The Academy (Brad Strickland) Books in Order

The Academy is a middle-grade science-fiction adventure centered on Asteria Locke, a young pilot-in-training at the Royal Military Academy. Asteria wants a place in the Space Fleet, but getting there means passing demanding training and learning how much politics shapes the future she hopes to serve.

The first book, Flight of the Outcast, brings Asteria into an academy where status matters. She is a commoner in a society ruled by aristocrats, and her ambitions put her in contact with classmates, instructors, and powerful people whose interests do not always match her own. Space travel and flight training give the story its energy, while Asteria's choices give it its heart.

Squadron of Shadows raises the stakes during her second year. Asteria is still trying to qualify as a pilot when she is drawn toward a secret group working against discrimination. At the same time, trouble at home makes it harder to treat Academy life as a separate world.

Growing up can be political.

The series is fast-moving but not just about ships and battles. Asteria has to decide what kind of person she wants to be when obeying the rules and doing the right thing are not always the same. Friendship, class divisions, loyalty, and responsibility all matter alongside the action.

Start with Flight of the Outcast. It introduces Asteria, the Academy, and the social pressures that shape the larger conflict. Squadron of Shadows works best as a direct continuation, carrying her training and her growing awareness of the world beyond the classroom forward.