Cadet Elisandra Elis is haunted by the things she's done. Fighting on Taras, El has done things that go well beyond the call of war. So when she sees a chance to run, she takes it, joining the Aderyn. The ship is quite literally falling apart but the crew -- a pilot with an easy sense of humor, a medic with a heart of gold, and a captain who makes her feel a lot of confusing things -- make her question what it means to belong somewhere. But when she's faced with an opportunity to save her kingdom -- and in turn the galaxy -- El is caught between the planet she loves and the crew that has welcomed her as one of their own. Left to question just how much she's willing to give up for the kingdom that broke her, she must decide if throwing her life away is worth it. Or perhaps she should just keep running; thus far, that's what she's proven to be best at. It's Cinderella reimagined in this science fantasy retelling about a disenchanted idealist looking for her place in the galaxy.