As a young dragoneer moves through the ranks of the prestigious Serpentine Academy, her challenges grow greater and her time grows short to draw out a series of deadly threats, in this thrilling coming-of-age fantasy novel.

Sixteen-year-old Ileth is now an Apprentice Dragoneer, with all of the benefits and pitfalls that her elevation in rank entails. But her advancement becomes less certain after she's attacked by an unknown enemy, and Ileth begins to suspect that someone deadly may be hiding within the walls of the academy.

Outside of the walls there is a different challenge. The Rari Pirates are strangling the Vale Republic. What they lack in dragon firepower, they make up for in the brutality of their ever-expanding raids, making hostages or slaves of the Republic’s citizens. Surrounded by enemies, Ileth will need to learn what kind of dragoneer she wants to be. And as she makes decisions about her future, Ileth will have the chance to uncover the secrets of her past. Both will irrevocably change the course of her life.

Ileth has finally become an apprentice, one step closer to her dream of becoming a real Dragoneer with a dragon of her own. But life is never straightforward for Ileth. As last of her class to become an apprentice she is injured during an initiation ceremony in what appears to be an accident but rumors circulate that it was deliberate. The headmaster of her group of apprentices sets her an interesting task in which she learns more about the female Dragoneer she met as a child who inspired her dream to come to the Academy. She splits her time between her apprentice duties and her duties as a dragon dancer until, surprisingly, a highly placed man claims her as his daughter and removes her from the Serpentine Academy.  As war comes to the Republic Ileth faces first love, heartbreaking loss of friends and difficult choices about her future at the Academy.

This was a wonderful sequel to a wonderful book. Once I started I read it straight through without stopping. I can hardly wait to see what new adventure and challenges await Ileth in the future books we must have in this series. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon

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