Believe it or not, there was a time before romantasy—there was paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and everything that lay between. Writers like Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, and many others were already writing about werewolves, vampires, fae, and the like, with heart-pounding action and swoon-worthy romance. They walked so the romantasy boom we’re experiencing could run.
In my undergraduate years (2008-2012), I discovered two authors that became foundational in my love for paranormal romance: Jeanine Frost and the husband-wife writing duo using pseudonym, Ilona Andrews. Frost and Andrews became authors who I returned to for entertainment and escape, especially while fretting about finals, working at the student newspaper until 4 a.m., and reading 18th century British literature.
Reading Ilona Andrews continues to be great fun, particularly in regard to their witty dialogue and fast-paced action. My first foray into Andrews’s work was the Kate Daniels series. Soon I was reading everything by the duo. Ilona Andrews helped scratch the itch I had—and still have—for fantastic ensemble casts. It’s incredibly hard to write large groups, gatherings, and battles with ease, and especially difficult to make sure such a large cast of characters are singular in their traits and voices. Andrews accomplishes all this, creating strong family and found family bonds.
With Andrews’s recent epic fantasy release This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, which feels both an homage to their previous work and a level up in many ways, let’s take a look at where to dive in reading this author’s expansive work. Fun fact: there’s no wrong place to start. All of Andrews’s work is a hell of a great time, and there are multiple series to sample. It will, however, be important to consider how long of a series you want to wade into.
Kate Daniels series
Let’s start with Andrews’ longest-running series and, arguably, the most popular. I was blooded by (meaning my joyful love of urban fantasy and urban fantasy romance began with) the Kate Daniels series. If my counting is correct, this series contains about 15 novels set in the world. Some novels are offshoots, focusing on a secondary character’s adventure, but the majority revolve around Kate Daniels. The series begins with Magic Bites.
Kate Daniel is a witty, badass, down-on-her-luck mercenary/investigator for hire. In this alternate present day Atlanta, magic and technology come and go in waves. When the magic is up, cars won’t start, guns won’t fire, and magical beings like necromancers and mages are at their most powerful. When the magic is down, technology works similar to how we expect.
Atlanta is a hotbed for many factions, from necromancers, vampires, a paramilitary group of shapeshifters called the Pack, and Kate Daniels is often thrust into the middle of cross-faction tensions in order to get to the bottom of a mystery or murder.
Additionally, Kate Daniels is much more than she seems. Raised by a strict mentor, Kate has abilities that, at first, are kept secret, for fear of catastrophic consequences. As the series progresses, her powers become the main focus of the books.
My favorite books in the series are books 3 and 4, Magic Strikes and Magic Bleeds, in which we see Kate’s relationship to the Pack’s Beast Lord, Curren Lennart, spark and bloom. Honestly, I think I’ve reread Magic Strikes half a dozen times. Other favorites are books 6 and 7, Magic Rises and Magic Breaks, where we see the characters travel far outside of Atlanta (Magic Rises) and take part in an epic rescue adventure (Magic Breaks). As I said, Ilona Andrews is a master of the ensemble cast, and to see this series evolve, collecting secondary characters that quickly become fan favorites, is such a pleasure to read.
Hidden Legacy series
Hidden Legacy is Andrews’ most recent, semi-finished series, and has an aristocratic-like system of magically powerful Houses. Imagine a hundred years ago, several countries developed a serum, the Osiris Serum, that awakens magical abilities in individuals (if they don’t die from the serum first). Once those in power realized the serum was too dangerous, it was too late. Those who survived the process took on magical abilities that became hereditary. The highest-ranking magical individuals are called Primes.
