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 end: in a cataclysmic war.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Audiobook, Magic, Fantasy Romance, Adult

472 pages, Hardcover

First published 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

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

ARC provided by TOR - thank you so much

“I’d tried every genre under the sun since, but fantasy was my vice of choice.”

i truly feel like i was raised on the paranormal romance that were held in my mom’s library growing up. i know i’ve mentioned it a lot on the internet, but i just have an extra big nostalgic spot in my heart for the writing duo that is ilona andrews. so when i heard they were publishing the start of a brand new series with tor, i knew i had to beg tor for an arc! and then i found out it was an isekai (where someone is transported into one of their favorite fictional worlds) i truly about passed out from excitement. and i am very happy to report that, as of the end of the first quarter of 2026, this is the only book i have given five stars to this year!

this stories follow maggie, who lives a quiet life delivering groceries in our world, but at the very start of this story, wakes up in the magical city of kair toren, capital of the kingdom of rellas, where maggie’s favorite book series of all time centers around. yet, this beloved series is written by a very elusive writer who doesn’t take part in any social media. and this series has only two books published, with a third that feels like it’s truly never going to see the light of day. (yes, very much giving the kingkiller chronicle!)

maggie wakes up at the very end of chapter one of the very first book. maggie quickly, and luckily, figures out where the minor plot points will take her to safety, while soon realizing that maybe she can use the information of some of the major plot points to gain advantage and survival in this world. oh, and she also quickly, and not so luckily, finds out that she cannot be actually killed within this world, yet she doesn’t know the full limitations of that.

this world is ruled by eight noble families, all with very different types of power and protection, and maggie realizes how hard survival is going to be regardless of how much she has memorized of these two book’s pages! yet we get to watch her navigate this world, maybe with the help of a deadly swordsman and some others who weren’t given page time prior. and we watch this little crew try to stop the future of a bloodthirsty dictator who is truly to start a civil war within those eight families, and will truly do anything to gain more and more power. oh, and one of my new favorite plots in my fantasy - we also have a very dark murder mystery to solve! (this story truly does get pretty dark a lot of times, so please use the trigger and content warnings i wrote down below if you need them.)

okay, i think that’s all i should say, but i truly ate this up completely. whether these authors are writing about a detective in a post-apocalyptic alt, or a magical innkeeper who facilitates a neutral space for aliens, or a normal girl waking up in her favorite dark fantasy world, it all just really works for me every single time. and i am not sure what it is about their writing, but i truly never want to put any of their books down. and the romance in these books, very much including this one? it will hit for me each and every time without fail.

trigger + content warnings: violence, blood, death, murder, immense torture, graphic descriptions of gore, loss of loved ones, grief, talk of starvation / not eating, vomit, anxiety, drowning, mention of sa in general / mention of sa to side character, human trafficking / child trafficking, kidnapping, slavery, talk of physical abuse to a child, battle, war, genocide, talk of plague, a lot of talk of ptsd, mention of horse death, talk of killing a dogs / puppies, talk of miscarriage, and just a warning that this does have a cliffhanger ending >.<

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[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

Soooooooooooooo.. 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
🩵

[aarya · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[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.

[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!

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm warning you right now: take the title very seriously. The kingdom is determined to eliminate Maggie at every turn. It heard her say that she intends to change the future, and it responded with a defiant, "Try me, bitch."

This book brought me that nostalgic feeling of reading an old high fantasy book. This has everything you could wish for in a story.

It features a found family so precious that loving them all is heart-wrenching.
The heroine is a strong, independent, and intelligent woman, sometimes a bit slow to catch on, but undoubtedly formidable. Maggie was that girl, and she knew it, the other characters knew it, and so did the kingdom.
The love interest is positively dark and complex, making you want to strangle him at times. I assure you, there are scenes where you'll want to kill him because of his audacity.
The cast of side characters is so endearing and lovable that some of them become emotionally significant even without constant page time. I cried over a character mentioned only once or twice, never even seen on page, a testament to the skill of these authors.
The story also includes pet companions that are sure to make you laugh frequently, adding humor and warmth to the narrative.

What more could you possibly want from a high fantasy novel? Yes, this first book contains numerous descriptions and info dumps to help us understand the richly crafted world, but believe me, every page is worth the effort. Each chapter captivated me and made every minute spent reading worthwhile. If you're looking for a high fantasy that keeps you on the edge of your seat almost constantly, this book is perfect.

Don't expect much romance, while there is a romantic subplot, it's a slow burn and develops gradually. Personally, I appreciate this approach because I'm not typically into romance, yet I found myself charmed by the romantic elements anyway.

In conclusion, I’m at a loss for words after finishing this book. My mind is swirling with thoughts and emotions, making me feel dizzy. All I can say is, give me book two now, I need it as desperately as I need air to breathe. This story will undoubtedly earn a place on my list of the best books of 2026.

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

Release Day!!!

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

See my review of the audio under it's edition. Even more enjoyable the 2nd time though!

I caught so many more details since I knew the twist and some of the little things just stood out even more. Such a great foundation built here.

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.

