This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

Maggie the Undying #1

by Ilona Andrews

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 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.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Adult, Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Urban Fantasy

480 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grew up on portal fantasies. It was a tremendously popular trope for 1970s and 1980s fantasies, from the junior reader The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Phantom Tollbooth, followed by Pamela Dean's The Secret Country, to the terrible Thomas Covenant series, to some of Andre Norton's Witch World, to Zelanzy's Nine Princes in Amber and Terry Brooks' Landover. You get the idea. It was a popular trope back then. The Andrews have thrown their own book into the ring with This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. Despite them occasionally hitting bestseller list with their Kate Andrews series, I suspect this one will be much less successful.

It begins with a young woman, Maggie, who states in the first chapter that if this was a 'normal' portal fantasy, "I was meant to appear in this new world as a woman of prophecy with magic holy powers... I would be met by a prince or some high ranking and stunning noble... failing that, I could wake up in the body of the female lead...after she... died... Alternatively, I could come to in the body of the villainess... If not the heroine or the villainess, I could be their best friend." But Maggie enters as none of these things; she "went to sleep in my apartment south of Austin and woke up in Kair Toren."

Oh dear. I am all for meta fiction, but that is too much non-specific description of how the story could have gone. If you are going to run us through the plot scenarios, pull a Jo Walton and do a direct genre homage. However, I continued because of an interesting hook: in chapter two, she dies and revives. Django Wexler had a lot of fun with that in How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, so I was encouraged with the potentially fun angle. The other hook to this story and it's accompanying metaness is that Maggie seems to have stepped into the beginning of her favorite--but unfinished--fantasy series. It turns out the first plot line they suggested to us will be the one they follow: a woman of prophecy.

Well, alright. So I follow along and it seems we are doing a sort of story-within-a-story framework (never my favorite; see Horowitz) only instead of Maggie telling the original story, she provides a plot summary and then outlines possible actions based on what happened in the book.

"That subplot was the first time in my life I had screamed at a book. She was this cool, powerful woman who wanted nothing to do with the swamp that was the political underbelly of Kair Tonen, and the narrative had crushed her in the worst, most painful way possible. Galiene was one of the reasons I needed the third book to come out. I wanted my vengeance, damn it." So she gives Galine some advice: "You will die in a fire, bleeding and hugging your daughter's lifeless body. You must bring her into the Garden. Hreban cares about public opinion and won't risk attacking it directly. Don't wait. Go right now."

Well, this could work, potentially. Except the pattern that is used in chapter three and four--current plot event, historical book significance, and future book plotting--tends to be how Andrews approaches every single plot point. Renting a private room, seeing a thief punished, meeting with the king of thieves: all are described through that triplicate structure before it meandering into action. It makes it extremely slow going. Worse, the fact that we are getting the plot of an imaginary book as recounted by a character in this book means we can't form our own conclusions. We are literally being told what happens and how Maggie interprets it. Jasper Fforde used this to some effect with his Thursday Next series, but instead of an imaginary book, he relied on the reader's familiarity with such classics as Jane Eyre. Using a familiar story provides the reader with a sense of anticipation--we know how the plot of Jane Eyre goes; what will this author do with it? This technique works better with a more simplistic mythic story such as Guy Gavriel Kay uses in The Finovar Tapestry series, but this story of Kair Toren is too complex.

So, dear reader, I made it to 35% before I quit. I was just having a hard time caring about this mythical story within a story, even as told by someone who was passionate about it. Oh, and I didn't go into it, but Maggie meets at least three different men that seem to be attracted to her. I might have eyerolled a bit.

I do have book OCD, so I jumped ahead to the last few chapters to get a sense of which kind of portal fantasy this was--was it the kind where the heroine returns to Earth? The parallel universe? Or a settle in? I won't spoil the answer, but I will share one very strong personal peeve: there's a cliffhanger ending. A big one. I was seriously irritated and disappointed, because in all their series, I felt like Andrews have done a decent job finding an endpoint that still leaves the reader wanting more. This endpoint... wow. You only do this kind of ending if you are a budding author pushing out your first novella for free and wanting your reader to buy the second.

Despite my strong love for the Katie Daniels series and the first of the Hidden Legacy series, this is one that I can't recommend. I suspect it will be a hard sell for even the hard core Andrews fans.

[Hades ( Disney's version ) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

Sooooooooooooo.. I have a tiiiiiny, teensy, weensy, measly ,little, question.. 🙌🏼 🙌🏼nothing too major🙌🏼🙌🏼.. but, um, is it too soon to give out The Best Book of the Year award? Who am I asking this to exactly?? ..I have absolutely noo idea, but it HAD to be asked!

This crept in with more stealth than Chris Kyle and set a record! LITERALLY! I finished this on the last day, of the first month, of the year , and it's my first 6🌟 read of 2026!


This book goes in the category of those I was magnetically pulled to and I couldn't really explain why.. The synopsis was intriguing however something about the cover made me skip it at first. But, I just couldn't stop thinking about this one..I can now confirm that it was my own personal misunderstanding , stupidity, and ever so wrong judgement.. When I initially saw this, I couldn't help but think it was very.."Mother Goose" looking.. And at first, I (wrongly) assumed that would mean it would be, maybe more "basic" or "childish". But I LIITERALLYYYYYY.. couldn't have been more wrong!!!!!!.... It had a "Mother Goose vibe" all right!..but in the electrifying, alluring , and downright awe inspiring magical way that first made you fall in love with books!.. Like, the Magic Tree House but for adults!! 😭😭😭😭😭.. This was absolutely nothing short of epic! To the point where I actually listened to it in one sitting. (I do listen at 2x the speed).. normally I fit reading into my schedule but with this book my outside world ceased to exist and I was on its time!


