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Steel's Edge (The Edge #4)

by Ilona Andrews (Goodreads Author)

4.19 of 5 stars 4.19 · rating details · 3,178 ratings · 431 reviews

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…

Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird. But even though she possesses rare magical healing...more

Paperback, 1st Edition, 388 pages

Published November 27th 2012 by Ace

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Jan 18, 2013 Kathleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, pnr-uf

4.5 stars. Wow! This was MUCH BETTER than expected, given book 3. I have read all four books in the series. Book 2 is my favorite -- with William the wolf and Cerise. Book 1 was fine, too, but it took me a while to warm up to Declan.

MILD or NO SPOILERS -- I keep it obscure:

Characterization: 5★ especially for Charlotte!

Plot, pacing: 4★ solid! Destroy the slavers.

Romance: 4.5★ with a sacrifice and a sweet epilogue ツ

Characterization was outstanding: Solid portrayal of Charlotte, Baroness of Ney. T...more

15 likes · like · see review

Dec 23, 2012 Patricia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: release-2012-07-to-12, _adult, favourites, genre-paranormal-romance, genre-urban-contemporary-fantasy, paranormal-magic, paranormal-ghosts-undead-zombies, paranormal-psychics, paranormal_shifters, 2012, review-planned, setting-alternate-universe, setting-present, x-pov-3rd-person, x-pov-shared

PRE: I know, it's probably not going to happen seeing as he's only in his teens, but I'd like this novel to at least include lots of George. Yes, I'm transforming into some creep who hits on minors when it comes to this boy.

Anyone else out there who feels like this?

POST: Jack and George are the most precious boys in any world. There. I said it. (But I saw someone who wanted a Geroge/Sophie/Jack lovetriangle and then I cried, because no.)

The story was awesome, with lots of badassery, great chara...more

8 likes · like · see review

Jan 05, 2013 JennyJen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-can-do-no-wrong, fave-authors, hero-doesnt-do-it-for-me, kickass, least-favorite-in-series, magic, mc-sucks-ass, meh, read-2012, reviewed, series, uf, series-finale

*Spoiler-free.

3.5 stars, actually.

Of all 4 Edge books, I'd say that this was my least favorite. I didn't dislike it, as evidenced by my rating, but I wasn't enamored of it, as I was with the other installments. There' s a lot to like, but where this book fell short was with the male and female lead. What a couple of wet blankets.

They had some mildly entertaining interactions, but nothing of the caliber that the Andrews have previously graced us with. Their meeting was plausible and entertaining...more

10 likes · like · see review

Nov 28, 2012 Experiment BL626 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance-paranormal, romance

Snippets from the Authors' Blog

Monday Snippet – Charlotte de Ney by Ilona Andrews. Memorable Quote from Snippet:

“I can blight your entire family, you moron. I am the Healer. Pick a plague, and your sixteen generations will end right now.”

Edge 4 - New Snippet by Ilona. "This is a prologue and takes place a few years before the actual story."

Snippet, Edge 4: My Lord, you are a dufus. by Ilona. "It’s Regency in jeans."

It's Friday by Ilona. "I kept trying to find someway to work it in there without...more

11 likes · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Christal rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: magic, multiple-leads, paranormal-romance, shady-government-agency

See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

Ilona Andrews is my favorite writing duo and I enjoy both of their series, The Edge and Kate Daniels. The Edge has always been a little harder to classify than the fairly straight-up urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, but I think that is what I love so much about these books. Each one is a little bit different and each of the main couples have the freedom to develop in their own ways.

Charlotte and Richard were very interesting. Charlotte’s...more See this review and others like it at BadassBookReviews.com!

Ilona Andrews is my favorite writing duo and I enjoy both of their series, The Edge and Kate Daniels. The Edge has always been a little harder to classify than the fairly straight-up urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, but I think that is what I love so much about these books. Each one is a little bit different and each of the main couples have the freedom to develop in their own ways.

Charlotte and Richard were very interesting. Charlotte’s power as a healer was a great change from the flash magic that we have seen in the other books. Her seduction by the dark side of her power was pretty thrilling and made the reader wonder if she was going to be able to come out of it alive and still be herself. I thought that Richard helped to balance her well, but she kept him on his toes by going head-to-head with him in everything. She was no wilting flower and she didn’t let him treat her as such; she’s The Healer after all! I have to say that I have been looking forward to a Richard book since Bayou Moon, but I was very invested in both of their backstories and loved when they finally came together as a couple. Richard was so heroic and dashing, but I really enjoyed seeing his playful side come through — especially when he was dealing with Kaldar!

Ilona Andrews writes the absolution best depiction of children you don’t want to strangle. I loved seeing Jack and George again. Those boys can make me smile and laugh and then turn around and break my heart in every book they are in. I enjoy seeing them involved in the complex adult plots and intrigue, but I also appreciate the moments when you are reminded that they are really just still kids. I thought Sophie’s expanded role was amazing and was so caught up in her damaged psyche and the way that she has learned to cope with the trauma she experienced. I liked seeing her connect with Charlotte.

