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Relics #3
The Edge
A diseased town—long hidden beneath a lake—rises from the depths to become a focus of the war between humankind and the Kin.
There exists a secret and highly illegal trade in mythological creatures and their artifacts. Certain individuals pay fortunes for a sliver of a satyr’s hoof, a gryphon’s claw, a basilisk’s scale, or an angel’s wing. Embroiled in the hidden world of the Relics, creatures known as the Kin, Angela Gough is now on the run in the United States.
Forty years ago the town of Longford was the site of a deadly disease outbreak that wiped out the entire population. The infection was contained, the town isolated, and the valley in which it sits flooded and turned into a reservoir. The truth—that the outbreak was intentional, and not every resident of Longford died—disappeared beneath the waves.
Now the town is revealed again. The Kin have an interest in the ruins, and soon the fairy Grace and the Nephilim leader Mallian are also drawn to them. The infection has risen from beneath silent waters, and this forgotten town becomes the focus of the looming battle between humankind and the Kin.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2019
35 people are currently reading
373 people want to read
About the author
Tim Lebbon
297 books1,557 followersI love writing, reading, triathlon, real ale, chocolate, good movies, occasional bad movies, and cake.
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
I was born in London in 1969, lived in Devon until I was eight, and the next twenty years were spent in Newport. My wife Tracey and I then did a Good Thing and moved back to the country, and we now live in the little village of Goytre in Monmouthshire with our kids Ellie and Daniel. And our dog, Blu, who is the size of a donkey.
I love the countryside ... I do a lot of running and cycling, and live in the best part of the world for that.
I've had loads of books published in the UK, USA, and around the world, including novels, novellas, and collections. I write horror, fantasy, and now thrillers, and I've been writing as a living for over 8 years. I've won quite a few awards for my original fiction, and I've also written tie-in projects for Star Wars, Alien, Hellboy, The Cabin in the Woods, and 30 Days of Night.
A movie's just been made of my short story Pay the Ghost, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Wayne Callies. There are other projects in development, too.
I'd love to hear from you!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 8, 2019
The third book in the Relics trilogy provides a satisfying conclusion to the Ascent story-line while leaving the Fold ajar for future stories.
The Edge follows a slightly different path to the previous books (Relics, The Folded Land) in that it focuses on two locations for the vast majority of the story; the Fold (the mysterious land of the kin controlled by the murderous and mad fairy, Grace) and a long dead town of Longford, recently revealed to the world following the receding of longtime flood waters (the place of a grisly mass murder and cover-up some 40 years ago of its inhabitants, both human and kin).
It's within this muddy graveyard of death and despair that creatures return to the fold (nice play on words there eh?), existing where they should never draw breath. Their minds maddened, their hunger intense. It's the perfect platform for horror fiction further exemplified by the just-as-scary element of mythological creatures walking the face of the earth. For Bone, the lone survivor of the decades old tragedy, returning to Longford sees his dreams and nightmares converge, caught up in a cataclysmic battle of good verses evil.
I'm a big fan of the Relics books and ate this one up like Grace sampling her kin for sport. The mythology and expanse of creatures grows, the characters become more invested, and the stories more shockingly brutal. Fingers crossed we've not seen the last the the kin.
My rating: 5/5 stars.
The Edge follows a slightly different path to the previous books (Relics, The Folded Land) in that it focuses on two locations for the vast majority of the story; the Fold (the mysterious land of the kin controlled by the murderous and mad fairy, Grace) and a long dead town of Longford, recently revealed to the world following the receding of longtime flood waters (the place of a grisly mass murder and cover-up some 40 years ago of its inhabitants, both human and kin).
It's within this muddy graveyard of death and despair that creatures return to the fold (nice play on words there eh?), existing where they should never draw breath. Their minds maddened, their hunger intense. It's the perfect platform for horror fiction further exemplified by the just-as-scary element of mythological creatures walking the face of the earth. For Bone, the lone survivor of the decades old tragedy, returning to Longford sees his dreams and nightmares converge, caught up in a cataclysmic battle of good verses evil.
I'm a big fan of the Relics books and ate this one up like Grace sampling her kin for sport. The mythology and expanse of creatures grows, the characters become more invested, and the stories more shockingly brutal. Fingers crossed we've not seen the last the the kin.
My rating: 5/5 stars.
April 15, 2026
Panic begins to spread and Thorn soaks it up. He dances here, slashing a man's throat. He leaps there, shoving a broken pool cue into a woman's eye. People scream. They run and collide with each other, fighting to reach the door first, not understanding what's happening and struggling to flee the chaos.
Thorn is the chaos, and for a few seconds more he presents himself to the cameras, soaked in blood. He sticks up both middle fingers and grins.
"Hello, humans," he says. "Wait 'til you get a load of us."
...
Huh.
As far as I can tell, this is the last in the Relics series.
The very last.
The trilogy is complete.
And to that, I reiterate:
Huh.
This is not written like a final instalment.
It, in fact, reads like the catalyst for the story to really begin.
The previous two books in the trilogy were an exercise in world-building, character development and establishing a mental bestiary of various mythological creatures known as the Kin.
Tim Lebbon's taken us from the gentrified streets of London proper, to the unmapped subterranean tunnels of the romanticised capital; across the ocean to the uninhabited forests of the new world, and finally to a pocket world created solely to sate a fairy's need to hunt and feed and kill.
He's shown us fallen angels, nymphs, satyrs, mermaids, shapeshifters, dwarves, werewolves, selkies.
Some good, some monstrous, all Kin.
Bones have been broken, human lives decimated, comrades lost, sacrificed, found again.
All in the name of the fight.
To stop a violent, otherworldly demagogue taking the world back for his species and enslaving humankind through an act named, Ascent, in the process.
This is the point we find ourselves in the last third of the book.
It's finally come, the Kin's crusade is succeeding, there's only a few last moves before the end of civilisation as we know it.
...
And then the book stops.
...
With a tentative ending.
...
And oh so many storylines left gaping like a Kin-inflicted chest wound.
...
What the fuck, Lebbon?
This can't be the end, surely?
There's so much left unsaid, unfinished, unexplored.
Were those newly discovered stygian depths you briefly let us peer into a tease?
