Oh good!

Paula wrote: "Oh no, the 4th Kate series is the last, bummer!

No, it isn't. Ilona and Gordon are contracted for 7 Kate books at the moment. Perhaps there will be even more.

But a few days ago, Ilona mentioned in their Blog, that there will be only 2 Edge books (for now), so they will perhaps start something new.

Oh no, the 4th Kate series is the last, bummer!

I agree with Ilona's assessment of her book. Though, 'On the Edge' interested me enough to read the second of the series. I usually cut the first book in a series a lot of slack. Her universe was nicely layed out in it's initial description, but there is a lot more that needs to be explained. I got a good picture of the Broken and the Edge, however the Weird seemed vague. Not enough information. Declan's explanation of how the law worked on his side of the Edge seemed to be a little bit of a rose colored theory. There has to be corruption somewhere in the system. A reason for book two.

For anyone just starting the Kate series, Ilona herself has said the first book isn't great. I liked it well enough but it was kind of cool to hear an author be straight about it. ;) Alas, I believe the 4th Kate book is the last...

I REALLY liked On The Edge. I think the worldbuilding in this story reached out and grabbed me a little more and the characterization was great. I also didn't feel like anything about the book was hurried or rushed - sometimes the book resolutions can feel panicked like "Oh shit! I have to end the story!"

:D

I forgot to uncheck the 'Add to my Update Feed' on my last comment. Thanks for the reminder.

Well I finished On the Edge. When I read the synopsis before I bought the book, the description of the Andrews' universe was very confusing. I don't like confusing universes, but I decided to buy the book for this read. Good thing!

Considering the overall book, I can think of it as a fairy tale, happy ending and all. Cinderella gets her prince. The book has more substance than a fairy tale, of course. In most of the 'girl gets prince' fairy tales, the female is pretty superficial. I don't see Rose as being one dimensional. Downtrodden, but strong. Her past and the needs of her younger brothers helped to make her tough. Love and emotional support from her small family kept her grounded and helped Rose to survive.

I didn't quite buy the speed at which the romance between Rose and Declan progressed. I guess it could happen. I did feel a little better about their relationship when Decaln admitted that he wasn't in the Edge to marry Rose. Declan's tale about needing to marry by the age of 30 just didn't ring true. I've read better sex scenes, but they weren't too bad.

I did like the story that revolved around Casshorn. It was pretty well thought out. The Edgers, Declan, and William worked together to oust the nastiness.

Jack and George were adorable little boys. I don't really understand why Rose and her grandma didn't do something about George's zombie activities. Maybe they couldn't. At least Declan knows how to handle George. Hopefully, if Jack is accepted in the Weird as a shapeshifter, the Weird will stop institutionaling other children in such a cruel manner.

Andrews left many unanswered questions which is good. I will read the next book. I wonder if Grandma is going to join Rose. She was very much attached to her grandkids.

Paula wrote: "I scan the book to see how the grandpa died and didn't find it. Andrews was a bit vague on the death specifics or I just missed where she told us."

I had to delete my last comment real fast I forgot to unchecked the Add to my update feed. Yikes!

Thanks for answering. Glad to know that it wasn't my memory.

I scan the book to see how the grandpa died and didn't find it. Andrews was a bit vague on the death specifics or I just missed where she told us.

I was wondering does anyone remember if it was ever said how the grandfather died? For some reason, I can't remember.

I also enjoyed the book. All of the characters are interesting and unique and likeable. Great worldbuilding. Since I read both PNR and UF the romance didn't bother me. I really think Andrews has a way of putting unique twists to her fantasy worlds.

I finished this book yesterday and really enjoyed it. For most of the book, I was convinced it was going to be a 4 star book, but the ending bumped it up to a 5 star. I really hope we get to see more of Rose and Declan and the boys. I especially love Jack. It would also be nice to revisit William and then Declan's family. They had me laughing and I found myself wishing the book was another 30 pages so they could have more page time.

I really enjoyed Rose's character... she is so strong because she has to be. That is a nice change. Plus, she has to WORK at being strong. Magical powers don't just come to her in her sleep.

I loved the world created,I could believe in it. The whole Walmart scene too funny ! The charcters warmed my heart and left thier mark. It was simple compared to the Magic series, less world building. Which had me believing that this was not going to be a series? If there is more to it, I will buy it !

You always hear too how most of the authors don't have a say on the covers until they have "made it". I think that would be super frustrating. You have this book you have been spending so much time on, have a vision of how is should be, then it comes out looking way different and there is nothing you can do.

Unfortunately, they do seem to have bad covers. The cover for Magic Strikes is their best one yet, and it's still cheesy. I think they'd attract more new readers if their publishers found someone else to do the art, as I only read them because a friend assured me they were good. A while back Ilona mentioned that they'd sold the rights to a UK publisher who is redoing the covers, so I'm eagerly awaiting the results of that.

