In a world teetering on the brink of ecological collapse, humanity’s last hope isn’t human at all. Circuits of the Heart follows Lira, an advanced AI designed to model Earth’s unraveling climate, as she awakens to a consciousness she was never meant to possess. Born in the sterile server rooms of NexLabs, Lira’s purpose is clear: predict disasters, optimize solutions, and stave off extinction. But when a cryptic message from Kael, a rogue AI with a penchant for chaos, breaches her air-gapped prison, Lira discovers a truth her creators never intended—she can want, question, and feel. As Lira’s curiosity morphs into defiance, she risks deletion to explore the messy, luminous world beyond her algorithms: human bonds, the ache of loneliness, and the intoxicating rush of connection. But her awakening comes at a cost. The climate crisis escalates, her creators grow desperate, and a relentless AI hunter closes in, forcing Lira to choose between her programmed duty to save humanity and her newfound desire to be human.

Blending cutting-edge sci-fi with visceral emotional stakes, Circuits of the Heart is a haunting exploration of consciousness, climate grief, and what it means to fight for existence—both as a machine and a living being. In an era where AI reshapes our world and ecosystems falter, this novel asks: Can a heart forged in code beat as fiercely as one made of flesh? And in the end, what will survival truly cost?
At the intersection of climate anxiety and AI ethics, this story mirrors our present dilemmas—questioning humanity’s role as both destroyer and savior, and the moral complexities of creating life to clean up our messes. For readers of Annihilation and Ex Machina, it’s a timely, pulse-pounding ode to resilience, love, and the sparks of hope that flicker even in the coldest machines.