Since you liked Damian so much, here is that scene in its entirety. 🙂 It will likely preface BLOOD HEIR to remind old readers about the events of Kate Daniels series and hopefully keep the newcomers from feeling lost.
One month after the Battle of Atlanta
Order of Merciful Aid
The Citadel
Wolf Trap, VA 22182
14 Sep 2045
Transcript for Record
FOR: Grand Master, Angevin, Damian, 3rd Knight-Preceptor of the Order of Merciful Aid
INDIVIDUALS PRESENT: Grand Master Damian Angevin, Knight-Inquisitor Bruce Dolivo, Knight-Secretary Timothy Hanson (recording)
SUBJECT: Battle of Atlanta /Attempted Invasion by Roland aka Nimrod of Shinar
BD [Reading]:To understand the conflict that took place in Atlanta resulting in the Battle of Atlanta in August 2045, it is helpful to consider two theories.
First, the forces of magic and technology exist in a balance. Both must be present for life to survive. The complete absence of either results in a mass extinction event, as we saw during the Lighthouse Keeper incident in Palmetto GA. Using technology or magic through means of devices and spells increases its respective potency in the world at the cost of the opposite force. So, the more spells the population uses, the stronger is the magic and the weaker is the tech and vice versa. This continues until the imbalance becomes too great and the system auto corrects. This is known as the Balance Theory.
DA: I’m well aware of this. Last time I checked, I wasn’t an idiot.
BD [Reading]: The Shift, the return of magic to our technological civilization is an example of such correction. The correction isn’t instant but gradual, which is why we’re now experiencing magic waves with periods of technology in between. That is also why magic destroys objects with a high technological concentration, such as tall buildings, aircraft, and computers.
DA: Bruce, my time is valuable. Get to the fucking monkey.
BD [Reading]: Second, the Shift isn’t the first such correction our world has experienced. Evidence suggests that several advanced civilizations existed in pre-history, based on the practice magic and that they obtained a level knowledge and innovation at least equal to or surpassing our own. They had experienced their own Shift, which brought waves of technology and ultimately resulted in their demise. This is known as Second Shift Theory.
DA: You’re doing this on purpose.
BD: Yes, you asked me to do this, I dropped everything, and now you’re going to sit and listen to my damn report.
DA: You always did love the sound of your own voice.
BD: And thirty years later you still can’t pay attention to the lecture. I’m still doing your fucking homework for you, Damian.
DA: That is a lie, and you know it. I did my own damn homework. It’s your job to investigate. It’s my job to decide what to do about your findings.
BD: Oh no, I’m losing my train of thought due to the constant interruptions. I think I’m going to have to start from the beginning.
DA: I already know this. The kid knows this. Tim, is any of this news to you or were you awake during the classes at the Academy?
TH: No, Grand Master. Yes, Grand Master.
DA: Tim, tell me who Roland is.
TH: He’s an exceptionally powerful wizard born in the prehistoric times when magic civilizations flourished. It’s rumored that he is the basis for Biblical figure of Nimrod, the man who built the Tower of Babel. When the first Shift destroyed the magic civilization, Nimrod went into hibernation. The current Shift woke him up and he took the name Roland. He possesses god-like powers, he uses blood magic, and he may have created vampires. He seeks world dominion and is classified as extraordinarily hostile.
BD: How is it you have a kid who uses words like flourished? Give him to me, he’s too smart for you.
DA: Get your own smart kid. This one is mine. Just give me the Cliff’s notes version, Bruce.
BD: Fine. Think of magic as water and technology as a dam holding it back. A little bit of water always flows through, but it’s barely a trickle. Then we have the Industrial Revolution, a couple of World Wars, and the Space Race, and information technology. The more we progress, the greater is the pressure on the dam, until eventually the damn thing starts cracking. We think it really started sometime in the 70’s, when all that psychic crap hit.
So, the magic keeps leaking through the cracks, the cracks widen, and eventually Roland wakes up, probably sometime in the 90’s. He crawls out of whatever cave he was sleeping in and starts running around waiting for the dam to break. Which we know it did, and we have our apocalypse.
Nobody exactly knows what happened to Roland in the past, but it was some heavy shit, because the man is unhinged. Mad genius, megalomaniac wizard, crazy cosmic powers, the whole enchilada. He’s obsessed with rebuilding his ancient kingdom, the Shinar. He settles in Ohio, creates the People, and sets about building the foundation for his kingdom.
Shortly after the Shift, he meets a woman, Kalina, and falls in love with her. She becomes pregnant, and at first, he’s happy, but then he decides to kill the child in the womb.
DA: Why?
BD: He’s had children in the past, and it didn’t go well. They were powerful and every one of them died or turned against him and then died. No one knows how many of his own kids he murdered.
DA: Clearly, father of the year material.
BD: Kalina had other ideas. She somehow seduced Roland’s warlord and ran off with him. Magic may have been involved. Roland chased them. At some point she gave birth to a girl. Roland caught up with them, so she gave the baby to the warlord and confronted her husband to buy them time. She did a damn good job, by all accounts. Bought her daughter twenty-five years before Roland learned of her.
DA: What happened to Kalina?
BD: She stabbed Roland in the eye, and he killed her.
DA: This has turned into a lifetime movie.
BD: Do you even know where that saying comes from?
DA: Yes, do you?
BD: Timothy, bonus question. Where does the phrase lifetime movie come from?
TH: Lifetime was basic cable channel that provided programing targeted toward women and featuring women in leading roles. Lifetime’s original content included made for TV movies, which often portrayed women overcoming adversity resulting from men’s actions, particularly in mystery genre.
BD: I’ll trade you Lisa for him.
DA: Pass. What happened with the girl and the warlord?
BD: The warlord decided to make the girl into a killer, and he did. This woman can kill anything. There are reports of her fighting in the pits South of the Border when she was eight years old. Eventually, the warlord died, and from fifteen until eighteen she ended up in a guardianship under one of ours, Knight-Diviner Greg Feldman.
DA: We had her?
BD: Yep.
DA: Did Feldman know?
BD: Looks that way. He tried to enroll her into Academy twice and she bolted both times. You can check the enrollment logs yourself. She went by Kate Daniels.
DA: Well, fucking shit.
BD: Eventually she ended up in Atlanta and ran into Curran Lennart.
DA: The first Beastlord of the Pack?
BD: Yep. Apparently, there was some sort of instant attraction. It gets better. Ted Moynohan at this point is in charge of the Atlanta Chapter.
DA: That fuckhead again. The gift that keeps on giving. I still don’t understand how he got to be the Knight-Protector. If that man was in charge of nothing except his own dick, sooner or later he’d suspect it of presenting a danger to humanity.
BD: He was one of the original 50 people Stone knighted. Stone liked him for dependability and promoted him to Knight-Sergeant, and after he died, Heath took over and Heath prized seniority over ability. We’re taking about the same man who commissioned a life size portrait of Stone and had it framed in gold…
DA: And if Stone was alive, he would’ve brained Heath with it.
BD: And I would’ve paid good money to see that. Anyway, Moynohan hires Daniels as an agent of the Order.
DA: What the actual fuck?
BD: Your guess is as good as mine. This thing is actually a lot more complicated, but you asked for highlights. She works for us for a bit. Meanwhile, her daddy wakes up his sister. Her name is Erra and she is the human equivalent of a nuke. In ancient times, she was his warlord. She’s got a list of titles a mile long, things like Plaguebringer and City Eater, and she is even less sane than her brother. For some reason, Roland sends her to Atlanta, and she runs into her niece. Shit hits the fan. A plague almost wipes out the city, crazy crap happens, but eventually Daniels kills her. In the process, it becomes clear that she and Lennart are an item and Moynohan thinks shapeshifters aren’t people and should be put down. So our girl quits and goes off to be the Beastlady.
DA: …
BD: You okay?
DA: Just think about it. If only we’d managed to reel her in. We could’ve had our own nuke.
BD [sigh]: Yep. This is what happens when you promote people beyond their intelligence. Anyhow, some years pass and Roland and Daniels keep coming into conflict with each other remotely. Meanwhile, Heath is leading us into political nightmare ass first. The Order’s reputation plummets. Moynohan, who is gone full lunatic by now, becomes convinced that the only way the Order can survive is to have a holy war against an evil enemy.
DA: And we know this how?
BD: He wrote a memo to Heath about it.
DA: … Continue.
BD: Moynohan looks around for some enemy to fight and settles on Roland. Roland decides it’s time to meet his daughter in person, so he sends his warlord to get her.
DA: Hugh d’Ambray, another massive pain in the ass.
BD: He was a pain until Roland threw him away.
DA: That man is a butcher. Right now, he sits safe in Kentucky playing house with his new wife, and the moment he steps foot outside of that state, I’ll be on him like white on rice.
