Fate's Edge (A Novel of the Edge Book 3)

I loved On the Edge, enjoyed Bayou Moon, but wasn't interested in Fate's Edge b/c I didn't particularly care for Kaldar. I finally read this book b/c even an Ilona Andrews' book I'm not interested in is better than most & I was between books.

I was pleasantly surprised. I really came to like Kaldar, and he & Audrey are great together. What made the book for me, though, was George & Jack. They play an integral part of the story, and even though they are kids, their presence truly enhances every part of the book. The main story line -retrieving a powerful magical object Audrey stole b/f it gets into the hands of the enemy - was well done & didn't feel like merely a vehicle for getting the two main characters together. The author is very detailed in describing character appearances, scenery, etc...and here, that carries over into describing the numerous magical gadgets utilized by Mirror agents. This gave the story a steampunk feel that I don't enjoy, but was able to skip over w/o detracting from the story.

Only 3 stars b/c of the ending. It felt rushed & choppy. We got glimpses of how the story ends for the main characters, the secondary characters & the bad guys, but it felt uneven, like a poor cut and paste job.

My biggest problem /w the ending is the treatment of William & Cerise, and although they aren't essential to the story, it stuck with me. Their departure didn't seem consistent /w their portrayal in Bayou Moon. ***spoiler*** Kaldar is taken prisoner by the deadliest enemy agent & Cerise and William cut & run b/c they are ordered to. Cerise gives reasons: her family will lose asylum, she'll be tried for treason & an explanation of the role of soldiers, the importance of following orders and potential war. We're told she want's to help, but can't. I didn't buy it. Worse, they leave George (who is magically drained), Jack & Gaston (a teenaged agent-in-training) with Audrey (a stranger /w no combat experience). They had to know they'd be attempting a rescue, which would be a suicide mission, yet still left William's adopted son and the two children they practically co-parent /w Declan & Rose. Even overlooking the abandonment of family, from a political standpoint, they left the wards of the powerful marshal in a deadly situation. This behavior felt artificial coming from such resourceful characters & Cerise for whom family is everything & who was coerced into military service. If William & Cerise needed to be absent from the rescue, I think the authors could have executed a better exit. ***end spoiler***

Overall, an enjoyable romance/action and solid addition to the Edge series.

I haven't read any of Ilona Andrews other series, and when I picked up this Edge series, I was hooked and read all that was available one after the other. Really enjoyed them and the world that has been created.

Fate's Edge is a great addition to "The Edge" series. I'll admit I liked the first two books On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1) and Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2) but I wasn't as immidiately drawn into the world / series as I was with Kate Daniels (an absolutely wonderful series by Ilona Andrews). Well, with the release of Fate's Edge I can definitely say that I can't wait for more books in this world. I'm also excited about going back and reading the other books in the series again.

Audrey and Kaldar are both grifters who need to team up to steal back an item that Audrey stole on a previous job. From the moment these two get together the pages burn. There is so much chemistry and tension on the page between these two and it's written so well. On that note, action scenes are also very intense and fun to read. There's never a down moment in this book from the moment that Audrey and Kaldar meet up to the very end. The villains, too, are evil and scarey. I like that everyone in this series can back up the talk. There's no mistaking that the villains are evil. They aren't suddenly going to grow a heart. Same with the heros. They are good at what they do and we get to see (read) that.

I would say that if you are unsure whether or not you want to start this series, definitely give it a try. You don't necessarily have to start from the beginning, but it will make the experience that much more better. It will be worth it for sure. Now, I can't wait until the next installment.

This book was fun, action packed, serious, and sometimes a little sad. BEST ONE YET! I have read a lot of Ilona Andrews books and this one is definitely my favorite one and I am wishing that there was another! I am hoping that Steel's Edge will be just as good!

Loved the first edge book. They only get better. Everyone one of these books are so intriguing and has humor with the thrill of these characters would recommend to anyone who enjoy different creatures and magic

This book is night and day difference from Ilona's Kate Daniels series.. I was so excited to buy and read this book, but only made it half-way through. The writing is bland and full of unnecessary and tedious detail. Reading turned from a fun activity to a chore with this book..

This is the third book in the excellent Edge Series. In it charming conman and Mirror operative Kaldar, meets his match in beautiful grifter Audrey. Those two gorgeous boys from book 1, George and Jack, play a huge part in the tale as they stowaway on Kaldar's wyvern. Kaldar, Audrey, George, Jack and Gaston, plus a menagerie of rescued animals (including a raccoon named Ling the Merciless!), are on the trail of a stolen artefact and battling the gruesome forces of the Hand along the way.

As usual the storytelling is flawless and I'm in awe of the author's imagination. The book is full of suspense. At one stage I was sick with dread anticipating the gang being caught by the Hand. And those Hand operatives are truly evil. Altered and enhanced physically by magic, they pay for their abilities with some very hideous and scary physical malformations. I hated when the book was over because it was just so damn good. The world of the Edge is extremely addictive and I can't wait for book 4.

I've loved Illona Andrews' novels from the minute I picked up "Magic Bites" through everything else she's, (they've) written, up to and including "Fate's Edge". I buy new ones on sight without bothering to read the blurb, keep them, reread them, and press them on my friends.

There have been, and will be, plenty of synopses. So I'll just say that this book is well-written, the story is logical, there are no grammatical mistakes, and I haven't seen any typos , all of which can jerk me right out of the story. The good characters are also likeable, believably flawed, and even the villains have a good point or two. For instance, the main villain in this one will maim, torture, and kill, but she loves her uncle. She's still a nasty piece of work, but not a cardboard cutout.

That's my two cents worth. :-)

I ordered Fate's Edge from the store because I could not find it locally. I was pleased with the condition of the book when it arrived. It was exactly as described. As for the story itself, I only have one word- fabulous!

In short: Don't bother, skip the series if you manage to read this in time...

I picked up the whole "Edge" series based on the reviews, and by the time I got to this installment I was thoroughly bored with the whole affair. The novel started off well enough, with the machinations of a grifter family dragging one of their own back into the family business for one last heist... but then that intriguing premise is immediately discarded and we dizzyingly switch POV to another main character who has to deal with the fallout of that heist, one of several POV changes that do the work a disservice by breaking immersion and forcing the reader to accept their new outlook with barely a breath taken to describe what's going on. The novel just isn't long enough to do any of these interthreaded storylines justice, and we are left tapping our toes and checking our mental watches for the moment when these dispersed characters must coalesce for The Big Finish. Unfortunately the big finish is written like a CGI-FX-heavy movie scene, not a bit of tension or clever to be found in it (The Big Heist happens offstage early, and the next heist had zero thought behind it, making me wish that it too happened offstage so that at least I could pretend it was something like a real old-school con, and not the awful smash-and-grab it turned into). There was no real tension in the final fight since there was really no one present who the reader cared about that had a remote chance of dying, being all primary characters and Illona Andrews showing a distinct aversion to killing off main characters, a reason why all these series wind up, like soap operas, with an extra 2-3 main characters every episode until someone in the writing staff gets fed up and kills almost all of them off (I'm looking at you, Mr. I-Write-The-Gory-Bits, you are falling down on the job, sirrah).

There was no particular romantic tension either, since Mrs. I-Write-The-Sexy-Parts fell down on the job as well, and just went with Bolt-From-The-Blue love, that strikes both characters simultaneously (recall, you get to each of their POVs rather quickly, so no surprises there) and there is no particular reason for them *not* to get together: No attachments, no other love interests, both stupidly cute (I guess, I mean they aren't well described, we just get painfully personal descriptions of how wet/hard they get when they see each other, gah, such a cop-out) and both with that creepy sociopathic loving-but-I-slit-throats-too thing that has been so popular since vampire fiction came along and turned everyone's forebrains into sex-and-death mush.

Don't even ask me why the "kids" are in this novel, or why adults would pat their heads for being such homicidal lunatics at age 13 or whatever, the world-building doesn't fully explain why this society is so sociopathic when it has such easy access to modern liberal democratic philosophy, technology and magic that approximates and exceeds technology. These people act *worse* than Medicis and Borgias, but share a border with the US of A, and seem to personally espouse rather noble ideals... until suddenly they go psychopathic and the violence ratchets up to 11. It makes no sense, but is undoubtedly an artifact of two writers collaborating page-by-page (Although Niven and Pournelle did it seamlessly in their shared work, so I cannot wholly absolve the writers for this bi-polar mess).

Give this one a pass, and in fact if you are considering buying the whole series, I'd give it a pass as well, I'm calling it DOA with the 3rd installment.

Faye's Edge is the third book in Ilona Andrew's The Edge Series. I highly recommend that you read the first two before you pick this one up because there is a lot of world building that takes place in the previous installments. I absolutely love this writing duo and this book was definitely another slam dunk for me.

Fate's Edge has everything that I could ask for. First off the characters are great. We have Kalder, a dashing, roguish, and intelligent hero paired with Audrey, a ball busting, bright, and cunning heroine. Both are con artists trying to do the right thing(or at least what they consider right). They have a wonderful chemistry and I love how she doesn't let him get away with any of his usual crap. We also have a great supporting cast of beloved characters from the previous books like Jack, George, and Gaston.

Secondly this this book has a ton of action. In this Book Kalder, now working for The Mirror, is charged with finding an important artifact that was stolen before it gets to The Hand. His search leads him to skillful thief Audrey. Together(with some help from old friends) the two must con and swindle there way through the edge in order to get the artifact back before The Hand.

This book is full of adventure and humor with just the right dash a romance. If you like your books to be fun and chock full of action then this is the right choice for you! I can't wait for the next installment!!!

3rd in series - In order to read this book, you do not have to read the previous two novels in this series, but doing so will increase your enjoyment of this book - and the previous novels are both so damn good, why wouldn't you want to?

Audrey Callahan is a con and a thief - an incredibly good one. As with all of the Edge's residents, she has magic, and her specialty is opening locks & safes. How great would that be for someone with a slightly black heart? However, Audrey has given it all up for the "straight" life, when in walks her family with a request for just one more job. Audrey involves herself in order to get rid of them permanently, so that she can go back to leading her life - crime free. The job goes without a hitch, and Audrey settles back into her life, sure that her life of crime is finally all over.

Kaldar Mar is a con and a thief, but works for the Mirror - a group who police their section of this magical world the Andrews have invented. Kaldar is sent out to find whoever stole a magical device and his search ultimately leads him to Audrey's doorstep. Audrey and Kaldar's interaction with each other were a big part of what made this story work so well. Both know the other is ruthless, self-serving, and excellent con men; however, it doesn't make any difference, as it isn't long before they fall for each other (even if the other doesn't know it). The plot reminded me of the old movie, The Sting. There were layers and layers of plans, with each plan accomplishing a small objective in order to finally get to the main one - retrieving the magical device. In fact, as more and more plots and schemes evolved, I couldn't see how Andrews would bring the "ship" safely home - but they did by keeping each thread straight forward and accomplishing each objective one step at a time. The plot was awesome.

Everytime I buy an Illona Andrews book I keep my fingers crossed. I use to absolutely adore Kenyon, Feehan and LKHamilton - and we know what happened to those authors. Their series started out strong, but eventually each author lost their way by throwing in too many side plots, strange races, sex and even (lol) made up foreign languages. So far, every single time Andrews have put pen to paper it has made for a fantastic read with well-developed characters, terrific plots and fabulous world building. I live in fear that some morning they will look at each other across the kitchen table and say, "Damn, I see you too much." and get divorced. Only joking, but you understand where I am coming from here. These two writers are so clever, so talented, that I just don't know how each book continues to be so good, and I keep waiting for the quality to drop, but it never does. As far as I am concerned, this team of writers is absolutely at the top of my must buy list and all of their books are keepers. In fact, in the urban fantasy world, I rate them No. 1. With three series going (The Edge, Kate Daniels & Kinsmen)and numerous short stories, I am sure their creativity and time is stretched to the limit, but how I wish they could write faster.

Another heart pumping action packed and emotional roller coaster read! In advance I took the day after the lay down date off so I could recover after in case I read all night though *^_^* YEAH I have it on order from the store as a paperback but also on Kindle (yeah I bought it TWICE) because I know I'd want to read it IMMEDIATELY when I could. And it was Totally Worth It. I just love the writing quality from Ilona Andrews sooooo much, it's a gorgeously satisfactory read with vivid descriptions and this book was practically a mental movie in the head. More James Bond/Mission Impossible than previous Edge novels, but it fits the dashing Dark Errol Flynn character of Kaldar. Audrey was fresh and very Romancing the Stone esque in her introduction to the exciting and deadly world of our familiar families from the first two books.

Even though she grew up in a family of professional con artists, and is an accomplished thief, Audrey is very much a good girl and not accustomed to violence and ruthless brutality. Emotionally blackmailed by her father to do One Last Job for the family so her ne'er do well addict brother can get rehab, Audrey becomes embroiled in an escalating series of escapades that run the gamut of the Broken, the Edge, and the Weird, throwing her into the company of devilish Kaldar, an agent of the Mirror, and two young boys (from book one!) George and Jack (OMG they are very much main characters!!! More More More) struggling with their lives and personal identities as Wards of one of the most powerful Weird titled aristocrat (Declan) and their histories of being dirt poor Edgers, common born in a world of blue bloods. An oddball, unplanned team, each with their own special skills and abilities, emotional damages, and determination, the make a dynamic company out to be tougher than the toughies and smarter than the smarties, save the day and each other.

Add in the dangers of the Hand, and introducing new players like the Claws of Bast (hope we see more of this and other stuff from the Weird) - we have a huge heaping gumbo of adventure, religious cults, magical artifacts, impossible heists, slavers, high stakes underworld auctions, and of course magic. But the meat of the story is of course family ties. Audrey whose been burned so badly by hers, and Kaldar whose love and loyalty of family is what gives him focus, and the brothers George and Jack whose sense of family is a bedrock part of their lives.

Story in a nutshell, our team of heroes must retrieve a dangerous artifact that will cause huge shift in the power struggle between the Dukedom of Louisiana and Adrianglia, depending on who will end up with it.

