Discharged nurse, Laura Iven, goes back to the battlefield of WWI to search for her missing brother, Fred, presumed dead. There she and her two fellow nurses have a strange encounter in the midst of battle, stumbling into a hotel of sorts where the proprietor plays the violin with unnatural beauty. She thinks she spots Fred in the room. Then the fury of battle and caring for its broken men engulfs her once again. Told in conjunction is Fred's story of waking trapped in an overturned concrete pillbox with a wounded German soldier. Together, they manage to get out and decide to journey together back to civilisation. On the way, Fred loses himself when he commits an unforgiveable act to save the man he has forged an unlikely bond with. They encounter the strange violin-playing hotelier and Fred is forced to trade himself for Winter's life. 

This story really really reminds me of another yet I can't pinpoint what it is and it is driving me crazy. Anyone who knows, please let me know! It's the plot of a mysterious pseudo evil character during war time luring people to trade their lives for a favour. In any case, this was why I gave it a lower rating because the story felt rehashed and done before.

However, ultimately I loved this book because of the characters and felt a bit teary when Laura finally had that moment of allowing herself hope. If you loved Arden's Winternight trilogy, this is totally different. It's more realistic and the fantasy element is woven in. Whereas in the trilogy it was much more evident.