Crowntide by Alex Aster - 92

I started writing the earliest version of this series a decade ago now. Back then, I couldn’t imagine anyone caring about these characters or this world as much as I do. You all changed everything. So, first and foremost, thank you so much to you, the reader, for your support. You are the reason I get to tell this story exactly as I always intended. Everything I write is for you. Thank you . Thank you to everyone who made publishing this book possible. Thank you to my incredible literary agent, Jodi Reamer, who is my guiding star, and the greatest advocate for my work that I could possibly imagine. This has been the busiest year of my life, but you are the compass that keeps me going in the right direction. Thank you for the daily phone calls, for the check-ins, and for making sure I have the time I need to put my head down and write. Thank you to my incredible editor, Claire Stetzer, for all your editorial guidance, for getting so excited about those twists (!!!), and for your fierce commitment to getting this story right. I really appreciate it.

Thank you to everyone around me who continues to make so much possible. Thank you to Berni Vann and Michelle Weiner at CAA for everything. Berni—every time I speak to you is a joy. Thank you to Annika Patton, for seeing the magic in this series so many years ago. Thank you to Elise Mesa and Emma Eales for all that you do. Thank you to Anqi Xu, for always giving me great notes. And thank you to Cecilia de la Campa, Alessandra Birch, and Sofia Bolido for getting this story out to readers around the world.

Thank you to everyone at Abrams who has championed this series, including Anne Heltzel, Maggie Lehrman, Lori Benton, and Melanie Chang. Thank you to Micah Fleming for your unmatched art direction, and incredible ideas—always. And to Sasha Vinogradova for helping create the cover of my dreams. Thank you to everyone who makes it possible to get this book into readers’ hands—from formatting, to editing, to production, to ebook and audio, to marketing and publicity—including: Borana Greku, Cristina Gilbert, Taryn Roeder, Mitch Thorpe, Talia Behrend-Wilcox, Angelica Busanet, Megan Carlson, Christine Edwards, Elizabeth Frew, Mark Harrington, Maggie Moore, Mary O’Mara, Jason Orlando, and Josh Weiss.

Thank you to my love for your support. You make reality better than fiction. Writing has completely taken over my life—thank you for always being there for me when I surface.

Infinite thanks to my family and friends who haven’t really seen me in over a year because of these deadlines. I promise to get more sleep soon. Maybe. You know who you are, and I am so grateful to have you in my life.

Lastly, again, and most importantly, thank you, reader, for taking this journey with me. I am forever grateful for your support. Thank you for everything.