What about that crack in the world?
The military now knowing of the Kin's existence? Humans now knowing of their existence.
What about Angela, and Vince, and Sammi?
Holy shit, what about Sammi?!
And Mallian and Grace and what the fuck happens next, Lebbon?
WHAT.
HAPPENS.
NEXT.
?!
I know it's bad luck to cross more than just one set of fingers in the hope of something happening but fuck it, I'm crossing all the things - except my eyes because... well I just can't do that - in desperation that Lebbon writes more stories in the world of the Kin.
If I need to become a human pretzel to get shit done, then so be it.
Bring on the salt.
Or mustard.
Or Nutella.
Bring all the condiments!
June 26, 2019
I'm grateful to Titan Books for a free advance copy of The Edge. This is the third and final part of Lebbon's Relics trilogy. In the first book, Relics, he introduced us to an urban fantasy world where shady dealers trade in the remnants - relics - of long-dead mythological creatures. Unicorn horn is the least of it. Think pixie tongues, dwarf hearts, fairy eyes... But what if they weren't long dead?
What if some were recently alive?
What if some were still alive?
Introducing chancer Vince and his heedless wife Angela, who also appear in sequel The Folded Land, Lebbon showed how the beauty and terror of the creatures known as The Kin lurks behind our own bland world - and how Angela's and Vince's lives are changed forever once they discover this.
Both Relics and The Folded Land are complex, intricate stories following different factions among the Kin, and the humans who would exploit them. Some of the Kin want to hunker down and stay safe, others to rise up. Humans variously want to profit from Kin relics, wonder ate their beauty - or eat them. Often it's hard to tell who wants what, who is on whose side, with plenty of double dealing and guilt.
In The Edge, Lebbon tells a simpler story, rounding everything off. It's a more pared down book than either of its forerunners, bringing us back to the experiences and struggles of a few central characters. There is Mallian the Nephilim, a powerful being who wants the Kin to struggle for power - "Ascent" - and tread down impudent humans. There is Grace, the fairy Malliam sought to control but who turned on him. And there is Angela, Vince and Angela's niece Sammi, who was affected by an attack by Grace which has left her with developing abilities.
Much of the ambiguity of the previous books is gone, and we know where we stand, which gives Lebbon more bandwidth (so to speak) to tell the story these books were, perhaps, always about - the love between Angela and Vince, what they have lost, and what they still have. We saw in Relics, especially, what Vince meant to Angela. Now she has lost him twice - Folded land saw him stranded in Grace's pocket universe, ironically alongside Mallian, whose dreams he helped destroy. Can she find him again? And if she does, can she keep him, at a time when great sacrifices may be required to face down the threat of Mallian? Living as a fugitive, Angela has also lost the ordinary life she had and, following Grace's attack, her sister. And teenage Sammi feels herself changing, which is also a loss of sorts.
There is a real sense here, as the endgame commences, of unfinished business. Lebbon gives us a new character, Bone, who as a boy was driven from his home town of Longford when the army gassed and flooded it. Bone has secrets, and has spent his life hunting the Kin. Mallian, obviously, has his own plans. Grace finds herself distracted from the Folded Land that she created. And out there is a government agency which has the Kin in its sights.
As I said, this is a simpler story, with less of a feeling of "what's going on?" but that is amply compensated for by a narrative drive, a feeling of coming disaster, of ending and a really fast pace. The story drives onwards, blurring the boundaries between fantasy and thriller as the Kin seem about to come out into the open and challenge the humans - who have taken over their world - to respond.
All through these books I've been struck by Lebbon's ability to depict the horror both of what are often, literally, cruel monsters, horrors from our darkest dreams and the chaos and devastation wrought by humanity on the natural world. That's symbolised here by the town of Longford and its fate, as it was in The Folded Land by the destruction of a forest where a tree-spirit sheltered. Conflict between the two seems wired into the nature of reality, but what will be the result if the Kin fight back seriously?
A satisfying ending to the series overall, an exciting book - and do I see Lebbon leaving himself a way out, perhaps, to further stories?
Strongly recommended.
What if some were recently alive?
What if some were still alive?
Introducing chancer Vince and his heedless wife Angela, who also appear in sequel The Folded Land, Lebbon showed how the beauty and terror of the creatures known as The Kin lurks behind our own bland world - and how Angela's and Vince's lives are changed forever once they discover this.
Both Relics and The Folded Land are complex, intricate stories following different factions among the Kin, and the humans who would exploit them. Some of the Kin want to hunker down and stay safe, others to rise up. Humans variously want to profit from Kin relics, wonder ate their beauty - or eat them. Often it's hard to tell who wants what, who is on whose side, with plenty of double dealing and guilt.
In The Edge, Lebbon tells a simpler story, rounding everything off. It's a more pared down book than either of its forerunners, bringing us back to the experiences and struggles of a few central characters. There is Mallian the Nephilim, a powerful being who wants the Kin to struggle for power - "Ascent" - and tread down impudent humans. There is Grace, the fairy Malliam sought to control but who turned on him. And there is Angela, Vince and Angela's niece Sammi, who was affected by an attack by Grace which has left her with developing abilities.
Much of the ambiguity of the previous books is gone, and we know where we stand, which gives Lebbon more bandwidth (so to speak) to tell the story these books were, perhaps, always about - the love between Angela and Vince, what they have lost, and what they still have. We saw in Relics, especially, what Vince meant to Angela. Now she has lost him twice - Folded land saw him stranded in Grace's pocket universe, ironically alongside Mallian, whose dreams he helped destroy. Can she find him again? And if she does, can she keep him, at a time when great sacrifices may be required to face down the threat of Mallian? Living as a fugitive, Angela has also lost the ordinary life she had and, following Grace's attack, her sister. And teenage Sammi feels herself changing, which is also a loss of sorts.
There is a real sense here, as the endgame commences, of unfinished business. Lebbon gives us a new character, Bone, who as a boy was driven from his home town of Longford when the army gassed and flooded it. Bone has secrets, and has spent his life hunting the Kin. Mallian, obviously, has his own plans. Grace finds herself distracted from the Folded Land that she created. And out there is a government agency which has the Kin in its sights.