This is a slightly different flavor of story than the first two books with more flash and dazzle sequences, but still the highest quality of writing and characterizations that make ILONA ANDREWS books such wonderful reading experiences. The first two books were meaty and dense, both plot wise and emotionally, but this is a good chaser novel, a little bit more of a dessert cart but all the highest quality ingredients. Definitely a tasty treat with the emotional pay off of a heroic happy ending. And even the "bad guys" get a little something something. There is definitely a gray area in what defines the major players, and while rooting for the heroes, I still felt some sympathy for one of the new bad guys Helena, who is the niece of the Spider (book 2 Bayou Moon) and the devotion she feels for her uncle.

Loving the Edge books, also nice lil newsbite from the end of the book, Andrea Nash from the Kate Daniel novels will be the lead in a new novel out next summer :D All the Ilona Andrews stuff I've read has been top notch and enjoyable, so can't wait.

Short review: Buy this book.
Yes, I adore Ilona Andrews. And I buy everything they write. But even if I didn't, I would still adore this book. (Semi-reformed) Con men are usually fabulous characters, with both natural and native intelligence and more cleverness than is good for them. Having two grifters who are incredibly talented and interesting in their own right as the mains is brilliant, and is particularly fun since we get to see how well they "read" each other.

More over, I really love how both mains are actually from the Edge - as much as you see all three worlds in this book (more so than the first two, I would say). One of the things that endears the Edgers to me is their absolute abundance of grit. (Case in point - Georgia Peach to zip ties in 20 seconds flat - yes!!)

I also really enjoy getting to see the characters from the first two edge series as more than just cameos. The glimpses into their lives as time passes is the very best Epilogue.

Thanks to the writers - you guys are amazing!

This is a good book, with interesting, well rounded characters and a compelling plot. However, it suffers a bit in comparison to the last in the series. It's a mark of how highly I have come to regard Ilona Andrews that I'm giving this book 4 stars and am still disappointed. Where to start...the book had less action than most of her previous, which is not necessarily a drawback, but what it had instead was a series of heists. Kaldar Mar and Audrey Callahan are both excellent thieves. They pool their talents to retrieve an artifact (originally stolen by Audrey and her family) that is being sought by the Hand, Louisiana's loathsome secret service. Kaldar is now working for the Mirror, Adrianglia's not so loathsome secret service. They are aided by Gaston, an apprentice Mirror agent and William Sandine's ward, and Jack and George, first introduced in On the Edge, who are smart, talented kids and who have run away from home because Jack is afraid that he is about to be shipped off to a military academy. So far, so good, except that I found the heists to be just a little boring. They steal some money so they can steal a ticket to an auction so they can steal the device. We know they're going to get to the auction so all the intervening events lacked much suspense.

In addition (spoiler alert!) when they arrive at the auction, they find William and his very capable wife Cerise, pursuing a different mission which has brought them to the same place. I was looking forward to some excellent fights and figuring the Hand was going to be very surprised. I was disappointed. Not much action at all, and what was worse, Kaldar is kidnapped and Cerise and William cannot help rescue him, as they are suddenly ordered back home by the Mirror. A little too convenient, I think. So Audrey, Gaston, Jack and George have to rescue him...except it is unimaginable to me that William and Cerise did not insist on Jack and George going home with them. They're kids, and kids that shouldn't be risking their lives. Have they suddenly been forgotten? Also, Spider, the main villain of the previous book, is alive but crippled. The ending of Bayou Moon led us to think that he had lived but would recover, since he had eaten the heart (if you didn't read it, don't ask) of an immortal monster who used to be Cerise's grandfather. In this book, it is revealed that Kaldar, as well as Cerise, had been given the immortality treatment, so his blood may well finish the job of healing Spider. Last inconsistency, in the last book, Richard flashed blue. In this one, he flashes white. Minor, I know, and I still liked the book. It's just that these little plot absurdities make the whole series just a little less than perfect, and just a little less than I have come to expect from the extremely talented husband and wife writing team that comprises Ilona Andrews.

I've read and then listened to each book in this series as they've been released. I keep thinking they can't get any better, but they do! Absolutely loved this one, each character had a shining moment or more with perfect dialogue or action. I'm ready to start listening to the audio version all over again, Renee Raudman's narration adds an extra touch of brilliance to a great story. This couple can't write fast enough for me!

There is a lot of mediocre urban fantasy/romantic fantasy out there. Sometimes it is difficult for readers to find the straws of gold in the haystack. That's the only reason that I can think why the husband-and-wife team of Ilona Andrews are not as famous and popular as authors like Charlaine Harris, because they are crazy good writers.

The Edge series is more fantasy/romance, and as a fan of Andrews' gritty urban fantasy Kate Daniels series (GO READ ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW!) I was pleased but underwhelmed by the first Edge book. The second really grew on me, as the world and characters developed further, and it became downright fascinating. Fate's Edge, the third in the series, is the best yet, worth reading for its own sake, with two potent main characters and a range of delightful secondary players. I read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down, and kept smiling later as I remembered scenes from it.

How many books of this genre have you read and then could only vaguely remember? Or the details of the world quickly blurred and merged with those of other series'? That won't happen with the Edge. It's different than anything you've read, and it's both intense and darn good fun. There are plenty of reviews with plot synopses, so I won't get into that. I'll just tell you to check it out! You won't be sorry.

If you like interesting heros and heroines, some fantasy, some romance, some laughs, and lots of action I think you will really enjoy this book.

The third book in the Edge series, Fate's Edge is based in a world where there are three realms. The one we know is called the Broken because it has no magic, the Weird is a realm mirroring ours that functions on magic, and finally the Edge is a a land in-between the Broken and Weird which has some magic and a lot of people called Edgers who are just trying to get by.

Kaldar Mar, a former Edger and cousin to Cerise heroine of book 2, is a con-man of the first order who has a heart of gold. He is bent on revenge against the evil organization the Hand. Luckily he now works for the Mirror, a secret Weird organization that fights the Hand, and his latest assignment will place him on the trail of the Hand and a powerful stolen object.

Audrey is the daughter of grifters, there are few cons she hasn't seen or attempted to pull while working for her no good father and drug addicted brother. Audrey lives in the Edge and is trying to start a clean life with a law abiding job in the Broken when her father asks her to pull one last heist. Unbeknownst to her this heist will put her on a crash course with Kaldar, the Mirror, and the Hand. Now she must figure out if she can trust Kaldar in order to stay ahead of the Hand and stay alive in general.

I almost gave this book 5 stars because this love story is one of the most interesting I have read in a while. Both characters are essentially good, but have spent their lives conning other people for one reason or another. In order to truly love each other they must learn to trust not so easy when your life is built on manipulation while staying ahead of some truly evil villains and looking after some really adorable, but trouble bound children. The only thing I didn't like was at the end some characters I knew acted in ways I thought were a bit odd. However, I love the writing team Ilona Andrews and they are the authors. They can do what they want.

Overall, I believe this is one of the best books in the Edge series. It has a great stand alone love story, but it also propels the overall series. I love that I get to catch up with some of the series former characters: Jack, George, and Gaston who play a big part in this story as well as William & Cerise (Book 2 - Bayou Moon) and Rose, & Declan (Book 1- On the Edge).

You don't need to read the other books in the series to understand what is happening, but they are all really awesome so I suggest that you do. If you have read the previous books, you MUST read this one since it is one of the strongest in an already great series. Besides who ever thought Kaldar would meet his match?

Other reviewers have summed up the plot, so I won't repeat it. I will say that this was a great read. There's lots of action, and great world building (as usual in Ilona Andrew's books), but what really makes this book 5 star is are the characters and they're interactions. I loved having Jack and George back, and the chemistry between Kaldar and Audrey made me stay up all night so I could finish the book. Highly recommended.

Grade: A

How on earth to start this review... I could start by saying that I think Ilona Andrews writes SUPERB Worlds and Characters. I could say that Ilona Andrews has the most Fantastic imagination when it comes to monsters and villains. I could say that Ilona Andrews writes witty and funny dialogue, which doesn't feel forced or cheesy. (Unless they want it to, of course) But if I said all those things, what would I tell you about Fate's Edge? That would be the end of this review, and I then would tell you to rush out and buy the series, because it is captivating, unique, and cool.

Fate's Edge features Kalder Mar, whom we meet in Bayou Moon--he is part of Cerise's family. Kalder was just so adorably egotistical that I loved him. What I loved most about him was he had so many layers. You could almost call him an onion. As an agent for the Mirror, he has been trained to blend in, and adapt to almost any setting. For most of his life, he was a thief, a cheat, and a liar. But, he has a set of standards--which included no raping, no murder of children, and no stealing from honest, innocent people. He was a modern day Robin Hood if you will, stealing from the bad, in order to feed and provide for his family in the mire. (view spoiler)

Audrey Callahan was a great heroine, and nice break from the mold of woman usually found in Ilona Andrews books. That is not a knock on the writing duo, but I found her refreshing. I'm glad she wasn't a sword wielding, flashy, killer. I enjoyed Audrey's lock picking skills, and her con-woman lifestyle. I thought her and Kalder were a perfect match. Her back-story would have demolished most people, but she rose above it, and didn't let it break her. I admired her strength of character.

You can't talk about Fate's Edge without talking about the world-building. It's a complicated and complex world that you have to read slowly, so you don't get confused. The three main places are the Weird, the Broken and the Edge. To put it simply, the Weird is magical (Think Fantasy realm), the broken has technology but no magic (Think Walmart!) and the edge is in between, where there is some magic, but not a lot. (You have to cross a magical barrier to get into the edge, it's like an inner dimensional pocket that causes pain when you cross into it. (I'm not sure I did an adequate job of describing the layers of the world, but it's a start!)

If I were going to nitpick (And it's a SMALL nitpick), because let's be frank here, no book is PERFECT, (even though most of the Ilona Andrews books come close in my most humble opinion) I would say that the second sequence (Heist) in Fate's Edge takes took longer than I thought it would and I would have preferred more time spent on the final climax and ending. (But I am a tough reader, and I will probably be in the minority on this one) However, it was still fascinating and had me staying up really late to finish the book. Even though I swore to myself I was going to pace, and savor it. Once I hit about 45% on my kindle, I flew through the rest, unable to put it down.

I loved seeing Cerise and William, and the brief glimpse of Rose and Declan.

I have to spend a minute here to tell you that I love Jack and George, and I cannot wait, seriously. Cannot. Wait! For them to have their own books. So please ACE, let them write about Jack and George!!! I spent the first 25% in love with a twelve year old lynx.

This is a must read series, for any fantasy and paranormal romance fans. I would recommend reading them in order, though I think you could read them as stand alone novels if you had too.

Grade: A, 5 stars.

FATE'S EDGE is the third book in Ilona Andrews' 'Novels From the Edge'. It is not meant as a stand-alone read. Less dark then BAYOU'S MOON, the second book, it is definitely an urban fantasy but avoid this series if romance is not your thing. FATE'S EDGE has the bantering between the hero and heroine that was similar to the first novel, ON THE EDGE, and I loved it.

While growing up Audrey Callahan's father and brother treated her with disdain. Alex, her older sibling, had a drug problem. Her father put too much weight on his son's relationship as heir and the mother was listless at best. When Audrey was old enough she moved as far away as she could and tried to sever her relationship with the others. FATE'S EDGE starts at the point when her dad finds her in the Broken and wants to cut her a deal. Remember to read the first two books or you'll be lost with all the terminology. Audrey takes on one last heist, unaware of the all the damage it will cause.

Kaldar Mar is a conman with some outstanding powers that make him a Mr. Fixit. His latest job is to apprehend a stolen item. He meets up with Audrey and realizes he's going to need her help. Our heroine is strong and kicks butt. George, Jack and Gaston are with him and it is nice to see these characters again. This group gives their enemies a run for the money. Be prepared for plenty of action and adventure. When Kaldar and Audrey finally recognize what they mean to each other, the passion is steamy. You will enjoy it.

In review, read the previous books before starting FATE'S EDGE. Be sure you enjoy the urban fantasy genre AND romance. This is a heartwarming novel with magic and makes for a fun read. It is a keeper, I can't wait for the fourth book.

I have read all the books by Ilona Andrews and find that this one might just be one of the best thus far. The world building was at it's best, enough humor and romance kept things moving with an well-developed alignment to the other books in the series. The suspense was excellent and the plot twists were well done, they were not predictable. I will definitely reread some sections that I hurried through so I could finish the book. Well done and keep the series alive!

Fate's Edge is the best in this series of three books so far. I am not going to waste time with retelling of the plot, that you can read from others and from the product description of the book itself. I will tell you that I really liked this book. Reading this book sent me back to rereading the 2nd book in this series. I liked the first one in this series, however, for me, this series just keeps getting better with each book. You do not really need to read in order, but, it will help with all of the secondary characters to do so.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters and the building of sexual tension between them. I also enjoyed having George, Jack, and Gaston coming back and being more of a presence in this book. I don't think you will go wrong with buying this book. Fate's Edge is a keeper for me and is now on the bookshelf awaiting a second read sometime in the near future.

Disclaimer: I am a total Ilona Andrews Fangirl and have loved, LOVED, everything they write. Some works I love better than others, but everything I've read has been 4-5 star quality work. FATE'S EDGE is no exception and is one of their finest. Even though I've loved everything they've written, there has always been at least something that I didn't quite like...until now. I can't think of anything that I would have changed about this story.

Audrey Callahan is a gifted thief, but is determined to go straight. She's even making a go at a normal life in the Broken, leaving her magic and her grifter family behind in the Edge. But when her father comes to ask for help on one more job, she agrees on one condition: She's out of the family; she wants nothing to do with them again. Unfortunately, the job caught the attention of every Weird Government agency and they are gunning for her. Kaldar Mar, a very talented thief and current spy, is excited for a chance to track down the stolen items, which leads him to a very talented con-woman who can out-con him!

FATE'S EDGE was such a fun read. FUN. There are so many subtle humorous moments that I found myself smiling the entire read. I ended up marking up my kindle version to the point that there is about 1/3 the book in "my clippings."

Fans of George and Jack from the first book will be pleased to know that they feature heavily in this story, including several POV from the boys and so much talent. These boys have grown so much since On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1), but are still so young. They were my favorite part of the first book, so I just LOVED having them again.

The development of Audrey and Kaldar's relationship was so smooth and subtle. It built and built and I could see the pieces coming together slowly building a solid base. These two were so in sync with each other, but so different and unique at the same time.

