This was not my favorite Jim Butcher. So far, my favorite in the Codex Alera series has been the second book. This one was a bit too fragmented. We had Tavi's storyline, but also one with Amara and Bernard, and one with Isana. I've never had much patience with Isana, and that doesn't change in this book. Butcher seems to have a bit of difficulty in writing a female point of view- they're all so humorless.
The Tavi storyline was straight military fantasy. By the end of the book, I was skimming the battle scenes, which is bad- usually Butcher excels at fight scenes. There also will obviously be some explanation as to the Canim invasion- why they've been forced from their own lands- that is too long of a reveal. We learn nothing about it in this book.
This book is probably necessary to Tavi's growth into the leader he is obviously meant to be, and we get a surprise at the end that does make me want to find out what happens next. The book is fine, but I usually expect more realistic, interesting, conflicted characters from Butcher. It feels like he's taking the Roman virtues and personifying them more than creating characters with depth.