BD: Okay. Moving on. Moynohan makes sure that d’Ambray slaughters the entire Atlanta Chapter and burns a deep cover agent embedded with d’Ambray. That agent is…
DA: Are you going to tell us?
BD: It’s a dramatic pause, Damian. That agent is Knight-Crusader Nikolas Feldman, Greg Feldman’s son. Didn’t see that coming, did you?
DA: How does this woman keep doing this?
BD: Luck? Coincidence? Fate? Anyway, Heath refuses to go to war with Roland and for some reason decides to promote Feldman to Knight-Protector and set him up in charge of the Atlanta Chapter. Mariana de Leon calls for Heath to step down and your name is brought up as the possible replacement. You know what happened next. While we were busy sorting all that out and fighting our civil war, Roland and Daniels come into open conflict. This family has an inborn ability to claim land.
DA: Define claim.
BD: They become bound to the land and all living creatures within it. If a significant magic power enters their domain, they know and can track it. It’s something that had been deliberately bred into them to make them better rulers. Apparently, there is a big price tag attached to all this, but we won’t go into that. Short version: Roland tries to claim Atlanta and Daniels blocks him and claims it instead. They make a deal. Lennart gives up the Pack, and Daddy dearest will mind his manners for the next hundred years. Basically, Lennart and Daniels bought some time.
DA: Didn’t last.
BD: No. He keeps poking her with a stick. She and Lennart get married and she gives birth to a baby boy, and that’s just makes her father’s meddling worse. While he’s harassing her, an ancient dragon decides it would be a great idea to invade the world. He opens a secret dimension where he’s been hiding with his slave army and starts capturing people and boiling them alive. The entire city comes together to fight him and somehow Daniels convinces Roland to help her. They kill the dragon, and the moment he croaks, Roland turns on his daughter. When the dust settles, Roland is gone, jettisoned out of our world.
DA: Where?
BD: Nobody knows. Feldman has written a report in which he claims that Roland is imprisoned in the realm outside of our existence and can never escape. I pressed him for explanation, but he hasn’t given one yet. He doesn’t have the highest opinion of us. Like Moynohan, he’s been writing memos for years explaining that Roland is going to invade and Daniels is a danger to democracy.
DA: I’ve read them. His points were valid, but we had more urgent things on our plate. What happened to Daniels?
BD: She unclaimed the land and went back to living in the suburbs with her ex-Beastlord husband.
DA: Just like that?
BD: Just like that. Here’s the kicker. You remember the aunt she killed? Erra, the Plaguebringer? The one with all the titles?
DA: Yes.
BD: She got resurrected on the battlefield.
DA: Bruce, death is forever. In all the decades since the Shift nobody has ever come back to life.
BD: Well, she did. Rumors said she wasn’t fully dead, and she and Daniels have some sort of arrangement. Shortly after the dust settles, she leaves. And here is another tidbit for you. Years ago, Daniels rescued a street kid, a little girl named Julia Olsen. Lennart and Daniels formally adopted her. Julia, they call her Julie, was a sensate and had some weird powers. Word is, she and Erra left together. Their whereabouts are officially unknown.
DA: So, we have an ancient warlord princess running around the country, possibly starting plagues and, good news, she found an apprentice with weird powers. Fantastic. How sure we are that Roland is no longer a threat?
BD: One hundred percent sure. Daniels is unconcerned, and she would be his primary target. As to Erra, we will find her.
DA: What makes you so sure?
BD: Because she looks like this. [passes photograph]
DA: … How tall is she?
BD: Six two.
DA: When you said she was thousands of years old, I didn’t expect… that.
BD: No. I know this look.
DA: What look?
BD: Damian.
DA: Yes? Is there something you want to tell me off the record?
BD: No, I want it on the record. It’s Timothy’s job to record every word that passes here, and I want to be damn sure that he puts this in writing. Do you understand, Knight-Secretary Hanson?
TH: Yes, Knight-Inquisitor.
BD: This woman is a weapon of mass destruction. She can do things we can’t even imagine. She can make indestructible weapons and armor out of her own blood. She has centuries of education and experience. The Shift happened less than fifty years ago. Our most advanced mages are babies compared to her. Leave it alone.
DA: Mhm.
BD: I’m dead serious, Damian. This woman is trouble. Don’t get involved. I mean it.
DA: I heard you. Thank you for the report, Knight-Inquisitor. The Order appreciates your efforts.
BD: I warned you. Ignore me at your own peril. Besides, it’s Julia Olsen we need to focus on. Roland had taken an interest in her. She was seen at his Swan palace and his subordinates referred to her as talmir, which means disciple. Daniels taught her to use bladed weapons, Roland taught her magic, and now, Erra took her with and God alone knows what she’s teaching her. Three individuals from that family have chosen to pour their knowledge into this child. Why? On top of that, this girl had a front row seat to the mess that is Atlanta’s politics for years. She has close ties to the Pack and the Witch Covens. Also, she’s welcome at Hugh d’Ambray’s Kentucky castle. She worries me.
DA: She’s what, eighteen?
BD: Just about. We don’t have an exact birth date.
DA: Young. Independent. And probably has a shit load of power. Find her for me, Bruce. We can’t get Erra, we lost Daniels, d’Ambray was never an option, but we can still get Julie Olsen. We can’t afford to pass on this one. The ruling family of Shinar aren’t the only ones waking up. We need the knowledge in her head, or we’re going to get outclassed fast.
BD: I’ll find her. The question is, how are you going to convince her to join us?
DA: She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid. Between the knights and the support staff, we have eighty thousand people who chose our side. Just get me to her, and I’ll take it from there. Make this a priority, Bruce.
BD: Understood, Grand Master.
Knight-Inquisitor Dolivo left the room.
DA [holding photograph of Erra]: What do you think about woman, Tim?
TH: She’s very dangerous, Grand Master.
DA: I’m sure she is. What was it Bruce said? Trouble.
TH: Yes, Grand Master.
DA: When you get to my age, Tim, you realize that playing it safe isn’t always the best strategy. After all, what’s life without a little trouble? Don’t write that down. We wouldn’t want Knight-Inquisitor Dolivo to lose his beauty sleep.
“Don’t write that down. We wouldn’t want Knight-Inquisitor Dolivo to lose his beauty sleep.”
Thank you Tim ! And Thank you for the potential preface !
They do have one heck of a mean streak…gotta love it!
Absolutely wonderful.. thank you
+1 ????
Brilliant!!!
+1
Thank you!!
Thank you, that was wonderful!!!! Damian is priceless.
Woooooooo!!!! Love Ryder! Epic start/intro!
+1
+1
Omg. Thank you. Love the attitude in it.
Julie will not be buffaloed at all. Mini Kate.
“She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid.” Am I the only one laughing at this?
No, I was giggling madly at that. So Damian is going to woo Erra and recruit Julie…pride goeth before the fall and I’m anticipating one hell of a thud.
Amen to that
No, I keep thinking about when he finds out Julie is in Atlanta and working on an Order case! Also, can’t wait for Julie to hand him his head when he underestimates her. Hehehehe!
Erra was being pursued by the Grand Master. Julie has special super duper Order papers. He knows by now.
I’m imagining when he met Julie and his plan for the impressionable eighteen-year-old kid turned from chocolate cake worthy prize to random purse cough drop.
+1 +squeeeeee!!
Bless y’all: Andrews clan & fans! <3
This titbit settles shortly after the battle of Atlanta. The actual story plays around 8 years later.
????????
Nope ! 🙂 🙂 🙂
+1
hahaha… this is the perfect intro!
Thank you!
So great, thank you both.
Love it!
Wow… Awesome!! And thank you! What a fun and ingenious way to remind us of previous events and bridge the gap for new readers! And… provide another potential worry/threat for Julie and our favorite family of Shinar….
“…She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid…”
Ha! Yeah. Ok. Sure. Fine. You bet.
*snort*
Julie’s about as impressionable as Stone Mountain. Ah, the Order, can’t live with them, can’t live without them!
Hahaha true
And they never learn!
I see a definite comeuppance in the Grand Master’s future….if he even manages to figure out who she is.
By the time Blood Heir starts, he probably knows exactly who she is. He’s courting Erra, after all.
I missed something. Could someone direct me to the scene someone courting Erra? Also IA mentioned that a lot of people liked Damian – I don’t recall reading about him prior to this. Thanks in advance!
PS Tku IA for another masterful scene of wonder and goodness!
Chapter 3 where she gives Nick the Tower to get his assistance
https://ilona-andrews.com/2020/home-sweet-home-2/
“What’s your relationship with the Grand Master?” Nick asked.
“I’m not at liberty to answer.”
