This is a "later adventure" set in the world of the "Winterlands" - so it is a later story about John Aversin and Jenny Waynest, who first appeared in the novel "Dragonsbane".
I think it could be read as a standalone and as an introduction to the world - there are slight spoilers for the earlier books, but more at the level of "the heroes are still alive".
I love the characters - John Aversin is a castle lord in the far north of the country - but we are not talking grandeur. It is a harsh land, with bandits and raiders from the north and John's premier skill is fighting, closely followed by farming. Damselblossom of the title is the name of his favourite sow....... John's love, other than Jenny, is research and inventing things. In his soul he is an inquisitive scholar - so it makes for a really interesting mix. ( )