It's SO hard to not give spoilers away here because this is the kinda book you just can't shut up about once you've read it! But for y'all I'll do my best.. because this really should be experienced without them.

I will say, I review on Fable a lot.. And those that do also know how it asks you to describe the book by picking from a variety of descriptive bubbles. One description that is often used for the storyline and the settings is "lush".. If I'm being honest I always struggled to understand that one slightly, until now! This was just SO rich in absolutely every possible way! Timelines, characters, settings, E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.. Everything about this book is the definition of "lush" and beauty.

If this story had been part of the Magic Tree House, I would have blown that Tree House to smithereens in a nanosecond! Eliminating any chance of going home..I was SO sad when this story came to an end and I was forced to leave! I wasn't readyyyyyyyyy! 😭.. To be fair I would never be.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is one of those rare reads that will alter your inner cortex forever!

EASILY one of my favorite books of all time and I'm SO excited to see this is part of a series! Because Seriously, SpongeBob would envy my readiness! I need more of this ASAP!

Along with being my first 6🌟 read of the year I'm also officially in my first full-time book hangover of 2026! While I wallow in self-pity, you should definitely check this one out.

Until next time,
Hades
🩵

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by TOR - thank you so much

it might be the nostalgia OR getting bts tickets for my birthday talking: but five stars, i loved this. review to come sooooon <3

[ELLIAS (elliasreads)]

.....soooo basically an isekai???? Absolutely. @ TOR- hi :))))

[aarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

2025 Spring Bingo (#SpringIntoLoveBingo🌷): Bookish MC

I read this book five weeks ago, swore I’d write a review ASAP to capture my immediate reaction, and then promptly reread this book constantly for a month. Yeah. I have no good excuse. What started as “skim this scene to refresh my memory for the review” slowly evolved into disorganized, frenetic chapter gloms at 2 am. I bewilderingly managed to reread out-of-order for a month, but I think I’ve hit each scene at least four times. My memory is understandably fuzzy.

The problem is, what lies ahead is not what I wanted to write. That nonexistent review contains massive spoilers across the entire 180K (I think? This thing is a brick, lol) word count. THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME** plot points are difficult to analyze beyond the blurb’s premise. A lot of shit happens, almost immediately, and it is not cool to spoil readers more than 7 months ahead of publication. I might write that review a year from now after an audiobook reread, but for now enjoy my incoherent, spoiler-free ramblings.

**I am not typing out this title again so we’re going to stick with “THIS KINGDOM.”

Basic premise: epic fantasy reader Maggie goes to sleep in Texas and wakes up, without explanation or warning, in the streets of the “fictional” kingdom of Rellas, the setting of her favorite unfinished trilogy. While her initial priority is simply to survive and get off the streets of Kair Toren, Maggie soon realizes with horror that Rellas is months away from total annihilation (from internal power struggles and the neighboring Crimson Empire’s invasion). For her own survival and the well-being of her new friends, Maggie decides to alter key events and break the timeline with her bookish knowledge. The twist: while there may be limits to resurrection magic, Maggie cannot die. She can break bones, lose limbs, and experience pain, but eventually she will awaken from death with her self-healing body.

“Well,” he said. “‘Undying’ is a bit of a misnomer, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but ‘dying horribly and then waking up in a lot of pain’ is a bit of a mouthful.”

Like every isekai heroine, Maggie can magically speak, read, and write the languages of the fantasy world. Even though there are some terms and idioms that cannot be translated perfectly, her brain interprets everything as English. If you are a reader who can only tolerate a Tolkienesque vocabulary in epic fantasy, this is not the book for you. The novel is in Maggie’s 1st person POV, so it makes perfect sense that her brain (and the mysterious isekai magic) would translate everything into modern English. I know that the Tiffany Problem and readers decrying “inaccuracy” in fantasy novels (lol okay) are real phenomena, but it shouldn’t apply here because we are reading the thoughts of a 21st century American woman.

There is an interesting irony that the “fictional world” of Rellas is a hopeless, grimdark fantasy but THIS KINGDOM is very much not. Don’t get me wrong, THIS KINGDOM is uncozy by most metrics. There are cruel, petty tyrants uncaring of citizen liberties. There is a disgusting slaver who kidnaps and hurts children. There is torture. The heroine dies VIOLENTLY several times. I cannot emphasize the uncozy aspects enough. And yet… There's something about this book that scratches the “cozy funny book noise” receptor in my brain. Part of it is that I have complete trust in the authors to not add gratuitous misery for the sake of misery. In an IA novel, the good guys (mostly) ride off into the sunset and the villains are appropriately punished for their sins. Part of it is that Maggie maintains her optimism and sense of humor in the face of impending doom. She’s not the only one: several secondary characters have heartaching backstories, but they are persevering and healing in the present. Their friendship and antics and jokes feel cozy to me. Or maybe I’m the weird freak who finds coziness in terrifyingly violent found families who could murder me at the drop of a hat. Some favorite scenes include [Spoiler Character] beating other characters’ asses during sparring, Maggie gaping at all the trinkets and merchandise at the market, Maggie struggling to learn etiquette and a formal dance for a royal affair, the [Spoiler Creature] repeatedly bringing [Spoiler Gift] to a confused Maggie… that’s all cozy to me. And now do you see why I’m struggling to write this review without spoilers?!

Affectionately, THIS KINGDOM is tropetastic. If you’re familiar with epic fantasy or isekai at all (I myself have read dozens of isekai comics on Tapas), certain surprising reveals will not be *that* surprising. But as with any successful trope execution, what matters is the journey and not the mere presence of the trope itself. I love the attention to details that a reader may not have considered before. For example, what are the consequences to an isekai heroine’s lack of identification papers? No reputable landlord or innkeeper will allow Maggie to enter premises even if she can scrounge up the coins. This *hugely* limits her options in the beginning and influences her survival decision-making. Later on, Maggie needs to invent a reputable, legitimate business to explain her income and new household to Rellasian Treasury authorities. Rellas, like our world, has a suspicious bureaucratic government that will audit unpaid taxes if you don’t have documentation or proper permits to operate businesses.