The plot moved at a good clip and there was never a dull moment. It was nice to get the little cameos from most of the previous characters, though I did miss William and Cerise (they are my favorites!). I liked that all of the major plotlines were tied up and the overall story felt finished. I hope that one day, Ilona Andrews is able to return to the world of The Edge… especially because we need a story starring Jack and George!

Visit BadassBookReviews.com all this week for your chance to win a copy of Steel's Edge and be sure to check out the guest post by the authors!(less)

3 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2013 Janina rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-fiction, urban-fantasy, on-my-shelf, let-me-down, series-finished

I never thought I'd say this, but I am actually glad this is over. The last third was so boring for me I mostly just skimmed it ...

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2013 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013

Evil in the form of slavers have touched Charlotte's life and she's not willing to sit back anymore. She's been hiding out in The Edge because she was afraid of what she would do if she unleashed her power but she's willing to take that chance now.

Since the last battle with The Hand, Richard's life has been all about taking down the slave trade. He's made some progress but he needs to go after the big players if he really wants to stop it.

I was really looking forward to reading about Richard a...more Evil in the form of slavers have touched Charlotte's life and she's not willing to sit back anymore. She's been hiding out in The Edge because she was afraid of what she would do if she unleashed her power but she's willing to take that chance now.

Since the last battle with The Hand, Richard's life has been all about taking down the slave trade. He's made some progress but he needs to go after the big players if he really wants to stop it.

I was really looking forward to reading about Richard and I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. I think Charlotte is a great match for him and they really balance each other. I thought their romance was really sweet and I got a kick out of seeing Richard come back to life and it was hilarious seeing other character's reactions.

The drama was intriguing as well. We didn't have to deal with tons of mud or the crazy people from The Hand (except a small part at the end) and even though we did have some good blood worthy moments, it wasn't as bad as it had been in the past.

The parts I really enjoyed was getting more of Richard, Kaldar, George, Jack and Sophie. I loved seeing the interactions between Richard and Kaldar and of course, all the humor that only Kaldar could bring to things. It was great seeing Jack and George growing up and how things have progressed with them. And it was interesting to see how Sophie's life has gone on. I thought her relationship with Charlotte was especially heartwarming. I was very happy to have some time with my favorite couple, Declan and Rose, and I especially loved the little tidbit of information in the epilogue! Oh, and I can't leave out Callis...I loved the addition of him.

I was concerned that I wouldn't remember some things and I thought The Andrews' did a great job recapping. There were some parts that seemed to drag on especially who this blueblood was, etc., but other than that, I enjoyed how the book flowed.

It's ironic that when I'm finally really comfortable with The Edge series that this is it. But there is hope...I've heard they may write more about George and Jack in the future and I think that's befitting because they set things up for that really well.

Favorite quotes:

♦ “Spare me. Some children are born wearing a silk shirt; you were born wrapped in melancholy. When they slapped you to make you cry, you just sighed heavily and a single tear rolled from your eye.” He dragged his finger from the corner of his left eye to his cheek. “Your first words were probably ‘woe is me.’”

“My first words were ‘Kaldar, shut up!’ because you talked too much. Still do.”

♥ " My love, my light . . . Don’t leave me."
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Nov 28, 2012 Suzanne the Mighty ~Satin Seductress~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-goddess-ilona-andrews, 1-series-i-am-rabid-about, action-adventure, best-of-the-best-2012, hot-male-in-my-harem, kings-of-the-harem, magic, mages-witches-magic-users, mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know, netgalley-arc, romance, urban-fantasy

Charlotte de Ney is not just a healer, but is The Healer and although not a blueblood from birth she has grace and poise that many envy. However, there is a darkside to being a healer, they can as easily start a plague as they can heal one, but to do so is to become an abomination. But once Charlotte tastes the darker side of being a healer, she escapes to the Edge to find peace. That is, until Richard Mar stumbles almost dead on to her doorstep with dangerous enemies in pursuit and a cause that...more Charlotte de Ney is not just a healer, but is The Healer and although not a blueblood from birth she has grace and poise that many envy. However, there is a darkside to being a healer, they can as easily start a plague as they can heal one, but to do so is to become an abomination. But once Charlotte tastes the darker side of being a healer, she escapes to the Edge to find peace. That is, until Richard Mar stumbles almost dead on to her doorstep with dangerous enemies in pursuit and a cause that Charlotte can't turn her back on.

It is no big secret that I am a HUGE fan of Ilona and Gordon Andrews and Steel's Edge is a great example of why; full of adventure, humour and romance I couldn't put it down, my eyes became glued to the page, which let me tell you made it extremely awkward to shower, good job I demolished this book in under 24 hours!

