9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Plotting problems . . ., December 11, 2008
This review is from: The Edge of Reason (Hardcover)
I managed to read my way through The Edge of Reason rather quickly, drawn on by the author's excellent writing on the level of the sentence and paragraph. A mastery of description, a great sense for the revealing detail, fine images, a pretty good gift for dialog -- all these promise a delightful read. Alas, plotting problems do the book in.
The opening chapter or two provide excellent action, and a slam-bang introduction to the story. However, as you continue reading, there are long "dead spots" where nothing seems to happen except endless talking. The plot veers and turns, taking the reader on several side-trips that are almost akin to "filler" material. One wonders if the author had a firm outline, and a clear sense of where she was going.
Issues also get in the way. The author appears to have some strongly held views about gayness. We only learn halfway through the novel that the protagonist is a gay man. From there on, many pages are devoted to his fight against prejudice and slights. It is almost as though, "hey, this book is a great soapbox . . . let's take a vacation from the plot for a while."
The protagonist Richard is a pretty complex and interesting character, but many of the book's characters are like cardboard cut-outs, altogether evil or surpassingly good.
I really believe this author has excellent talent. If she could just get out of her own way, and master more discipline, she could write the kind of books that I could review very positively. As it is, the time wading through this one was not really time well spent.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rationalism vs. Religion, August 6, 2010
Richard Oort, a police officer in Albuquerque, finds out that he is a paladin for the forces of rationality and science. He is recruited in the fight against the forces of evil: Cthulhu-esque beings from another dimension who feed on humanity's fears and pain to break through to our world and use religion to gain power by spreading hatred and fear.
The Edge of Reason is set in the present day but successfully ties the history of various myths and religions into its background. At times, the "religion = bad" message is a bit heavy (and I can imagine some people taking offense to it), but at the same time, it manages to turn this fantasy novel into a sharp social commentary that, depending on your political views, may or may not make you nod in agreement. Regardless, the connection between religion and a Chtulhu-type invasion is quite original -- and it's not every day you encounter a fantasy novel in which rationalism is good and magic is evil.
Oort is an interesting and complex character, and the way Melinda Snodgrass slowly reveals his personality and his past is one of the best aspects of this novel. There's also a cast of solid, well-realized side-characters (human and otherwise) who make this novel a pleasure to read. I also enjoyed the loving way Melinda Snodgrass described New Mexico and Albuquerque, the setting for most of the novel.
The Edge of Reason is a fascinating present-day fantasy with a unique concept and solid characters.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Unreason Plague, May 11, 2010
The Edge of Reason (2008) is the first Fantasy novel in the Edge trilogy. It is set in contemporary Albuquerque, New Mexico. There magic wars with reason.
In this novel, Richard Oort is a scion of a rich and influential family. Now he is an Albuquerque beat cop. He had been a student of music and then worked for an investment company. Something happened to him and he left home to become a policeman.
Rhiana Davinovitch is a physics student at the University of New Mexico. She has discovered that she is also a sorceress.
Kenntnis is the owner of Lumina, a large firm in Albuquerque. He is a coldly rational person.
Cross is an alien from another dimension. He contains the splinters of many personas, some very destructive.
Damon Weber is a Lieutenant in the Albuquerque Police Department.
In this story, Rhiana is running from something that is chasing her. She has been running for seventeen miles and is getting exhausted. But the things chasing her do not tire.
Richard is following a line of blackouts in his car. The power company is not aware of any disruption of electricity. Yet he is sitting in an area that has no power. Even his headlights are fading and the car engine dies.
Richard gets out of the car with his flashlight and looks around. Then his flashlight beam starts fading. Just before it dies away, Richard finds Rhiana.
Three things surround Rhiana. Richard draws his pistol and tells them to freeze. When they ignore him, Richard fires a shot into the air.
One of them comes toward Richard. He notices that it is not human. He fires two shots into its body. The first one is underpowered and the second misfires. Richard immediate discards his pistol.
Rhiana takes out a penny and murmurs some words over it. It starts glowing and spinning. She bats it toward one of the monsters and it catches fire and then shatters.
Richard manages to break a window with his nightstick and they climb into an office. The monsters follow them inside. Penny activates another penny and guides it toward a monster. It catches on fire, but the sprinkler system puts out the flames.
Richard notices that the water has dissolved part of the monster. He breaks the glass and takes out the emergency firehose. High pressure water soon dissolves the other two monsters.
Then a street person sticks his head in the window and surveys the situation. He looks at both Richard and Rhiana and then tells her to stick with Richard. Sirens converge on the building and Cross flees the scene.
After lying royally, Richard manages to calm down Lieutenant Weber. When the lieutenant offers to have one of the cops drive Rhiana home, she asks if Richard can take her. They both go to his apartment. She sleeps on the bed and he sleeps on the couch.
The next day, Richard is told to report to Kenntnis at the Lumina office. There Richard learns that religions are a scam by aliens like Cross. They feed off emotions, particularly negative ones. They have been creating wars and other conflicts for many millennia.
This tale involves Richard and Rhiana in a war against the aliens. Rhiana has magic, but Richard has absolutely no magical powers. He is a magic null and is important just for that reason. Kenntnis offers him a weapon of order that only magic nulls can wield.
The story tries Richard's spirit and exposes all his emotions. Richard goes through a form of mania and depression as he resolves his conflicts and fears. It takes him back home to face his family.
The novel contains several themes that may offend some readers. Since the storyline contends that all gods are really aliens in disguise, the tale argues for an atheistic approach. The hero is also bisexual.
This story does not resolve the conflicts. The next installment --
The Edge of Ruin -- carries the story further, but this is obviously a trilogy or more. Read and enjoy!
Highly recommended for Snodgrass fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of personal conflicts, alien creatures, and human love.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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