On the Edge (A Novel of the Edge Book 1)

If you're read any other works by Ilona Andrews, you will not be disappointed here! While this novel can't be classified as "urban fantasy" like her others, it is still fantastic. I won't go into the details, because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it is definitely worth reading!

The slippage of beings from one world to another is not so easy here, and magic often brings madness along for the ride. Andrews fleshes out several distinctive characters, too, all of them interesting.

Highly recommended.

I love Ms. Andrews' books. This one took me a few pages, however, to get involved. I do love all her feisty female characters, but the protaganist in The Edge was not as engaging as the wonderful Kate Daniels of her other books.

Now that I've read both books (book 2 recently came out), I have to say this book is the better of the two. I was able to get emotionally invested in the characters of this book, but book 2 doesn't continue with them the way I expected.

I do hope however, that the author will continue the series with a third book. I will keep reading.

C'mon. There are some really solid world-building concepts in this book. Of the same whimsical, yet potentially interesting, variety as the Kate Daniels series by this same author (which I think is pretty decent so far). But "The Edge" does no justice to the alleged fantasy setting and plot.

It's not a fantasy book. It's a romance. It's essentially one of those "strong Celtic woman meets virile Scottish man" romance novels that you can find at a-dime-a-dozen in the Romance section. Only it's packed into a quarter of the space and has a very very thin veneer of "contemporary fantasy."

If you've ever read one of those romance novels (and I read romance, don't get me wrong, though I prefer Regencies), you already know the plot. The male lead spends a lot of time smirking (and if that word isn't actually used, it's the only expression you can imagine going with the awful dialog) and sexually taunting the female lead. His sexual potency hypnotizes the female lead who is, of course, salivating and weak-kneed with attraction. But she's not about to give into him so quickly! She's got more self respect than that! And he's so so arrogant! All he cares about is power! But then she realizes he only acts that way because he *really cares* and wants to protect her.

Banal dialog, weak plot, villain & hero with a contrived backstory, and scenes like... Scenes like: female lead watches male lead do sword exercises (shirtless, of course) and forgets to drink her coffee. The coffee gets cold (and presumably watered down by drool). It's bad enough in two sentences, but two whole pages are devoted to this.

*********BEGIN SPOILER********BEGIN SPOILER********BEGIN SPOILER********

There's another stellar scene where the female lead meets male lead's mother and paints walls with her. That's not some strange figure of speech. They paint walls, in the castle, while the female lead is "waiting to meet the parents". She opens up to this kindly stranger about how *nervous* she is about this formal visit. Incidentally...Do queens normally repaint their banquet halls by themselves? Do castles normally have paint-able drywall or plaster? And don't they normally have servants for that sort of thing? Or, wait, is this the author trying in a hokey manner to emphasize how people in the Weird are just regular folks. Ooooh, I get it!

*********END SPOILER********END SPOILER********END SPOILER********

I sort of liked the female lead and several of the ideas here! I just felt those ideas were poorly executed. Probably because they weren't the point of the book. The point of the book was the romance. Personally, I hate romance packaged as fantasy due a shallow facade. And that's what this book is. Now--if you like that sort of thing it's probably okay. But it's not what I thought I was getting into when I bought it.

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

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

Urban fantasy books typically break down into 2 categories: romance or detective/mystery. This book came out more on the romance side. The actual save-the-world plot was secondary to the relationship between the two main characters. Although the writing was good, I wouldn't have chosen this book had I realized it would be as much of a romance as it is.

This is just a typical "me Conan", you "batch of hormones" book wrapped around a little action, which, unlike the Kate Daniels books, are incidental to the romance which is not very romantic. You know, the kind of book that in exchange for a favor, he wants a kiss, which will, of course, propel her into his arms since she can't resist his body, etc, etc, etc. We are supposed to believe he comes to value her for herself and the fact that he has an agenda disappears. He has to seduce her and he does. The children involved have extraordinary gifts which are constantly being misused, in spite of all the warnings. They really are old enough to know better. Kids get into trouble, but disobeying day after day? They come out as the kind of kids who would sell their sister to the highest bidder to get a comic book. Nice family Rose is trying to keep together. Kate in the other series has some real personality. I expected better from Rose. Sorry, I tried to like it, but just kept getting frustrated and wanting to pour a bunch of cold ice cubes over his head and hers, too. Then maybe they could have gotten to know each other and work together and come to mutual love and respect to go out and fight bad guys.

On The Edge

Ok so I'm a bit late to the game on reading The Edge series by Ilona Andrews but better late than never. Specially when it comes to any of Ilona Andrews' books! I mean is it even possible for them to make a bad story? No, not really. I have loved all of their series so far that I have read. IA is definitely one author team to keep an eye on for all their new books.

On The Edge is a fantastic and unique world where two dimensions of the same world exist, the Broken and the Weird. The dimensions are side by side, a mirror world to each other. Where the two dimensions meet, there is an overlap of land called the Edge. In the Edge, Rose is working hard to take care of her two younger brothers and her grandma. Rose is an ass-kicking, take-no-shit heroine with more magical power than most edgers can dream of.

Then comes the lethally handsome Declan who wants to make Rose his bride. Obviously, Rose is not having that and tensions fly but passion sparks. While earning each other's trust and affection, they work together to stop evil from taking over the Edge. This creative story will have you wanting more and picking up the 2nd book of the series FAST!
 

I have considered how to rate this for a while and I will not punish the story too harshly because of the narrator. There were sometimes in which I had a hard time getting into the story because my mind was busy criticizing the narrator. That being said I think if I'd read the story myself I'd have loved it.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, a "veil" place where people with some magic live, in between the Broken best know as Earth and the Weird, where the strong magic users live. She has suffered because of her strong magic and the disappointment of people letting her down. She has her two brothers to take care of and her freedom depends on her being smarter and stronger than anyone else.

Declan Camarine is a Blue Blood from the Weird comes out of nowhere and Rose will not be forced into marrying him just because he comes from the Weird and she has strong magic that can produce strong babies. After making her stand and challenging Declan for the right to own her Rose and Declan slowly but surely fall in love.

I was fascinated by this story and heard the audiobook every chance I got to see what was in store for all the characters of this story. From Rose to Jake to Georgie to their grand-mere. The length which these characters go thru to solve their and the community they leave in's problems is compelling and a page-turner of the first degree. I can't wait to read the next book in the series (I might even try the audio again since the second book is narrated by someone else.

As an Ilona Andrews addict, I gobble up all her books I come across. ON THE EDGE is my most recent foray into Andrew’s novels. I have to say it wasn’t the most exciting novel she’s ever written, but it gave me a peak into a wonderfully weird and addictive world that I must explore further.

“In the Edge there is no police, no marshals, sheriffs, or any kind of protection. There is no impartial third-party. Instead, the entire community of East Laporte sits there and watches to see what will happen. Because there is so few of us, everyone knows everybody else and everything we do has consequences.”

4 REASONS ON THE EDGE IS WORTH A READ

1. The dark, creepy, captivating world of The Edge.

Rose and her family live in The Edge, a lawless boundary world between the Broken human world and the Weird, where magical strength is worshiped and snobby aristocrats rule. Edgers are the only beings who can easily travel between the worlds. They are a mixture of the magically gifted and the not-very powerful.

It is a harsh world full of darkness, the supernatural, and strange customs. I admire Andrews’s talent in not only creating worlds unique to the Urban Fantasy genre, but also unique to her other series as well. The Edge was a fascinating place, and after the peak ON THE EDGE offered of The Weird, I am dying to investigate the realm further as well.

2. Rose

Our cynical heroine trusts no one but her own flesh and blood, especially outsiders. Her past has taught her the mysterious ex-military aristocrat asking for her help is no exception to the rule. But she’ll do anything—even make a deal with the devil—to keep her brothers safe from the dangerous creatures ravaging the Edge.

I couldn’t help but love Rose. She’s experienced a of heartbreak and betrayal over the years. Though it’s understandably hardened her, she’s determined to raise her brothers with love and support, to give them the happy childhood she lacked growing up. I admired her strength and sacrifice and I hope ON THE EDGE isn’t the last we see of her.

3. Declan

“I mean to have you, Rose, you and all your thorns. I’m a disagreeable and stubborn bastard, but I’m not a fool. You didn’t really expect me to pass you up, did you?”

No one creates a yummy tortured hero quite like Andrews does and Declan is no exception. Declan is, arrogant, overprotective in the way only an alpha male can be, but the respect he shows our down-on-her-luck heroine had me completely in love with the loyal yet manipulative warrior.

4. Jack and Georgie

Georgie and Jack are mischievous, adorable little stinkers. They love their big sister something fierce, but like most young boys, they can and will find trouble anywhere. They quickly had Declan wrapped around their fingers. It was fun and heartwarming watching him interact with the boys.

ON THE EDGE was a strange, yet thrilling tale. From what I can gather, The Edge follows doesn’t follow the same characters in each book like the Kate Daniels and Hidden Legacy series. I can only hope The Edge continues to offer such fascinating characters as Rose and Declan.

I went back and forwards with this book, sometimes really liking it and sometimes rolling my eyes. I absolutely liked Rose. She's awesome, honestly. And I didn't dislike Declan. I appreciated that, as Andrews so often does, he was a hero unafraid to let his heroine take risks and shine. There was none of the abuser discussed as an alpha romantic partner that I dislike in the PNR/UF genres. But I also never really came to love him either. He was too perfect and more of a caricature than a character. Also too perfect was the sappy, unnecessary ending.

I know it sounds like I didn't like the book, but I really did. I just never loved it. As a series though, I can see myself wanting to read all of them. I feel the same way about the Kate Daniels books. Individually I always rate them middle of the road, but I want to read them all because I love the world.

I had the audio version and the narrator did an excellent job. I thought Declan sounded too old for the age he was supposed to be, but that was my only complaint. She really did an unusually good job.

review found at: [...]

As you have noticed, I’ve been on a major Ilona Andrews and Urban Fantasy kick. Sometimes it’s totally okay to step outside of your normal read to try something new.

So far this has been my least favorite read of theirs. It wasn’t bad just…I kinda lost interest in the main character.

Okay first things first. Rose-started off pretty cool! I love her relationship with her grandmother and her two brothers. seriously her little brothers were just the absolute cutest things! I loved their abilities and their big hearts towards each other and life in general. I just loved them. Rose was great and I loved how strong of a person she was. I felt she really just really started of awesome and great.

Horrible creepy things start to happen in the place that she lives and these creepy creatures that look kinda wolves/hounds are killing people.

Enter in Declan and things REALLY got interesting. I loved his character development and how I slowly got to know him. I enjoyed how evasive at the same time forth coming he was, confusing? well that’s what so great, you think one thing and then you find out another it was kinda fun!

What killed it for me wasn’t the overall story line. It was in fact the romance. What started off as great quickly ended. Rose and Declan “fell in love” too quickly which made this book a little disappointing for me. Now I hadn’t realized when I started the book that it was a standalone story in a 4 books series of individual stories. Everything wrapped up nicely but the romance seemed to end “too happily” and quickly. Maybe because I was so used to them stretching it out in their other books, you know?

Overall, again their story telling is fantastic but the romance kinda wrapped up too quickly.

Again may I remind those who read my blog and expect more YA books, this is an adult urban fantasy so expect adult content.

Sexual Content: heavy
Language: heavy
Violence: heavy
Drugs/Alcohol: mild/moderate

There’s the Broken (with big box stores, vehicles, and the IRS), there’s the Weird (with nobility, magic, and a strict hierarchy), and then there’s the Edge where those that are a bit of both reside. Rose Drayton and her young brothers live in the Edge: Rose works as a cleaner in the Broken while the boys go to school. Then Declan Carmine shows up from the Weird putting Rose to a challenge even while they deal with strange creatures turning up in the Edge. All sorts of sparks fly as Rose is pushed to her max magical abilities, Declan’s patience is tested half a dozen ways, and the Edge residents will either stand together or fall prey to these creatures.

This was a very fun book. I really liked the world building, even though it was pretty straight forward once laid out. The Edge is a place without a law presence, so family ties and alliances usually work as the backbone for solving grievances. I especially like how guns are treated as a necessity in the Edge and not toys nor for sport. Rose has trained her brothers to respect guns at all times which I really appreciated. Some few folks in the Broken know about Edgers and they know they can exploit them, such as Rose’s boss paying her under the table and demanding crazy work hours. We learn some little about the Weird through Declan later in the book and I hope the Weird is explored much more in later books in this series.

Much of the story is told through Rose’s eyes and she’s only experienced the Edge and the Broken. Her parents aren’t in the picture so she has had to work extra hard to keep the boys clothed, fed, happy, and in school. Her grandmother lives nearby but Rose has her pride and will only accept so much help. Her strong magic has made her a target in the Edge, where the only law is that which the residents apply through might. We learn in little snippets throughout the story why she is so distrusting of nearly everyone. Being hunted, kidnapped, tricked, and trapped for your magic tends to make one a little skittish.

Declan also has his secrets and traumas. He was interesting to begin with – from the Weird, of noble birth, and what brings him to the Edge is a bit of an unknown. At first, Rose is very concerned about her brothers’s safety around him, but once he saves them once or twice, she starts to wonder if it is possible for him to be of noble character as well as birth. Declan has quite the history, some of which comes into play in this story, but I did find that his Supper Commando background was a little over kill and really wasn’t necessary to keep me interested in his story arc. Through him, we learn some interesting things about the Weird – such as how differently shape shifters are treated there versus the Edge. At times I felt that poor Declan as suffering from culture shock, which made him more human and endearing.

Jack and George, Rose’s two brothers, are my second favorite characters. OK, maybe they come before Declan. They were very well written as each has their own challenge in life, and at a young age! At first, we aren’t too sure what’s going on with either of them. Jack is always distracted by shiny or flittery things. Meanwhile, George seems to have such a big heart that any little deceased critter nearly makes him cry. As the story unfolds, we learn more about each and their challenges seem scary, cool, and a little sad all at the same time. Rose is doing the best with the knowledge she has, but luckily Declan has forced himself into their lives. He has some insights that might prove key to lightening the load for each of the boys. There’s several side characters that shine out as well: William, a stranger new to town that also has an interest in comic books; a neighbor’s daft granma and her teddy bear collection; the resident pretty boy/bully; Rose’s coworker in the Broken. All together, it’s a very interesting cast.

The plot was riveting. We have this intriguing world, these fascinating characters, and now the author gives them all a potentially devastating foe! Of course, our heroes Rose and Declan don’t know at first this is truly what they are up against. There’s some random monsters lurking about the forests of the Edge, and at first folks are able to deal with them on their own. But when the bodies start showing up, and Rose gets a direct threat from the person behind it, that’s when the Edgers start to consider coming together to defeat this intruder. The story builds and builds until we get a big fight at the end that takes more than just Rose or Declan to win. It was impressive!

Sadly, there is only one sex scene in this book. Now it is a hot sex scene, even if it is short lived. It was fueled by the possibility that their little part of the world would end, so it was firey and desperate.

All together, this was a fun urban fantasy romance and I look forward to enjoying more Ilona Andrews novels. I hear the Kate Daniels series is especially good.

Narration: I liked Renée Raudman’s performance for this book. She was great with Rose’s voice and I really liked her kid voices for Jack and Georgie, though I did sometimes get them confused. She had a hard edge of masculinity for Declan, especially when he was being a bit of a stuffed shirt.

