Customer Reviews

The Soft Edge of Midnight [Keepers of Twilight]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was privileged to have read this book in its unedited stage and even then the storyline sent deliciously dark tingles down my spine. The dual voices of Stella and Audra Price are the most unique in the paranormal/fantasy genre today. They pen in prefect duality. Their characters are dramatic, different, and evilly lovable--can you imagine? Absolutely!

If you hunger for a romance with a dark twist, then you have to read The Soft Edge of Midnight!

Unicorns are thought to be forgotten creatures, but there remains two living in the human world. No longer able to get to their original home land "The Glimmer" they are stuck in the human world, not knowing of the other's existence. These unicorns can shift change into a human form to live unnoticed in the world. Unicorn, Illori was collared by an evil man out for riches and fame. She was set free from this evil man by people she could not name. Illori sets out on a mission to try to find some of her relatives which still linger in the human world, so she can tell her story and her sisters' story to them before she dies. While she sets out on her mission to find any remaining relatives unknowingly the forces of hell send out a demon to destroy her. Meanwhile, another unicorn; a male stallion named, Karsten is living a unsatisfying life, wishing and hoping to find just one other unicorn, his mate to fulfill his life. He wants to find a gate in which to get back to his own world, but he does not know if one is still open or if they all have been closed. One day Karsten is walking in town and he smells a familiar sent, one that is know to him by his heart; another unicorn. He follows his nose in hopes of finding her, Illori goes into a candy store and he follows. They meet and realize that they are no longer alone in this foreign world. They immediately go back to her place to mate, in hopes that the mark will take and in hopes that they will be destiny to be together. The entire time they do not realize that an evil slave from hell searches to kill Illori. Once they discover the danger in which she is in they set out together in hopes to escapes this horrible death and find a way back to their homeland. This book is a really unique and original work. This is the first time I have ever read a book that was so one of a kind than this one. I give this book a 4 star review.

I thought it was great! Even after such a horrible ordeal, Illori manages to prove to herself that she's much stronger than she thought. She may be naive in some aspects but she picks things up fast.

Karsten, an agent longing for more, finally finds his mate when he follows Illori's scent.

Both have been stuck in our world since the doorway to their world had been closed, both wondering if there were other unicorns out there like them. Her sisters gave up hope, but Illori tracks down her only hope, only to be literally chained to Belial. She lives through horros while stuck with him, and it takes quite a while for her to be able to get past it when she finally escapes. Running into Karsten was pure fate, and I'm glad they find each other.

Sammael, who is sort of like a double agent with one foot each on the good/bad side, is sent after Illori to be brought back to Lucifer, but On High wants something different from Sam or else he'll be sucked back into Hell. But Nybras, a devil with his own agenda, kidnaps Illori for himself, intending to use her to 'up' his status with Lucifer.

An unlikely pair to team up, Karsten and Sam chase after them to rescue Illori and get rid of Nybras, and while this is going on, Sam is meeting people along the way that is changing his outlook and has him wondering. Some things are beginning to have meaning for him, things that he never cared about before.

The action is great, the ending stretched out and superb, and the erotic scenes leave the reader breathless, pulse racing, and wanting more. Not to disappoint, there is more, LOL!

If I had to choose one character in the book that I adore, it's Sam. And I'm now looking at caramel in a whole new light, LOL! Read it for yourself, I can guaranty you'll agree.

I was quickly swept up into the authors' world of unicorns, angels, devils, withces, fae, demons, hunters, and humans. There was lovemaking, sex, and F&*#ing. The good guys were good (but not too good), the bad guys were very bad, sorta bad, and maybe not quite so bad. There was the epic battle of good vs evil, love vs hate, and heaven vs hell. Who won? Well...for this round at least, the good guys (and gals). I gulped this book down in one sitting and at the end, I was ready to read more about some of the secondary characters and other characters that were only obliquely referred to throughout this book. I'll definately be looking for the next by these authors.

Illori is a female unicorn. She spent the last thousand years as the captive of an evil one when all she wanted to do was find a way home to Glimmer, mate with a stallion unicorn, and have baby foals. There were already so few unicorns before she was captured and now she's sure she is the last one on Earth.

Karsten is a stallion unicorn (and a hot one at that). He was trapped on this side of the Veil when Glimmer was separated from Earth. He never found a mate through his hundreds of years, and now he's sure he's the last unicorn on Earth.

When these two meet, it's an instant attraction; and not just because they're the only two unicorns they know of. Is it possible they are true mates? Before they can find out, they'll have to battle the creatures of dark who would literally kill to have their own pet unicorn.

My only criticism of this book is that I wish the authors' had a bit more on the hero/heroine relationship. The bad guys had way more sex than the lead characters. Does this mean sex is bad? The interaction between the romantic leads just needed a little more feeling and heat IMHO. Did it stop my enjoyment of the story? Heck no...I devoured this book and will be looking for the next. I can't wait to see what Sammael gets up to next!!

Illori Swain has finally escaped from where she had been held against her will for hundreds of years. Being a unicorn shape-shifter and as far as she knows one of the only ones left on this side of the portals, Illori is not sure she wants to linger with even more loneliness. But she does have one thing that she wants to do before she lets go.

Karsten Morris was trapped on this side of the portals from glimmer by mistake when they were closed. As a stallion unicorn and one of status back home, Karsten cannot have a family or feel complete until he mates with a female unicorn - not something he believes will happen after all these years. Karsten has at least found a profession that is fulfilling to him. But one day, by chance, he gets a whiff of a scent, a female unicorn scent.

