The Chains of Malice: A near-future psychological thriller

When a foul-mouthed asylum inmate is offered freedom in exchange for servitude, she bites off more than she can chew.Seventeen-year-old Curiesay should have known better than to trust the relentlessly cheerful Doctor Joshi. She's taken to Bastion-a fortress city in Eastern Europe-and is fitted with a mysterious suit of armor that demands a piece of her sanity in exchange for strength. Stranger still, her fellow Pilot-the young and naïve Arthur-can wield his suit with unnerving ease.Obsessed with a secret that everyone tiptoes around, Curiesay undergoes training that pushes her body and spirit to the brink. Meanwhile, Doctor Joshi plots a daring mission to rescue a woman infected by the mind-corrupting Blight and deliver humanity's first blow to their greatest enemy.Torn between survival, ego, and a growing obsession with Arthur's secret, Curiesay must navigate the machinations of her boss and foray into the most dangerous place on Earth: The Exclusion Zone. Freedom was the deal, but staying sane may be impossible.