But while tryin to find the Wilmington Years books – because those are self-published – I realized that Small Magics and the Wilmington series are not on our store.

I do not know why.

They are uploaded now and you can grab Small Magics for free, so if it’s been missing from your collection, or if you would like to test drive Kate Daniels series, now is your chance.

If you are a new reader, Small Magics is an anthology of short stories and bonus content. The story you want is The Questionable Client. It might be best to skip the bonus content for now as a lot of it won’t make sense. Also, Kate Daniels will turn 20 years old next year. Some of the themes and wording will seem outdated by modern standards.

If this is your first time downloading from our store, you are going to buy the book as normal, and you will get two emails, one from the store and the other from Book Funnel. If you have a gmail address, the Bookfunnel email will bein your Spam folder.

For the rest of us, here is a short trip down the memory lane. Click images to enlarge

Happy reading!

PS. I know you are waiting for the count. 1,400%.

The post Throwback Thursday Freebie first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

Maggie is at number 14 on Amazon’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of 2026 So Far

And also at number 4 on Amazon’s Best Romantasies of 2026 So Far:

::throws confetti in a dignified manner::

Huge congratulations to Ilona and Gordon and thank you, as always, to the Book Devouring Horde, both new and experienced members, for doing what the Horde does best. Loving these books to Nav and back!

The post This Kingdom is Best So Far first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

::braces self:

If you missed the previous post, here are the highlights:

• This is preorder, because our printer stocks vellum specifically for us and we don’t know what the demand will be.
• The preorder will run 06/08/2026 to 07/08/2026; at which point it will start shipping.
• US only for now. Working on UK, CA, and AUS. Need a fulfillment center for each.
• We will include a map of Kair Toren by Becka Designs Cartography – the contracts has been sent, so unless something goes wrong, it will be in there.
• If you want your bookplate personalized, write it in at the time of order in order notes.
• The stickers will be random and may include other designs if we run out of what we have

You can find the link to the store in the banner above or you can click this button.

Update: as of now, the orders have exceeded the initial print run expectations by 50% 150%. We are at 500% 800% 1,200% of the original estimated print run now.

PS: For everyone in the US who ordered the UK hardcover edition of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, UK hardback-sized vellum inserts will be added to the US store later this week, for US shipment only.

We are staggering the listings to avoid the confusion of two different sizes during the initial preorder rush. For reference, the UK hardback is the 16.5 x 4.1 x 24.2 cm edition.

To celebrate, here is a small snippet from Maggie the Undying #2.

I Am Going

I shifted my shoulders, trying to adjust to the weight of the chain mail, and carefully measured clay powder with a small scoop. The chainmail was bulky, heavy, and awkward, and I hated it. Pressida packed me into it to build up my endurance and get me accustomed to wearing armor. I clinked when I walked.

“Please,” Kaiden said.

“No. Absolutely not.”

Kaiden crossed his arms on his chest. This was Gort’s I-do-not-approve pose, and he imitated it perfectly, except that it worked for Gort because he was six foot three, two-hundred and fifty pounds, and had arms like tree trunks. At twelve, Kaiden was barely five feet tall and had arms like chopsticks. Effort: 100%. Intimidation: 0%.

I poured the premeasured clay powder into the bucket.

“Kaiden, you are not going.”

“Why?”

He tried to load menace into the word. It sounded frighteningly familiar. Kaiden had chosen two primary male role models: Everard and Gort, and he was slowly turning into some sort of terrifying meld of the two. I was really failing at this guardian of a minor thing.

“Because it will be dangerous.”

“I’ve been in danger!”

“Yes, and that was due to a failure on my part.”

“There will be other boys my age there.”

“And those boys are squires training to be journeyman knights.”

“So? I can kill most of them. I’ve had proper instruction.”

I stopped weighing and looked at him. “It’s not about killing other boys. Besides, those boys will be in the rear with the supply carts.”

“I can be with the carts.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t trust you not to sneak off to the front.”

I resumed scooping clay into the bucket on the scales. I had managed to find an equivalent to kaolin clay, which improved the lathering of the soap. It tested well in our basic recipe.

“I promise to stay with the carts.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Why?”

