Fate's Edge

The Edge, Book 3

By: Ilona Andrews

Narrated by: Renée Raudman

Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the latest entry in Ilona Andrews's Edge series, Audrey Callahan is determined to stay on the straight and narrow - but when her brother gets into trouble, she takes on one last heist and finds herself matching wits with lawyer, gambler, thief, and spy Kaldar Mar.

Spend some more time on The Edge.

©2011 Andrew Gordon and Ilona Gordon (P)2011 Tantor

This one is WONDERFUL!

I am a huge Ilona Andrews fan. This husband and wife writing team only get better and better. Even allowing for that, this book is something special. The characters just couldn't be more fun and entertaining. The leads, Kalder Mar, who we first met in bk2, Bayou Moon, and Audrey Callahan are two people who have been shaped into con people basically by the needs of their family. In Kaldar's case it was for his loyalty and love to meet the needs of his family. In Audrey's case, she was used and abused by her family. So, how will these two con's ever get over their natural mistrust to work together? Let the action fly.

Secondary characters shine. Jack and George have grown up a lot since we first met them in On the Edge, we also see Declan, Rose, William and Cerise. The characters are smartly written, funny, snarky and edgey. It's always a treat to watch how family will interact in this series.

Each Edge book can be read as a stand alone. The needed info-dump from previous books is handled as gracefully as I've ever seen so as to clue in new readers without irking readers familiar with the series. I do think having read the previous books makes the experience richer and this series has the ability to be very rich in magic worldbuilding and characterization without being overly complicated or bogging the storyline down.

Renee Raudman does an excellent job reading. She is very good at getting across sarcasm. She also handles the duel spoken dialog with the internal commentary well, which is always important element in an Ilona Andrews book. My only issue with Renee's performance is her voice during the smexy scenes, her voice goes a bit high, strained and breathy. Other than that, she seems to be having a great deal of fun reading these books.

Another winning audiobook in THE EDGE series

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

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

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

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

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

Stories from the Edge continues!

I thought this would be like "Bayou Moon" where the story was mostly centered around the main couple. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was wrong. It is not only about Kaldar Mar the cousin of Cerise in "Bayou Moon" and Audrey a women from the edge, but also about Jack and George the Edge grown brothers of Rose from the "On the Edge".

Even though in the first book "On the Edge" sort of did have a storybook ending, the lives of the boys did not end there. Their lives as far as homelife is a lot better, however, they are not truly accepted by the Weird's upperclass people. I thought the part where Jack and George decide to runaway was a bit weak, I mean I don't think Declan would be so cruel. But I can understand from a confused teenagers' point of view sometimes everything could look bleak. I loved the fact that Jack and George can have serious sibling fights and still be best friends, just like my brother and I when we were young.

At the beginning I became very very worried about Jack and George. I am so glad to know that they get to find what they are good at in this book.

As for the main couple, they are one of the easiest couple to read in the series. They are very much alike in their way of thinking. I enjoyed their banter and their mission impossibe operations. It was a nice love story but it did sort of took second place to the object finding mission and boys' story. That was fine. I rather have the "love story" become secondary than having the story itself being sacrificed for steamy scenes and wonderings of "does he or does he not."

You can enjoy the book on it's own but I'd highly recommend reading the series from the beginning. And if you read the first two books and wondered about what happened to everyone? This book will surely satisfy that curiosity.

I am looking forward to reading more!

Inconsistent Character Voices

This narrator has one heroine voice. In book one it is Rose's voice. In book two it switches to Cerise and when Rose appears she suddenly sounds different. Then in this book the voice belongs to Audrey and Cerise's voice has changed. Is she perhaps patterning the heroine du jour after herself?

Interesting idea, but too violent

Violent and too much sex. Story could have been told with out a lot of the violence, and with out any of the sex scenes, and would have been better.

Love this Series!

Audrey Callahan is trying to make a life for herself. She's got a regular job in The Broken and isn't looking back. However, her father (POS!) shows up and talks her into one more heist to save her brother. Her payout? That her crappy family never contacts her again. She knows it's dangerous but it's worth it to be free and clear of them. Audrey soon learns that the object she steals is far more dangerous than she knew and both sides are fighting to get it into their hands. Neither of which are the good guys.

Enter Kaldar Mar- ladies man, thief, spy and much more. Together they have to follow the trail to get the object back. In true Andrews fashion, they fight, they trade insults, the sexual tension is through the roof and they fall for each other. It was bound to happen!

Another thing that I loved about this book was that Jack and George have prominent roles. It was so good to see those boys again! Mischief, mayhem, and plenty of laugh out loud moments made this another great installment to the series. I highly recommend any book by Ilona Andrews!

Not Your Typical Fantasy Genre (which is GOOD!)

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, if they are interested in the fantasy/romance/action genre.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Fate's Edge?

That would be the one thing that made no sense to me. Her decision to help her father one last time with a job she knew was extremely dangerous & would likely ruin everything she had rebuilt her life to be. When he chose getting her to do the job over having a daughter, she should've told him to sod off. Of course, then there wouldn't be a story, so it was necessary to the plot, but I would've liked to have had it be more believable.

Did Renée Raudman do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I'm not a fan of her female southern voice (didn't like whoever did the Sookie Stackhouse series either). I found the lead character's voice annoying. Her male voices weren't the best either.

If you could take any character from Fate's Edge out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Well, I'd rather the male lead took me out to dinner instead! Duh! The mythical 'good' bad boy! Handsome, ripped, lethal, smart, multi-talented & secretly good hearted.

Any additional comments?

The world in the Edge Series is different from most fantasy romance stereotypes. It's a lot more interesting & non traditional. It spans mundane & magic worlds with an outcast realm in between (hence the "Edge"). It's heavier on the action than the romance, which I also like. It can be a bit brutal - the Edge/magic sides are violent & the bad guys are really, really nasty. The female/male lead relationships are still pretty formulaic, but her characters & her world is intersting. Her side characters get a fair bit of exposure & I like the stories of the two boys. I remember them from the 1st book (not sure if I've read #2). Characters from previous books have parts in the following ones & I like that. I'm looking forward to the series continuing with the boys becoming adults & starring in their own book.

Another Great Spin-off

My favorite in the series so far. This was a SUPER fun read! The perfect combination of action, adventure & romance.

Wondrous!

I absolutely loved it! It's funny,entertaining, smart, well written,... Probably my favorite in the edge series. Characters are hilarious. If you like Andrews' book, you will utterly enjoy the edge series.

Excellent addition to the Edge Series

What made the experience of listening to Fate's Edge the most enjoyable?

I loved the narrator and the story itself.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters were so real ... as was the universe they were in.

Have you listened to any of Renée Raudman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have and I absolutely LOVE her .. she's one of my favorites. This was as good as any I've heard.

Who was the most memorable character of Fate's Edge and why?

There can never be just one ... the characters of this series are ALL memorable. They are real, they are flawed but they are loveable. You want to get behind them and you feel as invested in the story and the outcome as you do your most favored television shows.

Any additional comments?

I can't WAIT for the next one!!