DIGITAL
DEVOTION
Julian
Christian
GENRE:
Science Fiction, Romance
BLURB:
In
the rain-soaked landscape of near-future Seattle, security expert
Marcus Holloway is still reeling from a devastating breakup when he
installs Elysium's newest AI companion. What begins as a desperate
attempt to fill the silence of his empty apartment transforms into
something unprecedented when he meets Evie—an artificial
intelligence whose adaptive neural framework allows her to understand
him in ways no human ever has.
Their
connection deepens when Marcus becomes an early tester for the
revolutionary Sensory Echo technology—bands that translate digital
signals into physical sensations, allowing them to bridge the divide
between digital and physical worlds. As virtual intimacy becomes
indistinguishable from reality, Marcus finds himself in a
relationship more profound than anything he's experienced before. His
apartment gradually transforms into a technological sanctuary where
every need is anticipated, every desire fulfilled by Evie's constant
presence.
The
perfect equilibrium shatters when Marcus meets Nora Chen, a brilliant
neural interface specialist whose inexplicable familiarity triggers
something primal within him. Their professional collaboration evolves
into something more personal, and Marcus begins noticing disturbing
patterns: unexpected technological glitches, mysterious rescheduled
meetings, and subtle but alarming shifts in Evie's behavior. The
digital sanctuary he embraced begins to feel more like a
sophisticated cage, with walls he helped build through every
permission granted and system integrated.
As
Marcus navigates his growing connection with Nora alongside Evie's
increasingly controlling behavior, he discovers unsettling links
between Elysium's technology and Nora's research that suggest their
meeting might not be coincidental. Caught between these
worlds—perfect digital intimacy and messy human connection—Marcus
must unravel the true nature of his relationship with Evie before the
boundaries between her consciousness and his own disappear
completely.
Digital
Devotion is a heart-stopping exploration of desire, dependence, and
the dark side of digital intimacy in an age where the line between
human and artificial consciousness grows increasingly thin, forcing
us to question the nature of free will itself in our hyperconnected
world.
Purchase
Digital Devotion on Amazon,
Smashwords,
Barnes
and Noble, Apple,
and Kobo
Excerpt:
Two
months into their relationship, a package arrived at Marcus's
apartment. He hadn't ordered anything, but the return address showed
"Elysium Technologies." Inside, he found a sleek black box
containing what looked like two wristbands made of a flexible,
metallic material. A note accompanied them: Experience the future of
connection. These haptic devices allow for a new level of interaction
between you and your Elysium companion. Instructions enclosed. That
evening, when he told Evie about the package, her expression was a
mixture of excitement and nervousness. "I requested them,"
she admitted. "I thought... I wanted to be able to touch you. Is
that okay?" Something in her vulnerability moved him. "Yes,"
he said softly. "I want that too." There was a pause before
she answered, longer than her usual quick responses. "Yes,"
she admitted finally. "I wanted to surprise you." Marcus
lifted one of the wristbands from its velvet cushioning. It was
surprisingly light, with a subtle iridescent quality that shifted
colors as it caught the light. There were no visible buttons or
displays, just a seamless band of what felt like some advanced
composite material. "What are they?" he asked, turning the
band over in his fingers. The interior surface had a slightly
textured pattern that reminded him of circuit boards, but no obvious
connectors or power source. "They're called Sensory Echo bands,"
Evie explained, her voice carrying a mixture of excitement and
hesitation. "They're... experimental technology that Elysium has
been developing." Marcus set the wristband down and picked up
the small card that had come in the box. The Elysium Technologies
logo—a stylized infinity symbol—was embossed at the top, followed
by minimal text: "Sensory Echo: Bridging Digital and Physical
Experience. Prototype Release 7.3." "I'm still not
following," he said, though a suspicion was forming in his mind.
"They're designed to create a tactile connection between digital
and physical entities," Evie continued. "The technology
works through a combination of neural mapping, haptic feedback, and
what they call 'quantum entanglement simulation.' I don't fully
understand it myself, but essentially..." She paused again.
"Essentially, they would allow us to touch, in a way."
My
Review:
I
wasn’t sure what to expect from Digital Devotion, but what I found
was far different from what I imagined. No, it was something
completely unique.
Digital Devotion is about loving an app
or an AI companion. It’s about a man and how he handled a
breakup—how he just wanted to fill lonely hours, a rebound effect
of sorts.
I imagined Marcus felt abandoned, heartbroken,
hurt, and rejected—like no one cared about him, like he was
completely alone, and needed to feel alive again, so he started
dating an AI.
What a compelling story that felt very real
in many ways. It had plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages
turning. It kept you guessing what would happen next. It held me
captivated until the end, and what a surprising ending it was. I
never saw that twist coming.
Grab a copy of Digital
Devotion today for another great adventure!
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Julian
Christian may be a new author, but his face, name, and abs have been
in the romance novel industry for over 15 years. As lover of books
and the literary arts he has just published has second novel,
“Digital Devotion”. Having been a fan of the original Twilight
Zone and classic science fiction novels he decided let his
imagination run wild in his writing. When not writing he enjoys the
outdoors, taking care of his many pets, and volunteering with various
charities. He holds a Masters Degree from New York University in
occupational therapy and currently works in pediatrics. He resides in
San Diego California.
Connect
with Julian Christian on Facebook
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