Endgame

Author Essay

Dear Readers, I occasionally hear that you’re sad because Endgame marks the last of Jax’s adventures. For me, this is a bittersweet occasion, as I’m thrilled that I was able to write her whole journey, but it’s also hard to say good–bye. You see, Jax changed my life every bit as much as I’ve changed hers. When I sold her story to Anne Sowards, it made all of my dreams come true. So sometimes it was really hard to torture her as the storyline dictated I must. If you’ve read me, then you know my characters suffer, and it’s a bit hard to bear sometimes because I love my heroes and heroines. I don’t want to hurt them; I wish for them to be happy. Yet I had to be true to the emotional arc. In the beginning, Jax was a fairly shallow character. She was ignorant about the larger universe; her skills were extremely specialized. While snarky and occasionally amusing, she also suffered from a sense of entitlement, and she had no ability to deal with adversity because she’d been selfish, done exactly as she pleased, and the world conformed to her desires. Her success as a navigator only increased those tendencies. I didn’t want to eliminate all the traits that made her distinctive, but I refined them as the series went on. She learned how to care for others and sometimes to put their needs above her own. Not always, of course, or she wouldn’t be Jax. She’ll never be a wife or mother, will never put a man ahead of her own personal goals. To do so, she’d have to shift so much that she wouldn’t be Jax anymore, and I’d never change her at the core. I’ve only transformed her into a heroine. Along the way, she acquired other abilities and a moral sense that drove her to do the right thing. I’m extremely pleased and proud of her metamorphosis. In many ways, it was a tough book to write and I’m proud of the preliminary feedback that indicates I wrote about war with gravitas and without glorifying or glamorizing it. All in all, I love the way the series has ended and hope you do too. Furthermore, I’m delighted to deliver the finale on a high note when readers are still clamoring for more. This way, her legacy will always remain bright and dear in your hearts and minds. I also hope you’ll continue the journey in this universe with the Dread Queen spinoff, forthcoming in fall 2013. Thanks for reading, and please enjoy Jax’s bon voyage in Endgame. Ann Aguirre