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

Synopsis (via Goodreads): A page-turning, unforgettable fantasy set in a city peopled with ruffians, spies, malcontents and murderers. Experience out-of-this world adventure and dangerous politics as Maggie tries to survive waking up in her favourite fictional world.

A heart-pounding epic from No. 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. It’s a city she knows intimately from the pages of a famously unfinished dark fantasy series – one 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 encyclopaedic 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 return home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes – and attentions – of duelling princes, dukes and villains. This all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the ending she’s seen on the a cataclysmic war.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse writing duo Ilona Andrews. For fans of Samantha Shannon, Sarah J. Maas, Danielle L. Jensen and isekai portal fantasy.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me showing up unexpectedly on my doorstep was easily one of the best things to happen to me this year. I absolutely love the Ilona Andrews author duo and couldn't wait to dive into a new story written by them. I'm happy to report that they're still amazing, and Maggie is another phenomenal character like Kate, Nevada, and Catalina. (I plan on reading the Innkeeper Chronicles next!)

Maggie wakes up in a fictional world she's read about dozens of times. Her comfort series from her childhood has had a huge influence on her life, and now her intimate knowledge of that world might be the only thing keeping her alive. Maggie uses what she knows to find refuge and then barters information to buy herself a modicum of safety. Unfortunately, her actions have direct consequences on the storyline and the characters she loves so much. Every small change she makes has a ripple effect in the overall story, so she tries to be cautious with what she shares and when. 

As the story progresses, the people around her feel less like characters and more like living, breathing human beings that she starts to form relationships with. They have histories that happened to them off the pages of her books, so she's sometimes caught off guard when things happen that she hasn't read about. It was nice to see her surprised by revelations and getting a deeper glimpse of who some of these characters were. 

Maggie is a creative, likeable and loyal main character. She cares about people she's never met, and she has a very strong sense of justice. Her desire to do the right thing lands her in plenty of trouble, but her new friends and found family always have her back. There are a few touch her and die male characters, but only two have the potential to be love interests. However, Maggie doesn't let them push her around and is very capable of telling them where they can shove it (politely, of course). She doesn't want to anger the powerful players in this story, but she seems to have a knack for getting their attention and becoming involved in the machinations of Kair Toren. 

I'm already in love with all of the characters. Maggie's fierce determination to stay alive and save a world that's starting to feel like home, Everard's whole personality and never knowing what his true intentions are, Solentine's scary vibes and unwavering loyalty (so happy with how their relationship progressed!), Clover's friendship and Girl Boss energy, Kaiden's desire to be involved and help even though he's just a child, and the entire Magnar family. Even Arvel started to grow on me towards the end.

The only negative is having to wait an eternity for the next book to come out. I need to be back in this world with these characters to see what happens next. The authors wrapped up this book's main conflict, but there's still more on the horizon. We're left with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I know with absolute certainty that the menfolk in her life are about to burn down the world she just worked so hard to save. Definitely keep this one on you radar! (★★★★★)

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1) by Keri Lake🎧 Narrated by James Cassidy & Melissa Barr

Synopsis (via Goodreads): From the author of Nocticadia comes a spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.
Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.

I really wanted to like Anathema, but I struggled to finish it. The story went on and on with very little plot progression. We spend a lot of time in Maevyth's world (no magic), then she finds herself at Eidolon for a while (a place with magic), then there's a ceremony followed by a small conflict, and then it ends on a cliffhanger. Even the majority of the spicy stuff happens in the last ten minutes of the book (and by then I no longer cared). 

We were introduced to so many different characters - characters that had the potential to be really interesting - but none of them were fleshed out very well. I barely remember their names, and they pop up here and there throughout the book to add a few snippets of dialogue before disappearing again. I still don't know much about any of them, and that includes the two main characters. We get a few details, but for how long this book drug on, I would have expected more development for them and for the story. Unfortunately, there isn't much telling or showing. We basically go through boring and uneventful days alongside the main characters while they worry about this or that problem.

I also didn't like how quickly Maevyth was able to learn magic. She was told it took people years to master the glyphs, but she was able to look at one on a tree and suddenly knew exactly how to use it? I know there were other things going on and she's "special," but it wasn't very believable. She didn't really have to work for anything, and she was always being saved by someone or something else. She didn't earn any of it, and she just whined about her predicament. 

If you're going to create a rich fantasy world with cool concepts, flesh them out. Tell me about the characters and make me care about whether or not they live or die. Brand their names and their stories on my heart so that I'm thinking about them even when I'm not reading the book. Describe the world so it's a vivid image in my mind, and a place I can picture myself in without trying. I think the author had a good idea that was just really poorly executed. (★★★☆☆)