Was that what having a little brother was like?

“Because I know you. You will not be sneaking off to the front or staying with the carts, because you’re going to stay here, with Clover, and look after the house.”

Kaiden raised his chin. “Clover is going.”

I glanced at Clover, who was moving between our workers, checking things off on a piece of paper. “No, she isn’t.”

“Yes, she is. She was packing last night.”

Fayla gave him a look. “Ratting out your siblings never works out well.”

He stood a little straighter and announced in a calm voice, “I’m not ratting her out. I’m correcting a regrettable misunderstanding.”

Everard had no idea that his tiny clone was making my life difficult.

The post The Vellum Media Preorder Is Open first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

Important merch news first: we will be opening for the vellum preorders on Monday.

Availability

Right now it is US only.

Canada: The cheapest shipping is $20, takes 4 weeks, and there is no guarantee it gets there or in what shape it will arrive. We are hoping to figure out some sort of cost effective option here because the vellum retails for $30 and you would be paying $20 on top of it. Ideally I would love to print vellum, ship it to a Canadian fulfillment center and have them distribute it.

UK/EU: We have the printer in UK, but we are having a difficulty finding the fulfillment center. Most of them want a steady flow of orders instead of a large drop. We are looking into it. Right now my plan is to check with various book box representatives to see if any one them would handle the fulfillment for a fee.

Why the preorder, cousin?

We don’t know what the demand will be. Our printer stocks vellum specifically for us and we need to tell them how much to order. We will not run out. If you want vellum, you will have the opportunity to order.

A funny aside: the preorder wasn’t activating, so I had to enable the site for one hour for the customer support to diagnose the issue. In that time, 6 BDH members managed to sneak in vellum orders. We will honor those orders, and they will go out next week. You guys are not getting the map, though, so if you want the map, email me or comment here, and I will hold your order until the map happens.

How long?

Officially, the preorder will run for 4 weeks and we will mail everything out at the end of that. Unofficially, if we get a lot of orders, we will start filling them as they come in.

What will be in the box?

Everything that was included in the previous trial run and Becka’s map. We have come to an agreement on the fee. The map will be printed on 80# cover gloss. Some of you might remember buying collector editions of computer games and getting a stiff glossy map inside. That’s exactly what we will be using. The advantage of 80# cover is its durability. It can be creased, folded, unfolded, folded again, and it will be fine.

Here is a video explaining the nature of the paper. It is basically soft cover grade.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Printedge (@printedge)

We will have a sample for you as soon as the contracts are signed and the art file is finalized.

I don’t want the whole pack. I just want one.

Whether it is 1 or 6, the shipping is still $10. You would be better off with an art print from one of the artists. But once we get through this run, we will see about individual item envelopes.

Other merch?

Coming. We are working on stickers, mugs, and placemats.

Hold My Beer Coffee

A little while ago we ran this promo on Instagram

If you give BDH a hand, they will bite your arm off at the elbow. In that fine tradition, we immediately got this response on Facebook.

Behold the ridiculous video. Sound on, please.

::clears throat:: Call me Archmage.

This mug will be available in 11oz only. That is the only size they have,

Personal Things.

Rough couple of weeks for various reasons. Getting older isn’t for the faint-hearted. And this morning, I woke up to a broken pot.

One of the resident catnip addicts must’ve really wanted the catnip growing in it. I don’t know why but that pot did me in. It was pricy. I informed the cats that they are the reason we can’t have anything nice. They are unrepentant.

You can tell the stress is getting to me, because this is my latest blanket.

Like what is even happening here. It is hella pink.

The book is at 213K.

The post Life, Merch, and Other Trauma first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

Behold, the Ilona Andrews crossword for June 5th:

Across

• 2. Border-lord title with excellent fantasy credentials.
• 3. Kinsmen whose family drama comes with built-in force blades.
• 5. Ever merciful and kind to a fault. Title.
• 7. Its prophecy speaks for all the covens; tortoise throat spit on the house.
• 9. Old dragon whose Horde fans survive on two snippets and a prayer.
• 10. The cutest argument for pressure sensors in dryer vents.

