Sci-fi and fantasy publisher Tor describes THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME as “the page-turning politics of Game of Thrones meets the worlds-spanning romance of Outlander in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 NY Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.” The series name is hilarious: Maggie the Undying. Since I will happily inhale anything that Ilona Andrews writes, it was a no-brainer to grab this and stay up all night to devour it. Then I had to immediately turn around and re-read it to savor it the second time through.
Maggie is such a kick-ass heroine, true to the authors’ style. She wakes up naked in a strange world, which turns out to be the same fantasy world she’s been obsessively re-reading about in her favorite unfinished book series back home on Earth. She quickly figures out that this kingdom of Rellas is on the brink of war and destruction, mirroring the novels she has practically memorized. Maggie uses her knowledge of the intricacies of Rellas to try to nudge the kingdom away from cataclysm.
Themes of THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME include portal fantasy of the isekai variety, found family, and breathtaking levels of political intrigue and scheming. It’s a long book, 480 pages in the hardback edition, and there is definite info- dumping from Maggie. These downsides are well- compensated for by the overall gloriousness of this epic tale, however. I don’t want to tell too much about the story because readers will be best served by avoiding spoilers.
Other members of the Book Devouring Horde, or BDH, so- named by the authors to describe their loyal and passionate fan base, might be a bit surprised by the feel of THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME. The book feels slightly different enough from their other series, such as Hidden Legacy or Kate Daniels, just enough that I kept reminding myself that it is epic fantasy. Ilona and Andrew Gordon (aka Ilona Andrews) maintain their stupendous world building, however, and their flair for evocative description.
THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME easily joins my “Keeper” bookshelf of all-time favorites. Thankfully, there is more to come in the world of Rellas and Maggie the Undying. Book two has not yet been announced, but it can’t come soon enough for me! I’ll just have to go and re-read Andrews’ backlist again while I wait impatiently for more of Maggie and Everard.
Outlander meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.
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