As I said, this is a simpler story, with less of a feeling of "what's going on?" but that is amply compensated for by a narrative drive, a feeling of coming disaster, of ending and a really fast pace. The story drives onwards, blurring the boundaries between fantasy and thriller as the Kin seem about to come out into the open and challenge the humans - who have taken over their world - to respond.
All through these books I've been struck by Lebbon's ability to depict the horror both of what are often, literally, cruel monsters, horrors from our darkest dreams and the chaos and devastation wrought by humanity on the natural world. That's symbolised here by the town of Longford and its fate, as it was in The Folded Land by the destruction of a forest where a tree-spirit sheltered. Conflict between the two seems wired into the nature of reality, but what will be the result if the Kin fight back seriously?
A satisfying ending to the series overall, an exciting book - and do I see Lebbon leaving himself a way out, perhaps, to further stories?
Strongly recommended.
June 9, 2021
Here we are at the end of the Relic trilogy from Tim Lebbon. I've read these last two books over a couple of months and it has been interesting to see where the main characters and story of the first book have moved on and continued. The second book I may not have given the highest marks but that was generally because it did hold that feeling of being the middle part of a larger story and there was no way to get around that. Here we see the main characters of Angela and Vince, Sammi finding her true self, confront Mallian the nihilistic Kin beast using the fairy Grace to take on and fight the human world. There are some new extra characters added in once again with their own fascinating backstories and paths to follow. Here in this last book we get the conclusion of the continued battle between Kin and humankind. It moves along well, it has hope, dangers, love, friendship and more.
This trilogy seemed to show another style and subgenre from Lebbon which I would certainly like to see more of in future.
This trilogy seemed to show another style and subgenre from Lebbon which I would certainly like to see more of in future.
May 4, 2025
This is the third book in the Relics trilogy. I didn't know that when I picked it up. I was just looking for a Dark Fantasy and this came up with a Google search. I was worried that I wouldn't like/understand this book without reading the early pair, but I had no problem understanding what was going on.
In the previous books, a dark fairy has transported a large (really large) patch of land to another dimension so they fantastical creatures can exist without harm from humans. Oh, and she feeds off these creatures to continue her existence. One human was accidentally transported with these creatures and is doing his best to survive. Bound to the ground and unable to move is another dark elf, who dreams of escaping his state and plotting revenge the one who put him there and the humans he despises. Guess what happens? He gets loose, returns to earth, and starts his revenge.
This is a decent read, but there were moments that seemed repetitive: leave the dark dimension, return, escape, go back, etc. I enjoyed the characters, but not everything they did.
In the previous books, a dark fairy has transported a large (really large) patch of land to another dimension so they fantastical creatures can exist without harm from humans. Oh, and she feeds off these creatures to continue her existence. One human was accidentally transported with these creatures and is doing his best to survive. Bound to the ground and unable to move is another dark elf, who dreams of escaping his state and plotting revenge the one who put him there and the humans he despises. Guess what happens? He gets loose, returns to earth, and starts his revenge.
This is a decent read, but there were moments that seemed repetitive: leave the dark dimension, return, escape, go back, etc. I enjoyed the characters, but not everything they did.
April 8, 2025
It is like the other books in the series with fairies, demonic evil creatures, some humans, some part humans and worlds within worlds so SOP. Good characters you hope don't die and others you do.
September 15, 2019
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Tim Lebbon's The Edge is the third and final novel in the Relics trilogy. It concludes the trilogy in an excellent way, because the author delivers a strong and exceptionally thrilling ending, in which all the plot threads come together in a satisfying way.
Now that I've read Relics, The Folded Land and The Edge, I can say that the Relics trilogy surpasses many urban fantasy series, because the author avoids easy solutions and writes fluently about the various characters that range from humans to supernatural beings knows as the Kin. To be honest, this trilogy is perhaps the best urban fantasy series I've ever read, because it's different, original and highly enjoyable. It's urban fantasy at its best and most captivating.
What makes The Edge compelling is that it has the complexity of literary novels and the atmosphere of urban dark fantasy and horror novels. It's a unique and entertaining fusion of many elements with a strong touch of brutality and rawness. This novel is - in terms of storytelling - a bit more straightforward and thriller-like than Relics and The Folded Land, because it's the culmination of a vast story arc, but it's very impressive and entertaining, because the author does an excellent job at bringing things to an end.
Here's a short recap of the happenings in the previous novels:
Relics introduces readers to a world where supernatural and mythological creatures known as the Kin exist and keep themselves hidden from humans. Although the Kin have stayed hidden, there are shady dealers who trade in their remnants and pay a lot of money to get them. Some of the Kin don't want to stay hidden anymore and are thinking of aggressively revealing themselves to humans. This event is called Ascent and the mastermind behind it is Mallian, the Nephilim. When Angela and Vince find themselves in the middle of these events, their lives change in a drastic way and nothing stays the same. The story continues in The Folded Land. In this novel, things gradually become even more complex and fascinating, because Angela has become a fugitive and has found out that the Kin can be found everywhere. Angela searches for her niece, Sammi, who is being led towards the Folded Land by the fairy Grace whom Angela and Vince helped to save in London.
The Edge begins with the flooding of the town of Longford. Bone, a young boy, escapes from Longford, avoids soldiers and witnesses how his hometown is turned into a reservoir. Then the story skips ahead forty years... Angela Gough is still on the run after what happened in London and is looking after her niece, Sammi. She has noticed strange things about Sammi, and she misses Vince, who is trapped inside the Fold, which is a pocket universe created by the ancient fairy Grace to be her eternal home. When Lilou visits Angela, she asks Angela and Sammi to come to Massachusetts with her. Lilou wants to go to Longford, because the remains of the town have been revealed due to a dam being ruptured. She lost an old friend there when the disaster happened. Meanwhile, Vince and Mallian are trapped inside the Fold. Mallian has not given up on his dream of Ascent and is making plans...
These events pave the way for an action-packed and memorable endgame which brings things to closure.
The characterisation in this novel is just as good as in the previous instalments and the author quickly recaps what has happened to the characters. The characters feel achingly realistic as if they were real persons. Both the human characters and the characters who are Kin are well-created and fascinating.