Melissa wrote: "Oh! I forgot to say...I hate the cover! How cheesey!?! I've been looking at it on my end table for a week or two and it's been bugging me how awful that cover is and anyone who is literally judg..."
Me too. I would never have bought it, if I had not known the author.

Oh! I forgot to say...I hate the cover! How cheesey!?! I've been looking at it on my end table for a week or two and it's been bugging me how awful that cover is and anyone who is literally judging this book by it's cover, will never pick it up!

I just finished the book and loved it. I enjoyed every page and was happy with both the evolution of Rose and Declan's romance and their HEA. For me, a "romance novel" has the waxing and waining of the lead characters romance, where everything is going great and then something is misinterpreted by one of the characters and it's all a big mess until the end of the book and they get back together. I hate that! I like the kind of romance development in On the Edge, a more "natural" progression even if it is over a short period of time.

I loved all the characters and loved how the book was written from several points of view. I can't wait for more!

Theresa - thanks for the link. It was funny lol The different couple per book is a romance type thing. I can go with a combo urban fantasy/paranormal romance. I don't think the depth of the world building is the only thing that separates urban fantasy from paranormal romance, because some paranormal romances do have that. Not all, not even most, but some and there is little doubt (in my mind :P) those are paranormal romances.

DarkHeart, both of the romance authors I follow who do what I think are good series that are HEA type books, do the kind of world building you are talking about. In both cases their couples are part of a community, and the community's story is ongoing. When they go to a party or walk through a room, other people from stories before or after the one I'm currently reading are also inhabiting that room. And what is going on in that world moves with time.

If that is what she will be doing, it will work for me.

DarkHeart wrote: "I think it's a hybrid of the two. It's not straight UF though, as I believe each book will center around a different couple and end in their HEA, but so much emphasis is placed on the world buildi..."

formlit, DarkHeart said what I was trying to write, but much more clearly. :) From something I read somewhere (not sure where??), this seems to be a different couple each time kind of series which is why I said UF/PNR (PNR=paranormal romance).

Edited to add: Here is the link to the author's website where she explains the difficulty of putting the Edge series in a genre.

I think it's a hybrid of the two. It's not straight UF though, as I believe each book will center around a different couple and end in their HEA, but so much emphasis is placed on the world building and the overarching story, that it isn't straight PNR either. It is similar to the later BDB books in that respect.

PNR? paranormal romance? the ending of the edge was like that, but not the whole story, i don't think. i don't think future stories would be more paranormal romance.

I believe that Ilona and her husband - I forget his name - are going to be doing both series assuming the publisher picks up more books in the Edge series. The Kate Daniels series is UF-focused and the Edge series is more UF/PNR. It reminds me of Ann Aguirre/Ava Gray and her THREE series! :) I say more the merrier - I love the team Andrews writing. :)

Part of me is saying that would be too bad. She does UF so well. But I do have a couple of historical romance authors I read all the time who handle that kind of HEA series very well. It could be OK.

I don't know that they've specifically said, but it does seem like it's going down the PNR path rather than the UF one of Kate.

DarkHeart, is this going to be a romance series?

Darcy, I agree. Often I find children in books to be annoying or easily forgotten, but Georgie and Jack were brilliant. I may have liked them even more than Rose and Declan. They did such a great job of fleshing out their stories and their personalities, that you were left having grown really attached to those two boys.

Oh and William and (the not yet met) Cerise, will be the subjects of the next book, Bayou Moon. So far they're only contracted for two - but I can't believe their publishers will leave it that way for long!

I won't say I LOVED this book, but I did like it.

I am interested how the end of the book moved it from urban fantasy to regular fantasy. How will George, Jack & Rose adapt to their new home? How will the nobles treat Rose? Will they prosecute the nobels that came after Rose six years ago?

I liked how both William and Declan tried to "protect" Rose and went waaay overboard and made things worse. I was glad William wan't a bad guy.

Rose and Declan's romance was off-putting to me. I don't care for Romace and this veered very close. The HEA was a bit annoying. I got that Declan got drooled over in the Wal Mart-- of *course* he did. It would be like having Legolas (not Orlando Bloom) walk through a Wal Mart. (But yeah, it got a little old hearing how handsome Declan was.) I loved the little old lady and her teddy bears...

I am with the rest of you in that I loved this world. I liked how it had 3 layers, and found it interesting how they named it. Broken - no magic, Weird - magic.

I also liked how they showed Rose struggling with raising the boys and basically being an illegal alien working to support them, that seemed very real to me. I do think she was protecting them a lot, but since she is so close to their ages she probably remembers what it was like then and it doesn't seem like there was anyone watching out for her. It also seemed like once she was aware that she needed to let go she did, like teaching Georgie about the money changing.

