This first impression doesn't appeal to me at all. The cover reflects the genre but it's not very original and I feel that it could be more exciting. I've never heard of the Thirty Years' War mentioned in the blurb and I can't say that a story set amidst the chaos of this period sounds enticing. I did try reading the extract but struggled to get through the Author's Note and ended up skim reading the rest. I can confidently conclude that this book is not for me.