Here are a few words about some of the characters:
- Angela and Vince are still as intriguing as before. Angela is still on the run from the authorities who are looking for her because of her supposed part in the massacre in London. She knows that her situation is anything but easy and everything has changed. Vince is trying to escape from the Fold, but has not yet found a way to escape. His only companion is Mallian, the Nephilim, who doesn't care much about humans.
- Sammi is an especially interesting character. She used to be a normal girl before being hit by the fairy's lightning, but now she is changing into something else. The change frightens her, because what is happening to her draws her away from her old life, but she is also excited about becoming something more.
- Lilou is a nymph who can use her powers to seduce others. She has befriended Angela and Sammi and occasionally visits them. She wants to visit the town of Longford, because she once knew someone there.
- Bone is an interesting addition to the cast of characters, because he's a fascinating character. He is half-human and protects the Kin from those who seek to harm them.
- It was great to read again about the ancient fairy Grace and her deeds, because she has her own ambitions and needs that don't align with the needs of humans. In this novel, she is not entirely happy with her new home, because it is not what she intended it to be. There are things that weigh on her mind and she wants to find herself a fairy companion.
- Mallian the Nephilim has been captured by Grace, but he is not as helpless as one might think and has not given up. I enjoyed reading about Mallian, because the author reveals how mad his schemes are and how far he is willing to go in order to achieve his goal.
One of the best things about this novel is that not every character has a happy ending. I find this refreshing, because I'm fed up with forced happy endings (the story has a touch of bittersweetness to it that is lacking from many other urban fantasy stories). It's great that Tim Lebbon stays true to the story and its requirements, because it results in a fresh story that stays with the reader.
I was impressed by the author's depiction of how much destruction and harm humans have caused to the Kin. He fluently tells of how humans destroy things which they can't control and don't understand. I also enjoyed reading about how the author writes about what the Kin want and how they deal with humans, because many of them have lived in the shadows for a long time.
I like the author's writing style and prose. His way of writing about the events and the characters feels fresh and exciting.
I found the ending enjoyable and totally satisfying, because the author leaves no loose ends. I can mention that the endgame is worth waiting for, because it is action-packed and fast-paced in the best possible way. What happens in Longford is memorable in its madness and rawness.
If you love urban fantasy and enjoy gritty stories, you should immediately read Tim Lebbon's The Edge, because it will impress you. This novel belongs to the bookshelf of everybody who's a devoted fan of urban fantasy. Even if you're not an urban fantasy reader and don't normally read fantasy fiction, you should read this novel, because it's excellent.
Highly recommended!
Tim Lebbon's The Edge is the third and final novel in the Relics trilogy. It concludes the trilogy in an excellent way, because the author delivers a strong and exceptionally thrilling ending, in which all the plot threads come together in a satisfying way.
Now that I've read Relics, The Folded Land and The Edge, I can say that the Relics trilogy surpasses many urban fantasy series, because the author avoids easy solutions and writes fluently about the various characters that range from humans to supernatural beings knows as the Kin. To be honest, this trilogy is perhaps the best urban fantasy series I've ever read, because it's different, original and highly enjoyable. It's urban fantasy at its best and most captivating.
What makes The Edge compelling is that it has the complexity of literary novels and the atmosphere of urban dark fantasy and horror novels. It's a unique and entertaining fusion of many elements with a strong touch of brutality and rawness. This novel is - in terms of storytelling - a bit more straightforward and thriller-like than Relics and The Folded Land, because it's the culmination of a vast story arc, but it's very impressive and entertaining, because the author does an excellent job at bringing things to an end.
Here's a short recap of the happenings in the previous novels:
Relics introduces readers to a world where supernatural and mythological creatures known as the Kin exist and keep themselves hidden from humans. Although the Kin have stayed hidden, there are shady dealers who trade in their remnants and pay a lot of money to get them. Some of the Kin don't want to stay hidden anymore and are thinking of aggressively revealing themselves to humans. This event is called Ascent and the mastermind behind it is Mallian, the Nephilim. When Angela and Vince find themselves in the middle of these events, their lives change in a drastic way and nothing stays the same. The story continues in The Folded Land. In this novel, things gradually become even more complex and fascinating, because Angela has become a fugitive and has found out that the Kin can be found everywhere. Angela searches for her niece, Sammi, who is being led towards the Folded Land by the fairy Grace whom Angela and Vince helped to save in London.
The Edge begins with the flooding of the town of Longford. Bone, a young boy, escapes from Longford, avoids soldiers and witnesses how his hometown is turned into a reservoir. Then the story skips ahead forty years... Angela Gough is still on the run after what happened in London and is looking after her niece, Sammi. She has noticed strange things about Sammi, and she misses Vince, who is trapped inside the Fold, which is a pocket universe created by the ancient fairy Grace to be her eternal home. When Lilou visits Angela, she asks Angela and Sammi to come to Massachusetts with her. Lilou wants to go to Longford, because the remains of the town have been revealed due to a dam being ruptured. She lost an old friend there when the disaster happened. Meanwhile, Vince and Mallian are trapped inside the Fold. Mallian has not given up on his dream of Ascent and is making plans...
These events pave the way for an action-packed and memorable endgame which brings things to closure.
The characterisation in this novel is just as good as in the previous instalments and the author quickly recaps what has happened to the characters. The characters feel achingly realistic as if they were real persons. Both the human characters and the characters who are Kin are well-created and fascinating.
Here are a few words about some of the characters:
- Angela and Vince are still as intriguing as before. Angela is still on the run from the authorities who are looking for her because of her supposed part in the massacre in London. She knows that her situation is anything but easy and everything has changed. Vince is trying to escape from the Fold, but has not yet found a way to escape. His only companion is Mallian, the Nephilim, who doesn't care much about humans.
- Sammi is an especially interesting character. She used to be a normal girl before being hit by the fairy's lightning, but now she is changing into something else. The change frightens her, because what is happening to her draws her away from her old life, but she is also excited about becoming something more.
- Lilou is a nymph who can use her powers to seduce others. She has befriended Angela and Sammi and occasionally visits them. She wants to visit the town of Longford, because she once knew someone there.
- Bone is an interesting addition to the cast of characters, because he's a fascinating character. He is half-human and protects the Kin from those who seek to harm them.