At one point in the novel, they have to sneak into somewhere to steal something. (Don't want to give too much away, do I?) When they finally get in and Audrey sees all inside she whispers "Best date ever."

If you haven't read any of the previous books, do not to worry. Each book is a stand-alone book. Only events from previous books that are pertinent to this storyline are briefly summarized...I really do mean briefly: 1, maybe 2, paragraphs for each summarization. So, we don't have to trudge through pages and pages of exposition.

The Edge Series
On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1)
Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2)
Fate's Edge

My goodness, I love this series! And this is a fabulous addition to it! The characters are to die for. A wonderful hero and heroine. And seeing the return and involvement by past favorite characters is also an amazing treat. The good "guys" are so good and the bad "guys" are so bad. And yet all have their unique sense of honor, even if in the case of the bad guys it's a terrifying thing. And let me say the romance is just right (as good if not better than the previous books)! I seriously hated to see the story end. The whole thing was a true pleasure. Kudos to the authors! Definitely five stars! Highly recommended!! (Hmmm ... Do you think I liked it? :)

The third installment of the 'The Edge series' is another winner. I absolutely loved Kaldar Mar with his sexy, drifter self and Audrey with her ability to resist his charms. One of my favorite moments was when Kaldar was speaking with Audrey on how to dress for a heist and her reply was "this is not my first time!" He realized very quickly that she was the one and it would not be business as usual. You just could not out scam another scam artist. Thank you Ilona and Gordon, I concur with the previous reviewer - I pray that a divorce will never happen your writing is simply the BEST.

I'm a big fan of Ilona Andrews' work - the Kate Daniels series is outstanding, and the previous Edge books were very good. This latest one, not so much. It was just....okay. About halfway through, I was really considering putting it down and going on to something else because the story had lost its focus. There's only so many times you can stand to read Kaldar's "witty" thoughts because honestly, there were only a very few of those. I was tired of hearing about Audrey's ass, too. It was worn-out dialog and not fun to read.

It just was really repetitive and boring. I enjoyed George and Jack, and thought those characters were really developed nicely in this book. I cried when Jack went into rend mode - really an end of innocence of a sort there, and well written.

I'd like to see another Edge book, but it would need to be at the higher standards of the first two books. Maybe tell the grandmother's story, build up some more background on the Edge world, and make it something I'm going to stay up all night to read.

The Edge series is pretty dark. When I listened to Bayou Moon (book 2) I thought wow, there are some pretty grim and gruesome details in this book! There’s something about listening to a book that make those details really stand out. Fate’s Edge tells the story of Kaldar and Audrey. We had met Kaldar previously in Bayou Moon. He was kind of a crazy character and I wasn’t sure how they’d write a whole book about him and didn’t remember if I liked him or not. Turns out I LOVE him. Being inside Kaldar’s head gives us insight into why he does all of these crazy things. When he meets Audrey he’s working for the Mirror (think CIA) trying to find the team that stole some magical bracelets that the Mirror doesn’t want out in the world. Audrey is one of the thieves who stole those bracelets and he is gobsmacked when he meets her. She is drop dead gorgeous and a natural con artist. Something he really admires.

The greatest thing about these two characters is that they understand each other perfectly. They are very similar, both are con artists, both are great actors and both have been disappointed by life. When they meet, Audrey knows immediately that Kaldar is her soul mate but she is determined to keep him at arm’s length because she knows to be involved with a grifter is to doom yourself to a disappointing love life. Kaldar doesn’t immediately know that Audrey is his one and only, he just knows he wants her. Their back and forth dialog, along with their adventure while retrieving the bracelets is lighthearted and fun. A refreshing departure in this dramatic series! Eventually those interactions and adventures makes it apparent to Kaldar that Audrey is meant for him. When he comes to this realization your heart squeezes at the emotion he is feeling.

Along for the ride in this adventure are George and Jack. Rose’s little brothers from The Edge, the first novel in the series. They provided some humor as well as their own little heart tugging moments. When the story ends, you just don’t want to let the two of them go, they are so adorable.

Audrey and Kaldar were my least favourite couple to date in this series—that being said—FATE’S EDGE was still a solid 4-star read thanks to George and Jack. When I finished book 1 my first thought was I hope the Drayton boys will make another appearance, so I was pumped to see them pop-up again in this installment. On top of stunning characters, Ilona Andrews also brings her mad world-building and storytelling skills to the table which makes this novel exactly what I’ve come to expect from this author. Add to that Renée Raudman’s flawless narration, and you’re left with another winning audiobook in THE EDGE series.

I didn’t dislike the leading duo, but they lacked a certain je ne sais quoi if you know what I mean. Audrey is not Andrews’ typical heroine; she’s strong, savvy, and a skilled lock pick, but she’s no fighter. Callahan wages her battles with words instead of a sword which made the romance between her and Kaldar somewhat of a slow burn; lots of flirting, but very little substance. However, I think my main problem was with her male counterpart; he’s more of an anti-hero in my opinion. Kaldar spends a good chunk of this book trying to get into Audrey’s pants, only to later change his tune to one of love. Admittedly, they are well-suited for each other and I enjoyed their bantering, but the hero’s transition from player to soul mate didn’t feel authentic.

George and Jack definitely stole the show, and I was more than ok with that. They both play a pretty significant role in this novel including their own mission in Audrey and Kaldar’s scheme to retrieve the magical device. More is revealed about their respective powers, and I especially enjoyed the extra Changeling tidbits. One of my favourite scenes was from Jack’s POV where he’s chasing a butterfly. Now, as a general rule I’m not a cat person, but even I could appreciate the author’s attention to detail when it came to our lynx-y friend. A number of secondary characters as also introduced in this installment, the most memorable of course being Ling the Merciless, Audrey’s raccoon sidekick.

Renée Raudman’s performance is once again beyond reproach; she achieves the perfect balance between action and humour in her tone, and just makes the overall listening experience a lot more fun. At one point George and Jack are practicing their Broken speak for their upcoming mission, and as a result the narrator had to say “dude” repeatedly in a variety of ways and it was hilarious! The only fault I found with Raudman’s narration was her sexy scenes, her voice became a little too breathy at times, but otherwise this was another fab audiobook from this artist.

FATE’S EDGE is an excellent listen, and on par with what I have come to expect from Ilona Andrews’ THE EDGE series.

*review may contain mild spoilers*

So, Kaldar's book was everything amazing that I expected it to be, and then so much more! I still think I like On the Edge a little more, but it definitely surpassed Bayou Moon. I mean, this whole series is great, but if I'm ranking them, this comes in at a close second.

I also loved all the different POVs. In Bayou Moon it seemed to only be about Cerise and William, and we didn't get to see Declan or Rose until the epilogue. In Fate's Edge we see all the characters quite a bit, and Jack, George, and Gaston are actual main characters along for the adventure. I absolutely loved their involvement in this book.

This series is about the Edge, which is where the Weird and the Broken touch. The Weird has magic, and the Broken does not. They are mirrors, or parallel universes, to each other. So essentially, the people that live in the Edge are between worlds.

We meet our main protagonist, Kaldar, in Bayou Moon. He is Cerise's cousin from the Mire, in the Edge. The Mire is pretty much where all the criminals from the Weird go that are looking to not ever get caught. Kaldar doesn't have riches or a noble blood title, but he has more jokes and wit than anyone else in this series combined. After the events in Bayou Moon, Kaldar is looking for revenge while working with the Mirror.

“At the door, Audrey called, "Are you coming?"
"No, just breathing hard, love." He glanced at her and was rewarded by an outraged glare, followed by, "Oh, my God!”

Then we have Audrey, who thinks she is finally free from her abusive family and happy to be making her own life for herself in the Edge. That is, until her father finds her and begs her to do one more job with him. Audrey is a very skilled lock pick, who feels confident enough to steal anything. Her father promises her that if they break into this pyramid, and steal a special item, that he will completely disappear from her life. He is very desperate for her help, because with the money he can check Audrey's drug-addicted brother into rehab, even though everyone knows that it won't help him, because he doesn't want to be helped. Audrey also had a pet raccoon, Ling the Merciless, who pretty much stole my heart and every scene that she was in.

There are three military factions looking to get back this special device that Audrey stole for her father: The Mirror, who William and Cerise are repaying a ten year debt to. The Hand, who are the bad guys who will get anything, or information, they want with any means necessary. And then we have the Claw, who are the Egyptians looking to reclaim their stolen treasure. Since Kaldar is working with the Mirror, he is assigned to the case to find the missing device and retrieve it before the Hand gets to it.

Kaldar feels like he might need a little help on this mission, mostly to drive a wyvern, so he goes into the Weird to ask William if he would lend Gaston to him. William agrees and Gaston is more than willing to help, but what they don't expect is Jack and George to be stowaways on this mission.

Jack is scared that he has been out of line, trying to deal with his Lynx, and that Declan is going to send him away to a place that is horrible to changeling children (which Declan would never do). He is trying to get William to plead his case, but William and Cerise have to leave in a hurry to another secret mission (that I'm sure will play a bigger part in Steel's Edge), so he feels like his only option is to hide and run away with Kaldar, to buy him some time before William gets back. George isn't going to let his brother run away alone, so he thinks being a stowaway with him is the only option.

Once Kaldar notices his new partners on board, he realizes he has to work with him while keeping them as safe as he possible can (so William doesn't kill him). They soon find the right lead that leads them right to Audrey, and then an amazing adventure unfolds.

Jack and George really stole this book for me. I love them both and they are such a joy to read about. I love seeing them grow up, because I've already got to see them grown in Sweep in Peace. That is actually the reason I wanted to read this series in the first place. I loved Sweep in Peace so much, and then all my friends kept telling me about the crossover. I couldn't resist and I'm so happy that I didn't.

And I just have to say that the banter between Audrey and Kaldar is simply amazing. There really isn't a dull moment between the two. Kaldar is so funny and sarcastic, and Audrey doesn't miss a beat to say something witty back. Their dialogue was perfect and I loved reading about this duo.

Speaking of duos, Ilona and Gordon are a tier above the rest. There is something so magical about this writing duo, and I will read anything and everything they create.

I know I've said it before but I think it's worth repeating - Ilona and Gordon Andrews can do no wrong! Seriously, this writing duo could put their shopping list in a book and I would buy it and devour every page. I still can't believe that this is my first time reading their Edge series but I can guarantee it won't be the last, I'm actually already contemplating when I can fit in my first reread and I've not even read the final book yet. These books just get better and better and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I loved Kaldar in the last book so I was excited to find out this was his story, he's just the kind of guy it would be a blast spending time with and I couldn't wait to get to know him better. I love his sense of humour, I love his cheeky side, I love the way he's always bending the rules but most of all I love his sense of loyalty towards his family. Kaldar is a cheat and a conman but if you've earned his friendship he would never betray you. A guy like Kaldar needs a special woman and that's just what he gets with Audrey. She matches him every step of the way, raised in a family of conmen Audrey knows all the tricks of the trade and she has Kaldar's card marked. She often knows what he's thinking before he does and she's quick witted enough to take any cue he throws her way on a job. The two of them spark off each other brilliantly, the sexual tension is intense and boy does it explode when they finally give into temptation. Audrey is a loner who has never had a family she could rely on, she's been betrayed by the people who should have protected her so she doesn't give her trust easily and I loved seeing Kaldar and the others worm their way through her defences.

I have to give a shout out to the side characters in this story too, not only do we have an awesome animal sidekick Ling the Merciless but we also get to catch up with the previous couples which was great. More importantly than that both Jack and George (who I missed desperately in the last book) have major roles to play in this story along with Kaldar's cousin Gaston. I just love those boys so much, they have me laughing out loud most of the time but they make my heart melt too. In fact, I would happily adopt them if I didn't think their big sister would kill me for trying to take them away. I would absolutely love to read full length novels about them both so I really hope Ilona and Gordon decide to revisit their characters in the future.

Fate's Edge is pretty much non stop action, there is a lot going on and danger around every corner and I didn't want to put the book down for a second. The romance is perfect, there is just the right mix of humour and edge of your seat drama and I love the fact that the women are just as kick arse as the men. None of the females in this series have needed a man to rescue them, in fact they're just as likely to be the ones doing the rescuing, which is something I absolutely adore. I can't wait to dive into Steel's Edge but at the same time I'm kind of sad to know that the series will be over soon. The books will definitely be living on my keeper shelf though and I'll be recommending them to everyone I know.

This is the third in the Edge series, however if you have not read the others, you will not be lost. I skipped the second one, and although I am sure some of the things they discussed most likely referenced back to the second book, I was not lost, or felt cheated that I missed book 2 in any way. (I might go back and read it, though).

The characters in this book are grifters with magic. And, like the other books take place in three different worlds. The Magical, the Earth as we know it, and the place in between known as the Edge. The book is fantasy romance that has some graphic violence in it. Some of the characters are a little far out there, but since magical worlds can have a little leeway in that regard, it works.

The best parts of the book in my opinion are the interactions between the two main characters, and their love story. I loved the interplay between them, and the humorous dialog. I also enjoyed the minor characters when they, too, had more of a lighter edge.

Overall, I would recommend this book, and I will be picking up the 4th to read as well.

Filled with Magic, Danger, Intrigue, Humor and Amour. Immensely Entertaining.
Kaldar is a chameleon. He can take on any personality and fit into any situation. A Mirror agent, clever, sexy, charming and amusing. Revenge and family is all that matters to him.
Audrey is an investigator in the Broken. She was born and raised as a pick-lock, cat burglar, and grifter. Smart, savvy and beautiful, she uses her talents, looks and knowledge in her work.
Then her father gets her involved in a heist that proves to be dangerously lethal. The Mirror sends Kaldar in to retrieve the item they stole before The Hand can get. And the fun begins!
The chemistry between Kaldar and Audrey is priceless. George, Jack & Gaston are an integral part of the plot line. A lot of the characters from the previous books are in this story and it will grab and hold you throughout from the 1st page to the last word. The action never stops.
An Outstanding Read!
Fate's Edge (A Novel of the Edge Book 3)

Audrey, con-artist, wants a normal law abiding life but her family loyalties get her into whole lot of trouble with the good guys and the bad guys.
In walks, Kaldar Mar-a gambler, lawyer, thief, con-artist, spy, and charming cousin to Cerise (Bayou Moon) who blackmails Audrey into helping him clean-up the mess her family made by stealing back a weapon before it gets into the wrong hands. They make a great team chasing down the down the stolen item and playing out their cons; all while falling in love. I enjoyed the cameo appearances of Gaston, Rose and Declan, William and Cerise, and the boys as they all take part in getting everyone home safe and sound. It's a little slow in the beginning because the story switches between Audrey's and Kaldar's POV, so hold on because the pace picks up once the h/H meet. The Edge books are full of the same action, fun, humor and great story telling as my all time favorite Kate Daniels series, except in each book there is a new h/H involved in the battle against the evil doers of their weird and magical world. I look forward to reading Steel's Edge #4.

