Thank you all for such an incredible release. The turnout, the messages, charts performance and the flood of enthusiasm have launched a thousand Mod R squeees. It’s been wonderful to watch the story resonate with the people it was written for.
And we are being absolutely spoiled today in recognition of our formidable fluffiness!
A brand new character art reveal from Helena Elias, plus an entire bonus scene featuring reigning fan-favorite, Clover.
Spoiler safe after Page 130 Chapter 13, first scene
“So, explain your lady to me.” Shana wiped the table down with a wet rag. “Is she a noble or is she not? Because she’s confusing me.”
Clover sighed. It was a fair question.
They were sitting in the kitchen. The sun had barely risen, and the tea in her cup was hot and aromatic. She’d made a pot this morning, and it had turned out just right. Shana had taken over the kitchen, but they both agreed that Clover’s tea brewing skills were superior.
When Shana showed up in the chainmail and carrying a mace, Clover wasn’t sure they would get along. It took her less than 24 hours to realize that when it came to household staff, they couldn’t do better. Shana was experienced, practical, and capable and she was… solid, somehow. There was something about Shana that said “Mom” to her, although her mother and Shana looked nothing alike.
Back home, she and her mother butted heads. There was a time she couldn’t wait to get out. When the Maid Mother came with the offer to take her to the capital, Clover had jumped on that chance. She could still remember her mom crying when she was leaving, but her own eyes were dry. She’d been too excited and eager. Divine, she was such a stupid baby five years ago.
Now… There were times when she wanted her mom so intensely, she cried quietly into her pillow. Too much had happened, and most of it wasn’t good. There was a time in Derog’s basement when the loneliness tried to strangle her, and she thought her life was over. And then Lady Maggie came, and everything changed.
It was important that Shana understood that Lady Maggie was special.
“She is a lady,” Clover said. “Without a doubt. She looks you in the eye when she talks, and she keeps forgetting to bow her head, like she isn’t used to it. She is very educated. She knows things others don’t, and she can’t do her own hair. When she needs it put away, she makes a three-part plait like she is a child. She has great teeth, and her hands are soft.”
“But?” Shana asked.
“But she carries herself as if she isn’t.”
“Why?”
Clover sighed again. “I don’t know. When we took the house from the slavers, she cleaned the kitchen with me.”
Shana paused. “This kitchen?”
Clover nodded. “On her hands and knees with a rag. Like it was nothing. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen. I really tried. She just…”
Clover imitated holding a rag and scrubbed the invisible floor with it.
Shana stared at her.
“She washed the blood off and everything.”
“Are you serious?”
“It happened. There is more.”
Clover hesitated. This was a very sore point, but she’d been struggling with it for days now, and it was so nice to confide in someone.
She leaned forward and lowered her voice.
“I went to dump the dirty water. When I came back, she was in the bathroom. Scrubbing the toilets.”
Shana blinked. “Divine, preserve us.”
“She told me that we had to clean the house top to bottom to make it ours.”
Shana frowned. “I would have scrubbed the house too, just to get the stink of those fuckers out, but she is a lady. Toilets?”
Clover nodded slowly.
“If you don’t stop her, she will try to do things. Brew her own tea, cook, try to do the laundry…”
“Does she not understand it’s an insult to our skills?”
“I don’t think she does.” Clover gave her a slightly helpless smile. “I think she wants to help.”
Shana put her hands on her hips. “Oh no. This stops now. She is not cooking in my kitchen, I’ll tell you that. I have never needed a noble woman’s help to do my job, and I am not about to start now. Everyone has their duty. I’m the cook, you are the lady’s maid, and she is the lady. She needs to stay in her own carriage.”
Clover sighed. “If only.”
Shana reached over and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. There are two of us now. We will steer her back on the road. If you have any trouble, come and get me. I will set her straight right quick.”
That was right. She was no longer alone. She had Maggie and Kaiden, and Reynald, who could kill anything, and now the Magnars. It felt like she’d been wandering in a dark forest for so long, she couldn’t even remember what the sun felt like and then stumbled out into a clearing with a fortress in it. The fortress wasn’t in perfect repair, but it was solid and strong, and there was sun shining on it, and everyone inside would defend it with their lives.
Clover smiled and sipped her tea.
P.S. Mod R: Now that we’ve had our goodies,
The US and UK editions of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me are separate releases, from separate publishers. If your copy is arriving on the 2nd of April, that means you are expecting the UK edition. That timing is correct, not a publisher error or issue as I have seen confusion in the comments.
Lovely!! Thank you
Lovely Art, I see that Clover has risen to Chatalaine! at least in the Art. (if we’re being Medieval) Love the Art
Well, in the first discussion after they “acquired” the house, Clover did pronounce that Maggie was going to be the head of the household, Reynald was going to be the head of the household guard, and she was going to be the “steward maid”.
