Guns of the Dawn is one of the most harrowing and powerful books I've ever read and addresses the complexities and horrors of war and the narratives civilians and soldiers are told about war. 

While this is not strictly historical fantasy as it's not technically set in our world, it's clear Tchaikovsky was heavily inspired by WWI and WWII as well as the Napoleonic wars, and the Gulf Wars. I've read accounts as a history student of wartime and battle and the terrible atrocities. But fiction and memoir have a powerful way of revealing the ordinary people caught in the midst of vying powers and the very human emotions and struggles that come with that. Guns of the Dawn is not a book that follows the warring kingdoms and the politics and machinations. Instead we see the war through common soldiers' eyes as they are moved around - sometimes like chess pieces, sometimes simply as cannon fodder. And yet the lowly remain loyal to their powers that be because of the narrative fed to them. And nothing is scarier than that. But in the end, how can a civilian or a soldier decide between patriotism and loyalty and what is right? 

For me, the thematic work in Guns of the Dawn was the most impactful, but Tchaikovsky does equally well in his characterization and his writing. All together, Tchaikovsky has crafted an impressive and thought provoking book that I will be thinking about for years to come.

If you're wondering about whether you should pick up this book, this book would be great for people who like All Quiet on the Western Front, Deathless, Ursula Le Guin's sci-fi, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and the Temeraire books. I would also highly recommend it for those who
- love historical fiction/historical fantasy
- like military fantasy
- like character focused stories
- don't mind some meandering plot (Tchaikovsky does a great job giving you enough direction to stay anchored even when the plot meanders a bit)

I can't wait to try more of Tchaikovsky's work soon.