Irons in the Fire is now available from all good bookstores and online retailers. This is the first of a new fantasy trilogy by Juliet E McKenna, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution. 
Verdicts so far include:

Dan Abnett
Gaunt's Ghosts, Eisenhorn, The Horus Heresy (WH40K); 2000AD, Marvel and DC (comics); Doctor Who, Primeval and Torchwood (books)
"Magically convincing and convincingly magical, this book delivers the kind of engrossing read you only get when a writer of Juliet's calibre is in effortless and enviable control of the world she's creating."

Kate Elliott
Crossroads Trilogy; Crown of Stars series
"If you're not reading Juliet McKenna, you should be. The things I love about her work: it's sharp, well observed, well written, pays attention to the right
kind of detail to ground the world-building, and offers a comprehensive understanding of class, politics, war, and human nature.  Plus: sorcery, mercenaries, and the little people rising up against their oppressors.  I mean, really, what more could you want?"

Paul Cornell
Doctor Who (TV/books); Prim..TV); Captain Britain and MI-13 (Marvel Comics)
"Juliet McKenna is an excellent modern fantasy writer.  Irons in the Fire shows her at her best, combining politics, sudden, violent action, and a concern for the domestic, for ordinary people.  What's best about it is that it's fundamentally about clever people, trying to do their best, in swift-changing circumstances.  Precise, thorough, heartfelt and restrained, and thus very British."