Buddy read with my Chum Sarah who's choice it was to read this book. It was our first time reading any Tchaikovsky and was pleasantly surprised at his writing skills. He weaves a great world building/ character development skill that has you immersed in the story and feeling a lot of the tension and horror of battle. 
 After reading the first chapter I was looking forward to settling down with the book. But that chapter was a teaser. Chapter two takes you back a year and leads you toward our hero Emily going off to war. From chapter two through six, I was thinking that I had picked a dud. It was a throw back to Jane Austin style (not that I have read any of hers), lots of well to do women, complaining about the lack of fun with men at war, what to wear at the ball and general gossiping. By Chapter ten, I was hooked. At this stage, not on the story, but on the Emily character and her nemesis Mr Northway. Absolutely lovely character interaction. 
 By the time Emily goes off to war I was looking forward to reading this every day. I am not going to say much about the war part, except that it shows how horrible war is, how much it changes a person, regardless of their position and will tell you that you will completely love the world building in the swamps. 
 The end worked for me. It has been ages, I think, since I have read a stand alone, it was nice for a change to have the whole story in one book. 
 So yes I recommend this story. Very well written with three or four good solidly written characters.