[Ricarda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book depicts perfectly why I wouldn't want to live inside my favorite stories even if I could. Because they usually are dark and violent, and I really don't want to have anything to do with feuding families and assassinations and lethal magic and the like. The main character Maggie isn't so lucky. She wakes up in Kair Toren, a city existing inside her favorite books ever. Unfortunately, it's a pretty dark fantasy series, so it's not great that she has to make her way through it, starting naked with no money and no connections to anyone. Isekai really isn't one of my favorite genres, but it somehow didn't bother me here. Stories like this are usually super tropey and formulaic with the main character always being the prophesied hero or the villain, but This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is very aware of its own genre and does many things differently. In short: Maggie has the worst time imaginable inside of her favorite books. She has no idea how she possibly ended up there and while she is strangely immortal, she also just needs to be, because she would be dead thrice-over after the first day. Her only advantage is that she can remember the books in their entirety and has knowledge of every character, event and place in this world. She's a character who needs to use her brain to get out of dire situations, and she does. She slowly claws her way up from the streets by giving information to the right people at the right time. Maggie basically knows past, present and future as they are written in the books, but the question is if she can change the set course of events. Of course Maggie doesn't wish the horrible fates upon the characters that she has loved for years and that she is now meeting in real life and building actual relationships with. She forms a strong bond with a legendary swordsman, and then they immediately adopt a lady's maid and a young boy, and later they also adopt a whole mercenary family and some shady nobles too and also maybe some animal companions. I loved how the book had such a strong found family aspect with many cozy moments while the overall themes were dark and heavy. In my opinion, the book is more on the slower side and really takes its time for everything, so that many different things can be handled in one story. It also makes character decisions more relatable and certain moments all the more touching or all the more shocking. It's a read that can consume you entirely if you let it. With that said: sometimes it was difficult to keep track of all the characters and their relationships with each other. Maggie often recalls events without every character being introduced to the story properly first. The whole book was a bit description-heavy and often relied on telling and not showing because of the nature of Maggie's powers. There was still plenty of plot actually shown to the reader, but together with all the background stories or recalled past events, it was a bit much for one book. I still liked it a lot. I never knew what Maggie was up to next and I got so much different stuff in here, that it's actually insane. Like, I can't believe that there was an on-page reference to a Simpsons meme in this fantasy book about feuding magical families and gruesome assassinations. Many things were simply unexpected and I was living for it. I definitely need to find out how Ilona Andrews' other books compare to this one. They all seem very different from this new series, but she does have my trust now. Can't wait for book two either. 4.5 stars.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i can fix him” well i can draw him into my goal of saving the kingdom through my ability to predict the future and become the object of his desire that he does not know how to separate from his desire to use my gifts to suit his own ends (while also enlisting more and more people to join our found family)

count me out of surviving in my favorite fantasy novel because at the first sign of trouble i would be dead


“I trust you with my life. Just not with my freedom.” OBLITERATED HIM


Bookstagram | Blog

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

firstly, thank you so much to the publisher for an arc and an alc!

omg. this was a fantastic portal/isekai fantasy novel. it really reminded me of long live evil, but perhaps a bit more serious in its writing and world-building (despite the amount of satire, which you’ll hear no complaints from me about!)

our fmc maggie wakes up in the city of her favorite dark fantasy series naked and vulnerable with only her knowledge of the series to protect her from the city’s devious inhabitants. she quickly learns that anytime someone attempts to kill her, which is unfortunately pretty often, she is revived regardless of the method of killing.

there was an insane amount of world-building and character development, and not to mention so many twists and turns that made my head spin… i was certainly devastated by a specific character’s ulterior motives being revealed.

i need book two NOW after that cliffhanger, and alas i must wait another year for it now🫩

as for the narrator? she did an absolutely fantastic job!

——

very excited to dive into this epic fantasy novel, especially considering a few of my coworkers recommended this read!!

[ELLIAS (elliasreads)]

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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Helen 2.0 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m starting to think Ilona Andrews are a one-trick pony, but their one trick is so impressive that people don’t mind being presented the same thing five or six or seven times. Me included, up to this point, but in TKWNKM it began to grind a little.

What I’m talking about here is their protagonists. Maybe IA is falling into the Andy Weir trap of only being able to successfully pull off one type of main character and applying that template to every new project. I’ve read nearly everything they ever published, and there’s a definite pattern to the leading women characters.

Maggie is an army brat with two dead-end jobs and no future. Her idea of a good time is trolling reddit forums dissecting grimdark fantasy books. I think I’d hate her if I met her in real life. She could have been so messy in such a delicious way.

But in her isekai world, she turns out to be just the same-old, same-old: a brave, hyper-competent, no-nonsense fighter with a heart of gold and a strong will to protect the weak. Just like every other IA protagonist. I think they’ve found a formula the readers like and have given up on deviating from it. Maggie is really just Kate Daniels with a bit of dork mixed in.



Which brings me to my second thought, which is that this story is… kind of… Wattpad slop.

Now, hold on, stay with me for a minute, because I don’t mean Wattpad (derogatory). I understand and appreciate the appeal of self-indulgent, self-insert, power-fantasy type fiction. The entire isekai/reincarnation subgenre is full of these stories, wherein the main character—let’s face it, Y/N—gets to waltz through the fictional world or her own past with special knowledge and power that blows everybody’s tits off. It’s basically a validation fantasy where everybody finally sees just how smart and cool and pretty you are and everybody falls for you.

Again, this is fine. I get the appeal. I seek it out sometimes. Hell, I’ve written these kinds of stories myself. But they’re not high literature. They don’t have much to say, nor do they stick with you longterm.

And with all the rave reviews about this book, I was pretty shocked to find that TKWNKM is basically a run-of-the-mill self-indulgent isekai fantasy with a Mary Sue protagonist. Albeit with some clever ideas, very dedicated worldbuilding, and a lot more writing skill than is typically applied to these stories.

I think the book is really fun. I had a good time with it. I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, though. It has the air of… Wattpad Slop Plus™. A Y/N story with some window dressing.