For me this was the best in the series and I am glad it is ending on a high (although, you will see my little rant about this series ending at the end of the review!) the fantastic world of the Edge and the Weird has been built up over the previous three books and has created a perfect setting for Charlotte and Richard to wage their war on slavery as well as develop a romance. Charlotte and Richard were great characters, Charlotte was completely different from the other heroines in this series keeping it fresh and interesting and Richard has intrigued me from when he was first introduced in Bayou Moon.

Charlotte and Richard's journey together puts them through so many emotional highs and lows making a swashbuckling adventure story into something a little more as they try and right wrongs without losing themselves along the way. The mixture of fast paced action, humour and an intelligent storyline kept me turning the pages with relish.

But I am also an avid romance reader so seeing Richard and Charlotte come together so passionately and sweetly after being through so much was also part of the reason I read so greedily. Then there is George and Jack; from the very beginning of this series I have loved them and I am glad that once again they had a fairly big on page presence.

The Andrews have once again written a winner and I am begging them to PLEASE NOT STOP! Or at least write a book for Sophie, George and Jack, we have watched them grow from children to teenagers and I don't think I am alone in wanting to know what they do next. Just a suggestion but I reckon George or Jack (I can never decide which one I like most!) marries a girl called Suzanne, think about it you'll see it makes sense......

This was a fantastic series, I enjoyed every word and I am sad to see it end so prematurely.
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9 likes · like · see review

Dec 22, 2012 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-cravings, just-okay, read-in-2012, so-not-impressed, what-the-heck

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I did like some things in this book. I liked when we first meet Richard, how quickly he takes down his opponents. I liked when he was jealous of her hanging out with Brennan. I also love how they write fight scenes. It's always brutal and hardcore. I can almost always expect a good fight. (As an example, check out Richards first fight)

I liked Richard as a hero. I liked that he fought for the underdogs. I liked that he was a gentleman and had a sense of humor. I liked that Sophie had a really coo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's very difficult to say goodbye to one of your favorite series, and even more difficult to do so when the story doesn't hit you with quite the bang as the others. I loved the book, and Ilona Andrews did an excellent job of wrapping up almost all of our beloved characters, though I would probably rate the love aspect of this story the weakest of the series.

However, this does not mean the writing was anything but spectacular. No one writes action like these two, in such a way that makes you wan...more

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Nov 20, 2012 Neal bravin rated it 5 of 5 stars

A word about Ilona Andrews, or the writing team of Husband/wife Ilona and Andrew Gordon.
They have two major series that I have been following and are Indie, or Independent Authors/Publishers. That means they don’t necessarily go to print with everything they write. Mostly, they publish On Line. Not an easy thing to do. But they have been doing it well for a while, with Kate Daniels and with The Edge series.

They also have a wonderful little serial story going on their Blog, which I suggest you g...more A word about Ilona Andrews, or the writing team of Husband/wife Ilona and Andrew Gordon.
They have two major series that I have been following and are Indie, or Independent Authors/Publishers. That means they don’t necessarily go to print with everything they write. Mostly, they publish On Line. Not an easy thing to do. But they have been doing it well for a while, with Kate Daniels and with The Edge series.

They also have a wonderful little serial story going on their Blog, which I suggest you get with immediately. It is a Funny, (though they will probably hate me for saying that) highly entertaining, bit of Urban Fantasy. Did I mention it’s a serial? That means you get a little piece every few days. Like tuning in to a show, (like Dr. Who) that runs in ten minute episodes.

As for Steel’s Edge, let me just note if you haven’t been reading this excellent Urban Fantasy series you should really start at the beginning. “On the Edge” begins this story of an Earth-like world where Magic dwells in some places ( The Weird ), and “normal” ( The Broken )in others, but between these lies "The Edge", a strip of land that is in-between, neither all normal, nor all magic, but definitely the place to begin reading this engrossing series. It is followed by Bayou Moon and Fate’s Edge.
By way of Standard Disclaimer, Ilona was kind enough to send me an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this final book in the series. There were no strings attached. But you may note I am a fan of I and A. I have also become a fan of the Fantasy genres UF and PN (urban fantasy and paranormal). Strange for an old Sci-Fi buff, but there you go. I am fascinated with this genre and Indies. It’s where all the new Ideas are. In profusion.
One more note: No Spoilers, so don’t look here for the story line. Much…..
Charlotte de Ney, a healer from the weird, and Richard Mar, a man on a mission are the main characters and sparks fly when they meet under strange circumstances. There is action, people who matter get hurt and Richard is abducted.
Charlotte, someone we might have considered meek, goes after him and takes a stand against the evil that was done, only to find herself embroiled with Richard in bringing an end to a revolting trade in human lives. This much at least I can say.
Many of the characters from previous books in this series are also involved, some have grown or matured. They surprise us just as much as the action. There is Disappointment and Betrayal. Action and Adventure, and all leading up to a totally awesome conclusion that made me think, blissfully, of the classic movie “the Sting” OMG!!! Really well done.