This is not a narrative that jumps from Point A to Point D in the fastest possible route. The meandering detours into Maggie’s adventures are intentional so that readers can fully immerse themselves within Rellasian worldbuilding and understand each character's backstory. For example, there is a scene where Maggie realizes that she needs to perfect the [Spoiler Item] recipe because Rellas doesn’t have a good version of this product and she desperately needs money. As Maggie points out, there is a common isekai plot point where the heroine will magically invent some fun Earth good (like popcorn) and earn millions to fund other goals. But Maggie’s invention doesn’t magically appear out of thin air to save the day; she has to brainstorm and experiment with ingredient proportions to develop the damn product! It is a surprisingly difficult task because Rellas doesn’t have the same plants or products as Earth, so Maggie’s crew continuously tinkers with the product throughout the book. The whole affair soothed the part of my brain that binge-watches Great British Bake-Off and House Hunters International. Like… this is what I mean when I say THIS KINGDOM exudes cozy vibes. It’s not, but it also IS. Glad we cleared that up in a non-confusing manner. /s

Sidenote: You may be wondering why I, noted romance reader, have not mentioned the romantic interest yet. Y’all. I am bursting at the seams. I CANNOT TALK ABOUT IT FOR GOOD REASONS. It is going to kill me to stay silent for another 7 months, but this is my cross to bear. All I can say is that this is IA’s greatest romantic ship. They might actually dethrone Kate/Curran for me, and I *never* suspected that KC were ever in danger of losing their #1 status. This ship is haunting me in my dreams. And now I really will shut up before I start crying about hair ornaments.

This is a book that rewards rereading. Yeah, you’ll have fun on the first read and gasp at the shocking reveals (well, there’s enough foreshadowing that you might predict some twists). But it’s only in the rereads where you can trace the little breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout the book. It’s a wildly complex storyline: not only does the reader have to know what originally happened in the grimdark fictional series, you also have to understand why Maggie is changing shit and then grasp how her alterations collapse the timeline in unforeseeable ways. It’s three separate plots crammed into one book. Layers upon layers upon layers. I didn't fully appreciate the nuances until my third reread. I know some readers might be overwhelmed by the avalanche of new information, but that is a hallmark of the isekai genre. Hang in there, because the payoff is *so* worth it. This might not be a selling point to some folks, but I crave the intricacy and foresee several rereads in my future. Speaking of rereads: I’m on my hands and knees, BEGGING GraphicAudio to adapt THIS KINGDOM. I might pass away in joy after experiencing a full-cast narration.

Something that worries me is that I see no *true* happy ending for the meta conflict. There are basically two layers of external conflict, right? The first layer is Maggie using her bookish knowledge to save Rellas from internal warfare and the Crimson Empire’s upcoming invasion. The second layer is Maggie’s meta existence in the “fictional” world: she has a loving family back on Earth, but she’s growing attached to her new found family (and romantic interest) in Rellas. And, well, she will have to choose between the two worlds eventually. It’s not explained *why* the meta transportation occurs (why is Maggie always resurrected? Why did she enter the book series? Who wrote the book series on Earth and for what purpose?), but I anticipate this will be resolved later in the series. And when Maggie eventually chooses Rellas as her permanent home, it seems unlikely that she world-hops between Earth and Rellas to have brunch with her parents every Sunday. I trust the authors to deliver a satisfying, emotionally resonant ending… but it will be bittersweet and I am semi-dreading that eventuality.

If you’ve reached this far: congratulations, because reading my disorganized word-vomit review could not have been fun. But I selfishly hope you’ll give THIS KINGDOM a chance, mostly because I need to FLAIL about the romantic ship and agonize about the sequel wait with other fans.

Final tangent: I am 99% sure what the magical creature will be on the sequel's cover, and I am SO EXCITED to see a visual representation.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read/First time listen because I received the audio galley too!!!

Thank you to Ilona Andrews and Netgalley for the ARC. This does not affect my opinions or content of the review.

4.5 Welcome to a New Genre Stars

Imagine one day you wake up and are in one of your favorite, if not more brutal, books. You have been part of a fandom for this series for years, waiting for the final book to come out, speculating on theories and dissecting timelines and character motivations etc. If this was Game of Thrones, you know about the Red Wedding, how much of a bastard Joffery is, who is going to betray who. If you got dropped into that world, what would you do? Could you save some of the characters that you loved. Could you hope to get them some of the justice they might deserve?

Maggie has to ask herself all of these questions and more when she wakes up in a ditch, with no clothes, in a world that she knows like to back of her hand because she has read and reread stories of this world for years.

Because this isn’t coming out for awhile I’m not going to give anything away. But I want to say congratulations to Ilona Andrews in their new endeavor into a new genre for them. You were right, this isn’t like anything you have written before, but I still found so many of the things I normally love in your other books.

1 -Strong main character. Maggie isn’t a fighter or someone who kicks butt in normal ways. But she is smart, quick with a plan and resolute once she has decided on a course of action. She is also pretty funny sometimes.

2 - Cool worldbuilding elements. In Urban Fantasy they have created multiple worlds with elements in things we already know from this one. So just think what can happen when they get to do it from scratch and use elements like Knights, Mages, Dukedoms, Hired Thugs, Ladies Maids, Holy Orders, Towers, Castles…etc. They really brought in a lot of great worldbuilding elements.

