The Ascendant

By J.S. Holloway

One year after the fall of the Tachibana Spire, the revolution has evolved. But Kael has not survived it intact. The Veil is still fused to his brain and is trying to overwrite him from the inside.

Working in the shadows with Kaeda, Rin, and Selene, Kael survives as a reluctant off-books cleaner for Kaori Tachibana, until a routine job uncovers something far worse than the Veil.

The HALO Eclipse Protocol. A system designed to erase identity itself, turning human minds into compliant hosts. Algorithmic suicide. And Kael is the key. At the centre is Dr Chen Wei, preparing for Final Integration, a moment that will collapse the boundary between human and machine forever.

To stop it, the crew must infiltrate the Foundry, a fortress where flesh and code are fused into something new. But the deeper Kael goes, the less of himself remains. Because the real danger is not losing his humanity. It is realising he might not want it back.

The Ascendant is a cyberpunk thriller for fans of gritty action, rogue AI horror, and the hardest fight of all: holding onto someone who is letting go.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1036961818
• ISBN13: 9781036961817
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Station Press
• Length: 270 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"