On the Edge
On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
The Edge #1
The Broken is a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale.
The Weird is a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny.
Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the place between both worlds. A perilous existence indeed, made even more so by a flood of magic-hungry creatures bent on absolute destruction.
Rose has had a very rough life. Her mother is dead and her father has run off leaving her to take care of her two little brothers when she was only 18. Add in a mistake of over showing her power one day, and she started being targeted to become a "broodmare" for powerful children, with the men doing anything they could to get their hands on her, even kidnapping. So, it comes as no surprise when a mysterious Blueblood shows up insisting on marriage that she is having nothing to do with the idea. The man may be attractive, but she knows he is more than he seems, and is not to be trusted. Since she can't beat him outright, she agrees to a bargain of sorts, with the gravest of things at stakes; her freedom.
Sometimes the world descriptions in first book of a series can completely consume the stage, leaving little room for the characters and the plot. Also, sometimes the reverse is true where the world is not substantial enough to be a good foundation. This book is the perfect example of just the right amount of world building. Everything is very thoroughly fleshed out, but you never once feel overwhelmed or bogged down by too much information. The Characters are full of depth and you can't help but feel for them, especially the two boys. The are so innocent, yet strong, mostly due to sacrifices Rose has made in her determination for them to have some stability. The bond between them is incredibly strong, and made the book all the more enjoyable for it.
The interactions between Rose and Declan vary from downright hostile, to humorous, to being loaded with sexual tension. I really enjoyed their confrontations, and loved them both as characters. I was very glad to see that they didn't fall right into bed, as that wouldn't have fit with Rose's personality at all. She's had a very hard life, and by some miracle hasn't turned bitter from it. But she's no fool when it comes to men and their idea of her. Considering her past, it's actually a miracle she doesn't just fry any man that comes near her to a crisp. When you take everything into account, the progression was very realistic, and nothing seemed forced, so I really felt the connection between them.
I would place this book somewhere between an urban fantasy and a paranormal romance. Yes, a lot of the plot is about Rose and Declan, but there is a very substantial plot that is slowly unraveled throughout, making this a very balanced book. I'm a big fan of the author's other series (The Kate Daniel Series), so I had high expectations for this book, and I'm very glad to say that I wasn't disappointed. I loved this book every bit as much as the Kate Daniels books, and I cannot wait to dive into the next one, Bayou Moon.
Rating:
Buy now at Amazon:
On the Edge (The Edge, Book 1)
Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Paranormal Romance