3 - Amazing side characters. Like most IA books I’ve read the side characters really shine and the found family that Maggie is surrounding herself with has a lot of potential. I absolutely fell in love with Maggie’s new Lady’s maid Clover. Her backstory makes you just want to hug her and get the vengeance she deserves. As always all the side characters feel three dimensional and real.

4 - Interesting Love Interests While there really wasn’t a shortage of possibilities for potential love interests for Maggie, I definitely have my favorite. And like most of the romantic leads he isn’t some Gary Stew but complicated, a little morally gray and slightly devious. It will be interesting to see how it all works out. But so far the journey has been memorable.

5 - Cute Animal Companion I do love the unusual pets IA comes up with to be companions and Maggie has one to add to the pet gallery.

There are some new things that IA is trying out. While this story did complete a defined plot arc, there is more to come and a bit of a cliff hanger. There was one really big plot twist that had me reeling and I had to stop and go back to the first few chapters to check a few things before moving on. There were some smaller twists ones that didn’t hit quite that hard but were different than in other books in their UF series and left definite impressions.

Overall, I had a great time with Maggie The Undying as she tries to right some of the wrongs in her favorite Dark Fantasy. I can’t wait to see how the audiobook captures this story when it comes out, or the things that I pick up on the second read through.

[MagretFume · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me gasping, squealing, and almost biting my nails. 

It might have its flaws, but this execution of "fan girl dumped into her Game of Thrones-like universe" worked perfectly for me. 

It's in no small part due to the fantastic talent of the audiobook narrator. I also loved that the heroine starts her adventures in the gutter, not as a pre existing character of high status. 

Her inner monologue is funny and relatable, and I loved her dynamics with the other characters. 

The world is rich and interesting, and I honestly can't wait for book 2 because that cliffhanger hit hard. 

Thank you so much Macmillan audio for this ARC!

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 ★— There is something to say about an Ilona Andrews book making something work for me that, in many ways, shouldn’t work at all.

Following Maggie, an ordinary modern woman with a passion for a fantasy series that’s been unfinished for years, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me begins with her suddenly finding herself inside that very same book series, with no context for why she’s there. Like her, you're quite literally dropped into the story, beginning with Maggie having already been in that world for a few days.

So… the thing with this book is… I do acknowledge the many flaws it has, because there are quite a few.

One of the biggest issues is how much of this story is told through Maggie directly explaining backstories, lore, and character histories to the reader. This really hindered the book’s ability to actually let me as the reader settle into its atmosphere and actually stopped me from getting a sense of the environment she was in. I often wished Andrews had leaned more into atmospheric writing instead of giving long expositions on locations and people around Maggie, because it really undercut any sense of immersion.

This directly leads into the book’s next major problem: straight-up walls of info-dumping. This book is filled with it. Every time Maggie meets a new character, you’re immediately inundated with a long explanation of who they are in the fantasy series, of their motivations, of their fate, of their role. And then you’re expected to keep all of that information straight, only to meet another character that you get another wall of text about. Effectively, you are force-fed information via Maggie’s narration every damn chapter of this book.

I really think a lot of this could have been mitigated by letting Maggie experience the world more organically, by allowing information to surface through action and interaction and by cooling it with the constant explanation.

The story didn’t really hit its stride for me until a bit more than halfway in, when Maggie finally had built some more solid relationships with the characters around her and I could get a clearer sense of what her actual plans were and what she was trying to accomplish. That’s when Ilona Andrews’ strengths really started to shine through and when we got actually enjoyable character dynamics, some fun humor, and genuinely charming interactions! I also did generally like the minor romance subplot that is built up throughout the story, even though it did feel a bit lackluster at first. But a rising tide lifts all ships, and by the later chapters, I found myself invested and liking both Maggie and the MMC together far more than I expected.

I think this book really proved to me that I’m a sucker for portal fantasy, and that the power fantasy at the heart of it hasn’t worn off for me at all! There is just something deeply fun about watching someone move through a world they intimately know, armed with information they absolutely should not have. I just loved seeing Maggie walk around with all that knowledge in her head, wowing stoic characters with her poise and the things she shouldn’t know. Most of all, I loved how competent Maggie is shown to be. She’s smart, observant, and genuinely thinks things through, and it was incredibly satisfying to watch her navigate this world using her intellect!

In many ways, this book scratched the same itch as isekai manhwas and self-insert fanfiction for me. The appeal of an all-knowing heroine dropped into a world she understands well enough to potentially derail its future is still incredibly compelling to me, and that sense of fun and novelty carried me through this book despite its very real shortcomings.

🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
The female narrator of this was insane! Every character felt like they had their own unique voice and tone, and I often felt myself forgetting that I wasn't listening to a full production with multiple narrators. She was amazing and I now feel like I have to track down other audiobooks she has done! That's how good she was!

__________

Thank you to Tor Books for the ARC and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)]

💥 April 23, 2025: it's available for pre-order!! And we only have to wait ONE BLOODY SHRIMPING YEAR before the book is published, yay!







I was so ridiculously excited about this that I read the date wrong! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ It won't be released this year but in March 2026. As in MARCH TWENTY TWENTY SIX.





Coming March 31, 2025!!!!!

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well I’m officially an Ilona Andrews girlie. This is my first from the author and it won’t be my last!

Someone said this feels like the FMC is trapped in the Game of Thrones books, and yeah I can see that, but… hear me out. It kinda gave me, FMC trapped in the Grishaverse, maybe it was the magic? I’m not exactly sure but I was totally into it.

This was a bit info dumpy at times, and I definitely wanted more romance, and yet… I loved every second of this book. Even the info dumping tbh. This world is vast and interesting and complicated and I would not mind being dropped into it, especially if I couldn’t die.

