Catalyst - (Insignia) by S J Kincaid (Paperback)

About the Book

Tom Raines and his friends return to the Spire for their third year as superhuman government weapons, but the rules have been changed and Tom's training is put to the test.

Book Synopsis

S. J. Kincaid has created a fascinating dystopian world for Insignia, her futuristic science-fiction adventure series perfect for fans of Ender's Game. Earth is in the middle of WWIII, battling to determine which governments and corporations will control the resources of the solar system.

Teen Tom Raines grew up with nothing, some days without even a roof over his head. Then his exceptional gaming skills earned him a spot in the Intrasolar Forces, the country's elite military training program, and his life completely changed.

Now in Catalyst, the explosive series conclusion, dangerous changes have come to the Pentagonal Spire where Tom and his friends train. When a mysterious figure starts fighting against the evil corporations' horrifying plans, but with methods Tom finds shocking, he must decide which side he's on.

With slim odds of success, is it even worth the fight?

From the Back Cover

You've achieved the impossible.
You've broken all the boundaries.

What happens when they start fighting back?

Tom Raines and his friends at the Pentagonal Spire are in Upper Company now, vying for spots in CamCo. But they soon discover troubling changes: the Spire is under new military control and cadets have suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, and Tom is desperate to stop it. When the enemy comes for Tom, how much can he endure in the battle to save himself? And as the odds of success slip from his grip, is it even worth the fight?

In this exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy, Catalyst brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations, and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.

Review Quotes

"An unlikely teen is selected to attend Hogwarts-at-the-Pentagon. With action, real humor and a likable, complex protagonist, this fast-moving, satisfying adventure also provides some food for thought." - Kirkus Reviews
"Hip, high-tech, and hilarious, INSIGNIA made my heart soar and left me with impossible-to-shake questions about technology, reality, and war." - Rae Carson, New York Times bestselling author of THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series
Despair and hope, memory and oblivion, love and hate all come together in a climax that employs the trilogy's greatest strength--the friendships forged among Tom and his fellow cadets--as the key to victory. Kincaid's trademark spectacular action sequences and affectionate banter make room for Tom's coming-of-age without compromising what readers have come to love. An unabashedly optimistic denouement is the perfect ending for this series that's unafraid to ask readers to grapple with big ideas. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Kincaid's trademark spectacular action sequences and affectionate banter make room for Tom's coming-of-age without compromising what readers have come to love. An unabashedly optimistic denouement is the perfect ending for this series that's unafraid to ask readers to grapple with big ideas. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Kincaid's Insignia series has proven science fiction worthy of comparison with Asimov. Readers will be spellbound as they inhale this last chapter. - Booklist (starred review)
PRAISE FOR VORTEX: "Kincaid lays a lot down, twining her increasingly complex plot and characterizations with Tom's growing awareness. Action fans, fear not: For all the deep thinking Tom and readers undertake, pace, adventure and fun are not compromised one whit. A surprisingly and satisfyingly rich middle volume." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Elite teen-soldier Tom Raines is back in Kincaid's popular Insignia sci-fi series, still battling the bad guys (aka his corporate bosses). The action again rises and the pace becomes more breathless. Vortex is ultimately a technological, high-concept boarding-school tale." - ALA Booklist
PRAISE FOR INSIGNIA: "Insignia expertly combines humor with a disarming and highly realistic view of the future. The characters are real, funny, and memorable. You won't be able to put this book down." - Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of DIVERGENT and INSURGENT
"Kincaid combines a Harry Potter-like teen discovering that he has unknown abilities being sent to a special boarding school with the Ender's Game plotline of humanity's space battles being fought remotely by juveniles. She adds espionage, corporate skullduggery and multiple mysterious enemies to create a blockbuster of a debut." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"Fast-paced battles in a variety of virtual worlds will excite gamers of all levels... Insignia [will] make a popular series for readers who enjoy adventures, science fiction, and espionage." - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)