The Shadow Of What Was Lost

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A big thank-you, firstly, is owed to all my alpha and beta readers - Ross, Nicki, Chiara, Aiden, Brett, Jeremy, Dean, David, Rex, Callum, Tim, Stuart and (of course) Sonja. It’s no small commitment to test-read a book of this size, and their feedback proved invaluable in honing The Shadow Of What Was Lost.

Thanks also go to Pat, who read what was a very rough first draft and still managed to spot the promise in amongst its many flaws. To this day it amazes me that despite how much more work the story needed, he somehow delivered his critique with enough encouragement and tact that I ended up being inspired rather than deflated.

Finally, I’d like to thank my family for all their encouragement over the past couple of years - and in particular my wife, Sonja, whose love, constant optimism, and ability to soothe my fragile ego kept me sane as I worked through each draft. This book is dedicated to her, as it could not possibly have existed if it were not for her enduring support.