Asteria Locke is the only survivor of a Raider attack against her father’s farm. Anxious to leave the memory of her family’s demise as well as the restrictive religious authority on her home world of Theron, she escapes to the Royal Spacefleet Academy, where they have to give her a place in honor of her father’s past heroism. She soon settles into the routine of academic life, excelling in sports and flight simulation, and she even starts to make friends. But while she may be finding a place of her own, the Aristos of the school have it in for her: She’s just too good for a commoner. And they’ll stop at nothing to drum her out of the school—and to hide a shameful secret from her father’s past that could change the balance of power in the universe. Good character development and plenty of momentum make this an enjoyable read, but there is clearly a lot more story ahead—this installment ends not with a cliffhanger but an anticipation of action yet to come. (Science fiction. 10-14)
