Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was meant for the quiet life of the Scribe Quadrant, but her mother, a high-ranking general, forces her into the deadly world of the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College. Smaller and more fragile than her peers, Violet faces lethal challenges where dragons incinerate those they deem "fragile." With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, and enemies who would kill her to improve their own chances, survival is a heartbeat away. Violet must push her limits and navigate a treacherous environment where everyone has an agenda, and the only ways out are to graduate or die. Even worse, she suspects the leadership is hiding a terrible secret.