Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war – and the rightful First Lord of Alera.
But now, the savage Vord are on the march, and Octavian must lead his legions to the Calderon Valley to stand against them – using all of his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness.
[1] Returning from the ruined continent of Canea, Gaius Octavian, his betrothed Kitai, the Canim warmaster Varg, and their legions find that most of the Aleran Empire has been destroyed or besieged by the insect-like Vord, a monstrous race led by a single sentient Queen that consumes everything they come across.
She states that her victory is inevitable and that she will accept any Aleran that wishes to surrender and allow them to live out the remainder of their life in peace provided they do not have any children.
To make the march across the continent, Octavian receives help from the great fury Alera and the northern icemen to coat the north in a thick layer of ice, as well as cause hurricane strength winds that constantly blow east.
Octavian uses his strength in furycrafting to bring down the city walls, and after the battle his firecrafters burn the Vord larders, cutting their supply lines to the Calderon valley.
The series ends with an opening for sequels, as on the continent of Canea there is a lesser Vord queen to be dealt with, though as she cannot reproduce she will be the very last they have to face.
They will also have to deal with the consequences of some of the climate-changing furycrafting Octavian had to perform in order to defeat the primary Queen and save Alera.
In a review on a King of the Nerds blog, the author praises Butcher's high action, stating that it "[makes] for a gripping page turner and I can honestly say that I wish it wasn't over".
[3] A Fantasy Book Critic review praised the characterization in this novel and throughout the series as whole, saying they "are a real treat to read".