Down

• 1. Criminally fluffy galactic merchants.
• 4. Dye miracle worker with robbery-level bargaining skills.
• 6. The moon people, the swamp elders and mud crawlers, ancestors to one of the galaxy’s greatest showmen.
• 8. To admire the vampire full moon among the flowering apple trees, first serve this Earth beverage.

This is a static image, not an interactive puzzle, because the blog is many things, but not a puzzle app. You can copy it by hand, or save/print the image if you prefer paper and pencil.

This is completely optional and strictly for fun. If crosswords make your eye twitch, or the clues are too chernobogian, please feel free to ignore it with the most esteemed Mod R’s blessing.

The answer key is here.

Happy puzzling! Mischief responsibly this weekend.

The post BDH Crosswords first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

To clarify before some misunderstanding might occur: Inkarnate is not generative AI and has never been one. It is illustrative software that is tailored specifically to map making. It doesn’t generate maps, it requires a human artist, and it has been around for years.

Becka created a fantastic map which you can see below. She truly brought our vision to life, which is why we have been recommending her as the map artist.

This map originally appeared on this site but was taken down prior to publication in accordance with Tor’s promotional schedule. Some of you might remember it.

We provided this map to Tor with the original contract. While I love this map with all my heart, a decision was made to replicate it and simplify it for print. Another artist, Jennifer Hanover, was commissioned by Tor to create a hand-drawn version that would work a little better in a black and white format and would reflect minor changes which occurred as the book was edited. Jennifer also created a piece of art, and you can see her version below.

As you can see, the two maps are very similar. Jennifer was credited as the map artist in the book, but Becka was not.

Why did this happen?

Becka and I executed our contract for her map in November of 2023 prior to the series being sold. That contract included a provision which asks for the copyright attribution. This is the image from the executed contract.

It reads:

My guess is that this paragraph is the culprit. Bringing the book to publication requires coordinating many moving parts. This is exactly the kind of thing that seems minor but ends up causing issues, because everyone would pull the proper copyright attribution from this contract.

Whose fault is this?

This is my fault. My deepest apologies to Becka Moon. I am so sorry that I failed to ensure proper attribution.

The initial admin error is joint: Becka didn’t fill out the copyright line and I didn’t check the contract to make sure it was filled out. I verified the address, dates, and signatures and somehow overlooked the copyright line.

I bear more responsibility here, because I should have caught the lack of attribution in the finished book. Instead I was under impression that she was credited and only found out about the issue yesterday, when Becka emailed.

(It went somewhat like this: what do you mean you are not credited, you are credited, they have the contract, let me check…. !!!!! All the emails and phone calls.)

Tor bears no responsibility in this issue because I was the one who was supposed to provide the correct attribution. To their credit, they jumped on this issue immediately, and resolved it the same day, which is lightning speed in publishing. Amazing response here.

With that in mind, we have agreed to treat this contract issue as an oversight in good faith. This is not about technicalities but making things right and ensuring that the artist is credited. Therefore, we will proceed as if the line was properly filled out and treat it as a contract breach.

Here are the steps we are taking to remedy this.

• Tor will edit all future editions of the book to include Becka Moon as the original map artist. The attribution will be as follows: Map art by Jennifer Hanover, based on an original map by Becka Designs Cartography. The changes will appear in the ebook first. There is no way to un-print the existing books, but all future editions will have the proper attribution.
• All future foreign editions will also follow suit and include Map art by Jennifer Hanover, based on an original map by Becka Designs Cartography as attribution. Once again, the changes will appear in the ebook first, with print following.
• A public apology will be offered – which is what I am doing now. I am deeply sorry for failing to ensure the proper attribution.
• A restitution will be paid to the artist in the exact amount of the original contract fee. This has been paid yesterday, and receipt was confirmed.
• Finally, we will prominently display Becka’s map with attribution and all appropriate links once the Maggie’s part of the site goes up. This will happen once book 2 is finished.

I am happy to report that Becka will be returning to Kair Toren for the battle maps relevant to the second book in Maggie the Undying series. With the proper attribution this time.

Also, all future artist contracts will have this line highlighted. I will learn Adobe Acrobat and make sure that it is unskippable.

The post A Public Apology to Becka Moon first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

Warning: this post contains mild non-essential spoilers for This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me and a discussion of insects.

A swarm of glowing golden butterflies flowed out of the entrance, as if the

building had exhaled light and beauty into the night. The butterflies bounced

on the draft, trailing tiny gold sparks, swirled toward me, and melted into the

night air. Like magic.

No, not like. It was magic, not distant like the Mage Tower zapping the lorsses, but right there in front of me. A wonder. It was impossible back home, but here it was real. It existed and it was beautiful.

I caught my breath, swallowed, and walked unsteadily into the Garden of Soft Blossoms.

A man strode to the stage and halted by the red moat. He wore a light gray doublet and dark gray trousers tucked into tall boots. A teal cloak hung off his left shoulder, more of a fashion statement than a protective garment. His back was to me, so I couldn’t see his face, only his curly dark hair, cut short, and the color of his skin, a russet brown.

He pondered the empty stage as if puzzled and waved his hand. A globe of red water shot up from the moat fifteen feet into the air and snapped into a monstrous fish.

Oh!

The creature swam above the stage, circling it. Its long eel-like body kept going and going, long and slightly translucent, the sharp ridged fin along its back bristling with red spikes. It was big enough to swallow a human in one gulp.

Goosebumps crawled up my arms.

The fish’s grotesque jaws snapped, catching its tail. It exploded into a dozen stelkas. They rained onto the center of the stage and dashed into the dining room, darting between the tables. To the side a waiter gripped his tray and jerked it up over his head as a beast shot by his legs. People chuckled.

The stelkas burst into geysers of crimson flower petals. They swirled, flashed with light, and turned into golden butterflies.

Oh wow.

The glowing swarms floated over the dining floor, bouncing on the draft, spreading in all directions. It was too much. Too bright, too colorful, too everything . . .

The nearest group of butterflies changed its course, drifting close to each other instead of fanning out. They were heading right for me.

No time to react. A second, and they swirled around my body, clinging to my cloak. One landed on my shoulder, one tried to wedge itself in my hood, and the third rammed my right cheek . . .

People were looking at me.

I didn’t belong here. I was wearing a cloak that smelled like a corpse. There was river muck in my hair. My bare feet had probably left muddy footprints in the hallway. I couldn’t have been more out of place if I had set myself on fire.

The butterflies exploded in a puff of soft sparks. Something zinged my skin, like a weak rubber band slapping against my face.

“What about gold butterflies?” I asked.

“Ah. You’ve met Ciste. Is he still hanging out at the Garden?”

I nodded.

“His mother sold her body,” she said. “He grew up in a place a lot like the Garden.”

“What happened to it?”

“Nothing good,” she said. “Damaes tolerates his moonlighting, because Ciste is a gifted summoner. Did you see a swarm of glowing butterflies?”

“Yes. He summoned a sea monster and stelkas, too.”

She smiled. “Was it beautiful?”

“Very.”

“Ciste doesn’t summon illusions, only weapons. Everything he conjures is

created for violence.”

Oh.

“Those beautiful golden butterflies feed on your blood. The more magic you have, the richer their feast. A larger swarm can turn a living being into a husk in moments.”

The golden butterflies of Ciste. So lovely, so deadly, and surprisingly rooted in reality.

This is Calyptra thalictri, otherwise known as vampire moth. It is thought that they originated in Asia or Siberian region, and then spread through Russia and Southern Europe. Most of the time, these moths nibble on fruit. They drill into it with a barbed proboscis and drink the juice. They really like raspberries and grapes.

However, during the mating season, the males will use pierce the skin of animals and human and feed on blood instead. They are also known to drink tears.

This happens because of a very interesting adaptation called mud-puddling. Under certain circumstances, some insects use unusual sources to obtain salts and amino acids which they can’t get from their normal diet. Butterflies will often crawl on wet soil after the rain, looking for those nutrients, and some species highly prize human sweat. It contains a lot of salt and sugar.

Calyptra thalictri, however, take it a step further. Once the males acquire the blood, they then pass it to female moths during mating as a kind of wedding gift to provide a boost to future larvae. It is the butterfly equivalent of “Honey, I am craving a hamburger with extra pickles. Could you please pick up one for me? I’m going to eat it with a strawberry yogurt.”

So far the vampire moths are the only species of moths or butterflies known to actually pierce the skin to obtain the blood. Although you can find several scary videos online, these guys are only about 40-45mm in size, so about an inch and a half, and the volume of blood they take is pretty small. A swarm of them is unlikely to turn you into a desiccated husk.

However, they do feed for 10-50 minutes and their bite does hurt. Mosquitoes, which are the predominantly insect blood suckers, have anesthetics in their saliva and only feed for about a minute. On the plus side, moth bites do not transmit bloodborne diseases.

If you would like to know more, there is a video below.

If you are reading this in your inbox, here is a direct link.

And now you know the origin of the magic swarm.

The post The Golden Butterflies first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.

From: bookdevouringhorde@ilonaverse.galaxy
To: ALL
Subject: Completely Hypothetical Assistance Inquiry

Hello,

This is Steve.

I don’t think this is an emergency, everyone is still breathing. Unfortunately, so is that weird artifact we brought back on the last Horde raid.

Before accusations start flying, I only touched it a little bit, and honestly, I think it was already doing that before I got close.

Ilona is at the Austin event, Mod R is moving house, and “someone responsible” was supposed to watch the inbox. Since I barely managed to regain access, I’m just being proactive. I have no idea who keeps changing the passwords.

Again, not an emergency, but if you are able to assist with breathing artifacts and consequences that are technically nobody’s fault, please advise.

Regards,
Steve
Acting Temporary Emergency Liaison
Book Devouring Horde
Not an emergency (probably)

The following are auto-replies translated from the Ilonaverse audio stream. Accuracy not guaranteed. Alien dialects, growling and chanting have been rendered into English for your convenience:

From: House Baylor casefiles@baylorinvestigationsagency.bia
Subject: Re: Completely Hypothetical Assistance Inquiry

Thank you for contacting Baylor Investigative Agency.

Due to a high caseload, we are currently prioritizing active investigations, client emergencies, Prime-related incidents, and magical misconduct.

Please forward all relevant details, including names, dates, known magical abilities, House affiliations, and a brief summary of the incident.

Leon will be in touch.

From: Solentine Dagarra wecome&stabu@shears.kairtoren
Subject: Re: Completely Hypothetical Assistance Inquiry

You should not have this address.

You should not know this route exists.

You should not use the code “BDH” in open correspondence.

I will discover who gave you this access. I will discover what you know, who you shared it with, and why your small glowing rectangle keeps asking me to accept pastries.

One of my people will come to you. You will not see them arrive. You will not know they are there.

From: frontdesk@gertrudehunt.earthinns
Subject: Re: Completely Hypothetical Assistance Inquiry

Thank you for contacting Gertrude Hunt.

The innkeepers are currently away on urgent Baha-char business. All messages will be rerouted through First Scholar Thek, Sage of the Great Tree, and will be accompanied by an existential essay, which you may freely ignore, although you would learn a lot from it.

Gertrude Hunt will be happy to welcome you next week, when our in-house chef will be debuting the new summer menu.

---

From: K9-47 Bear woof@sadrinmoore.ops
Subject: Re: Completely Hypothetical Assistance Inquiry

Automated reply generated by paw.

Ada and I are out on breach business.

If this is sadrin business, state your message after the woof and we will get back to you as soon as we’re back.

Stay away from the purple flowers.

From: Chernobog, the Dark Serpent, Ruler of the Freezing Cold gruelingfields@darkness.nav
Subject: Re: Completely Hypothetical Assistance Inquiry

YOU HAVE REACHED THE SHADOW BENEATH THE ROOT.

THE GATES OF NAV ARE OPEN ONLY TO THE INVITED, THE DOOMED, AND THE VERY FOOLISH.

Audio stream translation error. Transcription code not prepared for the Old Magic. Please restart all devices.

Error. Old Slavonic chanting not supported.

Phizzzzzzz.

Steve would like to remind everyone that this is still not an emergency.

If an emergency does occur, I am still around in the comments and contact form, just slightly slowed down by moving boxes.

The post Out of Office: Please Advise first appeared on ILONA ANDREWS.