4 Stars... It took me some time to fully connect with the world building and the character personalities in this read, but once I did I was completely invested... Rose and Declan were a pairing of opposites attract which ignited their chemistry and allowed for some hilarious bantering... George and Jack added that mischievous innocence to the story which endeared their characters to me... The world was unique and fascinating filled with magic, parallel dimensions, creatures from the dark, and enemies, or thought to be enemies, of all magical backgrounds... I thoroughly enjoyed this read and look forward to continuing the series:)

Between magic and reality lies the Edge, a land mixed of both and yet not really part of either. The citizens of the Edge have the dubious pleasure of living in a world twisted by magic, leading to sometimes dangerous flora and fauna, but the alternative is worse... for to leave the Edge and travel to the Broken means leaving magic behind and eventually losing it forever. Neither citizens of the Broken or the Weird, they eke out an existence by whatever means necessary.

Rose lives in the Edge, along with the brothers she has cared for since her mother died and her father left. Wary of strangers, her world is turned upside down when a blueblood from the Weird arrives on her doorstep. But when something even worse shows up and threatens to destroy them all, Rose has to decide is she can swallow her pride and independence to accept Declan's help... and perhaps even learn to trust again.

I loved this book. The start of a new series, On the Edge brings us an exciting new world, blending myth and fairy tales with the world we live in. the author does a great job at bringing the characters to life and making them seem real - faults and all. I'm always on the lookout for a good new series, and I'm happy to say that I'll be continuing with this series, eager to find out what happens next with everyone, but especially Jack, George, and William.

*Library Copy*

In a lot of ways this book felt like the Fantasy equivalent of Paranormal Romance; it’s less action-y than Ilona Andrews’ KATE DANIELS series, but the sex scenes are not left to the imagination (unlike in Urban Fantasy) and the strong world-building continues to be at the forefront of their writing. The romance is as far from insta-love as you can get which is a definite plus, and the ending was satisfying, although I was hoping for a second installment before jumping to another couple because I felt the HEA was somewhat incomplete.

Many of my fellow readers struggled with the backwoods aspect of this story, but personally, I found Rose very relatable. Being a bit of a hick myself, I appreciated the country bumpkin humour and the Edgers “different” way of doing things. I liked the well thought out explanations for Drayton’s mistrust of men, and the courtship challenges made for one of the more interesting wooing pursuits that I have ever read. Rose’s dedication to her brothers, her mad flash skills, and snark made her the perfect heroine for this tale. Her strong personality helped dull the aristocratic high-handedness of the story, and the women-are-possessions mentality became almost comical when applied to Drayton.

THE EDGE universe was amazing, as expected. I enjoyed learning all of the ins and outs of the Broken, the Edge, and the Weird. The magical rules are as complex as in the KATE DANIELS novels, but this is in no way a spin-off of the latter which means there’s a whole new set of intricacies to grasp—all the better in my opinion, because Andrews’ world-building is the reason why I keep coming back for more. I loved learning about the bizarre creatures, the inner workings of blueblood society, and the various supernatural abilities of the characters. Georgie and Jack were adorable, and I’d be interested in learning more about William who, as it turns out, is the male lead of book 2. The plot wasn’t overly complicated, but still detailed enough to hold my interest.

Renée Raudman continues to be one of my favourite narrators; her passion and intensity really shine through in this audiobook, and I had no problem with equating her to Rose Drayton even though she’s been the voice of KATE DANIELS inside my head for six installments now. Her character voices are distinct and she mirrors the pacing of the writing well. Raudman definitely has a knack for portraying strong female protagonists!

ON THE EDGE demonstrates Ilona Andrews’ versatility as an author(s), and is a great alternative for Paranormal Romance lovers looking for a bit more action in their reads.

I read and listened to this book simultaneously as I like to read the book, but then listen to it during my morning and evening commutes. So, I loved the book plot and the characters,but will not be reviewing that here. I really enjoyed this performance by Renee Raudman. Each of the characters really had their own voices, and I loved how she made both George and Jack sound like real children. The only reason that I didn't give this 5 stars is because I thought her projection of Declan was off. Here he is, this great bluebood who has had all the advantages in life, including all the proper schooling and etiquette lessons. He certainly doesn't lack any self-confidence, and he is described as being this great physical specimen. However, whenever he talks, I have this mental image of an older man who was a complete geek and is just being entered into society. He just sounds so very awkward with the weird pausing in his speech and his voice just comes across as a much older man. I understand that the Adrianglian bluebloods have their own accent or manner of speaking, but if you listen to Steel's Edge, you'll meet another character who is given blueblood status (if not by actual blood, then by her upbringing) and she sounds like a normal, self-assured person. No awkward pauses, no weird accent.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

On the Edge is the first installment of Ilona Andrews's The Edge series. It introduces us to a unique kind of world building. There are two worlds that are mirror images of each other. One of them is the non-magical world where we live that unbeknownst to us is called the Broken and the other is the magical world known as the Weird. In between the two worlds is a small sliver of land known as the Edge... this is where lower level magical users reside and it's where the lead character of our story, Rose Drayton lives.

Rose has been abandoned by both parents so she is the primary caregiver of her two brothers, changeling,Jake, and necromancer, Georgie. Their grandmother that lives nearby is the only other family the trio has.

When Rose was younger she practiced with her magic and it became more powerful than most residents of the Edge and it even resembled that of the bluebloods from the Weird, with her white flash. And, when she displayed it for all to see she started being hunted for her power. Some wanted her for breeding purposes, others wanting to sell her to the highest bidder, and the ones that didn't want her envied her and made her life hell. She learned quickly that nobody could be trusted, especially men.

Having so many people trying to acquire her throughout her life it didn't really surprise her when she found the blueblood, Declan, hanging outside her house. She tried to get him to leave knowing he only wanted her for what her magic could bring him, but he refused to go. Instead, he forced her to challenge him. She has to create three tasks for him to complete and if he succeeds she has to marry him. But Rose never expected all of this to be a product of coincidence and that he has other reasons for showing up at her house when he did.

"I mean to have you, Rose, you and all of your thorns. I'm a disagreeable and stubborn bastard, but I'm not a fool. You didn't really expect me to pass you up, did you?"

And, when evil beasts start taking over the Edge killing everyone for their magic Rose and Declan must work together to save themselves and the world that Rose and her brothers call home.

I've heard great things about this author, but I'm ashamed to admit that this is the first of her novels that I've read. I thought it was an interesting read and the world-building was superb! It's hard to fault a fictional world that describes your own existence so well that it could be considered feasible. The people living in the Broken are completely unaware of the other realms or even what their own world is called. I thought it was imaginative and a whole lot of fun.

The parts of this book that I loved, I really loved. I enjoyed Delcan and his quest to win Rose. I knew that he wouldn't fail in his tasks, and that somehow they would get past his arrogance, but it was fun watching it unfold and seeing what would happen next.

"We need a barn or one of those storage areas for the Broken vehicles."

"A garage?"

He gave her a short nod. "A private, relatively remote location, with thick walls to dampen the sound and preferably a sturdy door I could bolt from the inside, keeping your grandmother, your brothers, and all other painfully annoying spectators out..."

Rose began to laugh. A make-out bunker...

"I'm glad you find our dilemma hilarious,"

I also found Rose's brothers to be interesting. You have to wonder what kind of gene pool could create a child that can raise the dead, a kid that can turn into a cat, and a powerful magic user like Rose all with the same two parents.

Unfortunately, there were also parts of this story that I found to be a bit dull. I found this book got off to a slow start, but I understand it was necessary in order for the reader to comprehend the three realms and to see some of Rose's past so we can understand what she's been through and to also know why she's raising her young brothers.

I also found the entire time at Wood House and the planning stage to eradicate the hounds and their creatator to be incredibly boring.

But overall I found the story to be a fun one and look forward to continuing the series.

This review and more at openbooksociety dot com

Ilona Andrews weaves together a romantic urban fantasy .... well, romantic contemporary rural fantasy. The story always is moving, twisting together plot lines of romance, danger, family, and character in a well-developed world of magic and non-magic, and something in-between.

Rose Drayton is a woman on the Edge between two worlds, raising her brothers while working a dead-end job in the non-magical Broken. Two men pursue her, one on the Broken side and one from the magical Weird. ... And also one monster on the Edge. Can she save her community, pick the right man - one of whom is aligned with the monster, keep her job, and get her brothers to school?

The story is a very face-paced, solid read, where you get to know the characters quickly and like all of them, flaws and all.

Phew! What a thrill/joy ride!

Rose lives in the Edge, the space between The Weird (magicaly enhanced) and The Broken (normal human world, like our world) The Edge has some magic but isn't as potent, but its home for her and her brothers; Jack a lynx shapeshifter and George a necromancer.

Rose and her brothers are not rich, but they make due. Rose works in the Broken as a cleaner, she has her grandmother and is living a pretty happy life, that is until Delcan comes along. Sexy, strong, blueblood (Weird born noble) Declan, with his marriage proposal and pretentious attitude. What starts as a challenge for her hand becomes a fight for survival as weird hounds with an appetite for magic (called flash) start eating Roses neighbors. Now she must rely on Declan to protect her and everyone she loves.

Rose is a good character, shes strong. Smart. And loves her brothers so much she would do anything to keep them safe. She did not get on my nerves like most heroines, and she always kept a level head, even when our love interest(s) came on scene. Speaking of, Declan.. can we say yum? Strong, protective, funny and sexy! He is the perfect counter-part to Rose. He is protective of the kids and keeps his word. The kids are even good, I love Jack and when he changes the narrative changes too, its more animalistic and simple much like what you think a lynx would talk like if it could. George is also a sweetie and he can bring animals and people back to life, though it drains his to do so, I felt so bad for him.

The story flowed nicely and it was most believable. The descriptions were spot on and I could imagine the Hounds in my head and *shiver* they are creepy. The love sections were good and even though there is a bit of raunchiness and swearing it is a good book and I look forward to the next in the series.

I have to say that I truly admire the ability of the author(s) to create these new worlds that are completely different from other stories and yet co-exist amongst the world we already know. I was already a big fan of the Kate Daniels series, and it was a pleasure to read another truly unique story.

Though there are more books in the series, this is a stand alone novel and the story is wrapped up nice and tight at the end (though I wouldn't mind reading more about these two = )

This story is about Rose, a young girl who lives in the Edge. The edge is the area between the Weird and the Broken. Stay with me. The Weird and the broken exist side by side though they can't see each other (like two dimensions) and only some with special magical talent can cross between them and into the edge. The weird is a place of magic - strong pulsing magic, and the Broken is basically the world we live in today - no magic, Walmart and cleaning ladies. The edge is an in between - weaker magic and lots of edges work in the broken.

A strange magic has entered the edge and then a stranger from the Weird appears and saves the lives of Rose's little brothers - Declan, a gorgeous, strong yum yum yum. Rose works with Declan to fight the evil out of her home while fighting off Declan as well ;)

Great read overall and looking forward to reading more about William in the next book!

Hate to say it but it was s disappointment. I powered through it and truly enjoyed the las 15% of the book but I was not that emotional invested, I am not sure how they even fell in love, they were hating each other and then they loved each other, I did not even feel much of the tension until they kiss. It was so slow and then suddenly they love each other, what in the world? She annoyed me for most of the book, he was meh, the kids were the best part of the book.

This is my first Ilona Andrews book, and, now that I read more reviews, it sounds like I should have started with the author's other series. There are, however, more than enough 5-star reviews of this one that I expected a rousing good time.

The best I can say about the book is that it's OK. Some elements are wonderful, such as the overall world-building, which came across as quite original to me, and the two younger brothers. They are unique characters in every sense of the word, and the author does a great job of making them feel human (even if they aren't quite).

Unfortunately, I was less enamored with the main characters. Rose, whose name is as literal as you can get, didn't annoy me, but I didn't come to like her much either. Given all the hardship she'd endured, it was unlikely that she'd be such an altruistic goody goody. Declan was such a cliched stereotypical romance novel hero that I started to dread the sections with him. All those "I will have you, Rose" kinds of lines gave him a smarmy vibe IMHO.

My other complaint was the pacing and how much setup we got before anything happened. Actually not a lot happened at any point in the book. You'd get some interesting parts here and there, such as the hound attacks, but everything would return to the status quo in between and there never was much of a feeling of a climax with the heroes being in great danger and things coming to a head with the villain. Speaking of him, he was a very one-dimensional character, which is surprising considering how much time was devoted to giving us his backstory.

I'd say maybe I'm just not the target audience for a story like this, but I do like fantasy and I like love stories in my fantasy as well. I just like things more fast-paced and adventure-filled. And leading men that you don't want to smack.

I'm giving it three stars since I did finish it, and since I've certainly read worse, but I'm not tempted to go on and read the other books in the series. I may give the author's Kate Daniels books a try since that sounds like the stronger offering.

Ok, so recently I read the Kate Daniels series and I loved them. I do! I can't stop thinking about them! I love Kate and Curran and I don't care that it's a series. Really, I don't care. So I decided that I liked the way Ilona Andrews writes. If I see a book by them I'd go out of my way to read it. That was my plan. A friend of mine recommended On the Edge and I was instantly interested. It's by the same author! Kate Daniels set the bar, so what could go wrong? Kate set the bar, that's what went wrong.

The first 4/5 of this book was slow moving. I think this was the longest it's ever taken me to finish a book but I was determined to do so. I felt like I was swimming in molasses. A bunch of times I had to check to see if I was reading the first book in the series. I kept thinking I was missing something. I felt like I should have known people or things when I had no way of doing so. People were apparently being killed and the only way you know is because someone says something like, "he's killing my neighbors". Really? When? Who?? When they did tell you the name of someone who died it was more of an 'oh well' moment as you don't get to know them anyway.

I liked Rose. She was a good sister to the boys and did a good job of holding her own. Georgie and Jack were adorable. I wonder what will happen with them? At first I was worried about how they'd fit into an adult story but it worked out. Declan (not a name you see often) was awesome. I laughed at his haughty tones. The only mental pic I had was of Brad Pitt in his prime mixed with Cary Ewes (is that his name?). Proof that I need to get out the house more. There was romance though at first I thought it was kind of rushed. It grew on me though! I liked William too! He was so serious and quiet. I really want to know what happens with him. If ever a guy needed a hug, I swear!

It wasn't a bad book by any means, I think I just wanted more out of it. I did like the end though. It was the funny the rest of the book should have been. I also want to read more about William. I've mentioned before that I love the tortured hero. How could I pass on reading about what will happen to him? I'm glad I read it. Even though I didn't like this one as much as I wanted, I;m glad I read it and I'll will be reading the next one.

What I really like about this story – besides Rose and the hotness of Declan of course – is the details, the craziness, the absolute hilarity that happens amidst the really stomach-turning horrors these authors have their villains envision. It’s awe-inspiring how depraved the ‘bad guy’ can be in an Ilona Andrews book. Luckily, you don’t get gory details too often, but they do not pull any punches on what the evil SOB will do to people, animals, the world… Ilona Andrews (one or both of them) have a twisted imagination and I love it!

Also, while the romance between Rose and Declan was slow to start, it was sweet to read. Though to be honest, this one isn’t my favorite Edge novel. It felt a little too drawn out with the whole Rose and Declan thing – although their interruptions were just freaking classic! 4 stars!

