Mikhail is forced into the Russian Army by his homophobic father. He dreams of joining his only love, Maksim, in Paris. Separated by war he soon finds himself on the front in Ukraine fighting a war he does not believe in. Brutalised, he plans his escape, but as a deserter from the Wagner group, there is a huge price to pay... If you are seeking a novel that romanticises Russian culture and life or exudes the patriotic rhetoric of Vladimir Putin, then...