An eta is less than human. Something that lies, cheats, and steals will never have the honor of bonding with a dragon. It shouldn't even exist. Born into the eta class, Mei accepts the fact that at any moment her life could be over for something as simple as being caught stealing food. As long as she can keep her sickly father alive, she's satisfied with her lot in life. All of that changes the day her father informs her that he stashed away money so she has a chance to secure an apprenticeship with a dragon. Reluctant to leave, she honors her father's wishes for her and goes to the selection. Then, to the other recruits' dismay, one of the elite shodragons bonds with her. Horrified, she discovers that shodragon riders are not allowed to leave the fortress during training for three years. If Mei stays she may never see her father again, but if she leaves, she will face execution for desertion and will have wasted her father's one hope to see her free from their impoverished life. She is trapped in a world that doesn't want her by her loyalty to her father's dream. Mei must accept her new duty as a shodragon rider, to fight the monsters that come when the rains fall to feast on human flesh. Faced with constant mental and physical abuse from those who should be her mentors and allies, she struggles to find her own worthiness. When her father unexpectedly disappears, she must make a choice: to respect her father's last wish or to save her only family. Mei didn't get to choose what class she was born into, but she may get to choose how she dies.