I've spent thirty-two years failing at life. Turns out the gods were just training me for war. College dropout. Failed barista. Ruined retail manager. Fumbling freelance photographer. With a resume like mine, war was the last thing I was qualified for, but when a military recruiter offers me a spot at Thornwick Military Academy, I'm desperate enough to say yes. I brace for boot camp, obstacle courses, and maybe some advanced weapons training. I certainly wasn't expecting dragons, phoenixes, pegasi, and griffins. As heirs to ancient, magical bloodlines, the other cadets have been preparing for this moment their entire lives. They belong to legacy families who've bonded with Sovereigns for generations. They know the protocols, the history, the risks. I come from foster care and a career graveyard. I didn't even know magic existed until I landed on this mountain three days ago. Then the impossible happens. Obsidian chooses me. A black dragon. A primal, mountain-shaking force notorious for killing his last three potential riders. Ancient, temperamental, and now, irrevocably mine. Everyone expects me to die. But as the shadows lengthen, my greatest threat isn't the jealous heirs or the black-winged beasts hunting in the night. It’s my flight instructor. Captain Rhys Blackwater is infuriatingly gorgeous and far too willing to push me past every breaking point I have while looking at me like I'm a fuse he desperately wants to light. His job is to train me, provided I can survive. And against all odds, I don't die. But that's when things get complicated. Because Rhys is hiding something about black dragons. About riders who've been systematically hunted and murdered. About a royal bloodline that was supposedly wiped out centuries ago. A bloodline that might explain why pale creatures with needle-sharp teeth are suddenly attacking bonded dragons, draining their blood, and leaving a trail of bodies that leads straight to me. I came here looking for purpose. I found a war I didn't know existed, a forbidden bond I can't break, and a man I shouldn't trust. I don't know if I'm supposed to be a weapon or a target. And neither does Rhys, the man I'm falling for despite every rational instinct screaming at me to run. The man whose devastating secrets might be the only thing keeping me alive. The man that could easily destroy me if I become too dangerous. Surviving the Bonding Ceremony was just the beginning. Now I have to survive what comes after. Welcome to Thornwick Military Academy, where Sovereigns choose their riders, bone reavers hunt in the dark, and the greatest threat might be the man teaching you to fly. Perfect for readers who Fierce heroines • Deadly dragons • Enemies-to-lovers romance • Military academy training • Hidden royal bloodlines • Found family • Morally gray heroes • High-stakes action • Slow-burn tension that ignites Fans of Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses will devour this addictive start to The Windtorn Chronicles.