“Mountains on Fire” is an intriguing tale set during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War

2026-02-24 - 18:44

Aram Yardumian’s “Mountains on Fire (Այրվող Սարեր): A Novel of the Caucasus” is a work of historical fiction set in Armenia in 1993-1994 during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The novel tells the story of the war and its aftermath through the lens of a diasporan journalist searching for the truth about two alleged traitors (“davachanner”). Yardumian is an anthropologist focusing on the Caucasus and Caribbean. As an author, he frequently tells stories of musicians contemplating major historical events, such as in “Persepolis” and “Listen.” In “The Peopling of the Caucasus,” Yardumian provides a scientific account of human evolution in the region. With “Mountains on Fire,” Yardumian ventures into new territory, channeling his regional scholarship into fictionalized characters to explore the events of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War in the early 1990s. Published by El Martillo Press in September 2025, the book includes glowing reviews from author Aida Zilelian and poet Raffi Joe Wartanian. Rather than offering a documentary-like account of the war, “Mountains on Fire” uses it as the backdrop for an intriguing mystery around patriotism, conspiracy theories and supernatural forces. Even readers unfamiliar with Armenia and the First Nagorno-Karabakh War will be engrossed in the story and perhaps inspired to further research the true events that fuel this book. “Mountains on Fire” opens with the execution of two Armenian soldiers accused of treason, one taller and heavyset, the other smaller and wearing glasses. Veterans of the First Nagorno-Karabagh War, they are revealed to be Haik Nalbandyan and Gregory Yaloyan. Though young, Nalbandyan is a tough-as-nails military man of strong mind and body, who will do anything for his country. “His comrades always applauded his patriotism but also there was something about him they could not comprehend. Looking in Haik Nalbandyan’s dull gray eyes was akin to peering into a pond: after a moment, something long and dark slips by in the murk.” Yaloyan is different, though. Known to be clairvoyant, his gift is often called upon to sense people and happenings hidden from the naked eye. However, this gift also means he is constantly pulled astray by competing voices and hallucinations. “Yaloyan walked across the street looking at buildings, as a dog goes around and smells things in a new room...Occasionally, a swaying curtain in an open window caught [his companions’ eye], but Yaloyan ignored them, instead stopping and starting over details invisible to the rest of them,” Yardumian describes. An unnamed journalist is inspired by a photo from the war to leave his comfortable life in Berlin and take up arms in Nagorno-Karabakh. Along the way, he learns of Nalbandyan and Yaloyan and is drawn toward another path: discovering their truth. “Every night since Beslan they hover in my dreams like they are trying to tell me something.” He can’t comprehend how decorated war veterans could end up being killed for treason and is determined to investigate. Yardumian cycles back and forth between the first-person perspective of the journalist and the third-person accounts of Nalbandyan and Yaloyan. In one chapter, the journalist asks questions of those who reluctantly agree to discuss taboo subjects and in the following chapter, we see the answers play out in the lives of Nalbandyan and Yaloyan. This parallel storytelling is incredibly effective at drawing the reader in, as we get closer and closer to the truth. As a diasporan, I appreciated the familiar Armenian words (“aghjik,” “Der Hayr”) and foods (“Khorovats and nothing but khorovats”), as well as the introduction to Armenia in the 1990s. Yardumian gives readers a glimpse into daily life in post-Soviet society, as the new republic endures economic hardship, energy crises and ongoing war. Yardumian also explores the complex relationships prevalent in the region, especially between Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey. Attitudes shift as powers are negotiated and exchanged over and over, rarely to the benefit of their citizens. “We are all pawns in the big game of the Kremlin. Keep us poor and dependent and we’ll always be thankful when you step in to put out fires you yourself set!” Yardumian points out. “Mountains on Fire” includes many examples that show how official relations between countries often differ from the actual relationships and personal experiences of people across those newly forming or formed borders. Out in the field, Yaloyan spares the life of an Azerbaijani soldier he recognizes from his childhood: “You know me. We went to Pioneer Camp together.” Yardumian takes care to acknowledge the nuanced and lasting impact of war, not just on global powers, but on individuals directly involved, for they are the ones who ultimately pay the price for freedom. “So many others, soldiers, I mean — and on both sides — wandered away from the front lines. Where did they go? Some of them made it home to their mothers — but they hardly recognized them” the book questions. With supernatural elements and an air of mystery paired with historical facts, the novel serves as a compelling introduction to the Caucasus region and the dynamic power struggles still happening today. “Mountains on Fire” is a thrilling tale of war, kinship and the quest to do right by one’s country. “Mountains on Fire (Այրվող Սարեր): A Novel of the Caucasus” by Aram Yardumian is available online from El Martillo Press, Barnes & Noble, Amazon or your local bookstores.