[Seri ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️
Maggie, or "Maggie the Undying," as she calls herself, without rhyme or reason, has been transported inside a Game of Thrones-esque novel about eight warring families that bring the nation to its knees while chasing after ultimate power. She doesn't magically wind up inside the body of someone with influence but appears as herself (with the addition of a unique gift) right before everything starts going to shit. Now, it's up to Maggie (plus several allies) to use her future info about the books to stop a chain of events that will lead to the eventual rise of a tyrant and cost thousands of lives.

And my girl, Maggie?? Even the knowledge that the world was heading toward a predetermined bloodbath didn't stop her! Because she cares for these characters. And over the course of almost 500 pages, they were no longer random words on a page but living, breathing people that she wanted to live safe and happy lives! Maggie was a JOY of a main character. Her decision-making made complete sense! No brainless FMC here!!! 🎉🎉🎉

The pacing was really solid! This book was so go-go-go that it leaves little time for anything to get boring! What Maggie lacked in background, she made up for with her in-depth knowledge of characters inside her favorite series—including their secrets. And reading about this ordinary girl living in Texas running LAPS around the kingdom's elite was SO MUCH FUN! She was shocking people left and right with how many intimate details she had of their lives.

However, this also ties into my biggest issue with this book:
There was SO MUCH going on that we'd often have characters introduced, serve their purpose, and then be forgotten about until they'd be mentioned again 100 pages later. But when every new chapter has us in a different location working on YET ANOTHER "changing the future" scene… things get murky, and as a reader, you get lost. Multiple times they’d mention a character and I’d be there like… who??!
Point-blank, there are so many details about the buildings, people, powers, etc. That everything began to blur together. (Hell, I gave up on referring to the book's map, as I genuinely think it's one of the worst book maps that I've ever seen!!)

This Kingdom was a really interesting book, and it ends on a BIG cliffhanger. But with how fast we moved in and out of plot points, things blended together and became unclear.

[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.

With only one or two moments that warranted either delight or surprise and shock, I have to say that THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME just didn't.. well, thrill me. I'll harp on the beginning in a bit but seeing as it's freshest in my mind, that ending? The rush towards that climax followed by that cliffhanger? Brutal. So considering these authors are in my top favourites, and this book was one of my most anticipated of 2026, I am incredibly disappointed. Mostly in myself. Because maybe it's just me. I hope it's just me.

Okay maybe it's mostly me and also a little of the book.

If you know nothing about this one, it's basically a portal fantasy featuring a woman transported into the world of her favourite book series. Sounds great right? Well because it's her favourite book and not ours prepare to be bogged down by an incredible amount of info dumping. For most of the first half — with interludes of "catch the reader up on dynamics x y z" sprinkled near the end but those were much more tolerable.

As a result, things start slow. And because of the nature of Maggie's predicament she ends up basically being just a walking plot device. Despite some genuine stumbles and struggles to adjust, she more or less gets her sea legs pretty quickly and then she just adapts. So it's hard for her to have personality or behaviours when she has to blend. Which made me step back from this all and constantly wonder who on earth she was. But maybe that's the nature of this kind of self-insert. She's you. Me. Us. It's fantasy.

Anyway, there were some good nugget-sized moments that I did enjoy. And overall the story is one to root for — circumvent the terrible bad thing that you know is going to happen and hope your changes don't result in something worse for the timeline and everyone has a happy ending and maybe you also end up with a hot romance — and I'll definitely be reading on. I have hopes that with most of the worldbuilding and history already set up we can move things along a lot better in the instalment (s?) to come. Also, maybe this is the kind of story that improves on reread; considering I will most likely be needing that refresher by the time book two comes out, seeing as book one is still four months away, I can only hope.

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 be prepared for what awaits you, and maybe adjust some expectations, so you can enjoy yourself more than I did.

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

---

This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Epic Fantasy / Portal Fantasy
Series / Cliffhanger: Book 1 of Maggie the Undying / Ends with setup for continuation (not a cliffhanger, but leaves you desperate for book 2)
Tropes & Themes:Waking up inside a fictional world-Immortal heroine (cannot be killed)-Found family of misfits-Dangerous politics & rival princes-Knowledge-as-power (heroine uses her encyclopedic knowledge of the unfinished series)Survival in a gritty, violent city-Dark fantasy setting with murder, betrayal, and political intrigue

Steam Meter: Tense 🔥 (romantic undertones, but focus is on adventure and survival)

Songs:

“Immortals” by Fall Out Boy
“Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes
“Warriors” by Imagine Dragons



The portal fantasy twist of waking up inside an unfinished fictional world is genius, especially for readers who’ve obsessed over series that never concluded. Hello, we all have been there or dreaded of EVER being in that predicament. Maggie’s immortality adds constant tension, she can’t die, but everyone she cares about can. The supporting cast (assassin, soldier, maid, magical creatures) is vibrant and memorable. I adored each and every one of them brought something to the story.

The pacing was a bit slower at the beginning, but it builds at the start, but once the first big twist hits, it becomes utterly unputdownable. I had the urge to reread at that 52% twist.



The last 10% is pure adrenaline...edge-of-your-seat action mixed with emotional payoff.

Ilona Andrews’ trademark blend of sharp dialogue, layered worldbuilding, and addictive plotting shines here.


The ending leaves you aching for book 2—so the only real flaw is having to wait.

💡 Overall Impact
This is easily one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it delivered beyond expectations. Ilona Andrews crafted a fantasy that feels both familiar and fresh, with a heroine whose immortality is both gift and curse. The blend of political intrigue, found family, and high-stakes adventure makes this a standout start to a new series. Halfway through, I already wanted to reread; by the end, I was grinning like a fool at 2 a.m.

