A gripping standalone fantasy novel from the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winner Adrian Tchaikovsky. Now reissued with a fresh cover look.When Lascanne falls under the shadow of its warring neighbour, Denland, Emily Marshwic is conscripted to fight for the cause. But do her doubts prove another way to victory?First, Denland's revolutionaries assassinated their king, launching a wave of bloodshed after generations of peace. Next they clashed with Lascanne, their royalist neighbour, pitching war-machines against warlocks in a fiercely fought conflict.Genteel Emily Marshwic watched as the hostilities stole her family's young men. But then came the call for yet more Lascanne soldiers in a ravaged kingdom with none left to give. Emily must join the ranks of conscripted women and march toward the front lines.With barely enough training to hold a musket, Emily braves the savage reality of warfare. But she begins to doubt her country's cause, and those doubts become critical. For her choices will determine her own future and that of two nations locked in battle."An engrossing story, beautifully told." SFX "One of the best books I've ever read."Peter Newman, author of The Vagrant "Moving, gripping and wonderfully paced." The Bookbag