This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews – That’s What I’m Talking About…

Audiobook review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

One night, Maggie fell asleep in her apartment in Boston and woke up the next morning naked and covered in mud in Kair Toren, a city from her favorite fantasy book series. Unsure how or why she’s sent there, she quickly realizes that 1) she understands the local languages, 2) chronologically, she’s in the start of the series, and 3) it appears that she cannot die. Or rather that she can die but comes back to life. At first, she doesn’t want to alter the course of the story’s future so she limits sharing her knowledge with others, but soon, Maggie realizes she wants to save the kingdom from its horrific future.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is a massive, complex story, complete will multiple layers, a couple dozen characters, and numerous side stories. The authors have developed a fascinating world filled with awe and wonder. The characters are rich in backstory, and brought to life through action and emotion. The plot is complex, but the storytelling is seamless. Each intricate detail is created with purpose and shared with intent. I felt like I was transported into Kair Toren along side Maggie. 

While I have enjoyed portal fantasies (it is probably my favorite fantasy trope), I don’t know that I’ve come across one where the main character is already aware of and familiar with the world. I love that Maggie has a base knowledge of the characters and events, and she uses it to her advantage. We don’t know how she got there or why she has the magic of “undying” (not to mention being able to speak, read, and write all of the languages found within the books), but that is part of the fun. While Maggie is on her mission to save the kingdom, the reader is always aware that there is something more, which added a bit of suspense for me: never knowing if she’d be called back to her home before she can complete her tasks. It’s fascinating because she’s so familiar with the world after reading and re-reading two books, but it’s all a world of discovery for her.  It’s all very meta.

But along the way, Maggie becomes a central part of this world. She cannot hold herself apart because she is a kind, morally upstanding person. She has empathy for the citizens and certain people because she’s lived in their heads or read their fates. And she’s also come to care for these very real people. I like how Maggie realizes that there’s no way that this could be all from the author’s imagination, and that this world exists independent of what the author wrote. She struggles because she knows the horrible future that’s coming. Her knowledge can also hinder her at times because she believes the people are the characters as written in the books, but her being there changes the nature of who these people are.

There is joy and laughter, there is pain and sorrow. I was on the edge of my seat at times, while others I was able to slow down and enjoy the world. There are sparks of romance, but it’s not the focus of the tale. There is an intense torture scene that left me a bit uneasy, but it is also deeply emotional.

Narration: the story is shared via the first person POV of Maggie. Sieh uses a strong, confident feminine voice. Sieh doesn’t make huge changes in her pitch and tone, yet each character is different. She adjusts for gender, age, and ethnicity. Sieh does a great job projecting emotions such as fear and frustration. The narrator’s performance is excellent.

I loved being lost in the story for days – it’s a big book and a story that requires attention. I found myself re-reading passages, looking up characters, and taking copious notes. I didn’t want it to end and now I’ll wait patently for the next book. I am certain there will be a re-read before that book is released. 

My Ratings
Story: A
Narration: A

Jen

About the Book:

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn’t take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series 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 encyclopedic 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 get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will in a cataclysmic war.

Author: Ilona Andrews
Narrator: Kristen Sieh
Series: Maggie the Undying #1
Genre: Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: March 31, 2026
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Length: 21 hrs and 34 mins
Source: purchased
Audio Speed: 1.15x