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unforgettable
addictive and
impossible to put down

GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK!!!!NOW!!!

[Bea27x · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I thought we had established trust.”
“I trust you with my life. Just not with my freedom.”
The Sleepless Duke smiled. It was an indescribable smile, knitted from determination, power, and pure heat. “Then I shall have to work harder.”
Dear god.

This book really deserves the high rating; it’s such a well done and captivating fantasy, the only bad thing is that the second one isn’t out yet!
(when I’m talking about the fictional book Maggie finds herself into I’ll write book in italics)

First of all, this story is incredibly compelling, so much happens! Second, I was really impressed with the world building and the politic: we have a kingdom with external and internal threats, an unstable king and eight great families constantly making moves; there are a lot of intricate political maneuvers going on in the city and having to step inside, navigate and untangle all of that and use what she knows and move pieces to try and change what’s coming requires a lot of strategic moves from Maggie as well (and shows us how clever she is).
Maggie quickly realizes she’s in a real and complex world and at the same time it’s hard to push things off course, but also there are consequences for her actions.
I understand some might not love the heavy exposition and the size of information about the world and the people (there are many players) we are given, especially in the first half, but I loved it, I’m a big fan of world building, lore and politic, so I was really interested in all the stories and details, and, after all, it makes sense: Maggie meets people who are characters, sometimes pov characters, in her favorite books, she knows a lot about them, how they think, what motivates them, their past and what will happen to them and we are given those infos.

There are some pretty big and freaking awesome twists/reveals, of the 3 identity reveals I’ll say: the blonde Defender? I’d clocked it immediately and patted myself on the back; the man in the Garden reveal shocked me, I had a different theory, then the story impressed me again with a second twist so I was also right; the big mmc reveal… just wonderful, I had put together the clues but I still had doubts and questions and the chapter with the reveal itself? Amazing, I was on the edge of my seat.

“You are very dangerous, Maggie. I don’t think you realize the full extent of it.”

Maggie is a great fmc, she is brave, determined, strong-willed, she has a good heart, wit and she’s absolutely brilliant, and her most relatable ability? Her deep knowledge, courtesy of hundreds of rereads, of her favorite book series. Also, a fmc who makes sensible decisions, notices things and poses the same questions the reader does? Yes please. I also enjoyed the reflection on how being in this world affected her: to survive she has to do things she never thought herself capable of, is this who she is or the circumstances changed her?

Maybe Solentine was right, and this was inside of me all along. It just never had a chance to come out because my life used to be blissfully peaceful. I had never appreciated how safe I was until I came here. If I somehow found a way back, could I even return to my life?

Like I said, there are many characters, I’m just gonna mention some: I adore all the found family, Clover who’s brave and loyal and takes a lot of pride in her work and rightfully so cause she’s efficient as hell, Kaiden, adorable smartass, he cares and worries about Maggie like a little brother but worships the mmc so always tattles, and the Magnars (they are the ones most at risk I think).

“Is this the part where I am supposed to be impressed? Please let me know. I don’t want to miss my cue.”
Solentine is amazing, a main pov in the fictional books, from the start Maggie tells us he’s so cool, morally grey, crazy loyal to his a loving tight-unit family; I was really curious to see more of him since in the first half he’s not very present, and the second half delivered; and in the future we’ll for sure see even more of him, I want to meet the whole family. He’s the best cousin (the whole dynamic since he presents the plan was so much fun🤣).

Arvel: everyone, himself included, sees him as peak knight in shining armor, and his scenes were interesting, but he’s more sly than he looks and I think he could be a problem, he wants Maggie because he has decided she fits the bill and he has already slept with everyone else, and of course instead of accepting no he only sees a challenge.
The man in the Garden, good character, has his reasons, but it’s not an excuse, and he gives creepy fu*k vibes, his story could go more than one way.

The mmc 🥵 (I’ll put spoiler for him just in case)
He walked in, and the room was his. He owned it. His presence filled it, unignorable, a sharp, immediate threat that demanded you focus on it to the exclusion of everything else. There was no predator to compare him to. He was in a class of his own.
Ramond Everard, I love him your honor. The one they call the Sleepless Duke because The Selva Dukedom was always at war. Ramond vi Everard had no time to sleep. He had picked up a sword at the age of three and never put it down, just like his father and mother before him. So cool. He’s cunning, sharp, controlled, decisive, dangerous, calculating, people fear him, rightfully so, but also, he became duke of a large territory constantly attacked at just sixteen with a king who wants him dead, it makes sense he needed a scary motherf**** reputation, he needed to be cunning and strategic and dangerous, and he is all of these things, but that doesn’t mean that’s all he is.

“If I worked that hard for the sake of someone my domain needed, I wonder how far I would go for the sake of someone I truly want?”

This is first and foremost a fantasy, that’s the main plot, but there’s also a romantic subplot and I’m obsessed with it!

“Come with me. I swear on the memory of my father I will bring you back to Kair Toren in twenty days.”
“I can’t. There are things I must do here. The future—”
“Fuck the future. If I come back here and find you gone, I will level this damn city. If you care for Kair Toren, come with me.”

This is a real slow burn romance, like 600 pages slow burn and there’s still road ahead, and they are just so good together, there’s so much chemistry and tension🔥, they are both clever, sharp and headstrong, they menage to work extremely well as a team, to both fit and balance each other, but also banter and have deliciously heated arguments. He has a very strong presence, but she never backs down from going toe to toe with him. I loved even when they fought because… the tension!

