Customer Reviews

On the Edge (The Edge Series)

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Many readers will be familiar with husband and wife writing duo Ilona Andrews through their very successful Kate Daniels series. (If you're not, I highly recommend them, but that's another review.) On the Edge is the start to an all-new series from the writing team, one that many readers might view as "something to fill the time while I wait for the next Kate Daniels book". This would be an erroneous view to take.

I picked up On the Edge knowing I was in for good writing, but I thought I'd be able to read a couple of chapters and then put it down to make dinner. As it turns out, the spouse was subjected to frozen pizza for dinner that night, because I could not put the book down. When I finally had no choice (work, what a pest!), I thought about it when I wasn't reading. I couldn't wait to pick it up again and get back to the characters and the world. From the moment Rose and her two young brothers, changeling Jack and necromancer George appear on the page, I'm completely hooked.

Some world building background: The Weird is a world that mirrors our own, but with magic instead of technology. For example, their Airforce flies wyverns, not jets - but they do have an Airforce. They even have special forces. Our world, called the Broken, has no magic at all, and if an Edger stays in it for too long, they'll lose what magic they have, permanently. Edgers like Rose and her family are mixed blood descendants of both the Weird and the Broken. Many of them have magic, but not enough to be welcome in the magical Weird, and too much to want to give it up and go live a "normal" life in our world, the Broken. (If they even could - many of the Edgers weren't born in the Broken, and therefore don't have things like birth certificates or social security cards.) They survive on the Edge, a strip of land between the Weird and the Broken, stealing electricity from across the Border and using Ward stones to keep out the worst of the dangerous creatures the Weird deposits in their Wood.

Rose and her two brothers, Jack and Georgie, are among the most powerful of the people on the Edge. In fact, bluebloods from the Weird have been showing up for years, trying to steal Rose away so she can pop out highly magical babies for them (power seems to be a big part of the pecking order in the Weird.) But Rose isn't having it. When Declan shows up, she tells him what she told all the others - no, I won't sleep with you, I won't marry you, go away. But Declan is different. He doesn't try to force his way past her Wards - he offers her a challenge. Give him three tasks, and if he can complete them, she will belong to him. If he fails, he'll leave the Edge and never return. Rose reluctantly agrees.

But coming up with tasks guaranteed to make Declan fail is soon the least of Rose's problems. Evil, terrible hounds have started showing up and trying to eat people, particularly magical people, which puts Rose, her brothers, and their paternal grandmother Éléonore at the top of the list. Together, Declan and Rose have to stop them, or soon there won't be any Edgers left.

As with the Kate Daniels books, the worldbuilding here is top notch. You gain a very clear understanding of what things mean and how they work without a lot of big infodumps of exposition. It's just woven seamlessly into the story, like Rose having to pack up the guns to drive to Wal-Mart. Rose is the primary POV character, so much of what is revealed comes through her eyes. But occasionally we switch to someone else - one of her brothers, her grandmother, one of the other residents. These are invaluable glimpses as well. I particularly enjoy the switches to George or Jack. Although they are 8 and 10 years old, Andrews doesn't "dumb down" for the kids. They are intelligent, normal kids with heartbreaking problems - George can't stop himself from raising things he cares about from the dead - puppies, birds, cats, his Grandfather - even though it's slowly killing him to keep them all animated. Jack is a changeling; he can change shape into a cat, and he's subject to the instincts and whims of how a cat would think.

I defy you not to fall head over heels in love with them!

Rose has the rarest gift of all, something that makes her so coveted, she has to deter "suitors" with a shotgun. With their mother dead and their father long gone, it's up to Rose and her grandmother to raise the boys and give them the best life they possibly can. Rose has sacrificed her own dreams in the process.

But don't worry. Declan wants to give her new ones - of him! Gorgeous, arrogant, and powerful, Declan could easily be a stereotypical alpha male character, but he's not. Just as 3-dimensional as Curran or Raphael (of the aforementioned Kate Daniels series), he has his own story to tell, and his own agenda beyond Rose. There's also the mysterious William, a man Rose meets in the Broken who wants to date her, and not for her power. Each of them have secrets that are dangerous and important to the Edge's survival - and Rose's.

