On the Edge by Ilona Andrews
Nov. 19th, 2009 09:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snugglekittyTitle: On the Edge
Author: Ilona Andrews(pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews).
Series: None so far, but I hope they'll write sequels!
Genre: This book gently straddles the line between "sexy pentacle tattoo" and contemporary fantasy.
Setting: Present day, in "the Edge," a rural area in between the domain of magic and the domain of science.
Reason for Reading: A loan from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
trouble4hire. Also, she and I have been enjoying their other series, featuring such titles as Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Beats You Up and Steals Your Lunch Money, and my personal favorite, Magic Drops an Anvil On You From a Great Height.*
Pages: 326
Copyright Date: October 2009
Cover: A girl stands in front of a red pickup truck. She wears boots, jeans, and a denim jacket. She holds a shotgun with casual confidence. A naked male torso and face is in the upper left, seemingly unrelated to the rest of the picture.
First line: "'Rosie!' Grandpa's bellow shook the foundation of the house."
Best part: The minor characters were beautifully articulated.
Worst part: I found the love interest overbearing in a way that I felt was unfair to the main character.
Imaginary Theme Song: "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson
Grade: C+
Recommended for: Anyone who would like to see some country grit along with the ever-popular urban fantasy. Anyone who is interested in crossing the line between urban fantasy and sexy pentacle tattoo to see what the other side is like.
Related Reads: Magic Bites by the same author, The Wood Wife by Terri Windling, Moonwise by Greer Ilene Gilman
Those on the Edge can never truly fit in, not with the world of magic (the Weird) or the world of science (the Broken). But for Rose Drayton matters are even worse. She is an outsider even within the tiny suspicious community of Edgers, by virtue of magical power she should not be able to wield - but does. Resented by her neighbors, used by her employers, seen as a broodmare by the powerful nobility of the Weird, she's never had a normal date or enough money to do more than just scrape by. All she has is the weight of her responsibilities, and the promise of a better life for her younger brothers. But when a handsome and powerful stranger comes to town, even her strange magical talent may not be enough to protect what's hers...
I really enjoyed this book. I actually liked it better than the Magic Pushes You Down An Elevator Shaft* books. The characters were very believable and I enjoyed the world-building. I'd love to see a sequel. With all that being said, it frustrated me deeply that the main character was coerced into a magically binding oath. That hit my unfairness button squarely. Still, I think this is a good contribution to the genre.
*Yes, I'm kidding, but wouldn't those be great titles?
Author: Ilona Andrews(pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Ilona and Gordon Andrews).
Series: None so far, but I hope they'll write sequels!
Genre: This book gently straddles the line between "sexy pentacle tattoo" and contemporary fantasy.
Setting: Present day, in "the Edge," a rural area in between the domain of magic and the domain of science.
Reason for Reading: A loan from
trouble4hire. Also, she and I have been enjoying their other series, featuring such titles as Magic Bites, Magic Burns, Magic Beats You Up and Steals Your Lunch Money, and my personal favorite, Magic Drops an Anvil On You From a Great Height.*Pages: 326
Copyright Date: October 2009
Cover: A girl stands in front of a red pickup truck. She wears boots, jeans, and a denim jacket. She holds a shotgun with casual confidence. A naked male torso and face is in the upper left, seemingly unrelated to the rest of the picture.
First line: "'Rosie!' Grandpa's bellow shook the foundation of the house."
Best part: The minor characters were beautifully articulated.
Worst part: I found the love interest overbearing in a way that I felt was unfair to the main character.
Imaginary Theme Song: "Redneck Woman" by Gretchen Wilson
Grade: C+
Recommended for: Anyone who would like to see some country grit along with the ever-popular urban fantasy. Anyone who is interested in crossing the line between urban fantasy and sexy pentacle tattoo to see what the other side is like.
Related Reads: Magic Bites by the same author, The Wood Wife by Terri Windling, Moonwise by Greer Ilene Gilman
Those on the Edge can never truly fit in, not with the world of magic (the Weird) or the world of science (the Broken). But for Rose Drayton matters are even worse. She is an outsider even within the tiny suspicious community of Edgers, by virtue of magical power she should not be able to wield - but does. Resented by her neighbors, used by her employers, seen as a broodmare by the powerful nobility of the Weird, she's never had a normal date or enough money to do more than just scrape by. All she has is the weight of her responsibilities, and the promise of a better life for her younger brothers. But when a handsome and powerful stranger comes to town, even her strange magical talent may not be enough to protect what's hers...
I really enjoyed this book. I actually liked it better than the Magic Pushes You Down An Elevator Shaft* books. The characters were very believable and I enjoyed the world-building. I'd love to see a sequel. With all that being said, it frustrated me deeply that the main character was coerced into a magically binding oath. That hit my unfairness button squarely. Still, I think this is a good contribution to the genre.
*Yes, I'm kidding, but wouldn't those be great titles?