Even though this is my second book, I’m still in constant awe that I get to write stories for a living. And this dream would never have come true without my amazing agent, Brianne Johnson, at Writers House. Bri, thank you for being by my side on this magical journey. I couldn’t think of a better agent with whom to manipulate the tea leaves of my fate.
If not for my brilliant editor, Kristin Rens, this sequel would have been a nonsensical book about frogman armies and volcano-nymph kidnappings. Thank you, Kristin, for steering me right when I went left; for your love of Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha; and for helping me tell their story as it was meant to be told.
Endless thanks, too, to the wildly talented and hardworking team at Balzer + Bray and all of HarperCollins. To Suzanne Murphy, Kate Morgan Jackson, Alessandra Balzer, Donna Bray, and Kelsey Murphy for all your enthusiasm and support. To Joel Tippie and Alison Donalty for another stunning, perfect cover. To Jon Howard, Nellie Kurtzman, Caroline Sun, Rosanne Romanello, Audrey Diestelkamp, EpicReads, and the Harper sales team, you are incredible, and I cannot thank you enough for all that you’ve done.
I am so blessed to be a part of the YA community. Stacey Lee and Anna Shinoda, where would I be without your wacky, random texts? Probably not laughing in the middle of the grocery store with all the other shoppers staring at me. Sara Raasch, thank you for the ten billion emails and the macaroons and for sharing in my general insanity. We will totally make Pirates vs. Ninjas happen someday. Roshani Chokshi and Sabaa Tahir, thank you for your generosity and wisdom and for keeping me tethered to the ground. Monica Bustamante-Wagner, Emily Martin, Sean Byrne, Summer Spence, and Amber Hart, thank you for always being there to listen and check in. Angela Mann and the entire team at Kepler’s Books, you are the gold standard of bookstores. Thank you for loving The Crown’s Game and The Crown’s Fate and me!
Thank you to the Tsar’s Guard—what an incredible army you are! The Crown’s Game and The Crown’s Fate would not be what they are without you. A very special salute to the officers of the Guard: Major General Brittany Press, Captain Camille Simkin, Captain Heather L. DeFilippis, Captain Jaime Arnold, and Captain Rachel Evangelista.
Thank you to all my fans, and especially the earliest fans of this series, including: Abbi McIntyre, Ada Sandoval, Aditi Nichani, Aida Garcia, Aila Jiang, Alayna L. Olivarez, Alexa Santiago, Ali Nowac, Ali Kiki Byars, Alice at Arctic Books, Alice Zheng, Alicia Guerrero, Allie Penn, Alyson Chu, Alyssa Raymond, Amanda Perry, Amy Jo Green, Amy Workoff, Ana Micaela Vázquez, Anelise Kim and her favorite pets Luna and Smokey, Angelique Skandalakis, Angie Cason, Annalisse, Annebelle Bosch, Anthony Acevedo, April Nichole, Ashley @ Books Buying Beauty, Ashli Wells, Aubrie Nixon, Barrie Click, Benjamin of Tomes, Berenice Maldonado, Bhavya, Bonnie Lynn Wagner, Brittany R. Cooper, Brittany Smith, Brooke Muschott, Bryanna Celeste Garcia, Caitlyn T., Candace Robinson, Carly Vaught, Caterina Cattaneo, Carina Elizabeth Zepeda, Carol Lee, Carol Tobar, Carrie Mansfield, Carrie Parker, Cassandra and Erica from BooknerdBabes, Cassidy Hess, Cassie Bergman, Catherine Ong, Celia Brizuela, Chantal Kulak, Chelsea Brooks, Chelsea Masquelier, Christina Ladd, Christina Stants, Christine Gallaugher, Cindy Da Readaholic, Cindy T. Ngo, Cindy Pon, Claire Jeanette Dizon, Cody Duffy, Cori Griffith, Cyndy DeLeon, Cynthia Akira, Dana Jan Bartelt, Daniel Shipley, Danielle Duffield, Danielle Sunshine, Daphne Chang, Denise Cayetano, Denise Wengert, Diana Laura Nava, Duane