I assume “steward maid” means “head boss servant” … whatever that translates to in local parlance.
I believe in medieval times, “chatelaine” originally meant the actual female head of the household — “mistress of the chateau” — i.e. the Lady and not the top female servant.
The meaning evolved to be “keeper of the castle”, as in the origin for “constable” (castellan) in English 🙂 . We can agree that Clover is definitely that.
But the primary use of chatelaine nowadays is the object we can see at Clover’s belt, for carrying keys and other functional items.
In Canada, Chatelaine is primarily known as the name of a “women’s housekeeping” type magazine. At least, that is what it started as in the 1920s. I think it has now evolved somewhat…
Thankyou! Love this scene it fits beautifully and explains much! The unfortunate help with the noble woman that isn’t!
Maggie’s here in my hands. My post-person delivered her just a couple hours ago. Eek!
I need to finish up all responsabilities now, and settle down for a nice long reading interlude.
thank you!!!!
I love Clover!!!
Love it. Thank you. Trying to limit myself to less than 100 pages a day … but what am I going to read Saturday? I guess I start the first re-read?
Absolutely lovely, but WHY was it removed??? It would have been great in the book!
It wasn’t removed 🙂 It’s a bonus scene, written for us.
This is like those “Curran POV” or “Mad Rogan POV” scenes HA occasionally posted for us with the Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy series, isn’t it?
Never a part of the original novel but showing some of the same events from other characters’ perspectives.
Yes, exactly 🙂
And there is more to come 😉
Squee! Although we did already have Sushi’s POV about various locations in Kair Toren posted on the blog. That was fun.
Thank you! Squee! I can understand why the scene was originally cut. But it really adds to the character development
It’s not a cut scene.
It’s a bonus extra scene House Andrews wrote just for us, because everyone loves Clover 🙂
… and because Ilona loves us, her favorite horde.
awwww…
I’m so glad Clover loves Maggie and Shana and also feels safe now.
Women need each other so much.
I love Clover. She just warms my heart. She is brave and loyal.
I liked the novel, it was a good read but, it was too short. 😉
What rankled me a bit was how easy the magical nature of Maggie was accepted. Her detailed knowledge of the past was not enough reason to blithely accept her foretelling capabilities, in my opinion.
I know she’s in a magical realm, but still…
No door-stopper will stop the horde 😂
Oh, this is so SHINY! and Fluffy, and delicious. I love it!
Can it be on the back of the vellum of Clover’s portrait?
How do HA always come up with so much Rich Awesomeness?
Thank you, thank you, Mod R and Ilona and Gordon for sharing your genius with us. PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES.
Thank you so much for this extra!
This whole book has been such an amazing treat to read. I cannot wait to see how the story unfolds.
But also I am enjoying this situation where I DO NOT yet know how things get solved. It is a true pleasure to be in the middle of one of HA series for the first time. 💗💗💗
mmmmm delicious. ❤️
thank you!
love it!
OMG we are driving through Italy and I am savoring every moment of Maggie! I’m on my 2 read and can’t wait for the next one!
So glad that I’ve finally read enough that I can read this!
Yea! Cheers!
I really love Clover, best of all maybe.
And yay for Kobo, often have to w*it here in Australia, but not this time.
I love Clover and Shana so much! What a treat to get their POV. Thank you!
“Decimate” used properly! Of course.
Thank you for the bonus scenes.
They are greatly appreciated!
Be ever blessed.
Danny
I LOVED this. so subtle. things that Maggie herself would never think of, yet mark her as off to everyone else immediately. If this is what the girls/ house staff/ servants see, makes me wonder what odd things the guys noticed. that conversation between reynard and sol right after she figures out he’s the Duke? where sol openly asks to kill her and he’s calls her his? did they stage that? after all both of them are strategists who understand the big picture. they both have to wonder where she came from. later the Duke does the same with tillmar. could they have hoped she would trust the Duke more if he stood between her and sol’s knives? and silveren knows hreban is dirty, and sees her watching him in the garden. of course he’s going to wonder. and bellen/arvel said “but you’re not just any woman” after getting her away from the city guard. trixy trixy
Wonderful
thank you
I love Clover! I hope we have a scene in one of the next books where she gets retribution for what happened to her. I am a new fan and have read and reread it multiple times already and I can’t wait for the next one!
Welcome, Tally! 🙂
Clover is the early fan-favourite, and Ilona Andrews do just desserts very well – I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.
What a lovely snippet. It was wonderful. Thanks so much.
I ordered the Waterstone’s edition (Lovely!!) and had to wait to read it. (Ugh – work responsibilities) I need time to read straight through – this means that I haven’t read any posts since the release. This was my first and I’m definitely adopting “she needs to stay in her own carriage”!
All amazing and the ending….now I’m frothing with the rest of the BDH.
I bow to you both I & G.