Fate's Edge

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.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

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.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

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!

5 of 6 people found this review helpful

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!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another Great Spin-off

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

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

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.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

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!!

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great blending of imagination and narration

I sometimes think that I could absorb all the characters better if I read this series, however I would miss Renee Raudman's wonderful narration. She has these books down to a T, bringing everyone to life. The story is so full of characters and different realms that I do have trouble keeping up with the story at times, but I'm not complaining as I really have enjoyed all the books so far. With all the adults getting hooked up in the end, my favorites are still Jack and George, Rose's brothers from the first book. They have endured and grown throughout the series. Again Renee brings these two to life, making them totally adorable little boys, with their own special talents and problems.
Treat yourself to this unique series, you won't be disappointed.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Fantastic

Another great book. I have enjoyed every boom I have read or listened to by Andrews. I recently downloaded the audible app and it has made listening easier than ever.

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?