brilliant way to get us involved in all of this, especially those who may not be as versed or feel like History buffs. Then again, if you are versed in the early turn of the century Middle East and Foreign Legions, especially or are a massive history buff, Wayne does a lot for you as well.
Its that great line he straddles in telling a story and ultimately setting you up for an epic conclusion while giving the most fascinating details only a history buff can soak up like a sponge.
The middle of this book is phenomenal. Once the first contact incident happens, I feel like this book really moves, and it pulled me in tenfold. I love the foreshadowing in the storytelling elements. Though frustrating (and thats not a bad thing) as the idiosyncrasies are of many of the characters, to the point when you feel like you might be in a horror movie watching otherwise smart people do dumb things, which were the final 30 pages of so for me here, the guise of war helps sell a lot of irrational behavior but I love that Wayne hones in on you the reader to feel something about it regardless of how you might otherwise justify it.
I think what I had the most trouble with was the beginning, and much like Zhaviago for this reader, I had to really persevere to get to the goods. I will say though, there was never a moment I considered this book to be a DNF possibility. A lot of because the way Wayne writes, you do get the idea that all this setup he does not only leads you somewhere but becomes valuable to you later on, which it does. So I stayed the course and enjoyed the scenery, so to speak.
For a lot of history buffs, this will not be the case, and while I do enjoy History, this is done in a manner that doesn't always grab me right away. Giving Gil that early intriguing masquerade though, also led me to think there will be more for this going forward. I did enjoy that push in the beginning.
All in all this was a grandiose landscape of artful coloring and amazing emotional twists, turns, and pulls that I highly enjoyed.
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