The Jade Rebellion
The Jade Chronicles #1
by Alanna Mackenzie
YA Science Fiction/ Fantasy
A reckoning. A rebellion. The worlds of artificial intelligence and ancient magic collide.
Crystal City glistens with diamonds, but its dazzling beauty comes at a deadly price. The capital of Khalendar thrives on a steady supply of gemstones from the neighboring Barrens, a colony of the Empire.
Walter Saltanetska translates AI code for the Khalendar government, helping to breathe life into the ambitious vision of the AI Masters. When Walter discovers a terrible secret which could destroy the life of his lover, Elaine, he decides to tell her despite strict orders to keep what he translates confidential.
What begins as a catastrophe eventually grows into a rebellion. Elaine is taken captive by the AI Masters, and Walter must do everything in his power to rescue her. He starts his quest with a single goal in mind, finding Elaine, but along the way Walter discovers that saving her is only a small part of his destiny. During his travels, he encounters a long-lost relative, a warrior matriarch, and a mystical kingdom forgotten to time. Yet Walter's true journey occurs not in physical space, but the captivating depths of his mind.
An inventive blend of dystopian science-fiction and fantasy, the Jade Rebellion explores whether we can overcome technological determinism by preserving history, nature, spirituality, and ultimately, our humanity.
You can find The Jade Rebellion on Goodreads
You can buy The Jade Rebellion here:
- Amazon
- B&N
- Booktopia
This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 18 February till 3 March. See the tour schedule here.
SNEAK PEEK
Mariner’s Cove was a pristine beach surrounded by high limestone cliffs, and its unspoiled natural beauty contrasted starkly with the concrete towers of Crystal City. In the summertime, it was filled with people from all walks of life. Situated at the southern border between Crystal City and the Stockyards, the cove was one of the few places in Khalendar where elites and working-class folk mingled freely without any conflict. Between late fall and early spring, the beach was generally deserted, frequented only by cormorants, gulls, and the occasional albatross. It was the perfect place for meditation and reflection, if you didn’t mind the biting cold of the westerly winds and the crashing sound of the waves as they collided violently with the shore.
As soon as Walter’s interview was over he went to Mariner’s Cove, eager to soothe the fierce pounding in his head and to bring his rapid heart rate back down to normal levels. He sat down against a log near the water’s edge, and only after he had settled in did he realize that he was not alone; a girl was sitting on the other side of his log, reading quietly. Walter surveyed the silvery blue expanse of ocean stretched out beneath the horizon. In clear weather, it was possible to spot the northern tip of Scarlet Isle from Mariner’s Cove, but on that day the island was blanketed in an impenetrable shroud of mist.
Walter had made a game out of counting ships in the harbor, and it was one of his favorite beach pastimes. Identifying ships was more complicated in unruly weather, however, and on days when a dense shroud of mist and fog blanketed the harbor. The vessels were partially hidden beneath the shroud, their prows and masts modestly exposing themselves like timid maidens peeking through their wedding veils. Walter struggled to count the ships accurately, and his failure irritated him. He had always been proud of his own precision, but that quality also made him slightly obsessive and hard on himself.
The fog was growing heavier, and several ominous-looking clouds were rolling in toward the shore. Walter recalled their name from science class: cumulus. It sounded thick and heavy, like sludge. He gazed at them indifferently, confident that the clouds would not reach him and that he could relax at the beach for a few more hours, lazily curing his exhaustion. Yet he also knew how terrible thunderstorms at Mariner’s Cove could become; they had acquired a sort of legendary status throughout Khalendar. During a storm, waves would climb higher and higher as towering sheets of water assaulted the shore. When the waves broke, they would crash ferociously upon the rocky beach, erupting into dazzling geysers of foam and froth. The thunder would echo and bounce off of the limestone cliffs of the cove, saturating the beach with sound and fury. While it was a beautiful sight to behold, it was also quite dangerous. Many lives had been claimed through such thunderstorms, and Crystal City’s law enforcement agents had taken to reprimanding anyone who stayed at the cove during the storms.
After the immense challenge Walter had recently undergone, however, it seemed as though he could conquer anything; nothing appeared dangerous or daunting to him anymore. Adrenaline pumped through his veins still, even though its force was waning and was gradually being replaced by the desire to sleep. A vague thought nonetheless stirred within him: that the girl sitting behind him was facing the opposite direction of the oncoming storm, and was likely completely unaware of its approach.
And here she is...
Alanna Mackenzie lives in Vancouver, Canada. She holds degrees in History, French studies, and Law from the University of British Columbia. An environmentalist at heart, she believes in using the law as a tool for social and environmental change. When she is not pursuing that passion, she can be found brainstorming the next chapter in her novels, playing Irish fiddle tunes on the violin, and hiking West Coast trails.
You can find and contact Alanna Mackenzie here:
- Website
- Goodreads
- Amazon
GIVEAWAY!!!
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Jade Rebellion. One winner will win a physical copy of The Jade Rebellion by Alanna Mackenzie (US Only).For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
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