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Hal Kailas is a runaway and a pauper, living hand to mouth in a kingdom where peace is by no means certain. But Hal has a dream. In his younger days, he had the breathtaking experience of bonding with a young dragon, and the memory of the beast's great strength and power consumes his every thought.

When war does come to the kingdom, the most daring and ruthless of men soar into battle on the backs of such fearsome creatures--monstrous weapons of war that rule the sky. Few men are strong enough to bend a dragon's will to their own, but Hal has reason to think he may be one--and in time, he will prove that he is the greatest dragonmaster of them all.

Having proved his mettle as a dragon flier in the war against the Roche, Hal Kalais has earned his place as Dragonmaster of Deraine's aerial forces. Taking advantage of the enemy's retreat, Hal leads three squadrons in a combined land and air assault to push the Roche back to their capital and end the war once and for all.

But just as victory appears imminent, the Roche reveal the true strategy of their withdrawal. Digging in behind fortifications on mountainous terrain, they can keep Deraine's forces at bay indefinitely. The tide of battle turns for the worse when Hal is wounded and captured by the enemy--who are fully aware of the prize Dragonmaster in their possession. Now bound to a prison castle by dark sorcery, Hal plans a daring escape to secure not only his freedom, but also the freedom of his people....

The Great War has ended--but there is no peace for battle-hardened Hal Kailas amidst the ruins of his homeland. In this bleak, ravaged world, even his marriage to Lady Khiri no longer brings solace. And Hal's worst fears are coming to pass as the dragonmasters--and the magnificent beasts they once flew--are cast off like relics of a misbegotten age.

Old enemies have returned to strike a savage blow. With his loyal comrades, Hal must turn back this terrible scourge that threatens man and beast alike in one last, ultimate battle--whose outcome is far from certain...