This was as well and tightly written as I could have hoped and that’s as much as you’ll get from me. YOU.HAVE.TO.READ.THIS.BOOK.
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May 19, 2013 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, supernatural, other-worlds, fantasy

Bite-Sized Review
Steel's Edge is just as spellbinding as Ilona Andrews' other works. This book has everything: fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, monsters, chases, escapes, true love...

King-Sized Review
This book, and the series as a whole, are exceptionally difficult to classify. Let's just say they're fantasy that takes place across worlds with (the Weird and the Edge) and without (the Broken) magic, and they have a strong element of romance. In this final installment, Baroness Charlotte de N...more Bite-Sized Review
Steel's Edge is just as spellbinding as Ilona Andrews' other works. This book has everything: fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, monsters, chases, escapes, true love...

King-Sized Review
This book, and the series as a whole, are exceptionally difficult to classify. Let's just say they're fantasy that takes place across worlds with (the Weird and the Edge) and without (the Broken) magic, and they have a strong element of romance. In this final installment, Baroness Charlotte de Ney, a rare Healer, and Richard Mar, a swordsman, hunt down slavers in the Weird in an adventure that turns out to be much more than they expected.

Steel's Edge involves many characters from the previous books, but is more separate than many series conclusions. It takes place almost entirely in the Weird, with much more interaction with the nobility of Adrianglia than the previous books. Spider, the main villain in Bayou Moon and Fate's Edge, is surprisingly incidental to this story, but there is plenty of excitement to make up for it. Taking out the slavers involves lots of death, destruction, and horror, so it's really not a light read.

As if to compensate, Richard and Charlotte have perhaps the sweetest love story of the series. In a lot of "romance" novels (which isn't actually what I'd call this book, but we'll go with it for now), lust and love seem to get a little confused; you never hear the end of how attractive each character thinks the other is and how much they want to jump each others' bones, but fill-in-the-blank obstacle gets in the way. In this book, though, despite Charlotte and Richard's obvious attraction, it's really clear that they care deeply for one another.

One of the best parts of Ilona Andrews' writing in general is their attention to motivation. Every character acts in character all the time, and even the bad guys' decisions make sense, from an amoral standpoint. It's wonderful to read a book where the logic behind the Big Bad isn't "evil person is evil," something that happens depressingly often.

To me, this book is an excellent blend of romance and adventure. There's plenty happening all the time, so the romance doesn't get boring, and the adventure is dark enough that the romance is a welcome relief. I will pick up any book in this series again if I want something that is both exciting and sweet, and I highly recommend that you do too!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Bubbles Hunty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: asap-2, m-f, lol-funny

The beginning was a bit depressing.

I love this authors ability to use words, the way they flow together is just smooth and easy to read.

Eh of course Jack and George show up with Jack screwing up and then Jack and George fighting about it. This was so old and annoying the last book. I didn't want to read about it again. I just wanted it to get back to the story, I had to put the book down for a while because I was so annoyed by the teenagers fist fighting, again.

(view spoiler)...more The beginning was a bit depressing.

I love this authors ability to use words, the way they flow together is just smooth and easy to read.

Eh of course Jack and George show up with Jack screwing up and then Jack and George fighting about it. This was so old and annoying the last book. I didn't want to read about it again. I just wanted it to get back to the story, I had to put the book down for a while because I was so annoyed by the teenagers fist fighting, again.

(view spoiler) I hated this. It seems so pointless and just done for, what drama? Added word count? To interrupt the flow of the story with a big wtf?

Richard and his brother watching the video of Char and her fiancé saying how extensive her digging into his life is and blah blah. In all this digging they never noticed his inheritance required him to have a kid within three years of marriage? Really? That was just overlooked I guess, or this extensive manditory background check wasn't really that thorough

A good story with lots of action at the end. Unfortunately the end didn't really feel satisfying. It felt really unresolved with lots of stuff hanging open (view spoiler)

I've already forgotten some of the questions I have and it pointless to list out the others but yeah the ending was a big let down for me. It just felt like there was no conclusion and with the announcement at the front it feels like the arc should have been wrapped up much tighter, IMO (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 ♆ BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, magic, shifters, purchased

Buy this book now! This is another stunning book from the fabulous duo - Ilona Andrews. The book made it to my house late yesterday evening and I read it yesterday. I've already re-read parts I enjoyed a couple of times. I LOVED IT! I'm so sad this is the last in this series. It's a lovely world they created. One can only hope a few spin offs may show up in the future. Better to end a series at its high point than drag it out past its expiration date. Ilona Andrews definitely understands "leavin...more Buy this book now! This is another stunning book from the fabulous duo - Ilona Andrews. The book made it to my house late yesterday evening and I read it yesterday. I've already re-read parts I enjoyed a couple of times. I LOVED IT! I'm so sad this is the last in this series. It's a lovely world they created. One can only hope a few spin offs may show up in the future. Better to end a series at its high point than drag it out past its expiration date. Ilona Andrews definitely understands "leaving them wanting more".