I can't say much more about On the Edge without giving too much away. But the writing is fantastic, gripping, and it's hands down one of the best books I've read this year. I can't recommend it enough.

I let out a very undignified squeal when this unassuming package showed up on my doorstep completely out of the blue. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Here I am fairly wasting away for the fourth Kate Daniels book and then, swooping in like a risen phoenix, a brand, shiny new copy of Ilona Andrews' ON THE EDGE saves the day. The first in a new series, do we even dare hope to two Andrews releases per year a la Patricia Briggs? The two of them together easily top my favorite urban fantasy writers and this new book (and series) does nothing to shake those stats, I'm happy to say. As with Briggs' Alpha and Omega series, I think it's important to go in with a clean slate, so to speak, not expecting Kate and Curran but ready to embrace a wholly new world, and I think you will enjoy this book on its own merits.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge--the narrow strip of land between the Broken and the Weird. Yes, you read that right. She and the two little brothers she's raising live a dangerous half-life in between a world where magic is myth (the Broken) and another where it is king (the Weird). Edgers, as they are known, have their feet in both worlds but don't seem to belong to either. They, unlike, the denizens of the Broken are aware of the Weird in all its incomprehensibility. And, unlike the inhabitants of the Weird, they are awkwardly connected t0 (even long for at times) the banality of the Broken. When she was eighteen, Rose was effectively ostracized by the whole of the local town for letting loose a stream of magic and then refusing to marry one of the hometown boys. With her parents out of the picture, two half-magical little boys to take care of and train, and determined to control her own life, Rose takes an illegal job in the Broken and attempts to fly under the radar. And it works. Sort of. Until Lord Declan Camarine appears on her porch step, sword strapped to his back absolutely reeking blue blood Weird, announcing she will be his come hell or high water. Rose responds...less than favorably. And we have ourselves a story!

Once again Ilona Andrews plunges me into a fully realized world without a by your leave. And I love it. Like Kate's Atlanta it is full of complexity and contradiction and a wonderfully messy history. But it is also wilder, in a sense. Rose carries a rifle and she has to use it more than she'd like. The people in the Edge are almost clan-like in their politics. Feuds happen and they last for decades. Payment is harsh and exacted when and where the wronged party decides it will be. This series has a different focus than the more traditionally urban fantasy Kate Daniels series and, though in the end I didn't love it quite as much, I loved the world building and the children who actually seemed real to me. ON THE EDGE is definitely heavier on the romance side of the urban fantasy spectrum and, as a result, Rose and Declan's relationship is more central than Kate and Curran's in the Magic series. Occasionally the descriptions and general admiring of each other's forms got a bit cloying for me, but the nice thing is that they are both well-rounded, compelling characters. At first I wasn't sure about Declan. He does start out a bit looming, take no prisoners, you will be mine for my taste. But there is more there than brawn and arrogance. And it is a very intriguing more. As far as Rose goes, she's had it rough and is still full of fire--just the way I like my UF heroines--but (and this is key) she has the creds and the depth to back it up. She's tough and at the same time she longs for education and training to harness and develop her powers. But instead she spends her days flogging her guts out to support her little brothers. She loves them unconditionally and is determined their lives will be better than hers. I love how full she feels as a character. I believed in her and I liked her. As for the boys, Jack and Georgie, you won't stand a chance against their charms and that is all. There is that trademark humor throughout the story as well and it really held the whole thing together, especially when the particularly creepy elements started rearing their ugly heads.

After reading the Kate Daniels series in less than a week, which had me jonesing pretty hard for another fix--this led me to re-reading the whole and biting my nails for the next installment (which comes out June 2010 *sigh*)--so imagine my delight when I realized several weeks ago that there's to be a brand spanking new series. Of course when I read the blurb, I was like 'huh?', the Edge?, Weird?, and Broken? But I knew already that Illona Andrews would never let me down, so I immediately pre-ordered with my Kindle! I woke up at 6AM today and made sure my Kindle downloaded the book straight away.