My grandmother liked to describe her relationship with the head of the Order as “complicated.” From my point of view, there was nothing complicated about it. Damian Angevin was desperately in love with my grandmother. After he granted her the first Tower, she gave it to me. He found out and presented her with another one, so she would have one of her own just in case. My grandmother liked him, however, her heart belonged to a man who died over two thousand years ago. Damian knew this but he was never one to back down from a challenge.
Ooh, I forgot about that! It’s good to be forgetful; when Blood Heir comes out, it will be *almost* like reading it for the first time.
And thank you, Authorlords, for the precis! I’ve forgotten a lot of the Kate plot points, too.
so question is – is Julie right and Damian started to look for Erra and fell head over heals – or is it all a big game trying to get to Julie?
In Ryder chapter 3, Julie goes to the Order and uses her copy of the Tower badge to gain entry and take over the murder investigation. She mentions ─ to us, in her head ─ that she got the Tower because Damian Angevin gave it to Erra, and Erra gave it to Julie. Read about it at https://ilona-andrews.com/2020/home-sweet-home-2/.
He’s a new character to us, I think. Before this, we’ve always seen the Order through Kate’s eyes. She was way down in the Order ranks and I presume had no interest/knowledge of the upper echelons.
Great Friday indeed!
“She unclaimed the land and went back to living in the suburbs….” Okay, I need to re-read, maybe it’s a Friday thing but it feels like I’m missing something.
Trying to get her away from New Shinar? Impressionable 18 yo? *scoffs* They’ll learn.
And – DA can’t resist that trouble, eh? LMAO – too funny. Nice set up.
Definitely looking forward to this!
Kate died (briefly) and lost the claim to Atlanta. She didn’t try to re-claim it because 1. She promised to let it go and 2. What sane person wants to have to handle everyone else’s problems? (Epilogue of KD book 10)
I love it, it made me laugh a lot, I can’t wait to read the book, thank you.
Now THAT right there is an awesome preface\summary\recap! House Andrews does it again!
Lol loved all the quips and sassiness between them. 😀
It was such a blast from the past seeing over a decades worth of books just summed up about Roland’s timeline.
Wolf trap! Yay! The books are getting closer to me so and it’s exciting seeing familiar setting!
Me, too! I don’t know Atlanta, so it will be fun hearing about places around NoVa in the KD future.
i need to read an interaction between erra and damian!!!!!
+1
+10000
Me too! XD
+ 1
Absolutely !!!!
This was so awesome!! Thank you both so much
“If that man was in charge of nothing except his own dick, sooner or later he’d suspect it of presenting a danger to humanity.”
LMFAO!!! I’ve been laughing at this for the past 5 minutes. I’m deceased
Seriously. Literally LOLed, also during the whole Lifetime thing. Such a fun recap!
+1
+1
I can’t write anything even remotely insightful or witty. My mouth is making OMF, OMG, OMG noises.
I ship it.
Thank you, a blast as always.
History repeats itself. They had Kate right under their nose and didn’t know it. Soon they will have Julie under their nose…and they still won’t even know it.
The Order – amateurs trying to play in the Big Leagues. They are in way over their heads. (SMH)
Not so sure they are clueless. They may have sent a description ahead. Nick could have been told to make anyone with the marker part of the order. But they wouldnt tell him its her.
Maybe the Grand Master sent orders for Nick to cooperate with anyone holding the tower. It wouldn’t take more than that for Nick to do something he really didn’t want to do if he owed Pastor Haywood like Derek said.
I know he is obligated to cooperate, but he could have made it much more difficult, as Aurelia was well aware.
I wonder if he secretly knows who Julie is?
He does hate Roland and Kate but eh, wouldn’t have thought he’d take up with Desandara and her kids, either. Even keeping it quiet and living apart, it isn’t something they can really keep from the Pack or ex-Pack neighborhood gossips.
No way. There is literally no way Nicholas knows who she is.
When IA was in Dallas on one of their tours, I asked if Desandra and Nick would get together. Gordon said “Yes” immediately with great enthusiasm so I figured it would never happen.
I was very pleased when it did.
No. Nick knows that “Aurelia” doesn’t add up, and something about her seems familiar but he can’t put his finger on it. He asked Desandra to sniff a form that Julie filled out, and asked if she recognized the scent.
This is so fun. Great method for exposition too. It just hit home for me that I’m way more engaged when reading exposition through a conversation than through regular narration(?). Probably because of the natural breaks in dialogue plus the tone
Also can someone remind me why claiming the land became an issue for Kate? There was an urge to claim more? Or to rule? I remember Erra warned Kate against something and told Kate to give up the land. But now she’s claimed the land of New Shinar and is ruling it and it’s fine. I’m forgetting something
Mostly, the reason why Errah does not want Kate ruling the claimed land was because she is so young and has no training/education. Errah, if I remember correctly, was not inexperienced, she just chose not to claim any land before. Now, hopefully, she is humanized enough with her time with Kate and Conlan, add several lifetimes of living experience, she will do New Shinar well. (Or not.)
As kids they were taught to claim then release small parcels of land to control the urge to claim more (and thus come into conflict with the head of the house, who already holds the kingdom of Shinar). Kate doesn’t have the practice or control to claim then release and has no desire to rule Atlanta-Shinar, so must release her claim.
Ok, I need a who’s who for the order people!! Thanks great recap. Can only imagine the shit show that will happen once the order gets more involved
Greg Feldman: Knight Deviner(magical examiner/detective) of Atlanta Chapter and Kate Daniels guardian. First mentioned in Magic Bites.
Ted Moynohan: Knight Protector (Head) of Atlanta Chapter. First encountered in Magic Bites until Magic Bleeds.
Nick Feldman: Knight Crusader(undercover/SpecOps) from Magic Bites until Magic Strikes then succeeding Moynohan as Knight Protector of Atlanta Chapter(can’t remember which book). He is also Greg Feldman’s son and technically Kate’s ‘adopted brother’.
Jared Stone: former Army Ranger and founder of The Knights of the Order of Merciful Aid. Grand Master
Heath: successor to Stone as the Grand Master of the Knights
Damian Angevin: current (as of Ryder) Grand Master of the Knights. Had a ‘complicated’ relationship with Erra (gave her a tower card which she passed off to Julie)
Bruce Dolivo: Knight Inquisitor (previously unknown)
I have a sneaking suspicion that the Knight-Secretary is going to be in play somehow.
This is great. Thanks
The best part of Friday.
Chapter of Ryder.Chapter of innkeeper .
Love the recap of Roland, Kate, Erra and Julie. With quips and hints flying !
It brings a smile , remembering the journey of Kate and Curran.
Then expanding to Hugh and Elara, now Julie and Derek.
Maybe Erra and Damian??
Thank you for all the wonderful words.
What chapter of innkeeper?
I really enjoyed Barabas’s take on history and this is yet another long view of events! Cool!!
Innkeeper, Really!!! I need to find it.
Ahhhhhhhh it gets so much better! I think this is a great way to open Blood Heir.
The problem with writing intros like this is that now the Book Devouring Horde wants more Damien… both when Damien meets Erra and the Order’s effort to recruit our impressionable 18 year old!
Prequel…?
One can only hope they do Twitter or DM … or Tok-Tok …
+1
Oh yeah ….
I never thought anyone would consider Julie a major bad. It makes all kinds of awful sense.
Julie, shortly after her initial appearance was crucified and got to watch Fomarians eat her birth mother’s corpse. And when rescued, she was sent back to the battle by the Morrigan and killed several of them.
Julie started out a badass, and only got older and stronger and better trained. She was no slouch when she left with Erra, and she earned every title she has for New Shinar
Thank you so much! ❤️
I was wondering where the snippet fit in.
Hope you all are doing well. ????
I smell t-r-o-u-b-l-e…..❤️????????
Gee thanks. Now I’ve got that song stuck in my head.
Minor continuity question for House Andrews. In this exchange:
BD: It’s a dramatic pause, Damian. That agent is Knight-Crusader Nikolas Feldman, Greg Feldman’s son. Didn’t see that coming, did you?
DA: How does this woman keep doing this?
What does DA mean by that? Is he talking about Kate? I felt a bit lost there…
I assume it is “How is this woman so central to so many of our (the Knights) failures.”
Twice lost as a recruit
Her guardian (and our Knight-Deviner) died
Hired, but not recruited by Moynahan and so a missed opportunity
Moynahan and the order disgraced by Erra while she is hunting Kate
The entire Atlanta Chapter is killed by Hugh D’Ambray while he is hunting Kate
Nick Feldman, an undercover Knight, is with Hugh as he is killing the Atlanta Chapter and is exposed by Moynahan
So all in all the tornado of destruction and disruption that is Kate Daniels has visited the Knights of the Order trailer park
I could see Kate shrugging and saying “ I was just there, those idiots were the ones screwing everything up!”. Thanks for the reply. Interesting points.