I don’t know who I would have pictured for Kaldar, but once I read how Audrey interacted with him, I realized they were absolutely perfect for each other. Neither one of them could fool the other, and that only made them hotter for each other.

As usual, the Hand horrors dogged their steps, causing death of people close to them, and together they must find and keep a sacred object from those monsters. Led by none-other than Spider’s niece.

Again, the horrors the Hand (or Hound in this case) are willing to do are horrendous, but because they are bad guys, it’s necessary. I actually like novels that add some realism to their villains, so rather than simply “I want to take over the world” it is instead “I’ll take over the world and slaughter and eat people who stand in my way.” Much more satisfying when they go down.

Kaldar is honestly more likable in this book than in the previous, though I would have throttled George and Jack for the crap they pulled, and thrown Gaston under a train as well. Then again, I’m an aunt who really dislikes when kids don’t listen to the important “NO” you give them. And Jack’s lack of trying did get on my nerves a lot, but that really was the point.

All in all, a great novel. This series gets better with each installment practically! 4.5 stars!

Listened for Fun (Audible)
Overall Rating: 4.75
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 5.00

Audio Rating: 4.50 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: Fate's Edge was exciting, fun, and made me excited/sad that the next book is the last one.

Story Thoughts: Favorite one in the series so far! The action was spot-on. The story was intriguing. The characters brought their A game. The writing was fantastic. The romance was smexy. The smexy was blush inducing. This really sealed my new found love Ilona Andrews. This was just well crafted all around.

Character Thoughts: Audrey was my favorite leading female in the series so far. She was resourceful, smart, and a good person. I love Kal from before but he really brought his leading man "swagger" in Fate's Edge. However, the main reason that I loved the characters: The Boys! Seriously if those two rascals don't at least get some kind of "where are they now" book/novella/website shout out I will be disappointed.

Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Renée Raudman / Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
Renee does a great job with the narration of this series. I highly recommend these on audio. She brings it every time!

Final Thoughts: I am really looking forward to getting my hands on the last one.

The plot did not grip me as much as Bayou Moon, but I really liked the addition of George, Jack and Gaston. Bayou Moon was grittier, darker, with a more interesting plot.

The changing POV made for a nice variation in the tone of the story and added some liveliness.

I adore the wyvern!

The developping romance between Audrey and Kaldar did not really work for me. Halfway through the book it still mostly consisted of him staring at her butt and her flipping him off, there was no tension. I was just praying for them to finally get it on, so we would be released from the ongoing and frankly dragging misery of their courtship. And then, suddenly, big love and happiness, almost out of the blue.

But the snark is very good and I like Kaldar a lot more than I expected after reading Bayou Moon.

All in all I liked the book, characterizations and plot were good and the world-building excellent, but it dragged a little through the middle and I did not have the usual "can't put it down" effect.

I don't know exactly why, but I find this third installment in the series totally boring, even if I liked Keldar in the previous book. Now I will read the last book, but I'm not so happy anymore, but you can never know with Ilona Andrews....

Non saprei nemmeno spiegare esattamente il perché, ma questo terzo volume della serie mi ha annoiato a morte, nonostante Keldar mi fosse piaciuto come personaggio apparso nel libro precedente. Ora mi aspetta l'ultimo libro che leggeró immediatamente, ma non cosí piena di aspettative come ero prima, anche se con Ilona Andrews non si puó mai dire....

I'm going to review all three of these at once. And I'm going to admit right up front, going into this, I was an idiot for waiting so long to read them.

As I'm sure you know Ilona and Gordon Andrews are the writing team that have brought us the amazing world, and the characters who inhabit the Kate Daniels series. I was late to the party but once I started book one, I bought all the books, one after another on kindle and then died waiting for the most recent Kate Daniels: Magical Atlanta book to come out a year later, last fall. I'm the kind of fan who hangs out at their website and reads snippets when I'm having a bad day. Sometimes
I get to read advance news, or extra stories that way. You should try it, it's fun.

So when I heard they had a new series, and it was set in a completely different world, and each book was a romance set in this different swampy world, and by the way...that was going to delay significantly the next Kate Daniels book, for months possibly years, instead of being joyful, I whined and pouted like a two year old. This is the part of me being an idiot.

In a fit of pique I waited MONTHS to even read them, like the moron that I am. What the hell was I thinking? If they write it, it's awesome. End of story. They even were so kind as to release ALL THREE EDGE BOOKS THE SAME MONTH! I could have had an immediate uber Andrews reading fest, but no...I had to sulk, because I felt like them taking time to write THE EDGE series was taking time away from my beloved Kate and Curran. Well below, I will summarize what I made myself wait for, and what you have no such excuse for.

Fate's Edge- Book Three

Audrey Callahan left behind her life in the Edge, and she's determined to stay on the straight and narrow. But when her brother gets into hot water, the former thief takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with a jack of all trades...

Kaldar Mar-a gambler, lawyer, thief, and spy-expects his latest assignment tracking down a stolen item to be a piece of cake, until Audrey shows up. But when the item falls into the hands of a lethal criminal, Kaldar realizes that in order to finish the job, he's going to need Audrey's help...

This book was fun. It wasn't as fresh as the first one, or as solid and deeply nuanced a plot with as tragically beautiful a love story as book two. But it does have Kalder in it and that makes up for a lot.

Despite the fact that a really evil group of people are chasing them through out the book, it seemed lighter than the others, it's more of a "con" story. Kaldar is Cerise from book two's sexy cousin who is basically a gypsy grifter. He's also the family match maker. In this book he has finally met his own devious, thieving, con running, beautiful match. Audrey

I fell in love with Rose's young brother's, the Changeling Jack, and the Necromancer George, in book one and while we saw them briefly in book two when they were reunited with William, in this book they've grown from kids to teenagers and they want adventure. They stow away when Kaldar sets off on his assignment, something that just about terrifies Kalder, when he realizes he's going to have to keep them out of trouble and oh, yes...alive, while trying to accomplish his mission.

Kalder wants revenge on the evil organization The Hand. He drags Audrey into his plot as she is also being chased by The Hand for having stolen from them. He doesn't have time to take the kids back home, so they are all in on it together.

This book wasn't my favorite of the three, despite my absolute adoration of Kalder in book two. The romance wasn't as poignant as the first two. . Don't get me wrong, its good. Its better then 80 percent of what is out there in this genre, it just isn't as good as Bayou Moon, which is a very tough act to follow. (To the right is a different cover of Fate's Edge, maybe its for purchases of the story being read. I always try to include different book covers, just to see the different versions.)

Half the fun of THE EDGE books, is re-appearing characters. Each book is completely different yet the characters know each other, or have inter actions which makes it familiar and satisfying when heroes from one book pop up in another, while at the same time each book is exciting, mysterious and the characters are just so damn loveable.

I LOVE Ilona and Gordon's brilliant, creative, devious, heartbreaking, romantic, violent worlds. I'll say right now, I'll read anything they write and odds are enjoy it more than most out there. If you like their writing and haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? Start with book one and read them in order. You're in for a treat.

I really love this book. I actually love the whole series but of the books so far this one is my fave of the series. Kaldar is awesome and Audrey is perfect for him. Add in a interesting and fun story with lots of action and it just made this a great book!

Audrey grew up in a family of con artists but tries to go straight. She didn't like her life with her family and left it 4 years before. Unfortunately, her family wouldn't leave her alone and came asking for help. She didn't want to but did help them with a job in an effort to get her family to leave her alone permanently. This doesn't work out too well when the item they stole ends up attracting a lot of attention. Audrey tries to go back to her life after the job but ends up getting tracked down by Kaldar.

Kaldar works for "The Mirror" (a secret agency) and is assigned the job of finding the item that was stolen. This leads him to Audrey. He's surprised by her and intrigued to find a woman that has such great skills in his area of expertise (cons and various unhanded skills, lol). He manages to convince her to help find the item as it could cause a lot of destruction if it fell in to the wrong hands. There's also another issue with poor Kaldar's mission because 2 boys, Jack and George (sort of related to him by marriage and from the previous books) decide to stow away with him on his mission. By the time they're found he can't turn back.

This is a very interesting story. The action is pretty constant because they're working against the clock to get the item in time. During this whole thing the attraction between Audrey and Kaldar grows and they struggle with the attraction and figuring out where this will go between them. I loved the banter between them and I was so happy when they finally got to somewhere real.

This was a great story. It had all the good elements for me...romance, action, humor all wound up with interesting characters. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I'd highly recommend this book. 2 thumbs up!!! :)

*note - I listened to the audiobook version of this and the narrator (Renée Raudman) did a great job.

I could go as high as 2.75 -- possibly 3 stars -- but I didn't much like it. Couldn't get excited about the too-sexy hero, Kaldar. I liked him well enough, but that's all. I did like Audrey.

On the up side, it was good to see the kids, Jack and George, from book 1, On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1) and I was happy to see young Gaston (now 19) and William and Cerise, from book 2 Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2). Also, it was nice to see Rose and Declan, from book 1, even though they only played a small role. William and Cerise and the three growing boys played larger roles.

But the story did not logically flow. As a reader, I grew frustrated whenever it became obvious that the authors sacrificed characterization and/or coherency to steer the plot in the direction they wanted. For one glaring example, William and Cerise abandon a captured comrade, breaking character to allow the plot to go in a certain direction. Do the authors think we won't notice?

Also, I found myself more interested in the scenes involving the boys than in Keldar and Audrey. Not a good sign. ;-)

Lots of swearing, including many religious swear words. Some repulsive bloody scenes, and in several cases, not necessary, not part of a battle (for example, in the black market dealer's office). It felt gratuitous. So did the swearing.

Of the three books in the series (so far), I liked Bayou Moon best. On the Edge was okay, too.

This is book three in Ilona Andrews' Edge series. While each book can almost stand alone, you will miss a lot of character development if you don't read them in order.

In this book, we meet Audrey Callahan, and Edger with an interesting talent; her magic unlocks doors. And not just doors, any lock; safes, bars, Fort Knox, anything. She has distanced herself from her family due to a horrible instance that happened in her past, and now she wants nothing to do with them.

Audrey is just finally getting her life together, she has a legitimate job, her own house, Ling the Merciless, her pet raccoon that she loves, when her world crashes around her and her father shows up asking for her help on a job. The job is huge, and she knows it won't end well, but she trades her skills for her family's absence in her life.

After the heist takes place, we meet Kaldar Mar, whom we met in the last book. He is an operative of the Mirror, one of the Weird's secret op organizations. He is offered the job to find the item that Audrey stole, and in the process, give a little bit of pain to the Hand, the rival organization that wiped out two-thirds of the adult population of his family.

Kaldar and Audrey were really fun to read in this book. It was a lot of tension, and they bickered all the time, but where most author's leave me feeling annoyed at all the bickering, this was just fun. It was awesome "watching" them dance around each other, waiting for them to take the fall.

I also loved the fact that Jack and George, from book one, were really brought into play in this book. Although the Edge series only has four books, Ms. Andrews left it open that if she chooses in the future, she could do a spin-off series on Jack and George.

This series is a little heavier on the romance than Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, but I like it still. This book does leave you wanting more, and it's a good thing that there's another book in the series. I can't wait to read the next book, and if you haven't picked up this series yet, do so! You won't be sorry.

FATE'S EDGE, the third installment in the series, takes place a few years later. Rose & Declan are happily married and living in the Weird. Jack & George are living the privileged life of Weird nobility with Rose & Declan as their guardians. Cerise & William have settled into domestic bliss and are enjoying the roles of doting aunt & uncle to Jack & George when they aren't on spy missions for the Mirror. And the Mars family has successfully re-established itself down the way form Cerise & William. Tranquility! Well - not exactly. The savage battle in BAYOU MOON has left a number of walking wounded including Kaldar Mars. Kaldar - with his "Dukes of Hazzard" charm, pretty boy looks, and con man ways is bent on avenging his family and killing as many members of the Hand as he can. Now a secret agent working for the Mirror, he has been called into action on a new mission which threatens to destroy the delicate balance keeping the world in check.

Jack and George have been trying to fit into their new lives in the Weird but the onset of puberty is bringing its own set of problems. Jack can't seem to keep out of trouble and George is realizing his options are limited in regards to his future. Both boys struggle with the anti-Edge bigotry that surrounds them in the Weird and worry that they will be sent away.

Audrey Callahan is a beautiful grifter trying to go straight. Raised in a family of grifters in the Edge, her talents have always been a means to an end for her greedy and abusive family. As a teen Audrey is sold into slavery to a local drug lord and beaten to within an inch of her life. Managing to escape she disappears into the Broken to start a new life.

A powerful ancient artifact has been stolen and Kaldar is placed in charge of the recovery. All paths lead to Audrey and sparks begin to fly the moment these two grifters meet. They must pull off the biggest heist of their lives while keeping ahead of the Hand, The Hounds, and the Claws of Bast; and keeping two castaways safe. Can these two con artists open their hearts enough to fall genuinely in love or will the fear of having their hearts broken keep them lonely forever?

Kaldar made such a huge impression in BAYOU MOON. He was the scoundrel uncle with the charming ways and no-good sexy looks which makes it is no surprise he gets his own book. And the best part is he gets to meet his match in a beautiful female con artist so wise to the game it's a wonder she has managed to hold onto her heart. I really enjoyed reading the cons that Kaldar and Audrey pulled off including their hilarious first meeting. Watching them struggle to accept love with another grifter was very entertaining. But most of all - reading Kaldar's insights into the cons he played in the past give me that fly on the wall access to a grifter's mind.

