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Aurelia Ryder #0.5
The King of Fire
From the author's blog:
"I followed the series since I was ten years old… Please write a little snippet so we know it’s not the end… Pllllllllleesas Pleeeeeease… If you write it, it will be real. I just want to know it’s real."
It was a long email, the gist of which is that if we write something in the future of KD, then there would be world peace and end of famine and suffering. If only. 🙂
I said we were taking a break from KD, but we understand that it’s hard to see the series end, so we wrote a little story for you to show you that the world goes on.
Update: this is now a prologue to Aurelia Ryder series.
"I followed the series since I was ten years old… Please write a little snippet so we know it’s not the end… Pllllllllleesas Pleeeeeease… If you write it, it will be real. I just want to know it’s real."
It was a long email, the gist of which is that if we write something in the future of KD, then there would be world peace and end of famine and suffering. If only. 🙂
I said we were taking a break from KD, but we understand that it’s hard to see the series end, so we wrote a little story for you to show you that the world goes on.
Update: this is now a prologue to Aurelia Ryder series.
5 pages, ebook
First published September 30, 2018
10 people are currently reading
1442 people want to read
About the author
Ilona Andrews
148 books33.7k followersIlona 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 21, 2020
This is a snippit, not a full-on short story but who cares?!
FREE HERE!
I love Julie.
She's the one character that I just completely lose it over from the Kate Daniels world.
And, yes. I know they're busy writing Hidden Legacy & Innkeeper Chronicles, but JULIE ...
Anyway. This is a peek at what's happening in the future and I really liked it!
FREE HERE!
I love Julie.
She's the one character that I just completely lose it over from the Kate Daniels world.
And, yes. I know they're busy writing Hidden Legacy & Innkeeper Chronicles, but JULIE ...
Anyway. This is a peek at what's happening in the future and I really liked it!
September 2, 2019
Drool. I so need a Julie book. I so need a Julie book. I so need a Julie book.
February 1, 2021
1st read - October 2018
2nd read - October 2019
3th read - November 2020
4th read - December 2020 (This story is included at the back of Blood Heir)
5th read - January 2021
The King of Fire is a free short story that can be read on Ilona Andrew's blog here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/the-king... it is in the Kate Daniels world (you'll recognise all of the characters in it!) and I believe it's about 4-5 years after events in Magic Triumphs so I'd recommend reading it after that book so you don't pick up spoilers.
I'm not actually going to say much more than that because it's far too easy to spoil short stories but Kate Daniels fans are going to LOVE this. I was really excited about the characters we get to catch up with and I'm hoping this indicates they'll all be featuring in more books / novellas in the future!
2nd read - October 2019
3th read - November 2020
4th read - December 2020 (This story is included at the back of Blood Heir)
5th read - January 2021
The King of Fire is a free short story that can be read on Ilona Andrew's blog here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/the-king... it is in the Kate Daniels world (you'll recognise all of the characters in it!) and I believe it's about 4-5 years after events in Magic Triumphs so I'd recommend reading it after that book so you don't pick up spoilers.
I'm not actually going to say much more than that because it's far too easy to spoil short stories but Kate Daniels fans are going to LOVE this. I was really excited about the characters we get to catch up with and I'm hoping this indicates they'll all be featuring in more books / novellas in the future!
October 21, 2018
Well, that was ... weird?! Apparently, the authors wrote this because a number of fans threatened to die if there wasn't some sort of proof Kate Daniels' world didn't still exist. *lol* I understand, though. Having such a beloved series come to an end ... even if it was one hell of a good one ... it's hard. So the authors were nice enough to write this snippet. Probably part of one of the spin-offs they will one day write/publish.
Anyway, the story takes place several years after the end of the KD series and apparently Kate now has three children. Two of them female. Because the one in this story is called Julia (no, not Julie, so I guess it's a biological daughter of Kate's). And I can already tell you that at least two of these children are as reckless as their mother and father. *lol* Oh, and "grandpa" features here as well (though I was slightly confused about "grandma").
The interesting thing is that even through all the confusion, and even though this is really very short, I was in the thick of it and it just felt right. Hard to explain but it is a kind of magic and I love the authors for it. Even if I'm unsure I agree with where they are apparently taking KD's world.