Grech, EJ Martin, Elaine Guo, Emily Crowell, Emily Gibbs, Emily H, Emily Miller, Emma Saska, Emmett Brown, Erin Arkin, Esther Saavedra, Evie Convent, Fiorella Vasquez, Frank Iasparri, Gina Scarcella, Grace Radford @ Once Upon A Teen Reader, Hannah R., Hannah Teel, Heather Ezell, Helena from Book Nerd Addicts Blog, Holly M. Bryan, Isabella Plummer, Ivey A. Byrd, Ivy Poh, Jacinda Starr, Jaime Arkin, Jaime Chan, Jaime Arnold of Rockstar Book Tours and Two Chicks on Books, Jan Farnworth, Janine Lisa Amberger, Jazzlyn Matthews, Jeff Harris, Jennzah Cresswell, Jess @ Such a Novel Idea, Jesse the Reader, Jessica from a GREAT read, Jessica Knight, Jessica Lynn Piazza, Jillian, jillian @ bookishandnerdy, Joe Sanavaitis, John Chappelow, Jolina Cuaresma, Jordan Bishop, Joyce Goldschmid, Julia Rivas, Juniper Nichols, Kaitlin Dang, Kalista Toups, Kami C., Kamryn Blawn, Kara Wolf, Karen Jo Custodio, Karena Fagan, Kat @Treestand Book Reviews, Kate Woods, Kathie Larson, Katrina Toups, Kayla Lawson, Kayla Strickland, Kelli Avery-Ituarte, Kelly Tse, the brave soldiers currently and formerly serving our nation, KIARA, Kim Graff, Kimberly Maule, Kimi Little, Klaire Desamparo, Kricket, Kristin L. Gray, Kristi Wright, Kylie P., Laura Ashforth, Laura Gunderson, Laurel Copus, Lauren Skidmore, Lena Marsteller, Leslie Mei, Liezl Nadayag, Linda Romer, Lisa B., Lily Grant, Lilian Berner, Linda White, LizzieLovesBooks, L.M. Zachry, Lorraine R. Duran, Lucy Grace, Madeleine Michau, Maggie Brister, Mara Delgado Sánchez, Maren @ The Worn Bookmark, Maria (Netherreads), Marlene and Dan Sabo, Marlene Nuno, Mary Malhotra, Maryssa L., Maya Chhabra, Meg McGorry, Megan Mihalek, Mel @ Reviews In A Pinch, Melanie Roberts, Melissa Moake, Misty Strickland, Myranda Barton, Nathania Suissa, Nichole Elizabeth, Nicole Hewitt @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction, Nicole Lynn Hoefs, Nilun Manivanh, N.K. Traver, Núria Coe, Paige Garrison, Paige O’Neal, Perla Lopez, Rachel Bielby, Rachael Halicki, Rachel Qiu, Raychelle Steele, Rebecca Hipworth, Renee Schwall, Riley Marie, Robin Hartloff, Robyn Courtney Brodrick, Sabrina Forney, Sally Ruth Velez, Samantha Kay, Samantha Mrozek, Samara Cuaresma, Sarah Anderson, Sarah Jacobsen, Sarah Kershaw, Scarlet V. Rose, Seeing Double In Neverland, Seina Otaru Wedlick, Shana Potter, Shawn Hinkel, Shelly Collins, Sheyna Watkins, Silvia Asperti, Sondra Boyes, Sophia Life, Sophie Anne Payne, Staci Meyers, Suzanne Graf Morrone, Sydney Medel, Tammy Theriault, Take Me Away To A Great Read, Tess Botkin, TheBookwormBrittany, Theresa J. Snyder, Tiffany Johnson, ToryAnn Stutts, Tristan Hope Poindexter, Victoria Millen, Victoria Rybalkin, Vika Kareva, Vivien, Wendy Liu, Winifred Caser, and Yet Peng.
Thank you to all my friends who stuff me with chips and salsa, show up early to help at my book events, and pester me to reveal what happens to my characters before I’ve even finished writing. You know who you are! My life would not be as full and joyful without you.
To Tom, for being there when the clock struck midnight and The Crown’s Game debuted, when I found out the following week that it hit the New York Times bestseller list, and for all the smaller, quieter moments, too. You astound me.
To Mom and Dad, for guiding me and letting me become who I am. Your never-ending love and faith buoy me through my life, and I love you for it.
And to Reese, my favorite person in the world. Thank you for your tackle hugs and your bonus kisses and for being my number-one fan. Thank you for indulging me in my crazy moments and for pushing me to be my very best. You are made of stardust and dreams and magic. I love you, infinitely and forever.