The Edge is a strip of land between the Broken, the world we all know, and the Weird, a realm where magic rules. Rose Drayton is working hard to keep her brothers safe, clean, fed, schooled, and sheltered. Most might think she is a bit young to take on all of the responsibility she has, but being raised with a father who was constantly off on his next adventure and knowing her grandfather was the same, Rose has learned to depend only on herself. Rose has, in general, had a difficult time of it, being ridiculed in school for the actions of her mother, then almost being kidnapped to be sold to the highest bidder – several times – because of her white flash, a feat that hasn’t been seen of an Edger in a century. Rose is certain that she is self-sufficient and as such is not a happy camper when Declan Camarine, a royal from the Weird shows up and demands that he will have Rose. When things begin to go awry, in to form of creepy beasts (think infected dogs in Resident Evil) Rose and her brothers realize that Declan may be good to have around for something, after all hes the powerful aristocrat with a very large sword. Declan does what he can to protect Rose and her family and unravel the mystery behind the beasts. Oh, and of course we can’t forget his trying to win her over.
I have to admit having gone into this book with no idea of what to expect, I had an inkling of what Urban Fantasy was about, I’ve read reviews here and there from the genre, but this book happened to catch my eye out of the blue and I busted into on a whim.
Ilona Andrews happens to be a name that I have heard several times since my start of blogging last summer, but I hadn’t looked any further. In fact urban fantasy in general, I just hadn’t gotten that far yet. What I can honestly say about Andrews’ On the Edge, it certainly was not a disappointing intro to fantasy/urban fantasy.
The first few chapters was all it took to hook me in. I found myself quite invested in the three realms (as I’ve begun to call them) and the way things work in the Edge and the Weird. I hung onto descriptions of the way of life in these other realms and, of course, was fascinated by the aforementioned beasts. Each of the characters became favorites in their own way. Rose because she is so dedicated to the care of her brothers, and her brothers because while they are just kids, they understand so much more than they should have to, Declan because he is ready to lay on the line for this family he’s only just met.
The fight to survive kept me on the edge of my seat and of course the blossoming romance between Rose and Declan touched the girly part of my heart. I was quite pleased with On the Edge – the book makes for an interesting experience – and I found it to be a fantastic beginning for my urban fantasy exploration. I’ve already picked up the second book in the series, Bayou Moon, and look forward to getting to know Declan’s old friend William better, and also reading more from the genre.
The Edge series:
1. On the Edge
2. Bayou Moon
3. Fate’s Edge (To be released: Nov 2011)
4. Untitled – Details to come…
Among Stories 