You can read the short story for free here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/the-king...
Anyway, the story takes place several years after the end of the KD series and apparently Kate now has three children. Two of them female. Because the one in this story is called Julia (no, not Julie, so I guess it's a biological daughter of Kate's). And I can already tell you that at least two of these children are as reckless as their mother and father. *lol* Oh, and "grandpa" features here as well (though I was slightly confused about "grandma").
The interesting thing is that even through all the confusion, and even though this is really very short, I was in the thick of it and it just felt right. Hard to explain but it is a kind of magic and I love the authors for it. Even if I'm unsure I agree with where they are apparently taking KD's world.
You can read the short story for free here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/the-king...
September 1, 2025
This short story can be found here
I struggle to give this short story more than 3 stars. Not because it was not good, but because it was too short for me to give a higher rating.
I am even more excited to read Julie's spinoff now!
0.5 A Questionable Client ⭐⭐⭐
1. Magic Bites ⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Magic Burns ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Magic Strikes ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🔫 3.5 Magic Mourns ⭐⭐⭐.5 (Andrea novella)
4. Magic Bleeds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐅 4.5 Magic Dreams ⭐⭐⭐ (Dali novella)
5. Magic Slays ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5.5 Magic Gifts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔫5.6 Gunmetal Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Andrea full-length novel)
🪓 5.9 Magic Tests ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Julie short story)
6. Magic Rises ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐅6.5 Magic Steals ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Dali novella)
7. Magic Breaks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Magic Shifts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🪓 8.5 Magic Stars (Julie novella) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Magic Binds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐺 10. Iron and Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Hugh’s book)
11. Magic Triumphs ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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I struggle to give this short story more than 3 stars. Not because it was not good, but because it was too short for me to give a higher rating.
I am even more excited to read Julie's spinoff now!
0.5 A Questionable Client ⭐⭐⭐
1. Magic Bites ⭐⭐⭐.5
2. Magic Burns ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Magic Strikes ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🔫 3.5 Magic Mourns ⭐⭐⭐.5 (Andrea novella)
4. Magic Bleeds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐅 4.5 Magic Dreams ⭐⭐⭐ (Dali novella)
5. Magic Slays ⭐⭐⭐⭐
5.5 Magic Gifts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔫5.6 Gunmetal Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Andrea full-length novel)
🪓 5.9 Magic Tests ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Julie short story)
6. Magic Rises ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐅6.5 Magic Steals ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Dali novella)
7. Magic Breaks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. Magic Shifts ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🪓 8.5 Magic Stars (Julie novella) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. Magic Binds ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐺 10. Iron and Magic ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Hugh’s book)
11. Magic Triumphs ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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April 18, 2019
That's a small tease from the authors blog, for future Kate Daniels stories, starring Julie....
October 4, 2018
Have you seen this?!?
July 12, 2020
4 1/2 stars
“He views his people as fuel to be consumed in order to achieve his means. He feels no remorse. He believes it is as it should be. This is the danger of proclaiming yourself to be a god-king. You start believing your own press.”
***
“He’s going to kill my mother.”
[...]
He pondered my words. His eyes grew distant and for a moment a different man emerged from his wise and kind facade, younger, harder, vicious and sharp, like a shark coming to a surface from the depths of the ocean. The immortal wizard-king who nearly killed everyone he loved to rule the world. Ah, Grandpa. I missed you.
***
"[...] Dismemberment is your friend.”
I gave him my sweet smile. “Thank you.”
“You didn’t ask the most important question.”
He paused. This was a test. If I asked the correct question, I would be rewarded. If I failed, he would be disappointed. I needed his help desperately.
Grandfather smiled, his magic shining from within. The sun had risen, the clouds parted, the flowers bloomed, and the world smiled with him.
“He views his people as fuel to be consumed in order to achieve his means. He feels no remorse. He believes it is as it should be. This is the danger of proclaiming yourself to be a god-king. You start believing your own press.”
***
“He’s going to kill my mother.”
[...]