Steel's Edge was completely worth the wait. The latest main characters are Richard and Charlotte. These two were created with excellent chemistry. I'm always impressed with how witty the dialog is between the characters. The authors did an excellent job with character building as always. Charlotte is quite lovely. She's a healer who kills and in this world; and the killing will essentially be the death of her. I love this twist. Richard is pretty amazing too. I liked him in the previous book and in this one, he really shines. He's a ruthless romantic. Plus he really knows how to use his sword. *wink wink*

I was a bit shocked with some of the deaths and I admit to tearing up and going, "what? NOOOOOOOO! WHY???" It made the book that much better with the conflict and pain. My favourite brothers Jack and George make an appearance in this book. They are so grown up! Yet they are still young kids in many senses. Their antics are hilarious at times and other times, it's moving to the point of tears.

The conflict in this story was believable and very well written. It was just the right amount of human indecency and violence. I reveled in it! KILL! KILL THEM ALL! Yes, this lovely little chant went through my head as each atrocity from the slavers were brought to light. Happily, both Richard and Charlotte agreed with me. And kill they did. I personally loved the moniker Silver Death. While it could be alarming, I found it to be sexy and appropriate for Charlotte.

The thing which shocked me most in this story was not the death and vengeance. It was actually the sex. I wasn't expecting it and when it happened, I think my brain slammed to a halt. It's not something I expect from from a publisher produced book for this author so I was caught off guard. It not a bad thing. It was actually pretty sweet and a little tiny bit kinky.

My favourite part of this book is the sense of humour coming through it. There were references to the Princess Bride which I loved. Jack's nonchalant comments to his brother, George, were funny. What's really good about the way this is written, is that the authors also show how the characters are responding. The characters are not just talking, they are also doing. This is amazing because now the book plays like a movie for me. I can hear the characters saying something and see what they are doing at the same time. I can imagine the look on George's face as he's bugging out to Jack's comments. This book is filled with emotion which just engages me completely. I felt anger, sadness, outrage, happiness and heartbreak. This book is highly recommended to urban fantasy and paranormal romance lovers. It should be shelved on the "bitch read this book now" shelf. This is another excellent book from the husband and wife team, Ilona Andrews.(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Kat rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012, fantasy, romantical

Won from First Reads!!!

Basic Plot: Richard Mar is on a quest to destroy the slavers of Adrianglia. Charlotte is a Healer trying to escape her old life. After a chance meeting, they team up to destroy the slavers.

I love the fact that the Ilona Andrews books always focus on plot and character development first and foremost. Generally, I disdain romance novels because of the lack of both of those. The Ilona Andrews team manages to write romantic stories I actually like because of their attention to...more Won from First Reads!!!

Basic Plot: Richard Mar is on a quest to destroy the slavers of Adrianglia. Charlotte is a Healer trying to escape her old life. After a chance meeting, they team up to destroy the slavers.

I love the fact that the Ilona Andrews books always focus on plot and character development first and foremost. Generally, I disdain romance novels because of the lack of both of those. The Ilona Andrews team manages to write romantic stories I actually like because of their attention to story instead of just getting their characters into bed together. There are realistic battles (GREAT sword fight descriptions!), believable character actions, and understandable conflicts/motivations.

There were some interesting character developments in this book, and I found myself really liking Richard as a character. His dry humor contrasts well with Kaldar's gregariousness, while complementing Charlotte's refinement. I also liked Charlotte's definition of poise, something to the effect of knowing what to do at all times, and doing it with complete confidence (regardless of any nerves you feel inside). Like the old adage of the duck: calm on the surface, frantic movement underneath. Not much from George and Jack, though they were a presence, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This book felt more focused than the previous Edge book as a result.

It was very hard to put down while reading. There was a lot of good action and conflict (both internal and external), and very little stupidity from the main characters. This made me tremendously happy, as romantic leads have this tendency to become blithering idiots in more "traditional" romance novels. I really liked the Edge series and the concept of crossing between worlds, though I have noticed that the last two books didn't have a heck of a lot to do with the actual Edge as much as Adrianglia. This kind of takes away from what seems to be the original concept, but in all honesty it doesn't really matter to me except for missing the crossover stuff. I'm sad to see the series end, but I respect the authors' decision to stop. I wouldn't want to continue a project I didn't have ideas for or felt was unsuccessful. I simply look forward to whatever else they've got in the works.(less)

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Nov 29, 2012 Sunny rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: waiting4-next-book

5 Fantastic stars!

You know that feeling of euphoria you feel after you have read a great book? Be prepared for a double shot of it with Steel's Edge. Steel's Edge is book 4 in The Edge series by the wife and husband team known as the author, Ilona Andrews.

I've liked The Edge series from the start. Still, being a huge Kate Daniels fan, The Edge series was always "the other" books by the author. Not any more, this book rivals any of Ilona Andrews other writings and may very well be my favorite.

