On Edge

On Edge (2009) Ilona Andrews

Let me get it out of the way first thing: This is a kissing book.

Yes, I know, I know. I usually hate kissing books.

And in my defense, I didn’t know it was a kissing book when I ordered it. I saw Ilona Andrews had a new series coming out, and ordered the book sight unseen. But as soon as I saw the cover of the book, I knew it was a kissing book.

How did I know this you ask? Because there’s a guy’s head floating on the cover. Floating man head = kissing book.

But I really like Ilona Andrews writing, so I put myself in the frame of mind for a kissing book and dove in.

And finished the book in a single evening.

Yes, it’s a kissing book, but its a very well done kissing book, and it was smooching with a plot thrown in, but instead was a very good fantasy story that happened to have smooching and a HEA and all that other romance stuff. (I just used the term romance. I hope I didn’t give me blog cooties.)

Rose lives on the Edge. Not the metaphorical edge, but a place where magic and the mundane are combined, and where those who are able, can cross from one world to another. Unfortunately, living on the Edge means a struggle to survive, and with two younger brothers to care for, Rose struggles more than most. To make things even more difficult, Rose has a very strong magic–and rather that keeping her safe and allowing her to succeed, the strength of her magic has caused her nothing but problems since she was 18; magic doesn’t work in the mundane world, so she has to work an off the books job to survive.

What first drew me into the story was the nod to the folk/fairy tale of the knight who must succeed in three impossible tasks to win the heart of the princess. Not that Rose is a princess–far from it–but I liked the parallel, and then the way the story diverged and went its own way for the original tale. After all, modern women should be self-rescuing princesses.

Although this is romance in the world of fantasy, with all the obstacles between the destined lovers, the obstacles felt real, and the stupidity of the characters was not one of the obstacles.

Additionally, the world building is very very good. As much as I love her Kate Daniels series, the world building in the first book is not as good as it could be–I had a very difficult time picturing the world in which Kate lives. In On Edge, however, the world building is excellent. I understood the world in which Rose lives, and the rules made sense.

Yeah, there was boinking, but really, by the time we got there, I didn’t mind so much.
Rating: 8/10

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