Try imagining reading and getting ready for work at the same time--quite hazardous, don't recommend it with coffee lol--. From the very start, On The Edge, kept my attention engaged. The world-building was fabulous, you aren't inundated and suffocated with facts--somehow it just flowed. I loved the romance, the interesting characters, and the awesome villain---not to mention the hero! The heroine is more than a match for him! I love how she HAD TO WORK for her powers (just like Kate!!), she trained for it--it's a bit annoying that most of the books out in this genre comes with effortlessly-super-powerful heroines. I'd love to be Wonder Woman too but it just doesn't make it as believable when you know the heroine WORKED for it. I'm not going to give you an in-dept review of the story, I want you to read it and see it for yourself. The only thing I complain about is that now I have two series of Illona Andrews that I'll be jonesing for! Ahh!

Comic geeks and anime fiends take note--since this is set in a slightly more attuned to how the real world (shudder at the thought) works, we get to read about all that geeky stuff we love. Inu-Yasha is mentioned, the Green Arrow, DC Direct Action Figures...I spent a good part of the first half of the book squeeing until my dad looked at me weird.

On a more important to the book itself note, Rose isn't Kate. You can't compare the two because frankly their situations aren't the same. Rose is raising her two (hellion) brothers George and Jack (George who can raise the dead and Jack who's a feline changling) on a $7/hr wage, trying to give them some semblance of a good upraising so that they can go forth in the Broken world and make something better of themselves then she did. Her granddad is best considered a zombie (George resurrected him...he does that a lot. He's got a real soft heart and hates to see things die.) and her grandma has a spitfire personality. Their parents...well the mom is dead (after being...rather scandelous) and their dad ran off 4 years ago to hunt for treasure.

As you can see if nothing else, family life is complicated.

Declan took a little longer for me to warm up to, but there's mitigating circumstances after his introduction so I can't really hold this all against him. I do admit to falling somewhat in lustlove with him cause the man has a large array of pointy weapons. A veritable treasure trove of sharp, pointy swords, knives and everything in between. His interactions with Rose border on the 'how quickly before he says something to piss her off' more often than not, but there's no....malicious intent for either of them in their fighting. Its two entirely too similar personalities clashing repeatedly because they're too stubborn to learn better. He tries! I will give him props, he tries really hard to if not give in to Rose's demands, work with them.

Our cast of surrounding characters range from the typical backwoods oily sales car type to the ridiculously terrifying Bad of the book. Casshorn didn't just look terrifying, and it wasn't even his acts that terrified me the most. It was the way he talked. Exaggerated politeness while discussing flaying a person alive and sucking all their juices was then paired with the equivalent of 'I hope your family is doing well' Southern mannerisms. William, who has a variety of roles in the novel and I can't really go into all of them since some of it would include spoilers, is a loose canon. I liked him well enough at first, but like Rose he just seemed kind of...meh to me. Again good reasons.

The book had some really funny lines and the funniest to me was at the very very end, the VERY last page (309 in the mass market paperback edition), five lines down from the top. I can't post it because its a spoiler, but that line right there? I had to drop the book it made me giggle so hard. And sure I'm an easy person to make laugh, but for some reason that line made me really, really happy.

Bottom line is that On the Edge proves that Kate Daniels wasn't some fluke. Its fun, its gritty, its darkly humorous and leaves me wanting more. Unfortunately the as of yet un-named second book isn't due out until September/October 2010 (which of course can change). I'm working on my patience.

PS: For no reason I can ascertain Declan was played by Alexander Skarsgard in my head. Every time Rose (or anyone else) talked about his looks I had Alexander Skarsgard posing. It made for an enjoyable image (though I had pegged him for Curran originally...I guess he can be both :D).

Plot Summary: Rose Drayton is just getting by. Most of her family are dead or deserted, and she's trying to raise her two younger brothers on an under-the-table salary from a cleaning company. It's a sad, but unremarkable story except for the magic that runs through Rose's family, and the small number of people who live in the Edge. It's a strange no-man's land that borders the Broken, our non-magical reality, and the Weird, a place where magic runs freely. Life has been its usual grind until two unusual things pop up in the Edge simultaneously; man-eating magical hounds and a tall, blond, aristocratic warrior who won't take no for an answer.