Wh...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fv, kate-daniels

Charlotte and Richard

Another gem from the Andrews' Full review on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

When I found out there wasn’t going to be a Kate Daniels book in 2012 I knew I had to do something, fast. There was no way I could go a full year without reading something from Ilona Andrews. Even though there was a book from the Kate Daniels world coming out, I wanted more so I picked up a book from The Edge series. Not that I would expect anything less but what I got was a wonderful romance/urban fantas...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Suz rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, pnr

Brilliant! I loved the previous book in this series, Fate's Edge, and wondered if they could possibly top it. I think they did manage to top it in this, the final installment of this series.

I'll miss this world and I know I'll wonder whatever became of Jack, George, and Sophie as they finished growing up but even feeling the bitter sweetness of ending I still set my ereader down satisfied with a tight close to both the book arc and the long arc.

I find myself wanting to once again say "this is ho...more

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May 06, 2013 Brenda Audiobooks Only rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: uf-with-romance, currently-listening

Narrated by Renee Raudman - Narration 5*s

The narration is interesting in that Renee Raudman's general narrative voice changes with the POV. I wonder if that is a Recorded Books influence / direction. I like it - you always knew whose head you're in. :)

The Andrews' do no wrong in my eyes. I loved reading this story - listening to the audio only added to the experience.

I tried out Audiobooks.com rental program for this one as the audio was available there early. I'll be keeping a watch for others...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Richard Mar is on a quest to eliminate the slave trade. He is gravely injured when he is saved by Charlotte in the Edge. Charlotte is a noble healer (a few rare talent) who left the Weird a few years prior after a difficult divorce. They team up to stop the slavers and fall in love.

I was really looking forward to this book and expected to love it. I liked it well enough but here are some thoughts.

The Good: Most of the secondary characters were great. A new character Jason was introduced and Geo...more Richard Mar is on a quest to eliminate the slave trade. He is gravely injured when he is saved by Charlotte in the Edge. Charlotte is a noble healer (a few rare talent) who left the Weird a few years prior after a difficult divorce. They team up to stop the slavers and fall in love.

I was really looking forward to this book and expected to love it. I liked it well enough but here are some thoughts.

The Good: Most of the secondary characters were great. A new character Jason was introduced and George and Jack were fantastic. I know this series is considered over, but if Andrew's wanted to continue it, the door is open. I also thought the overall arc involving the slave trade was pretty interesting.

The Okay: Richard and Charlotte. I didn't love them and I didn't hate them. They were just both a little boring. I was surprised by this because Charlotte has one of the coolest talents out of every character-she has the ability to heal and destroy in mass quantities. She can literally cause plagues! Both characters were reserved and stoic and their romance (which mostly consisted of internal dialogue) just seemed to happen. There was very little strife getting together.

The Inconsistencies: We have been told that people with strong magic cannot go into the Broken. Rose and Declan, who both flash white in the Edge, can cross over. Richard can only flash blue in the Edge (blue is weaker than white) but his magic is too strong to cross over. Hmm..if Rose and Declan can cross over, Richard should be able to as well. We are also reminded how the Broken has technology but no magic, while the Weird is more like the middle ages with no modern technology but magic is strong (that is how I envisioned it in the previous books). It seemed like things were pretty modern in the Weird in this book. Also, now that we know healers exist, why didn't a healer 'fix' Spider after his spinal injury?

The Odd: Charlotte is divorced, disappears for three years and shows up again without too much trouble. I know she was introduced by a woman of high standing but it seems like people should have been gossiping a little. There was also a lot of time spent on the proper fashion in the Weird and how Charlotte knew exactly what colors and styles were popular. She was gone for three years and didn't appear to keep in touch with anyone, she should have had to catch up herself on the current styles. Another oddity: Sophie. The extent of my opinion on her is: odd. She's emotionally traumatized from her time with the slavers and I wanted to sympathize with her, she just seemed so cold and distant. If Andrew's decides to expand this series with George and Jack, I would expect to see a more mature Sophie dealing with her demons. Now that could be a great book.

The Downright Disappointing: **Spoiler, stop reading if you don't want to know the end of the book.** Spider has been a formidable opponent to our favorite Edgers throughout the series. He's intelligent, has a strong, scary team and is a great fighter. He was not given the final showdown he deserved. In fact it seemed like an afterthought to wrap up his storyline. First of all, the only person that recognizes him is Sophie (really?!) and she kills him very easily (really?!). I just wanted and expected something a little more dramatic and exciting.

Overall, I like this book but it was my least favorite of the series.

Grade: 3/5(less)

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Mar 31, 2013 Jo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-and-science-fiction

I love this book! I finished reading it, and wasn't ready to leave it yet, so I read it again!

