Book one in the Worlds Afire series. The series is a military science fiction / space opera set in a far future, following the diaspora of humanity from a dying Earth.

In a new region of space, the unified purpose of the human colonists has existed for over 800 years, but is now threatened by diverging interests from different factions. If there is one element holding the various colonies together, it is the Alliance's space navy which has guarded them all from previous alien invasions, hunted pirates, and enforced interstellar laws. Young adults from all the member worlds compete for entry into the academy, there to be trained and proven worthy of being officers in the honorable institution.

Johanna Summer has always lived a privileged yet sheltered life as a ward of the state. Even she doesn't fully understand why, but being protected has simply been her way of life. When she is suddenly hunted by a rogue government operative, she is sent away to embark on a new life as an academy cadet, at least until the controversy surrounding her can be resolved. The challenging new life offers her the chance of finding a real purpose. She soon meets other friends and classmates who share a similar vision.

But all is not well in the academy. Another group of more senior military cadets have decided to carve out a far different lifestyle, shunning the navy for a life of excitement and lawlessness. Stealing weapons, ships, and whatever else they might need, the thieves will stop at nothing to get what they want, whatever the cost. In the process, they will align with the rogue operative still hunting Johanna, who believes her very existence is a corruption of the natural order.

Everyone involved will discover just how far a zealot will go for his cause. Johanna and her friends want to prove themselves worthy of a dangerous but rewarding space navy. But the danger and risk inherent to a career in space find them far sooner than any of them expected.