- It was great to read again about the ancient fairy Grace and her deeds, because she has her own ambitions and needs that don't align with the needs of humans. In this novel, she is not entirely happy with her new home, because it is not what she intended it to be. There are things that weigh on her mind and she wants to find herself a fairy companion.
- Mallian the Nephilim has been captured by Grace, but he is not as helpless as one might think and has not given up. I enjoyed reading about Mallian, because the author reveals how mad his schemes are and how far he is willing to go in order to achieve his goal.
One of the best things about this novel is that not every character has a happy ending. I find this refreshing, because I'm fed up with forced happy endings (the story has a touch of bittersweetness to it that is lacking from many other urban fantasy stories). It's great that Tim Lebbon stays true to the story and its requirements, because it results in a fresh story that stays with the reader.
I was impressed by the author's depiction of how much destruction and harm humans have caused to the Kin. He fluently tells of how humans destroy things which they can't control and don't understand. I also enjoyed reading about how the author writes about what the Kin want and how they deal with humans, because many of them have lived in the shadows for a long time.
I like the author's writing style and prose. His way of writing about the events and the characters feels fresh and exciting.
I found the ending enjoyable and totally satisfying, because the author leaves no loose ends. I can mention that the endgame is worth waiting for, because it is action-packed and fast-paced in the best possible way. What happens in Longford is memorable in its madness and rawness.
If you love urban fantasy and enjoy gritty stories, you should immediately read Tim Lebbon's The Edge, because it will impress you. This novel belongs to the bookshelf of everybody who's a devoted fan of urban fantasy. Even if you're not an urban fantasy reader and don't normally read fantasy fiction, you should read this novel, because it's excellent.
Highly recommended!
April 26, 2023
Rating: 1.5 out of 5
Related Book Reviews:
Relics (Relics #1)
The Folded Land (Relics #2)
In a bit of an unconventional twist, I would like to start this review out with a quote from a different novel, as I feel it captures my thoughts on this book excellently.
-Walter Moers, The City of Dreaming Books (link to my review)
While there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with books intended for mass consumption, there is something wrong with creating rubbish. Rubbish that’s not just in ‘poor taste’ but is objectively rubbish. The entire Relics series consistently went downhill after the first 2/3rds or so of the first book. Relics itself was a pretty decent novel with an interesting concept: what happens when a black market trade in the remains of mythological creatures discovers that the creatures still exist? Relics was a fusion of crime, urban fantasy and horror. In the second book of the trilogy, The Folded Lands, Lebbon switches exclusively to the urban fantasy genre, abandoning the interesting ideas in the series and becoming a poorly written and trope filled book. Sadly this trajectory continued unabated in The Edge. Above all, I feel like this was a low effort book, I don’t think Lebbon or the publisher/editor really cared about it.
Plot: 1.5 out of 5
Setting/Worldbuilding: 1 out of 5
Characters: 1 out of 5
Writing Style 2 out of 5
Personal Enjoyment: 1 out of 5
I really couldn’t get into this at all, I just wanted the book to be done. I couldn’t care less if everyone died, or if an atrocity was committed, or who it happened too.
There is absolutely no character development whatsoever in either The Folded Lands or The Edge. The characters remain entirely static, with an excessive number of paragraphs dedicated to rehashing their characteristics using slightly different terminology.
Lebbon attempts to create a love triangle between Angela, Vince, and the nymph Lilou. Love triangles are generally disgusting in and of themselves, but this imaginary triangle was even worse, and to top it off, it didn’t really impact the plot (vomits internally).
In the end I am just really disappointed, Relics, while not high quality literature by any means, was quite entertaining. Lebbon is a good writer, and several of his other books look very interesting, but neither The Folded Lands nor The Edge was worth reading.
Related Book Reviews:
Relics (Relics #1)
The Folded Land (Relics #2)
In a bit of an unconventional twist, I would like to start this review out with a quote from a different novel, as I feel it captures my thoughts on this book excellently.
The problem is this: in order to make money - lots of money - we don’t need flawless literary masterpieces. What we need is mediocre rubbish, trash suitable for mass consumption. More and more, bigger and bigger blockbusters of less and less significance. What counts is the paper we sell, not the words that are printed on it.
-Walter Moers, The City of Dreaming Books (link to my review)
While there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with books intended for mass consumption, there is something wrong with creating rubbish. Rubbish that’s not just in ‘poor taste’ but is objectively rubbish. The entire Relics series consistently went downhill after the first 2/3rds or so of the first book. Relics itself was a pretty decent novel with an interesting concept: what happens when a black market trade in the remains of mythological creatures discovers that the creatures still exist? Relics was a fusion of crime, urban fantasy and horror. In the second book of the trilogy, The Folded Lands, Lebbon switches exclusively to the urban fantasy genre, abandoning the interesting ideas in the series and becoming a poorly written and trope filled book. Sadly this trajectory continued unabated in The Edge. Above all, I feel like this was a low effort book, I don’t think Lebbon or the publisher/editor really cared about it.
Plot: 1.5 out of 5
Setting/Worldbuilding: 1 out of 5
Characters: 1 out of 5
Writing Style 2 out of 5
Personal Enjoyment: 1 out of 5
I really couldn’t get into this at all, I just wanted the book to be done. I couldn’t care less if everyone died, or if an atrocity was committed, or who it happened too.
There is absolutely no character development whatsoever in either The Folded Lands or The Edge. The characters remain entirely static, with an excessive number of paragraphs dedicated to rehashing their characteristics using slightly different terminology.
Lebbon attempts to create a love triangle between Angela, Vince, and the nymph Lilou. Love triangles are generally disgusting in and of themselves, but this imaginary triangle was even worse, and to top it off, it didn’t really impact the plot (vomits internally).
In the end I am just really disappointed, Relics, while not high quality literature by any means, was quite entertaining. Lebbon is a good writer, and several of his other books look very interesting, but neither The Folded Lands nor The Edge was worth reading.
May 12, 2022
There has to be a spell that can destroy the new Death Star! or my **** Star review of The Edge by Tim Lebbon
And so the final does bring everything to a ultimate battle of a conclusion.
And I do mean an ultimate battle.