The Hidden Legacy series focuses on one family—the Baylor Family—but they are not deemed powerful, or even a full House, at first. The first trilogy starts with Burn For Me, which follows the eldest sister, Nevada Baylor. Nevada heads up the Baylor Investigative Agency, and she has a unique magical talent: She is a truthseeker who can tell truth from lies. Her trilogy pairs her with Conor “Mad” Rogan, a Prime and the most powerful Telekinetic. The US Army used Rogan’s powers to devastating effect, and now he heads his own house with enormous wealth. Conor kidnaps Nevada at first, but after they realize their investigations co-align, they team up. Their growing attraction mixed with the danger of their missions, makes for a compelling trilogy.
Catalina Baylor heads up the second trilogy, which begins with Sapphire Flames. After Nevada retires from the family business, Catalina takes over as the Head of Baylor House. Catalina is a Prime, with a unique siren-like power. She can persuade people to do anything, but at a dangerous cost. When her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, she teams up with the Prime Alessandro Sagredo to uncover the murderer.
So far, there are no plans for a separate trilogy following the youngest Baylor sister, Arabella. Correct me if I’m wrong, Ilona Andrews! I hope I am! Arabella is my monster queen, and I will keep my fingers crossed we see get her very own epic adventure and romance someday.
Hidden Legacy is a great series for those who don’t want to wade into the lengthiness of the Kate Daniels series, and/or want more magically focused plots set in our modern world. The banter between family members is spot-on, and again, we have a large ensemble cast of found family readers can connect with.
Innkeeper Chronicles
I have a particular love for this series because it is so beloved by the Ilona Andrews fan base. What began as a weekly serial for their blog readers soon became a popular series that can now be purchased. The Innkeeper Chronicles has just about everything—fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, and perfect doses of romance. There are five books in the series—starting with Clean Sweep—and includes one novella and one spinoff novel.
The series follows Dina Demille, who runs a Bed & Breakfast. But this isn’t your usual Bed & Breakfast; Dina’s broom is a powerful weapon, her Inn is a living, sentient entity, and Dina’s guests are more than what they seem. At first, Dina tries to keep to herself to focus on running the Inn, but as is usual with Andrews’s work, Dina begins to collect friends, love interests, and enemies.
Sean Evans, a werewolf-strain super soldier becomes embroiled in Dina’s adventures, and their growing attraction is a lovely romance plot for this brief but fun series. From intergalactic peace summits to murder investigations, this series is a great choice if you want shorter novels/novellas and a relatively brief, completed series.
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
Finally, we come to Andrews’s latest release. This book takes everything I love about Andrews’s strengths—a robust, diverse ensemble cast, scheming and heist-like machinations, and a slow-burning romance–and takes it to the next level. Everything about This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is epic in scope and execution, and I am chomping at the bit for the next installment.
The story follows Maggie, who wakes up in the world of her favorite novels, in which the mysterious author never published the final book. This isn’t your ideal, whimsical character entrance either: Maggie wakes up naked and cold in a muddy ditch. Maggie recognizes the city she’s in, Kair Toren, and can even pinpoint exactly where she’s at in the overarching story, and she knows she’s in a very dangerous place. Even more alarming is that Maggie realizes she cannot die. Or rather, she can, but she comes back. But how long will that undying gift last?
Maggie knows from her own expertise on reading the books that this world ends in bloodshed and catastrophic war. Her favorite characters die. Innocent people experience horrific violence and loss. The kingdom of Rellas falls to ruin. If Maggie knows what’s coming, can she stop it?
Maggie is a main character that would make Kate Daniels, Nevada Baylor, and Dina Demille proud. As is quintessential Andrews, Maggie soon forms a group of retired mercenaries, survivors, and a mysterious soldier, to aid her in trying to change the course of the future. This is political machinations and detailed heists like no other. It still blows my mind the depth and detail of this plot. If you’re looking for a true epic fantasy series to start you off right, this is the book for you. (And you can read the first ten chapters from the novel here.)
Buy the Book
This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
Even now, years after wading into Kate Daniels, Hidden Legacy, and the Innkeeper Chronicles, I return to these worlds for humor and comfort. Ilona Andrews knows how to create a found family that you want to root and fight for, and as such, creates complete solace for me on rereads. Few authors do that for me. I hope that this initial overview might create that possibility for you, dear reader.