“I want to be with you and just you. If you never told me another secret again, I would still want you. Nobody can take you away from me. Not Arvel, not Sauven, not the Archmage, not the entirety of the Crimson Empire. The only person who can come between us is you. And I promise you, from this point on, I will bring the full power of everything I am to win you over.”
When hell froze over. “Leave my house.”

All of their scenes were perfect.

“You made it seem as if I have much more influence over you than I do.”
“I believe I’m the ultimate authority on the amount of influence you have over me.”

I completely prefer that Ramond was not a main character or a pov one in the books, like Maggie mentions, it would have made the relationship uneven, this way she can actually discover and get to know him like he’s doing with her (tho me personally I would like his pov one day).

“If anyone enters this house tonight, even if they appear by magic, I will know and I will kill them.”
“Silveren is a good fighter.”
“I’m better.”
“The Tower . . .”
“Even if he empties the Tower and brings every Redeemer knight to this house, I will cut them down and take his head. He will never touch you.”
“Because you’re the Sleepless Duke.”
“That’s one reason.”

But he’s a tough one to crack and Maggie, understandably, trusts a lot in what she knows from the books, so she has a preconceived idea of him from what others said, but what others think about him doesn’t necessarily reflect who he really is; Maggie starts to see this, and she knows she’s falling for him, she trusts him but is reluctant to trust his feelings.

Imagining him obsessed with me to the point where all his chains snapped was intoxicating.
But I wanted even more. I wanted him to care. That carriage ride, when I was broken, vulnerable, and scared, and he’d held me . . . The way his strong arms felt, wrapped around me. The way he’d looked at me, like he would rip the world apart to keep me safe.
That was a fantasy, too, and it was way too tempting. Ramond vi Everard didn’t do love or affection. Better women than me had tried to get them out of him and failed, and yet I couldn’t let it go.

He is used to be in charge and can be pretty arrogant, he knows Maggie feels something for him and he has his moments of “we’ll do what I say to keep you safe”, so kudos to Maggie for always standing up to him and telling him in no uncertain terms she makes her own decision and he’s not in charge of her, feelings between them don’t give him the right. I loved tho that at the end of the day he never stops her from making her decisions and always helps her even if he would prefer for her to remain safe. He still has some character growth to do and to prove his feelings are real, but he wants to. I completely believe he’s fallen in love with her, he’s very protective of her, helps her with her trauma, works to fix it when he upsets her, he’s completely impressed by her, and not just her abilities, it’s her, her cleverness and resourcefulness and wit that has him obsessed with her. I melted for how things were left between them here, I need more!

It was possessive and intense and unbelievably, searingly hot. He kissed me like I belonged to him, and he couldn’t get enough. Like he would kill anyone who dared to interrupt.
[…] He destroyed me. I forgot where I was. There was no thinking anymore, no fear, no doubt, only the irresistible need in my body and the fireworks in my soul.

P.S. The chapters where Maggie, the mmc and Solentine were together and interacting were fu*king gold, those 3 work wonderfully together. Like Sol comments on their relationship, or, honorable mention, when Everard went
“Thank you for removing the obstacles in my way,” Everard said. “So considerate of you.”
“Sauven will lose what’s left of his mind.”
“It is a fine, long-standing tradition in my family to not give a fuck about what the Savarics think. I plan to continue it.”
Solentine swore.
“You need me to legitimize this scheme,” Everard said. “Have no fear, I will back you up. It’s in my best interests.”
I knew right away he was already thinking about marrying her.

I have so many questions! I need the next book!

This was our last chance to spend time together.
It felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart and twisted the knife.
I would miss him. No, that was nowhere near adequate. Not having him near would feel like a hole had been torn in my life. He was at once a threat and my safety net, and he took up so much room. As long as he was in this house, no intruder would make it past him, but that’s not what I would miss the most. I would miss his wit, his sharp mind, his rare smiles, the way he looked at me, his body, his voice . . . Him, I would miss him.

[Chloe Frizzle · Rating 2 out of 5]

What kills me here is the never ending info dumping.

Our Heroine is a big nerd about the world she's in, a walking encyclopedia of everyone's backstory. Yes, you get to hear every detail.

My one ongoing gripe with Andrews' writing style is that I feel they put in too much over explaining in their books, particularly when recapping previous events on a series. In this book, the problem is so much worse. There isn't even another real book, there's a fictional one which we must be briefed on every detail of, at great length. It's boring and annoying.

The plot is repetitive, and feeling like it lacks real stakes. The Heroine's goal is to save the kingdom etc etc, but I never really cared about the kingdom.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Aisvarya [back ig] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wdym this is how it ends?!! I need the sequel like right now😭😭

I don't have words to express how much I loved this book. TOP READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR!!!! And I don't know if any other book could come close to this because it had everything I love in fantasy - strong characters, found family, an intriguing plot that you cannot predict, and a killer ending. If you love isekai anime or historical K-dramas and C-dramas, do yourself a favor and pick this up immediately because you wouldn't regret it.

What to expect -
📜 High-stakes portal fantasy set in medieval times
📜 Grimdark, brutal world
📜 Independent and self-aware FMC
📜 Strong female characters
📜 Found family
📜 Complicated and messy politics
📜 Slow-burn romantic subplot
📜 Secrets and twisty reveals

Micro tropes -
📜 He trains her
📜 Touch her and you die
📜 Taking care of the wounded
📜 Possible love triangle

Worldbuilding and magic system

The world of Kair Toren was so fascinating to read about. It glowed so brightly and pulled me in with its variety in architecture, food, culture, dressing styles across classes, places, and more. It genuinely felt like I had stepped into the set of a colorful historical anime. But no one should be fooled by all its grandeur because beneath this vibrant world lurks so much brutality and darkness.

