Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Series: Maggie the Undying #1
Author: Ilona Andrews (Ilona and Andrew Gordon)
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: March 31, 2026
Received: Own
Find it on Storygraph | More Fantasy | Ilona Andrews

Book Summary:

Like any good bookworm, Maggie has one book series that she loves above all the rest. She read it so many times that she could recite much of it by heart. Little did she know that this memorization would come to be vitally important to her.

One day, Maggie woke up in a world that was both familiar and strange. It wasn’t her world, but rather Kair Toren, a dangerous city right out of her favorite series. There’s one major problem: there’s a cataclysmic war on the horizon, and only Maggie knows how bad it’s going to get.

My Review:

Pardon me, I need to run around and scream a bit. Seriously, a portal fantasy series from Ilona Andrews is something I never knew I needed, but now I could never live without it. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is everything I hoped it would be, and then some. I’ve already read it once, plus all the shorts I could find (check out Ilona Andrews’ blog for more!), and I think I might have to cave and do another read-through imminently.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is a heavy-hitting novel, so don’t dive into this expecting a light and fluffy read. The world is dark and compelling, the characters are complex (and more than a little morally grey), and the stakes are high. It’s enough to get any reader thoroughly invested in the world. House Andrews has a way of building new worlds, and this world is no exception. I’m going to have to give bonus points for finding ways to make me smile and laugh (such as the Truck-kun joke, if you know, you know).

I know I’m biased here, as I have openly expressed how this writing duo is possibly my favorite of all time (which is saying something, because I have a lot of favorites), but I am once again blown away by their creativity. This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is unedliably dark, but it’s also full of hope and bright moments. It makes the world feel vibrant and alive – the good and the bad. I legitimately cannot wait for more. (Maybe I should try listening to the audiobook next?)

Highlights:

• Portal Fantasy
• Compelling Characters
• Save the world or die trying
• Brilliant Worldbuilding
• Found Family

Trigger Warnings:

• Violence (death, murder, torture, gore, etc)
• Sexual Assault (mentioned)
• Human Trafficking/Kidnapping
• Animal Death (mentioned: horse, dogs)

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