I have borrowed the audiobook of this from the public library. This is my first novel of Ilona Andrews. She has definitely done a great job on creating and executing the story of this Urban Fantasy (UF). I am quite amazed with the convergence of three areas: 1) The Broken (which is the United States—free of magic), 2) The Edge (which is populated by people who have magic and struggling to meet ends), and 3) The Weird (which is populated by the Aristocrats). The story evolves mainly on Rosie and her two little brothers. I love how the family bond is emphasized in the story. UF with a tinge of romance is not really my genre, but this book has quite given me a great experience. I guess it is because the main characters are not boring and with sense of humor. I am recommending this to readers who love UF.

The Drayton family resides on the woody Edge of two worlds. On the Georgia side of their home is the Broken; while on the opposite direction is the Weird. In Broken lives normal humans; in Weird lives all types of supernatural and magical entities. Both realms have strict moral codes.

Rose Drayton has become a talented practitioner of magic, which upsets the Weird's ruling aristocrats who want her power for their own use. Soon afterward, brutal hounds attack those who live in the in between edge. At the same time Weird noble Declan Camarine arrives to inform Rose that she will marry him. Rose rejects Declan's arrogant statement, but needs his help as her siblings and other living on the Edge are under attack.

ON THE EDGE is a fascinating romantic fantasy due to the magical world that borders between the mundane and the Weird, making Edgers a unique breed; mindful of the Tex-Mex populace who resides on both sides of the Rio Grande. The story line is fast-paced from the opening scene when Rosie shoots an arrow in her grandpa's forehead and never slows down especially after she and the arrogant blueblood meet, reject, fall in love, and reject again; wait till she meets the in-laws that is if she survives the assault on the Edgers. Fans will relish this funny frenzied fantastic frolic.

Harriet Klausner

I stumbled upon this book because I was flipping through Hoopla one night looking for a different Ilona Andrews book. What I wanted wasn't there so I picked this one and loved it. Of course it now means I'm reading 3 different Ilona Andrews series--set in three different universes--simultaneously. I like to live dangerously.

Rose lives in the Edge, the slither of land between the two dimensions: "The Broken" (where we live) and "The Weird" (where magic is alive). She is poor, working hard and lives 'alone' rasing her brothers Jack and Georgie when a mysterious blue-blooded stranger shows up on her doorstep and demands to have her.

This is Mills and Boon's romantic swooning territory brought into another genre - fantasy. We have the feisty smart mouthed woman refusing to conform, a handsome noble stranger making indecent proposals, existence of magic, masses of electrifying sexual tension - add to that an evil magic nemesis that is set on destruction.

This book is good for what it is, an entertaining beach read but like all books in the romantic genre - it is utterly predicable. I haven't read the Kate Daniels series so I can't compare. Still I'm a fan of the authors. 3.5 stars from me.

I didn't know what to expect from this book. The description doesn't really tell you anything. The story starts off a little slow. I think the author spent too much time reinforcing the fact Rose is poor and proud. You also don't get enough information on the larger world. That being said once the story takes off it really gets moving. It's very entertaining and the ending is excellent and not as predictable as I thought it would be.

That being said it seems each book in the series is about a different set of characters. To me that is a big sign telling me not to go any further. I wanted more with Rose, Jack, George, and Declan. I thought this end of this book was a great spot for future stories. Unless you want a one shot book, don't read this one. I feel cheated that there isn't any more books about Rose. Now I'm sorry I read this book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old school fantasy charm, good world building, a Prince Charming-like hero with brains and brawn, a Cinderella-esque heroine-full of sass and vinegary sweetness, magic curses, and one slimy, wicked villain lead the way in the first book of what appears to be another winning series from Ilona Andrews! I know I was hooked!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I truly enjoy reading a book involving characters everyday people can relate to . . . Rose is one of those characters; one who is extremely gifted, who also struggles to survive from day to day. I was also pleased with her other characters such as her brothers, grandmother and of course potential love. I love novels that thrill with action and suspense, with the inclusion of romance. Fantasy is one of my favorite genre and this one supplies a vast amount of new paranormal people and worlds. I'm looking forward to reading the entire series!

What I really like about this story – besides Rose and the hotness of Declan of course – is the details, the craziness, the absolute hilarity that happens amidst the really stomach-turning horrors these authors have their villains envision. It’s awe-inspiring how depraved the ‘bad guy’ can be in an Ilona Andrews book. Luckily, you don’t get gory details too often, but they do not pull any punches on what the evil SOB will do to people, animals, the world… Ilona Andrews (one or both of them) have a twisted imagination and I love it!

Also, while the romance between Rose and Declan was slow to start, it was sweet to read. Though to be honest, this one isn’t my favorite Edge novel. It felt a little too drawn out with the whole Rose and Declan thing – although their interruptions were just freaking classic! 4 stars!

I have borrowed the audiobook of this from the public library. This is my first novel of Ilona Andrews. She has definitely done a great job on creating and executing the story of this Urban Fantasy (UF). I am quite amazed with the convergence of three areas: 1) The Broken (which is the United States—free of magic), 2) The Edge (which is populated by people who have magic and struggling to meet ends), and 3) The Weird (which is populated by the Aristocrats). The story evolves mainly on Rosie and her two little brothers. I love how the family bond is emphasized in the story. UF with a tinge of romance is not really my genre, but this book has quite given me a great experience. I guess it is because the main characters are not boring and with sense of humor. I am recommending this to readers who love UF.

The Drayton family resides on the woody Edge of two worlds. On the Georgia side of their home is the Broken; while on the opposite direction is the Weird. In Broken lives normal humans; in Weird lives all types of supernatural and magical entities. Both realms have strict moral codes.

Rose Drayton has become a talented practitioner of magic, which upsets the Weird's ruling aristocrats who want her power for their own use. Soon afterward, brutal hounds attack those who live in the in between edge. At the same time Weird noble Declan Camarine arrives to inform Rose that she will marry him. Rose rejects Declan's arrogant statement, but needs his help as her siblings and other living on the Edge are under attack.

ON THE EDGE is a fascinating romantic fantasy due to the magical world that borders between the mundane and the Weird, making Edgers a unique breed; mindful of the Tex-Mex populace who resides on both sides of the Rio Grande. The story line is fast-paced from the opening scene when Rosie shoots an arrow in her grandpa's forehead and never slows down especially after she and the arrogant blueblood meet, reject, fall in love, and reject again; wait till she meets the in-laws that is if she survives the assault on the Edgers. Fans will relish this funny frenzied fantastic frolic.

Harriet Klausner

I stumbled upon this book because I was flipping through Hoopla one night looking for a different Ilona Andrews book. What I wanted wasn't there so I picked this one and loved it. Of course it now means I'm reading 3 different Ilona Andrews series--set in three different universes--simultaneously. I like to live dangerously.

Rose lives in the Edge, the slither of land between the two dimensions: "The Broken" (where we live) and "The Weird" (where magic is alive). She is poor, working hard and lives 'alone' rasing her brothers Jack and Georgie when a mysterious blue-blooded stranger shows up on her doorstep and demands to have her.

This is Mills and Boon's romantic swooning territory brought into another genre - fantasy. We have the feisty smart mouthed woman refusing to conform, a handsome noble stranger making indecent proposals, existence of magic, masses of electrifying sexual tension - add to that an evil magic nemesis that is set on destruction.

This book is good for what it is, an entertaining beach read but like all books in the romantic genre - it is utterly predicable. I haven't read the Kate Daniels series so I can't compare. Still I'm a fan of the authors. 3.5 stars from me.

I didn't know what to expect from this book. The description doesn't really tell you anything. The story starts off a little slow. I think the author spent too much time reinforcing the fact Rose is poor and proud. You also don't get enough information on the larger world. That being said once the story takes off it really gets moving. It's very entertaining and the ending is excellent and not as predictable as I thought it would be.

That being said it seems each book in the series is about a different set of characters. To me that is a big sign telling me not to go any further. I wanted more with Rose, Jack, George, and Declan. I thought this end of this book was a great spot for future stories. Unless you want a one shot book, don't read this one. I feel cheated that there isn't any more books about Rose. Now I'm sorry I read this book.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Old school fantasy charm, good world building, a Prince Charming-like hero with brains and brawn, a Cinderella-esque heroine-full of sass and vinegary sweetness, magic curses, and one slimy, wicked villain lead the way in the first book of what appears to be another winning series from Ilona Andrews! I know I was hooked!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I truly enjoy reading a book involving characters everyday people can relate to . . . Rose is one of those characters; one who is extremely gifted, who also struggles to survive from day to day. I was also pleased with her other characters such as her brothers, grandmother and of course potential love. I love novels that thrill with action and suspense, with the inclusion of romance. Fantasy is one of my favorite genre and this one supplies a vast amount of new paranormal people and worlds. I'm looking forward to reading the entire series!

The writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews write one of my favorite urban fantasy series out there - the "Magic" series featuring Kate Daniels. When I heard they had a new series coming out I became quite excited. This series takes place in a different world with new rules - but there is still a unique, magic filled world and the wonderful characters they can write so well.

Rose, our heroine, has a stressful life. Her mother died and her father has run off. She is left with raising her two young brothers, Georgie and Jack. Georgie has a lot of magic in him and a huge heart, so big that he hates to see things die so he brings them back to life - or as best he can. Take grandpa for example. Georgie brought him back, but they have to keep him chained up in the shed - otherwise he gets loose and gets drunk off of eating dog brains. But Georgie is not strong enough to keep everyone alive, and it is slowly draining him of life.

Jack is a changeling and although he can keep his shifting under control, he is very curious in nature and often gets himself into trouble. Rose is helped by her grandma who really is the strength in this family. The family lives in the Edge. In this world there is the Broken, which is just the regular world that you and I live in. Only a very few realize there is even a magical world beyond an invisible boundary. On the other side is the Weird. A magical place similar to the Broken but in this world politics are quite strict. Royalty rules and bloodlines are very important. It is almost impossible for someone from the Weird to cross over into the Broken without experiencing extreme pain and loss of power, sometimes even death. This is where the Edge comes into play. The Edge is the in-between - it stretches far across the country, but where Rose lives it is only twelve miles wide. People in the Edge have some magic, some stronger than others. Those born in the Edge can cross between worlds without much of a problem. Most work illegally in the Broken or sell goods from the Broken to those from the Weird.

Not all is well in The Edge though. There are slimy, evil hounds lurking, that are attracted to magic. They often show at Rose's house because she and her family have such strong magic. Declan shows up at her house one day, a blueblood from the Weird. He slays the evil hounds without much effort and wants to stay and help protect Rose and her brothers. He also shows interest in Rose. The only men ever to come on to Rose have always had ulterior motives. With her strong ability to flash, a form of magic used in this world, the men only want her for breeding purposes. She has been duped in the past and she is determined to never let that happen again. Unsure of Declan's intentions, Rose makes it very clear she wants nothing to do with him. Declan makes a deal - Rose is to give him three challenges of her choosing. If Declan completes all three without failing, she has to go with him to the Weird and live happily ever after. If he fails, he will leave her be. With more evil hounds popping up and her brothers safety in question, Rose doesn't have much a choice - although in absolutely kills her to give in.

On the Edge will do just that - it will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read. This book has much more romance then Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels books but they still write that wonderful romantic tension that I am so fond of. The relationship between Rose and Declan is a fun one to read - you know where they are headed, but the road to get there is one full of teasing and sexy situations.

Rose is a great heroine - smart, kick-[...], sarcastic, will do anything for her brothers and her family. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is proud and determined to give her brothers the best life possible though they are poor. When she sees the sexy Declan saunter in to her life, dripping with money and oozing blueblood, she immediately goes on the defense. But Declan is not pompous or arrogant. He is quite the opposite and it takes a lot for Rose to accept that. She can't see how he cannot look upon her poor life with disdain. Declan doesn't give up though. As a reader, you really don't know Declan's true intentions either - he is somewhat of a mystery, one that I think we will get more of in the second book. The only time I thought the story dragged for a few pages was when we got to the history and politics of where Declan is from.

I must mention two of my other favorite characters - The neighbor Elsie who has gone a bit insane and has tea parties with her teddy bears - Mr. Bana, Mr. Clooney, Mr. Pitt etc. (I would so go to that tea party). And William - who is this mystery man? All I'm saying about William is - I want more. I actually want more from this world and can not wait for the second book, scheduled to come out in September 2010!

Nothing like the Kate Daniels series...This book is an excellent paranormal romance about protagonist Rose in a parallel universe much like ours, only where normal people like us aren't aware of 2 other realms where magic exists. Rose is a poor girl from one of these realms with more magic than the locals from her area which has led her to trust no one. Declan is from the Weird, the realm wear the very magical and rich live. He arrives and claims to want to marry Rose when they both stumble on an evil that is trying to eat the people and the magic from her world.
All of Ilona Andrew's books are excellent, but this series is definitely chick lit material...not a problem for me but it is a warning for the dudes out there!

This was the first book in The Edge series by Ilona Andrews. I read somewhere that this is going to be a duology. I wasn't able to find the second book's title, but it is supposed to be released in September of 2010. This was an excellent book! I love Andrews' writing style. Those who love Andrews' Kate Daniel's series will not be disappointed.

In this book Rose is raising her two brothers Jack and Georgie in the Edge. The Edge lies between the Broken (the world we live in) and the Weird (a magic analogue of our world). Rose is special in that she can "flash" brighter and hotter than anyone else in the Edge; her brothers are also significantly magical. Jack can shapechange into a cat and Georgie can raise the dead. Rose is just trying to eek out a living for her and the boys in the Edge by working as a maid in the Broken. Unfortunately things are starting to go wrong. Rose's family is being stalked by horrible creatures that ooze evil; and then one day Declan stumbles into Rose's life. Will Declan be a help or is he there to bring an even greater evil to Rose's life?

Of course a lot of people were introduced to the Andrews writing team through the Kate Daniels series so it is hard not to compare this series to that one. This is definitely a different series and a different type of book. Rose is a very different type of person from Kate (as she should be). Rose is kind of a one-trick-wonder. She can flash and that is her thing; other than that she is just trying to make a living and give her brothers a decent life in whatever way she can. This book has a bit more romance than the Kate Daniels series too and is a bit more graphic about love scenes, there is also a different tone to the story. Rose is not a bad-ass, although she has her moments. Declan has a lot of the alpha-male personality that Curran has in the Kate Daniels series, but a lot of the aspects of his personality are also quite different.

That being said I really loved all of the characters. They are complex and interesting. I love how the Andrews incorporate children into the story and treats them realistically; the children aren't forgotten or conveniently removed from the plot at tough spots. Jack and Georgie are always there and are, in their own right, extremely interesting and complex characters. They also play a major part in the story and plot itself.

The things I love about the Kate Daniels series also hold true for this book. Very creative and complex world-building. Tons of action scenes that are very well-written. A plot that is complex but easily followed and clips forward at a fast rate. The writing style of this books is fabulous. Most of the action scenes are no-nonsense in their writing style, but detailed and beautiful descriptions are added in at the parts where it really benefits the story for it to be there. The book is completely engrossing and engaging; it was super hard to put down.

All in all? A wonderful, wonderful read. I can't wait for the next book. I can't wait for the next Kate Daniels book either. My husband also likes Kate Daniels and I am trying to get him to read this book to see what he thinks the differences are. He has been a bit put off by the cover which is kind of romancy looking; I have to agree with him....the cover gave me pause and made me wonder if this book was going to involve some pretty heavy romance. No worries though! It is a wonderful urban fantasy with a bit more romance than the Kate Daniels series. I think anyone who has read the Andrews before should read this one, and anyone who hasn't should give it a go too! Now if only I could get past the sadness of having to wait for more books from Andrews!