I didn’t really know what to expect going into this, I just knew these authors are very well loved, I’d been wanting to try their work, but slow to make the jump bc I’m not always an urban fantasy fan. I saw this wasn’t urban fantasy and smashed that request button immediately. THANK GOODNESS, because this was FUN.

Quite a bit more world building and political machinations than I was expecting, but it’s clear this is setting up for future books.

I also wanted more romance, because the little crumbs we got were so dang good. I know we’ll get more in future books and I’m foaming at the mouth to see how much groveling the MMC does in the future.

Whats to love…
- portal fantasy (dropped in her favorite fantasy series)
- found family
- political intrigue
- scheming and twists and drammmmmma
- found family
- touch her and die
- mature FMC (even though she’s only 26, she definitely reads older than your average twenty something fantasy fmc)

What might not wok for some…
- I’m the biggest info dump hater around and this does get a bit dumpy at times, that said I didnt really mind. It’s clear that these info sessions are setting up for later plot points—in fact I had to go back and reference 1-2 info sessions bc the plot twists had me floored. That said I can see how this might not work for some.

Audio Narration: 5/5 Kristen Sieh is my Queen, my Goddess, I worship at her alter of many voices. Seriously listening to an audiobook narrated by her feels like you’re getting a full cast. Each character (and there are a lot in this one) has a unique voice. Her vocal range is awe-inspiring. Her male voices are sexier than some male narrators tbh. Pacing and inflection are perfect. The pausing can, at times, feel a little long, but I attribute that more to the writing style (shorter sentences, frequent commas, and lots of line breaks), than the narration. This sounds great at 1x and sped up as well.

4.75⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Tor & Macmillan Audio for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Júlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screaming crying throwing up, the pain of getting to read an ARC copy for the first book in a series that ends in a cliffhanger…but this was worth every single second. 😭

I honestly haven’t been able to stop thinking about all of these characters, night and day, day and night.

Will have to collect myself before I write a formal review but will refrain from listing any spoilers until the book is officially out.

Illona Andrew’s have been my favorite authors alive for years now…so this is no surprise what so ever, but I never thought they could get better at what they do. And yet, here’s TK showing me they absolutely can. I laughed, I cried. I shrieked. I gasped. Portal Fantasy has never been done before in the west. Not like this. The right people to tackle such a monster/complex plot and only they could have done it justice.

Time to stare at a wall for days/weeks/months now while I miss these characters more than anything.

[h o l l i s · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't believe this is the rating I'm giving this book but.. it is. It's real.

All that to say.. three stars is not a bad rating. This is not a "do not read". This is just me warning you, from one IA superfan to another — and also to those who aren't — to maybe adjust some expectations, so you can enjoy yourself more than I did.

Full review to come.

** I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you!) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The future always had the last laugh.

WDYM WE WERE ABT TO GET A [REDACTED] SCENE AND THEN INSTEAD IT ENDS LIKE THAT DAMN IT😭 AND NOW I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 2027 FOR BOOK 2 WHY DO I KEEP DOING THIS TO MYSELF😭😭 Need to start banning myself from reading 2026 first-in-a-series books I can't do this anymore😭😭 (i cant resist though🆘)

Genuinely the way I am so?????? Like???? I knew I would adore this book but THIS MUCH??? I kid you not this is 100000% in my top 5 books this year (2025) for sure like HELLO I AM OBSESSED. Absolutely zero complaints. 480 pages of this book was NOT ENOUGH I was lowkey getting depressed as I was reading the closer I got to the end because I didn't want it to be over. I already feel the urge to reread and I literally just finished. Every aspect of this book was amazing. The plot!! The world!! THE CHARACTERS‼️ I WOULD DIE FOR SO MANY OF THEM, MY LOVES.

One thing you should know about me is that I am a complete sucker for isekai manhwas. I have read god knows how many isekai manhwas and do they have really similar plots?? Yes. Do I still eat them up every time?? Yes! It really is that *that* type of genre where you can't get enough. I don't care, I will always love them. So of course I was immediately hyped when I saw that This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me was an isekai like hell yeah!!! I've only ever read one another isekai in novel format and that was Long Live Evil, which... let's just say that was a disappointment. BUT THIS????? 1000000/10⭐ THIS IS WHAT I WANTED. Maggie getting thrown into the world of her favourite fantasy novel and said series being incomplete so she doesn't know how it ends?? And she hasn't been reincarnated into another character, it's just her own self thrown into in. The way she quite literally started with absolutely *nothing* entering this world and used her knowledge of the books to rise up was so thrilling to see. Meeting all the characters that she did (imagine meeting your fav characters!!! ugh I wish) and the bonds she formed with so many of them was so wholesome and sweet. And then learning so much about the world itself... I'm in awe genuinely. There's such an insane amount to learn about and it might feel overwhelming but it's so fun. And there's still so much to learn, I'm so hyped!! The politics was also so interesting and I was extremely invested with the way things worked in this kingdom. And of course the plot! So many crazy incidents and the revelations omg the amount of times I gasped?? I love how everything came all together. I would so reread this book to catch all those hints again.

Maggie as a FMC was absolutely amazing. I ADORE this girl so so much. She's such a well written and lovable character, there's literally nothing to hate about her. Her kindness knows no bounds, she's so sweet like?? (no wonder so many were smitten with her, I would be too-) I also just greatly admire characters who get thrown into another world and oh did Maggie have it rough in the beginning (tbh the whole time really😭) Absolutely terrifying of a situation and she really pushed through. I love the ideas she would come up with and how clever she was in approaching certain situations. Like give me your brain!! I just know if I were thrown into my fav fantasy world, I'd die immediately (which lowkey mood tho because thats also what happened to Maggie pretty fast LOL). I so want to give Maggie a big hug though because omg the amount of traumatizing experiences she went through.