The rich and the poor live completely different lives, especially the Eight Great Families versus the common people. Everything and everyone bends to the will of these families because not only are they powerful in terms of wealth and influence, they also possess unique magic passed down through their bloodlines. And most of these families have long since become victims of their own greed. Slavery, human trafficking, and countless other crimes continue unchecked because no one dares to stand against them, and it was genuinely infuriating to witness.

The magic in this world manifests in two ways - some people naturally possess powers that can be strengthened through practice, while the second kind is inherited through the Eight Great Families. It was fascinating to see the different abilities and those who wielded them. Plus, there are so many adorable and majestic magical creatures that were a joy to read about.

Characters

Maggie is one of the most endearing characters I've met in a long time. She's clever, optimistic, and no matter what the world throws at her, she stands right back up and faces it head-on. Instead of spending all her time lamenting the fact that she has been transported into her favorite book series, which also happens to be an incredibly brutal world, she immediately starts strategizing to survive using everything she knows from the books. And I loved that about her!!

“The first day I was in denial and expecting the nightmare to end, the second, I was desperate and scared, and now only a grim determination remained. I’d invested weeks of my life into those cursed books. I knew them cover to cover. I would survive. Kair Toren wouldn’t kill me. I wouldn’t give it the satisfaction.”

And Kair Toren truly tried to break her at every turn, but she kept moving forward with one goal, to save people from their doomed future. She's also ridiculously relatable because she's a fantasy fangirl trapped inside the world she adores, so watching her lose it over her favorite knights and female warriors felt exactly like how we'd all act😍

“Put a hot dude in armor with a sword on the cover, and my eyes glazed over while my hand crept to the buy button, budget be damned.”

And despite everything Kair Toren throws at her, she never loses her humor. The girl could be inches away from death and still crack a joke🤭

She's also deeply selfless and genuinely wants good people to survive while making sure the bad ones receive their due justice. You can absolutely say I'm smitten with her and rooting for her with my whole heart.

Our love interest, the skilled bladesmaster, is equally complex. He's feared and hated by many, but those closest to him know the softer side he hides. It takes him time to trust Maggie, but once he does, he commits fully. He supports her, understands her, and once he gives his word, he never breaks it. And I am absolutely weak for loyal knights😍🤌🏻✨

“You have me, Maggie,” he said. “I don’t know the future, but I know the present, and I’ve decided to walk this path with you. As long as you will have me by your side, I won’t allow anyone to harm you.”

I pledged my loyalty to this man the moment he said that😭 Though I am side-eyeing some of his choices in this book. He can be a tiny bit possessive, but I'm overlooking it because the way he looks after Maggie outweighs everything🙈 He might be the most feared warrior, but around her he's gentle, patient, and so attentive. He sits with her when she worries, reassures her, celebrates tiny victories with her, and those acts of service absolutely destroyed me.

The female cast deserves all the praise too. Clover, Shana, Isadau, Galiene, Hade - every single one of them was strong in their own way. They refused to let their circumstances define them and fought for better futures. I already know I'll keep cheering for them throughout this series.

And then there's the best part of the book, the found family😭💞 This ragtag group means everything to me because they stand beside one another no matter the danger. Their bond grows slowly through shared struggles and sacrifices, and by the end they truly feel like family. They eat together, tease each other, plan together, and I love them all with my entire heart🥺

The antagonist truly TERRIFIES me. The world itself is already brutal enough, but this man keeps escalating things every second 😭 He's terrifying not only because he's cruel but because he's smart. He always seems ten steps ahead and constantly makes Maggie's life harder. Someone please give my girl a break😭

Romantic subplot

THIS romance was perfection for someone like me who prefers slow burn over insta-love 😭😍 The romance never overtakes the fantasy plot; instead, it grows quietly alongside it. Our MMC slowly learns to trust Maggie after witnessing her selflessness, respects her immediately, and understands her values. And Maggie? She feels completely at ease around him. She can challenge him, argue with him, and be fully herself. He may be feared by everyone else, but she's got enough fire to match him and they complement each other beautifully.

“As long as I am by your side, I will make sure you don’t die again."

Their romance reminded me of classic films and K-dramas where the tiniest gestures feel intimate. Ilona Andrews made HOLDING HANDS feel holy😭 and I was giggling and kicking my feet every single time. And he remembers everything she says and quotes it back??? One of my favorite romance tropes EVER.

You can clearly tell I love these two unconditionally and want nothing bad to happen to them😭 They've already suffered enough and I know the sequel will destroy me further but I just need them to get their happy ending.

And THAT ending??? I'm still shuddering thinking about it. I genuinely didn’t see most of the twists coming and now I don’t know how I’m supposed to sleep peacefully until the sequel arrives🥲

If it isn’t blatantly obvious already, I highly recommend this book and will continue to do so till my last breath😭🤌🏻✨ So if you're a fantasy reader who craves tension, high stakes, a fantastic cast of characters, and a strong FMC you cannot help but root for, pick this up immediately.

Other favorite quotes -

"Use me. Let me be your shield. Let me take care of you."

“I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

".....fantasy was my vice of choice. There was something about blades and magic that did it for me. Deadly sword-masters, thieves prowling through moonlit streets, dark magicians, warrior princesses, ruthless nobles, majestic dragons, hideous monsters, I loved it all."

He'd pulled me out of the sea onto his rock. All I had to do was stay on it.