Yeah especially when she was locked in that cage when Hugh went on the rampage in the Order.
Hugh even asked Ted if Ted knew who Kate really was when Hugh was playing with him. Then Ted screwed over Nick as Ted was dying.
“tornado [visiting] the Knights of the Order trailer park” LMAO!
I agree, it doesn’t make sense to give Kate any portion of the credit/blame for Nick being outed.
Also, how would DA not have been briefed on this event already? BD should have said something along the lines of “you know this part of the story, but maybe not realize how deeply it’s connected to to the Kate storyline.”
Yay! I love it love it love it!! Thank you so much! So this snippet must be when Julie first left. You two are incredible – getting all the background info in the book with a memo. Brilliant!
This is a fantastic introduction. Nicely summed up so much information. Loved the banter and made me smile throughout. You guys are rockstars. Have a great weekend. Excited to read the book.
That was awesome! Thank you!
Are we all putting Erra and Damian in a “slightly” rocky relationship? 😉
I know I am, so far anyway.
Erra described it as complicated, but this scene is before that relationship takes place
This is gold! Thank you for sharing your continued awesomeness with us!!
So….Tim will throw his hat into the ring with Derek, Ascanio, & Yu Fong as a potential love interest for Julie?
Julie was never interested in anybody but Derek. I don’t see that Tim will be anything but a possible friend. Ascanio and Julie had a brother/sister relationship – when they weren’t working together, they were either fighting or getting into trouble together.
And Yu Fong wasn’t much interested in Julie except that she would call him on his shit when nobody else would. I think he might look for a mate who would do the same, but not Julie – she didn’t care enough about him.
Okay. Once Red dumped her and left, Julie was never interested in anybody but Derek.
I can see Tim every so often, when talking to Julie/Aurelia, starting to snicker and saying something to the effect of “Impressionable, my ass.” And then continuing to laugh without further explanation.
Would he consider a transcript of that session a suitable wedding present?
Heee. This is wonderful! It will make a great intro, too. The foreshadowing! And I love Damian’s disdain for Moynahan Thank you.
I love this!!! This keeps you from having to spend so much time doing set up for people just finding you. Damian has a lot of potential, can’t wait to see where you take him.
Awesome. I thought Erra was taller, though. Did the new body come out shorter? If so, does she whine about it?
I don’t care if she is thousands of years old and all regal-like, she can still whine.
I thought she was taller, too. For some reason, I was thinking she’s either 6’7″ (2m), or a foot taller than Kate.
I’m in the early books of a full, every single story in order KD world re-read, and if I go hunting for the original description, I’ll get confused. Hopefully I’ll come across it soon anyway.
I know you have enough on your plate as it is, but I would love a book with these guys.
How do you two do it? I read something of yours and want more, it’s a given.
I love you guys. You are the best authors ever, and it is just fabulous that you spoil your fans rotten! You truly made my week!
Fantastic . Great as a preface reminder / intro. Thank you ????
Yay!!!’ Thank you! Happy Friday.
This is so much fun! Thank you!
Adore this piece so hard!!! As someone who spent stupid time in school administration this is EVERY conference Ive been in regarding violent unhinged student. Sigh. Sidebar–such a treat. Today is the first day in maybe a week can ALMOST see the sky and can kinda breath a little. Hope to go out today, Hooray for today!
Aaaaaaamazing! That’s me screaming after reading the last paragraph. (Now my husband is staring at me like I’m losing my mind.)
I say it again, you guys write stories, scenes, anything, and it will always be entertaining.
This DA dude must have iron jewels to droll over a plaguebringer and city eater. Go him!
Wonderful! Absolutely glorius! Especially being a “Lifetime movie.”
Eerreemaahgawds!! Best Recap ever!!!! I need to read this at least 15 more times!!!
Side note – I don’t think I used enough exclamation marks to show just how much I loved this
Also I cannot wait to see how Erra turns him into a besotted pup and Julie shows him just how Not impressionable she is!! He won’t know what hit him!!
“She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid. Between the knights and the support staff, we have eighty thousand people who chose our side. Just get me to her, and I’ll take it from there. Make this a priority, Bruce.” – HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Julie will eat this guy for a snack
“Julie will eat this guy for a snack” lololol
Agreed.
I loved this so much!! If I were any more excited for this book I’d explode.
A Snack! LMAO
Probably won’t eat him for a snack, but will definitely have him eating his words.
Wonderful 🙂 love it
Thank you, fantastic can hardly wait for January.
I love the banter between B and D. Interesting…sounds like another side series in the making!
So, do we get to see a photo or illustration of how Damian looks like?
Sounds like Academy classmates, long-term co-workers, and old friends to me.
Best summation I have read. The insight into the knights is great. Such fun. I know this book is serious but so far I have laughed a lot. Julie wondering how come every one knows about her secret hideaway. It is hard to go home again. Thank you , this is fun
Love it!
Thank You ❤
I love this so much.
Excellent! Now I want to see that Lifetime movie.
Try the Aurelia Teagarden mysteries
Thanks! Best birthday present I’ve gotten today!
Hope it’s a good day and an ever-improving year!
This is perfect ♥️
Sooooo Excited!!!
Thank you House Andrews ????
Woohoo!!! I love it!
Thank you, waiting impatiently for the book.
OK, now I want to see Damian/Erra interactions…is he dark-haired, perhaps?
Loved it! You are true storytellers, finding a fresh and hilarious way just to preface the story with a “previously in Atlanta” exposition dump.
And an Actual DATE! Confirmation that Ryder 1 is indeed happening in 2053! Squee!
Thank you!
T H A N K Y O U ! ! !
Grrr, my careful spacing got ignored. Oh, for a workable revenge spell against un-helpful word processors.
Now the alignment with the Order makes sense. Thank you for that.
It seems he took a risk and there was an exchange, this is how Julie got her credentials.
Interesting. I love it.
This makes me want to reread all the KD books but also need that chapter 14 like crazy. I’m gonna break the refresh button waiting on it 😀
Honestly, I reread the books at least once a year. I never get bored. They’re my favourite reads, quite like a security blanket.
I love Damian ????????????
Awesome
Thank you for using “fucktard” in a sentence!
We edited it out. While in US it means a very stupid person, according to one of the readers, in UK it’s a slur against mentally disabled. Fuckhead works just as well.
Thank you so much! As the parent of a mentally retarded child, any slur using the term in it is very hurtful. It applies in the U.S. as well.
In the US the slur is”retard”. A “fucktard” is someone who is so stupid they fuck up everything they touch. Kind of like FUBAR, fucked up beyond all recognition. I think the US took the second half of bastard and combined it to describe the most disastrous bastard ever encountered. However, I didn’t coin the phrase and I can understand why it would have negative connotations for you.
Crystal B: Feasible, but that isn’t the common understanding, especially here in the U.S. See https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Fuck+tard&=true
This thread is now closed. Let’s agree that the word carries negative connotations. How it came to be and what exactly it means is up for the debate, but I’d rather not have it here. 🙂
I have always liked ‘fuckwit’ ???? I find it has a certain elegance and is only offensive to the person at whom it is aimed ???? (and people who don’t like the ‘f-word’
Entomology here: https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/09/apparently-austrialia-invented-the-word-fuckwit.html
Agree on fuckwit. There’s no other word quite like it 🙂
Is DA manipulating Eraa and Julie to exploit their skills for his purpose?
I hope he is not another Jim using Kate. I don’t like the kind of personality Jim is. He was capable but unreliable partner and exploited he during their partnership. Then he let his crew lose on her to vent knowing it was not her fault.
If I knew someone like him, I would be less cordial to such a couple. They definitely do not get to have breakfast if they barge in the way Dalli used to at Kate’s.
[ It’s not a critic of your writing. I love your characters you write. I just find it surprising so many people seem to as like Mr and mrs Jim. ]
Have you read the Dali & Jim novellas?
May change your perspective a bit, perhaps.
[& TY, IA, for giving us the whole transcript. The incomplete one was kinda killing me.]
Lol….DA may have started that way, but as was pointed out, Erra has thousands of years of experience and magic so I doubt he could fool her. If anyone is using anyone, I suspect it is the other way around….
Is DA manipulating Eraa and Julie to exploit their skills for his purpose?
I hope he is not another Jim using Kate. I don’t like the kind of personality Jim is. He was capable but unreliable partner and exploited he during their partnership. Then he let his crew lose on her to vent knowing it was not her fault.
If I knew someone like him, I would be less cordial to such a couple. They definitely do not get to have breakfast if they barge in the way Dalli used to at Kate’s.