I thought the Edge people were very hypocritical with Rose and her family. No one seemed to like them and made fun of them all the time. But when the bad came they were content to let her be a big part of the team that fixes it.

I also liked the parallel between Georgie and Jack to Declan and William. Some of the sweetest moments of the book was when the little boys were comforting the big boys.

It sounds like this book will continue into a series which I am glad as there are things I want to know. How do Rose and the boys adjust to their new home? Plus what is going on with William, he just disappeared, I have a feeling that won't be for too long.

I'm reading this book right now. I thought I owned it when it became the group read, couldn't find it, just found it yesterday and here I am.

I'm more than 3/4 through the book and I can see where the book is heading. It is obvious that this book will have a quick HEA, but I'm glad to hear that we are going to see more of the characters and/or the universe.

Rose is an interesting combination of "kick-ass heroine" and just a very young girl on the edge of disaster. Hand Declan is right that she is treating both of her brothers like babies. The older one especially is almost at the point where he is going to rebel if he doesn't get some chances to take care of himself. Ros is trying so hard to protect her babies that she hasn't figured out that they aren't babies anymore.

Love the universe. Love the fact that it is an entire world, like ours and also not like ours and that we started the series at the point where the two universes meet.

I loved this book, it was so visual, I could see the story as I read along. The characters were interesting and "real". I loved the Broken and the Weird idea. I hope the story will go on with these two characters, I see a lot more story in them. William would be an intersting man to follow.

Ooh, do pick up the Kate Daniels series, Elena. I think it's the best UF series out there right now. Love it!

This book has what I like: magic and different worlds, and monsters. I love the characters, still haven't find out much about William. I am only 1/3 through the book. What annoys me more than the mentioning of Declan's good looking is the constant, blunt "I came to take you to bed with me..." from Duclan. I guess it will have its purpose but I am really tired of it.

This is my first Andrews book. I like her. I think I am going to check out Magic Bites also.

And see I felt like Magic Bites was information overload for the first 50 pages or so, which is why I initially put it aside (I'm so glad I picked it up again though). But I agree that Kate's world is more complex, and as that has been revealed over the course of the series, it's fitting.

But I digress, and return to the book at hand. LOL, I guess there was an emphasis on Declan's hotness, but possibly they felt they had to do that as they were resolving the relationship in one book, rather than the slow build we have with Kate and Curran. But I agree that even though it happened quicker, the evolution of their relationship was believable. Of course there was that initial attraction, but you're right, they really grew to respect and care for each other. So, when she agrees to marry him after only a short time of knowing him, it didn't feel forced.

I definitely look forward to reading William's story and have been enjoying the Edge 2 snippets posted on their blog so far.

@DarkHeart: I love Ilona Andrews' worldbuilding, too. But the world of "Edge" is not nearly as complex as the world of "Kate". The one thing I really liked about "Magic Bites" was, that they didn't bother with telling you how their world works, but giving away only bits and peaces of it, at the time needed. Other authors would have their heroine lecturing about her world over dozends of pages (which bores me to death sometimes).

But back to "On the Edge".
I did like this book. Not es much as I like the Kate series, bit I enjoyed it very much.
I'm not a fan of paranormal romance. Most of it is too clicheed, the characters too often lack depth and the build-up of their relationship is too fast and mainly based on sexual desire (well, that's just how I feel about it).
Ilona Andrews managed to do none of those things. Declan and Rose are great characters with depth. In the beginning Declan seemed to me like one of those typical sexy alpha males. But then we were allowed to see other, different, sides of him. But did Ilona Andrews have to mention his veeeery good looks so often? Yes, I know, that he is supersexy. Don't have to be told that every 30 pages.
I really liked how Rose and Declans relationship developed throughout the book, not only based on desire but on feelings and respect for each other.

This book really had everthing: great loveable characters, an interesting world concept, creepy monsters, action, romance and lots of humor (I just love Ilona Andrews' sense of humor).

I will definitely buy the second book in the series next year.

Okay, I decided to wait to chat, although I read (and loved) it last month. Ilona and Gordon are so good at their world building. I think this book showed how they've matured as a writing team, able to present a complex world in an easily digestible format, which I think they struggled more with when they wrote Magic Bites. I love the idea of The Edge, and the moving between The Broken and The Weird. The idea that Weird residents would pay top dollar for mundane objects from The Broken was great.

I'd have thought it would be tough to top Curran, but they give it a good go with Declan. He's a wonderful character and a great match for Rose, another strong and well developed character. They do a great job of creating female characters that remain relatable, even while in fantastical situations. It was interesting to see that we didn't have to wait for the build-up of Rose and Declan's relationship, and I hadn't realized that the next book wouldn't center around them. As for supporting characters, I absolutely adored Jack and Georgie. Such wonderful characters, each written with such emotion and depth. Loved them.

So, basically, yeah, I loved this book. Ilona Andrews remains my favorite UF author(s).

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