"That’s one thing about you, Maggie. Being with you is never boring.”

"If I worked that hard for the sake of someone my domain needed, I wonder how far I would go for the sake of someone I truly want?"

"I want to be with you and just you.....The only person who can come between us is you. And I promise you, from this point on, I will bring the full power of everything I am to win you over. You will put your hand in mine, Maggie, and you will do it gladly."

✨Pre-read:
I've been waiting to get my hands on this for so long, and can finally dive in. Let's goooo😍

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd read [May 4, 2026]: 5⭐
I love this book so much😭 I need more Maggie and [redacted] ASAP!!!

1st read [Oct. 25, 2025]: 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!!

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5* Such a fantastic premise! A woman wakes up inside her favorite fantasy series and has to survive using her knowledge of the books. It made me want to reread all my favorite novels more carefully just in case I ever end up trapped in one!!

The pacing is very fast, but the story constantly starts and stops because Maggie (26) is essentially an encyclopedia of everyone’s backstory. Every new character or event brings paragraphs of explanations about politics, and family histories. So much info dumping. And whyyyyy did all the R and S names sound the same?

I also struggled with how emotionally detached everything felt. Maggie survives horrifying violence, including an extremely graphic torture scene, where the heck is her ptsd? I’m still thinking about that torture scene!!!

It’s annoying when a fantasy has modern slang. There is some excuse here because the fmc is from current times but the “looking for a man in armor, 6’5”, blue eyes…” using words like “unalived,” and some modern discussions around pronouns felt jarringly out of place in this world. Especially when the next paragraph is about how single women are not allowed to be out without a chaperone. So we are modern, but also archaic and sexist?

Despite all my complaints, the atmosphere is very immersive, the stakes stay high, and the writing is beautiful.

Tropes/themes:
Portal fantasy
Reader trapped in a book
Political intrigue
Lore-heavy worldbuilding
Slooooow-burn romance (one kiss)
Graphic violence
Court politics
Cliffhanger ending

I liked but didn’t love this one. The emotional connection was buried under endless descriptions, lore recaps, and characters who never fully developed. Perhaps that will come in the next book.

There is some gorgeous art on the author’s webpage. Some of the art has slight spoilers, so be aware of that before clicking! Not like you don't guess who the hero of the story already is...

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this isekai/portal fantasy, Maggie wakes up cold and naked in Kair Toren, a city in one of her favorite fantasy books, a brutal, dark and unfinished series. She soon learns she cannot be killed (by being killed after stealing money she needs to survive), but doesn’t know how many lives she has to give. She also realizes she doesn’t have any valuable skills that might help her survive. However, she has one advantage: Her knowledge of the books, which she has read many times, helps her navigate this dangerous world, but we soon learn not everything is as described in the books.

You would think her first objective, right after finding clothes and a place to stay for the night, would be to find a way back home, but she decides right away to use her knowledge of the story to alter or prevent events and puts going home on the back burner. She is aware of the fact that any changes she instigates will result in further changes of the story, changes she will then not be cognizant of, changes that might endanger her. Helping people leads her to making friends, almost like a found family: Clover, a young woman; Kaiden, a 12-year-old boy; Gort, his wife Shana and their two adult sons Will and Lute, all of them mercenaries; and Reynald, a great fighter. And there are others she helps along the way, who are instrumental to Maggie’s plans.

Watching Maggie work was a joy; her competence didn’t only come from her in-depth knowledge of Kair Toren, but because she is a confident, brave, capable woman. She also proves she does not need help from the men in her life. She is badass. Every time she acted she gave me this quiet satisfaction, which made this an incredibly fun read. But it doesn’t get boring; she is not infallible and events change.

As for world building, there are the Eight Great Families who constantly manipulate each other, vying for the throne. What else makes these Families great? Their inherent hereditary magic ability is one thing. One of those brands of magic is called Mirror Heart, for example, which means they can tell what someone is feeling and when they’re lying. Another is Fatefire: It coats the person’s sword and when it strikes, the Fatefire flies off the blade and burns everything in its path. It can cut through a man in armor and the horse he’s on from a hundred paces away. There are also Enduring Flame, Rageglow, and Exultant Call which are too complex to summarize briefly. Know that they are very cool and creative. There is also another magic system which crops up randomly; anybody could have the ability and be a cleric or a mage.

Speaking of magic, this book has put its spell on me. It delivers on everything the Andrews are known for: a strong female lead, fascinating and alluring love interests, characters with emotional depth in general, amazing world building, nerve-wrecking action, and occasional humor. I was hooked right from the beginning.

Just to be clear, when I say there are love interests, it doesn’t mean this is a romantasy. There is romantic tension and some kissing but other than that we’ll have to wait for the series to continue. I have already picked my favorite.

Now that I’ve said all this, please give me a moment to let me scream. That ending? What the actual fuck? Seriously, how mean are you, Andrews?! I shouldn’t have read the epilogue. Here I was, all kinds of happy and complacent after the final chapter and then this. How long till book 2 comes out? Too long, that’s how long it is. I think I’ll check out the audiobook in the meantime.

[amandathebookworm &#x1f4da;&#x1fab1; · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all I fucking LOVED THIS. 6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for meeeeeee. Loved every second, absolutely ate it up, what a blasty blast.