Steel's Edge is the 4th and last book in Andrews The Edge series, or at least in this story arc. I'm still hoping for more stories in this world. (Maybe focusing on the next generation, as adults, please? I want to know how Sophie turns out, and George, and Jack, and the loves in their lives, please.) This novel can possibly be enjoyed as a stand-alone but since part of the enjoyment is seeing the tyin...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Jon Allingham rated it 4 of 5 stars

I won't summarize the plot since that has already been done. Just some musings.

I quite enjoyed this book in the Edge series - in particular I really appreciated having a different type of heroine - it is a bit hard to describe, but I feel that previous heroines were all more outwardly tough, kick-butt kind of people, whereas Charlotte, while the most powerful healer around, is more inwardly tough. Much more conflicted than the women in previous stories. I like the way Richard brings out her cour...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Anna by: Ilona Andrews sample chapter

Shelves: paranormal

A paranormal romance featuring Charlotte de Ney an adopted blue blood healer and Richard, a bit of an adventurer from the Mire, out to get revenge against the slave traders who killed members of his family. This is the 4th and last of the Ilona Andrews Edge series.

Firstly - a bit of context for my 4*- I'm judging this against s other PNR I've read. I don't really like paranormal romance - I prefer UF and I haven't read the earlier Edge novels for that reason, though I am a fan of the Kate Daniel...more A paranormal romance featuring Charlotte de Ney an adopted blue blood healer and Richard, a bit of an adventurer from the Mire, out to get revenge against the slave traders who killed members of his family. This is the 4th and last of the Ilona Andrews Edge series.

Firstly - a bit of context for my 4*- I'm judging this against s other PNR I've read. I don't really like paranormal romance - I prefer UF and I haven't read the earlier Edge novels for that reason, though I am a fan of the Kate Daniels series. I was pleasantly surprised. I bought this as I read Ch 1 on the website, fancied an easy read and was intrigued by comments that it was darker than the other Edge books. The novel revolves around the two lead character in PNR fashion but there is a reasonably interesting secondary plot line with the younger characters: Jack, George and Sofie and decent world creation. There is a fair bit of gazing and smouldering, but the sex scenes are restricted to one chapter in the book. So If you like PNR which revolves round a string of sex scenes held loosely together by an unlikely story line you will be disappointed. If you prefer your PNR to have a bit more to it, you might like this.

My main gripes were the opening and closing chapters where Charlotte reverts to type, (view spoiler)but the rest was good fun. There was a mini Kate Daniels/Julie Cross in Sofie, a cross between a direwolf and Grendel, and times when I felt that Charlotte's inner UF persona tried hard to escape.

Oh and you don't need to read Edge 1, 2 and 3 to enjoy this one.(less)

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Jan 30, 2013 Christine Edison rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy the Edge series, so I was looking forward to this one, and it didn't disappoint. Each book in the series is a traditional romance, but the fantasy world in which each story takes place is complex, and the writing team does a good job of making each book a unique experience and showing a different point of view of a character we've seen before. Although each book could be read separately, I recommend reading the series to avoid spoilers.

The Broken (our world) has a parallel world i...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Margo (DamesUnrestrained.blogspot.com) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, reading-it-over-and-over-and-over

This is the 4th book in a series of “rustic fantasy” books. Many people are familiar with urban fantasy where vampires and werewolves stalk city streets, but most are not familiar with redneck fantasy books where hillbillies armed with guns AND magic wreak havoc on unsuspecting visitors. It's a great concept and the execution is wonderful as well. Picture the Beverly Hillbillies if Grandma could curse like a gypsy, Jethro turned into an animal, and the neighbors were titled royalty.

I've been a f...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Cecilia Quick rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love the Edge series, but this one seemed rushed. I like the premise, that the heroine is a healer and can't heal herself to have children so she escapes to the Edge to start over and gets caught up with trying to destroy slavers. Some of the action was very well-drawn; I liked the amoral pirate. And I liked the concept of the hero, but he wasn't well drawn, and was outright childish at times, especially when they were in the middle of a dangerous mission to destroy slavers and he acts like a...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Erica Frey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Meh. This felt a little too much like a romance novel. Tortured-soul-female saves tortured-soul-male, then tortured-soul-people set out to right a great wrong. Then love and stuff happens. I seriously love the world Ilona Andrews has created, and I'll read anything and everything they write about this world, but this one wasn't strong in my opinion. The second book in the series Bayou Moon is by far my favorite and here's why: it's freaking weird man. I mean it, the magic is just strange and spo...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Jeffrey Grant rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think this book was a definite improvement over the previous one in the series.
The previous edition sufffered, in my mind, for two reasons; first, the build-up to the relationship hinged on the woman being reluctant, which felt contrived because the nature of these books means you know the people are going to get together. Secondly, I found the children annoying.
This book didn't spend as much time on the reluctance angle; possible pitfalls were brought up, but they were amusing rather than v...more