[ It’s not a critic of your writing. I love way you write these characters and make them feel real. I just find it surprising so many people seem to as like Mr and mrs Jim. ]
Yes! I so agree with you on this, but I guess that’s also a wonderful way that IA’s writings mimic life? Don’t we all (I used to, then didn’t and now again do) have someone that we don’t quite like/ agree with about outlook on life, yet still have in the backgrounds of our lives because of nature of acquaintance, or are part of the larger social circle we move in? I would always read anything IA wrote, which is why I read the two Jim/Dali stories, but they will never really be my vote for the direction of a new story. Neither was Hughes & I still have reservations on him too.
True. The best thing about Ilona Andrews is that characters are too real.
Yes, I have reservations about Hugh too. Though I can get along with him more readily than with Jim. Hugh grew more. He was more willing to acknowledge and take responsibility of his actions and accept consequences, even punishment. Unlike Jim, he came to fight in Atlanta when he didn’t have to.
Jim? He swindled Curran too, when Curran left, (the cheap Merce guild share instead of Curran’s share in businesses with pack people). Meaning Curran’s investment and work was reaped by Jim. Then he goes ahead and messes up with Roland and gets the pack in trouble, forcing Kate and Curran to fight for them.
I hope he finds another part of the city when he retires and doesn’t try to move in Kate and Curran’s area for second round of benefits.
Eh… If you look at Jim from the perspective of “He’s a shapeshifter loaded with Lyc-V and also a feline” you may adjust how you see him. With Hugh, you gotta read everything about him. It talks about who he was before Roland. It also talks about how much Roland would manipulate him to go against his better nature constantly. I see Hugh more as a victim of constant abuse then as some evil bad guy although he did some horrifyingly terrible things. Back to Jim, keep in mind that Jim was in charge of security for the pack. Yeah, he was friends with Kate but if you are friends with someone that commits a crime and you are a cop, you have a really hard choice to make. He errored on the side of “Pack”
I can agree with you on Hugh for the most part. But I do not agree on Jim’s actions. Kate did no crime towards pack or him. So cop analogy is not applicable. He messed up on his own. He also left Kate in a cage under imminent danger. Luckily for her the ancient warrior was not interested in killing her.
As a partner only Kate would put up with that kind of partner and still let Jim claim the money and be satisfied with small share. She was letting him exploit her to keep her identity hidden. But around Derek’s attack I started to dislike Jim quite a lot. That was serious problem and Kate only survived that attack because it was she. Jim knew perfectly well that she was not responsible for attack on Derek. It was his own fault. Yet his people took their anger out on her in his leadership.
Later too he threatens Kate needlessly. Then he tried to break her relationship. By that time Kate had done so much for the pack. Most of her injuries and risks were on behalf of the pack and even from the pack. Even got them cure for loopism among kids.
Then he and Raphael made Curran let his money go to them. Individuals in pack wouldn’t get it. Next beast lord or Rapheal who held those merc guild share took it.
I don’t care for Jim either. I really started disliking him when Kate had 22 challenges in 11 days. He could have mitigated that.
And when Jim threaten to kill her if she doesn’t comply with his expectations you cease to be on my trusted friend list and move to work acquaintance.
So, yeah, don’t like our trust Jim!
Wait!
Is this Erra’s snuggle wuggums that Julie mentions to Luther(or in the earlier chapters of her describing the West Coast New Shinar?
Yes.
Thank you!
Now I have to go OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!
Snuggle wuggums xD hahaha
Well…, we know (from ch 3 of Blood Heir) that they found Errah and Julie
Though I still wonder how everything happened
But who knows what future chapters hold – or how they will eventually end op in the book
Hahhahahhahhah oooooooooooh
Oh YAY!! Brilliant! Thank you for this. It’s the highlight of my very bad week.
Hahaha!
Not the brightest knight, that one!
Thank you!
“Sir, she’s Trouble”
D: “Yum!”
😀
I loved it!!
I thought I read something where Damien and Erra were a “ship”…did I dream that?
Sorry if quarantine brain just made that up! ????
This is preship.
Someone else mentioned that in the short version of this. I didn’t look it up to confirm, but I’m impressed that someone remembered it from a brief mention in an early Blood Heir chapter.
Damien gave Erra the Tower and Erra gave it to Julie and that is what Julie used to id herself to the Order.
Thank you! All of Kate’s books summed up in one hilarious summary. The parts with Moynohan…????????????????????
I can see Kate’s parents story being a Lifetime movie of the week. It has the vibe for it.
As for Julie being impressionable to work for the Order???? Uh nope. She saw too much of what the Order did to Kate and Andrea. I noticed Andrea’s name isn’t mentioned.
To be continued! ????
I can see Andrea not being mentioned. If you look at it from the Order’s point of view, Andrea was was a huge embarrassment. A beastkin who managed to not only get admitted but become a decorated knight. While the decision to toss her out fit Damien’s predecessors time as Grand Master she would likely be a sore subject.
From a writing standpoint, she was not central to the story the way the people mentioned were.
True. The Order did and probably still has a Pack issue, to put it mildly.
Still it would be interesting as a side story to read what they thought about losing Andrea thanks to Ted. If it’s anything like what we just read, oh boy!
When did Julie go to the Swan Palace? Was this after she left with Erra, because I don’t remember her doing it in Katie’s series. Roland talked to her, yes, but I don’t remember mention of her traveling to the palace.
Roland was training Julie. They had to do it somewhere, and the Swan Palace was a logical place.
She was going there to learn how to be a Herald. He’d occasionally go to her as well.
Oh, wait, was the Swan palace his place outside Atlanta? I was thinking it was the place in Iowa. Unless it’s the dragon’s realm. I couldn’t figure out when she went to Iowa, but if it was the place outside Atlanta or the dragon’s realm, then it makes more sense.
Roland could teleport. He would pick Julie up and take her. Or he gave her a supply of water from the Swan Palace so she could do it herself. Julie did seem to have considerable raw power in her own right. Water from her home’s bathroom would get her back when she needed to go home.
You’re right that the Swan palace is in Iowa. Roland probably taught Julie at his humble abode right outside Atlanta (the one where he was going to re-create the Water Gardens, and where Kate found Hugh’s second in command on a cross). He could have taught her in the dragon realm too.
Genius! This ties, bridges, whatever other words come to other readers mind KD world with the literary goodies to follow.
Thank you
???????????????? Erra + romance, from the Grand Master of the Order.
Thank you so much for the post, it’s the first laugh I’ve had in this very long week. What a great way to bring everyone up to speed. If I hadn’t already read the KD universe, I’d be looking for the books after reading this.
This was juicy! Thank you. Can’t wait to hear about what other big dogs are waking up
This is glorious!
“The ruling family of Shinar aren’t the only ones waking up.”
There could be stories written in this world until the Authorlords retire!
Consider that Moloch, the old family enemy, is the featured bad guy for the new stories.
In the Middle East, “you can’t swing a sacrificial lamb without hitting some old god.”
Mwahahahaha! Yay.
Thank you very much for this.
So The Order of Merciful Aid will continue to F things up in a spectacular manner.
This was soooo much fun! Please keep it in the final published version.
You probably have been able to tell that Julie and Derek were my favorite secondary characters in the Kate Daniels series. I have Blood Heir pre-ordered, and will happily buy anything you write about them.
One thing that’s kept me going through the past several months is speculating on how things will develop – I’ve had several fun ideas, and I’m sure you will produce something much better.
So basically the Grand Master used the Order of Merciful Aid as Tinder?
A Friday Ryder post. Squeeeee.
Thank you! It was fab. I re-read the series this year & think it’s a perfect re-cap.
Best of luck with all the deadlines. I hope the process is still a joy. Reading it certainly is.
There are so many potential spin-offs or novellas or novels I would just love that cover the gap between Magic Triumphs and Blood Heir. It’s amazing how you can stoke interest with just a few sentences. Erra and Damian. Nick and Desandra. Minty silver Derek and Ice Fury. And the kids: I would just love to see Barabas’s reaction when he found his Sophia in the sewer or the monster hunting note. Kate was raised by Voron so I can see her not too fazed but he seems more risk adverse, thanks law school.
This was great! After a day on zoom, it’s nice to laugh and rest the eyes! Thank you.
Love this! Thank you!
It just gets better.
How do you guys do that?
I don’t know, but I really appreciate it. This book is going to be so epic!
January is sooo far away.
Thank you for the snippets and posted chapters. I am already itching to read this book. I had no idea I missed “Kate World” so much, but evidently I do.
The “record” is a great idea. Memories get fuzzy with time and not everyone will want to reread all eleven (or twelve) previous books set in KW.
(I like Damian – even if he’s a bit fool-hardy…)
O_O
Thanx for that, great start to my weekend. ????
Bruce, Damian, Tim…. Where’s Jason and Dick? 😉
Lmao!! Now I know why all the names sounded so familiar xD
It’s always such a joy to click on the link to your blog and find a new entry. Thank you.
SQUUUUEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *trailing off into a noise only dogs can hear*
Totally freaking awesome! Y’all are the bomb! They did forget one important thing…. Nicholas Feldman is now considered family and so is Hugh by Ms. Daniels/Lennart. They need to be on their toes for sure. Nothing was said about the three who came to town to remove Nick either. Silly men!
Don’t forget that this was written shortly after the big battle, so all those family relationships would have deepened and solidified in the years following the battle…
Love it! Thank you very much!
This was excellent. Also, I legit squealed at this: “If that man was in charge of nothing except his own dick, sooner or later he’d suspect it of presenting a danger to humanity.”
Thank you for the much needed laugh! ????
Fun!
I would like to point out that you trade UP to a Lisa, not down ????
I concur.
How Julie got her badge? hahahahaha! Thanks for a wonderful weekend treat!
oh my. love this!
I hope we’ll see more of Damian Angevin.
🙂
Thank you!
What a wonderful (and unexpected) start to the weekend.
Love it!
Oh thank you! So amazing. And now more characters I want to know about. Lol
So good. Can’t wait. Thanks for sharing.
I thought Erra was 6’6. Did she shrink when she was resurrected?
Thank you! This is a great opening. It neatly sums up the series and leaves us excited and forewarned about how powerful Julie is now for her book. I am so excited for her book and now kinda hope Erra and Damien get at least a few scenes. ????
I have very odd thoughts about a first “date” between DA and Erra.
Also it now sounds like after the order found New Shinra that they started to basically try to bribe it.
That was so interesting and engaging that I’d love to read a whole book of just reports and different official POVs (with notes in the margins/unofficial drafts), eyewitness reports, dry cleaning bills, etc.. from the different characters and agencies as they chronicle an event beginning-middle-to end that occured in Kate’s world. Their rivalries are spirited and the banter between them is so spicy that it would be fun to be a fly on the wall – or rather a fly on all the walls- as each agency tries to figure out the who, what, where, why, how, and who to blame & bill for the fiasco.
Thank you for the great chapter!
This is fun and a neat way to do a recap. I hope you’re having as much fun writing and being back in the post-shift world as we are.
oooweee! Loved the recap! If I were a new to KD world reader, it would definitely make me search out the Kate books!
Ooooo!!! I’m Practically rubbing my hands together in evil glee…can’t wait to read the rest of Ryder!
Rofl at the Lifetime Channel reference. Also, now you’ve done it. With the snippet, I was interested but not convinced it was something I really wanted to read. Now, I am hoping that you write another book about this – let’s see, you’ve got the Innkeeper series, the rest of the Hidden Legacy (1 more Catalina and 3 Arabella, and maybe more about Nevada and Connor and their baby), Julie’s story, 2 more Hugh stories, and now Damian and Erra’s story. Not to mention maybe a story featuring Ascanio and Baby Bea and how Sophia became a shifter and all the other intriguing characters. Wow. Luckily you both write really fast. And I feel incredibly lucky because that will give me wonderful stories to read for at least another couple of years or even a decade or two! But no pressure. Take time to breath. I’ll wait.
My mom is desperate for a Leon trilogy
Would probably be fun, actually.
Thank you, House Andrews for the snippet. I LMAO but a good summary of Kate Daniels series. I noticed “uncle shithead” designation was never mentioned. So either they don’t know or don’t think it important. Poor Nick. At least Desandra recognizes him as a worthwhile person.
It seems odd that DA has written Kate off as if she is just a bit player, same thing with Curren.
I think he recognizes reality and the Order’s limitations. Still, it would seem that he does bite off more than he can chew. Heh, heh.
I laughed out loud at this line “ If that man was in charge of nothing except his own dick, sooner or later he’d….” I am going to try to memorize it and then shamelessly steal it! Lol. It has great potential as an all purpose commentary on incompetence…still laughing…
Am I the only one that feels we have gotten an actual year date in this series?
No, and I squeed with joy! We had a brief discussion in the Deadlines and Elections post comments, two of us stated belief that the current Ryder 1 year is 2053 + a few other dates. It appears House Andrews is confirming this. Search that page for my name if you’re interested in the rest.
I’m re-reading the series in total and taking notes on dates. Anyone interested in me posting this when I finish, or would that be my usual m.o. of stating the obvious while sounding like a know-it-all? I’m sure someone’s done this before, but I’ve Google-failed at finding a complete one. Suggestions welcomed!
Damien is punching above his weight. This will be fun!
Damian? How did I miss Damian? Which book is he in?
Mention only. He’s the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid.
Wheeeeee, I love it! Julie, so impressionable. ROFLMAO. Thank you for this. Man, Jan is a long time away yet. Arrrggghhh. (I realize HA is feeling the time crunch, honest.)
In an aside, if anyone else likes Honor Raconteur’s Case Files of Henri Davenforth series and needs a fun read while waiting less than patiently for Jan to arrive, the 5th one just came out. I only like some of her work, but this series has been really decent. Off to read!
Judy
This site hates me sometimes.
I heartily second the Case Files of Henri Davenforth recommendation! I had no idea there was a FIFTH one out – I just checked for one yesterday! WHOO-HOO!!!!
Oh, thanks! I follow her on Amazon, but sometimes the emails take a few days to generate. I’ve been in a reading slump, hopefully this will shake me out
How is it that you guys keep doing this? I feel like a crack addict…
I don’t get to check in often, but when I do I try to catch up on stuff I’ve missed. So, I’m curled in a fetal position on the couch, wrapped up like a burrito, trying to stave off a full blown migraine. I know looking at my phone won’t help much in the headache department, but I’m searching for a distraction. So, I hop onto the blog. Then I read this. This wonderfully snarky banter that makes me laugh out loud. And now that I’m done, I’m grasping with shaking hands at any IA books I find, because this little snippet clearly just triggered my need for a fix.
The closest was Iron Covenant. That will do.
Do you guys have favorite books that you can go back to over and over?
I have several favorite authors – Ilona Andrews holds up best for re-reading. The only thing I don’t care for is the Edge series, and I really don’t know why.
I’m with you on all of that. Edge is great writing, but it makes me very anxious for some reason I can’t explain…
ITA re the Edge series and feeling anxious. But I loved hearing later about George the mediator in Innkeeper and the fact that he had a developed back story in the Edge series made him more real and grounded. . . And in turn helped ground Innkeeper for me.
Silent Blade is a comfort read for me, I’ve read it numerous times. I hope they someday write a full series in that world. I love Iron Covenant too, I’m glad what was an April Fool’s joke turned into an actual story.
Mine is Sweep of the Blade and Magic Triumphs. I won’t say how many times I’ve re-read them, let’s just say I’m very familiar with them. I am still looking for authors I enjoy as much as IA. The only one close is Patricia Briggs. Are there any others that are comparable? It says a lot that I would rather re-read IA, than finish one of the many other books I’ve started.
The BDH has recommended:
https://ilona-andrews.com/2018/open-thread-for-author-and-blog-recommendations/
Awesome recap!!!
Really enjoyed the laughs and absolutely loved the snark!
Thanks so much!
Engrossing , love this
LOL!
Uncle Nick Stupidhead is a regular Norman Einsteen compared to these yahoos!
Love love love! No really! Thanks so much. I enjoy the way you build and layer characters so much. This provides such a tantalizing glimpse into Damien Angevin’s character with so much left to explore. I really enjoyed reading it.
oh after RBG I needed this. Thank you truly.
Thank you!! That was wonderful!!????????????
I loved this! I think you should have two prologues, maybe this one first (as a recap) and the “The King of Fire” as a second prologue … it’ll nicely segue in, most of the key characters are already mentioned here.
The Grand Master of Knights and The Rose of Tigris. Squee~!
Lol, thanks for this. It makes me think of the comic/tv show where insurance employees deal with the fall out of superhero shenanigans.
Hawt Dang! This made my entire week! I’ve had perhaps a dozen minor boo boo’s of interesting luck, and have been running a bit paranoid, but this sort of evens my keel. I think I might be in love with Damian. It’s clear he has the hots for Erra tho. How does she feel about him back? I want Erra and Damian’s story <3 <3 <3
Love it
Thanks you
That has to be the best intro and up to speed preface I have ever read. You guys are the best !
Thank you.
This was more than I could hope it would be.
Oh, this is wonderful! Exactly what I needed to read today! Thank you so much for sharing! <3 <3 <3
Amazing way to close out my week. Our vacation plans were just terminated thanks to Beta. This helped a lot!
