Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books. However, her formidable mother, the commanding general, forces her into the elite Navarre Riders Quadrant to become a dragon rider—the kingdom's primary defense. Smaller and more fragile than others, Violet is an unlikely candidate. With dragons bonding to only the strongest and incinerating the weak, her odds of survival are slim. Many cadets want her dead, especially Xaden Riorson, the powerful and ruthless wingleader whose father was killed by Violet's mother. At Basgiath War College, cadets endure brutal training and deadly challenges. Violet must use her wits to survive. Despite the danger Xaden poses, a fierce attraction sparks between them. As war outside Navarre's borders intensifies and the kingdom's protective wards falter, Violet uncovers a terrible secret. She realizes the true cost of being a rider and the hidden truths her leaders are concealing. Survival is just the first impossible hurdle.
