A note from the author: the Collapse Series is intended as a fantasy exploration of the physical, psychological, and emotional toll of surviving an extreme disaster situation. As such, the characters within are subjected to, or must work to reconcile, violence in nearly all of its forms. It’s my hope to use stories to build empathy and understanding around post-traumatic stress, sexual assault survival, abusive relationships, and coping with mental illness. It’s not my desire to derail anyone on the path to healing, and if you find yourself in this situation, please proceed with extreme caution, if you proceed at all. The time may come in your journey when you can comfortably read violent content, but there is nothing wrong if that time is not now.

I believe that art is meant to be a neutral depiction of the world around us, left to interpretation by the audience. The characters in this novel reflect many people whom I have met, known, and loved, but are not intended to represent any one of them specifically. Any resemblance to people, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Many characters possess both admirable traits and downright unforgivable ones. This is not meant to glamorize or romanticize abusive or violent behavior, simply to explore the mindset and experience of those with a propensity toward such actions.

Best of luck on your journey through lands where wild things will roam.

All my love,

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Content Warning: crisis, death, infant/child death, parental death, blood, suicide, drug use, alcoholism, sexual situations, war, excessive violence, sexual violence, kidnapping, abuse, torture, trauma, PTSD, depression, racism, mental illness, disabilities

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