Jack and George are always great! And it was such a wonderful surprise to have them show up in integral roles in FATE'S EDGE . Watching them develop and suffer with aspects of their natures really tugged at my heartstrings.

Overall - the book went along at a relatively slower pace compared to its predecessors but the element of danger and culminating fight scenes were exciting and over only too soon.

This series really delivers a punch! It is packed with drama and excitement. The Ilona Andrews team has a gift for world building and making each book better than the one before. These novels are subtly crafted and much like their Kate Daniels series, the first book only begins to set the tone for the rest of the series. I can't wait for the fourth installment and I wonder what surprise Ilona Andrews have up their sleeves for us.

Kaldar Mar has finally found a way to channel his gambling, thieving ways and even is able to use some of his law degree, by being a secret agent of the Mirror. On his latest mission one thing he is not prepared for is Audrey Callahan. She is just as strong and stubborn as his cousin, but he was never drawn to his cousin as he is to Audrey. Add to the fact that she is smart, talented and sexy as hell, and won't stand for any of his "bull" and you might just have a match made in heaven. Too bad he doesn't do long term relationships, or want to settle down. But when the item he is hunting falls into the enemy's hands it becomes obvious that he is going to need Audrey's special talents to get it back, if he can keep them all from dying first.

Audrey Callahan has finally gotten her life on track. She has a real job in the non-magical world, makes a good paycheck and is now even going to have benefits. But when her father shows up she ends up having to do one last job for him. She doesn't know the job might cost them all their lives, before she agrees to take it on. But, once she does it is obvious that their lives will never be the same again. While she ends up working with the infuriating Kaldar she is also surprised to learn he has a good heart, if she can get by the infuriating shell. Now if they only wanted the same things. But, if they don't get the artifact back, and keep those hunting Kaldar from killing him they might not be able to explore their futures.

The writing team of Ilona Andrews is one who continues to make fresh and frightening characters, as well as stories. Fate's Edge continues the action packed fight for you and your kinds life as the other Edge books have. I would hate to have any of the Hand's Assassins on my trail and I am rather frightened by the things that the authors are able to deal up. That being said I am not sure I would love this book as much without that terrifying part to the story. There is NEVER a dull moment when reading this book. Not only will you cheer on Audrey and Kaldar but you have to also cheer for George and his brother. Fate's Edge is an adventure that will keep you entranced until the very end.

Reviewed by Tanya
For Joyfully Reviewed

Third in the Edge paranormal-romance series involving a parallel dimension that exists alongside an alternate Earth called the Broken.

My Take
There are three "worlds" in the Edge: the Weird where most things and people are powered by magic, the Broken where there is no magic, and the Edge, no-man's land between the Weird and the Broken where there are no rules.

I rather like that the family simply keeps growing as we interface with the major characters from On the Edge (The Edge, 1) and Bayou Moon (The Edge, 2) and new ones are added with this story. It's fascinating to read the interaction between Audrey and Kaldar, they spark off each other and continually blow each other away driving up their individual levels of respect.

I really don't feel sorry for Audrey at all; she should have simply backed away. I did enjoy Helena's negotiations with Alex; it just concluded too fast.

Audrey and Kaldar are two-of-a-kind. They're both grifters and can twist and turn any situation on its head. If you've ever wanted to see inside a grifter's operation...read this. And they keep getting into more of these situations in these few days than most people do in several lifetimes. The evolution of their romance is like nothing you have ever read before and an absolute hoot to follow.

Oh man, this is too much fun. I just finished reading it and I already want to read it again!

The Story
Woo-hoo!!! Yes! Audrey has gotten herself a job. A real, ordinary job. She's legit! Damn, a job where she'll pay taxes and get a regular paycheck...!

Until she gets home and finds her dad has shown up needing her help on a chancy job. It's for her poor brother. The same one who sold her for drugs. Audrey makes a bargain with her father and with his taking her up on it, she only needs to do this one last job. But it's a job that puts Kaldar Mar and the Hand on her trail.

On a parallel plot line, Jack is suffering from emotional overload and keeps getting into trouble. Bad trouble. This last incident Declan told Jack that changes would have to be made. Jack knows what that means, Hawk's, and he can't. He just can't do it. He needs William's help and now Cerise and William are taking off on a mission. He just can't face Declan alone without William backing him up. William understands.

And so sets the collision course of Jack-George smashing into Kaldar-Audrey and creating the most unlikely team of Mirror agents as they infiltrate a corrupt tent-revival preacher's domain, a self-obsessed addict, a "mob" boss, and the persistent Hand agents dogging their trail.

The Characters
Audrey Callahan has escaped her oblivious family and just wants to be left alone to work for Dominic and his private investigation agency. She wants an ordinary, normal life. Well, yeah, she will still use her gift for locks. Ling the Merciless is the raccoon she rescued when he was a baby; a very useful accomplice in crime. Gnome is a man who runs a general store of sorts in the Edge with a bit of fencing on the side.

Kaldar Mar is an Edger, like Audrey. A thief, smuggler, pickpocket, gambler, a scam artist, a liar, and he doesn't hesitate at murder; he works for the Mirror in exchange for his family's safety. And revenge. He has an interesting gift with coins. One of his cousins is Cerise Sandine who is married to William Wolf (see Bayou Moon (The Edge, 2) ). Gaston is almost up to junior agent status for the Mirror.

Declan, Lord Camarine and the Marshal of the Southern Provinces, and Rose met up in On the Edge (The Edge, 1) and now they live in the Dukedom of Louisiana with her two brothers, Jack, a lynx shapeshifter who needs to tame the Wild, and George, a necromancer.

Lady Nancy Virai is the head of the Mirror, a secret policing agency for Adrianglia. Erwin is one of Lady Virai's flash sharpshooters.
The Hand is the Dukedom of Louisiana's counterpart. Only the Hand has nor qualms, no morals in how it achieves its aims and its agents are magically augmented--the Industrial Light and Magic people would enjoy this! Helena d'Amry is a Hound of the Golden Throne, a more elite department of the Hand; the wrecked and paralyzed Spider is her uncle. Lady d'Amry is cruelly ruthless even more so than her team: Sebastian is her second-in-command, Karmarsh wants to be her second-in-command, Mura is a slayer shadow on loan, Soma and Killian are enhanced hunters, a lessarge-class operative, a boddus, Emily and Sobat are trackers, Cotier is a scout, and Jasmine.

Morell de Braose is a robber baron/slaver. Magadalene Moonflower, Clive Keener, and Kaleb Green are rivals. Ed Yonker is a tent-revival preacher they need to hamstring as part of the quid pro quo.

Seamus Callahan is Audrey's dad, biologically. He's only ever seen her as a tool to prop up his addict son Alex. Neither Callahan has any commonsense.

The Cover
The cover is soft greens with a red-haired Audrey holding one big dagger in the middle of the woods with a gorgeously dreamy Mar in the upper right corner.

I'm interpreting the title as referring to both Audrey and Mar's fates that result from Fate's Edge that could impact those living in the Edge due to Audrey's actions.

The Edge series is so much fun! Each book features different characters, however, the settings and the characters do overlap and interact. In Fate's Edge, we follow Kaldar Mar (cousin to Cerise, who you may remember from Bayou Moon) and Audrey Callahan, lock pick and thief looking to go straight and be done with her family forever. Audrey takes on one last heist, but when she finds out that she's stolen a dangerous artifact that could fall into the wrong hands, she feels compelled to help Kaldar Mar get it back.
Ilona Andrews has created a fascinating fantasy world with the Broken (that would be our world), the Weird (full of magic and strick family structures), and the Edge, which falls between the two worlds. She somehow manages to combine Southern backwoods sensibilities and clan hierarchy with high fantasy, and it totally works. Audrey's situation is heartbreaking. Her brother is an addict that refuses to get clean, and her parents would choose him over her, in spite of him being a no good loser. Her father convinces her to take on this last heist to get money for her brother's rehab, even though they all know that it won't do any good. She agrees to do it on the condition that she never has to see her family again. Kaldar Mar is hired by the Mirror (sort of the Weird's version of the CIA), to reclaim the artifact and keep it out of the hands of The Hand (a bad news group of folks with an evil agenda). Kaldar is a rogue and a conman, and in spite of the intense sparks between them, Audrey vows she won't fall for his charms. The problem with this is that a chair would fall for Kaldar's charms. Seriously, he's a hottie. You may want to slap him sometimes, but at the end of the day, you still want to fall into his arms. I have to admit, Audrey does a pretty good job of resisting him for most of the book, but she really can't avoid the inevitable, can she? There's plenty of action in this series to satisfy urban fantasy fans, and enough magic slinging to make fantasy fans happy as well! Add lots of sexual tension, steamy romance, intrigue, double crosses, necromancy, shape shifting and flying dragons to the mix, and you've got a fantasy that you won't want to miss! I wouldn't say you have to start at book 1 with this series, but having some backstory does help when going into it, although the authors provide enough info that it wouldn't confuse a newcomer too much. Highly recommended!

Audrey Callahan is determined to escape her former life as a grifter in the Edge and live a nice, normal, legal life in the Broken. At least until her father comes to her for one last heist with a pay off she can't afford to pass up. Kaldar Mar is an agent of the Mirror, a lady's man, a scalawag, and a gambler. His latest assignment has him searching for a powerful artifact stolen from an impenetrable fortress in an enemy country full of terrifying monsters. Not that any of that is a problem. No, Kaldar's problem is Audrey, the stubborn redhead who broke into the nearly impenetrable fortress and stole the powerful artifact. He's going to need her to survive, but can he let her go once the mission ends?

Before Fate's Edge I'd never read an Ilona Andrews novel. I'd looked at their Kate Daniels novels, but any time I could find the first one I'd be too broke or too busy to get it. That's something I'm going to have to rectify. Fate's Edge made me laugh far more than I'd expected. Audrey and Kaldar's constant attempts at figuring out each other's angle were just cute. Audrey's issues with her family were fairly well written and touched on enough to be believable without getting annoying. Kaldar manages to strike a balance between serious business government agent and freewheeling gambler that makes him both charming and rather frightening. The character interactions are top notch with a blend of serious moments and humorous back and forths that serve to humanize the characters. The world is fantastic, all three of them in fact, the Edge and the Weird are every bit as thought out as the scenes in the Broken. The only characters who weren't terribly interesting were the villains, and that's forgivable in the grand scheme of things.

One of my only issues with Fate's Edge was that I'd have liked to have seen more regarding the differences in the way that Kaldar thinks of his family as compared to the way Audrey thinks of hers. My other thing goes back to the villains; they came across as being evil for its own sake as opposed to the heroes who were out for family and country. It would be nice to see them get more development in future books.

By the end of the book I definitely wanted to read the rest of Ilona Andrew's bibliography and I'd definitely had a blast reading this one. I'm giving this a four out of five because of the thing with the bad guys and some nitpicky things about characters thinking in circles, but I'm also definitely going to pick up the next in the series when it comes out.

This book was a GOOD game, which is high praise from me when it comes to books. It managed to lift me out of the doldrums, and take me on an adventure that had me jumping in place, running around with happy giggles, and practically bursting with the feeling that I had just discovered the greatest thing ever! This is not just a candy book; it's a whole delectable chocolate cake, smothered in rich ganache, and liberally peppered with the sweet-tart freshness of ripe raspberries. With all of the satisfaction and none of the calories, this book is a win/win and on my must read list for the year.

Fate's Edge was a fun book from start to finish; filled with the epic world-building that Ms. Andrews so excels at, it expanded on the universe that the previous two books in this series built and mastered the depiction of some pretty particular characters. The plot of this book served to both further the overall story-arch of the Edge series and to help us explore the characters in this story in new and fascinating ways. Both old and new characters find new light in this book; all while keeping a pulse-pounding pace one step ahead of disaster and a humorous voice that made this volume a joy to experience. My one critique would be that the ending pulled together too quickly for me; it is hard to say that a 372 page book was too short, but I would have loved an extra hundred pages or so to give the ending as much build-up as some of the capers in the middle of this book. And if wanting another hundred pages of the same doesn't give a high opinion of a book, I don't know what does.

This series just keeps getting better and better, and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Andrews comes up with next in the Edge.

When I found this author, I loved her (them but for sanity I will just say her)! I devoured her books, zipping through her other series so quickly it was a bit insane. Then I moved to the edge series. I had heard it had more romance and was excited to see how well she could handle that. The first book in the edge series was wonderful. Not what I would really call a romance the way others did (really only one sex scene that seemed unnatural). But it was well written and I enjoyed the concept of a supernatural world right next to our reality. It was intriguing. Then came the second in the series... and I had to power through it, forcing myself to finish it. It took me over a week or two to read it (when I say I devour books I really do, finishing novels in a day or two novels that are longer than these). But upon my love for her first series and the first in this series I bought the last 3 in this series right away. So I forced myself. Now one of my favorite characters in book two was Kaldar, lovely, funny, vengeful, Kaldar. And now he has his own book! This should be amazing, right? RIGHT? W R O N G!!!!!!

I thought I had to force myself to read book 2, now I realize that was a breeze. I find no redeeming qualities in anyone in this book. It is more of the same as in the other 2, The Hand is bad, the Mirror is slightly better. The Edge is distrustful and impoverished. A mission that has the ability to not only kill you and everyone you love but also innocent bystanders. Not to mention that they have so many new characters whose names are a bit similar and all have their own unique magicness about them. They all get "air" time and precious pages that could be spent making me root for Audrey and Kaldar. Their love story is beyond subpar. I have yet to finish this book (have a little less than half of it to go). And I HATE people who review a book without either reading it, or finishing it. BUT it is so hard to finish this. No joke. It isn't witty, or funny, or even a bit compelling. Save your time and money and move on

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews is the third book in a series, with each book focusing on different characters, with the main plot tying together.

This book focuses on Audrey Callahan and Kaldar Mar, a conwoman and conman, respectively. There are tense moments, struggles, emotions, and plenty of amazing side characters to spruce things up a bit - even if their relationship serves as plenty of entertainment as it is.

Add an intriguing plot and buildup to that and things just start to shine.

Fate's Edge will grip readers and take them for a ride, plagued with twists, turns, and bumps along the way. Fans of the other two books will be glad to see recurring characters, even if only for short appearances. The characters are unique and vary greatly, making it a wonderful group. There was nothing more fun than reading their interactions and how things progressed.

If you're a fan of the series, pick this up, and if you've never read the series before, check out the first book, On The Edge!

I don't believe there is a writer out there that can create better world building then Ilona Andrews. Also her characters are so realistic can imagine them walking into your front door . The action in every story keeps you turning the pages way after the time when you should be asleep . I have stayed up till 3 AM in the morning reading their books because I simply could not put them down.

I all but inhaled this book. I started it and then it seemed I finished. It is a very enjoyable read. I liked that we got to revisit with Jack and George for an extended period and see how they were going.

Audrey was a nice change of heroine. In the previous two books the heroines are definitely struggling against their odds and trying to hold it together for family. Audrey had it together (somewhat) and she was trying to avoid her family. She was a nice match with Kaldar. I liked that we got to see her range (of skills) and how well they could compliment Kaldar's.

This book really was a roller coaster ride. Just got over one hump and then it's all on again, and again. The action didn't really abate but you didn't ever feel that it wasn't fresh.

Overall this was a great read. I'm only disappointed that I can't buy it as an e-book to add to my collection.

As a die-hard fan of a book series period, I'm pleased to say that The Edge series has all the major points I look for in a series. Yes, when starting the first installment, I was a bit overwhelmed with the introduction of the Edge world, but after a chapter or so, I fell into the rhythm and down the rabbit hole.

Fate's Edge didn't disappoint. It's chocked full of adventure, romance, mastermind scheming and yes, even a little young adult humor. It never ceases to amaze me at how well the Ilona Andrews writing team can put together a world and make you yearn to live in it. Now, be advised, there are some scenes where those with weak stomachs should skip over, but to me, those parts made the book.

If you're a fan of the Kate Daniels series, The Edge is one you should read as well. Five stars y'all.

I liked this book much more than the previous book in the series, although not as much as the first.

The inclusion of existing characters really improved the story for me. It was good to see their continued growth.

The whole "it will never work out" bit is somewhat tiring, but at least it's well-founded.

The main characters were fun and interesting. The shifting point of view for the story was well done, providing a glimpse into each characters motivations and internal patterns. Major supporting characters were fully fleshed out and compelling in their own right.

Mentions of events in previous stories (Rose over-flashing, for instance) seem to all be for a reason rather than just thrown in as reminders. These are not over-told. I can imagine starting the series at this book would be difficult and would definitely not recommend it. Start with the first one.

I really love the Ilona-Andrew team and the Edge and I enjoyed reading this book too, but I have to admit this story has at some points too much unnecessary details that made me want to skip entire passages. Then there are Kaldar's thoughts...some of them might be funny in the beginning, but really Audrey's ass definitely doesn't interest me that much. Audrey...yeah, telling her whole bad childhood, how she was sold and beaten, to a fourteen year old George without a credible reason or purpose really made me halt and think: how odd.
The character that made me laugh out the most was Jack, his lynx-thoughts are hilariously funny and direct. Both brothers surprised me really, and when I think of this book it's those two I remember.
I think this book is still a nice read if you want to visit the Edge again. It certainly will make you laugh at some point, but you might also grind your teeth - it really depends on you.

Ilona Andrews is in the very top of my favorite authors list. They are amazing storytellers and come up with the most unique, and fascinating paranormal worlds. Fate's Edge is no exception.

Before I set up the book, I'll briefly explain this world. There is the Broken, which is the world we all live in. No magic, and most people don't even know magic exists. Then there is the Weird, where magic exists, some have more magic than others. There are Dukedoms and territories and different rules than in the Broken. And there is the small strip of land between the Broken and the Weird called the Edge. A very poor place, with no boundaries or police, it is the home for many people who don't fit in either of the other worlds. And this is where Audrey, our heroine is from.

Audrey Callahan is ready to break ties with her family. Living a life of stealing and running cons with her father, she now has a job in the broken and wants to live a straight life. But her brother is a drug addict, and her father repeatedly gives into him. Wanting to send him to an expensive drug rehab center, Audrey very reluctantly agrees to help her father pull a heist - for the very last time. Audrey is able to pick any lock with her magical talent, which makes her necessary in her fathers cons. But what they end up stealing is going to get them into a whole lot of trouble.

Kalder Mar also grew up in The Edge, more specifically the Mire, which is a huge swamp. He has lived his life conning, stealing and sweet talking his way into money, which he supported his large extended family with. He can so easily change his identity or personality to fit into any situation, it makes him very unassuming. But don't be fooled. There is a big war happening with two opposing territories and they each have their own version of a secret service or CIA type organization. The Hand, who if you had to choose, are the more evil of the two groups has decimated the Mar family and all Kalder wants out of his life is revenge. Which is why he now works for the opposing group, the Mirror. When Audrey's father goes to sell the piece he has stolen, things go sour and the Mirror and the Hand become involved. Which means Kalder needs to retrieve this item. And that leads him to Audrey.

I could go on and on setting up this book. I find this Edge series to have somewhat complex situations. There are always political struggles, family feuds, and they always pair up the hero and heroine who must struggle so much to find love. But it is all so worth it and it makes for books that are so rich and full of adventure. In Fate's Edge we also get a big dose of fun sexual chemistry too. Kalder is smooth. He is a charmer, not used to women saying no to him. So when Audrey ends up having to help him in his quest to retrieve the very item she help steal, Kalder is a little taken aback when she refuses his lusty advances. But it actually makes the chase more fun for him. He gives her such a hard time too! He never lets up with the flirting and outrageous remarks. But she handles it quite well

********
He leaned closer. "I like the way you say my name, love. Say it again."

She plucked a paper map off the dashboard. "No."

"Auudreey?" He toyed with the lock of her hair. His voice dropped into the quiet intimate murmur that usually got him laid. "Say my name."

She leaned toward him, her eyelids half-lowered, her long eyelashes fanning her cheeks. She titled her face to his, close, closer. Her lips parted.

Here it comes.

"Dumb-ass."
*********

Audrey comes from a family that uses her, and never gives her anything in return. And she feels that is exactly what Kalder will do if she goes to bed with him. It's a long struggle for her to accept that he wants more from her than just a romp in the sack, but I really think it stays true to her character that she holds out for so long.

And I love the moment Kalder realizes he is in love with her. Throughout the book she gains his respect by her work ethic and just her personality. But when he realizes that he wouldn't mind becoming more like her (something that would happen if he spent the rest of his life with her) it is a very sweet moment. And for all of Audrey's nonchalance about their flirting, she has fallen for him hard. And she is willing to open herself up to let him in. It ends up being a really sweet romance.

It's funny though because Kalder and Audrey don't even meet until about 100 pages into this story, but I didn't even notice. Ilona Andrews writes such fascinating worlds and characters, I didn't miss that there isn't a heavy romance. Okay - maybe I would have liked a tiny bit more romance, but it is just a passing thought.

For fans of this series, 14 year old George and 12 year old Jack have a lot of page time in this one and I think they make this series. And that says a lot because I don't necessarily love kids in my books. But these two are just fascinating and I can't wait to continue their story and see where they go. There are big developments for them in this one.

The villains are super evil and creepy, the dialogue is quick and witty and the world is very well done. This can be read as a stand alone, but you will miss some background with the supporting characters. The first two in this series are really good as well, and I definitely recommend them.

This book has everything. A wonderful romance. Jack, George and Gaston barreling into an important mission. Desperate battles with the Hand. I spent the last hundred pages gasping in fear and delight. One more book. I hate cliffhangers.

I've got to be honest, it's breaking my heart just a little to give Ilona Andrews only 4 stars. From the moment I started reading the husband-and-wife-team books (both the Edge series and the Kate Daniels series), I've been a HUGE fan. They are genuine A-list talent. I look forward to their books more than nearly any other author out there. And while this book has a lot of strong stuff to offer (including Jack as a POV character; excellent!....descriptive, imaginative.... Great cameos by old friends....), it also seems to lose steam about 1/2 way through, and the writing is poorer for it. I lost track of the number of times when I read a sentence that amounted to: "Damn, he/she has a great ass." No, seriously. That's not even an exaggeration.

At worst, it's kind of demeaning; at best, it undermines the sense of urgency and threat that makes an Ilona Andrews novel so fascinating. I'm not opposed to romance, but when I think of what Ilona Andrews did with Kate/Curran, and Rose/Declan, and William/Cerise............. Er, Kaldar and (and I actually had to go back to the product description to get her name, holy crap) Audrey don't match up, which is too bad, because they had the potential to be a great match and Kaldar is a kick-ass character creation.

But, still, at the end of the day, a not-as-good-as-earlier-ones novel from Ilona Andrews is still three times as good as most of the urban fantasy mimicry drek out there!

(FOLLOW-UP --- and to give the novel its due, it does take a sharp swerve back into Excellence during its last 70 pages. I'm definitely excited to see which characters are featured in the next novel. My vote is for Jack and George.)

The plot of this book is great and I would recommend anyone who enjoys the Edge series to read it because it furthers the overall story. However, the problem with the book is the two main characters, Kaldar and Audrey, constantly debating a relationship with one another. The book fails to progress in a timely manner because for pages- I mean 5-10+ pages each time- they internally debate the pros and cons of being in a relationship with the other. HEY THERE! People are chasing you. Trying to kill you. And you're gonna sit on a rock and debate the merits of a kissing someone right now. REALLY?!? It would have been a great plot but the action events take forever to happen WHY? because someone is sitting on a rock right now. Thank goodness for George and Jack's perspectives throughout the story, otherwise it would have taken Ilona Andrews even longer to wrap up the story, because ohh yea, "I wonder if he/she is thinking about me right now too?" instead of progressing the plot. But I seriously recommend you read the book and when you get to the end, the final battle, the resolution, that takes 1.5 pages- Yep 1.5 pages to describe- after the hundreds of pages you just spent reading about Kaldar and Audrey THINKING about each other. You'll wish the bad guys actually won that battle.

Audrey is the first of the female heroines of The Edge series to not be close to her family. She was born into a family of thief's and wants nothing to do with them now. She is finally doing what she wants with her life, staying above the law and taking care of herself in a respectable way when Her father shows up one night and talks her into one last heist that pulls her into drama that she wants desperately to get out of and put right at the same time. FATE'S EDGE also takes place a big chunk of the time in the broken. I liked the mix between the Broken and the edge and the mix of magic and non magic.

Kaldar happens to be one of the brothers of Cerise from BAYOU MOON. He is the matchmaker of his family but has never considered taking a wife himself but Audrey catches his eye from the moment he meets her. There is also quite a bit of secondary characters from both book one THE EDGE and book two BAYOU MOON in FATES EDGE. Jack and George the brothers of Rose are a big part of the story with some minor parts from both Cerise and William and Gaston, Cerise and Kaldar's nephew.

For most of the book Kaldar spends his time trying to convince Audrey to take him to bed while Audrey spends her time pushing him away so she doesn't get hurt. There romance was fun to watch and provided plenty of sexual tension. Kaldar was a great flirt and had me laughing at his tactics quite a few times. There are some great action scenes as they are dodging The Hand at every turn. I really felt that Kaldar and Audrey worked well together and meshed well with the other characters of the series. I like that the series is thoroughly connected even though each book has its own guy and gal romance and story. I cant even begin to imagine how Ilona Andrews will end the series but I cant wait to see where Ilona Andrews takes the series next.

I think I've read every book from this author. I would rate those books from 3 1/2-5 stars, easily. Which is why it surprised me when I got this book in my hands.
I'm too lazy to summarize the plot, so forgive me. But it wasn't especially memorable anyway.

My main issue was; From the moment the main characters met it was just painful. The way they talked and thought about each other just grated my nerves. You know how bad romance novelists just flat out tell you that the characters are into each other, but you don't feel it? Yep, it felt like this. It was really disappointing.

I spent almost the entire book trying to "get" these characters and their interest in each other. In the end I concluded that the characters where such cardboard-cutouts that any attraction must have been superficial, because they really "thought" about the other characters body a lot.

So I'll give them 2 stars. One for the fact that I actually finished the book. And another for the fact that I didn't immediately bin the book afterwards.

Seriously, I hope this book was just one of those duds authors sometimes have, and not a beginning of a never-ending disappointment.

Let me start by saying if you haven't read any Ilona Andrews books before, you are missing out on some of the best Urban Fantasy world building out there, period. You definitely could say I am a fan <G>.

This is the third book in the fascinating and unique Edge series. It's more of a cross-genre book with strong PNR, UF and Fantasy elements. The Edge is a place between our world, called the Broken because there is no magic, and the Weird, an elitist world where the strength of your magic determines your status. The Edge serves as a boundary between the Broken and Weird and keeps the two worlds from coming into contact with each other. Not many can cross the border into the Edge and even fewer can cross to the world on the other side. Outcasts from both worlds populate The Edge and it can be a dangerous place to live.

Each book of the series focuses on the romance of one couple, like most PNR, but the characters from each book play important roles in subsequent books and there is an over all story arc that links them together like most Urban Fantasy. BUT, they all can be read as stand-alone books if need be. That is how talented this writing team is.

Fate's Edge is a fun and action packed adventure. The main couple, Kaldar and Audrey, are clever, good-hearted characters, who also happen to be thieves and they are the best at what they do. I enjoyed watching them try to trust each other (you would be stupid to trust a thief), get the job done and fall in love. I will have to say they are my least favorite couple from the Edge series. My favorite would be Cerise and William from book #2, but Kaldar and Audrey's story, combined with the plot and the amazing writing talent of the authors made the book a winner.

I just wanted to add something about the fantasy element of this series. There are fabulous magic creatures in this series. Some are cute and cuddly and some are terrifying and twisted, literally and figuratively. My favorite characters are the Changelings, people who can become animals. The two you meet in this series are William, a wolf changeling, and a young boy named Jack who becomes a Lynx. Changelings are feared and often killed on sight. What I love about these characters is how they retain many of their animal instincts and behaviors when in their human form.

This book, and the series as a whole, is worth the read!

