I never read anything from this trilogy so far. Even though I've read half a dozen or more other Valdemar books. The two most unique things about this book so far:

So much is from the point of view of non human protagonists. With a considerable thought taken to their biology, culture, diet, etc.

For a book about a mage war, it is the lives of support staff at basecamp and a small handful of non human soldiers who are front in center. The great mages and generals are viewed almost entirely through the eyes of those most impacted by them.