This is an amazing recounting of Napoleon's army fighting the Austrians from the soldiers point of view - stunning and detailed, with clearly full knowledge of the real history (or a darned good representation of it ...). and there is a murder-hunt story going on - the humanist soldier, Margont (who carries on in other stories from this author in this time period), takes up the cause of a Viennese woman he meets on the battlefield in the midst of a brutal attack by Austrians. A colossal plot perpetrated by an insidious, perverse Viennese character in an unassailable position is targeting orphans in a large orphanage, funded by the great and good of Vienna. they uncomfortably rub soldiers - a hot headed orphan, who'd grown up there, is in pursuit in a self-destructive and thrilling way - and of course the woman who lures Margont in is dazzling and in love with the wrong man. ...this is really an exceptional and worthy historical thriller - I'm sure you will be entertained.