Illori and Karsten meet and once she actually believes who and what Karsten is, of course Illori wants to do what's natural. Neither can believe their luck and after all these years that fate had brought them together. Trying to mate is what is in both their minds, but what neither realize is that Illori's captive past is about to come back with a vengeance. She has two demons after her, one an actual Fallen. When Illori is taken by one of the demons, Karsten has to team up with the Fallen and hope some of the demon's goodness still exists. If Illori and Karsten can get past Hell's minions, will they ever be able to make it home?

The Soft Edge of Midnight is one of the first unicorn shape-shifter stories I have read. Unicorns are known for having a huge amount of luck, but I found that Illori and Karsten had Lady Luck playing a here "now and gone again" game with them. Illori finally begins to believe that luck has come back to her by leading her to the last remaining male unicorn on this plane and Karsten just knows that he is going to do his best to mate immediately with Illori. There was no way I could not grow to love both Illori and Karsten as they fought to have their future together. I have come to know that nothing in the Price sisters' books comes easy and their mating was coming too easy, so I was not surprised when not only did they have a problem, but huge problems with one of Hell's hunters and another minion. The Soft Edge of Midnight is a softer and a more romantic book than I have come to expect, but it still held that edge of violence and a mixture of characters I have come to expect and love. If you have not experienced any of the world that the Price sisters have created and are unsure, I believe this is a great place to start.

You can discover more of Illori's captivity, release, and escape in the book "Gifts" which can be located on their website.

Jo
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

If you haven't read Stella and Audra Price, you HAVE to! They really have a different style of writing that draws you into the worlds they create. They're edgy, sassy, and just plain awesome!

Illori will tell you she's one unlucky unicorn. After spending many years in Africa as a Fallen Angel's prized "pet", and having her magic used to keep him hidden from his master downstairs, she knows what a coveted prize she is. But her stint as slave and trophy is over now, and she must do what she can to keep herself safe. But she knows she will never be truly safe as long as she is cut off from The Glimmer, the magical realm and home of the unicorns.

Karsten has all but given up hope of ever finding another of his race. Since the portal to The Glimmer was closed and he was caught on the wrong side five hundred years ago, he has searched for another of his kind, especially a mare that he might mate and start a family with. So he goes on living a discontented existence, working as a secret agent, taking dangerous jobs that his luck allows him to survive. Until one day, walking down a Glasgow street, he catches the beautiful, unmistakable scent of an unmated mare. When the mare enters a candy shop, what can he do but follow?

Illori and Karsten have an instant attraction to each other, and the pull between stallion and mare is undeniable. They retreat to her nearby apartment, but before he can give her his mark, they are interrupted by Sammael, a Fallen Angel charged with the task of getting rid of the female unicorn. The task was given to Sam by Lucifer himself, and made apparent (in a not-so-subtle way) that it was his last chance. Karsten and Illori make a narrow escape, and their need to get back to The Glimmer has become all too clear.

But when Illori is captured by Nybras, a demon making a play for Sammael's job as hunter, Sam knows he has to make a change in plans to save his job. Karsten and Sam, a being of light and a being of darkness, must join forces to save Karsten's mate- and Sam's hide!

The Soft Edge of Midnight is the prequel to the Keepers of Twilight series. But don't let the word "prequel" fool you, this book is a fantastic stand-alone that like all The Price Sisters' books will whet your appetite for more! This is an exhilarating story of fated mates trying to find their way home, and battling the forces that would keep them apart. You will be fascinated by how quickly you come to know the characters both light and dark- their wants, fears, motivations- and love them because of (or in spite of) these traits. As you read The Soft Edge of Midnight, you will be drawn into the story by the excitement, the humor, the magic, the love, and of course those searing sex-scenes! The authors amaze you with their ability to spin an amazing story of the Unicorn-shifters effortlessly, as if it's been done a million times. The characters, the story, and the settings jump right out at you, and you will have no problem picturing everything in your mind, thanks to it all being brilliantly described without you even knowing it. The Soft Edge of Midnight is a phenomenal story that will make you want more of the Keepers of Twilight- and more of Stella and Audra Price.

-Mandy Briggs for
RoguesandRomance.com

It's ironic. I spent the better part of 4 days (not including work) reading this book, and only after I finished it did I hear "Mony Mony" on the radio - which as you are probably well aware includes the line "...like a pony, like a pony..." I smell theme song...
Anyway, this is the first book from the Price sisters I've read. It's also the first PNR book I've read where the shifters were unicorns - who I totally loved as a little girl. Who didn't? Because of this, I was really hoping to like this book more than I did.
My biggest problem was holes in the author's mythology. For instance, two demons wager on how long a third will survive torture in Hell. Um...people don't die in Hell. They are pretty much stuck there to endure whatever torture the Big S deems appropriate. That's why it's Hell.
The other problem I had was that the characters mentioned having a balance of good and evil, but then the authors didn't deliver. Yes there was a Big Bad - several, as a matter of fact. But instead of being the balancing good figure, God was portrayed as a sadistic puppetmaster who only created humans to amuse himself with their misery. Personal feelings aside, if you have real bad, then you need real good to even things out.
On the up side, the sex scenes were steamy and the plot moved along fairly quickly. Overall, I thought the idea behind the book was interesting, but the characters needed to be more individualized and the writing needed a bit more polish