I cannot think of a single thing I'd change in this book. It's like the Andrews read my mind, and crafted the perfect fantasy just for me. I realize that everyone is calling this an urban fantasy, but "On The Edge" read more like a paranormal romance to me, especially when compared to the Kate Daniels series, which I also love. I think this book straddles the bridge between PNR and UF, and would satisfy fans from either side.

First, there was the character development overall, which was top notch and expanded well beyond Rose and Declan, the blueblood from the Weird. Rose's brothers, Jack and Georgie, and Grandmother Éléonore were all brought to life in ways that felt authentic and sincere. Rose's small family is a big part of the story, and often the heroine in these types of stories is a complete loner, but Rose is different in that she constantly had something to lose. It made the dangers feel even more intense.

The romance between Rose and Declan had perfect pitch, balance, and harmony. In short, it sang sweetly to me, and I wish more authors could write relationships that stretched and pulled out the romantic tension like taffy. Unlike the Kate Daniels series, the reader is treated to a lot more in the romance department, and even a love scene or two. Yippee!

Finally, I can't close without saying that this is another really cool fantasy construct that blends our boring, mundane existence with something fantastical hidden in a parallel dimension. Maybe `dimension` isn't the right way to describe it, but the concept is simple and seductive. I like the idea of magic existing on the other side of some hidden boundary. Most of this book took place in the Edge, with trips to the Broken, and given the setup at the end, I'm assuming a big chunk of book two will take place in the Weird. I can't wait to read more.

When I found a copy of ON THE EDGE by Ilona Andrews in my mailbox, I went a little nuts. Ok. A lot nuts. I love the authors Kate Daniels Series so much that I have been chomping at the bit for a peek into their newest series The Edge .

After devouring ON THE EDGE, I have two words for you: More. Please. I need more. I might not ever recover if I don't get more of this series.

I shivered, I shook and I salivated. Rose is the ultimate heroine. She is strong and fierce! A woman every female should want to emulate.

Declan is almost too good to be true. Almost. He is totally want worthy. I want him. WANT. HIM. Smart, gorgeous and powerful, who WOULDN'T want Declan?

If you enjoy fantasy with romance or romance with fantasy, you'll love ON THE EDGE. The world Ilona Andrews has created is believable and vivid. I feel as though I know how to get there. I don't even need my GPS.

One of the gifts of the writing team, Ilona Andrews, is their masterful world building skills. Although the reader knows The Edge doesn't exist in reality, Andrews constructs The Edge so vividly it doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility.

Another gift of Andrews is their character development. Major and minor characters are well-rounded and authentic. With personality traits, individual quirks and distinctions each character is unique and original.

I highly recommend ON THE EDGE by Ilona Andrews. I can't imagine anyone not loving this book, this series or this author! Go buy your copy TODAY!

As I started reading _On the Edge_, my biggest question was, would lightning -- or magic -- strike twice? Could Ilona Andrews write something just as great as her Kate Daniels series, in a completely different universe? The answer, it turns out, is yes!

The world-building is a little more familiar, but Andrews puts an original spin on it. There's an Otherworld full of magical beings, called the Weird, and there's our mundane world, called the Broken. Andrews' twist is the Edge, a realm that lies between the two. "Edgers" can travel freely among the three worlds, but are second-class citizens in the Weird and the Broken. They often have magical abilities, but these abilities are usually not as strong as those of Weird-dwellers.

The heroine, Rose, is an Edger. As an outcast teenager, she put in years of grueling practice to develop her magical ability to an astounding degree. She did it to thumb her nose at the bullies who tormented her, but her skills just brought her more trouble instead. For years, she's been fighting off slimy Edge and Weird men determined to use her for breeding stock.

Rose is also raising her two brothers, Georgie and Jack, ages ten and eight, each of whom possesses a dangerous magical talent. The boys are delightful, and bring to mind Phédre no Delaunay's description of Imriel as a boy: "heart as vast as the plains of Jebe-Barkal and twice as fierce."

Then, Declan, an arrogant blueblood from the Weird, walks into Rose's life, declaring that he intends to marry her. Obviously, she wants none of this. He promises to go away if she can stump him with three challenges. But before long, Rose has more on her mind than outsmarting Declan. Horrifying beasts are stalking her Edge village, threatening to devour Rose and her brothers. Only by working together can Rose and Declan hope to defeat them.

