"It is sweet and fitting to die for your country." The call to arms from Horace's Odes becomes even more questionable when it involves fighting for a colonising power. This is a major theme of Lia Mills's third novel, Fallen, which looks at the role of Irish soldiers in the first World War and the rebellions that took place back in Ireland at the same time. Katie Crilly's twin brother, Liam, is killed while fighting for the Allies. As the reality of war hits home, Katie uses her brother's experiences as a framework to understand the 1916 Rising and the damaged army captain she will come to love. Although interesting for its historical content and the evocative picture it paints of revolutionary Dublin, Fallen never really convinces in plot or character. Katie's escapades around a shell-shocked city centre peter out, ending not with a bang but with a whimper. SARAH GILMARTIN