He pondered my words. His eyes grew distant and for a moment a different man emerged from his wise and kind facade, younger, harder, vicious and sharp, like a shark coming to a surface from the depths of the ocean. The immortal wizard-king who nearly killed everyone he loved to rule the world. Ah, Grandpa. I missed you.
***
"[...] Dismemberment is your friend.”
I gave him my sweet smile. “Thank you.”
“You didn’t ask the most important question.”
He paused. This was a test. If I asked the correct question, I would be rewarded. If I failed, he would be disappointed. I needed his help desperately.
Grandfather smiled, his magic shining from within. The sun had risen, the clouds parted, the flowers bloomed, and the world smiled with him.
October 18, 2018
A snippet, set a few years after Magic Triumphs.
Can be read for free here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/the-king...
December 22, 2020
Ben bunu kaçırmış mıyım? Yoksa okudum da aklımdan mı çıktı bilemedim. Ama yeni kitap öncesi tam bir ısınma oldu.
March 3, 2020
20/4/2019
So I just found out that we are not getting a Julie/Erra/Derek spinoff (at this point in time) because of the amount of hate mail Ilona Andrews receives over Julie.
Some of us love all the characters because the writing/world building/authors are so good and we would have loved a Julie spinoff. I can't wrap my head around this and I had actually written a rather long rant over it..
I just want to say that it's a damn shame that some people have made the authors feel this bad over a character. And to the Authorlords, I'm so so sorry they made you feel this way..
Direct quote from their website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/braining...
[..] Long story short, we get Julie hatemail. Half want bad things to happen to Julie. They literally hate her and want her to die. The other variation of the hatemail is, “I am just not interested in Julie as a character and I don’t think she could carry a book.” Right, because despite writing 12 books set in this world, all of which succeeded in being entertaining, we will lose all of ability to tell a compelling story just because Julie is the main character.
It actually resulted in Brandi having second thoughts about publishing her own work. She isn’t sure she would be willing to put up with all the venom.
We had definite plans for a continuation of the storyline, picking it up with Julie as the main character roughly 8 years after the events of Magic Triumphs. The world is even more warped by magic, Conlan is 10, Jim is ready to retire, and the battle for the Pack is about to start. We have chunks of the first book plotted. We spared some characters in Magic Triumphs so they could return in the sequel. However, I’m not going to do it.
Writing comes from the same place as play. Right now if we sit down and write Julie, she won’t be true to the original vision of the character. There is a lot more depth and layers there than in Ascanio, for example, who is at the core a simple character. I don’t feel like working with her until I’m sure we can do her justice. So that trilogy and any other work in KD world, except for Iron Covenant, is indefinitely on hold. That might change tomorrow, but probably not. 🙂
So I just found out that we are not getting a Julie/Erra/Derek spinoff (at this point in time) because of the amount of hate mail Ilona Andrews receives over Julie.
Some of us love all the characters because the writing/world building/authors are so good and we would have loved a Julie spinoff. I can't wrap my head around this and I had actually written a rather long rant over it..
I just want to say that it's a damn shame that some people have made the authors feel this bad over a character. And to the Authorlords, I'm so so sorry they made you feel this way..
Direct quote from their website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/braining...
[..] Long story short, we get Julie hatemail. Half want bad things to happen to Julie. They literally hate her and want her to die. The other variation of the hatemail is, “I am just not interested in Julie as a character and I don’t think she could carry a book.” Right, because despite writing 12 books set in this world, all of which succeeded in being entertaining, we will lose all of ability to tell a compelling story just because Julie is the main character.
It actually resulted in Brandi having second thoughts about publishing her own work. She isn’t sure she would be willing to put up with all the venom.
We had definite plans for a continuation of the storyline, picking it up with Julie as the main character roughly 8 years after the events of Magic Triumphs. The world is even more warped by magic, Conlan is 10, Jim is ready to retire, and the battle for the Pack is about to start. We have chunks of the first book plotted. We spared some characters in Magic Triumphs so they could return in the sequel. However, I’m not going to do it.
