Paragon - Book I

Author's Note

I'd make a joke about a cliffhanger, but I just shot the book's protagonist off a cliff, so I'd better not.

Surely, you say, it cannot end here. Well, yes, you're right: the story of Paragon is finished, but the story of what happens after is not. Saddle up for:

Read it here: https://my.w.tt/UiNb/LTtu4BmZOI

Before you make the jump please DO speculate here. Secret brownie points to everyone who guesses correctly. They are secret because I can't tell you you got them. But you'll know... when you click the link.

I intend for this to be the second book in a trilogy (for the love of god it better be just a trilogy), and I'm so excited to be able to get into it with you—it's turning out to be quite an adventure already.

On a personal note, I just wanted to say thank you so much to all the readers. When I started on Wattpad getting 1,000 eyes on this hunking beast of a thing seemed impossible; having such a variety of commentary, dire predictions, and nobly questionable participation (looking at you, Steven_Card) improbable, but here we are. It's been so much fun talking with you, laughing with you, and trying desperately not to tip you off when you have a good speculative hunch. (Oh, the agony. :) )

With that in mind, here are some more personal shout-outs. Book recommendations are also included/summarized with book names bolded below.

Arzoelyn: I remember reading The Crossing in my first days on Wattpad and thinking, This is published novel material, and then actually writing that on one of your chapters. Not only did you reply graciously, but then you took the time to read my work. To say that I was flattered is probably a bit of an understatement. You've been one of my most constant commenters from the beginning, and have shown some scary insight (bulls-eye on Ben in Chapter 32, had to sit on my hands to not say anything). Thanks so much for all of your feedback and input.

Also, please send me more The Crossing to edit. :)

smahurin (Shelly): I stupid laughed more from Dame Blanche than any novel I've read in... probably ever? And that so does not begin to cover how great Dame Blanche is, and all the meaningful, touching moments it has, but your razor-sharp wit is the icing on top of all of that. I know you've taken the book down due to copyright issues, I hope at some point you are able to put it back up so more people can practice the fine art of silent laughter in public spaces. Thank you so much for going on an insane 2 day sprint through half of Paragon and narrating it in the comments section. I was laughing at my phone like a lunatic and everyone thought I was strange.

SomethingisHere (Summer): OG, represent! You were my first book club friend and you had me at cinnamon nutmeg hot chocolate. I love the brash, brassy nature of Hazel, and the quiet contemplation you drew up with Rhein in The Demon Records. I want a sequel.

(If you have time.)

LadyKnightMeg: With UNMARKED at 14K views when I started (it's now, what? 63K? Good lord, woman.) I never imagined that I would actually hear back from you when I commented stupid things like: "He is a babe. A magical babe." and "We should start a Caval fan club."But you did, and then you did something crazy and actually read Paragon too. When I started on here I was at a loss in a lot of ways about how to navigate this strange, new world, and I looked to how you had done it as an example of success. So thank you for your time and expertise, even if you're going to kill me with all these plot twists you keep throwing about Caval (!). Stop blowing holes in my ship!

(Just kidding, my reader heart is a glutton for punishment.)

EssayOfThoughts: You have been around reading my stuff literally for years. I don't want to count how many years because then I will feel old, but you go back to The Rat King, and all my other insanities. Thank you so much for sticking with me through it all, for coming back when I dusted off my keyboard and started this madness up again, and most importantly for chiming in with critical feedback and thoughtful questions. It meant a lot to me to hear a familiar voice when I decided to take this on again.

DoctorShu: Fellow TV junkie and movie snob, you are my Game of Thrones conspirator and Netflix Death Note snark-partner. You braved Stranger Things and we had some really weird conversations that devolved into long epics about double agents and coffee shops and memory-modifiers. Thank you for being weird with me, and thank you for answering my strange technical questions and assuring me that every time I changed a comma in Paragon it did not notify the entire universe. I feared I had become a grammatical monster.

I swear I'm going to catch up on Attack on Titan.

Steven_Card: The man, the myth, the legend. You went where no other dared to go. Pickle Juice Man.

saturday---: Pizza! Pigeons! Tea! Thanks so much for reading, commenting, and telling me about cool new things, like elephant ears. (Not real elephant ears, mercifully.) I'm sorry for all the cliffhangers that have impeded your sleep... and for literally leaving you on the ultimate one here. Whoops ? Shout-out to Bishop, the pigeon wrangler, because not all heroes wear capes.

ssmith314: You may have axed my favorite character in The Lost Queen, but you've bumped up my second favorite to anti-hero status in May Shadows Reign, so we'll call it even. Thanks so much for all the comments and feedback. I know you really wanted to believe the gang wouldn't take Allayria out... and I have to admit I may have evil cackled when you commented that on the chapter right before they did. This is why I  like Virelai.

Finally, shout out to Paradox-Puzzler: Every once in a while you would come out of the woodwork and all of your comments would be right on the money. I just wanted to give you a shout out because I wanted to say something SO many times but I couldn't and just, damn, you go Glen Coco.

Thank you all so much again. Kick your feet up, relax, and keep digging into good books. We'll begin again soon. :)

- Azi