ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Given its troubled and arduous production process, The Celestial Way wouldn't have seen the light of day if I hadn't received support from various people in key moments.

I want to thank Gabriela Terzieva for being the novel's sole alpha reader. We didn't mesh very well, Gabi, but nonetheless, I thank you for your perseverance and continued interest.

My thanks also go to Desislava Pavlova and Kalin Nenov, who were my first beta readers. Especially Desislava, who blazed through the book in under a week(!), and her most salient feedback was to ask me awkward questions about how sex between a human and a dragon works. Also, I give an astroload of additional heartfelt thanks to Kalin, who provided numerous and invaluable advice on how to make the book better, and made it possible for The Celestial Way to be presented before the world at CoNZealand 2020 (WorldCon 78).

Shout out and cheers to the rest of TCW's beta readers: Joe Jackson, Andrei Hristov, Justin Williams, and my brother, Alexander "Heijaz" Dimitrov. In particular, additional thanks to Joe for catching a megaton of mistakes and teaching me how to hunt them on my own, and more thanks to Justin for some incredible in-depth critique and analysis on the early parts of the text, which helped shape TCW as a better reading experience.

Also, my deep gratitude to the proprietors and crew of Другият замък (Castle.bg) for providing me with a great writing space. I started working on TCW when the hobby club first opened, and I wrote most of the book within the hallowed halls of this gaming temple dedicated to Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons&Dragons, and myriad of other tabletop and role-playing games.

Special thanks to Antonia Doncheva, part of the Castle crew, for working on the cover for the book. She has created a truly beautiful and evocative illustration, and thanks to her TCW is that much more of an awesome project. My heartfelt thanks for your perseverance and dedication, Toni!

I give my love and gratitude to my parents, Elissaveta and Emil, for their continued support and firm faith in my ability to finish this story. The person who I am today is thanks to the foundations of moral values they have instilled in me and the love they have given me.

Addendum 2024: Many, many thanks to Emanuil Tomov, Alexander Popov, and Vladimir Poleganov, who teach the course "How To Read Science Fiction" in English and American Studies at Sofia University. Their expertise and the course's awesome curriculum offered me a completely fresh look at speculative fiction, motivating me to give TCW a brand new re-edit prior to its online serialization. Kudos to you, gentlemen! Your efforts, methodology, and knowledge-sharing are worth every moment.

Shout out to all other people who have expressed interest in the novel or have given me moral support during production throughout the years. Thanks!

And finally, I thank you, the reader. For picking up this book and allowing its story to open a door to yet another world among the infinite horizon of our universe. May the stars shine upon your soul.