Acknowledgements
This was my first time writing a novel. Any novel, when you get right down to it, is going to be the work of diverse hands. There are always people behind the scenes helping to shepherd a book like this into existence, helping the writer make space and time to write it, putting up with long nights and weird schedules. Always plenty of people to thank. And that’s probably more true with a first novel than any other kind.
So, thanks to everyone at Privateer Press and Skull Island eXpeditions for giving me the opportunity to play in one of my favorite sandboxes again, for answering all of my questions, and giving me a surprisingly free hand when I had ideas to throw into the mix, and for always being easy to work with. Thanks to Jay and Ryan for playing WARMACHINE and HORDES with me, and to everyone at TableTop in Overland Park—my friendly local gaming store—for giving us someplace to play that was better than the kitchen table.
Thanks to Adam Cesare, Leeman Kessler, and others for their enthusiasm about this book while it was still in draft stages. And finally, thanks to my wife Grace, who not only stayed patient and supportive throughout the process, but also basically co-wrote several sections with me. I couldn’t have done it without you!