Literature

Published February 2018 as Ex Machina and retailed at Barnes & Noble stores.

For as long as the human race has existed, magic has steered its way of life. Yet in the new era of the 20th Century, an advanced form of magic evolved that took mankind out of the darkness and into the light. It was called technology. Before long, people began to rely solely on what they could see, touch and measure until one day, magic was forgotten and that part of humanness that allowed us to feel, dream and believe eventually vanished with it.

Three-hundred years passed since that day and the world advanced greatly with heavenly cities floating in the sky; where artificial intelligence and automatons replaced the human workforce. Even pets had been substituted with sophisticated robotic avatars or so-called ACEPs (Animal Cybertronic Enhancement Programs) that either served as domestic companions or as part of law enforcement. Unlike real pets, each move that an ACEP beast made was precise and predetermined - predictable. Nothing in this seemingly perfect society was left to chance or emotional impulse, and for that reason, books, art, animals, plants and magic were outlawed with the penalty of death.

And yet, deep within the belly of these floating cities lived a faction rebels believed to still practice magic despite the loss of their leader, a high priestess who had secretly lived as a prominent member of society. This was before she was discovered to be living a double life and ultimately executed.

She was survived by a daughter, Mina, to whom she left a collection of powerful talismans to aide her in discovering her magical roots so that she may one day lead a rebellion and put an end to the Age of Machines once and for all.