I picked this up because I absolutely loved "Children of Time" but this is a very, very different genre of book. Still beautifully written, and with a great heroine; even though many male authors just can't write female protagonists, Tchaikovsky writes Emily Marshwic very believably and I never found myself dismayed by some jarring description or characterization that an actual woman would never write.

I listened to this on audible and the narrator was truly excellent as well, conveying subtleties of rank with different accents in such a skilled way that it wasn't at all obvious and look me a long time to notice. Listen to Emily's accent vs Brocky's or her brother-in-law -- very cleverly chosen.

I think this was a 4 star instead of 5 star read for me just because it isn't entirely a genre I enjoy - it's sort of a cross between a 1800s fiction of manners and a military fantasy. While it's not set on our Earth and there are warlocks and magic in the world, neither of these spend long in the spotlight and most of the story is just about a variety of interesting characters embroiled in a miserable war in a swamp. And while I enjoy the occasional military fantasy, I felt that maybe it was a little TOO long on swamp warfare and I'd have enjoyed learning a little bit more about the warlocks or other aspects of the world. Still, the author writes skillfully and I was captivated until the end.