When war tears families apart, what keeps people moving forward? For some, it is loyalty. For others, resilience. In James Myles’ novel Is It Ever Right to Kill?, it is both, woven through the lives of Robyn, Kat, and their fragile circle of friends who refuse to let violence have the last word.
At the centre of the story is Robyn Rowbotham, a London medical student whose life is supposed to be defined by exams, lectures, and long nights at the hospital. Instead, her world is upended when Kat, her closest friend, loses contact with her parents during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Robyn’s decision to leave her studies and enter the war zone is more than an act of courage. It is an act of love. She chooses to stand beside Kat when the rest of the world seems to look away.
This act of loyalty becomes the backbone of the novel. Friendship, here, is not portrayed as light or casual. It is shown as something powerful enough to redirect a life, to risk safety, and to endure hardship. Robyn does not travel alone; she joins forces with Kat, the resourceful Minti, and Molly, a Canadian nurse. Together, they form a support network that carries them through chaos.
The harsh realities of war test those bonds constantly. Supplies are stolen. Missiles strike their camp. Cold nights, fear, and exhaustion wear down every shred of comfort. And yet, among all this, the connections between these women hold firm. They care for one another, they share burdens, and they find ways to laugh, plan, and hope in the bleakest circumstances.
Kat’s desperation to find her parents, Robyn’s determination to support her, and Molly’s steady presence show that human relationships can become lifelines in the midst of destruction. The novel illustrates that resilience is not found in solitude. It is found in standing together. Each character brings a different strength: Robyn’s medical skill, Minti’s unconventional resourcefulness, Kat’s fierce love for her family, and Molly’s calm practicality. Woven together, these strengths form a shield against despair.
What makes this aspect of the book so powerful is its truthfulness. History and current events remind us that while wars destroy homes, they also forge unbreakable human connections. Myles captures this reality in his fiction, allowing readers to see how bonds of friendship and chosen family can outlast even the darkest of storms.
In the end, Is It Ever Right to Kill? is not just a novel about conflict. It is a novel about people, about the ties that endure when everything else is stripped away. Robyn and Kat’s story reminds us that while war is capable of erasing lives and futures, it cannot erase the loyalty that binds hearts together.
For readers who want a gripping war story that is as much about survival of the spirit as survival of the body, James Myles’ Is It Ever Right to Kill? is a book worth reading. It is a reminder that even in war, humanity’s greatest strength is not weapons or strategy, but the bonds we choose to protect.
Get your copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1917399677.