_On the Edge_ combines a suspenseful fantasy plot with a terrific love story. It's a little more "romancey" than the Kate Daniels books, but I don't say that as a complaint. The romance is lots of fun, and sometimes hilarious. Rose and Declan may come from different worlds, but they're well-matched in spirit, brains, and courage. (Note: if you find Declan insufferable at the start, hang in there.)

Speaking of courage, one of the things I loved about _On the Edge_, and that I've also noticed in earlier books by Andrews, was the bravery of the central characters. Some urban fantasies feature protagonists who can't really be termed "heroes." Andrews' protagonists can. Their willingness to risk their lives for their loved ones is admirable and moving. I had tears in my eyes more than once.

There's a twist to the ending; I saw it coming, but it was gratifying anyway. It's familiar like a fairy tale is familiar, not the way a cliché is familiar.

_On the Edge_ stands satisfactorily on its own but also leaves room for sequels. I'd love to see further Edge books; there are several characters just dying to have their stories told!

SYNOPSIS:
The world is divided into three very unequal parts: the Broken, where only small amounts of magic can survive; the Weird, where magic predominates, and the Edge, with a little of each but not enough of either. Rose and her family live in the Edge and barely manage to survive. Every working day she has to cross the boundary into the Broken to work at the only job she can get as a mongrel Edger without proper identification to classify as legal. Working for the cleaning service doesn't bother Rose except when it means she has to leave her two brothers behind to take care of themselves until she gets home from work. With Georgie using up all his power by raising things from the dead and Jack changing into his cat to chase birds, Rose never knows what she will come home to. Rose has already had to use her ability to flash magic to kill one of the horrible monsters which are suddenly everywhere in the Edge. Now she has to figure out exactly what this arrogant blueblood from the Weird really wants and why he has come to the Edge looking for her.

OPINION:
When Ilona Andrews decided to begin writing a new series of stories she began building it from the ground up. This is one exciting story that had me absolutely sitting on the edge of my seat reading as fast as I could manage. These characters are wonderfully written, I feel that I know each of them. Rose is feisty, stubborn, and self reliant, but extremely vulnerable because of the obstacles life has placed in her path. Jack and Georgie are just as sweet as little boys can be but still manage to get themselves into trouble because of their magic abilities. Grandma Eleonore is sweet and kind and supportive, the person Rose knows is always there for everything she needs, large or small. Declan is everything a magical hero should be and handsome as all get out, icy stare and all. I thoroughly enjoyed the interactions between all of these characters. Their conversations sounded like actual interactions between real people, not just characters plopped down on a page. That's what drew me into this book. Once again Ilona Andrews makes her readers work to figure out her story, her plot and her characters. I like having to put some effort into figuring out a new fantasy world. This one is as prosaic as a Wal-Mart and as exotic as an animal that was a cross between a horse and a ram.

And I loved this story because there is a romance in it which was actually romantic. Rose and Declan worked to know and understand each other and they fought side by side with both using their own strengths to fight off the horrible hounds being used for evil.

RECOMMENDATION:
Definitely very highly recommended. A magical fantasy world unlike anything I've read but a place I can't wait to get back to. There are so many directions this series can take that I'm not even going to try to guess what will come next. I'll simply wait impatiently for book two in The Edge series.

Also, for those of us who are avid followers of the Kate Daniels series, there is a preview of "Magic Bleeds" due out in June of 2010. The Beast Lord of Atlanta had better have a darn good excuse handy because I'm seriously ticked off with him.

Ilona Andrews is a great fantasy writer. Her Magic series has the perfect blend of action, blood, war, and of course the hint of romance. When I found out she was starting a new series I expected it to be good like her Magic series with similar threads running through it. After all that is what usually happens, authors create a character so deeply that all other lead characters start to act/sound/look like the original. I have to say that I was destined to be disappointed with my conclusion. Rose is her own person and Andrews has created an entirely different world for more fans to dive into.