Rose lives in a small area called the Edge. The Edge lies between two worlds. the Broken is like the world we know, there is no magic there but there are Wal Marts! The Weird is on the opposite side of the Edge. Its a land where magic flows freely. There are Dukes, Earls and Counts. Chariots drive themselves without horses! There is no electricity but hot water is plentiful. Citizens from the Broken can't enter the Weird and its on the off chance a denizen of the Weird can make it across the Edge's border into the Broken. Even if they can, they lose their magical abilities and its extremely painful. Rose has a lot better magic and magical control than most of the citizen in the Edge. She lives there because its where her family came from and now she is the guardian for her younger brothers Jack and Georgie. The magical ability and her mixed heritage make Rose a real asset if someone can kidnap or trick her into slavery or becoming a mistress in the Weird. So Rose is always on guard. She works as an office cleaner in the Broken and gives the boys the best life she can. Jack and Georgie have their own special abilities. Jack is a shapeshifter and the Wierd treats them as lower class citizens. Georgie can animate dead things. Unfortunately it drains him of some of his own life force. When a man from the Weird shows up on Rose's front lawn, she is definitely weary of him. He is a noble from the Weird and pompous to boot. He claims that he will stay with her until he can convince her to leave with him. Rose figures he wants her to be his mistress. Then some black magical hound-like creatures start ripping apart the citizen's of the Edge and Rose and Declan join forces to defeat these beings and find out who has unleashed them. Ilona Andrew's had me with her first novel in the Kate Daniels series. She has moved to quite possibly my favorite author with "On The Line". I've said it before, but it is so hard to stay original and refreshing in today's paranormal/urban fantasy market. I enjoy the genre even though it is highly saturated. Andrews has taken what we, as readers expect, and given us a healthy dose of what we enjoy mixed with surprises and ideas completely unlike what we've read before. If I were to pick Andrews two biggest strengths...a) She is not afraid to create completely new worlds and have them sit right alongside the world as we know or knew in the past. She mixes the strange and mystical qualities with what we recognize as the basest human qualities. And b) it is nearly impossible not to admire and respect her characters. These are people that we feel for and can cheer on wholeheartedly. Rose is a completely unique character and not to be confused with Kate Daniels, but both women work for what they have. They aren't all rich and beautiful. Life isn't fair to them, but they have character and grit to overcome what they can. They do what they do for themselves and they do what they can to protect the innocent. If you can't tell, I adored "On the Edge". I may even like it better than the Kate Daniel's books. Rush to read this book, and this author if you haven't yet. Discovering these books was a treasure.

Really 3.5 stars.

I kept waffling between moments where I loved it & others where it felt a bit cheesy I guess.

I really love Ilona Andrews. The Kate Daniels series is one of my top faves. I've also read their shorts & have enjoyed them all. I think this writing duo is generally very strong.

Not that this isn't strong but there was something about it that didn't have me gushing like maybe I expected to.

All the Andrews' hallmark's are there. Princess Bride references, layered characters (esp. more secondary ones), a fairly tight plot, good story, imaginative world & world building, Uber Alpha male, capable & gutsy heroine w/a twinge of martyr complex.

The thing is, I read this all before in Kate Daniels & really, that series has it in spades all over this one. Granted, we've had 4 books to build upon w/the KD series so in terms of pacing & plot resolution, I guess this had to be wrapped up but I did feel it suffered a bit for it.

It also lacked in the humor department. It was cutsey but somewhat forced in it's obviousness.

Things I really enjoyed;

- The world itself. It's imaginative, interesting & I've yet to read anything like it except for the KD world itself.

- The secondary characters of Rose's brothers & grandmother. I thought the boys were great, sympathetic characters with their own identities that were very interesting. I loved learning more about both of them. In fact I really enjoyed most scenes they were in & looked forward to them.

- Grandméré Eleonore. The voice of pessimistic reason. I really loved her character as well. Although not featured as much as the boys, her scenes were really well drawn, IMO. Her last scene with Rose, where she doles out her opinion on Declan (a wannabe Curran) is heartbreaking in it's vulnerability. What she says to Rose is staggeringly bitter & for someone who thinks the world of her granddaughter, is so fearful of her making the same mistakes she did & experiencing the same fate - convinces herself that Rose is ultimately not worthy.

What a wonderful monologue. Although short, it was rich with longing & a desperate, last ditch plea. Her deep love & concern for her granddaughter makes her spew a deep seeded truth which she knows could potentially make Rose turn her back on her. A very real moment.

- And I do like that Andrews does have truly gutsy, strong female MC's who are willing to take risks emotionally as well as physically. They don't whine, they just get on with it. They're thoughtful w/out venturing into Emo territory & they're tough w/out being macho & a parody of a tough chick female.

For example, not to digress too much but to put this into context better - I read this one series, where the female MC was a "kick ass" assassin. Not only were we constantly reminded at every turn but when it came to the love interest, the MC totally objectified the male. Her inner dialog & outward come on's were cringe inducing. The character was a mockery your quintessential chauvinistic male but in female form. It was awful for me b'c the character, in her badassery, had too much hubris to be likable.

- In this series (& KD etc..)Rose is pretty much a bad ass b'c not only can she wield a mean magical strike, but she has integrity, vulnerability & not afraid to be honest when most people would just white lie b'c it's easier.

Rose has humility mixed w/intelligence. It makes her an likable & approachable character.

Things that didn't float my boat;

- Gary Stu. I mean Declan.
Although I did like him, b'c I generally do like a cool character whose a great Alpha male ... HELLO? Declan was incredibly Gary Stu.

- The love scene. Quick, short, to the point but a bit romance novel in it's prose. I just didn't feel it.

- I wanted to know why Rose & her brothers were so special? I mean really..why was it that Rose & her bothers had so much more magic than everyone else in The Edge?

- Although I liked the big battle scene at the end, I kind of felt it was overly complicated. I think I missed something but I was wondering...

** SPOILER **

Since the stone, amulet whatever it was, was fed by magic (it needs it to create the hounds), why not take it into the Broken & destroy it? Magic doesn't work in the Broken, so the whole time that scenario was nagging at me.

- The ending. Extremely neat & tidy. Too fairytale "THE END".

I mean - I thought Bluebloods where borderline racist, highfalutin's? Rose paints some walls while unwittingly being interrogated by the very down to earth Duchess she is scared to meet & viola! It's Declan's mom & she instantly approves?

I don't know what I wanted or expected in the end but it was a kinda on the twee side for me.

I think my issue was that at times, this really did flit between almost a Disney like fairy tale & a gritty, grown up fantasy with a touch of fairy tale like wonder. However, when it switched to Disney mode - it felt too incongruous & jolted me out of the story.

Overall, it's no Kate Daniel's but it's definitely a decent read on a lazy weekend that has a bit more grit than your average romance novel.

For a good synopsis of the story read C. Vandehey's review. Having not read any other books by Ilona Andrews aka Ilona Gordon and her husband Andrew Gordon (also known as Gordon) I do not feel biased when reviewing this book. Honestly, I really enjoyed the story. Forget about the cover art on the front of the book. This story takes place in the present but the setting is The Edge; a land between the Broken (USA) and the Weird, a magical realm. Close your eyes and imagine a place where you could visit that is between these two worlds.

There are interesting characters and not everyone is as they appear. It has elements of being a fantasy but it is also a romance. If you prefer one genre but don't like the other then rethink reading this book. But if you are tired of reading the mundane plots of so many romances that are written today try ON THE EDGE. You can almost feel that a man AND woman had a say in writing this book. There is a bite to this tale, something that grips you and keeps you reading.

What made it five stars for me, something I am not generous in handing out? I found myself cheering for Rose and Declan. I wanted good things to happen to them. I love humor in a romance and their bantering and quips had me laughing. William, Georgie and Jack as secondary characters tugged at me also. Maybe I don't read enough fantasy but I enjoyed the storyline. It was interesting enough that I caught myself reading the book while putting my yogurt, instead of coffee, into the microwave to heat up. Best of all I wanted to read more about this land, the time and its people. I am looking forward to Bayou Moon, the second book in this series that is suppose to be released in late September, 2010.

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. Dr. Suess

Rose Drayton has more responsibility than any twenty-something should. She lives in the Edge, which is a world between the Broken (unmagical world or normals) and the Weird (land of blueblood aristocrats) Changelings and necromancers are not an oddity here but in fact the norm. Rose can easily travel (ok it is painful but can be done) into the Broken to work and shop. Though living in the Broken is out as she is caring for her two younger brothers, and does not want to give up her magical heritage. The problem is that if you live in the Edge you don't have the necessary identification for the Broken plane and therefore all you can do is work minimum wage jobs to just survive.

Rose had dreamed that her parent's history (town husband stealer and no good dreamer) would not always haunt her. She thought if she practiced her magic than she could build a better life for herself and her brothers. But, things didn't turn out quite how she had planned. Now she is stuck in the drudgery that is her life. When yet another blueblood (Declan) approaches and is determined to have her and her power she agrees to let him have her only if he can complete three tasks. She sets out to make it impossible for him to succeed. But, soon this is the least of her problems as a mysterious evil force is attaching the Edge and she will need all the help she can get in keeping those she lives safe. Can she and Declan work together and rally the Edge inhabitants to save their world?

The writing team that makes up Ilona Andrews has a new series and a new fan. I picked On the Edge up in an airport and am glad I did. While I felt the start of the story was initially confusing to me, it soon became clearer and pulled me in. I do have to say that I am not sure I like being an inhabitant of the "Broken" but I have been called worse before (Muggle for example). I could easily see how the different planes of existence could co-exist and how they might interact. I am also intrigued by an urban fantasy story that has a HFN well on its way to a HEA ending. I found On the Edge a gripping and imaginative start to a new series and think you too should pick it up.

Tanya
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

One thing I really respect is that Ilona Andrews works hard to raise the bar with each book she writes. "On the Edge" is a brand new series based on the concepts she established in her inaugural offering, "Magic Bites."

In this case, the story takes place mostly in the Edge, the middle region between the Broken mundane world and the Weird, where magical creatures exist. Edgers are magically gifted people who can travel between the two worlds, whereas the more pure highblood magic houses and the mundane people of this world cannot shift regions for the most part.

Rose is just trying to get by, raising her two younger brothers alone after her parents are gone. She's honed her talent of 'flashing' to the point that everyone believes she's an illegitimate highborn girl and there's the problem. Of course, her power is desirable to a highborn house, but most want to simply use her to breed slaves -- causing her last Edger boyfriend to try and knock her out to sell her.

So, when she's got two men, William, and the highborn Declan interested in her after a long spell of not dating, she's naturally suspicious. Highborn Declan is willing to court her in the old way. But, Rose must think of three tests for the mage to pass -- and as time goes on, she's more and more inclined to his favor. Add to this, the threat of 'hounds' magical monsters who are haunting the Edge threatening harm to Rose's family and you've got a multitextural plot which keeps pages turning.

It's hard to say what I like best about Ilona Andrews's writing. The worldbuilding is some of the best in contemporary fantasy. Her characters have a depth and strength that engages you quickly and keeps you reading. Then, there's her wry sense of humor. All this adds up to the kind of read that keeps me up most of the night writing reviews at 6 AM. I don't mind as long as the books are this good.

Rebecca Kyle, September 2009

Imagine a world that's the complete opposite of ours. Where instead of technology there's magic. It has an Air Force - except they fly wyverns instead of planes. This is the Weird. By contrast is our world, called the Broken. Magic doesn't exist here, doesn't work here and if someone with magic comes to the Broken for too long they'll lose their magic.

In between is a place called the Edge. Here exist the people that have magic, though not a lot, and don't wish to live without it in the Broken. They get electricity from the Broken, and use magical wards to protect themselves from the dangerous creatures that live in the wood with them. Most Edgers couldn't survive in the Weird, because they lack the power and can't live in the Broken because of a lack of legal papers.

Rose Drayton is an Edger. She once tried to build a better life for herself by practicing and honing her magic, but it backfired and brought her the kind of attention she didn't need. She's had to constantly protect herself from those that would steal her with the purpose of breeding more magic into their children. Now she raises her brothers, Jack and Georgie, and works in the Broken just to scrape by.

Declan Camarine is a blueblood noble from the Weird that shows up on the edge of her wards and she warns him off like she has every other blueblood that's come calling. He won't have her. Rose intrigues Declan and instead of trying to steal her, he offers the option of a challenge. He'll complete three tasks and then she'll be his. Rose thinks she can easily outsmart him, keeping her family safe in the Edge, and sending him packing back to the Weird.

But then a terrible evil invades the Edge, horrible creatures that hunt magic and Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them and save everything that she holds dear.

The world her that Ilona Andrews created is a fascinating place. Not quite our world, not quite a fantasy world, it's vivd, captivating place filled with captivating characters. I was absolutely immersed in the Edge, and loved every moment that I spent there.

Rose was a fascinating character. She's had the rose-colored glasses, pardon the pun, ripped off her face and expects the worst in everyone but family, whom she's fiercely loyal to. She's very stubborn and almost can't back down from a challenge. I admit I loved this about her. She was not about to let anyone run her life or take over for her. Rose wasn't about to give her trust to anyone that didn't deserve it, and she damn sure wasn't going to let just anyone have her heart.

Declan, I absolutely loved from the first moment that Rose tried to run him over. He was arrogant and brash, and yet at the same time he's honorable, loyal and admirable. His interactions with Rose and her family made my heart tremble. I was rooting for him to find the way past Rose's defenses from the start.

Beyond the utterly wonderful world, and vividness of Rose and Declan, there's a supporting cast of fully three-dimensional cast of secondary characters. Jack and Georgie, in particular, just hit my heart hard. I loved seeing through their point-of-views, feeling the heart-breaking burden of their gifts, the absolutely pure love they had for each other and Rose, and the disarming yearning they had for peace and happiness.

The evil that threatens Rose and all those that live in the edge is cruel and vicious, with complicated connections. I did feel that the resolution of it was a bit rushed, but I was so involved in the character's journeys that it was only after I finished that I really thought about that.

As a first time reader of Ms. Andrews, I was absolutely enchanted with the world-building, the characters, and the emotions in On the Edge. And I can't wait to go back and visit the world again with Bayou Moon which is already out.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys Patricia Briggs and Jeaniene Frost. Ms. Andrews has a way of pulling you into the world, to the point where I was up late into the night just having to read 'one more' chapter.

I must say that I really like Ilona Andrews' books and look forward to reading the rest. Have not read the Kate Daniels books yet except for two short stories but did read the excerpt in this book from "Magic Bleeds" which was great. In reading all types of books, I rate each book against others of their type and not the entire spectrum of choices. I should probably rate these books as a 4-star as I really like them but since they stack up as a better read than some other author's books of the same type, I rate them 5-star.

To give a preview of just my taste in general; I like J.R. Ward, I like nalini singh, I like larissa ione and the demonica series. I like strong heroines and strong alpha male characters. I do not like stupid misunderstandings that last for too long because no one will just be up front and honest. I like a bit of humor splashed in with my romance- ans smart characters. To that end I like Kresley Cole and Jennifer Crusie. I don't like forced plot lines or cliche'd characters. I don't like it when authors of fantasy novels spend so much time world building that you forget about the main characters. If I wanted to read Lord of the Rings I would go for that. I read romance novels for fun- for grown up fairy tales. I don't want main characters dying, I don't want to be so mad at the hero or heroine for some overdone plot device of betrayal that I haven't forgiven them by the end. This book had everything I loved and nothing I didn't. The main characters were fun and were smart. The anger between the characters was justified and real, and quickly resolved. The side stories of characters we will learn about in future stories gave you just enough to be curious but not so much that I can't read this book over and over perfectly satisfied in my wait. And this book is so rich that I know I will find new details and new laughs each time I return to it.
I read this book purely off of reviews from other the store clients and I hope that anyone reading this will be convinced enough to buy this book. you will be hooked, and you will be so pleased. And like me- you'll be happy to have found a treasure written in 2009 so you don't have to wait for the sequel!

Rose Drayton ekes out a living for her two little brothers and herself in The Edge, a place most people don't know about because it sits between two very different worlds: The Broken and The Weird. The Broken, to most people, is a world without magic; a world where cars are normal transportation and WalMart is the place to shop. The people here are oblivious to the other worlds, for the most part. The Weird is magic. They have no cars, travel by horses or mules and carts, and most of the people there would die trying to cross into The Broken because they, too, are magical. Some of those people have so much magic that they cannot even cross into the Edge. Many of the Edgers, though, will cross the boundaries into the other two for work, as paying jobs weren't prevalent because The Edge was a wild and poor area. But too much time spent in one or the other, and you couldn't cross back...

Rose works in The Broken for a cleaning company, but it's off the books and minimum wage. Her magic is strong, but her history is well-known in The Edge and she must be very careful with her trust. Her little brothers have magic as well, and keeping them safe and well takes much of her time. When, on her way home from work after her truck dies, Rose encounters a strange magical creature that seems hungry for magic; she realizes that her life just got a lot more difficult. When a knight, obviously from The Weird, appears at the border of her yard Rose is sure he is there to try to carry her off to misuse her magical abilities. She comes out armed and ready for battle, because everyone knows you can't trust the aristocrats who rule in The Weird. Magic rules there. The knight, however, challenges her fairly; which gives no reason to chase him away.

Declan Camarine has crossed into The Edge to chase down magical creatures. In his search for assistance he has been shunned and almost run-over. Now he's managed to enter a challenge for a bride. Will Rose and Declan manage to communicate well enough to overcome the danger in order to complete the challenges? Or vice versa?

There is so much more to say about this novel except that it would give SOMETHING away, and I try not to do that. But it's REALLY difficult. It's cool. It's great. It will suck you in, just so you can find out what's going to happen next. Who is he? What happens to that guy? What are those things???? How did that happen??? Ilona Andrews is superb, and her books are even better. It is always too long a wait between releases. And while I enjoyed this book, these characters, it still wasn't as funny as her Magic series. But how does she manage to create such yummy male protags????

Rose Drayton is capable of strong magic. However, after her mother died and father deserted them, she was left to care for her two younger brothers: Jack and Georgie. They live in the Edge, which is the place between the Broken, a place where there is no magic, and the Weird, a place where blueblood aristocrats are king and magic rules. The Edge is where the people who are not aristocrats go when they have been banished from the Weird or are trying to escape the Weird. Their magical abilities, no matter how minor, stop some of them from visiting the Broken. Rose and the boys, however, are different, and she is able to cross into the Broken where she works. The boys and Rose have powers that are mostly unheard of in the Edge, so they try as hard as possible to stay quiet. In the past, Rose's powers have attracted a lot of attention from unwanted suitors, so when Declan Martel, a blueblood, enters the Edge she's hesitant to work with him for fear that he only wants her for her powers.

Rose is a young heroine, but that doesn't mean she is naive. She's been through a lot in her, so far short, life, and it seems as though the hits keep coming when Declan comes to the Edge. Declan, is not after Rose, not at first. He's on the hunt for an enemy who has a device that could fill the world with evil and destroy it in the blink of an eye.

When talking about world building in a series, this one is tops. Phenomenal creativity going on here, I thought the Kate Daniels' world was amazing, this one is even better and more in depth. I love the use of magic, the explanation of powers, and the three separate worlds. The imagery that unfolds throughout the book is beautiful, especially scenes in the woods or when certain aspects of the Edge, like the people or homes, are described.

Another thing is the romance. Most of you who read this blog know I'm not into all that mushy romance stuff, but Ilona constantly does it right. It's sprinkled in there and at the right time. It's not just there as filler, it actually moves the plot along and sets it up for future books in the series.

My only complaint is that I couldn't read this book as fast as I would have liked! It took me two weeks to read it because I was swamped with school work. I really enjoyed reading about Rose, Declan, and the boys and look forward to seeing more of them in the next book.

Favorite Quote: "Yes. I'm too mad to punish you right now. We'll talk about it when we get home. Go brush your teeth, comb your hair, put on dry clothes, and get the guns. We're going to Wal-Mart." (sometimes I feel like I need a gun on me when venturing to Wal-Mart too lol)

I really enjoyed it this book. It was fast paced, it got witty, it had such a great kick-ass heroine and an world I longed to explore. I was quite taken.

The world is not what it seems, there is our world, The Broken, the place between called The Edge and then there is The Weird were magic roams free. Some people in our world know about these other two, on The Edge there lives people with some magic and The Weird is just filled with it. Rose lives on The Edge, she is poor, and hankering to get food on the table and gas so that she can get to her job in the Broken. She also takes care of her two little brothers. Most Edgers are poor as her, but it is still better then The Broken since there is no magic there.

Along comes a guy with a sword, and well she knows better then talk to Blue Blood noblemen from The Weird. They think they can rule and everyone will do as they say. Let's just say that Declan and Rose does not see eye to eye at first. But strange creatures are coming into The Edge and she does need him, just as he wants her, and her magic.

I really like Rose, she has the world on her shoulder but she still has hope and a smile on her face (well sometimes, that is around those she care for). She loves the boys, and I liked them too. They are adorable and perfect for the book. She can be kick-ass if she wants to, living on The Edge has shaped her that way because she has not had an easy life.

Declan well, I had to warm up to him since he was all macho Blue Blood at first, but I warmed to him and kept hoping for some kind of HEA and romance.

There is also some much history about he family, about the Weird, and I found it fascinating, I would like to have know even more. But I guess we will get to in later books.

It also had some great quotes, that one about wallmart and guns, well a classic. But this one showed another part:

"Georgie, stop trying to resurrect the shoes. They were never alive in the first place."

I do like that she has some hint of humor in there too.

It has some nice action, and I can seldom say this but I absolutely loved the end. It was funny and fitting the book. And it does promise more and I can't wait.

It isn't often that I read a book that I like so much that I feel an electric high from it and wish I could call the author up for a friendly chat.

I guess I'll have to vent here, I AM HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK!

Rose has a special power, one that has completely changed the course of her life and her family's and not in a good way. She's virtually a prisoner to a system of magic that makes people like her, non-bluebloods with powers, into freakish baby machines.

Rose is doing all she can to avoid this fate. As if that wasn't enough of a burden, she has a craptastic job that's usually done by people without green cards and is taking care of her little brothers who have strange powers of their own.

But,now the unthinkable has happened. A blue blood, Declan Camarine shows up, he can easily get past the ward stones she's set up around her house and he demands that she marry him.

There's some fun repartee between Declan and Rose and eventually he offers to fulfill three tasks, of her choosing, if he can complete the tasks she will marry him if not, he'll leave.

A lot of other stuff happens, with weird monster creatures and an awful other thing to do with her brothers, that I don't want to give away in this review, just to say that I tried to drag the book out over two days, but I couldn't stop myself from flipping the pages as quickly as possible.

My reader's high is fading as I face up to the fact that I don't have another book that sounds as fun as this one to start on next. Rats! Oh, well, I guess, I'll just read this again.

Loved this book! The world is like a magical bayou in New Orleans or Florida Everglades. The characters are vibrant and distinctive. From the first word on the first page you are transported into The Edge. Rose is a strong willed & intelligent woman. Declan is indomitable and brilliant. Both are resourceful and gifted.
Exceptional writing and a delicious fantasy.
On the Edge (A Novel of the Edge Book 1)

It's official. Writing team Ilona Andrew's talent knows no bounds. Their world building, character development, dialogue, plot points, etc. eclipse the worst of covers and corny ideas. I adore their Kate Daniel's series, which I initially read with much reluctance due to said covers and corny idea. I mean come on, who would of thought that a cover that craptastic would contain such an amazingly engaging story? But alas, thou hast delivered. When I encountered "On the Edge" I was faced with the same dilemma that the first Kate Daniel's book presented, Do I ignore the lameo cover and unusual plot and take a chance at being once again swept off my feet, or spend my 8 bucks elsewhere. I'm not going to lie, I passed on "On the Edge" more than once, the dust jacket mentioned Wal-Mart for crying out loud, Wal-Mart?! How could I have known that Ilona Andrews is so fantastic that they could make redneck romance intriguing? I'm shamed by my harsh judgment. I should have known they would knock it out of the park, as they have yet to let me down.
The Edge is a magically touched realm that exists between two worlds, The Weird and The Broken. The Weird is a magical world filled with aristocrats, nobleman, armies, working class, etc. They live on magic alone. The Broken is the human realm as we know it, complete with Wal-Mart, Burger King, and electricity. The Edge has its own society of magic users, though not all can boast of magical talent, and are of a select few that can travel between worlds without ill effects. Rose is one such Edger. As a woman in her early 20's, Rose has a lot on her plate. With her mother dead, and her dad long gone to hunt for treasure, she is the sole provider for herself and her two young brothers, Jack and Georgie. To add to the conundrum, they too posses unusual talents, Jack is a changeling, Georgie a necromancer. Combine that with Rose's most unusual and highly coveted ability to "flash" white, they have become the target of some power hungry magic users. Enter Declan. Declan is a soldier, sent from the Weird to protect The Edge from attack. It seems that unusual creatures are stirring in The Edge. Something alien and malevolent. Something after Rose and her brothers. Though Declan has made it his duty to protect the family, Rose will have none of it. Life has proven more than once that men cannot be trusted or relied upon. They will use you and spit you back out. Naturally, Declan makes it his mission to prove her wrong.
It's impossible not to make this story appear less than it is. "On the Edge" is exceedingly entertaining, containing humor, frustration, love, frustration, and a bit of smexy scenes and dialogue. I was instantly enchanted. I normally shy away from books containing children, as they often detract from adult subject matter, but as per usual, Ilona Andrews weave it in with ease. I adored the boys, and the story was better for them. My heart melted the moment Jack told Declan that he was Rose's cub. Aww, I'm cooing just thinking about it. I know I'm going to sound trite, but this writing duo are fantastical story tellers, not only due to their creative imagination, but because they tackle the human condition beautifully. These character's practically breathe they are so real. So if you're looking for a fun adventure, delve into "On the Edge", you won't regret it.

On the Edge is my first Ilona Andrews' novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed because of it's originality, the colorful characters and wonderful world building. I love the idea of the three dimensional world: The Broken, no magic. The Edge, the middle ground. The Weird, a place full of magic. I get the feeling from the story that there is so much to be explored in this multi-dimensional world and I'm excited by the possibilities.

Rose as a heroine was perfect. She's strong, determined, optimistic and sticks to what she believes in. Declan at first I wasn't sure if I liked him or not because of his high and mighty attitude. In the end, I liked him because he proved to be so more. Jack and Georgie, Rose's much younger spunky brothers, were near my favorite characters out of One the Edge, they grabbed at my heart strings in a big way.

Overall On the Edge was a fast paced, fantastical read that left me with a feeling of wonder. And I loved the humor, it had me rolling with laughter more than a few times. I can see myself buying each of the books as they come out in this series and reading them as soon as they arrive. I'm enthralled with the magical world created in On the Edge, I want to explore it more.

Ilona Andrews crafted a fantastic world that combines our mundane world with an alternate world filled with magic. The mundane reality is known as the Broken. The alternate realty of our world is called the Weird. Between the two is a long strip called the Edge-not quite mundane and not fully magic. People that inhabit this area are kind of like the much less rich and powerful people of the Weird. Basically everyone there owes allegiance to themselves and their families first. The story centers around Rose, a twenty something yr old who lives pay check to pay check while raising her two younger brothers-one who is a shifter and the other who can raise people and animals from the dead (taking years off his life). Rose also has a talent- she can flash white, which is very rare. Ever since she flashed white during her high school graduation, people in the Edge have been trying to sell her to nobles in The Broken. Her ex-boyfriend attacked her and tried to sell her-but she was able to get away. Ever since then Rose doesn't trust nobles, or anyone else for that matter.
When Declan, a noble, arrives in front of their house, Rose emerges with a gun, jumping to conclusions, and telling him that she will not marry him. He manages to make a deal with her and ends up living with them. Since she lost her job, she does not have much of a choice but to let him pay her to stay. While there, Rose has to give him three challenges. If he is able to complete the three challenges then she has to leave and go with him back to the Weird. But Rose seems to have other things on her mind than the challenges-the wolves that have started attacking people in The Edge and internal family problems.
I loved this book! The villain didn't really scare me-he could have been more threatening but it bother me too much. Rose was such a strong character. She had a really hard life. Her ability to take everything day by day, hour by hour, problem by problem was really impressive. Her selflessness was shown throughout the book, mostly in the care she gave to her brothers. She did everything she could so they could live comfortably. She was basically like their mother. Declan, oh boy! I thought he was an arrogant jerk in the beginning-kind of like how Rose felt. But then he started to show his soft side. He loved Rose so much. He helped her even when she was rude to him. I don't want to give anything away, but what he did for Rose was so awesome and just heartwarming.
I couldn't put this book down! After I finished it, I went back and re-read all my favorite parts. I so badly want Ilona Andrews to continue with Rose and Declan-even though the end is a kind of "happily ever after-the end" ending. The world was wonderfully crafted and fun to read. Everything was just so different from the paranormal/fantasy/romance books out there. I would definitely recommend this book to all who love a good romance, magic, action, and a bit of mystery.

Rose has had a very rough life. Her mother is dead and her father has run off leaving her to take care of her two little brothers when she was only 18. Add in a mistake of over showing her power one day, and she started being targeted to become a "broodmare" for powerful children, with the men doing anything they could to get their hands on her, even kidnapping. So, it comes as no surprise when a mysterious Blueblood shows up insisting on marriage that she is having nothing to do with the idea. The man may be attractive, but she knows he is more than he seems, and is not to be trusted. Since she can't beat him outright, she agrees to a bargain of sorts, with the gravest of things at stakes; her freedom.

Sometimes the world descriptions in first book of a series can completely consume the stage, leaving little room for the characters and the plot. Also, sometimes the reverse is true where the world is not substantial enough to be a good foundation. This book is the perfect example of just the right amount of world building. Everything is very thoroughly fleshed out, but you never once feel overwhelmed or bogged down by too much information. The Characters are full of depth and you can't help but feel for them, especially the two boys. The are so innocent, yet strong, mostly due to sacrifices Rose has made in her determination for them to have some stability. The bond between them is incredibly strong, and made the book all the more enjoyable for it.

The interactions between Rose and Declan vary from downright hostile, to humorous, to being loaded with sexual tension. I really enjoyed their confrontations, and loved them both as characters. I was very glad to see that they didn't fall right into bed, as that wouldn't have fit with Rose's personality at all. She's had a very hard life, and by some miracle hasn't turned bitter from it. But she's no fool when it comes to men and their idea of her. Considering her past, it's actually a miracle she doesn't just fry any man that comes near her to a crisp. When you take everything into account, the progression was very realistic, and nothing seemed forced, so I really felt the connection between them.

I would place this book somewhere between an urban fantasy and a paranormal romance. Yes, a lot of the plot is about Rose and Declan, but there is a very substantial plot that is slowly unraveled throughout, making this a very balanced book. I'm a big fan of the author's other series (The Kate Daniel Series), so I had high expectations for this book, and I'm very glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. I loved this book every bit as much as the Kate Daniels books, and I cannot wait to dive into the next one, Bayou Moon.

Suzan gave this to me to read some time ago, and I kept putting off reading it. I'm sorry I did - and I'm not. I'm sorry I didn't read this gem before, but I'm not sorry, because book two comes out in a few weeks and this will be a little more fresh on my mind than if I had read it before, but this review is going up probably way after that..... Have I confused you yet? (At the time I wrote and scheduled this review Bayou Moon was still yet to be released.)

The Setting - is on the Edge; a strip of land between the Broken and the Wild, two versions of our world that are nothing alike. In the Wild is magic, a sparsely populated world governed by blue bloods and the sword. In the Broken, is you and I - where there is no magic. But in the Edge, well they have both worlds, not really of either, but able to live with a taste of both. It's fascinating. This is the kind of world that makes you explore it; after reading both On the Edge and Bayou Moon and loving them, there are so many possibilities with the world they have created. Rose lives in a very woodlands kind of place that borders small town America.

The Characters - are centered around Rose's family consisting of herself, and her two younger brothers. It's a very heart wrenching situation that Rose is in and you empathize with her pain and her hesitance at accepting the blueblood, Declan, to help squash a certain little problem happening in their neck of the woods. I like how the book not only touches on Rose's story, but also how Declan's presence changes her little brothers and the other people living around them. You get several viewpoints of the plot, all of which are very cool. There is a romantic arc between Rose and Declan, you saw that coming didn't you? I liked that Rose addresses the problems to their future and how she's smart about the situation. You see them lasting.

The Plot - I like how the romance is played out; it's not a hot and heavy groping. Rose and Declan butt heads, they spar verbally and yet there is a lot of getting to know each other through the course of their knowing each other. Declan asks for Rose to challenge him for the right to claim her, and instead of setting him ridiculous, meaningless tasks, Declan has to do things that are meaningful to Rose and put him in a position to care about her family. Rose and Declan's "courtship" aside, is a situation going on within the Edge. There is something out there that is eating their magic and everyone has to work together to stop it. There is no one stop, magic cure all for their problem and it takes both failure and success for the book to end.

I really liked this book, and if I hadn't started it so late in the day, it would have been a cover-to-cover read.

I first read the author's Kate Daniels series and the mix of fantasy and scifi elements felt jarring for me. Also, I felt rather disconnected from the tough as nails heroine and never really got invested in the character or story.

Conversely, the mix of fantasy and scifi in this one was spot on and I felt instantly connected with Rose and her family. You could see some of the traditional fairy tale elements woven into the story that somehow managed to blend right into a modern setting thanks to the well-developed setup of the regular/magic worlds side by side. I worried right along with the main character for her brothers and their situation. The hero was a bit more one-dimensional for me, yet I still liked him and felt he and the heroine were a good match since she had a lot of problems and he was the perfect guy to help shoulder them. The one complaint I have is that their romance felt like it was progressing as well as could be expected with a house full of kids and monsters beating at your door but then within the space of a single page they were suddenly fallling into each other's arms. Didn't seem like there was much reason for it other than the fact that we were nearing the end of the book and had to hurry and wrap that up.

Still, such a great read that stayed with me for a long time after I finished it.

I read somewhere that Gordon Andrews once called this series "rustic fantasy." It kind of fits. It's decidedly not urban. The setting is kind of backwoods, really. But it's quirky; it's kind of charming; and while it took me a little while to connect with it, the book grew on me more and more as I continued to read.

This series is nothing like the Kate Daniels books, except for this: the world building takes some getting used to. It's not really hard to understand, but it's also not like anything else out there. In this case, there are essentially two parallel worlds. The Broken is the regular world we live in: a world of Wal-Mart and electricity. Magic is just a myth. Whereas, in the Weird, there is a world of nothing but magic. There is, however, an in-between place. The Edge is a little of both worlds, and somehow neither, at the same time. This is where Rose and her two brothers live.

Rose has more magic than most other people in the Edge, or perhaps it's more accurate to say, she is better at using it. So everyone wants to breed with her, or sell her, or profit from her in some other way. She is raising her little brothers, working a menial job, and has given up hope that her life could be more. When Declan appears, she assumes the noble from the Weird is there to force her into marriage. But at the same time, strange and dangerous creatures begin showing up. Rose has to work with Declan to fight the threat. And as they spend more time together... well, you know how these things go.

Like I said earlier, I didn't love it right away. Maybe it was the backwoods thing; maybe I just had to get used to the concepts. But either way, I ended up rather engrossed in it. Notably absent was the trademark Ilona Andrews snark, but there was pretty hot sex scene which helped me get over that. There are some interesting secondary characters... especially William. I hope we see more of him in later books. I'm curious to see where the series goes next, since the ending felt pretty settled for Rose and Declan. There is only one way to find out.

A little more than 4 stars.

At this point I'm unsure whether I'm just incredibly biased towards the husband and wife writing team that is Ilona Andrews, or if they really are as awesome as I believe them to be. You've seen me talk repeatedly about my love for the Kate Daniels series on this blog, but that was a love that grew from a tempered enthusiasm for its beginnings. Thus, going into their series of Urban Fantasy Romance novels, The Edge, I expected great pacing, a fun plot, a nice romance, and generally happy if not amazing times. I got all of these things, but strike the `generally' from before happy and `not' from before amazing.

On the Edge was the book that solidified for me that I dig romance-especially if it comes with a big dose of plot, particularly with an Urban Fantasy setting. The world created by Ilona Andrews in On the Edge was well constructed, believable, and every bit as much fun as the futuristic Atlanta I've come to know. Living on (or rather in) the Edge, Rose and her brothers subside in a struggling existence, literally between two worlds. On one side lays the Broken-the world as we know it. This is where the citizens of the Edge shop, go to school, and earn their living, but largely as illegal aliens. Without proper papers identifying her as a United States citizen, Rose is stuck working below minimum wage jobs at whatever facility with enough ties to the Edge will hire her. This wouldn't be such a struggle if her mother wasn't dead, her father gone, and her two young brothers left depending on her for their future and survival. The other side of the Edge butts up against another world-the Weird. A world fueled by magic and entirely different from our own. Living on the Edge where the Broken and the Weird overlap means the Edgers have magic, but not much. They lose it when in the Broken, and don't often have enough to survive in the Weird. Rose, however, has plenty.

Flashing is the Edgers main way of showing and using their power. Like fire, different colors signify its heat and ability to destroy. The strongest Edgers flash blue or green, but Rose flashes white. Her sheer power and control is unheard of among the Edgers, and what she thought would impress and gain her freedom has brought nothing but pain and strife. Desired for breeding, Rose has spent years fighting off those men who would take her, use her, even sell her for her power. When Declan, an obvious blueblood from the Weird, shows up outside her house, Rose greets him with threats and disdain. He's determined to win her, but Rose may have bigger things to worry about than losing her freedom when a new and strange threat moves in on her community.

On the Edge was refreshingly different from any Ilona Andrews novel I have read thus far. Not only was it a new world, new characters, and new story, it was also a single volume neatly compact tale with multiple perspectives. That said, there were also the features I mentioned earlier. The world building was top notch, the pacing grabbed me and never let up, the characters were the prickly head-butting stubborn but good hearted idiots I love to root for, and the romance was just the right amount of intense. Rose is that self-sustaining female lead who has been through so much, but hasn't let it break her where many others would. She is ultimately loyal to her brothers, and puts their well being before all others, making herself that dependable figure all kids need whether or not their parents fill that role.

What struck me the most about On the Edge and its characters was how real they all were. Rose isn't a chosen one, she's not from money or a good family, and it doesn't matter how hard she works, life's always going to be hard. This is the reality for so many people out there, and yet it's not something we often see in books. Rose has to make those unspeakable decisions between buying her brother new shoes so that he doesn't get picked on in school and filling her truck with gas so that she can get to work the next day. Her brothers depend on her entirely, and she shines in their eyes. A necromancer who is slowly draining himself of life energy, and a shapeshifter who has worked hard to gain mastery over his nature, Georgie and Jack are some of the best young characters one could find in adult fiction. Rose and her brothers exhibit the importance of family when you have nothing else, and this theme that is shared with Kate Daniels books among the Pack makes me love Ilona Andrews all the more (not to mention more subtle Princess Bride love). Rose has no trust or room for men in her life, and won't let herself be caught dead relying on one. I love that I struggled with Declan and his motivations nearly as much as Rose did herself. I didn't know if I could trust him, wasn't sure what he wanted, and couldn't understand where he was coming from. I tip my hat to Ilona Andrews' ability to answer all of my questions but only in the story's own time; it's rare that I close a book such a completely satisfied reader.

Rose is barely eking out a living working a minimum wage job and trying to keep her two younger brothers fed and clothed. Rose lives "on the edge" between "the broken" (the mundane world) and "the weird" (the magical world). Her parents are dead and because she possesses a coveted magical power she's in fear of becoming someone's brood mare and is constantly on alert for would-be kidnappers.

Rose doesn't trust men, with good reason, and steers clear of relationships. Blue-blooded men are the worst but this is a romantic urban fantasy so wouldn't you know it; a blue blood shows up and wreaks havoc on her already chaotic life. She resists Declan's obvious charms but not for too long. He's a gorgeous, hot hunk of man with a large sword and he's nice to her brothers. There's a lot more that goes on here but I don't want to bore you all with another plot rehashing.

This is a fun read, with great characterization. The plot of demon hounds was interesting and gritty enough to hold my attention and I thought the world building, magic, mundane and in-between unique and well described. There's romance, a few "awwww my heart just melted" moments, a warm family unit, action (but not too much, I'm not a big action girl), adventure and most of all wit and warmth. An all-around fantastic read. I can't wait for the next one.

I love Ilona Andrews's Kate Daniels series, but found this book to be rather amateurish. In my opinion it's Ilona Andrews light. The plot is predictable and the characters childish. I had to drag myself to the end, and obviously I will not be continuing the series.

Overall I think this book is a 3.5 as I just reread it, and I tend to think of books I like to reread as at least fours, but as I was rereading I remembered why. I consider it slightly more PNR then UF. *

Review Contains Spoilers about Relationship*

Plot: 4/5; As usual the writing is fantastic and the world makes sense, but is a really neat place to be. A world that would be fun to live in. The story always catches me up and keeps me entertained all the way through to the end. I have a hard time putting it down.

Characters: 4/5; I love George and Jack. There presence allows you to look at the other characters from another perspective. Rose is a good deal of fun as well. She's very sarcastic and at the beginning I find her stubbornness refreshing. Declan is nice, but a little too perfect.

Romance/Sexuality: 3/5; I think Declan and Rose could have had a better relationship. She goes from really antagonistic to jumping him. Really could have had a little more development. And the graphic sex scene was in the middle of the most exciting part of the book. It could have waited, or not been in there at all. Really I don't think it adds to the plot.

Age: Adult

Overall the plot of the book and the characters makes it worth picking up once if not more then that.

I do enjoy Ilona Andrews writing and this book was no exception. It is darker than the Kate Daniels series, but still a really good para/fantasy. The main character Rose lives between three worlds or areas that exist at the same time, with her two little brothers. They have magic, unfortunately Rose has a great deal more than others which makes her "brood mare" in the world of magic users in which social standing is ranked by powers. Rose doesn't quite see it that way and isn't amused when yet another Blue Blood turns up and wants her. The character of Rose is much more down to earth and more involved in day to day problems, like having enough food to eat or money to put gas in the car, as opposed to the flighty devil may care Kate Daniels. That however is the beauty of a new series, it shows us what else the writer is capable of. I highly recommend the book and look forward to the second, which once again is not on Kindle (shame on you publisher) and that means I have an excuse to buy another Treebook, then again I don't really need an excuse.
On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1)

Ilona Andrews has created a wonderful urban fantasy world, without vampires, faeries, werewolves (sorta), and all that other overdone, rehashed stuff. The fantasy was a classic swords-and-sorcery type of fantasy with a modern twist. I enjoyed the world Andrews created, a Venn-Diagram of sorts with the fantasy realm of the Weird on one side, our Wal-Mart shopping cesspool of the Broken on the other, and in the little overlap in between, the Edge, where our heroine, Rose lives. It's a beautiful place, but it's also full of danger and poverty.

I enjoyed the variety of characters most of all. They are all mature, well-rounded characters, which you don't often see in a genre filled with immaturity. The eight-year-old boy in this book was more mature than the adult men in, say, Patricia Briggs's Moon Called. Rose's younger brother, George, with his ability to raise the dead and his inability to deal with mortality was my favorite character.

Although the book was a little romance-y, I have to admit, I fell for it, swooning over Declan right along with Rose. Rose maintains her independence until the very end, which was refreshing. I'm looking forward to reading another book in this series.

--chancelee.com

In On the Edge Ilona Andrews has crafted a new reality for her next series. There is the Broken where there is no magic; the Weird, which is full of magic and between the two, is the Edge, a narrow strip where some magic exists. Only people who live on the Edge can easily visit both the Broken and the Weird but life in the Edge is hard.

Rose Drayton lives in the Edge and works a minimum wage job in the Broken to support herself and her two brothers. She has some powerful magic and at one time she through it would make life easier for her and her brothers. Unfortunately all the magic has brought her is trouble. Just when she thinks that thing can't get any worse Declan Camarine, a noble from the Weird shows up determined to marry her. Declan is not all that comes to the Edge; an intense new danger shows up looking for magic. Rose is a target and she needs help to survive. Thus the stage is set for the first book in a thrilling new paranormal series by Ilona Andrews. Check out On the Edge.

I think Andrews did it again. On the Edge was a great adventure/paranormal/romance. The characters were fantastic. A young twenty-something having to take care and raise her two younger brothers, in poverty, yet full of pride and unwilling to take handouts. Then you throw in that they live in this in-between world called the Edge. The Edge is between normal (the Broken) and magical (the Weird). Rose is doing everything in her power to protect her family, especially from those trying to kidnap her for her strong magical ability to flare. Something only the nobles from the Weird can do. When a blueblood noble arrives on her property, Rose pulls out her crossbow to send him on his way, but Declan turns out to be more than Rose can handle.

I thought the younger brothers sounded adorable, I liked the fight scenes, and I thought the romance was believable. It also had a great ending, and the beginning totally grabs the reader's attention. I highly recommend this book.

I've been eyeing this book for a while, so when on an unscheduled stop at the bookstore and in need of something new and fluffy to read, I finally picked this one up.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding very much, as well as the secondary characters (Jack, George, the grandmother) but this falls dangerously close to the cliche found in too many urban fantasies these days: beautiful women doesn't know she's beautiful, has super-powers, her life sucks, big, muscular man shows up to convince her he's only using her for his purposes only to fall in love and defeat the big bad and live happily ever after until the cliffhanger ending that sets up the next book.

That said, it was decent enough mindcandy for a rainy afternoon. And I really do like the general concept of the world Andrews has created here - maybe next time, she'll get out of the cliche and into something more.

