Spensa Nightshade is the daughter of a coward. So it’s more than a test that keeps her out of flight school. But when her father’s old wingmate offers her a spot, her life changes. Everything she believes is challenged. In a society where “Defiance is Survival”, the only humans are survivors and their descendants from the spaceship, the Defiant. Spensa finds a crashed ship named M-Bot, and with the aid of Doomslug and childhood friend Rig, she brings it back to life. Spensa uncovers the truth about her father and what they share, but finds it may not be the curse she believes it is.