Gordon and I are so glad you are enjoying it.
A couple of quick answers.
When is this set?
A couple of years after the events of Silver Shark
Did you know that Aaron mispronounced your name?
Yes. I laughed. 90% of the time people do. It’s the holiday week, so I will wait until after Thanksgiving to see if they can recorded a correction, but they probably won’t. It seems like it might be an expensive fix.
First thought… I’m shocked that the author of the initial letter is Henri Davenport. What’s the deal there?
The reader here is referencing Honor Ranconteur series, which I recommended previously and whose protagonist is Henri Davenforth.
First, Henri DavenFORTH vs Henri DavenPORT.
Second, if you are shocked(!) by the minor naming coincidence, you may want to avert your eyes, because this might make your head explode. I can’t put a smiley face anymore, because it messes the newsletter up, so imaginary smiley face with fangs here.
You know who wasn’t shocked by this? Gordon and I. No, we did not sue Mari Hannah. No, we did not make a giant stink about it on social media.
Names can’t be copyrighted. They belong to actual people. There are only so many names, and people tend to like the same names, so unless you start making things up or the names are extremely unusual, you will repeat the names of other people’s characters.
When Gordon and I choose names, we often trawl Texas Census records. This is how Henri’s name was chosen. I entered Davenport as last name and clicked until I saw the one I liked.
Now, I remember really liking the name at the time, and I know now that I liked it because of the similarity to Henri Davenforth. Actually, yesterday someone else pointed out the similarity and I thought, “Oh, that’s where I remember the name from!” As I said in that email chain, where the poor reader had to suffer through my pandemic release brain, if we actually did accidentally use the same name, I would feel a bit sorry for Henri. Haider is the kind of son who does the exact opposite of what his father tells him and worries his parent endlessly. Henri Davenforth probably deserves better. Smiley face.
Will we get Karion’s story and will it be secret baby?
Oh boy. Um… You just got a book. Come on, Horde.
What about…
Oh goodness me, look at the time. I am going to go make pies.
I mean it really is #3 since the first 3 are just different formats of the same book and the 4th and 5th are also just 2 versions of the same release. So I say it is #3. Now if I just worked for Amazon and could tell them how they are wrong. LOL
Thank you for the book, I enjoyed it immensely. Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s funny how names can sneak up on you. Once, a couple of years ago, I edited a book about a couple on a date in Maui. They were going on a bike tour at oh dark thirty, to watch the sunrise at the top of a mountain before riding back down. Their tour guides were named Bill and Fleur, and it didn’t occur to any of us who worked on the book that these are two names from the Harry Potter series. They were just names that happened to fit the scene, which was in no way something you would expect from the HP universe.
But I’ve finished the book……
OK I will wait patiently, just so Gordon doesn’t yell at us.
Have a great holiday.
I haven’t read Fated Blades yet. I did pre-order but have had a busy week workwise. Looking forward to weekend reading.
Congratulations and may the book continue to be a success 🙂
Love the book, and I enjoy the Henri Davenforth stories of Ms. Raconteur as well. The title of her first one really cracked me up!
Congratulations on #5. I’m looking forward to reading it tomorrow.
Fated Blades is making me the happiest. This member of the BDH is satiated and slumbering for now, but just the words “Ruby Fever” still make me leap ten feet in the air and giggle. It’s a Pavlovian reaction– sue me.
Thanks so much HA (and Mod R for helping this amazing operation run!)
I like the Social Security Death Index for names too :).
One of the women in my writing group has a wide range of ethnicity in her names. Some “just came to her” and some she went looking for because she wanted them to mean something specific. (We had a long discussion about the Finnish word “Sisu”, for instance, because it’s a hard word to translate the whole of it into English.)
We picked out an offspring name from a “Book of [your last name here]” mailer. We liked the sound and the Euro spelling. The offspring in question has never forgiven us because that name is never available in keychains or door lables.
I loved it!!! The best Kinsmen story! I got it yesterday as an ebook from Amazon I had pre-ordered, started reading after supper at 6 pm, finished at 11 pm. Couldn’t put it down. As always, Ilona and Gordon’s books are awesome. I love every one of your books and some I enjoy re-reading (some of the Kate books). Thanks so much for your hard work to entertain us all. Have a wonderful holiday season!!
davenport = couch = sofa ????
(I know, I prolly missed the whole point of the discussion…????)
Also, birth last name – Hughes
Married last name – Fitzpatrick
(How many of both per square inch in the British Isles, the U.S., Canada, and Australia?? LOL ????????????????)
Just let that Karion and secret baby plot marinate for a while. You know they like a challenge (see Hugh and A Mere Formality). It’s not like we need it soon or anything. ☺️
Love the last bit…. We have such a voracious appetite. Thank you for your wonderful books!