Writing comes from the same place as play. Right now if we sit down and write Julie, she won’t be true to the original vision of the character. There is a lot more depth and layers there than in Ascanio, for example, who is at the core a simple character. I don’t feel like working with her until I’m sure we can do her justice. So that trilogy and any other work in KD world, except for Iron Covenant, is indefinitely on hold. That might change tomorrow, but probably not. 🙂
October 20, 2018
Cool little story set in the future of KD world. All I can say is more please.
October 21, 2018
An extremely short short story set a few years after Magic Triumphs. Hopefully it means that one day we will get a Julie spin-off.
October 4, 2018
I read this off of the authors' website
Just a taste of new spin off? I'm crossing my fingers that I'm right.
Just a taste of new spin off? I'm crossing my fingers that I'm right.
November 5, 2020
I CANNOT WAIT until the new Julie novel early next year. Ahhhhhhh!!!
August 31, 2024
This short story explains how Julie confronted Moloch for the first time and plucked his eye out. I would recommend reading it before trying Blood Heir, since it will explain a lot about Julies changed appearance.
May 10, 2020
Short! Short! I Repeat Short But Totally Worth It!
FREE HERE!
February 23, 2021
“When magic crest at its peak, the King of fire will leave his citadel of misery in the Western Desert to travel east to devour the queen who doesn’t rule and sever bloodline reborn. Only the one who shares his power may oppose him.”
Me: *heavy panting!
Also me: That eye thing though😱
Julie sure is Kate’s daughter😈
I am ready for Julie to kick this prophecy’s ASS.
Read: 23/02/2021
1st rating: 5 stars
Genre/tropes: Urban fantasy
Cover: 3 stars
POV’s: Single - 1st person (Julie aka Ryder)
Will I recommend: YES- but read Kate Daniels series first. 😍
Me: *heavy panting!
Also me: That eye thing though😱
Julie sure is Kate’s daughter😈
I am ready for Julie to kick this prophecy’s ASS.
Read: 23/02/2021
1st rating: 5 stars
Genre/tropes: Urban fantasy
Cover: 3 stars
POV’s: Single - 1st person (Julie aka Ryder)
Will I recommend: YES- but read Kate Daniels series first. 😍
March 24, 2021
I’m not sure how this does as a stand alone. I didn’t really feel there was additional information for the Aurelia Ryder series. Normally these short stories have a bit of extra in them and I feel everything here was already in the book.
It was a nice teaser though had you been waiting for the next one and needed anything a hint of what was so come.
It was a nice teaser though had you been waiting for the next one and needed anything a hint of what was so come.
November 7, 2018
Clarifies nothing. 6 year old was cute.
April 12, 2025
The King of Fire on Books On Track
A short scene that brings us back into the beloved world of Kate Daniels and sets the stage for Blood Heir. I'm very curious about this new person Julie has become...
December 13, 2018
A wonderful gift from the authors, showing a slice of Kate Daniels' world in the future, through her adopted daughter Julie's eyes. She's just as much a warrior as Kate is, the only surprising thing is that the Pack wasn't around. Still, a tantalizing glimpse of a beloved series!
January 6, 2021
*Source* https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2018/th...
*Rating* 4
*Thoughts*
This kind of builds a bridge from Kate's series to Julie's aka Aurelia Ryder which will be released January 12, 2021. This is where the prophecy from Sienna is first foretold>
“When magic crests at its peak, the King of Fire will leave his citadel of misery in the Western Desert to travel east to devour the queen who doesn’t rule and sever bloodline reborn. Only the one who shares his power may oppose him.”
*Rating* 4
*Thoughts*
This kind of builds a bridge from Kate's series to Julie's aka Aurelia Ryder which will be released January 12, 2021. This is where the prophecy from Sienna is first foretold>
“When magic crests at its peak, the King of Fire will leave his citadel of misery in the Western Desert to travel east to devour the queen who doesn’t rule and sever bloodline reborn. Only the one who shares his power may oppose him.”
November 14, 2023
Damn Julie 👀
Very short story, like one page. And I saw soooooo much!!!
Free from the author site
https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-ki...
Very short story, like one page. And I saw soooooo much!!!
Free from the author site
https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/the-ki...
November 19, 2025
I want more!
