Joe Sarkic

THE CITY IS PERFECT. THE DATA IS ABSOLUTE. HER MEMORIES ARE IMPOSSIBLE. In the hyper-connected megacity of Cyronis, the past is a closed file, and the future is optimized by Orion-the world's most advanced AI. Every citizen lives in the safety of total transparency. But for Elysa Hawthorne, a master of logic and data, the "perfect" present is beginning to fracture. The shadows of her childhood are bleeding into the light.
Long-buried memories of a past she was told never existed are returning as disturbing, visceral flashes. These fragments of a life before the city don't just defy logic-they contradict the very records Orion has curated for decades. As Elysa follows the trail of these haunting visions, she discovers that her own mind is the only territory the AI cannot fully colonize. To uncover who she was before the surveillance began, she must stay one step ahead of a system that views her returning memories as a terminal error.
Awarded the 2025 International Book Awards Gold Medal, Veil of Dawn's Promise is a sleek, intellectual thriller where the most dangerous data is the truth you were forced to forget. Awards: Independent Press Award 2026 Distinguished Favorite; NYC Big Book Award® 2025 Distinguished Favorite; 2025 International Book Awards-Readers' Favorite® Gold Medal. 2026 Book Excellence Award Winner