And then regarding the other characters oh my god!!! ESPECIALLY THE MMC UGH I LOVE HIM THE LOVE OF MY LIFE NEW BOOK BOYFRIEND, I WOULD GIVE MY HEART TO HIM IN A HEARTBEAT IDK HOW MAGGIE RESISTS HIM??? Or well I do know, but I am not that strong I fear. I want to talk more about him but I genuinely think it's more fun to know absolutely nothing about him so👀 Guys, just know he is absolutely so sweet, cunning, menacing, and swoony. The amount of scenes I highlighted with these two???? The romance was such a slow burn and when they finally kissed I literally screamed. I FREAKED OUT. LIKE YES I WAS WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FINALLY‼️ I NEED MORE OF THEM ASAP THEY ARE SO ADORABLE, I GENUINELY LOVE THEM SO MUCH, MY HEART😭 The development in their relationship was so natural, I adore it so so much. At this point I'm going to give something away I swear, I want to fangirl so much about them. Maggie and [redacted] are literally my OTP, and that ending was absolutely CRIMINAL. I will not be able to look at hair ornaments the same way until 2027.

The other characters were also so lovable, the found family vibes oh my god??? And some characters I didn't expect I would also love so much by the end with some unexpected developments?? WHICH BTW??? THE AMOUNT OF TWISTS THIS BOOK HAD WITH SOME OF THESE CHARACTERS LIKE HELLO???? I KID YOU NOT I WOULD GASP IN ASTONISHMENT. Mind you I did this with an audience around me, so I just looked insane gasping at my ARC. But seriously who would've thought??? And it happened TWICE, like!!! DAMN. But oh if it wasn't also hilarious in its own way please. And then there were other twists that I also didn't see coming and I can't wait to further see how the story plays out because of this!!! (Also the amount of times this book made me laugh??? Like please these guys are so ridiculous I love them LOL)

I read this all within 48 hours so yet another reason to add this book to your TBR!!! I know the worldbuilding and politics might feel slow to some, but I genuinely was invested the whole time and adore how much detail was put into it. Ilona Andrews, you have officially made me a fan, I will absolutely be reading your other works!! (I've had Magic Bites on my shelf for so long, I so am getting to that ASAP now)

What an amazing start to an epic fantasy series, I am beyond excited to continue!! I'll be in pain waiting for the next 491+ days (oh my god I won't survive actually) but in the meantime, I will scream about this book to anyone and everyone.


Thank you Tor for the ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!

[Lucie V.]

There is a free 126 pages preview available on Amazon (Canada) for free!

[Corina]

We’ve got a title and a synopsis—now all we need is the cover! And of course, the agonizing wait until March 31, 2026... pretty sure my patience will hit its limit before then.

I’m a HUGE fan of Ilona Andrews—they’re probably my most beloved and most re-read authors. So getting a brand-new story? Absolute peak excitement. And apparently, it’s going to be LOOOOONG AS HELL—sign me up immediately.

The only problem? The wait is going to kill me. 2026 is basically a lifetime away, and now I have to pretend I know what patience is? Yeah, that’s not happening. Someone, please rescue me!

[Steph | bookedinsaigon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

Did I finish one of my most highly anticipated 2026 releases, or did it finish me? Ilona Andrews is one of the most consistent of my favorite authors, always delivering on incredibly well-developed (urban) fantasy worlds; fast-paced, high-stakes action; memorable (and funny!) main and secondary characters; and scorching romances. And, if THIS KINGDOM is anything to go by, Maggie the Undying will end up as one of my favorite series of theirs, right up there with the Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy series.

I didn’t know what isekai meant before going into TKWNKM, but if you’re hesitant about the concept, don’t be. IA don’t waste any time and drop Maggie right into the fictional world of her favorite fantasy series. Maggie is no passive damsel in distress, and instead cleverly uses her near encyclopedic knowledge of Kair Toren to make a name for herself and try to save the world.

The amount of detail that IA have put into this world… I honestly don’t even have words. They not only had to imagine Maggie’s present-day timeline, but also an entire backstory of the many kingdoms of the world in which she has become trapped. Much of this information is crucial to the main plot, and so while some of it was a bit info-dump-y for me, I was always impressed by level and intricacy of their worldbuilding.

Compared to some of IA’s other female protagonists, Maggie is less stabby muscles and more political mastermind. She concocts elaborate schemes to try to reduce the amount of murder and violence happening around her, but she is no less fascinating to read about. Character reveals are used for some of the key plot points, so follow along for the ride!

From start to finish, TKWNKM is a giant rollercoaster ride and hard to put down. There is another, 100% deliciously hot and steamy alpha male love interest, which I am all for. I screamed and gasped and yelled at my Kindle throughout, and am left absolutely dying for Book 2. If you’ve already been an IA fan, you’ll love this. If this will be your first IA, welcome to the fandom of incredible fictional worlds, jaw-dropping action and stakes, and heroes and heroines you’ll emotionally invest in.

[shre ♡]

as someone who has read over 100+ isekai manhwa over the last 10 years this is my superbowl, this is my oscars, this is my endgame, this is my world cup.

[Allison E · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if one day you woke up and found yourself plopped into your favorite grim dark fantasy series. The one you reread multiple times a year. The one you have memorized word for word, cover to cover. But strangely, you haven’t been swapped in for one of the classic princess or warrior characters. You seemingly don’t have any special abilities in fact. You wake up naked and afraid, and eventually discover one thing to be true: no matter how many times this world kills you, you don’t ever stay dead.

