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Series · science fiction romance

Kinsmen

by Ilona Andrews

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

Books
3 known books (3 novellas)
Published
3
First published
2009
Status
completed
Shelved under
Science Fiction, Romance
Last checked

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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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.

Reading order last verified .