Reading the books of L.E. Modesitt, Jr presents a minor problem, he is a very prolific author whose every book read makes one desire to read almost every one of them - he's just that good. In this tale we have an Arms Commander sent from Westwind to try and stabilize a nation that is failing fast for many assorted bad reasons: Power, greed, hatred, and a overwhelming desire to keep their women powerless and little more than their personal punching bags - and they fight to keep them in that degraded position. The Arms Commander has to contend with all of that in her own way using her experience, training and a growing magic within her. Well worth your time reading. gmb 8/10/20