PLOT
Maggie falls into the world of her favorite fantasy series but there are a few problems. 1. The series is incomplete, so she doesn’t know the full outcome of stories, 2. She doesn’t exist in this world, & 3. She keeps dying. But her knowledge is a blessing & a curse because she can trade secrets & her series knowledge for information & favors. Which she does in order to hopefully prevent catastrophic events from happening. This bin has
- portal epic fantasy
- a very funny FMC
- top notch found family & generally just very likable characters overall
- really engaging & interesting politics & lore
- swooooony slow burn romance (she’s mine)
- no spice yet (but presuming some to come later)
- 1st person POV
- solo narrated audiobook


PROS
- I like literally every single character. Every goddamn one all for different reasons. They’re all different & unique & charming for different reasons & I love them.
- But leading the charge is Maggie. I love her; she’s clever & fun. She’s knowledgeable but also really fucking wingin’ it. She’s an absolute delight & a half & has a heart of ABSOLUTE GOLD.
- The romance has me AAAAAABSOLUTELY giddy. Hnnnng! My toes?! Wigglin’. My smile?! Giddy. My feet?! Kickin’! I am just so hype for this omg.
- This world is BIG. The politics are INTERESTING. The reveals are FUNSIES. The magic is COOL. I just loved it.
- This felt like a series of Trolley Problems in the best way. I loved the constant of being on edge around “will these plans work out? Okay maybe this one did but did it Domino good or bad?”
- Trauma was treated so carefully here. Something big happens & the character doesn’t just forget it overnight. It lingers physically & emotionally in ways that made sense & were refreshing.
- The ending has me absolutely geekin’ for the next book omg I need it now.


CONS
- This was not a con for me personally but it could be for others so I’ll share. Because of the premise of this book, there is a lot of tell vs. show. Because Maggie knows the things & is trying to plan ahead, she shares her knowledge in conversation a lot. I think it made perfect sense given how the story is laid out, but if you don’t like that it would be a con for you.


Need the next one like I need sustenance. Someone halp.

[chan ☆]

dnf for now

[Eloise Blaise | Bibliophel · Rating 5 out of 5]

[4.5] RTC!!

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read my favorite read of 2026.

The future can resist all it wants. In the end, it will surrender.

I found my new favorite type of books:
Isekai aka fell-into-a-book stories.
They are my favorite when I read Manhwas/Webcomics/Mangas and as a book they are even better.

This was the point where the isekai heroines usually got struck by a brilliant idea in a flash of intellectual lightning.
My mental skies were blue and clear.
Not a thundercloud in sight.

Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Maggie wakes up in a strange world, naked and nearly drowning. She quickly realizes she fell into her favorite fantasy series - a series she read so often, she can recite whole passages.
The multiple rereads save her life.
Slowly she finds people that can help her with her goal - save Kair Toren and all the characters from the book.

Characters 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Would I be as badass, smart and funny, when someone drops me into my favorite series? Probably not.
But Maggie is all that and more.
She has a mind for strategies while maintaining kindness around her.
She’s caring, friendly, but knows when she needs to fight.
All of the characters were fantastically written with background information and characters development.
In the end I cared for all of them.

Relationships 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Fuck the future. If I come back here and find you gone, I will level this damn city. If you care for Kair Toren, come with me."

What I loved most about the book was the way Maggie found herself a family of people she trusts.
Among them is Reynald - a former knight and now Maggie’s protector.
He’s funny, protective and flirty.
It was so much fun watching them interact.
The banter! Oh my god…

Writing 🌟🌟🌟🌟
While I loved the story, the characters and the relationships the writing itself seemed a bit slow. We get a lot of infodumping, and while that stopped the flow, it gave me a lot of information to understand everything better.
Even if you don’t love books that infodump just go through it because the story is worth it!
Also: Sometimes the book was so funny.
I enjoyed it immensely.

I'm looking for a man in armor. Six five, blue eyes. I almost laughed.
After everything that happened, I must've finally lost it.

All in all: I had so much fun reading this book and I can’t wait to read book two.
(Please write faster, I want to know what happens next)
Will probably reread in the near future…

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

When is book 2 coming out? Not fast enough, that's when. This book was amazing. Detailed world with an excellent map to follow the action. The battle at the end was exciting and I was holding my breath. There are so many main characters, but they are all handled so well. Even a little vermin guard stelka, Sushi. I wish he was more prominent in the story, but he gave some comic relief.

The cliffhanger? Can't Maggie have just a few minutes of peace?

[Maeghan &#x1f98b; · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️✨
« That’s how he handled his siblings messes. He’d explained it in the books once. He saw no point in berating his brother and sister for their mistakes. He trusted that they were smart enough to realize they blundered. Only fixing it mattered. »

Favourite book of 2026. I know it’s still early but I’m calling it. I knew it by chapter 2.
So when I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought : hmm… another portal fantasy… I’m not sure I really like those.
So I was going to skip my Owlcrate monthly box because I’ve been trying to be smarter with the books I buy.
Then I kind of second guessed myself and asked my bf : hey, do you think I’d like this? While showing him the synopsis.
Now the thing to know about my bf is that he’s very financially responsible so he’s not one to send you spending lol. So when he said : yeah you should get it… well I got it.

And I am beyond happy with that decision because what do you mean that this book was SO PERFECT!?

The found family was the best I’ve read in a LONG time, the FMC was the best I’ve read in a long time, the MMC???? The best I’ve read in a long time, the slow burn romance was TO DIE FOR, the side characters were the most lovable I’ve ever read, the PET COMPANION???? omg sushiiiiiiiii
The plot was insane, this world was dark & rough & nothing was convenient!!!
And the bonus chapter for the Owlcrate edition?? my jaw was on the floor.

I don’t even know how many times I hugged this book. It just reminded me why I love reading so much.
I will reread this time & time again. I need book 2 immediately, thank you very much.