On the Edge

The Edge, Book 1

By: Ilona Andrews

Narrated by: Renée Raudman

Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either. Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn't turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off-the-books job in the Broken just to survive.

Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power). But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them - or they'll devour the Edge and everyone in it.

Spend some more time on The Edge.

©2009 Andrew Gordon and Ilona Gordon (P)2009 Tantor

Critic reviews

"[E]ngaging urban fantasy....Andrews has created a complex plot and convincing characters that will keep the pages turning." ( Publishers Weekly)

entertaining

Decent enough story, kept me interested. Narrator was very good, with the exception of having the worst southern accent ever. Fortunately, this was only a small part of the dialogue.

Stellar Series Start

A new Ilona Andrews' world to encounter, a tough, irascible heroine, a warrior hero, delightful side characters, and a very drastic and dangerous situation narrated by the incomparable Renee Raudman made for a delightful experience.

After catching up on the three currently released The Innkeeper Chronicles and encountering some intriguing figures in the second of those books, I decided my next venture would be to go back and get this series when those characters were still children (George, Jack, Gaston, and Sophie).

As I have come to expect with this pair of writers, On the Edge offered a clever and colorful new series world. The Edge is a place of half-magic where lesser magic users live between the broken (our world) and the Weird (the noble magic world). Parallel earth dimensions it seemed with the boundaries thin in this place of the Edge.

The characters were just as fascinating as the setting and the magical world. I took a while to warm up to Rose because she has a chip on her shoulder, but then I got to know why and that helped tremendously. She's had it rough and her trust has been broken so many times; it was amazing she was not a bitter thing. Rose is full of inner strength, a strong sense of duty, and a great love for her family. She has no idea what to do when Weird nobleman, Declan shows up and has an interest in her.
Grandma and the children are great side characters. Jack and George are adventurous boys and I loved encountering them here as children after seeing them full-grown in the Innkeeper series. Declan seems straight-forward, but he has some great twists in his story and and his actions when it comes to Rose. He seems to figure out that he needs to work extra hard to gain her trust and she is worth it under all her prickles.

It was exciting and had a great build of tension in the plot. Its the first book in a series so the set up took its time, but even then there was quite a bit going on. My only niggle was the ending. It was abrupt. Not like a cliffhanger; just came to a stop before I was ready. I'm going to give it a little leeway though because this is a series and a few questions I still had are likely addressed in future books.

Renee Raudman's narration was stellar stuff. She nailed Rose's character and did all the others well, too. I was so glad to find out she was narrating this series after I fell in love with her work in the Innkeeper Chronicles.

All in all, great series start and I highly recommend it to paranormal romance fans.

Good book

Would you listen to On the Edge again? Why?

Oh yes! I found the book intriguing with a strong plot and character development.

What was one of the most memorable moments of On the Edge?

The guy dangling from the tree wrapped in plastic like a gift.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

interesting

This book was different than I expected and quite good. The characters feel real and approachable, not idealized characters, dealing with real problems, there is just a little magic involved..

Memorable Characters and Story.

What did you love best about On the Edge?

The characters were All very rich, and the story flowed easily.

What did you like best about this story?

The protagonist Declan Camarine with all his arrogance and bravado made this story! He is not a character I will soon forget.

Which scene was your favorite?

A few come to mind, but i liked the end when Rose met the Dutches of the Southern Provinces. Moments like that make this story compelling, and induce the reader/listener to continue on in blithe.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

If I had the time I would definitely give it a try. This story moves along seamlessly and with pace.

Any additional comments?

I already purchased the second in this series.

Good Book - fun listen

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

Absolutely, really great story and well performed

What other book might you compare On the Edge to and why?

It is on its own, a new story. That is probably the reason I liked it so well.

Which character – as performed by Renée Raudman – was your favorite?

Rose - great heroin, not overplayed.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Where two worlds come together

Any additional comments?

It is an entertaining listen. Well worth the investment.

Love the Kate Daniels books? You'll love this!

What made the experience of listening to On the Edge the most enjoyable?

I got this book because I am very fond of the Kate Daniels books by Ilona Andrews. This did NOT let me down. It is written in a very similar style. It has a strong no nonsense female character.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rose is my favorite character in this book because she is strong and a no nonsense kind of gal. She can hold her own and doesn't mind proving it.

What does Renée Raudman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She also narrated the Kate Daniels books. In both series, I've gotten very into the characters as enacted in her voice.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The beautiful Rose has thorns!

Not what I expected, but pretty darn good anyway

I loved the Magic series and was looking forward to this book. While it wasn't what I had expected, I found myself enjoying the characters and the way the authors put you into the scenes so that you could feel the air. I loved the boys Jack and Georgie and Rose's love and commitment to them. I also enoyed this story as it at times felt like a historical romances that I used to read in high school. The strong rugged hero, Declan, and the not so much damsel in distress, Rose.
This book has all the classic good vs evil, with all kinds of twists. Throw in the crazy animals and grandparents and it is a good listen. Like I said in the title, I liked it.

Recommended for a winter's evening

An enjoyable read. Likeable characters, including the supporting characters. An interesting setting. And the narrator is very good.

"it's always the cover that stops me..."

I don't know why but this is the second time i have passed an Ilona Andrews book because of the cover. There is something off putting about it but years later as I was going through my wish list, I took a chance and as always I was sucked in by this book.

Rose has great magic within her but she also has the responsibility of taking care of her two younger brothers who both have interesting magic. She struggles to pay bills and take care of two young and impressionable boys. She is also unfortunate in the love department because of her magic as she is a prize that everyone is out to get by any means possible. Soon her world starts crumbling... there is something dark and powerful that is out to destroy her home. Unfortunately, before she can figure what is happening, she runs into two out of town men who both want to use her and have her. She quickly discovers that she is drawn to one as a lover and one as a friend. There is tons of magic, tons of action and tons of humor in this book. I really enjoyed all the characters esp Jack and George (Rose's brothers). At the end of this listen, I was ready to dive in to the next book in the series.. William's story

My opinion, anything Ilona Andrews + Renée Raudman is worth a credit....