Step into a whole new world in the first Novel of the Edge from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Daniels series.The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people 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…Rose Drayton thought if … destiny…
Rose Drayton thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out the way she’d planned, and now she works an 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 Rose (and her power).
But when a flood of creatures hungry for magic invade the Edge, Declan and Rose must overcome their differences and work together to destroy them—or the beasts will devour the Edge and everyone in it…
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I cannot say enough about this book! Loved the storyline, the characters, and the vividly twisted world that the characters live in. I highly recommend this series!
Love all of Ilona Andrews’ books, all of her series. This one is exciting, romantic, and the hero and heroine are skillful and tough fighters, who are balanced by loving and kind hearts, and brave and protective to their loved ones, stalwart against some pretty frightening enemies.
My favorite Ilona Andrews book! Wonderful adventure with romance!
I’ve said it before: the husband-wife writing team of Ilona Andrews can do no wrong, and their Edge series is a prime example. Book 1, ON THE EDGE, introduces us to yet another Andrews magical world. The “Edge” lies on the border between the Broken, a world like our own, and the Weird, where magic is real, blue-blooded aristocrats rule, and swords and sorcery (and pirates!) are as normal as fast-food burgers are to us.
ON THE EDGE introduces Rose Drayton, a denizen of the Edge with immense power who works day and night to support her younger siblings while defending herself and her home against all those who want to control her and her magic. Proud and independent, Rose is determined to forge her own destiny, despite the foes who pop up to challenge (or attempt to kidnap her) every time she turns around.
Out of nowhere, blue-blood aristocrat Declan Camarine emerges from the Weird and shows up on her doorstep, possibly to court her–or possibly for entirely different reasons. Either way, Rose wants nothing to do with him or the nasty politics of the Weird, but circumstances force them to team up against a powerful foe.
The Edge series only contains 4 books, but I would have happily read a dozen. Each book takes us to different parts of the Edge and the Weird (with visits to the Broken), guiding us on a tour of one of Ilona Andrews’s most fantastic and imaginative worlds through the eyes of characters you’ll love. If you’re wondering what to read now the Kate Daniels series is done and you haven’t read this series, this is the perfect time to make a run for the Edge.
For those who enjoyed my book, Poison Study, you might like this one as well – it had the same “vibe.”
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.
“Go brush your teeth, comb your hair, put on dry clothes, and get the guns. We’re going to Wal-mart.” And just like that an amazing novel begins. The beginning of a fabulous four book series that still lives on in The Inn Keeper Chronicles. Rose, Georgie and Jack are so much fun, so easy to love. And Declan… what a wonderful hero and ubber stud. The world Ilona and Andrew Gordon (aka, Ilona Andrews) has created is superb. I can’t believe more readers and fans of their work haven’t made this series more popular. Oh, well… their loss. Three worlds, smashed up against each other, each dangerous, each full of promise, but only one is in between. The Edge. Read this book, read all of Ilona Andrews’ books. Thank me later.
–Alice Bello is the Author of Hate Him XOXO, Better off Dead and Min’s Vampire. She also sings like ADELE in the car.
Well, here we are again. Another first date with a beloved author, but a whole new world. I turn the book over and recheck it. Yep. Different series. It’s time. So let’s dance. As I opened the pages of this new to me series, I was hesitant because of my love for the Kate Daniels novels. I felt like if I read this series and loved them, I would be cheating on Kate and Curran. I was wrong. I loved them just as much.
It’s not necessarily the characters I love. It’s the way Andrews writes her stories. How they convey what plays in their mind and types it out in hopes their fans will enjoy it. How they describe a world that is utterly indescribable. They never miss a beat, a description, and their world building is utmost precise.
The Edge series is about Magic. Those that have it and those that don’t. If you had royal magic, you lived in the weird if you don’t have magic you live in the broken, BUT there are some that have a little bit of both and can travel back and forth between realms. The live in the Edge. Rose is one of them, and she has a power some would say belonged to a person in the Weird. Where stronger magic wielders live, but she has been an Edger all her life. Her father left shortly after their mother died and Rose was left to fend for her little brothers, Georgie and Jack. They too were powerful and had a certain magic that people longed to have.
