Acknowledgements

On 5 January 2019, both of my parents suffered heart attacks. Dad’s was a result of genetics, known conditions and likely an element of refusing to accept he was past his prime. Mum’s was takotsubo cardiomyopathy, otherwise known as ‘broken heart syndrome’ – something I took with a pinch of salt until the doctor, standing at the foot of Mum’s ICU bed, said with grave seriousness, ‘We almost lost you.’ Unfortunately we lost Dad.

Mum, you taught me that we can come back from the most devastating of heartaches and you have always been an inspiration.

Dad, you encouraged me to open a book and enter the world of a grizzled, axe-wielding warrior named Druss, who was also (arguably) past his prime. My imagination has been in overdrive since and without this I couldn’t have made this story believable, as the father-and-son relationships depicted here couldn’t be further from my own.

Thank you both.

Arielle, Levi and Benji, nothing could have prepared me for being your father. Thank you for teaching me along the way.

Lisa, my pistol packin’ mama, you’ve contributed to this in ways that are beyond my powers of articulation.

Special mention to Sally Bird at Calidris Literary Agency, James Bean at James Bean Editing, and the team at Echo Publishing.