We never learn how Maggie ended up inside the world of her favorite fantasy series, but I like that about Ilona Andrews’s new isekai novel, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me. Instead of having to wonder about the plausibility of Maggie’s transportation, we’re able to get straight into the action. Using her almost photographic memory of the series’ twist and turns and characters, Maggie places herself to try and stop a villain so monstrous just reading about his atrocities gave our protagonist nightmares. The problem is that, the more Maggie meddles, the more events drift from what she remembers.
I was immediately hooked by This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me because Maggie is the kind of protagonist I adore. She wastes little time wondering how she ended up, naked, on the streets of Kair Toren. Instead, she waits until she knows a particularly loathsome but minor character will be vulnerable to a desperate woman armed only with a rock. Unfortunately for Maggie, this villain is quick with a knife. Even though she gets his coin, Maggie ends up in the river with a fatal stab wound—only to wake up sometime later with another mystery that she can also use to her advantage. I love a pragmatic character.
I also love a character who can’t help but right wrongs as she finds them. At first, Maggie is wary of disturbing the plot. She plans to stay as far away from the main action as she can, but mostly because it seems like the author of this fantasy series is as fond of killing characters off as George R.R. Martin. It’s safer to lay low in this book. When she manages to get a room at the one inn that will give her a nice room without asking for her nonexistent papers, Maggie can’t stop herself from warning the proprietress, one of her favorite characters, about what’s coming for herself and her child. Next, we see Maggie making contact with a semi-rebellious intelligence network and then a warrior who is searching for his son. Maggie trades on her knowledge to gain the trust of others, little realizing that her determination to effect impossible rescues for little rewards is what’s really earning people’s loyalty.
This is a dangerous book to read during the week. I had to deliberately stop myself from reading so that I could get enough sleep to be functional at work the next day. I was so wrapped up the characters and the world Andrews created that I needed to know what happened next. I had to know if Maggie’s meddling against the major villains would work—and if that meddling might lead to something worse that what was in the orignal pages. There’s also the delightful budding romance between Maggie and a major character from the series that was a joy to watch develop. I loved every page of this book. Readers, if you are intrigued, maybe read this one on a weekend so that lack of sleep won’t get you in trouble later on.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.