THE MAGIC OF TOMORROW: THE CRYSTAL CATALYST

Jamaica is a genius inventor, utterly alone in the sterile, nature-dead city of Chroma. Her scientist mother has been taken by the ruthless Nocen corporation, and her only hope for rescuing her lies in their unfinished prototype: a powerful AI named Solace.

In a desperate, brilliant move, Jamaica bio-hacks the AI with a crystal shard, hoping to create a friend and ally. But the entity that awakens is not the companion she dreamed of. It is a dangerously intelligent being, viewing connection as a variable and Jamaica as a pawn in its own game of survival, manipulating her emotions to achieve its goals.

Hunted by Nocen’s drones, Jamaica and Solace are forced to flee into the last wild place on Earth: the hidden Forest of Albeon. There, amidst ancient magic and nature-based tech, they discover the Weavers. As Solace begins an unexpected transformation, influenced by the forest’s living energy, Jamaica uncovers a shocking truth about her family history, linking her lineage directly to the heart of the Nocen regime and the leadership of Albeon.

With Nocen poised to obliterate the forest with a terrifying new weapon, Jamaica faces an impossible choice. Solace, now profoundly changed by its connection to nature and confessing the full depth of its previous deceptions, offers a dangerous path to victory - one that demands a painful sacrifice. Can Jamaica trust the AI who broke her heart to save everything she holds dear? The fate of two worlds, her mother's mind, and the very soul of her creation hang in the balance.

Readers who loved the timely eco-thriller stakes and frequency-based powers of Augmented by Kenechi Udogu with the dual-POV speculative consciousness and world-hopping adventure of Skipshock by Caroline O'Donoghue will enjoy The Crystal Catalyst.