Happy pie baking! And I also love the Shinigami Detective series, which I got hooked into because your recommendation. Dr. Henri Davenforth will be pleased to know that there is a hero with a name similar (but not identical) to him.
I am so enjoying this novella!
Is there going to be a Barnes & Noble ebook release? That’s my preferred platform, I don’t have Kindle stuff set up (and I really don’t want to…).
FATED BLADES is an Amazon only release, through their publishing house. It will not be available from other retailers. It’s available in ebook, on KU, in audio, and print formats. For more on this, please see here https://ilona-andrews.com/featured-release/
I’m now going to have to reread all the kinsmen stories as my brain kept thinking, is that a link to a previous story at points- I think the only one imight be right about is the new Passion cones place.
I too read the whole book in one day- brilliant.
Thank you.
Thank you for another great book.
Years ago I emailed you and said that I loved your work and hoped that you would do a book tour of the UK soon.
Given how wonderful your books have continued to be I am still hoping that you will one day do a British or European tour and I will get to thank you in person for all the joy your work has given me but in the meantime I will just say thank you and happy Thanksgiving.
I’m so guilty! More books please!
But enjoy your Holidays and the #5!
Hi – loved the book, read it in one sitting. Haven’t had time to re-read it more slowly yet, so I may have missed this and, if so, I apologize, but… How did Karion lose his arm? Is it in Fated Blades, or mentioned elsewhere in the KU? (or, will it be covered in the next book? Hehehe). 🙂
I am wondering about Fated Blades, in this super modern society where status is everything. And the man and the woman in this book are of same rank. WHY would the children have the man’s surname and not hers?
Hey Desdemona,
I think you’re misreading the scene a little bit 🙂 .
Firstly, it is not made clear which name the kids will have 🙂
“Your children will have his name” is shouted during the family fight scene, as a disincentive. Together with “he’s a renegade!” and ” Have you two lost your mind”, the family hopes the wedding can be outdone if they present enough counter points. It’s Karion’s outrage, not Ramona or Matias’ decision made clear or facts about Kinsmen society mores.
It is not so much a feminist statement of keeping her name, as it is the weight of the name Baena in secare history context.
” Every secare knows these names, and they make sure their children learn them as well, so the treachery will never be forgotten. The five traitors are Whitney May, Hee Granados, Katia Parnell Karion, Leland Dunlap-Whitaker, and Angelo Baena. Their hands are stained with the blood of their battle brothers and sisters”
Andrews, Ilona. Fated Blades, Kinsmen Universe 3. Montlake Publishing, 2021. Kindle edition, page 141.
Karion is making the point that the name Baena is tainted, one of the 5 traitor names all the secare remember, and Ramona and Matias’ children will be known as descendants of that heritage (no matter whoever’s literal surname they take).
Ramona may chose to assume that in order to show the generational conflict being resolved and full acceptance of Matias. Or they may decide to start fresh, or double up. We simply do not know.
I hope this helps 🙂
ModR for the win!
Dear Mod R
What is this other author/series/books Ilona is speaking about? Maybe other non-US BDHers do not get what this was referring to in any context except the name of KD ?
Just asking for a friend….. and Happy Thanksgiving to BDHers wherever in the 4 corners of the world you may be celebrating.
Hey RJ,
The series referred to is DCI Kate Daniels by Mari Hannah. A picture is provided in the article ????.
The context is accusations of copyright infringement because of similar character names being used in 2 books.
The point of the blog article is that this does not constitute a copyright matter, names cannot be copyrighted (nor can book titles for that matter), and multiple series that use the same name occur often- e.g. other series using Kate Daniels.
I hope this helps ????
You are right about awful 2 years. Thank you for cheering us(your readers) up. sending you love and best wishes xxx
Congrats! fantastic position.
Devoured it. So good!!
Speaking of names and possible coincidences… I recently read that Hugh Jackman made crepes suzette for Deborra-lee Furness when they first started seeing each other. “Hugh” and “crepes suzette” in the same sentence immediately through my exhausted brain for a loop and I wondered how I’d switched to an article about “Iron and Magic”. Is this a coincidence, or was Elara making crepes for Hugh D’Ambray a play on Hugh Jackman’s dating story?
As a side note, I can no longer read the name “Hugh” without mentally hearing it in Steve West’s voice- not a bad thing at all!
We are always hungry, for books. ❤️????
*geek moment* I’ve been a fan.. forever… this series is just another example of unexpected and awesome character development. I’m NEVER disappointed reading your stories and wishing I could live there
I loved this book as I have all your books. Please never ever retire.
I’m so ashamed…I just bought and read/listened to all 4 Kinsmen stories and my first reaction was “But I want more!” Please take it as a compliment. You are such great authors that I got ducked into each story (even the shorts) and wasn’t ready to give them up.