ILONA ANDREWS

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author

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This Kingdom Finds Home in the UK

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We are delighted to officially announce that THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME – Maggie the Undying volume 1 has found a home with Tor UK.

Tor UK, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, is delighted to announce the acquisition of This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me, an extraordinary epic fantasy by bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews. Publisher Bella Pagan acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Chris Scheina at Tor US for this and two further novels in this trilogy.

The official press release is here.

We are super excited to work with Tor UK. This means more buying options for the UK Horde, like Waterstones, a wider distribution, and a greater availability of the book in ebook and in print. No more waiting for weeks for the books to arrive from the US. No more cancelled orders due to “lack of availability.” Massive win there.

Furthermore, this edition will be specifically geared toward UK readers, and Tor UK is known for releasing beautiful books. They are also known for publishing unusual, out-of-the-box fiction, which means This Kingdom will be in excellent hands. While portal fantasy/isekai trope dominates in anime and comic format, there haven’t been that many attempts to bring it into the literary world, so we are very grateful Tor UK took a chance on it.

Also, we’ve interacted by email, and they are so nice to work with.

On a personal note, neither Gordon nor I believe ourselves to be legendary. We are just very happy that we finally have a UK publisher committed to supporting our books in such a big way.

This brings me to the slightly more bothersome news.

This Kingdom Begs Forgiveness From the UK Horde

This part of the post is for READERS WHO ORDER FROM AMAZON UK.

If you reside in US and/or order from Amazon.com, none of the stuff below applies to you. Your preorders are NOT affected.

If you have preordered This Kingdom on Amazon UK, you probably noticed that your preorder has been cancelled and funds have been refunded. This means that any Amazon UK customers who preordered This Kingdom will need to re-preorder the book.

Before any further explanations, here is the correct Amazon UK link and well as the Waterstones one:

Amazon UK
Waterstones

The price is exactly the same. Tor UK was most gracious about making sure that everything matched and the Horde would not lose out.

Why did this happen?

This is one of those cases where the problem is unavoidable, and it’s nobody’s fault. The foreign rights sale process for US titles usually goes like so:

  • US publisher acquires the book
  • The book is edited
  • US publisher formally accepts the manuscript after edits
  • The book is presented to foreign (from US point of view) publishers
  • Foreign publishers read the book and, hopefully, make an offer to purchase it for their territory

Sometimes a book is really hot, and everybody bids on it sight unseen, but most of the time this is how the foreign sales happen. On the US side, there is a delay between initial signing of the contract and the actual acceptance of the book, which can be months or sometimes years.

Tor US bought This Kingdom 1 year and 4 months ago, in February 2024. Tor UK didn’t have a chance to read the manuscript until this year. Meanwhile, Amazon’s US listing went on sale and naturally flowed to Amazon UK. This is standard procedure, because if the foreign rights are not sold in the UK, at least the readers who order from Amazon UK would have a chance to purchase the book from the US.

We are so sorry for the inconvenience this has caused. There was no way to prevent it, but we deeply apologize all the same.

On a personal note, we are so excited for this partnership. If the book does well, maybe we will finally make it over to the UK to meet all of you. Fingers crossed.

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Comments

  3. Congratulations! My excitement for Maggie continues to mount 🙂

    PS. Is there any way for a US resident to order (or pre-order even) the UK edition of the book should they so desire?

    • Once the listing is live, you can order the UK edition from Waterstones, but also check Blackwell’s as they offer free international shipping. Neither of them believes in using packaging material though – they prefer the cardboard mailers that Barnes & Noble use that provide less protection. That being said, I’ve ordered many a Waterstones exclusive and only once received a damaged book (for which they offered me a partial refund).

  4. congratulations!!!

    I haven’t yet any of the maggie snippets because I want to go in completely blind and it all looks very exciting!

  5. So excited for you! Congratulations!
    Will have to get my son to pick one up for me the next time he’s in the UK!

  6. Congratulations! That’s a big win! It will be interesting to compare the 2 covers when they come out.

  7. TRILOGY??😍🤩

    congratulations!!

    so glad you persevered in the face of any nay sayers.

    i humbly submit you should still consider writing that dragon book. . .

      • If not King, then popular among the horde, As a newcomer, I was reading through earlier posts and came across the feedback from the BDH on the first Puffles short story and it was overwhelmingly positive.

        Readers do enjoy dragon books. Anne McAffrey wrote almost 20 dragon books before handing it over to her son. More recently, Lindsay Buroker has written several Dragon series. If the books were not selling, there would not have been a second series.

        Puffles gives HA a chance to write about a different century and location. Better still, the East European magical entities that feature in so many HA books, are only a short (ish) dragon ride away and could appear in Person.

        So Horde, if you want to read more about Puffles, then now is a good time to let HA know. We recognise that you have other projects scheduled, but at some future stage, we humbly request more Puffles!

        Back to the current thread. I live in the UK and have yet to receive any notificaion of my Amazon pre-order being cancelled There are however now two ebook versions available. Both are the same price, but one version is set to be published two days later. While the BDH is famous for its patience perhaps Tor UK could be respectfully asked to get its finger out?

        JimH.

    • +1 that story and a *really* old one where the MC crunched the recalcitrant copier with her magic lurk in my brain.

      • technomancer? yes yes yes please

        she’s left captive with the Russian and I’ve been dying ever since. . . I’ve wondered if it was the prototype to Rogan and Nevada.

        • Oh yeah. I forgot about that story. The Horde wanted that story. However, other stories came about for the Horde to devour.

          I think this was before your time Mod R as head BDH wrangler. 🤠

    • Hi Syd,

      No 🙂.

      The announcement is about the Maggie the Undying series – first installment This Kingdom Will not Kill Me- which has been officially announced and is ready for preorder:

      https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250377265/thiskingdomwillnotkillme/

      It is a series of isekai epic fantasy novels, set in a new world, and the longest ones House Andrews has written to date.

      By contrast, the current blog serial is The Inheritance – a stand-alone novella, not isekai, belonging to the LitRPG genre, being released on the blog as a serial and expected publication this summer.

      The only thing it has in common with Maggie is that both are set in new words and both have female protagonists.

  10. 😛 Will the UK edition finally have the correct spelling for words? None of that “realized” and “color”?

    • Now, now 😂. We do not condone u and zed strikes against our friends across the pond.

      The Britishisation of the text would cause too much delay in publication, and wouldn’t completely make sense with a POV character from America, so no 🙂

      • We rebels across the pond thank you, gracious Mod R, for not holding our spelling against us. ;D

            • “I’m from the 1900s.” I read that and thought sooo old. Then it hit me. I’M from the 1900s as well. 🤦‍♀️😱 FML 🤪

              • We’re closer to 2050 than we are to 2000 and I think that merits its own category of dread 😅

                • ‘The 1900s’ always confuses me. I was born in the 50’s(1959)and lived in the 60’s, 70’s 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, 10’s, and 20’s. By my count, that means I’ve been alive in 8 different decades….so how am I ‘only’ 66?!! 😉

                  (No, not a real question! This is just a running joke in my house when certain young whippersnapper offspring get feisty! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

                  • It was a running joke in my family that it took my parents 30 years to get all of us kids through high school. My oldest sister graduated in the late 70s. My two brothers graduated in the 80s. I graduated in 1990. 😀

            • I read that as “I’m from the Nineteen Nineties”, and I thought, “Infant.”

              ;> (On purpose.)

    • Wahahaha I meant to ask the exact same question so I’m glad I thought to read the comments first 🤣

  13. No apologies needed for this UK reader, I wait with baited breath for the cover and would have cancelled the Amazon order in favour of Waterstones anyway. Yay! (Makes grabby hands) Gimme pretties!

  14. I like the art on this post. Is that going to be part of the book or is it just something for the post?

    Also, all this Maggie stuff is going to drive me batty–it’s still almost a year away!! I have no idea how I’m going to make it that long!

    😉

    • The art is commissioned especially for THE INHERITANCE from the very talented Candice Slater of https://candiceslater.art/ and will be included in the ebook 🙂

      Chin up, keep flying the chalant flag: This Year of W*it Will Not Kill Us!

      • I just looked up Candice Slater’s work and saw images entitled “kazul’s library” and “Morwen’s cottage”. Did she work on an enchanted forest project? I can’t find it. Do you know anything about it, Mod R?

        • Hi! I’m Candice. A portfolio looks better if it isn’t 12 random images but rather appears to be actual pieces for a project.

          So in my case, this was concept art for my interpretation of Patricia Wrede’s wonderful book Dealing with Dragons. Sadly, such a project does not actually exist as far as I know.

  15. Question: the release says Tor UK bought the UK *and Commonwealth* rights from Tor US.

    Do you know where Canada would land between Tor UK and Tor US? And therefore Amazon Canada pre-orders that also would have been flowed through from Amazon US?

    • Forgot to add: the new author photo attached to the Tor UK release announcement looks great! Ilona’s new hair style looks good and Gordon looks very dapper. Kudos to the photographer too. (Edit: Mod R)

    • Sometimes it takes a little while for the system to process the new info. The announcement was made today at 10 am.

    • Mine either, just had a panicked check but looks fine as far as I can tell.

      #PufflesIsKing

      We should all go on X and make this trend to the bewilderment of the world. . .

  18. Sa-weet!!!

    Very excited for this. I am in the US and am already planning to buy the hard copy edition from UK Tor.

    Oh, and if you make it to the UK for a signing event, I may just have to cross the pond too 😉

  19. ohhh, I would so much like to see you for a signing even in the UK. and congrats on the deal

  20. Yay for selling UK rights! And to Tor, too.

    I shall immediately be re-pre-ordering with a smile.

  21. I have just checked my Amazon UK order for This Kingdom and it is still the same, I pre-ordered it on the 1st of May? So not sure what is happening?

    • Hey Carole, the announcement just went live at 10 am this morning 🙂 . You can cancel the preorder yourself or wait until the system processes the information and cancels it.

      • Was about to ask the same. Thanks Mod R – I’ll wait until they update the links as the link above definitely goes to my pre-order!

  23. Legend…wait for it…DARY. They definitely used the right descriptor and congrats to UK hoarders!!!!

  24. Oh this is great news, I’m so happy for you both! Without wishing my time away, roll on March 2026!

    • March 2026 is only 9 months away. It’s better thinking than a year away.

      Time is flying for the Horde. 😀

  27. Congratulations on the great news!

    I’m excited to see which edition is sold here in Malaysia. Sometimes we get multiple editions of a book and I love seeing the different cover art!

  28. So did you have to go through this type of thing for your other traditionally published books? I don’t remember similar announcements except for French releases (love their covers), so I was just curious what Avon and whatever the other one was (HarperCollins?) did for the books they published? Or maybe you did similar announcements and I just don’t remember. That is totally within the realm of possibility.

  30. As a UK hoarder, I am most pleased by the news. Lovely stuff. Congratulations to you both and look forward to the UK version. It will make it easier to recommend you when you are at Waterstones!

  31. Very very exciting!
    Wooohoo.
    Awesome news.

    Hope you can come to UK – I’ll be there for any event.
    If you come to Scotland -even better!

  34. well loss of a pre order that is still available for pre order is a small price to pay to have house andrews visit in person. BDH are not displeased! Now could you sort an Australian publisher? I think I’d cry.

  36. 🎉congratulations 🎊!! Here’s to best wishes and adding more members to the Horde! Long live House Andrews!

    So shall thy shelves be filled with plenty, and thy books shall burst out with new words! 🥰

  38. Does this mean that the UK will have a different cover than the USA? Or would they have the same cover since both Tor and Tor UK share a parent company?

  41. Way back in the day, I got an Amazon.com account bc I had to order those Harry Potter books for the kidlets (now all in their 30’s and one already in their 40’s!!!!!). Kept that account and get my ebooks from them still.

    I also have an Amazon.ca account for other stuff.

    I believe I have it all covered so I will just sit back and wait for the Maggie Trilogy.

    However, do you have any idea when the InBearatence will be on for pre-order? .com or .ca

    And now for something completely different (cue the music and the Big Foot): for the first time, I borrowed an audio book from the library …well, a two book smash up … and it’s Kate in the Wilmington Years. Holy moly! I love the voices. I can now see ..er, hear why picking the right Reader(s) is so important.

    • So glad you’re enjoying Wilmington!

      The InBearatance doesn’t have an official release date yet but it will be announced soon 🙂

  42. Congrats on the UK deal.

    I will be buying the book here, however…. If you go to the UK to meet everyone there, I will just have to MAKE my hubby take me to the UK to meet our fellow horders across the pond.

    Booking flight on Virgin Air soon. (I wonder if Qatar Air goes to the UK from LA? My son said it was the best airline out there)

    Congrats Authorlords and our BDH cousins…

  43. Congrats HA!!! It’s good to see more and more people recognizing how good your writing is….I can’t wait for Maggie (but I will, pa*tiently even!) 😁

  44. You had me at Waterstones. I knew I would eventually break down and buy their beautiful books and no shock House Andrews is what brought it about!

  45. So excited it’s sold in the UK!!! And even more excited by that last comment that maybe it means you make it to the UK sometime 🤞🤞.

  47. Thank you for the information, great news for us in the UK. Be lovely to see you as well , lots of fans here.

  51. I did make made my pre-order on Amazon.de, so I wonder which book it will be on the German market… UK is definitely closer.

  54. There are two books on Amazon.de:
    ISBN 978-1035089376
    To be pulished 2.4.26
    And

    ISBN-13 978-1250377265
    to be Published 31.3.26

    Both the Hardcover Editions.

    I ordered the one, that comes out 31.3.26.

    I think, this will be the US Edition.

    Will see, if both will be avalaible on Amazon.de.

    Perhaps I preorder both, I want the sprayed edges.😉

    Waterstone I do not know.🫣

    Congratulations HA.

  55. For me, Amazon UK seem to have just replaced the USD pre-order with a GBP equivalent without me needing to do anything.

    • What is most likely happening is that the information has not yet been processed by the system and your preorder has not been cancelled yet.

      Easiest way to check: the new (correct) preorder shows the publisher as “Tor”. The old one displays “Tor Books” 🙂

  56. There have been a fair number of isekai stories in sf. The weren’t called that, but they were there. The first one that I can think of was “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”. Andre Norton made a career out of them. (She also made a career out of a great many other categories, too. 🙂 ) John Carter could be considered isekai.

    • Splitting hairs here, but to qualify as isekai the character has to be transported to another world 🙂

      Simply moving through time in our own world/universe doesn’t quite cut it.

      • Ooooh, so according to this rule, would moving through a multiverse be considered isekai or not? 🤔

        I love these kinds of broad philosophical discussions that have zero stakes, don’t mind me 😁

  57. Any idea if there would be special editions of the book? I’ve seen Waterstone do a lot of special editions of books before. Would love to see spray painted edges, signed, or specially stamped hard covers!

    • Atm, there are no official details about the UK edition, the acquisition announcement only went live yesterday 🙂 , but we expect beautiful things!

  58. Just fyi, UK here, followed that link, and my pre-order still exists.

    I’m hoping that continues to be the case as I’m horribly forgetful. Great news on the Tor UK situation, long may the partnership continue.

    • Hi Laura, it seems that the system is taking a bit to process the information – the acquisition announcement only went live yesterday at 10 am.

      You will be ready when it happens! 🙂

    • sorry, just read the other UK posts saying the same. I’ll check and keep my eyes open x

  59. awesome! but does the UK contract require putting the U in color and flavor, having tea instead of coffee, using the word ‘whilst’, and having ppl on horses and carriages riding on the left hand side? inquiring minds want to know lol. I was shocked to find out with Harry Potter that the UK version was different, that they edited the US version so for example ‘bogey’ became ‘ booger’s lol.

    • No, the UK edition will not have British spelling and the title will remain unchanged 🙂

  60. Yessssss UK visit ! Sailing on the ship of HA to UK waters ! The British horde is fluffy and very chalant , I promise .

  62. hey, this has probably been answered in the thread but I’m sneaking this message in while at work so couldn’t check out…. Will this impact e-book ordered on amazon.co.uk? as my preorder still seems to be live for my ebook.
    if tor has a different ebook system in happy to cancel and order through them directly:)

  63. We normally only get our own publications of extremely well known US authors here in the UK (think Stephen King) and to save space I usually only get the ebooks. However, in celebration of HA’s first UK publication and the fact I’m getting my eyes done (so should be able to read actual books again), when it’s published, I will take myself off to the Grimsby branch of Waterstones and purchase Maggie in person…Wheee!!!!

  64. Waterstones does fancy versions of hardcover books. Is someone in the US going to be doing the same?

  66. Sadly I had to cancel my Amazon pre-order because Amazon has made it impossible to install books on any reader other than Amazon. Even DRM free books aren’t DRM free.

    • Fortunately for us, there are non-Amazon retailers for This Kingdom both in the US and internationally 🙂

      • oh this might answer my question re other ebook sellers, will the ebook be available from other sellers with different ebook settings, so if you happen to want to read the book on a kindle (just because of reading esperance) or later on a nook etc. we would be able to?

  70. dragon books nearly always welcome here! some show up on the internet and would be, like x rated, them not so much. However every Ilona Andrews book, story, ebook we have com across have all been WONDERFUL.

  71. thanks for the link, just ordered from amazon. is there a pre-order link for the inheritance book? xx

    • Not yet 🙂, The Inheritance doesn’t have an official release date at the moment, but watch this space!

      Both are coming soon 🤩

  72. Comming to the UK?!! bated breath and will definatly come to meet you if you make it here! 🙂

  73. Great news. I managed to cancel my original order easily enough. I ordered the new one then realised the other hadn’t been cancelled. Excited for a Uk version and the possibility of an IRL sighting!

  74. Technically, since TOR is a subsidiary of MacMillan Publishers you never left the UK.
    But if it means you might come across to visit, whatever you say and welcome.

  75. I’m not much of a commentator normally but this is SO exciting! I would love the opportunity to meet you guys in the uk as I’ve been fangirling over your books for a very very long time. Wish you guys every success and happiness!

  76. Stop it this is so exciting! tragically it’s just as I’m leaving my home country for the long run – pretty please announce any trips to the UK as early as you know them so that I can plan to nip back for it! After years of being frustrated at the IA shaped chasm on the shelves of Waterstones I’m so so happy you’re making it in. Fingers crossed for a grand success so that more Brits get the joy of discovering your work.

  77. “If the book does well, maybe we will finally make it over to the UK to meet all of you. Fingers crossed.”
    And maybe you will get the full recognition you deserve and maybe they will recognize this will make a great movie.

  78. Well, my preorder at Amazon Australia got canceled but there isn’t any way of ordering the ebook from it yet (or the hardback)

    Waiting impatiently for them to add it

    • Another Australian in the same boat. Trying to be w*it p*ti3nt!y for it to become available here. Though, I’ll admit I’m a tad nervous, as there are a few series by other Author’s with UK publication rights, which are not available here.

    • Another Australian waiting impatiently for the Kindle edition to be available after my original order was cancelled.