Tavi has been captain of the First Legion for two years, and all that time the war between the Alerans and the Canim has been raging. But why did the Canim leave their homeland, burning their boats behind them, and arrive in such large numbers... civilians too? When Tavi learns the reason, he is keen to establish a truce between their two peoples against a common foe, but this idea is not going to win him popularity with anybody. Especially as the Canim have allied themselves with Aleran slaves who are fighting for their freedom.

Another breathless page-turner from an author who is reminding us what good fantasy is like. More thrilling battle scenes and daring escapades to bring the readers to the edge of their seats, further development of the characters and a few surprises make this possibly the strongest entry yet. Again, this strikes a balance between sword and sorcery and the current vogue for court intrigues, showing how one complements the other. The action stays with one set of characters for a chapter or several, before leaping to another set just when things have either reached a cliffhanger, or—more importantly—might possibly start to flag. It isn’t easy to write a big book packed with lots of story, but this one has more than most and manages not to be too quick a read, either, as there is plenty to take in. This is one of the strongest fantasy series for some time—miss it at your peril!