Not content to rest on their (deserved) laurels, Ilona Andrews also (semi-accidentally) started another world last year–The Inheritance, also first published on their website and available for purchase in e and print formats. I admit that I want the sequel(s) to This Kingdom first, but many in the authors’ fervently devoted Book Devouring Horde are eagerly awaiting future installments in the Inheritance world as well (plus all the other stories we know they can write if we just give them the time and support they need …)
They are so, SOOOO good! I cannot recommend Ilona Andrews enough, and I am eternally grateful to my best friend for giving me “Magic Bites” one year for my birthday. Life happens and my new job has all but eradicated all my reading time, but I am keeping my fingers crossed I will manage to catch up with Kate, Curran, Dina and all the others soon again.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything said in the article – Andrews’s books have all the wittiness, fun, adventure, romance, action, magic and everything else one could possibly hope for, and then some.
Also, not featured in the article, but the “Edge” series is also definitely worth checking out. It consists of (by my knowledge) four books and while the main characters are related to each other (friends/family), the main pair in each is a different one. It also has a couple of recurring family members who later also appear in Dina and Sean’s story in “Sweep in Peace”.
I have a soft spot for their shortest series, The Edge, which has a few (very) short stories on top of the four novels and Inkeeper cameos. I also really enjoyed The Inheritance & am looking forward to that eventual sequel. It’s also in the Inkeeper EU although more in an Easter egg capacity. That said, Kingdom completely rocked my world. It’s darker than the rest of their output (being transported into a GoT-type world was never going to be cozy) but SO good. I read it in two days because of that stupid need to sleep humans are cursed with.
I love the Innkeeper books, which were my first introduction to Ilona Andrews. They give romantasy humor and snark, which is what draws me to them. I’ve started a couple of her other books but none of them had that magic mix. Can anyone recommend which book to try if I need something more Innkeeper-like?
Everything they write is fantastic, and all of their series are different. I love it all.
Ilona Andrews rules. The Edge series, not mentioned here, is one of my faves for taking the urban fantasy idea and planting it in the countryside.
Is there any word on whether they plan to have more Innkeeper books? The Maud book ended on a cliffhanger, and I want to know what happens next!
They hinted on their blog in December that the next book would be this year. Nothing official yet though.
Exact quote: “Without promising anything, we are hoping to invite you to a wedding next year. It will have fangs, weapons, and former mothers-in-law who are in serious need of comeuppance.”
Maud’s book is book 4 in the Innkeeper Chronicles of which there are five in total. I didn’t think it was a cliffie myself, but there is an unresolved arc dealing with the missing parents, and I suspect that they will return to that one day.
Also, not mentioned in the article are the Kinsman books. I personally consider the Innkeeper books my primary comfort read, but when I need a short shot of comfort, the kinsman stories really hit the spot. It’s another sff series with powerful families within a culture. and the world building is lush.
Also a quick shout out to my fave book whose sequel I’m pining for: Iron and Magic, aka Hugh’s book in the Kate Daniels world.
I strongly recommend checking out the Ilona Andrews blog or subscribing to their newsletter. Very informative & entertaining.
The Edge series should have been mentioned because it’s probably the one that would most appeal to general fantasy readers, since it has the least romance. It’s a hard edged and at times quite dark series set in Southern swamps where they bleed over into a land that’s half between and fantasy land and ours, i.e. The Edge.
The Inheritance is most like Maggies story in terms a progression fantasy. It clearly takes its cue from Solo Leveling and is just as fun, with a bit more characterization.
You are going to end up costing me a lot of money. I actually started with Iron & Magic because Amazon said it was a one-off. It was only after I did a little digging did I learn that it was the beginning of a series which may have died on the vine but there was a reason that Hugh kept going on about someone named Daniels. I’m hooked like a big fish on Ilona Andrews, an author I’d never heard of. And now I’m apparently going to have to hate a character I really liked. Just great.