December 30, 2018
This is a great little story that could serve as a tie-in between the last KD book and any possible spin-offs featuring Julie.
May 15, 2020
A shortie snippet from the Ilona Andrews blog.
Julie, Conlan, Roland & Erra.
Julie, Conlan, Roland & Erra.
January 28, 2021
This is a free prequel for the Aurelia Ryder arcanepunk fantasy series set in an alternate history, which is part of the Kate Daniels World series and revolving around Aurelia Ryder, the woman we first knew as Julie Lennart-Olsen. The setting is Grandfather's "prison".
"The King of Fire" is also located in the back of Blood Heir , 11 in Kate Daniels' World and 0.5 in Aurelia Ryder.
My Take
I hate it when a short story that takes place before the story is placed in the back of the book...so annoying. This would have been more practical to put in as a prologue for Blood Heir .
As short as "The King of Fire" is, it is rich in keeping us up-to-date on Julie, Conlan, Grandfather, and Grandmother while providing a brief, gruesome intro on Moloch. As a first person protagonist point-of-view from Julie's perspective, it's also an eye-opener on Julie's strengths and activities! Eeep!
Okay, I lied about knowing what Julie is doing with Erra. They're obviously still together, but we have no real idea what they've been up to. That'll come in Blood Heir. How do I know this? Because that story came first, publication-wise...I hate that. Have I mentioned that I hate this?
Again, for its brevity, there is a lot of reported action with Julie at the center of it all.
Anyway, I'm guessing Andrews put this in the back of Blood Heir to keep us from anticipating the eye.
The Story
It's a quick report of Julie's actions, her imprisonment, her torture, as she gathers information that may keep Kate...and many, many children...alive.
The Characters
Julie Lennart-Olsen, a human sensate, is the orphan girl from Magic Burns , 2, whom Kate adopted in Magic Strikes , 3.
Grandfather is Roland, the nearly god-like father of Kate Daniels and grandfather to Conlan and Julie, the children of Kate and Curran. Grandmother is Erra, Roland's sister and Kate's aunt.
Sienna is the seer of the Witch Oracle.
Moloch is a god-king, whose family line bred for regeneration.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a graphic of a fiery hell of a world with a range of oranges and yellow. Julie is a deep orange silhouette standing in the center of a world aflame, her spear on her back.
The title is all about Moloch, "The King of Fire".
"The King of Fire" is also located in the back of Blood Heir , 11 in Kate Daniels' World and 0.5 in Aurelia Ryder.
My Take
I hate it when a short story that takes place before the story is placed in the back of the book...so annoying. This would have been more practical to put in as a prologue for Blood Heir .
As short as "The King of Fire" is, it is rich in keeping us up-to-date on Julie, Conlan, Grandfather, and Grandmother while providing a brief, gruesome intro on Moloch. As a first person protagonist point-of-view from Julie's perspective, it's also an eye-opener on Julie's strengths and activities! Eeep!
Okay, I lied about knowing what Julie is doing with Erra. They're obviously still together, but we have no real idea what they've been up to. That'll come in Blood Heir. How do I know this? Because that story came first, publication-wise...I hate that. Have I mentioned that I hate this?
Again, for its brevity, there is a lot of reported action with Julie at the center of it all.
Anyway, I'm guessing Andrews put this in the back of Blood Heir to keep us from anticipating the eye.
The Story
It's a quick report of Julie's actions, her imprisonment, her torture, as she gathers information that may keep Kate...and many, many children...alive.
The Characters
Julie Lennart-Olsen, a human sensate, is the orphan girl from Magic Burns , 2, whom Kate adopted in Magic Strikes , 3.
Grandfather is Roland, the nearly god-like father of Kate Daniels and grandfather to Conlan and Julie, the children of Kate and Curran. Grandmother is Erra, Roland's sister and Kate's aunt.
Sienna is the seer of the Witch Oracle.
Moloch is a god-king, whose family line bred for regeneration.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a graphic of a fiery hell of a world with a range of oranges and yellow. Julie is a deep orange silhouette standing in the center of a world aflame, her spear on her back.
The title is all about Moloch, "The King of Fire".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews