About the Author

S. J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire. She also interned for a politician in Washington, DC, and received degrees from universities in Illinois and Ohio, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Edinburgh, Scotland, that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Several years, several manuscripts, and several jobs later, Ms. Kincaid now lives in California, and Catalyst is the conclusion to the Insignia trilogy.

Reviews

"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)