It feels strange to write this blog. It’s about an ending, after all, and endings usually come marked with a bit of sadness. But instead of sad, I feel exhilarated. Because tomorrow, the Anniversary Day Saga comes to an end. But really, it’s just the beginning.

You see, although the saga comes to a close with tomorrow’s release of Masterminds, in the new world of publishing, this is just the beginning for the Saga. It’s now complete, you see, which means those readers who find it from this day forward can binge read even faster than those of you who have come along on this a-book-a-month adventure.

And that is truly exciting.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch is more than just a writer. She is an amazingly gifted storyteller. And she just gave the world a story three-quarters-of-a-million words long. Yes, you read that right. Talk about a story you can get lost in.

But before I talk more about the saga itself, we need to talk about the saga’s conclusion: Masterminds.

Here’s the synopsis:

The fate of the Alliance hangs in the balance as the masterminds behind the Anniversary Day bombings trigger the final stages of a plan decades in the making. A plan that will bring about the total destruction of every dome on the Moon.

As Moon Security Chief Noelle DeRicci struggles with the overwhelming scope of the investigation, Retrieval Artist Miles Flint races to save the life of a man from his daughter Talia’s past. A man with vital information regarding the identity of the masterminds who planned the Anniversary Day bombings. And deep beneath the surface of Armstrong, a dome engineer makes a chilling discovery that could crack the investigation wide open.

If only he can get someone to believe him.

The reviews and acclaim for this series are too numerous to list here, but let me give you a sample. Publishers Weekly says of Masterminds: “Rusch wraps up the near-future Anniversary Day Saga, set in her Retrieval Artist universe, with this deeply satisfying eighth entry. … Rusch juggles the ensemble cast and numerous plots skillfully, offering up a cerebral thriller that’s part mystery and part action-drama with a ticking countdown. The human element plays well against the tense atmosphere, and frequent scene shifts help provide a sense of momentum and foreboding. While it’s almost essential to have read the previous installments, this is a very strong payoff for the series.”

And Analog says of the saga: “The Retrieval Artist universe is rich and exciting, and Rusch’s characters are real beings (Human and otherwise) struggling against overwhelming odds. The thrills are nonstop, and the tension keeps increasing with each successive book [in the Anniversary Day Saga]. If you’re a nail-biter, you might want to wear gloves for these.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

And I couldn’t be more pleased with the success of our innovative publishing experiment. When Kris and I first dreamed this up, we were optimistic. After all, we’re both avid readers, and we would have loved it, so we were confident you would, too. But experimentation always comes with some risk. And in this case, that risk has paid off in even greater rewards than we had hoped for.

Thank you for coming along on this journey with us. It wouldn’t have been nearly so much fun without you.

Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer.