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Series · science fiction romance

Kinsmen

by Ilona Andrews

The Kinsmen series by Ilona Andrews has 3 known books (3 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Silent Blade (2009). Fated Blades is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
3 known books (3 novellas)
Published
3
First published
2009
Status
completed
Shelved under
Science Fiction , Romance
Start here: Silent Blade (2009) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of Silent Blade
Silent Blade (2009)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Silent Blade

    Novella
    Silent Blade opens the Kinsmen novellas in 2009 at just 74 pages, introducing the elite bodyguard-assassins of Rada through a story of loyalty and forbidden attraction across enemy lines.
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  2. Silver Shark

    Novella
    Silver Shark followed in 2011, nearly double the length at 142 pages, jumping forward a decade to a new pairing with a cameo from the first novella's leads.
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  3. Fated Blades

    Novella
    Fated Blades returned to Rada a decade later, in November 2021, as the longest of the three at 222 pages, a standalone novella following an uneasy alliance between two feuding houses.
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Key facts about the Kinsmen series

The Kinsmen series has 3 books on our list. Since all 3 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Silent Blade, since it opens the publication order in 2009. Silver Shark is book 2, from 2011. Fated Blades is book 3, from 2021.

Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

Fated Blades is the latest book with a full release date, out on 23 November 2021. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 2009 and 2021, while their length runs from 74 to 222 pages. That is a run of 12 years.

Ilona Andrews has 46 books on our list. Additionally, they write Kate Daniels, The Edge and The Innkeeper Chronicles, plus 5 more series. We shelve the books under science fiction romance.

About the Kinsmen series

A change of pace from Ilona Andrews' usual urban fantasy, the Kinsmen novellas are science fiction romance set among warring noble houses on a distant, sword-and-honor culture planet called Rada. Silent Blade introduces the Kinsmen -- elite bodyguard-assassins bound to serve specific noble families -- through a story of loyalty and forbidden attraction across enemy lines. Silver Shark jumps forward a decade to a new pairing with a cameo from the first novella's leads, and A Mere Formality (available only in the collected Kinsmen Universe edition) adds a third short story to the same world. A decade later, Fated Blades returns to Rada as a longer, standalone novella following an uneasy alliance between members of two feuding houses.

These are shorter, tightly focused romances rather than the sprawling series Ilona Andrews is best known for -- self-contained love stories bound by a shared planet, culture, and code of honor rather than a continuing plot or cast.

Frequently asked questions

How many Kinsmen books are there?

Four: Silent Blade (2009), Silver Shark (2011), A Mere Formality (collected in The Kinsmen Universe, 2018), and Fated Blades (2021).

What order should I read the Kinsmen novellas in?

Silent Blade, then Silver Shark, then A Mere Formality, then Fated Blades. The first three are also sold together as the collected edition The Kinsmen Universe.

Is Kinsmen connected to Kate Daniels or Ilona Andrews' other series?

No. It's a separate science fiction romance setting -- a distant planet called Rada -- with no crossover to Kate Daniels, Hidden Legacy, or the Innkeeper Chronicles.

Do I need to buy The Kinsmen Universe collection to read all the novellas?

To get A Mere Formality, yes -- it has only been published as part of that collected edition. Silent Blade, Silver Shark, and Fated Blades are also available as individual novellas.

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