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Dec 27, 2012 Carey Sabala rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book brings me a lot of mixed feelings but before I tell you why, let me preface this statement with this..... I am through and through an Ilona Andrews fan. The fabulous married writing duo are definitely on my top 10 favorite authors of all time. The Kate Daniels series is a must for any PNR/UF fan and they are famous for writing other PNR/UF serials, series, shorts, spin-offs and such. Among those is a series called The Edge. The Edge is a fabulous albeit short (4 books in all) series. I...more This book brings me a lot of mixed feelings but before I tell you why, let me preface this statement with this..... I am through and through an Ilona Andrews fan. The fabulous married writing duo are definitely on my top 10 favorite authors of all time. The Kate Daniels series is a must for any PNR/UF fan and they are famous for writing other PNR/UF serials, series, shorts, spin-offs and such. Among those is a series called The Edge. The Edge is a fabulous albeit short (4 books in all) series. If you don't know the series, here's a short synopsis. The Edge is a place that lies between The Weird (a magic realm) and The Broken (a non- magic realm, basically our modern world). People who want to escape The Weird for whatever reason, move to The Edge but if they have too much magic in their being they cannot cross over to The Broken and as you can imagine, people who live in The Edge are not the most fab. It's almost like a back water Cajun kind of place where the town takes care of its own problems. Mixed into this craziness is then classes of people with different degrees of magic. You also have politics, society rules and not only 1 or 2 worlds, with all its unique structures but 3 and only Ilona Andrews could deliver it.

So why do I have mixed feelings. Well to be honest, I'm sad because it was the last book in the series. Ilona Andrews decided that this would be their final Edge book although there is way more stories to tell. Personally I think they had had enough of The Edge. While they were writing this book, they kept talking on their site about how difficult this book was to write and I think at times it showed.

The book totally had some pacing issues and towards the end it seemed to squeeze in the last major moments, which probably should have taken an additional 100 pages and squeezed them into quick jump-cut scenes. The beginning of the book, parts were drawn out to set the stage and sometimes I found it hard to get through but as the book picked up, it almost raced to the end, to where I kept checking the pages and thinking to myself there is no way this can be wrapped up in what remains but then they did.

I did love the story though and I loved the hero and heroine (see blurb). To be forewarned unlike the other Edge tales, this one is based in politics, definitely has some very graphic scenes and deals with some sensitive matter. This story is based around our hero being asked to go undercover and take down a slave trade ring at any cost, which he does gleefully. Knowing full well that he probably won't make it out alive but knows that he can't stand by and do nothing. As his mission continues and he makes a major impact on the slavers, he ends up getting injured and is taken to a healer in The Edge, enter our heroine. She is hiding out in The Edge and makes a living off her magic, which is the gift of healing. Although I've read many books where someone is considered a "healer", Ilona Andrews puts a new twist on the healing and offers up the flip side of the healer by also giving the character the ability to bring about death and disease. As I said our little healer is hiding out in the Edge and there's definitely a reason she's there but I won't spoil it for you. After our hero is healed, a tragedy befalls them and aligns their paths together to bring down the slavers once and for all.

If you're a fan of the series like I am, there are some wonderful cameo scenes from some of your favorite characters as well as some of your favs having major parts like Lark, Jack and George. I do truly hope that Ilona Andrews comes out with some short stories to bring HEA's for those 3 characters but so far nothing has been said.

So to wrap it up, I loved the story, loved seeing some of my favorite characters again, am totally sad it has ended and yes, there were pacing issues and major plot jumps/holes. If you're a fan of the series, you have to read it. If you're not a fan but want to be, start with the first book and work your way into this one.(less)

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Dec 16, 2012 Aurian Booklover rated it 5 of 5 stars

Ever since she was a toddler, Charlotte was a healer. Meaning her parents sold her to the main Healer school at age seven, for a lot of money to heal their grief of losing a child. Charlotte was raised at the school, leaning that healing came at a price, and that the other side of the coin, destroying life, was easy but would in the end kill her. If she ever gives in to that dark thing inside of her, she would become a walking plague, killing whole populations.
She hasn’t felt the need to destro...more

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About Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. author2sm“Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a be...more

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Quotes from Steel's Edge

“Congratulations," he said, his voice dry. "You finally managed to find a woman as tragically noble as yourself. I didn't think one existed."
"I'm not tragic."

Kaldar held up his hand. "Spare me. Some children are born wearing a silk shirt; you were born wrapped in melancholy. When they slapped you to make you cry, you just sighed heavily and a single tear rolled from your eye." He dragged his finger from the corner of his left eye to his cheek. " Your first words were probably 'woe is me.'"
"My first words were 'Kaldar, shut up!' because you talked too much. Still do.” — 14 people liked it

“Is he a scumbag in training?” Richard glanced at the gunman. “At least have the decency to hold the gun properly, you fool. If you don’t know how, pass it to someone who does. I’m not going to suffer being shot at by anything less than a full- fledged lowlife. (Richard)” — 8 people liked it

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Steel's Edge (The Edge #4)

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