Pax Victoria has been released, and as I sit here surrounded by the pile of paperbacks that are the result, I think I need to process what the ending of the series means. Don't worry, there won't be any spoilers!

Deciding the last line didn't do it. Hitting 'publish' didn't do it. It's only when I opened the package and saw all six books physically in front of me did it truly sink in that I'm done with the From the Ashes of Victory series. Flipping to the last page of Pax, reading the last line, then turning the page to see there weren't any more hit so much harder when it was an actual, tangible page. It was... I don't know, more real.

'Labor of love' is almost cliche at this point, but also apt. As proud as I am of these books (more so the characters), there were so many times that I struggled, one time I nearly gave up writing altogether, countless hours of lost sleep, but somehow I managed to stick through it and finish. The world I made and the people who lived in it deserved no less.

Weirdly, it was that strange loyalty to my own characters that saw me through to this point. I adore all of them, and failing would have been letting them down. (Not to mention robbing you, my readers, of their story). I have no control over how they will be viewed by people in the future (or viewed at all), but I hope, at the very least, that they will be remembered in the great pantheon of original sapphic characters.

Now that it's all done, I can admit that after Hall of Mirrors I almost gave up. The first three books took so much out of me, shooting them off into a sucking void required more than I had to give at the time, and I kept running into sheer walls with Colours of Dawn. Instead, I switched gears and moved to a new story (that eventually became Midnight Magic), and that shift saved my love of writing and character. I worked through the issues of Colours, and got books five and six out back-to-back, something I hadn't done since the first two.

It would be easy to sit here and espouse on what I think the themes of the series are and why I think they're important, why the story was important, but that's not really up to me. It's up to you, and posterity to decide what it was all about. I know why I wrote it and what I was trying to say, but intent isn't always impact. As the years go by and more people discover the series, those things will settle themselves out.

I know what the series has meant to those of you who have been kind enough to share your thoughts, and I am glad that you love these characters and this world as much as I do. Hearing that the books are highly re-readable is wonderfully validating; that people enjoy simply spending time with the characters again and feeling like part of the family means so much to me. That maybe, just maybe, I did something right.

As for what's next? A break. With the series done and after the last few years of... *gestures around*, some time off is desperately needed in order. I finished Pax on fumes, and I need to re-fill the tanks, refit and recharge. After that? If you liked the history + magic part of this series, well, all I can say is stay tuned. I have ideas for several more Alumita books too, so be on the lookout for those.

I don't know when I will be posting here again, but I hope you are enjoying Pax Victoria, and maybe a re-read of the series. As always, I appreciate hearing from you however you choose to do so--reviews, DMs, Tweets, emails are all welcome and encouraged.

As for now, thank you all so much for reading the series and any kind words you have left. Those helped me immensely in the dark times, too. More than I can express. You're amazing. So stay safe and be excellent to each other.

I shall return.