Not unlike Disney's "Mulan", Rain, daughter of a Neshu grandmaster and a Neshu fighter herself, is unwilling to let her twin brother and father leave to fight in the war. Especially because when she'd been little, she and her brother had fallen sick, and Rain was accidentally given the medicine reserved for the family's only son- leaving her brother with slight cognitive scars. Certain that her brother won't return from the battlefield, Rain disguises herself as a man and goes in his place, making every move to remain undiscovered including taking a powder to hide her monthly bleed. Many of these factors contribute to her visions of dragons, a species that may be her kingdom's only hope of winning the war.
The most compelling part of the book is probably whenever Rain needs to wash up, take her powder, or pee...the thoughts of the dragon in her mind were also very interesting. The quote on the cover ("I devoured it in one sitting!" - Tamora Pierce) describes exactly what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, being a student, I was unable to do this.