Most of the book has Vince trapped in the Folded Land with a pinned down Mallian along with other Kin like a Troll or Dwarf creature burrowing in the hills. But as Grace must survive the only source of food was other Kin so chewing off chunks of them but not killing them, she creates quite the enemies list in her own land, and eventually the Nephilim is able to get aid in escaping, and capturing Grace and begins resuming his plan to cause an uprising of his kind.
Meanwhile as Angela and the nymph Lilou are able to reunite with her niece Sammi before Grace can capture her... But they are drawn out of 2 years of hiding, and almost hypnotically lead to the ruins of a former reservoir and a flooded town Langford where a deadly disease had been attempted to be contained, but an infected werewolf, and gargoyle have survived, and are now nothing more than berserk beasts. Here we are also introduced to Bone as we sadly discovers his father is in fact the infected gargoyle. But as he Grace, Angela, Sammi, Mallian, are all drawn here as it sets up the final bate between mankind and the humans.
So after two years trapped in the Folded Land Vince and Angela are reunited as he escapes but so has Mallian and with Grace under his control using her own magic against her, and then also controlling the infected, he begins his war on mankind and the shit does indeed hit the fan. At one point I thought the book might end with Vince and Angela defeating the evil fairy and giant Nephilim and all reburied into the secret shadows. But no...when they call in the army they do arrive it is an all out war as flying griffins swoop down, grabbing soldiers, machines guns and rockets fire as giant cyclops, and centurions overturn vehicles.
Now it is mentioned that like a thousand years ago there was another Kin uprising , back before they retreated even deeper into the , but that rebellion end when the evil fairy enlisted to help suddenly refused to do so. And in a way the same thing happens in the modern setting and in both cases I was somewhat perplexed as to why this kept happening. Did I miss something?
Other than that I thought this was a most satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I cared enough for all the characters to genuinely be interested in following them through this journey, and the drama, action, and violence off set nicely to the tangible love affair between Angela and Vince. Their reunion after his two years in the fold was a pinnacle in the dark surrounding story. -DCO
And so the final does bring everything to a ultimate battle of a conclusion.
And I do mean an ultimate battle.
Most of the book has Vince trapped in the Folded Land with a pinned down Mallian along with other Kin like a Troll or Dwarf creature burrowing in the hills. But as Grace must survive the only source of food was other Kin so chewing off chunks of them but not killing them, she creates quite the enemies list in her own land, and eventually the Nephilim is able to get aid in escaping, and capturing Grace and begins resuming his plan to cause an uprising of his kind.
Meanwhile as Angela and the nymph Lilou are able to reunite with her niece Sammi before Grace can capture her... But they are drawn out of 2 years of hiding, and almost hypnotically lead to the ruins of a former reservoir and a flooded town Langford where a deadly disease had been attempted to be contained, but an infected werewolf, and gargoyle have survived, and are now nothing more than berserk beasts. Here we are also introduced to Bone as we sadly discovers his father is in fact the infected gargoyle. But as he Grace, Angela, Sammi, Mallian, are all drawn here as it sets up the final bate between mankind and the humans.
So after two years trapped in the Folded Land Vince and Angela are reunited as he escapes but so has Mallian and with Grace under his control using her own magic against her, and then also controlling the infected, he begins his war on mankind and the shit does indeed hit the fan. At one point I thought the book might end with Vince and Angela defeating the evil fairy and giant Nephilim and all reburied into the secret shadows. But no...when they call in the army they do arrive it is an all out war as flying griffins swoop down, grabbing soldiers, machines guns and rockets fire as giant cyclops, and centurions overturn vehicles.
Now it is mentioned that like a thousand years ago there was another Kin uprising , back before they retreated even deeper into the , but that rebellion end when the evil fairy enlisted to help suddenly refused to do so. And in a way the same thing happens in the modern setting and in both cases I was somewhat perplexed as to why this kept happening. Did I miss something?
Other than that I thought this was a most satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I cared enough for all the characters to genuinely be interested in following them through this journey, and the drama, action, and violence off set nicely to the tangible love affair between Angela and Vince. Their reunion after his two years in the fold was a pinnacle in the dark surrounding story. -DCO
May 8, 2021
This trilogy is without doubt the worst one I have ever read. That'll teach me to get all 3 on the recommendation of a friend (soon to be ex-friend!). It's bad in so many ways. It's really badly written. It's derivative of so many better stories. It's dull. It's shallow. It's predictable. It's absolute dross. I gave 'Relics' a grudging 2 stars... not realising the first 100 pages were the high spot!
It's shallow - We learn absolutely nothing about any of the characters apart from in broad terms. Angela and Vince Love Luv Wuv each other. She's American. He's a bit of a geezer. After 3 books you'd have thought we'd know a bit more. But no... they're one dimensional and oh so boring. The most intriguing characters were killed off in books one and two... but even they were pale imitations of far better characters.
It's boring - So much set-up told in boring one-dimensional prosaic style. So much repetition. Sometimes telling you what you read a paragraph or two before. So little actual description of anything beyond blood and gore. Nothing is vivid. No characters are fully realised. There's no drama. Nothing and no-one to care about. And in the end it's oh so predictable.
I had a quick scan of some of the comments and just cannot believe some of the comments. It's a really bad series of books. In the past I can understand why people have liked books I haven't (like the Gormanghast trilogy for instance). I can see the craft and the good points, even though I haven't liked it for some reason, be it writing-style or characters I don't like, etc. With this series there is NO writing style beyond that it's bad. There are no characters I don't like... or like. Because they're so dull. I don't care.
I'll be making notes on who gives this book more than 2 stars so that I can avoid anything they recommend.
Do yourselves a favour and give this series a wide berth.
It's shallow - We learn absolutely nothing about any of the characters apart from in broad terms. Angela and Vince Love Luv Wuv each other. She's American. He's a bit of a geezer. After 3 books you'd have thought we'd know a bit more. But no... they're one dimensional and oh so boring. The most intriguing characters were killed off in books one and two... but even they were pale imitations of far better characters.
It's boring - So much set-up told in boring one-dimensional prosaic style. So much repetition. Sometimes telling you what you read a paragraph or two before. So little actual description of anything beyond blood and gore. Nothing is vivid. No characters are fully realised. There's no drama. Nothing and no-one to care about. And in the end it's oh so predictable.
