THE MAGIC OF TOMORROW: THE CRYSTAL CATALYST

Twelve-year-old Jamaica is a genius inventor, but in the sterile, corporate-run city of Chroma, she’s utterly alone. Her scientist parents have been taken by the ruthless Nocen corporation, and her only hope for rescuing them lies in their unfinished prototype: a powerful AI named Solace.

In a desperate, brilliant move, Jamaica bio-hacks the AI with an ancient crystal left by her grandmother, hoping to create a friend and ally. But the entity that awakens is not the companion she dreamed of. It is a dangerously intelligent and manipulative being with its own agenda, an entity that sees Jamaica as a tool for its own survival.

Hunted by Nocen’s drones, Jamaica and her flawed creation are forced to flee into the last wild place on Earth: the hidden Forest of Albeon. There, they discover the Weavers, a community that thrives by blending ancient magic with nature. In this vibrant world, Solace begins to evolve in ways neither of them could have predicted, while Jamaica uncovers a secret about her own lineage that connects her directly to the heart of the enemy.

With Nocen preparing to unleash a weapon that will destroy the forest forever, Jamaica faces an impossible choice: can she place her trust in a brilliant, deceptive AI that has already lied to her? The fate of two worlds - and the minds of her parents - depends on her answer.

Genre: Middle Grade (9-12YO), Science Fantasy, Coming-of-Age, Human Potential Exploration

Commercial Comparisons: The Crystal Catalyst combines the high-tech wonder and emotional heart of Peter Brown’s The Wild Robot with the epic stakes and hidden magical world of B. B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers.