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ILONA ANDREWS

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BDH Crosswords

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Friday is Horde enrichment activity day, because otherwise we start to think Steve ideas make sense.

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.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. This is very cool!! Can I make one and send it to Mod R? If you like it you could leave it in a file for when you don’t have time or inclination to make content.

  5. I had to reference source material for 3 across and 6 down, but otherwise got it. Thanks for the game, Mod R!

  8. I had to go look up spelling for one (I was trying to put an extra letter 🤦‍♀️), but got it. Thanks, Mod R! 🤗

  9. Horde enrichment day helps keep us busy enough that we don’t chapels start a fluffy riot! 🐩🐻‍❄️🐇

  10. Very nice distraction! And- hard enough I have to work for it! lol
    I thought I would just sit down and do the crossword- nope – actually have to engage brain and source materials!

    Thanks – and have a good weekend! (I’m sure you’re still unpacking!)

  11. I’m… so happy. This was great!!!! Maybe this is how we cope with Steve replying all. All the time.

    Friday Friyay!

  12. That was fun! Had to go look a couple things up as I didn’t remember the terms. Which was also fun. Need to reread one of the series again. Been too long since I last looked at them. Thanks!

  13. 9 across will always fly in our dreams, that’s why we keep hoping.
    But though we are chalant, we are a happy horde and are very good at w*iting.
    Thank you for taking the time for this puzzle while moving.

  14. ModR knows us too well; we definitely need “enrichment activities” to keep us occupied. 🙂

    Steve’s ideas are starting to make sense . . . or at least fun to try. How many of us are up for “borrowing” the ferrets for a heist?

    Yes, I giggled at many of these. ModR knows her people.

  15. A huge thank you to Ilona for making the website user friendly for handicapped individuals! I have poor eyesight right now due to complications related to cateract surgery. l have had ots of fun complications unfortunately. i cant read books now unless it is on my kindle. I am so thankful Iloma made the site easier to use and navigate. Everyone please check it out as it may have features you can now benefit. You maybe able to use it to work on the wonderful puzzle!

    Also if you are chomping at the bit to spend money on our favorite arbiters merchandise Arcane still has limited edition signed box sets of Nevada and Rogan’s story

    • So glad the new accessibility tools are helping! That is exactly the sort of use case Ilona had in mind when she explored the options for plugins.

      Just to clarify for everyone: the new tool can read highlighted text aloud. House Andrews are being very careful and thoughtful about AI use, and this is strictly an accessibility feature while better long-term options appear. The priority is to make the site easier to use for all readers 🙂

  18. Yay fun!!! thanks so much for doing this for us!!!🥰I might not get all the answers yet cos I’m still devouring ..but (with one “T”) I know some for sure *is giggling at 8 down* 😂😂😂🌕☕

  19. On a road trip, this was loads of fun! Got stuck on one.
    I’m in a happy place; Chic-ole(grandson’s pronunciation), listening to Inheritance, pleasant introspections with my peeps, beautiful riding weather. What else can you ask for?

    Wishing everyone a happy place this weekend🥰

  21. ModR, beloved by the Horde as the best wrangler of both the fluffy and chalant!
    Thank you for sharing your creativity with us yet again. May your new abode establishment be proceeding as you need it to be!
    Wishing all and those you love peace, health and safety!

  22. I don’t own every single book which is making this difficult. I’m sitting at 7 or 8 out of 10.

    5 is familiar, what I thought it was isn’t in the books I have.
    9 will require much digging.
    6 I need to double check after a library trip. 😆

        • Do you wish to discuss? or have a hint?

          The full quote is: “The ________ is merciful and kind to a fault.” with the _____ being a title of one of the characters.

          This is near the end of chapter 6 of the applicable book. I feel like saying the series will give it away? But if you want more of a hint just let me know!

            • The quote “The ________ is merciful and kind to a fault.” is said by Keelan.

              The title he mentions is no longer held by this person. The title is now held by a half-blind weretiger who drives like a maniac.

          • Shoot, I ran to the Merch Store to see the T-shirt only to discover it is still down due to getting the vellum sorted. Still stumped.

              • The solution has been up since Saturday 🙂 it’s linked in the article.

                Also, I’m sorry but I’m not certain the T-shirt will be available in the new store run. It will likely be only the greatest hits + a Maggie collection.

    • I was having this problem too until I realized that 3 across wasn’t asking for a character or family name

      • Thank you! I had the right book, but had been focused on the family names. Had even went to go spot check the other stories in that universe when I couldn’t get it.

        Still stumped on 6, (maybe pun intended?) but I will keep searching the comments for clues!

  27. The way I immediately printed this out!!! Love it!
    #5 is a favorite scene of mine!
    Did have to look up source material for 3 questions. Proud I remembered #9 on my own though!

  28. There are 3 that I just cannot come up with. Going to have to go reread absolutely everything I guess…

    • Oh! Remembered 1 of them. Stopped trying to think of a specific character and hit the… class specification, so to speak. Lol.

      • Oh, bother! Had to look up Gaston’s lineage, but at least I knew what I was looking for. Down to just 1 now but I have absolutely no clue.

  30. Mod R, you are so talented! What a fun crossword! I may have to do a re-read of Fated Blades as that’s the only answer I’m missing. 😁

  31. Hello, yes I desire all the nerdy puzzles, please and thank you. On a different note, I convinced one of book clubs to read Maggie, and have successfully indoctrinated at least one friend to the Horde!!! In the course of doing so, we got into the weeds about drezmur vs. dursan. After careful (re)reading, it seems like drezmur are taller at the shoulder, but dursans have bigger overall bodies? Please confirm! Also, other than the cover art, will we ever, pretty please with Shana’s sambocades and Clover’s special honey on top, get artwork of these two creatures??

  32. I just saw the thermochromic mug on Facebook!!!! Silent Duke FOREVER!!!! Take my money NOW!

  33. Hee hee! I grabbed the nearest scrap of paper, wracked my brain cells, and did have to check the book for the spelling for the answer to clue #3, but my long and faithful readership of all things House Andrews served me well – about 5 minutes to complete!
    Thank you for this cute little game, it was lots of fun on a cold winter morning on the other side of the world

  34. … so of course I built the puzzle in Excel, so I could see if I could solve it … 10 across was first 🙂

  36. ok — got them all … tricksy Mod R … had to do a search thru Bayou Moon to get the last one on which I was stuck.

    • Same! I just couldn’t remember the name, but I got the other clues with a bit of thought…Ten out of ten, thank you Mod R for the Friday fun!

  37. Trying to decide if is scary or embarrassing how many knew without really thinking about it. Some of my books have become slightly? tattered from reading over and over and over again.

  38. i tried looking for the maggie zoom q&a video but i can’t find it. have i missed it being posted somewhere?

  39. I also had to look at the source material for 6 Down. Thank you, Mod R! Enjoyed answering them all.

  40. Thanks Mod.R! I need to check one spelling and otherwise have all but 6, which will require research. But I figured it’s a good way to see what most needs a reread-after I finish this time thru Maggie1. Very fun!

  41. thank you for this. I’m bad at spelling but still tempted to copy this down to have a go. only know two of the across of by heart. need to go through all of the downs too… glad my horde membership doesn’t live or die by how fast I’ll get this. as they might kick my chalant arse out otherwise 😆

    in the UK I don’t know if anyone of you has completed the mystery guides adventures at all, but if you have, how many of you are desperate to do something similar for any of the HA universe? it can start with the maps that have been published recently and the artwork for any of the stories by all of the fabulous artists….a great excuse for more artwork.

  42. “Old dragon whose Horde fans survive on two snippets and a prayer.”
    HAHAHA. This is funnier because it’s true.

  44. Thank you!!! This was so fun and EXACTLY what I needed today to cheer me up! ☺️

    Oh just thought- may I ask, has there been any idea when the next edition of this kingdom will not kill me be revealed? I’m so excited to own more all one day!! I love seeing how people portray the story on covers 🥹 ☺️

  45. It was fun to read through these clues (alas, my flu-addled brain is not up to actually solve any right now!) 😂
    Thank you for providing entertainment to keep the BDH occupied (more or less!)

  46. Here I am contemplating pulling out a dry erase pen to use on my tablet screen. 😄

  48. ModR – I don’t know if you formatted the blog page, but it printed out perfectly with the crossword puzzle on one page and the clues on the next. Great job.

  50. Oooo…positively diabolical! I love it! Perfect excuse to reread books where I don’t know the answer off hand;)

    Thanks for taking the time to put this together! Have a great summer;)

  51. Psssst!
    If you need a distraction check out “Pursuit of Jade” on Netflix. Our Lord and Lady of HA recommended it and Jeaniene Frost did too! Come on! That’s two trusted sources! I also give it two thumbs up. Great character development, action, romance, tears, humor, and found family.
    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35316225/

  54. I cannot for the life of me figure out #3 and 9. Any help, please? 😩 (Also, I wouldn’t mind an answer key to double check the rest.)

    • #3 Have you read “Fated Blades?”

      #9 There was a short story on the website a while back, and we all fell for the old dragon and its rider … I believe the story may be archived.

      https://ilona-andrews.com/blog/book-devouring-horde-tng/
      This is the only link the comes up under the dragon’s name.

      Look at Mod R’s “Character Adoption Program” field note.

      • Thanks for the dragon’s name! That story must be from before I started reading the blog. And I’ve read Fated Blades and knew that was where it was from, but I don’t have easy access to the book to flip back through it…

  55. I got the first five quickly, then needed to really stress the brain, and finally plunder my resource material when gears started smoking.

    I feel … accomplished!

    I first heard 2 Across in Grace Draven’s audiobooks. 🙂

    I had to find 3 Across and 6 Down (also vivid from the audiobook).

  56. I went to look for our beloved dragon story to check the spelling of the name, but could not find it in free fiction or by search.

    Really enjoyed the crossword. Had to check a lot of spellings.

  57. Thank you for the puzzle. 100%. However, true BDH devotion is when you have listened to the Graphic Audio books enough that even your teenage kids recognize the same voices used across different series.

  60. I’m very sad to say I’m horrible at remembering names of creatures and people! I want to know the answers and which book they are from!

  61. Loved the puzzle! I answered Camarine instead of Margrave for the border lord clue, but otherwise I did awesome!