In his acclaimed Codex Alera novels, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher has generated a remarkable world where the effective forces of nature take physical form. But actually magic cannot sway the problem that threatens to kill the world of Alera forever…

When the power-hungry Large Lord of Kalare launches a merciless rebellion against the First Lord, youthful Tavi of Calderon joins a recently formed legion under an assumed name. So when the ruthless Kalare allies himself having a savage foe of the world, Tavi finds himself leading an inexperienced, badly equipped legion-the just force standing up between Alera and specific doom…