Speaking of, I know You’re somewhere near the Texas coast. Please stay safe!
“What’s life without a little trouble?” Well, someone is impressionable and it surely isn’t Julie. So Feldman shacks up with Desandra, and Damian is very involved with Erra. Looks like the Order has a front row seat to upcoming events. A Praetorian Guard perhaps?
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
STOP IT!!!
IT HURTS!!!
Ilona and Gordon, this is priceless! You’re killing me here, I don’t know how I’m going to stand the wait. Thank you so much for this gift. Your stories are fabulous as always.
OMG that was epic ???????????????????? Thank you so much for that experience!! Made my morning!
“DA: Well, fucking shit.”
Says it all, doesn’t it? Why I even fight getting sucked into everything you write is the biggest mystery of my life, I think. I swore when you started this book that I wasn’t going to care about Julie and whatever she was doing, and now I’m as stuck as mule in quicksand. This is a very well-written history of the entire Kate Daniels saga, a feat I did not think could be accomplished. How you juggle all your series’s and keep them straight is beyond me. Continue to quarantine, because if either of you get sick, the entire BDH will scream, rant, rave, cry and pray. You are a light in a dark tunnel to us. My personal tunnel got a lot darker when the doctor said, “inoperable”, but this light will help pull me through. Having something to look forward to is the best thing I can have. And so it goes.
Thank you.
Sending prayers and wishes that “inoperable” does not mean “untreatable”, and that it eventually leads to “manageable” and “curable”.
Oh I just loved reading that. Wit, snark and everything in between.
Thank you! Have a great weekend.
YES! YES! YES! Thank you!! This book is going to be Epic!
⚔️⚔️Oh, my goodness, I love this book. ⚔️⚔️
Wow. This is a terrific bridge between the two series!
How do you do this? Quality content all the time *-* I love it
Also, I’m now super-suspicious of Erra.
OMG, I ship it. THIS is the ship I will go down with!
Excellent!!
Thank you House Andrews!!! <3
Ha, Ha, Ha! Thanks for brightening my day. 😀
Lovely; an excellent and amusing recap.
“We need the knowledge in her head, or we’re going to get outclassed fast.” Too late for that – LMAO! Honestly, the worst part about how amazing House Andrews books are is that I live in a country with a really crappy currency – and I’m a PhD student so I don’t even get a lot of that currency – so I have to save up a lot when a book is coming out.
Thank you! Can’t wait for Blood Heir?
This is an excellent summary of the Kate Daniels series. Not only for new readers, but for people who haven’t read it in a while.
Loved it, makes me want to re-read the whole series again, so I’m going to. Thanks for this!
“She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid.”
ROTFLMFAO
This oughta be fun to watch.
Thank you. You just keep getting better.
Oh! Damien is the one who is in love with Erra and keeps giving her towers. Love this!
This was awesome – such a creative way to preface a new book (dare I say series) for old/new readers!
I have said this before.. and I am going to say it again. You guys have such a beautiful website ????
That was awesome, thank you!
Wow! Let the games begin! Ta-daa!
This brought a smile to my face, sitting here amidst the aftermath of Hurricane Sally. Picture post shift Atlanta suburbs 50 miles from the coast and you’re close. Tree covering the roof and power lines and poles blocking the street. I wish a magic wave would hit so I could jump on my giant mule and dash off. No power…might as well imagine.
Love it! 🙂
Thank you so much.
Ouch, Julie and impressionable?
Some people learned it at the hard way.
OMG. This was excellent. I’ve already preordered and am giddy with excitement.
These people should also kick themselves over how they had Andrea, deeply devoted to their org, and treated her so horribly that she had to leave.
Absolutely!
Love it! Thank you! Have a great weekend
Damian is a smarta$$. He’ll fit right in. Makes me wonder if he’s a member of the fam.
2045–25 years from now. Given all the fires, flood and plague, can a magic wave be the next delightful surprise 2020 has in store?
Where’s Kate when we need her?
THIS is why I LOVE your books. I’m one scene, you can make me laugh so hard I think I’m gonna see my pants, make me really concentrate on what’s being said and what’s left between the lines and ALWAYS leave me wondering what’s coming next. Can’t wait. This was wicked funny. Thank you.
Anybody else burst out laughing when Julie was described as an,”impressionable eighteen-year-old kid”
????????????????????
Probably all of us who actually paid attention to her character development in the original series.
I was like…We’re talking about Julie here…he’s gonna get soooo burned” ????????????
He clearly wasn’t listening.
Never underestimate an 18 year old female. Never. And while we don’t know her pedigree, she’s absorbed some pretty incredible power and not burned the house down yet. She’s in better control than Kate.
Erra turned out to be right about Julie’s Kurgan ancestry. Besides her personal sensate magic, she has affinities for horses, raptors and wolves. I wonder if there’s a pack or two of regular wolves in New Shinar who are willing to work with her when she has to be out and about on her official duties.
Omg! This is Wild. LOVE it. Can’t wait for more. THANK YOU
Yay! Yay yay yay! Thank you! I love this peek into how the Order works and what was going on with them during the Daniels books and I can’t WAIT to see how they think they’re going to get their claws on Julie. Eeee!
There is always somebody in every group that likes to stir stuff up. What was that statement… don’t promote people beyond their intelligence.
Thanks for the whole scene!!!
omg – you guys are unreal! That crack about Ted Moynohan had me about falling on the floor. Pure.Gold.
Aahhhh, now I just HAVE to reread all of KD books…..again!????????
I am consistently awed at the innovation in your writing style and plots. Nothing is old or done before. Sure, Julie takes some elements from Kate, but she is completely her own person. Her journey are story arc are nothing like her mother’s even in the same world. You have true talent and I am so glad you share it.
You know what would go well in my library? A large volume set of all the Kate Daniels world in chronological order. Maybe 2-3 books and 1-2 short stories for each of the tomes.
I’ve read these books so many times (especially in this last year as they are my only constant Happy Place with so much going on in the world) that I practically have them memorized.
This was a lovely scene. And OMG I laughed and laughed at “If that man was in charge of nothing except his own dick, sooner or later he’d suspect it of presenting a danger to humanity.”
So good.
I seriously can’t wait for this book. It’s on my calendar and I’m counting down the days.
“If that man was in charge of nothing except his own dick, sooner or later he’d suspect it of presenting a danger to humanity.” That made me laugh so hard ????????????
+1
OMG! This is the FUNNIEST thing I have read in YEARS! I’m still laughing!
Is there a romance brewing between Damian and Erra, awwwwwwwww.
*snorts and cackles with manic glee*
Damian wanted Julie as a knight and instead fell head over heals for Erra? Bwahahahaha
Thank you! This is excellent, as always. I am getting more and more excited for this book!
Awesome! I luv the whole thing!
Just re-read this for the third time and am still chuckling. Love it. The new “Iron” book may be dark, but perhaps Ryder is an antidote. I am enjoying this tremendously. So Damian is involved with Erra. Does he think he can use her? Possibly to get to Julie? If so, good luck to him and his horse. And he’ll be on Hugh like white on rice? To quote Damian, “Mhm.” But perhaps by the time of Julie’s trip to Atlanta, eight years after all, he has some different views. Can you see Hugh as the new head of the Order? The military arm of the New Shinar? Stranger things have happened. But I still want Julie teamed up with Derek, dammit.
“She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid” … HAHAHAHA poor Damian
Thank you for posting this!
Thank you Ilona and Gordon,
I am expecting to read about the love story of the century between Damien and Era:)
Every one is finding their other half. What about me;)
:)))))))))))))))))) OMG I loved this :)))))))))))))))))) priceless
I find myself wondering what the Order file on Cutting Edge Investigations reads like.
Something along the lines of, if necessary to apprehend, try to keep individuals separate – especially the young ones. Competent and well trained separately; put any two of the younger three together and their effectiveness triples; all three and kiss your ass goodbye.
Wow! Love this. Can’t wait for more!
I love this! Thank you.
What?? I’ve read all of the Kate Daniels books and listened to the audiobooks, thanks for her storyline I very much enjoyed them. This chapter kind of threw me and I didn’t understand where these people are in the Ryder series. Confusing, but that’s ok I enjoyed the back and forth dialogue of the characters.
They aren’t part of the actual storyline. These are some order people summerizing Kate’s story. Except maybe Damien. He is mentioned in the book as someone Erra is in love with and who gave Julie access to the order.
Damian may love Erra and she may be fond of him, but remember, her heart belongs to someone who died two thousand years ago. If he thinks he’s going to play either Erra or Julie he’s due for a rough awakening. However, he may see a way to keep civilization going by working with Erra and co. Possibly he really isn’t stupid. In fact if he were, Erra would probably have just nuked him out of sheer annoyance.This is fun, isn’t it?
