ILONA ANDREWS

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Little Snippet

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The largest aquatic animal in the Inner Sea, on the coast of which Kair Toren was located, hadn’t been determined because the ocean was deep and liked to keep its secrets. However, this was a world of monsters, and one day, decades ago, one of those monsters died and washed ashore during a terrible storm at the poor section of the docks.  It was too large and too heavy to move, so the city took it apart where it fell. The fishmongers carved off its flesh and harvested everything they could use: the scales, the spines, and the innards. The Chamber of Kingdom Works claimed the head and carted it off to be displayed at Eagles Roost. The Mage Tower sent its mages to chop off the monster’s tail, which was delivered to the Tower for research and in use for protective talismans. When Kair Toren was done, only the creature’s ribs and spine remained.

Over the years, sun, wind, and rain stripped and bleached the bones. Eventually, a market sprouted inside of the rib cage. Sail canvas was strung a top the bones, rugs were brought in for the vendors to sell their wares, and the Ribs Bazar was born.

The Ribcage Pavilion became Kair Toren’s version of a tourist trap and for a good reason. I was looking at it now, and it was at least two hundred and thirty feet long and thirty feet tall.

I walked into the front entrance of the pavilion, where the giant vertebra sticking out above my head hinted at the remnants of a neck. Rows of vendors sat on rugs along the walls, offering baubles, cheap jewelry, talismans, phony remedies, shells, scrimshaw, weird sea creatures encased in glass and resin, and other useless oddities. In other words, junk.

I walked between the rows, Reynald following me. Once I told him where we were going, he’d put on his cloak and his hood-n-half, and now he looked particularly menacing.

The air smelled of pungent incense, a poor attempt to cover up the stench from the nearby fishing dock. The vendors eyed me, trying to gage my suitability as a potential mark.

There she was, midway on the left, a stout older woman wrapped in a shawl, with harsh features and graying blonde hair. Unlike most of the vendors, who sat on rugs, she had a display table and a chair. I stopped before the table, filled with sea glass jewelry.

“Greetings, Darotha.”

She squinted at me. “You look better than the last time I saw you.”

I made a show of examining the jewelry. Most of it was leather cord bracelets and necklaces with wooden beads and a chunk of sea glass in the center. The sea glass ranged from bright red to pale turquoise. There was a certain etiquette when it came to this kind of transaction. I picked up a bracelet with a chunk of green glass, draped it on my wrist, and tilted my arm, letting it catch the light.

Darotha watched me, amused.

“How much?”

“Five dens.”

Probably double what it was worth.

I nodded to Reynald, and he put a silver noma on the table. Before you talked to someone like Darotha, you paid an entrance fee. This was the proper way to do it, and I was very generous. 

Darotha reached out, almost lazily, and took the coin off the table. A minor vendor would have snatched it so fast, I wouldn’t even see it. It would have just vanished. This was Darotha demonstrating her clout. She didn’t have to grab the money. Nobody would try and take it from her.

“What can I do for you?” She asked.

“I’m looking for a beggar woman,” I said quietly.

“There are lots of beggar women in the city.”

“This one is worth ten nomas,” I said.

Darotha’s eyes shone. She looked like a shark coming for you through shadowy water. “That narrows it down a bit.”

Even for Darotha, who had her crooked fingers in many underworld pies, ten nomas was significant money.

“She is about my age, average height, bright red hair. She keeps to herself, doesn’t really beg, but mutters under her breath. Other beggars leave her alone, because her mumbling is disturbing, and if they try to touch her, painful magic stings them. I need her alive and uninjured. There is no need to apprehend her, I just need to know where she is.”

“The city is large and the beggars are many,” Darotha said. “It may take some time. I will send one of my kids to your new place when we know something.”

PS Mod R: And that’s not all!

It’s Double-Treat Thursday today because I have an exclusive sample of the Graphic Audio adaptation of Magic Strikes , which will be released on August 23rd. Step into the arena of the Midnight games!

Happy snippeting and listening!

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Comments

  3. Hmm, intriguing… I was fully expecting the sea monster ribs to snap shut on our protagonist and all the hapless merchants.

      • I imagine that when everyone else was done, the chef’s guild harvested the eggs to make an omelet that fed the whole city!

        • Hmm, I would imagine harvested eggs to be more suitable for caviar (but ginormous) then omlet type. That they would then charge a ridiculous amount of money for. 😁

          • You are correct in that it would technically not be caviar because it isn’t from a variety of sturgeon, but would be roe (unfertilized egg from a marine creature). And since it’s even more rare, that would probably make them want it more. Just imagine, “1 pearl of exotic sea monster roe to feed your entire ball, all for the mere price of 20 people’s annual income”. 😉

            Also, I have to say that I love that we can discuss fictitious sea monster eggs and how to prepare them here. I feel like the BDH gets me. 🤗

  7. Ohhh this is sounding better and better!! The Horde picture will have to updated after this one!

  9. oh oh oh the magic builds and the sea creatures stir !!!! *I will sits and waits for more* lol

  10. Love the new world of Maggie. Already several snickers at parts of it. I look forward to seeing what else emerges.

  11. Maggie! Maggie! Maggie!
    I pre-ordered Magic Strikes (and Magic Bleeds) from GA as soon as it was an available – audio snippet has me extra excited!
    Thank you for both! 🥰

  16. I cannot overstate how impatiently I’m waiting for Magic Strikes to come out on Graphic Audio! It’s been pre-ordered any everything! Thanks for sharing the snippet! 🙂

  19. Very nice! Thank you for the previews.

    If I had been hesitating about Maggie, it would have been a clincher. (Since I will buy anything that you send out into the world, it is a little icing on the cake…)

  20. Yea! Double Yea! It might as well be Frinnday!!! Two lovely snippets that have completely turned my Thursday around.

    Thank you!!

  21. OMGOSH – thank you – I am so happy to get into a new world and happy it seems to be still alive…can hardly wait….the whole of HA are rockstars and thank you.

  28. This snippet is like sunshine through the rain – we’ve been hit with a taxi strike for the past week making public and private transportation, impossible. So many unneccasary incidents, fights, deaths. People using the strike to further their own agendas.

    So this snippet, has been my rays of sunshine

    Thank you, thank you, thank you

  31. Than you so much! I loved the snippet (can’t wait to read more Maggie!!) and as usual, the Graphic Audio sample is so much fun!

    Happy Thursday to you! 😁

  37. I’ll read anything you put out and look forward to reading more of this but I would really love to see the rest of the Hugh books!

  38. Love the snippet and the GA sample! I know there were some heavy parts, but Magic Strikes is my favorite of all the Kate series. All of my favorite people in the Midnight Games!! So fun!

  42. Thank you for the snippet! I’m very intrigued by this story. Can’t wait to see how it develops!

    Also, love the sample. I’m in the middle of listening to Magic Burns right now and Magic Strikes is one of my favorites of the series! So excited for this one. Do you know when it would be available on Audible?

  43. Maggie sounds like a keeper! So happy you decided to move forward with it! Already preordered from GA!!

  44. Oh, no, library isn’t going to get Graphic Audio version, as they already have the original version. So sad. I will eventually get them myself, but at least I got to hear this bit… so wonderful!

    And Maggie keeps getting more and more yum…. but no pressure!!

  45. That is one of my all time favorite scenes! I always laugh out loud with that scene, whether I’m reading the book or listening to the audio book. It is sheer poetry.

  47. I definitely thought all those fish pieces people ate and used would come back to haunt them 🤷‍♀️ turned out to be much more tame! Love Maggie and her generosity!

  52. Love the bizarre bazaar! Will love to read some.more Maggie when she’s available. Fun!!!

    GA is the best. Love all the voices and their book to script conversions are always great.

  56. I’ve been part of the BDH for well over a decade. Like… so long that I don’t even know how long. I have no idea how many times I’ve reread ALL the books. In all that time I’ve never even considered purchasing an audiobook version… until today.

    Wow. So… is this a new thing just for, what is it, book 3 in the Kate series? Or have they already done more books? Cause… this is seriously incredible, lol.

  57. That part in Magic Strikes where they are in the pits and fighting in that competition is one of my absolute favorites. Especially when Curran comes in and busts them all for breaking his rules. Andrea telling Kate about that confrontation is one of the funniest scenes ever!

  59. Thankful Thursday! So looking forward to this story. Hope to see more soon. Hope all are doing well and not sweltering hot for the BDH’s Beloved Writers.

  60. Oh wow, this is one of my favorite scenes in Magic Strikes!!!

    Amazing snippet, amazing clip, thank you so much!

  63. Thank you , thank you! Loved the snippet so much! And enjoyed the audio despite not much liking GA productions. It was funny! They do have such good actors.

  64. Best decision I made in a while – subscribing to this blog. Anything from House Andrews makes me happy to read and re-read! Thank you for this.

    Just generally thank you for being awesome, accessible authors and to Mod R for running this. I’ve lurked and lurked but you’ve built such a wonderful community here I wanted to decloak and join the fun.

  67. I’ve been hooked on Maggie since the horse with the white face. Can’t wait – well I can, but not with any great patience – for the notice that this one is available for pre-order.

    The only things I’m waiting for with any degree of patience are the second Ryder book and the second Hugh/Elara. I know they are coming eventually and will be released when they are ready.

  69. this is a good story — thank you for the snippet — all your stories grab me and pull me in — thank you for that too 🙂

  71. Where is the snippet from? Wilmington years? Obviously the speaker and the vendor know each other. A mystery! And the sound snippet was very interesting. But I like my books in print.

    • It’s a snippet from Maggie, as identified right underneath the title 🙂. Maggie is the new House Andrews project.

  74. The snippet was awesome. The clip was just what I needed. I think that’s probably the most enjoyable 3.5 minutes of the book that could be presented as a short clip.

  76. They do a good job! Just finished listening to Magic Bites. When I get my next Audible credit, I’ll listen to book 2.

  77. Bear solemn witness, together with Mod-R and HA, to the BDH reacting as expected to the snippet from Maggie’s World with squeeeems of excitement and anticipation!
    (And if squeem was not a word, it is now.)

    Thank you for giving me something to ponder, as we kayak from Cambridge to Ely tomorrow w a small boy who’s committed to paddle all the way to the sea for children and (fenlands) nature charities, this summer…

    • Just curious, is there an online site to support the little one? Our world is so full of anger, greed and selfishness right now that hearing about a child willing and determined to help others brightens my day as much as the snippets.

  78. Will Maggie be traditionally published?

    I know you said you were looking for an anchor series and wanting to go the traditional publishing route. But felt Maggie was not an anchor series. So I wondered if you were going to self publish instead.

    If traditionally published, will that mean it might be a couple years until release day? If so, I need to stop reading snippets now as it’s going to be a long wait.

    I do appreciate the snippet and very much look forward to Maggie, however.

    This will be a shock to the BDH… I like Kate but I much preferred your other series. I do love Julie and Derek though as my top couple of all your couples. That said, I’m so into these snippets. Maggie may turn into my favorite MC, although that spot currently belongs to Dina.

    • House Andrews are still working at the manuscript, a business decision will be taken when it’s finalised 🙂

  83. Okay what???? This was soooooooooooo so good. Jim? And his *tone*. I could FEEL Curran shrugging in the end of that scene as he said his dialogue about catching the stupid shifter. Wow.

  85. “The city is large and the beggars are many,” — I love this line. It has a cool rhythm to it. I can almost hear the old woman saying it…like be this snippet! What a scene ..

  86. I was just getting into the Audio (remember that scene well) and then it ended. Noooo. This is definitely a purchase for me.

  88. I can’t wait for Maggie to come out. Everything that House Andrews has graciously shared thus far just whets the appetite. And Magic Strikes is one of my favourite Kate books. Such delicious snipetty goodness, need more!

  89. Yay!!! Double helping of awesomeness!!! I like Maggie more and more with each snippet, and want to read more about her, definitely!
    It’s going to be a looooong wait until Magic Strikes is available on Audible (Sighs!) 😉

  91. Will patiently wait……. because it will be delicious!
    Thank you Thank you Thank you turned a lousey day around!

  93. It has been a trying day so the double treat is is very appreciated! I can’t wait to learn more about Maggie and omg my favorite of scenes from Magic Strikes! It’s glorious! Thank you!

  99. I am intrigued!!!

    Also ahhhh!! Double treat day!!! Magic Strikes is my fave, I am so psyched for this adaptation!

  101. A lovely way to start off a Friday. I like this snippet (with an understood “I want more please!”

  102. Thank you so much for both snippets! This made my day.
    I loved that scene in Magic Strikes and GA really did it right.
    The other snippet really got my attention. I can’t wait!

  105. I’m so excited about Maggie!!! Do we know when we can expect this tom come out? Soon…please 🥺

  109. God I love Kate series wish I could afford to buy the GA version as well but I already have all the audio and paper books some hard cover some not. Thank you for a glimpse of the awesome work they do

    • The GA versions are also available on Overdrive and Hoopla, so worth checking with your library whether they have them ☺️

  111. This is one of my favorite action/tempestuous/team Kate and Curran books on how to build a relationship. Lol … loved it!!!

  113. Am I the only one thinking of the whale that washed up in Oregon in 1970 and, as it began rotting, they decided to get rid of it with dynamite? And people standing a quarter of a mile back still got hit with rotting whale?

    Just me? OK, then.

    Although, it’s a good thing these people got down to the practical work of carving it up before too much decay set in.

  114. The Mignight Games were what sealed the deal for me on the Kate Daniels series. Soooo goooood!!!

  115. Is Maggie the same story as the woman sitting in a tea house looking across at a murdering lords mansion? Who then goes on to have tea with (and maybe hire?) an assassin / body guard?

    That’s the mood I get from this snippet but I can’t for the life of me actually remember if that makes sense.

  119. Oh my freakin’ goodness!! A twofer!! LOVED the snippet and can’t wait for the rest to appear!!
    I don’t ever listen to audibles, but this one got me to thinking maybe I might!
    Thank you, HA!

  120. Hi Mod R. This is a random question. A few years ago someone (IDK if it was you, Ilona, or BDH) posted a link to a picture of what they thought Record Keeper Michael looked like. It was of a guy with his dark hair slicked back and he was in a suit and he had tattoos and was smoking a cigarette. I’m trying to find this picture and for the life of me I just can’t find it. Can you direct me to the post please.

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