Then along came Delcan. A Blueblood from the Wierd looking for a BRIDE? Along with him came creatures of nightmares. He befriends Rose and tells her they are in danger. Not that she didn’t know that fact already. He was sent to fix it but didn’t’ tell Rose everything. It is an exciting dance between the two, and of course, they have the evil creatures of nightmares to fight! Off they go!
I loved the HEA in the end. I couldn’t wait to dive into the next book.
5 Stars and a tip of the Nerd Girl Hat!
*This book is done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
The Edge series is excellent.
I liked the strong female character. In addition, the magic and character backgrounds were original.
I confess, I had reservations about this series. I’ve found myself self-protecting during the pandemic, and avoiding books that felt too dark or intense. And when reading the opening pages, I almost set the book down as being something that would have to wait for another day.
But Ilona Andrews is SO good and I’d burned through the other series, so I came back to On the Edge for another try. I’m so glad I did! Yes, it *is* darker than some of the other series, but I fell for the scrappy Drayton family, as well as the unlikely building relationship between Rose (who’ll do anything to protect her family) and Declan (who is not quite what he seems).
So naturally, I galloped off to get the rest of the books in the series. You should too.
Audiobook edit: So… I loved the story and most of the characters and the great world these authors created. But the female protagonist, Rose, drove me nuts. I can understand not trusting people but geez. However, I still loved this 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 love anything by Ilona Andrews. I did a re-read of this one and noticed a few things that turned up again in other books they wrote later. Two stubborn people convinced they know how the world works run into each other in the middle of a crisis that becomes potentially world-destroying. Friends and enemies and a plethora of other colorful magical people flesh out this story that ends with a lovely, humorous HEA.
Loved Declan and Rose
The Edge is a place between worlds. The Broken, where technology rules, and it’s parallel, the Weird, where magic reins. The Edge is made up of those with magic who belong to neither place, most work under in table jobs in the Broken.
Rose Drayton, like most from the Edge is struggling to make ends , and raising her little brothers on her own, with some help from their grandmother. Something evil has found it’s way to the Edge.
Declan Martel is a blueblood, a novel from the Weird and he is hunting the evil that escaped the Weird and is growing in the Edge. Looking for help he finds Rose and her brothers. Rose has a deep seeded fear of bluebloods, and just as big distrust of men. Declan wants Rose. Rose is attracted to Declan. She sees no future with him.
Declan and Rose have to work together to end the threat to the Edge.
A fun fantasy romance. Interesting world building. Great secondary characters. A nice wrap up to Declan and Rose ‘s story.
I liked it
I tried reading this a few years ago and set it aside for reasons I no longer recall. After finishing the Innkeeper chronicles, I ventured back – and devoured it.
George! Jack! They are in here, and they are kids!! Those characters, along with the general world building pulled me in fairly quick, enticing me to fall into this complex tale. At first, I did NOT like Declan, but after the truth came out and his part in the play was revealed, I enjoyed his nuances a lot more.
Overall, this was a good story, heavy on the action and light on the intimacy, though love was a strong plot point.
Perspective
Third Person, Multiple POV
Ending Type
HEA, Episodic
Rating
PG-15
Character Age Range
22+
I love Ilona Andrews. This book is a romance and it has a strong, intelligent female characters. The world building is also interesting.
The first book in a series, this story is set in the Edge, a land between the normal world that they call the Broken and the land of magic, called the Weird. In the Edge live people with varying degrees of magic, those who have been born there or have been exiled from the Weird. Those with too much magic can’t travel across the magical barrier into the Broken, but there are those that can. Rose Drayton is one of those and she travels each day to her low paying job in order to support herself and her two younger brothers. Then a blueblood from the Weird, Declan Camarine, shows up and seems to want to court her, just as evil creatures begin to appear bringing death and destruction with them. Rose has to decide whether she can trust Declan, because even as they join forces to fight the creatures, she’s still not sure if his intentions are true or if he has a hidden agenda. I was immediately taken with this magical world of strange creatures, magic wielders, shape shifters and the like. Rose was such a relatable character, stuck in a life she didn’t choose, with the care of her young brothers on her shoulders and no way out of this hard scrabble life, even with the magic she controls. At first I wasn’t sure of Declan’s motives, but as the story progressed, the more I came to like him. I enjoyed William’s character as well and was happy to learn that the next book, Bayou Moon, will be his story.
Well written and interesting
Clever alternative world, with likeable heroines.
I loved all of the Edge series books.The characters are interesting and the world well envisioned.