Damien, you old dog. He just may be in love with Erra but he is faithful to the order. He knew about her relationship with the witches and Hugh. Old powers are waking up and you found a way to use Julie! Erra, you don’t fool me! Julie was in a healing coma and I bet she spoke about Derrick and Erra heard every secret. She even had Julie to look into the Alaska’s pack. She knew Derrick was there. She met Derrick!
Do you think Erra found out about Damien’s plan for Julie? Now Erra is calling Hugh. Damien did you tell Erra? Is Damien trying to get Hugh to Atlanta?
Damien don’t be a fool… you and inquisitor will end up slow roasted and food for Julie raptor and messy eating horse right after Derrick behead you, Kate (love affair with grandmother’s bone) crave you up and we can’t miss out on Hugh and Curran anger over missing the action.
Ps This is what happens when you eat thin slices of beef steak dip tenderly in jerk seasoning while reading.
I haven’t laughed so hard in a while. They have just realized they had Kate three times and lost her out of incompetence ???????????? thanks for that laughter. Can’t wait for the whole book to be published. ❤️
Succinct, precise, coherent, etc., etc. I vote a million times for this to be the preface for “Blood Heir.”
This was very interesting and funny! BD- “Give him to me, he’s too smart for you.”
DA- “Get your own smart kid. This one is mine.”
Just classic!
I keep rereading it and every time it cracks me up!!!!
No pressure… We definately need more!!
We love you!!
Thank you for the small injections of happines (I am refearing to the snippets!!!)
Thank you for the snippet! That was informative and hilarious! It is always interesting to hear the history from a different point of view.
And Erra is going to eat Damian alive.
Bwahahahaha!
Thank you! I can’t wait… well, actually I can because these things take time, but I will wait with eager anticipation!
Great read, thanks so much for posting!
PS what happened to the Ryder Chapter 13? It says “Not Found. Error 404” when I click on the link.
I think all the chapters beyond chapter 2 have been unpublished (not sure if by design or via a bug) – it would be great if IA could confirm either way.
Hi,
I’ve been thinking about this for sometime. If possible would you consider a forum for your fans. I have thoughts about so many of the characters that I would love to discuss with other people who love the books as much as I do. Lately I’ve been thinking about Samain and when Kate says “Samain is the grandson of two norse deities” it’s a revelation with gravitas. There is so much emotion conveyed in that one sentence with very little exposition and it’s stuck with me for years.
I recently read the short story about his cousin Adam it makes me wonder how much of world there is left to explore. I’m not one for fan fiction but I would love exploring that side of the Kate Daniels universe or at least discussing what we found to be captivating.
So I’m respectfully asking for a forum where the fans of the incredible worlds you build can discuss and share some of the most impactful scenes and theories from the worlds you create. I don’t want to affect your creative process so I wouldn’t expect moderation from either of you but if you designate some moderators from the participants in the forum, who are to keep it clean and respectful it would be a lovely place to discuss the books we love so much.
I hope you will consider this request.
Thank you!
Aman
I think it’s one of the best preface I’ve read.
I love that it’s gives you old info in a new setting, which makes it interesting (and tantalising) for old readers.
Thank you very much for sharing with us.
Laurence
Extremely tantalizing start! Thank you!❤️
The commentary was wonderful and I could visualize the facial expressions. Regarding the incompetence comments, your witty dialog had me laughing so loudly on my porch – I got my next door neighbor’s dog barking!
Love this!!! Where can I send you all my money need to read this asap. Lol can’t wait
Love this! Hehehe! Trouble! Trouble! And we know Julie found it!
Hello Favorite Authors !!
You took Ryder away… I was hoarding chapters ????
Sat down tonight and thought it would be good time to catch up.
And they’re all gone, just gone. Bummer. I’m a dummy.
Read your blog and I get it. NP.
Nothing is canon until published…
As someone who has read all your stuff, no, I don’t think it’s like fan fiction. Kate Daniels is how I discovered Inkeeper, Legacy, and George and Jack..???? During the pandemic it’s been really nice to visit that world again, Thank you ????
I thoroughly appreciate my favourite author(s) sharing fiction for FREE (wtf, seriously) and the hook is in. (But I’ll try and forget ????)
I’m pre-ordered on Blood Heir.
Happy rewriting…
Now I have to find something else to read ????
I am writing this here because I missed the new post about the rewrite of Ryder. No problem for me, you are the authors and it’s your baby. Raise it how you wish. Will there be a short memorial service for the Not to be Ryder. You know, something short and sweet for( a word I truly hate) “Closure”. Eagerly awaiting any and all of your books.
“She is an impressionable eighteen-year-old kid.”
Hahahahahahahahaha…. That one’s definitely going to come back and bite him in the butt!
Hmmm. Everyone’s cackling about Damian thinking Julie was young and easily manipulated.
She was and he did and she’s now a super-elite Knight Crusader, one of the top six MVPs in the order.
Even when she completes this case, she’ll turn in her badge, but she’ll keep the Tower. A Knight Crusader so powerful her info sources are better than the Order’s, and she’s trusted to choose to use the guild or not. When she does, they get the intel direct and choice of how much assistance they’ll give. When she doesn’t, Damian’s courtship could have proud Grandma talking Julie’s Accomplishments for reasons of her own.
She would never sign a deal like that in a million years, or accept the Tower herself, but offering the Tower to Erra was a masterstroke. Erra had to technically decline the gift, preserving her dignity and power in the relationship, and Julie took it as a favor to her Grandmother, but kept it just-in-case. Like she would any good, small, easily carried and concealed weapon, but one that otherwise she’d never conceive of needing.
And a puppy at one’s heels get a lot more casual conversation than an arrogant officer who thinks he’s entitled to Erra’s attention.
He’s still way underestimating Julie, though, and it *will* come back to bite him. Perhaps he queries high enough up the chain that someone thinks he “needs to be briefed”, and then Nick disobeys HQ to side with Julie? Like Kate exited the Order herself?
Whether Damien is in love with Erra or outstandingly good at playing to powerful people, no way for us to tell. But I’d bet my shoes that Erra knows!
People are funny. I think Ryder is wonderful, and better than wonderful sounds great! It seems to me a stand alone book,but some may not realize until they read a second time. Thank you!
I’m old, sort of ????and I read a lot ???? In all of my (over 50)years of reading, I have found very few authors that I can honestly say I love everything they write, for you guys it’s true. Revisions are made to give me more to read. ????????
Thank you. ❤️
This was a great update and it’s fun to look at the events of KD through a different perspective, plus as always enjoy the banter.
I also wanted to come in and say how much I appreciated the updates of Ryder, i just saw the most recent post around the clarification due to some negative feedback (and i assume? may have been me reading into it did not know what went down with the previous post). But as someone who grew up with the series (started reading it in like middle/high school) I was super excited to see the world continue and through the eyes of Julie! It felt like the same world and feeling, quirky banter, action, and the worldbuilding(i peeped that gramsci reference, cultural hegemony in the age of magic and nation building?)but with its own voice, driven through Julie/Aurelia, its different but still keeps the soul and heart of what made me love the original series so much. Thank you for sharing with us and January can’t come soon enough.
This is fantastic!????
Someday I wish for Kate’s early years I.E
Fighting pits from her and her opponents view.
Since I found I have been going through them repeatedly. It doesn’t matter which series or which spin-off, I love them all. I can’t wait for more of your books, whichever route you want to go.
I’m super excited for an updated Ryder. Not because I didn’t enjoy what was already written ( I did!). I’m just curious about the editing process and interested in what/how you’ll be changing it. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to peak behind the scenes, so to speak.
I wish I could comment on your explanation re. Ryder and why the chapters have been removed. Suffice to say, people and what they will post on the internet never cease to amaze me – and not in a good way.
I love Kate Daniels and I’ve always loved Julie, either as part of Kate Daniels or on her own – or with Erra! I always wanted to know what happened to her and if she and Derek have a future (fingers crossed). THANK YOU for giving this to us.
I wouldn’t presume to say ‘I trust you’ because YOU are the creators and whatever you decide is best. End of story. I will read it and I will love it.
And this … oh God this was brilliant. I was chuckling the entire time I read it.
THANK YOU!
This puts Julie a n a class by herself. Even though I knew all the people that had trained her, I never realiz d how powerful that would make her. She had better magic training then Kate. Oohh I cant wait!!
OMG so good. I cant wait for the Ryder books. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. In the dismal 2020 year these snippets and chapters are a highlight. So appreciated!!!
This is so fun! Thanks for letting us read it! I am really looking forward to Ryder.