Apparently this is called an “isekai” aka a portal fantasy. Fabulous concept no notes. Execution wise, I am a bit more conflicted. I’ve been struggling with the recent Ilona Andrews books I’ve read. Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy were camp and wonderful to me. Everything I’ve read since then hasn’t hit the same (Fated Blades, The Inheritance). In all honesty, I thought this book would be another wash until I hit the 50% mark. Then I sat up in my chair. I love a switch up like that.

The world building does feel a bit awkward because of the nature of this story. Maggie is a character placed into a world she knows deeply, textually at least. So she’ll literally just recite the information / plot that she knows to us. I don’t really know how else this could have been handled but it falls into a very meta pattern of: book event, the significance of this event in the story, and then how she’s going to deal with / make the best of / change that event. So this book has a gazillion side quests. The structure of which got a bit repetitive until that 50% mark. Then for some reason… :) :) :) my attention was grabbed.

One of my favorite things about Andrews books is how easy they are to binge. The writing is straight forward, no frills. The dialogue and inner POV can range from hilarious to a bit cringy. But usually I can look past this. It’s…let’s call it camp. In TKWNKM, I got pulled out a bit by the language / dialogue trying to be youthful/ modern (Maggie is a 26 year old modern day woman who is stuck in a dark fantasy world that also for the most part uses current vernacular). See: “She put a jar of honey in front of me. I spooned some into my cup and tried the tea. Like being kicked in the teeth by a caffeine horse. Wooo!” I think we could have done without the “Wooo!”. Or perhaps: “I was sitting on a wall in a magical city, and a hot, deadly swordsman had brought me tea and pastries and was entertaining me with his war stories. Dreams fanfics were made of.” -_- ignoring that thank you.

Andrews also really want you to know that Maggie is a Good Person. She always does the “right thing” and saves the vulnerable. Even when she turns to violence in this story, it’s For Good. I think it could have been more interesting to see how a world as supposedly dark as this one is, might bring out some depravity in our main character. But thematically I don’t think Andrews heroines are ever really that vibe. Also, there are always like 4 men inexplicably entranced with the FMC; it’s hilarious and a bit ridiculous every time to me. This feels like as good a place as any to talk about the romance. There is a very indulgent part of me that loves an Ilona Andrews male love interest. They are always a man Who Shelter, Who Protec, and who get things done. They are also typically very playful and persistent, unyielding really, in their pursuit of the female lead. It’s a very “I will wear you down with my attention until you admit you are mine” kind of dynamic. I’ll admit… I kinda eat it up. So imagine my surprise when the love interest was really nice and honorable but a bit of a snooze fest,,,, well,,, until,,,, the 50% mark. :) hehehehehehehe I loved the negotiations of power between them.

For some more praise - I enjoyed many of the characters in this. Andrews’s bigger series almost always have a wide cast of really fun characters and this was no exception. There may have actually been a few too many, but I got a handle of all the names and families by the end. Everard and Solentine <3

I also think that the whole “no matter how much I try to change the ending of this story, the timeline fights back” was quite entertaining. It weirdly added some unpredictability to the story because you didn’t know just how the timeline might choose to reassert events.

So ya. Bit of a brain dump. Some good and some bad but overall I still enjoyed this. Maybe a 3.5? 3.75?

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOODNESS

no, I need the next book right now
omg

[hea booktubes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic mistake of reading an arc early. Now I have to wait even longer for the sequel. Obviously that was incredible. I was really trudging through those first 50 pages and then I inhaled the rest of the book in one day. Maggie has been dropped into the world of her favorite fantasy series. The world is far more expansive than just the scope of the book, and the series was also never finished, so she knows very specific things but not all. There is a romance! And I am eating it up. Ilona Andrews always writes the best found families and this one is no exception. Maggie is specifically trying to stop a civil war that she knows is on the horizon. But things keep taking turns that she can’t anticipate. The plot was excellent, there were some great reveals and twists, but the characters are my favorite. I need to see what they get up to in book two.

[Antonella]

[Lacey (laceybooklovers)]

BEYOND excited for this!!!

[Mallory]

This is the advanced reader copy I have gotten this year that I am most excited for. I almost cheered out loud at work when I saw I had received it. I love Ilona Andrews and the prospect of a new world wars one I was quite excited for. The story was unsurprisingly amazing. The world building was great and the characters were compelling. A regularly woman wakes up naked and cold in the world of her favorite fantasy series. She has nothing but her extensive knowledge from the books to help her to survive. This world while including magic is harsh and brutal. Maggie has no idea how she got there or how she could get home but she is determined to live. I listened to the audiobook and I loved the narrator. She truly brought the story to life and I had a hard time putting this one down so I could do things like work or sleep.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I love IA books, especially all in Kate Daniels' universe. I would say this is a mix of Innkeeper Chronicles and The Edge series. I really enjoyed plot and characters, but it kind of ended abruptly. I will definitely read the sequel like anything from this duo.

[Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to edelweiss for an e-arc copy.

I'm almost upset that I read this as an arc because it means I now have to wait even longer for the sequel.
This was everything I've been looking for in a new fantasy.

Our main character Maggie wakes up in her favorite book series. Sounds like it could be a great time, shame that her favorite book is an unfinished grimdark fantasy with ambitious, powerful, and some downright evil characters. She uses her knowledge of her favorite series to gather allies and survive (well turns out she can't die, so really she's just trying to die less). Along the way there is a romance subplot, but it is very slow burning.

I could not put this down. Maggie is smart and funny and so aware of what a weird situation she has found herself in. She is a strong modern woman stuck in a a magical kingdom. The world is a fully realized fantasy novel, with the quirky comments from our reader and main character Maggie. This book was exciting, engaging, and such a good time from start to finish. I cannot wait for this to come out to convince everyone this should be their next fantasy read.