4.5 Flashing Sheep
[...]

why this book took me so long to read...
1. the male lead was a player who becomes reformed at the 87 percent mark. when you tell me he is one way for so long it is hard to believe otherwise.
2. the lead female was bland by andrews standards. nothing new borrowed or remarkable except she can open locked doors.
3. like another reviewer said... too many unecessary remarks about her behind. whatever happened to the curve of a womans neck or length of her fingers. his appreciation of her is repetively crude. not hot to me.
4. the whole evil psuedo christian religious cult was tiresome and cliche. both hamilton and harris did it better eons ago.
5. the whole HEA seemed a little too childrens storybook to me.
6. the best part of this book was the bond/steampunk gadgets... but even those were not very imaginative.
7. the evil doers got live and be evil for another book. no real character development for them or subsiderary characters.

sigh. i almost didnt finish the book many times. after the last daniels installment i was worried... now i am wondering if i will even check out the next installment.

So a three star rating for an Ilona Andrews book feels wrong, but in thinking about my connection to the book it feels generous. Few authors write the fantasy element as Andrews does and this book is no exception. The fantasy element and the cross-over to the regular world is so well done and unique. There is absolutely nothing recycled in terms of ideas in this series. This is stuff you won't have read somewhere else. But despite that, I just cannot get into these books. Despite having read the first two in this series on release date, it took me several years to get to this one. And once I was about 25% into the story, I remembered why I don't read this series. The romance seems inserted and awkward within the story line. I just don't think it works. The characters are not fully developed and the romance relies on stereotypical romance cliches, such as fighting to create sexual tension. This might work in other books, but it doesn't work here. I just did not buy into the relationship of the two leads and it seemed to be a distraction from the story line. Finally the middle to latter part of the story really dragged. I just don't see how it furthered the story.

I am glad I read this book, it reminded me that this series is not for me and I can take the rest off of my to read list. If you enjoyed the first two in this series then you will like this one. If you were only lukewarm on the first two installments (like me) - then this one won't do it for you. There is promise in the beginning, but then it just dragged on. Ultimately, the series is just not for me.

I liked Kaldar in Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2)and was happy to read his story. Audrey is a good match for him. Here is a quote I liked, from Kaldar's point of view: "Before this was all over, either they would be lovers or they'd kill each other. Right now, he had no idea which it would be." I think that sums up their relationship nicely. I like the Edge series and this was my favorite book so far. It is probably best to read these in the proper order, starting with On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1), or it might feel like you are missing something.

I loved the first Edge book, the characters (especially Rose and the boys) were well developed and the world building was original - I cared what happened to them. Then it went downhill from there. Bayou Moon with the exception of William had characters that felt two-dimensional and the plot was so-so. Then we have this book which actually bored me, BORED me. Not a phrase I usually use for Ilona Andrews work. It doesn't even feel like their work. It was shallow, and dare I say it, a little bit dumb. The dumb part refers to the so called romance where apparently even though the male admits to being a player and not wanting commitment, she conveniently glosses that fact over because he gropes her a couple of times.

I'm hoping the state of this book is because all their creative juices are directed towards Andrea's book. Please be directed towards Andrea's book.......

Audrey has just gotten a good job with benefits, but first her conman father, then Kaldar, another conman and grifter, show up to take it all away. Kaldar is also an agent of the Mirror and his nephews George and Jack stow away on the mission to reclaim what Audrey stole. Audrey and Kaldar fall in love, but it's Jack and George I wanted to read about. This is fun, but it's a bit too Romance-y for my taste. Audrey worked so hard to be legit; why would she want to be with Kaldar, besides his sexiness?

As usual, the latest book in the Edge series did not disappoint. Although I'm not usually a fan of characters like Kaldar (slippery, silver tongue, too gorgeous for his own good, etc.), I was able to find him likeable mainly through the interactions with Audrey and the boys.

But like I stated in the title of my review, the boys (Jack and George) really stole the show. These young characters have surprising depth to them, and I'm very intrigued. I believe the author stated that IF she were to be contracted to do more Edge books focused on the boys, she would probably have to age them. I'm not ready to fast forward yet. I still want to be able to go back to Rose and Declan and see what they've been up to. I hope they have more page time in the next book!

I'm a big fan of Ilona Andrews. This husband and wife team have managed to top each book in both their series every time and I must say, the bar is set pretty damn high now.

This book, Fate's Edge, which I purchased as both a signed edition for my library and audio with the wonderful Renee Raudman reading, has the most cross genre appeal I've seen in any one book in a while. It will appeal to UF people, it has a touch of romance but it's handled beautifully so as not to turn off men and woman who aren't into romance as main plot. It will appeal to people who like con man/trickster type stories. It will appeal to people who like stories about how frustrating family can be. All the Edge books have a southern flavor to them. It has a lot of action and moves very fast. The characters all have the funny sarcastic touch that is key in all Ilona Andrews books.

If you haven't read any Edge books before, I think you can easily start with this one but you'll miss some of the depth of the character's growth, especially the boys, Jack and George, and also Kaldar, the male lead who we originally meet in Bayou Moon. The information from the other books that is needed to bring a new reader up to speed is gracefully included without a person who has read the earlier books feeling the pain of repeated material.

I generally read or listen to 3-5 books every week. This book is in the top 5 books I've read this year.

I really liked this book. I found the characters to be engaging and interesting and the writing to be easy-to-read. My only negative comment about this book is that the further I got into it, the harder it was to keep the characters and different societies separate in my mind and figure out who was fighting who and why and where they were located. A map at the beginning of the book and a family tree of characters would have been helpful.

Fate's Edge (The Edge #3) by Ilona Andrews

In this the third installment of the Edge series by Ilona Andrews we are once again treated to the incredible world building this amazing author team put together. Reality depends on where you are and how much magic you have. If you don't have any magic you live in "The Broken" and you are basically a Muggle. If you have a lot of magic you live in "The Weird". Between "The Broken" and "The Weird" is "The Edge". This is where misfits from both sides exist. Most folks from The Weird can't cross into The Broken and vice-verse but then there are some who can. In Fate's Edge we meet Audrey who lives in The Edge and works in The Broken. One of her "gifts" is locks. She has yet to meet one she can't open. Audry comes from a family of grifters and is dragged into doing one last score for her father. Kaldar used to live in The Edge and now lives and works in The Weird. He has many talents but he is paid to use those talents for his government. They have sent him to retrieve the item the Audrey has helped her father steal.

We meet up with characters from the previous two books but you could probably read as a stand-alone. I don't know why you would want to though as this is a terrific series and well worth the read.

I refuse to pay more money for an e-book than for a REAL book which has much more value to me. I really wanted this book but when I found out that the publisher set the e-book price higher than the REAL book, I simply let it go. I understand the 'convenience' issue, but I think readers that find a REAL book of more value than an e-book will some day drive the market. I sure hope so.

The primary plot line is the romance between the two main characters, Audrey and Kaldar, and the secondary contemporary fantasy plots are weaker. They are in conflict with groups of people represented as near super-powered and evil, yet these conflicts never amount to much. The previous books from the Ilona Andrews collaboration have much better contemporary fantasy plots with some romance. This is the opposite.

I haven't actually counted, but I don't think 10 pages can pass without one of them being admired, or missed, for their ass, breasts or seductive smile. It really looks to me as if a too-short book had been padded with extra "lust" scenes.

It's not a bad book. I did read it through to the end. But it's not as good as the previous books.

To be fair, I generally like the author(s), Ilona Andrews, even though the male characters have a distinctly Soviet flair. The Kate Daniels books are fun, fast paced and have a nice balance between strong female lead accomplishing something and healthy romantic connection. The Edge books though, I'm not so enamored of. First of all, the world building is poor; highlighted in this book as a series of boring, telling, descriptive paragraphs. The main characters here are irritating, self absorbed and continually described with the exact same words. She's got a nice ass and big boobs; he's got silky hair and is the sexiest man EVER!! The backstory for both is retold at least 4 times per character... with the excact same words, again. I suppose there's really no use in expounding on those two main plot points, right? And that's good because the authors don't. The story in Fate's Edge is lackluster. The main protagonists literally go from commitmentphobe, scared of intimacy, to: Yay! Marriage, Love, Forever! In 3 pages. 3. I counted. Supporting characters are flat and inconsistent with who they were in previous books. The writing devolves into a very telling style. Eh, overall, I have to say this is a poor effort and I really hope the Kate Daniels books aren't similarly infected.

When I started this book series with ON THE EDGE. I fell in love with Rose and her brothers. Then in the second book I meet RATS. I loved that misfit family! So full of love, loyalty, and vengeance. {Giggle} Now we meet THE MIRROR!! The magic verges of the CIA or FBI. When Mrs Andrews add in the boys ( Rose brother) she put the butter on my popcorn. It was a great book and I can't wait too see where she is going to take this book series to!

The Edge series has turned a corner for me with this book. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the first two. But in each installment, I felt like I had to work for it. Now, for the first time with this series, I was able to jump into the story with both feet from the beginning. Maybe it's because I am already familiar with the world building and many of the characters, but I don't think so. I think it's more of a change in focus. This book felt much more honed in on our main couple and their adventure, while the introduction of new characters and POVs were more of a gradual trickle than an overpowering flood.

This is Kaldar's book. He was introduced in Bayou Moon as Ceri's rouge, conman cousin. He is gorgeous; he is glib; he's charming; and he is nursing a serious desire for revenge against the Hand. It's been two years since the Spider and his agents killed off half the Mar family, but Kaldar can't let go of what happened. He is working for the Mirror now and as the story begins, he is granted a mission with the potential to give him the vengeance he covets.

Audrey grew up in a family of grifters. She possesses magical lockpicking skills but she wants to lead a legitimate life now. Her dad pulls her in for one last heist, but this is no small-time job. Unbeknownst to her, they are stealing a magical device that both the Hand and the Mirror would kill for. Retrieving the item, is Kaldar's mission. But by the time he tracks the theft to Audrey, she no longer has it. The two of them have to work together to find the device before it falls into the wrong hands.

Audrey is perfect for Kaldar. In many ways, she is a female version of him: smart, slick, and changeable. She calls him on all of his b.s. They were an easy couple to root for. But it took for-ever for them to get together. I understood the internal conflict and the reticence, but I would have liked even just a few more crumbs along the way... maybe a little bit more fooling around would have helped me soldier on until they accepted their feelings.

But while the relationship was a slow burn, the action was anything-but. The story really moved from the beginning here and it had a lot of heart (in no small part, thanks to the large roles Jack and George played.) The kids were a big, big win for me. Even though he is only 14, I can easily see George carrying off the lead in his own book someday. Jack too. And Lark's going to figure in somehow. It will be epic. But I digress...

We've got a great new villain, with ties to the Spider. And while our big bad from the last book is down, he's not out yet. And though Kaldar isn't my favorite hero (that would be William) and Audrey isn't my favorite heroine (that would be Rose)... I still think this may be the best book in the series yet. It's a great blend of the new and the familiar. It's got heart. It's got action. And it's got a raccoon called Ling the Merciless. How could it not be a winner? 4 1/2 stars.

Fate's Edge is the third in the EDGE series by husband-and-wife duo Ilona Andrews. While the EDGE books feature recurring characters and plot threads and can all be categorized as paranormal romance, each book so far has a different "feel." On the Edge was a fairy tale; Bayou Moon, with the dark mad-science secrets at its heart, had something of the Gothic about it. Fate's Edge is a caper story. Sure, the protagonists have some personal demons to face, but for the most part the book is sheer rollicking fun.

The hero is Kaldar Mar, whom we met in Bayou Moon as Cerise's cousin, a gambler and something of a con artist. The heroine is Audrey Callahan, herself an accomplished thief and grifter. She's about to leave behind her life of crime when she lets family guilt drag her into one last heist. Kaldar, now working for the spy agency the Mirror, is assigned to recover the artifact Audrey stole. But her father has already sold it, and in the wrong hands it could spell the end of both the Edge and the Broken. Now Kaldar and Audrey have to work together to steal it back.

The bare bones of the plot remind me a bit of those quests you're assigned in video games: Kaldar and Audrey go to someone for an item they need, that person agrees to help them if they'll do this one little favor, then they need money to pull off that favor, and before you know it, they're swindling every lowlife scumbag in the Edge on their way to the main prize. But unlike those video game quests, these adventures aren't annoying. Instead they're exciting and often side-splittingly hilarious (watch for Audrey playing an airheaded socialite), and the "victims" are such horrible people that it's easy to root for their ruin.

Also helping to crank up the excitement is the growing attraction -- and amusing banter -- between Audrey and Kaldar. The Andrews excel at writing this type of relationship: two stubborn people whose rough lives have made them fiercely self-sufficient, neither of whom wants to give up an inch of autonomy, falling in love in spite of themselves and having to figure out how to get along instead of pushing each other away.

George and Jack, the lovable kids we first met in On the Edge, play a major role in Fate's Edge as well. Several years have passed between books and now they're fourteen and twelve, and you know what that means... adolescent angst! Actually, some of the most adorable adolescent angst I've ever read. Later, each of the boys has his chance to be a hero. In the space of a few more installments, these two could become adults and have their own books! (I hope so!)

The climactic scenes play out in the most fairy-taley of all imaginable fairy-tale castles -- you could imagine this confection being in a Disney movie -- but the twist is that the man who owns it is slime and his castle is built with blood money. It helps keep readers on their toes while admiring those gorgeous descriptions of the place...

If you're looking for a paranormal adventure that's pure fun, Fate's Edge is it. It's got swashbuckling and thieving and magic and humor and hot chemistry; what more could you want?

Can't wait for the next book of the series. I'm always amazed of the writers who can create whole new worlds, what imagination and this author those it in a way that it's not far away fantasy is something still a bit beliavable.

I'm glad Ilona Adrews keeps writing The Edge books because each one feels like the world is being broadened and expanded so much more. I loved the first book, and really adored the last one, this one I can say was just as good, and parts were better.

Audrey is a good girl with a bad past (thief) and a bad (well not 'good') family, Kaldar is still intent on vengeance (the deaths of half the Mar family), and hasn't learned to let go. Both of them find themselves on a heist(Audrey)/retrieval(Kaldar) for the same object... the very object the Hand and the Mirror want as well, this makes the independent missions that much more dangerous, and the hero/ine in that much more trouble.