Rose is an 'Edger'. What this means is that she isn't saturated in magic like the people in the 'Weird' (think alternative Fae reality where everyone is magically inclined) and not empty like people in the 'Broken' (basically us lowly humans without an ounce of magic). It means she's a mutt, in the middle and poor as dirt. Most Edgers have enough magic to do one talent like necromancy (Rose's brother George) shapeshifting (her brother Jack) Cursing (her and her grandmother) or super strength (her old high school rival). Along with these talents is a magical... .weapon.... trick... that is called Flash. Flashing is basically taking out your magic and bending it to your will so it can be seen and felt physically. How magical and strong and patient you are is how 'hot' your flash is. Respectively white is the hottest and dark red or orange is the lowest.

All white flashers are from the Weird.... except... you got it! Rose! This makes her a commodity. Weird nobles want her as a mistress to strengthen their blood line and Edgers want her as a brood mare for themselves or the highest bidder in the Weird. You see Rose is trouble, pure and simple, so it takes no genius to figure out that when a blueblooded Weird noble shows up on her door it's probably to take her off and marry her, or sell her to the highest bidder. As if Rose doesn't have enough trouble with this... Declan character there's another insane Blueblood trying to eat Edgers... yes eat.

This book was spectacular. I loved Rose and disliked Declan... till I learned more about him and why he actually was at Rose's doorstep. I loved William and really really hope that Andrews gives him his own book, he deserves it. Jack and George are gonna be little heartbreakers, and Rose is... She's a great heroine who knows who she is and is not only ok with it, but dares any one to say anything at all. Keep reading her Magic series and look for more Edge books. This is well worth the price.

As a male consumer of urban fantasy, with a special love for female writers, I often have to read stories that involve romance. Ultimately, this doesn't bother me. Love and romance are part of real life. But romance is not the main reason I'm purchasing the book. I want good world-building with fleshed out characters, interesting fantasy elements and a well written story. I get that with the Kate Daniels series, a series I prefer to this one.

On The Edge, however, suffers from being too "romancy", and for me not in a good way.

First the good. As with the Magic series Andrew's world building is both interesting and compelling. The main female protagonist, Rose, lives on the Edge, a semi-magical "realm" that bleeds into the real world, called the Broken. It is only accessible to those with at least some magical abilities. Ordinary humans can't see it, find it, or get to it. The edge is also the gateway to the "weird" the totally magical world, where modern technology does not work. Though they are able to enter the Edge, people from the weird are either unable or have difficulty making their way into the Broken. Rose and the other Edgers, however, can move between both worlds, allowing them to work in the Broken, eat at McDonald's, go to Wall-mart for shoes and occasionally steal electric power.

Rose lives with her two younger brothers, taking care of them as a surrogate mother. Her mother died when Rose was still very young, and her father is MIA. Her only life-line is her well drawn, albeit eccentric grandmother. The in-between character of the Edge and Rose's family history combine to isolate her in the community and provides some of the story's emotional thrust and narrative tension. Once again, Andrews does an excellent job of portraying the emotional motives of the main protagonist, which make sense in the context of the story.

The evil bad guy of the story is sufficiently vile to put your teeth on edge, and other characters wander in to populate the story in an interesting way. Rose is a strong willed and independent woman, which I like in my female protagonists, and her ability to "kick butt" will appeal to many readers.

The only bad is the romance. Many female readers may disagree, but I found the romance annoyingly predictable and somewhat implausible. The male protagonist, Declan, is right out of your typical romance novels, roguish, rakish, and arrogant, something I have been mostly spared in books by writers like Kim Harrison, Patricia Briggs and even to a certain extent Charlaine Harris. As I said, I don't mind romance or romantic leads, but there's just something too cookie cutter about Declan. What bothers me the most about the romance is that Declan lies and manipulates Rose, and it is not until he's cornered with his lies that he admits to his deception. Even so, Rose predictably falls for the "roguish" fellow. Granted he displays honor and integrity, but his overbearingly arrogant and deceptive behavior bothered me. I kept wishing for a take-down to make him "human" enough to like, but it just never happened. Furthermore, the utterly fanciful storybook romance ending was just too much to bear.

If I could give this 3.5 stars I would, b/c the character development of Rose is good, and the story-building is excellent, just be forewarned that the romance is what I would expect from the likes of Danielle Steele.