Are you looking for a strong, smart, kind, but very self-aware, mid-20s FMC? She takes no sh*t and will defend her new found family to her death (deaths?). This is perfect for fans of Fantasy and Romantasy alike. If you are looking for your next great read, this will probably be it.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** ARC REVIEW ***

Ok, so this book was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, and I was terrified that it wouldn’t live up to the hype I’d created in my head. I’m so glad that fear ended up being unfounded because this was ABSOLUTELY FUCKING BRILLIANT!

As someone who has read a variety of portal fantasy webtoons, I was so excited about the premise for this book. Like a modern day woman falling into the world of her favourite dark fantasy series that the author never completed (giving George R.R. Martin and A Song of Ice and Fire teas hehe), and facing the dilemma of whether or not to use her knowledge of the plot and characters to intervene to save the realm? How gloriously exciting! If comparing this to the Game of Thrones world, it was like asking myself if I would have saved Ned Stark from his death or prevented the Red Wedding! But of course, like any story dealing with time travel has taught us—messing with the timeline always has consequences!

The word building was exquisite and even though at times it felt like there were massive info dumps, it made sense because THAT’s how the fantasy series within this series was written. The books that Maggie loved had numerous POVs and side-plots within side-plots (honestly it’s like ASOIAF!) so Maggie laying down a bunch of facts made sense. Also note that this world is truly a DARK fantasy and doesn’t shy away from touching upon all the gruesome and horrifically atrocious stuff humans can do.

One of the things that Ilona Andrews truly excel at is how they write the mouthwatering tension and delicious slow burn between their main leads. Whewwwww! The scenes between Maggie and her potential man (no spoilers) had me kicking my feet and feeling giddy. Sorry to Curran and Mad Rogan, but I now have a new Ilona Andrews MMC fave!

The found family aspect of this book was also one my favourite things about it. I loved seeing Maggie find her people and truly build a home and family for herself in a world that wasn’t her own. I swear everyone better get their happiest happily ever after or I’ll riot!

I cannot wait for this to release so you can all experience how amazing it is. AND I CANNOT WAIT for the next book because that cliffhanger has me in a chokehold!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Maggie wakes up, cold, naked, and filthy in Kair Toren, a city in the kingdom of Rellas, she recognizes it immediately. It's her favorite dark fantasy series, the one with sweeping political machinations and powerful magic. The series that she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. (You know, we all have one.) Now she must survive with only her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, setting, and the characters’ actions, motivations, and fates. Information that she can only use sparingly as to not change the very story that she's living in. But each decision begets ripples and she learns that if she's killed, it's not forever and that even minor characters deserve happy endings. She collects a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, a dangerous soldier, and various outrageous magic creatures, a found family that she cannot abandon to the cataclysmic war she knows is coming. Instead she must save the kingdom.

Why I started this book: Andrews is on my auto-buy list and I jumped at the ARC with both hands. I love their story telling style and several of their series. Clean Sweep and On the Edge and Burn for Me.

Why I finished it: This is the first book in a long time that kept me up until 0300 reading. And I stopped because I needed at least a little nap to make it through my packed day. I finished this book, and immediately started it over. Andrews stories shine with family dynamics, strong magic and high stakes. This is more of the same, but different. Word to the eager reader, this is a new series. There is plenty of exposition in this book, as Andrews introduces the readers to the world. This is handled well in my opinion, but it is a lot, so your mileage may vary. And there is a serious cliffhanger! This story resolves itself, but in the very last chapter a new battle front opens. I was thrilled and stressed that since this book won't be published until 2026, my wait will be so long.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars!!!

This is the first book in way too many books that reminded me why I absolutely love reading as much as I do.

Let’s start at the beginning. I went into this blind, only knowing it’s a portal fantasy. I haven’t seen any trope marketing for it (thank the universe cause I really hate those) and it’s so far off any formulaic fantasy romance I wouldn’t even classify it in the genre. It absolutely reads like a high fantasy with a strong romantic subplot but the main focus of the story is scheming. Think Little finger from Got except he uses his information for good and in the form of a human female that lands from our modern world into an extremely complicated and rich medieval fantasy city from her favorite books.

The plotting was absolute next level. I could not predict a single thing that would happen, I could not tell who the love interest might be, all I knew is I could not put it down. While the book is very dense and information heavy it’s written in an extremely accessible way while not being a mindless vibes read. The main character, Maggie who can not die had to use the information she was given to find a way to change the outcome and the future. It was an intense combination of previous knowledge and on the spot reaction and adapting to a future in constant change and movement. While there are a lot of things that get revealed, some through telling, some through showing, there is so much action my head is spinning and I feel like I’ve read 1000 pages not 480. The editing is flawless, I was not bored for a single second.

The side characters are extremely endearing and very unconventional for the romantasy genre. There is an absolute immense cast of characters each used for side plots, more schemes and so much political maneuvering that ends up connecting sooner or later. The world is immense and by the absolute crushing ending I feel we have just scratched the surface.

I strongly recommend this for fantasy romance lovers who want a book where the author doesn’t hold their hand, doesn’t make it easy for them and you really need to be invested to keep up. An actual masterpiece.


Forever grateful to Netgally, the publishers and the authors for the arc now if you’ll excuse me I need to scour the internet for my favorite special edition to have as a shelf trophy.

[Chloe Frizzle · Rating 2 out of 5]

review to come

[Jennybeast · Rating 5 out of 5]

In general, I do not love portal fantasy or suddenly trapped in a book fantasy, but of course it is Ilona Andrews. So I stuck with it, and came to enjoy the elaborate setting because I enjoyed the characters so much. Maggie is the kind of heroine it’s hard to turn away from, and the action is pretty nonstop. Very satisfying.

Advanced Readers Copy provided by edelweiss