Review: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

On the Edge (The Edge, #1) by Ilona Andrews

Release Date: September 29, 2009

Publisher: Ace
Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

Available Formats: Paperback and eBook
My Shelf: Want to Buy
Other Series: Kate Daniels series
Buy the Book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Books-A-Million

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.

Review:

How do you know when a book is going to be amazing? When the main character has to shot her zombie grandfather to prevent him from eating dogs’ brains, yells at one of her younger brothers for bringing the dead back to life and tattle tailing, and scolding the other brother, a feline shapeshifter, for constantly chasing and eating birds. All within the first 10 pages. She then proceeds to almost run over royalty and kill off an evil hell hound, all while getting a pretty good deal on a new pair of sneakers for one brother. Yep, this book is going to be a good one!

Simply put, On the Edge is pure, unadulterated satisfaction. The world Rose, her brothers, and Declan lives in is brilliantly crafted and rife with originality. I loved discovering more about their world, and Andrews does a wonderful job in presenting it, making the dynamics of The Broken, The Edge, and The Weird easy to understand. The characters were also exquisitely done. Rose is prickly and untrusting, but with her attempted-kidnapping track record, it is easy to understand why. She has the ability to use white flash, a type of magic only used by nobles in The Weird, and this ability makes her a valuable commodity in The Edge. Not one to be used or walked on because of her magic, she tends to shoot first and ask questions later. She is fiercely loyal to her brothers, and I admired her resilience and strength. Declan is perfect for Rose. He is a noble from The Weird, a trained fighter with white flash abilities of his own. He is egotistical (but Rose quickly puts him in his place), infuriating, swoon-worthy, and unabashedly protective of Rose and everyone in her life. Together, Rose and Declan make a great pair, and I loved watching their relationship develop. To top everything off, there was Jack and George. I LOVED THEM. If there was a way I could put them in my pocket and keep them forever, I would do it. Even though they are young, they are mature and knowledgeable, and despite having completely different personalities, there is a strong brotherly bond between them that tugs at the heart and left me grinning like a ninny.

Overall, this book was everything I expected from Ilona Andrews and more. On the Edge is the beginning of what I am sure will be an amazing new series, and I cannot wait to read the next installment!

The Greatest Escape!