I had a quick scan of some of the comments and just cannot believe some of the comments. It's a really bad series of books. In the past I can understand why people have liked books I haven't (like the Gormanghast trilogy for instance). I can see the craft and the good points, even though I haven't liked it for some reason, be it writing-style or characters I don't like, etc. With this series there is NO writing style beyond that it's bad. There are no characters I don't like... or like. Because they're so dull. I don't care.
I'll be making notes on who gives this book more than 2 stars so that I can avoid anything they recommend.
Do yourselves a favour and give this series a wide berth.
August 21, 2019
I was kindly gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for review.
I've read the previous two books in this series and really enjoyed them. I actually enjoyed book 2 more than the first so I had high hopes for this final book but unfortunately it wasn't as good as I had hoped for.
Book 2 left off in a great way and I was super keen to dive into this one. I was expecting a lot of action and high stakes but I just feel like this is what we were lacking. I enjoyed the writing and the overarching story as I've said in my reviews of the previous two books but the subplot of this one made the story feel a little bit disjointed. In each of the previous books we've been introduced to new characters and their story and these integrated well with the overarching plot but the character and story introduced in this one, I don't feel, really added anything to the plot. Due to this the story felt a bit slow to start but the pace did begin to pick up after about half way and I was excited for what was to come as this is the part I had been waiting for but I didn't quite get what I wanted. I wanted action, high stakes, on the edge of your seat story telling but, although the pace did pick up, it wasn't quite enough for me.
As I said, I liked the characters (mostly), I did think at one point Angela was going to turn into one of these characters who act before they think but luckily she didn't, and I liked the overall story line. I feel this book wrapped up the trilogy fine, the ending was satisfactory and we weren't left with any loose ends or unfinished story arcs but unfortunately it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.
I've read the previous two books in this series and really enjoyed them. I actually enjoyed book 2 more than the first so I had high hopes for this final book but unfortunately it wasn't as good as I had hoped for.
Book 2 left off in a great way and I was super keen to dive into this one. I was expecting a lot of action and high stakes but I just feel like this is what we were lacking. I enjoyed the writing and the overarching story as I've said in my reviews of the previous two books but the subplot of this one made the story feel a little bit disjointed. In each of the previous books we've been introduced to new characters and their story and these integrated well with the overarching plot but the character and story introduced in this one, I don't feel, really added anything to the plot. Due to this the story felt a bit slow to start but the pace did begin to pick up after about half way and I was excited for what was to come as this is the part I had been waiting for but I didn't quite get what I wanted. I wanted action, high stakes, on the edge of your seat story telling but, although the pace did pick up, it wasn't quite enough for me.
As I said, I liked the characters (mostly), I did think at one point Angela was going to turn into one of these characters who act before they think but luckily she didn't, and I liked the overall story line. I feel this book wrapped up the trilogy fine, the ending was satisfactory and we weren't left with any loose ends or unfinished story arcs but unfortunately it just didn't quite live up to my expectations.
December 7, 2024
This is the conclusion of the Relics trilogy. The first book, about Angela and her boyfriend Vince's discovery that the relics of ancient supernatural creatures were not of extinct beings but creatures who still existed, turned into a standard urban fantasy with magical creatures living hidden in the modern world.
Book two ended with Vince trapped in the Fold, with the faerie Grace, who has staked the nephilim Mallion to the ground and torments him and the other Kin endlessly. Meanwhile Angela is stuck in the normal world, not knowing if Vince is still alive, and trying to take care of her niece, Sammi, whose own faerie blood is beginning to assert itself.
Like the first two books, The Edge is a pretty gory book, with Kin and humans being ripped apart in various grisly ways. Eventually of course we know Angela and Vince will be reunited, and Sammi will be the key to defeating both Mallion and Grace. I was not expecting the author to threaten to rip open the "Masquerade" and have the Kin reemerge into public, and there is a showdown at the end where it looks like it's going to be the U.S. Army vs. nephillim and werewolves and dragons.
Overall this was a fun if not terribly original series. A few named characters die, there is a semi-final resolution, and the world goes on. Most of the characters were never fleshed out in much detail and we never get much knowledge of the Kin. I liked it well enough but wouldn't consider it a series that needs another sequel.
Book two ended with Vince trapped in the Fold, with the faerie Grace, who has staked the nephilim Mallion to the ground and torments him and the other Kin endlessly. Meanwhile Angela is stuck in the normal world, not knowing if Vince is still alive, and trying to take care of her niece, Sammi, whose own faerie blood is beginning to assert itself.
Like the first two books, The Edge is a pretty gory book, with Kin and humans being ripped apart in various grisly ways. Eventually of course we know Angela and Vince will be reunited, and Sammi will be the key to defeating both Mallion and Grace. I was not expecting the author to threaten to rip open the "Masquerade" and have the Kin reemerge into public, and there is a showdown at the end where it looks like it's going to be the U.S. Army vs. nephillim and werewolves and dragons.
Overall this was a fun if not terribly original series. A few named characters die, there is a semi-final resolution, and the world goes on. Most of the characters were never fleshed out in much detail and we never get much knowledge of the Kin. I liked it well enough but wouldn't consider it a series that needs another sequel.
February 2, 2020
Wow!
The 3rd of the series is the best one yet! I would rate it 4.5, losing half a star because I found there was too much repetition as it related back to the previous 2 books (for those that may not have them or as reminders) but as I read the 3 books back to back it became a little annoying.
This book picks up about 2 years after the second book. We have a lot of returning characters and lots of action. I won't get into the characters so I don't ruin who survives the 1st two books. I never read the full book jacket synopsis either as I find it often gives too much away. I tend to enjoy books better knowing very little about them when I start.
The book is leading up to a huge war between Kin (supernatural and mythical creatures) and humans. Many Kin welcome the fight and the idea of human death and bloodshed, but some do not. We also have some new characters thrown in as well as a deadly man-made virus, just because the characters didn't already have enough to worry about.
A very entertaining read!
The 3rd of the series is the best one yet! I would rate it 4.5, losing half a star because I found there was too much repetition as it related back to the previous 2 books (for those that may not have them or as reminders) but as I read the 3 books back to back it became a little annoying.
