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.