And this is my favorite paragraph from the review. See here for the rest.
And yet it is Watson’s journey and development that really is the central portion of the novel. The dark and richly textured world is one thing, it is the mindset and the journey of Watson that really counts. That aforementioned inciting incident is a dagger to the heart of someone who is dealing with the very real demon of PTSD and the aftermath of her experience at the battle of Alton. The author captures how Watson has to confront the “war come home” as well as how the journey into the dark heart of the war affects her protagonist. And even wrapped up in all that is all that else is going on in Janet’s life. The world is a complex mosaic, and even with the Brotherhood of Redemption, Sara Holmes’ future, and Watson’s work struggles, there is a potential romance, her relationship with her family and much more. This is a novel whose primary, first focus is on the relationships and internal growth and struggles of the protagonist, to equal or maybe even greater degree than the author’s previous novels. This is science fiction for readers who want to engage deeply with a main character they can get to know on an intimate, personal level.