This book picks up about 2 years after the second book. We have a lot of returning characters and lots of action. I won't get into the characters so I don't ruin who survives the 1st two books. I never read the full book jacket synopsis either as I find it often gives too much away. I tend to enjoy books better knowing very little about them when I start.
The book is leading up to a huge war between Kin (supernatural and mythical creatures) and humans. Many Kin welcome the fight and the idea of human death and bloodshed, but some do not. We also have some new characters thrown in as well as a deadly man-made virus, just because the characters didn't already have enough to worry about.
A very entertaining read!
September 14, 2023
I did not enjoy this book. It is a pure fantasy book and the story is about the Kin which are many non-human creatures, including things like fairies, leprechauns, were creatures, trolls, and many other creatures. The town of Longford was infected by an infection that could not be controlled and so the authorities had almost all creatures in the infected area killed and flooded the valley that Longford was in. Forty years later, the water drained out and the town was again revealed. Many of the Kin were interested in the town. This included the fairy Grace and the Nephilim Mallian who wanted there to be a great war between Nims and humans.
June 15, 2025
Forty years ago a small town was infected and then literally covered up by the government to keep the Kin that lived there from getting out.
One half human boy escaped and has tried to protect his kind ever since.
Now the town of Longford gets uncovered and the man who escaped comes into contact with Angela, Vince and their half fairy niece Sammi, who have been on the run for years.
Together they must now prevent an oncoming war between Kin and humans.
Book three of the Relics Trilogy is again entertaining enough, but just like book two it sometimes feels like the story is stretched out a bit too much, just so it can fill three books.
3.75 stars.
One half human boy escaped and has tried to protect his kind ever since.
Now the town of Longford gets uncovered and the man who escaped comes into contact with Angela, Vince and their half fairy niece Sammi, who have been on the run for years.
Together they must now prevent an oncoming war between Kin and humans.
Book three of the Relics Trilogy is again entertaining enough, but just like book two it sometimes feels like the story is stretched out a bit too much, just so it can fill three books.
3.75 stars.
October 9, 2019
Started so well with book one & two. Two got a bit anchor like towards the end but hey ho, it ended up okay. 'The Edge' therefore was hugely anticipated and generally looked forward to. Four chapters in it has been sent off to the local charity store.
How can someone so clearly talented write in such an appalling style? I'd have given this book; all-be-it four chapters no stars if I could. Take time out fella and write something that will actually entertain the reader rather than responding to the publishers needs to meet whatever timeframe they feel needs meeting :)
How can someone so clearly talented write in such an appalling style? I'd have given this book; all-be-it four chapters no stars if I could. Take time out fella and write something that will actually entertain the reader rather than responding to the publishers needs to meet whatever timeframe they feel needs meeting :)
November 18, 2023
While I’ve had minor issues with his past books, nothing like The Edge. I trusted the author’s style would be like the ones I’ve previously read. However, I shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve looked closer. While the author used present-tense a bit in the past, this one was so much present tense I couldn’t even stand to read most of it. The chapters in past-tense were fewer and far between. Not only that, but the print was tiny and the very first chapter I read rambled on and on and I lost interest. I feel I ripped myself off with this one. Sorry, no ceegar.
November 14, 2021
Absolutely enjoyed this, a great ending to a there part series. I was surprised by the first novel with the sudden twist, the second title left me feeling a little disconnected and the grip that the storyline had on my was loosening but i was pleased by the third novel and the ending of the storyline.
I would recommend this series of novels for anyone looking for an adventure into the fantasy/horror genre.
I would recommend this series of novels for anyone looking for an adventure into the fantasy/horror genre.
February 26, 2024
If you loved the first two books, you would really enjoy this book
What can I say? I really enjoyed this series,I characters were well written, and the storyline was great, and to be honest about book three, I was not quite halfway when I couldn't stop reading/listening to the story
What can I say? I really enjoyed this series,I characters were well written, and the storyline was great, and to be honest about book three, I was not quite halfway when I couldn't stop reading/listening to the story
December 21, 2024
This was ok for me.
The story was decent, moved at a good pace, and kept me engaged.
That being said, I felt like it was lacking something. I don't know what, I just felt like there was something lacking.
Overall, I liked the series. It was inventive and interesting. Maybe I just want more stories in this world.
The story was decent, moved at a good pace, and kept me engaged.
That being said, I felt like it was lacking something. I don't know what, I just felt like there was something lacking.
Overall, I liked the series. It was inventive and interesting. Maybe I just want more stories in this world.
August 30, 2019
Ahh.. a totally satisfying end to the Relics Trilogy. As well-written as the first two. The story continuation and characterization as perfect as ever. I hope Lebbon could come up with a way to fit in a 4th book into the trilogy!
May 22, 2020
Interesting ending to the relic series, I didn’t mind the ending it kept me on my toes. I hoped Sammi would have come into her own a little more and maybe a little confrontation with Grace. But all in all a solid ending for these characters.
January 29, 2021
This was a good not great but good trilogy.but if you do like fantasy with stuff like fairies pixies & the weird stuff plus action adventure then you might enjoy this trilogy & by the way they are called Kin try it out.
September 1, 2021
Again, as with the first two, a fun read and a nice way to tie up the series. Of the three this was my least favorite. Feels a little bit like we’re throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. But! As a part to the series it is a good easy dark fantasy read.
March 26, 2022
Now this is the way to end a series! the suspense was masterfully done, the different characters stories brought to an end including those I thought might have been forgotten. And minor spoiler... Malion would have totally loved the nickname Angel of Death 😅
December 23, 2019
A very nice conclusion to the series. I thought it was the best of the three books.
Read
September 8, 2020Just glad to be done with the series.
November 15, 2020
I listened so I knew how the story ended but didn’t like this one like the first.
July 10, 2021
The ending seemed a beginning.
What happened to Sammi? The army?
What started as a great world building.storytelling, and enjoyment ENDED with a big “huh?”
What happened to Sammi? The army?
What started as a great world building.storytelling, and enjoyment ENDED with a big “huh?”
January 18, 2022
This was a free read from Audible plus, otherwise I probably would not have continued the series. I didn't like the final two "Relics" books.
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