I love the world the author weaves, and like the magic series this doesn't disappoint. The two lead characters are great but somehow I kept comparing them to Kate and Curran and finding something missing. I was also disappointed that the series is standalone books

Reviewed [...] by Nicole Hicks

On The Edge by Ilona Andrews
Ace Books
ISBN: 978-044101785
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating: Adult
Paw Prints: 5

Rose Drayton has had to watch her own back since she flashed white after her graduation. Only bluebloods should flash white. What she thought would put all the people who tormented her during school in their place, actually only made her a bigger target. Now not only must she fight for survival for herself and two brothers by working in the Broken, she must also fight off people who want her for a broodmare.

Declan Camarine has to outsmart Rose in order to have her. He must answer and beat her challenges. But will he be able to do that while at the same time fighting the nasty magic eating Hounds and the being that controls them? And will he be able to keep the children that mean so much to Rose safe?

Rose is an Edger, a place that is between two very different worlds; the Weird which is filled with Magic and The Broken that has no idea that magic is real. When a blueblood from Weird comes to her property, she will do whatever it takes to keep her small family intact and safe. Even if that means seeming like she is fighting fair while scheming to find a way to remain free.

Ilona Andrews has started this series off with a bang! Their wonderful mixture of magic and smart alec comments are shown throughout this book, and I loved every minute of it. I laughed, snickered, and cried, then cried, laughed, and snickered some more. I love how their descriptive ability makes their characters come to life no matter how absurd the situation may be. On The Edge has something in it for everyone, from magic to shifters to down on their luck people. This introduction to the Edge series is so full of its own kind of magic, that it is a definite must read! I highly recommend this book!

Really liked this book. It is my first by Ilona Andrews. It was fast-paced. It had some romance and banter between characters without feeling cheesy. The world created was interesting. [ I liked that there was a love triangle between William, Declan and Rose without being the girl torn between 2 men. It wasn't a huge focus on this triangle and she wasn't leading either on. It was refreshing to read something in this genre that had that element without being the focus or the whiny girl not knowing who to choose.

I purchased this book.

In the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by husband and wife writing team "Ilona Andrews" sarcasm, action and things that go bump in the night rule, so I was eager to pick up another Andrews world to delve into.

In this world there is The Weird, where magic rules and beasts run rampant, The Broken, our world where magic is dead and guns run rampant, and The Edge, which sits between and has a little of both. Rose is a single mom, by courtesy of being the adult left to raise her two younger brothers after her mother died and her father abandoned them. She has just enough power to hold her own, but too much for the other residents of The Edge to feel comfortable with her (or ignore her). Like has happened many times before since her powers surfaced, one day a handsome, arrogant man shows up on her lawn demanding to have her as his bride<~~Cross out broodmare and unwilling to give her a choice in the matter.

The gorgeous blueblood from the Weird, Declan, triggers every bad male instinct Rose has and threatens her family and her sanity. But no matter what the pretense, Declan is not just in The Edge for Rose. He's come for a monster stalking the woods as well. Declan, Rose, and the distrusting community of The Edge must find a way to come together before the monster picks them all off to feed.

On the Edge has a very urban fantasy feel, and Andrews retains a balance of action, humor and darkness that I truly enjoy. In many ways this is an urban fantasy book, but the differences are enough to push the still new genre into a wider interpretation.

Translated into the horror genre, On the Edge would be set in a mysterious backwoods community that's hiding a strange power, but represents a real danger to any outsider who doesn't leave them be. Washed with urban fantasy influences instead, readers will still find the mysterious and potentially dangerous community that lives in a rural area (that particularly speaks to me with the experiences I've had in rural central Kentucky communities) which has formed a unique kind of magic, some would see as a bastardized form of high or formal magic.

The community here has a good reason for their wariness of outsiders. The Broken sees them as freaks, and in some cases illegal aliens. The Weird sees them as weak mongrels. Rose herself can't even trust the neighbors since a few of them tried to sell her into "marriage" to bluebloods who expect her power to breed true.

On the Edge is a deliciously complex debut world, with full, unique characters and enough plot and intrigue to keep it out of the paranormal romance genre. It has elements of fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller and awesome. I eagerly await the second book in this series and can't wait to see how this family evolves in the world that challenges them.

I love Llona Andrews books. Her Kate Daniels series is absolutely amazing up through book four and might be the best urban fantasy series on the market. So when i heard she was writing a new series i was hyped for it too.

On the Edge is a very good book and one that will keep you entertained throughout. Rose is a very likable kind hearted person who cares for nothing but providing for her kid brothers. Her heart is as pure as the white magic flashes she can control. Her match, Declan, provides a very humorous and interesting read. He is almost perfect and godly in his wealth and combat skills and Rose is just about the first person he hasnt been able to seduce. Watching him jump through hoops to get at her was quite the scene.

This is an excellent start to Andrews new series and one that will entertain every Kate Daniels fan.

For those of you who are like me who skim through reviews of book after book trying to find one that seems risk-free in terms of wasting your time, then I'll just say that this book is definitely worth reading. You do have to like fantasy/paranormal at least a little bit and not be looking for your typical romance book either, because while there is definitely romance, you do not have scene after scene of steamy bedroom romance.

I won't give a synopsis of the book but for those of you who like fantasy/paranormal, action, and romance, this book has it all and is a very fast read.

Andrews has created characters that you will care about. And not just the lead characters either but Rose's little brothers are charming. While she is the typical no nonsense, fiery heroine with an attitude, you don't dislike her or get annoyed. And when it comes to her and Declan's relationship there is never "the big misunderstanding" that keeps them apart for half the book for which I have to say THANK YOU to the author. I find that trend in relationship plots incredibly frustrating and pointless. Creating suspense can be done in many other ways.

I just have one recommendation for Andrews for the future books in this series....keep Rose and Declan as the lead characters please.

Definitely an adult novel, this fantasy tale about the borderlands between the magic dimension and our dimension centers on a girl who has lived a brutal life. It doesn't hide the gritty aspect, but balances it will totally believable tenderness in her bad her family who is trying to keep it together. Enter bad boy noble from the magic realm and an evil threatening the whole realm. It's as much a romance as an adventure and done well in both parts.

On the Edge is a swashbuckling romantic fantasy romp of a novel. Ilona Andrews seems to target a slightly different demographic than the fans of the Kate Daniels series and carries it off quite well I think.
It tells a tale of a young, brave and determined Rose Dalton and her family as they eke out an existence on the unforgiving Edge. The characterisation in this novel is really quite good (except that of the male lead, Declan, strangely enough). Rose's tale of a disappearing dad, unravelling mother and tough yet loving grandmother are threads of a story that resonate all over the world in modern society. Where we see that love is what holds families together and forgiveness and acceptance of parental failings is the key to growing up a healthy and well adjusted adult, which Rose seems to have achieved despite the deck being quite heavily stacked against her. She has bills to pay, and two younger brothers to look after and though her life isn't perfect, she's making the best of a bad situation and I was utterly charmed by herself, Georgie, Jack & Mémère
Her romance with Declan is pretty `blah' for me and that is the reason I didn't give the book 5 stars, however I do think that a lot of people enjoy more `romance' in their fantasy so I am not really going to comment to heavily on it.
The book works well with slightly formulaic plotting but the writing is sufficiently deft and well paced that it works. All in all, a tale of scary monsters, weird and wonderful characters and a female lead with grit and determination who finds love and appreciation; I thoroughly enjoyed this little fairytale.

So you all know that I am a lathering and faithfulilona_andrewsfan. She writes the Kate Daniels series and they are simply delicious (well, Curran is delicious but the stories are phenominal). Ilona has started a new series, another Urban Fantasy, and about 'The Edge', a world between worlds.

On the Edge has a very unique setting. There is 'our world' as we know it: highways, video games, no magic. Then there is a completely fantasy world: magic, were-creatures, kingdoms, etc. But then there is 'in-between' and it's called The Edge. There is no real law in the Edge. It's more rustic and the people are closer knit yet very competitive about who has more power, etc. Rose's family is well-known for various reasons but one big one being her strength and control of her 'flash' (it's a defensive/offensive spell that is a striking out of magic). This story has Rose meeting Declan, a nobelman/warrior from the fantasy world. He inserts himself into her life as they try to deal with mysterious magically cursed animals reeking havoc in the Edge.

I love Curran. Don't get me wrong. He'll always have a special plae in my heart... but I could eat Declan with a spoon. He has a wicked sense of humor and with his regal bearing, Rose is caught off-guard most of the time. They have very fun dialogue that had me laughing and giggling throughout the entire story. But there was alot of action too.

It's a very fast-paced story with Ilona Andrew's creative twists laced throughout it. I love the unexpected and she ALWAYS delivers. Definitely pick this book up.

My favorite line is and shall always be: "Get the guns. We're going to Walmart."

****NO WORRIES. I DON'T SPOIL BOOKS.****

So, this book was interesting... It's kind of like a Chia pet. You don't know exactly what it is, but you keep coming back to it for hours and hours of entertainment. Is this book a romance? Yes. Is it an Urban Fantasy? Yes. Is it Western-y? Kinda sorta in a cool, modern way. Do the main characters kick some ass? Yes. Are there paranormal creatures? Yes. Is there magic? Yes. I can't pinpoint the genre, but I will say that it's a good book and I had trouble putting it down. (You know it's good when I bust out that old cliché.)

While there is an old-school type of feeling to the romance between the main characters (reminiscent of 80's romance books), it actually works. I swear! I don't know if it's because it made me nostalgic for cheesy long-haired juiceheads or what. Though, truth be told, the male lead wasn't overly cheesy. He was pretty kick-ass and his deadpan humor was really frikkin' funny. I'm guessing it's because the husband and wife team that wrote this book is brilliant and together they can write no bad stories (see Kate Daniels Series). The main characters were both really likable and really, really funny together. That is truly a specialty of the authors. The interaction between their lead characters is always hilarious in all of the books in both of their series.

The action was right on, though I will say that the villain was a little silly at times. Again, lending to that old-school 80's type of feel. I don't know if I'm making sense. What I mean is that certain aspects of the book were cheesy in the old 80's way, but the authors put a spin on everything and modernized it. It's hard to explain without spoilers.

In conclusion, this book is very good despite my comparisons - I SWEAR! The story itself is not antiquated. It takes place today in our modern world, complete with the fabulous Walmart. Anywho, I dived right into the second book, which was even better. Give it a look-see. You won't be disappointed.

Pretty cool book by Ilona Andrews that I still haven't read and I'm totally delighted that there are 3 more waiting for me. The location is intriguing and the characters are funny, plus the story is not bad for a paranormal romance or something like that.

Bello leggersi un libro di una delle mie scrittrici preferite e sapere che ce ne sono altri 3 a seguire che mi aspettano! L'ambientazione é particolare ed interessante, inoltre i protagonisti sono divertenti e la storia regge parecchio per essere un paranormal romance, o qualcosa di simile.

I love the Kate Daniel's series, so this book was supposed to be sort of a filler in between waiting for Book 4. I've to say I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the story. The world-building was excellent and *different* (although still in urban fantasy territory) from Kate Daniels. The characters are three dimensional, with well thought out background and motivations. The conversations, like what I'd expected from Kate Daniels, were genuine, and sometimes funny. Only thing here is that the romance is a bit more than Kate Daniels. I would have given it a 4.5 star (but there's no half-star rating), so 4 it is.

TLDR version: Well worth a read if you like Kate Daniels or Dresden Files (from Jim Butcher).

I of course devoured the Kate Daniels series and was feeling at a loss because of the inevitable wait for the next book. Then I see she's started a new series. I didn't even need to second guess this one, and it really was everything I hoped it would be and then some. For those looking for more romance than what's in the Kate Daniels series, this one steps it up. It's not over the top either though. Again the amazing character development and pace. Her brothers and family really make this book too. I can't get enough of the Broken, Weird, and Edge concept. Hah Especially that the real world is the Broken. Perfect. So now I'm stuck waiting for both series. I need to learn to pace myself with these books or something. Pshh who am I kidding, I can't do that. Read it, you'll love it.

4 stars.

A very good introduction to a new series.

Admittedly it took me a little while to really get into the book. But once I got past about page 60 I couldn't put the book down.

The cast of characters were great fun. I loved Rose, Declan, Jack, George, the Grandmother, and William. I liked what happened to Brad, even though we don't get to see it, it's still gave me a chuckle when I read it.

I am very interested and eager to the next installment.

Rose Drayton has lived all her life in the Edge. The Edge is a small strip of land stretching between the Broken (the world as we know it and completely non magical) and the Weird (magic, magic everywhere). Edgers usually possess a little magic and can travel freely between both worlds, but usually stick to themselves. Living in the Edge will make you tough all by itself without compounding the fact that Rose has had to raise her two younger brothers all alone while defending herself from bride-hunting bluebloods and Edgers alike who simply would like her as a brood mare due to her impressive magical abilities. To say she has some trust issues with males and outsiders in general would be an understatement. So when an imposing blueblood Lord Declan Camarine shows up on her land declaring Rose to be 'his' and demanding three challenges to win her hand, Rose is less than enthusiastic. Her response is to shoot Declan with a cross-bow. Not that she hits him, but still, my kind of girl. Rose is already feeling a little out of her league, when some truly nasty creatures begin showing up in the Edge and fighting them off might become the hardest thing she's had to do yet...besides accepting Declan's help.

Out of all the characters in this novel, Rose's two younger brothers, Jack (a shape shifter) and Georgie (a boy who can raise the dead), were obvious standouts. They trust Rose implicitly and even though they sometimes don't follow instructions explicitly (they are boys) they stole my heart. Both Rose and Declan are fighters and their relationship morphed into something very believable even if I sometimes found myself giggling over Rose's effusive descriptions of Declan's rippling abs since it reminded me so much of Hugh Jackman's 'shower' in Australia. Other than that, Rose is smart and knows how to take care of those she loves which totally rocks in my book. To be honest, I'm not really sure where Ilona Andrews is planning on heading with the next installment, but my hopes firmly rest on a story for William, Declan's shape shifter army buddy. The man has Potential in spades.

Can I talk about the cover a moment here? If they had left off the Highland Warrior (he is SO not Declan) I would have totally dug it. Rose against the old truck with a rifle slung carelessly over her shoulder and magic swirling around? Super. But Mr. Piercing Gaze just ruins it for me. This was a fun book, but I'm not going to lie that the teaser for Magic Bleeds, the much anticipated fourth Kate Daniels book, had me squealing for joy.

Whoda thought I'd find fighting hounds romantic! The beginning of this book was scary, especially when the hounds are visible. I braved through it, and was very much rewarded by a wonderfully compelling, brilliantly written story. You can almost smell the forests the author describes because of her phenomenal attention to detail. There's real humor interspersed throughout, and the love story and action/adventure aren't predictable. Very well written!

I bought this book because the authors' other series, Kate Daniels, is one of my favourite series. This book was so good, I read it 2x in one sitting the first time. The last 2 pages were so engrossing that now I can't wait for the next book in the series. The heroine is smart, hard-working, loyal, and really loves her family. She really shines in her rustic setting. Her little brothers are very realistic. The hero has a few surprises up his sleeve (up to the very last page) and really appreciates her. Highly recommended. And at the end is a sneak preview of the next Kate Daniels book.

I "read" this book in the audio version and was really drawn into the story. the characters are multi-dimensional and complex, and i found myself involved in even the "minor" characters. I am not passionate about all of Ms. Andrews' work, but I really enjoy this series. The geography is somewhat confusing at the beginning (as is true in a lot of fantasy fiction) but I got the hang of it quickly (I find that harder on audio than reading, where I can turn back for reference).

I'm a huge fan of Romance books, and if I had to pick only one type of book to read for the rest life, it would be Romance novels. Now as you can imagine, there's nothing I like more than watching two people beat the odds and fall in love and stay in love. Therefore, when I say this you must understand how shocking it is for me to come across a book like this: I wish there was no romance in this story

The idea of the world was interesting. The Broken, The Weird, The Edge... all very interesting ideas. Now, I didn't really enjoy the characters or the execution of the book, but kudos for a unique world! The biggest drawback of this story was the romance. It was ridiculous!

Poor emo girl is hunted for her special magic. She trusts no one and must protect herself and her brothers from the hateful world that is against her. Enter big strapping man... He's a blueblood so of course he's a jerk. Rose certainly treats him that way. She runs her mouth making assumptions and basically making herself look like a harpy.

Now, Declan is no prize. He takes Rose's assumptions and runs with them. He swaggers around with a puffed up chest acting like the man. I know he does this partially to irritate Rose, but a lot of it is his own personality too. I'm sorry, but that much ego running around is more repellent than not. It's like the author read a bunch of bad romances and decided to incorporate all those irritating traits.

Rose is so not the type of heroine I was hoping to read about. She's bitter and prideful to the point of having tunnel vision. Anyone who talks to her brothers has to be a child molester because no one likes kids right? She's constantly denying anyone the ability to do a nice thing for her family because of the "Drayton pride". I got tired of reading about their pride.

For all Rose's supposed role as head of the family she sure didn't have any control over her brothers. Now, I understand that children will misbehave, but her brothers displayed a willful disregard for the situation that Rose was in. If there had been real danger in the situation Rose would have been screwed. Rose thought there was real danger though, why didn't she take control of them? She babied them and didn't tell them how things really were because she didn't want to scare them. As a result her brothers ran wild and acted like brats. I think it was supposed to be cute but it wasn't.

Added to the irritating characters was the sheer fluffiness of the world. Nothing seemed to be taken seriously and everything seemed to be easily solved. Even the nobles of The Weird that Rose met (who were very high ranking) weren't the least bit arrogant. They didn't look down on Rose at all! Everything was fluffy bunnies and kittens and rainbows by the time the book ended.

I would have given the book only one star if wasn't for the world. I really liked the idea of it, but the actual story was not for me.

I admit I'm a HUGE Ilona Andrews fan. Oh yea, love Gordon too. :)
Imagine how thrilled I was to see they were starting a new series.
I'm not going to put any synopsis of the book because there are 20 others you can read.
All I can say is it's a another winner.
Ilona & Gordon have a way of writing that makes you, no, COMMANDS you to keep following.
I have always been a nosy person who has to know What happens next?". Yet few authors can compel me to keep buying the books to find out.
These clever talented writers have hooked me like few others.They have a way of drawing you in and making you part of the story.
Their writing is gritty, down to earth (so to speak) and deals with common problems.
Their heroes & heroines are strong, personable "real life" people.
I cannot wait for On The Edge 2.

This book is absolutely fantastic. As soon as I saw Ilona Andrews had a new book, I was excited to read it. As much as I loved Kate Daniels, I found Rose even more engaging. She is an amazing character that is only outdone by the world she lives in. The one aspect of the book that wasn't better than in the Kate Daniels series, was Devon. While he was sexy and sweet, you just cant get hotter than Curran. I loved this book.

Hey, I'm not into long reviews that give the book away. So, to sum it up in under 60 words; a great new and original take on the world, with believable, likable characters. It's one of those truly rare books, that you just can't seem to put down, and you tend to stay up till 3 am and finish. And even then, you actually wonder if it sleep or starting it over is the best answer. A really, really great read. Enjoy.

Yes, in case it wasn't obvious, this novel does contain a romance. If that bothers you at all, please don't read it. Readers are hard pressed to find urban fantasy that doesn't have at least some romance in it, so if that doesn't bother you, then continue.

On the Edge starts out with an explanation of the three worlds, Broken, Edge, and Weird. The Broken does not have any magic (our world), the edge has some, the weird has tons. We are presented with some very homey characters that aren't well off financially and are heading to wal-mart to buy new shoes. From there things start to get crazy. Rose almost runs over a man with swords, long hair, and green eyes, and is soon bothered by a semi-stalker named William who likes children and comic books. Later, creatures are attacking the town's inhabitants and the man Rose almost ran over wants to marry her. All of this is mentioned on the jacket of the book, and it is pretty much the entire plot.

The things I liked about The Edge were the world building, the realistic characters, and the romance. Now, I'm not usually a huge fan of romance, but I have to say that I felt this one was more realistic then most. The "love" came a little fast, but other than that, it was believable. The book was really feeling like a four star to me, until around page 250. After everything is solved and settled, the planning for the big showdown begins. That planning takes about 50 pages, and the fight was a bit overlong as well. I started to lose interest as events that the reader already witnessed were explained to numerous different characters. The mystery of William, the green eyed man, and the creatures was solved fairly early on, and the rest of the novel was just filler. Sure, they needed to hunt down the baddies and kill them, but it didn't need to take 100 or so pages.

Another issue I had with On the Edge is it's resemblance to the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Some may not agree, but I couldn't shake the feeling that they were too alike for comfort. The town on the edge where Rose and family lives is a pretty run down southern town. The characters keep to themselves, don't trust others, and carry shotguns. Rose's brother changes into a lynx type creature, which is similar to Sookie's brother. Rose works whatever jobs she can get to support herself, has previous abusive boyfriends, and possible stalkers. The similarities didn't bother me too much, but they were there.

Aside from that, the grandfather chained in the barn was a bit much. I understand the reason he exists, but to start the novel by shooting grandpa in the head because he has been out eating dogs, is a little much. The novel only mentions grandpa again once, so was the opening really necessary? The plot would have been perfectly fine if he was removed. Very strange, and a bit unsettling.

Overall, On the Edge is a good urban fantasy and a good romance. The characters are believable, and you care about what is happening to them. The writing keeps you interested, even if the plot is a bit simplistic or drags in places. Also, I don't think the romance is so overpowering that urban fantasy fans will be disappointed.

I'll be honest, I didn't expect to like this book. I absolutely love the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, but still the snippets on this book prior to reading confused me. Well, I was wrong! I loved it! I had the hardest time putting the book down, in fact fell asleep one night while reading because I refused to put it down. It's different, but if you enjoy the Kate Daniels series you will enjoy this one. Can't wait to read the next one, and I do believe this series will become one of my top 3 favorites if the next books are as good as the first.

I like to keep my reviews short and to the point. I am a loyal fan of Ilona Andrews because they continue to put out good stories year after year. On The Edge pulls you in and takes you on a adventure into a new world of the Edge, Weird and the Broken. I love the spins they put on the world they created and the characters are always highly entertaining.

I LOVE this story. Most heroines in paranormal fiction have little to no family interaction. A big sister raising her brothers in the alt universe equivalent of Appalachia = a bit higher strung and more motivated lead. I love that she gives as good as she gets, in a totally believable way.

Keep em coming.

With On the Edge Ilona Andrew(s) offers a fairly succinct romance and magi heavy fantasy novel with a lonely desert feel much similar to Patrica Briggs Mercy Thompson series.

There isn't too much wrong with this novel, although not much stand-out either, in general a decent read.

Love it plain and simple!!!

Rose and Declan are two people absolutelly different, from different backgrounds and with different characters but the attraction between them is too strong to ignore.

The world is unique and the side characters are very very interesting.

Definitely recommend this book to read. I had such a hard time putting it down that I finished it in 2 days. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. Ilona Andrews is becoming one of my favorite authors. If you want a book that with each page you turn it gets better, than this is the book!

This is a rather difficult book to categorize; a kind of fantasy mixed with romance (Cinderella syndrome here!). I still prefer the Magic series but On the Edge is great.

To be honest, I think that Declan is far nicer and easier to understand than Curran (especially after reading the excerpt from Magic Bleeds). Can't wait for the second book.

I really enjoyed On the Edge by "newer" authors Andrew and Ilona (they write as Ilona Andrews). A little different twist on urban fantasy - I think they called it rustic fantasy. My only gripe is that book 2 won't come out until next summer.
The characters in the story are fleshed out and set up the series well. Great storyline with a romance line mixed in.

If you like authors like Patricia Briggs (my favorite author!!) then I think you will like this series.

I don't care for Ilona Andrews other series of books, so I was hesitant to read this book. However, since I ran out of other books to read, I decided to give this a try. I was shocked to discover I loved the book. It's well written and the plot moves quickly along.

I'm also a fan of the Kate Daniels series, and agree with comments above: This book is more romance than mystery/action. I liked it well enough; it has appealing characters and plotting. If you are a fan of the Southern-fried Sookie Stackhouse vampire books by Charlaine Harris, you will probably really like this book and it's a good fit for you. I'm more partial to the team's Kate Daniels series, because there's more action and less romance.

This book was just as good as the author's previous series about Kate Daniels. It is a paranormal romance/fantasy novel and a fun read. The characters were understandable and human while still being fantastical.

The story line is quite well done; none of that predictability that so many of the fantasy genre suffer from. But it's on the highly developed characterization of the people in this novel that author really shines .

I loved this book and stayed up til early morning hours finishing it. It was creative, well-written, and kept you "on the edge" of your seat. Unfortunately, the next one in the series doesn't appear to come out until later on this year :(

I liked this story, but I didn't love it. At first I couldn't figure out why I didn't get the ga-ga buzz from reading it. It had a folksy element, which I absolutely loved. It had a well-crafted and interesting plot, which was a necessity. It had a strong, thoughtful, intelligent male hero, whom I adored. It had a headstrong, insightful, and articulate heroine, whom I...hmm.

That's when it hit me. The female heroine wasn't believable. She's a twenty-two year old who has struck out a couple of times with relationships, and from that she knows everything there is to know about avoiding bad relationships. Soooo unbelievable. I understand that she's had a rough time of things raising her brothers, working, and protecting herself, but what twenty-two year old really learns as much as Rose has at that age? Every time I tried to imagine the lovers in my mind, I would see this 42 year old female with this 36 year old male. At one point Rose is explaining her lack of attraction to another character, who is interested in her. She knows her own mind so well, that she explains to him honestly how she not only doesn't return his interest, but never will. I'm not saying she shouldn't know her own mind, I'm just saying that no 22 year old is comfortable enough with herself to express it that well so soon upon meeting a guy. Not even psycho perverts get that kind of honesty from young women, much less a nice, handsome guy who takes an interest in the heroine's brothers.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the characters or the story, I just didn't get the buy-in factor. That's the only reason I bumped the stars down for what was, otherwise, an enjoyable read.

Others have already given excellent summaries of the plot of this story so I feel there's not much new I can add. However, I will say this. If you enjoy urban fantasy books with a strong romantic subplot, this book is for you.

I admit, I was hesitant to buy this book after seeing the cover art. I don't have anything against romantic plot lines, but as a guy I prefer to avoid "romance" novels. The strong positive reviews convinced me to give it a chance though, and I'm glad I did.

I like many of Ilona's fan's stalk her live journal site. I've read her worries on whether this book will do well, considering this isn't in the Kate Daniels saga. I find them unfounded. Frankly this is her best work ever(or evah in the blogging speech) I cannot rave enough about it.

Honestly I like this book better then the Kate Daniels series. I can't wait till there is more. I especially want to hear more of William and Jack and Georgie and Grandma.

Witty, fun, great characters, great world building, won't be able to put it down. Trust me, it's good. I swear it. If you haven't read the Kate Daniels books, you need to read those too. Ilona Andrews does not let you down.

Ilona Andrews has done it again! I absolutely loved this book! It has everything one could ask for; mystery, horror, action, romance, and humor! I am an avid fan of her Kate Daniels series and must say that this book is right up there with them! Being one of my top favorite books of all time, I would recommend it 100%!

Love Ilona Andrews! This novel is dark, with the male characters (both young and old) having more depth to them than I've seen in many other paranormal romances. The focus isn't on the romance, which means the plot itself is riveting while the love scene is just a bonus. I have become an avid Ilona Andrews fan!

I love the Kate Daniels series, so of course I picked up the first in the Edge series. I liked the twist that each of the Drayton kids has a different form of magic. Rose is a realistic character, and her struggle to support her brothers on her illegal salary from the Broken is easy to relate to. Declan is the requisite white knight, but he's not what he seems. The Andrews hit another one out of the park, and they've got a loyal reader for as long as they keep writing.

I was eagerly anticipating this book due to some of the awesome snippets dropped at the Ilona Andrews blog. I am a huge fan of her Kate Daniels series and had high hopes for her new Edge series. Well those hopes were met and exceeded. This book delivers on every level. It's packed with incredible world building, an intriguing plotline and characters that are so viable you can imagine them living next door. (And find yourself hoping some *cough* demony folks would choose another neighborhood).

I hate giving spoilers and many people have already did a bang up job laying out the easy to follow plot without giving away the wonderful little surprises that come your way. I really just wanted to add that the Edge, the Weird, and the Broken are wonderfully built little communities. I can't wait to get a better look at the Weird and hope we get more of it in Book 2. Book 1 took place in the Edge and the Broken sections of this divided world.
The action was fast and packed in tight, the romance was well paced and believable. It's hard to sell guy in the right place and the right time, and it has to work without being hokey and Ilona delivered a realistic start to a great romantic duo! I can't wait to read more about Declan, Rose, the boys and William. . . I most especially want to see more of William. I know any new characters and revelations are going to blow my mind and waiting to read Ilona Andrew's book IS difficult but well worth it!

I know I have her cool blog to visit in the meantime and maybe catch some glimpses of what's to come with those wonderful little snippets ;)

I wanted to like it because I love Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series but the story isn't captivating to me. For anyone new to Ilona Andrews I would suggest you start with Kate Daniels (Magic Bites, Magic Burns and Magic Strikes).

This book started out well and it had all the characteristics that make a fantasy book great. Weird characters, odd surroundings, and I love romance in a book. However, I never connected with Rose or Declan. He was so perfect, and she just seemed to be a Kate Daniels wannabe. I wanted to love a new series by these authors but it just ended up "ok" in my opinion. I am going to try the second book, "On the Edge" just to see if maybe I missed something.

I've now read three out of the four of this series and these books are enjoyable and entertaining including quite a few LOL moments. While not as good as either the Kate Daniels or Hidden Legacy series, they are great for reading in the gaps between other book series you might enjoy more. I found these a tad formulaic is my biggest complaint.

In the interest of a short and sweet review:

I stayed up far too late finishing this book on a weeknight. I didn't quite see the sunrise, but it was close. The writing is great, the plot is creative and interesting, the romantic aspects are fun.

If you enjoy urban fantasy with a good bit of interpersonal romance, you will likely enjoy this book.

I started with the free sample of On The Edge because the summary on the back sounded interesting. It held my interest enough for me to want to buy the rest of the book, although that interest was borderline. I have to say I was confused about what the characters were doing and why for over half the length of the story and it was only during the last third of the book that I understood the underlying motivations driving the heroes along. That's really when I got more engrossed in the storyline and it had a great conclusion, though that felt a bit rushed in my opinion. The characters' interactions were, alternately, confusing and hilarious, but when I understood where they were coming from, completely believable as well.
I have to admit that I enjoyed the Hidden Legacy trilogy more, getting hooked on those books almost from the very first page. This book took a while for me to warm up to and, as I mentioned above, the motivations of the characters took me some time to tease out. So, while good, I don't know if I'll continue with this series. Or perhaps I'll come back to it sometime down the road. Maybe.