Gabriella Preston 
Xylos [EPUB ebook] 
The City That Swims

A turquoise sun bleeds across the dying planet of Avani, its once-vibrant oceans now choked by a shimmering blight. Faced with extinction, the aquatic Faeqrin race embarks on a daring gamble: Xylos, a city that swims.  Within its bioluminescent depths, genetically modified kelp forests filter the poisoned waters, and at its heart pulses the Coral Core, a symbiotic marvel of nature and technology.  Elara Neylan, a brilliant young engineer, pours her grief and fierce determination into Xylos, envisioning not just escape, but rebirth.
But unity fractures under pressure. Thalassa Maris, a revered elder, sees Xylos as a betrayal of Avani, clinging to the belief that adaptation, not escape, is their destiny. This ideological rift threatens to tear the Faeqrin apart, mirroring the fracturing ecosystem of their home.  Caught in the crossfire is Kaelen Vance, a seasoned navigator haunted by personal tragedy. His pragmatism clashes with Elara’s optimism, yet he’s drawn to her unwavering spirit, their bond deepening amidst the escalating turmoil.
Sabotage rocks the city, suspicion falling on Thalassa’s followers.  As Xylos nears completion, Elara uncovers a devastating truth: the blight isn’t natural, but the consequence of an ancient, forgotten Faeqrin technology – a terraforming engine now poisoning their world.  This revelation offers a glimmer of hope for Avani’s restoration, but also exposes the Faeqrin’s own culpability, deepening the divide and pushing them to the brink of civil war.
Xylos embarks on its maiden voyage, pursued by Thalassa’s forces and hunted by grotesque creatures spawned by the blight.  Amidst the chaos, Elara and Kaelen must navigate not only the treacherous currents of the poisoned sea but also the turbulent waters of their own hearts.  Their quest leads them to the heart of the dying terraforming engine, where a final confrontation awaits, forcing them to choose between escaping their dying world or fighting to heal it.  The fate of Avani, and the future of the Faeqrin, hangs in the balance.