Review of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews

At once a book within a book and a real-life dive into a fantasy story, the novel offers adventure and a quest; an everyday person in an extraordinary situation; secret identities; a ragtag, loyal group of friends; twists; and a forbidden romance with No Swooning.

Maggie has long leaned on rereading her favorite fantasy series for comfort and security. She eagerly awaits the final book in the series, and by now she feels like she personally knows the characters and world of Kair Toren.

So when she wakes up naked and cold in a filthy gutter, with events unfolding around her as they do in the first book of the series, Maggie doesn't know how or why she's there, but she's certain that she's living within her beloved story world.

Danger surrounds her, and Maggie must survive long enough to figure out what's going on. She can lean on her knowledge of the behind-the-scenes forces at play in the kingdom, of figures' secrets and motivations, and of what is to come--as long as she doesn't make herself a target in the meantime and, she assumes, as long as she doesn't change significant events by interfering. But Maggie soon realizes that if she dies, she will quickly come back to life. And she doesn't seem to be very good at staying out of trouble, so her undying status might prove to be pretttty important.

This story started off strong: fascinating, fun, elaborately plotted, and irresistible. Falling into the world of a book? Figuring out how to head off immediate, deadly issues and preserve key characters that you've read about for years? Magically being able to remember in vivid detail the machinations, motivations, and details needed to guide you and your newfound friends to safety? Check, check, and check.

Andrews does a skillful job of relating key information from Maggie's vast knowledge of Kair Toren as we go; we don't repetitively get the lowdown from Maggie and then again when these crucial aspects of the plot affect her existence and actions within the book's world.

But as the novel progressed I felt as though the story relied very heavily upon this structure of Maggie's essential reveals in critical moments. I was left feeling unmoored and repeatedly wondering what the heck was going on as I tried to take in the many suddenly revealed details of treachery, politics, relationships, and past and present elements, none of which I was familiar with until their importance was thrust upon me and professed by Maggie on the spot. I'm not sure what the answer is, but this started to feel tedious and tough to follow for me.

The book offers romance and what develops into a forbidden love interest, but thankfully, Andrews builds the characters first, the situation involves a twist--and there is No Swooning.

We don't find out why Maggie has appeared within the world of Kair Toren by the end of book one; I'm eager to read book two in Andrews's series to figure out if Maggie has a purpose and what it may be.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me shines in so many ways: Maggie's love of books, Maggie's entering into the fictional world she is obsessed with, the ragtag pack of friends-like-family that forms around her, the group's greater quest, and the star-crossed lovers at its heart.

I listened to This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me as an audiobook.

About the Authors

“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team, Gordon and Ilona. They have also co-authored the Kate Daniels, Edge, and Hidden Legacy series, as well as the Innkeeper Chronicles.