That is the basis of the book, but within the plot are seriously evil villains, romance, witty comments, an awesome raccoon, political problems and ties, and of course family feuds. Andrews writes fun romance books and what I love about her main characters is that they really fall in love together. There isn't a love at first sight, then intense chemistry and falling into bed within the first 20 pages... no her characters have to fight and win the right to love, but that just makes it more strong. I enjoyed this last installment and have my fingers crossed on a couple of secondary characters who I hope get their own books in the future. Enjoy!

I have loved all of the previous books. I love the team Ilona Andrews to the point that I wrote them a letter. I never write any author a letter or email. I ran to the book store to buy this book. I had pre planned the action and had notified my book hating husband that THEE book was coming out. I got home settled down and tried to read. My husband looked at me strangely and said, "You just HAD to HAVE that book.. that was THEE book!" I still tried to get into this book. I have started the book over at least twenty times since the purchase. I cannot get into the book, I cannot get interested in this book at all. I am so upset! I have taken into consideration that maybe I am just not into reading this type of book at this time.
Until I finally read this book.. this is the review for now.

I'm not a critical reviewer. I simply love Ilona Andrew's fictional worlds - the Edge, the Broken, the Weird. I can't feel that she made them up - it seems more like she discovered them. I keep looking as I drive down rural roads for a narrow little road to the Edge...

I love the characters and the stories. Hands down, my favorite characters are the two brothers. George and Jack stole the show. George and Jack also appear in the two previous Edge books. I hope she writes many more of these; I'd dearly love to see these two grow up. George is a powerful necromancer; Jack turns into a lynx. George is a master at presenting an image; Jack is a screw up. They fight unmercifully, but the brothers have each other's backs.

Audrey and Kaldar are the two main characters of the book. I was not sure of this book because Kaldar came across as sort of a B character, B talent in the second Edge book. I was so wrong. Audrey and Kaldar are extremely talented, and Kaldar is absolutely lethal when he has to be. I enjoyed the book actually more because they weren't so all powerful. These guys didn't rely on overwhelming force, but were master con men; grifting and the art of manipulating people, assuming persona, is a fine art to them. It was a blast watching them pull their cons. This book is a keeper.

FATE'S EDGE was exactly what I've come to expect from the author team of Ilona Andrews, a perfectly paced adventure with unique characters and a romance that leaves you breathless for more. I've read all three of the edge books at this point, and look forward to the continuation of the series. Each book is a stand-alone novel following one of the secondary characters from the other books. Ilona Andrews does a great job of weaving backstory where needed without ruining the other stories, meaning that you can actually read these out of order.

Characters: **** 4 Stars
Audrey and Kaldar are an unbeatable team. Both grifters with specialized skills, the duo quickly realizes that the attraction is more than professional. Audrey has brains and beauty, using both to her advantage to achieve her goals. It also doesn't hurt that she has a magical ability to pick any lock ever designed. Kaldar has good looks and charm, plus an ability to change personalities at the drop of a hat. Magically, Fate shines on Kaldar and he will win just about any bet he makes. The secondary characters were the charming young brothers, George and Jack, from ON THE EDGE, showing how they've both grown up a bit since we last saw them. I particularly love Jack, the lynx changeling that has issues understanding the rest of humanity and controlling his temper.

Then there were the villains, which, unfortunately, lived up to my expectations of being rather one dimensional with no redeeming qualities. They're simply evil monsters, with an outrageous lust for blood and lack of humanity. The Hand (the spy organization that they work for) trains them that way, but I'd like to see one of them surprise me by showing a little compassion, or something above a desire to maim and kill. However, they do each have their own motivations for their work, and skill sets that make them interesting within the story.

Plot: **** 4 Stars
Perfectly paced, the story kept my butt glued to the seat of my chair but still allowed for character development and a realistic romantic relationship. Without giving anything away, I loved that Audrey came the the rescue at the end, using her wit to outfox the enemy and win, although I would have liked the final climactic scene to have progressed from her perspective rather than Kaldar's so that we could have gotten a better picture of what actually happened.

Setting: **** 4 Stars
I've knocked a star off on the setting not because of anything in particular that was bad, but because it was 100% expected as compared to the other novels in the series. The Edge is a deep dark wilderness, the Broken is our earth, and the Weird is a medieval magical realm. I would have liked a new climate or something completely out of expectation to create some interest in the setting.

Romance: ***** 5 Stars
Ilona Andrews excels at developing realistic romances that make sense to the story. Audrey and Kaldar are a wonderful match, but Audrey has reservations for good cause. As a result, they don't jump into bed too quickly and the plot isn't entirely centered around the sex scenes. Instead, Kaldar has to work to win Audrey's acceptance, building to an intense moment together that had my heart pounding.

Genre - Contemporary Fantasy Romance: ***** 5 Stars
FATE'S EDGE has it all, an action packed story with a fantastic romance and well-developed characters. Ilona Andrews is a master of the genre. I highly recommend The Edge series and FATE'S EDGE in particular.

The Edge, the Weird, the Broken, all filled with twisted exciting people. Their stories never fail to hold me entranced. This addition to the series had me chasing through the worlds with Kaldar, our con-hero as he tracks down a stolen item of great value. His tracking leads him to a beautiful, skilled and reluctant con-women with special lock skills, Audrey. She hates him he wants to be rid of her,and the big bad's want to filet them both. Two of a kind, they find it hard to pull one on the other making for some funny moments. They tumble through it, and not easily.
Jack and George steal the book with their witty remarks and outlooks. They are teenagers now and full of all the spiked independence you would expect. They are the dynamic duo plus. They hold each other up support each other and are willing to die to help. Gaston was another fun young character, I wish he had more parts. I love these characters.
This book had a different pace and feel from the other two in the series. It was nice to have a fresh look into their world. I really enjoyed it, the first book, The Edge is still my favorite in the series. ah but- There is so much going on it needs another read. This one goes one the top shelf to re-read soon

I love this author team, but this book had none of the character development, tight plotting or sense of humor that I have come to expect. None of the "show don't tell" type of writing. I had to force myself to keep reading and came to even dislike characters that I had loved in previous books.

One thing that I have come to appreciate from Ilona Andrews books is that I just have so much fun while I'm reading them. Also, the worldbuilding is fantastic, so it really does feel like an escape from real life. This is the third book set in the Edge world, an actually very complex world, but I never felt lost as characters jumped from the Weird to the Edge to the Broken and back again.

If you haven't read any of the edge books, well, first you need to start with On the Edge. You also need to know that the Earth in this universe has the Broken - the nonmagical world that you and I live in. Then you have the Weird, a parallel world where magic is everywhere, in everything. You have Adrianglia, which is in a state of detente with Lousiana, and in book 3, we have the intro of West Egypt. In between is the Edge where magic still thrives, though not as easily as in the Weird. Filled with clannish, feuding families, they live a hard life. This time we travel to the West coast and get a sense of what the Edge is like in the pacific northwest.

We first met Kaldar, a snarky thief and Cerise's cousin, in Bayou Moon. The battle with the monstrous Hand has left him with a thirst for vengeance and a job with the Mirror, the Adrianglian secret service. His latest job is to find and recover an artifact stolen from West Egypt, and Louisiana's Hand is the likely culprit. The job was done by an expert thief, and it takes one to know one...

This brings us to Audrey, an expert grifter and lockpick. She is trying to live life on the straight and narrow. She just had to do this one little job for her no good family, and now the Hand and a very charming Mirror agent are after her. She and Kaldar are evenly matched. You know in Ocean's Eleven when all of the conmen get together and they know every con there is to know and play off each other - yep, this book has that feel in spades (and I love it, thieves are my weakness). Sparks fly, and the whole courtship and romance was very enjoyable.

Fate's Edge felt lighter to me than Bayou Moon. We still have horrifying villains and some seriously awesome fight scenes, but book 2 had a lot more monstrosity. This one felt the most like a Romance to me too. Books 1 and 2 had a strong romantic undercurrent, but this one even more so.

I also enjoyed all of the recurring characters, not just Kaldar. Gaston, George & Jack - these boys have grown a lot and most of my favorite moments involve 1 or more of them. Three scenes in particular: Gaston talking with Audrey about the "real" Kaldar, Gaston talking with Kaldar about Audrey, and George giving his "tortured prince" spiel to Audrey. Golden moments.

There was one part where I was thinking to myself - "I love the cons and the elaborate schemes, but why aren't they just going in guns blazing," and right about this time it was answered in the book and it fit perfectly and gave more depth the hero. There's a very good reason Kaldar is the way he is, and Audrey is the way she is. It all felt natural.

Really looking forward to the next Edge adventures! (I believe we are getting at least one more - wonder who will be in it?)

[I received an advance readers copy of this book.]

Audrey being a former conman, or woman that is, left that life behind her when she left her family in the Edge. Of course her plans to stay straight go out the window when her father swindles her into one last job. It was one job she never should have taken as she quickly learns. Kaldar, a man with many tricks and identities works for the Mirror in hopes of getting revenge against The Hand for the slaughter of his family. His latest assignment was to retrieve a stolen item in order to prevent a war should have been easy, but as soon as he meets Audrey, he knows it won't be the simple job he expected. He'll have to drag her into helping him even if she's kicking and screaming the entire way.

I was excited to see that Fate's Edge was centered around my favorite character from the previous book. I really loved Kaldar and was hoping to see more of him and luckily I got my wish. I also couldn't wait to get to meet the woman who would tame this ladies man, and boy let me tell you that she sure does give him a run for his money. Every small victory he won with her was fought for tooth and nail making their romance all the more meaningful. I personally hate characters who instantly fall head over heels in love. Lust sure, but love, well that takes a little more time then "Hi, how are ya?" Fate's Edge had that perfect balance of a natural progression that wasn't too quick, but also didn't tip over into frustratingly slow either. Of course I think a lot of that perfect balance had to do with the type of characters these two are. I mean, ho would have thought two grifters would have ever stood a snowball's chance, but some how you can just see how these two would work. It sure made for a very interesting dynamic between the two as they were very similar in many ways. I was rooting for them them entire time and each small victory or progress between them literally made me cheer, that's how attached I was.

My absolute favorite part of Fate's Edge was the major role that Jack and George play. I love the two of them in the first book, and couldn't wait to see more of them. They have really grown and matured, but you can still tell they are children as they still have a long road ahead of them. My heart really went out to them as they are still going through the growing pains of the change in their lives as they no longer live in the Edge. Of course the Bluebloods are rather cruel and unaccepting, which leads to a lot of fear and resentment. Speaking of that immaturity, that has a lot to do with how they became front and center in Kaldar's latest mission, but I can't say that I didn't like how things turned out. It was really nice to see the boys in their element, and I have a feeling as more time goes on they will be quite powerful, as they are already pretty skilled. Perhaps one day they will have books of their own. (I can hope, right?)

The previous installment was a little chaotic with all the addition of so many different characters and factions. A huge learning curve in a book can really lessen the enjoyment, so I was really glad to see that Fate's Edge built on that foundation rather than starting all over yet again. The main conflict centered again around The Hand, with a few twists of course. I had a feeling the Edger's triumph in the last book would have some future consequences and it turns up I was right. Also there was plenty of foreshadowing of what may come in the future to make me very eager to get my hands on the next installment. Of course there will be a wait, but as with any of this author duo's books, I'm sure it will be more than worth it in the end. Major kudos to Ilona Andrews for once again providing me with a solid block of entertainment that left me more than satisfied in the end.

I am a big Ilona Andrews fan and while the Kate Daniels series is my favorite, I have enjoyed the Edge series and am looking forward to the next one coming out. I really enjoyed series more after I got the audio version on Audible and listened to them one right after the other.

Fate's Edge was everything I have come to expect from this writing duo. It had fantastic plot, snappy dialog, and lovable characters. I was a little wary of a story about con-men - they aren't really hero material - but the book was so fun and well written that I loved the characters just how they are and wouldn't substitute them for the highest paradigm of society. There is just enough back story to allow a newcomer to understand everything that is going on, but not so much that those who have read the previous two books are bored. I highly recommend this series and the Kate Daniel's series if you are looking for the perfect balance of fight scenes and love in a paranormal series.

I LOVED Fate's Edge!!!!!!. It is my Favorite Edge book so far. Jack and George were wonderful. Gaston also had some fine moments and a slight spoiler here was able redeem himself to his parents. It was fun to see Kaldar squirm for alot of the book. The Hand is so evil in this book it could have been very dark but Ilona Andrews always does a very good job of mixing the dark with humor. Definitely a must read for any paranormal romance fan. They are one of my favorites!!

In the Cascades, Audrey Callahan quit being a con artist thief always On The Edge while working in the mundane Broken and magical Weird planes. However, her retirement is delayed with one last job as her dad pleads with her to help her brother Alex the addict with the theft of a valuable magical artifact. She initially refused until her father used the mom card and vows this would be the last time. She tells him this is her last job as he once again picked her sibling over her; she further explains she no longer has parents as he expects her to steal from the Pyramid of Ptah in West Egypt on the Weird side, a death assignment.

She succeeds, but the robbery has major secondary effects as several countries on the Weird plane are preparing for war. Adrianglia's Mirror group Renaissance Man (who has feet on both sides of the law) Kaldar Mar amongst others with diverse goals search for the siblings and the relic. He is shocked that the cat burglar and her muscle took under twenty minutes to steal the treasure inside of a locked pyramid. Kaldar finds Audrey, who agrees to help him retrieve what she purloined for her sibling. At the same time Adrianglia's archenemy the Hand society seeks the same artifact, which means find the Callahan siblings in order to extract information using coercive interrogation techniques.

The third Edge urban fantasy (see On the Edge and Bayou Moon) is an action-packed zany thriller starring two distrusting individuals who fight, fuss and fall in love while working the retrieval. Fast-paced with strong spins, readers from the Broken plane will enjoy the awesome adventures of Kaldar and Audrey in the Weird.

Harriet Klausner

I enjoy The Edge series as much as I do the Kate Daniel's series. Ilona and Gordon are amazing!
This book was as wonderful as the first two. The mystery and suspense are thrilling and the love story is exciting. The writing is top notch, as always. A great read all the way around.

Another hit! I so enjoyed Fate's Edge - nonstop action, humor and a soupcon of romance. Interesting characters. Would like to have seen a little more interaction with some family characters as the writing was so good when they were together, but this is a minor wish. Enjoy.