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veraann's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the first couple books in this series. It took me a little while to get into the characters of this book. It could be because I really liked William and Cerise from the previous. Once I got into the characters though, I liked this book too. I also like how, even though the character focus changes, the world and stories tie together nicely.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
Third in The Edge paranormal-romance series involving a magickal dimension that exists alongside an alternate Earth called the Broken.
My Take
There are three "worlds" in the Edge series: the Weird where most things and people are powered by magic, the Broken where there is no magic, and the Edge, no-man's land between the Weird and the Broken where there are no rules.
I rather like that the family simply keeps growing as we interface with the major characters from On the Edge, 1, and Bayou Moon, 2, and new ones are added with this story.
I really don't feel sorry for Audrey at all; she should have simply backed away. I did enjoy Helena's negotiations with Alex; it just concluded too fast.
Audrey and Kaldar are two-of-a-kind, and it's fascinating to read the interaction between these two; they spark off each other and continually blow each other away, driving up their individual levels of respect. They're both grifters and can twist and turn any situation on its head. If you've ever wanted to see inside a grifter's operation…read this, for they get into more of these situations in these few days than most people do in several lifetimes. And the evolution of their romance is like nothing you have ever read before and an absolute hoot to follow.
Oh man, this is too much fun. I just finished reading it, and I already want to read it again!
The Story
Woo-hoo!!! Yes! Audrey has gotten herself a job. A real, ordinary job. She's legit! Damn, a job where she'll pay taxes and get a regular paycheck…!
Until she gets home and finds her dad has shown up needing her help on a chancy job. It's for her poor brother. The same one who sold her for drugs. Audrey makes a bargain with her father, and with his taking her up on it, she only needs to do this one last job. But it's a job that puts Kaldar Mar and the Hand on her trail.
On a parallel plot line, Jack is suffering from emotional overload and keeps getting into trouble. Bad trouble. This last incident Declan told Jack that changes would have to be made. Jack knows what that means, Hawk's, and he can't. He just can't do it. He needs William's help, and now Cerise and William are taking off on a mission. He just can't face Declan alone without William backing him up. William understands.
And so sets the collision course of Jack-George smashing into Kaldar-Audrey and creating the most unlikely team of Mirror agents as they infiltrate a corrupt tent-revival preacher's domain, a self-obsessed addict, a "mob" boss, and the persistent Hand agents dogging their trail.
The Characters
Audrey Callahan has escaped her oblivious family and just wants to be left alone to work for Dominic and his private investigation agency. She wants an ordinary, normal life. Well, yeah, she will still use her gift for locks. Ling the Merciless is the raccoon she rescued when he was a baby; a very useful accomplice in crime. Gnome is a man who runs a general store of sorts in the Edge with a bit of fencing on the side. Seamus Callahan is Audrey's dad, biologically. He's only ever seen her as a tool to prop up his addict son, Alex. Neither Callahan has any commonsense.
Kaldar Mar is an Edger, like Audrey. A thief, smuggler, pickpocket, gambler, a scam artist, a liar, and he doesn't hesitate at murder. He works for the Mirror in exchange for his family's safety. And revenge. He has an interesting gift with coins. One of his cousins is Cerise Sandine who is married to William Wolf (see Bayou Moon). Gaston is almost up to junior agent status for the Mirror.
Declan, Lord Camarine and the Marshal of the Southern Provinces, and Rose met up in On the Edge, and now they live in the Dukedom of Louisiana with her two brothers, Jack, a lynx shapeshifter who needs to tame the Wild, and George, a necromancer.
Lady Nancy Virai is the head of the Mirror, a secret policing agency for Adrianglia. Erwin is one of Lady Virai's flash sharpshooters.
The Hand is the Dukedom of Louisiana's counterpart. Only the Hand has no qualms, no morals in how it achieves its aims, and its agents are magically augmented — the Industrial Light and Magic people would enjoy this! Helena d'Amry is a Hound of the Golden Throne, a more elite department of the Hand; the wrecked and paralyzed Spider is her uncle. Lady d'Amry is even more cruelly ruthless than her team: Sebastian is her second-in-command, Karmarsh wants to be her second-in-command, Mura is a slayer shadow on loan, Soma and Killian are enhanced hunters, a lessarge-class operative, a boddus, Emily and Sobat are trackers, Cotier is a scout, and Jasmine.
Morell de Braose is a robber baron/slaver. Magadalene Moonflower, Clive Keener, and Kaleb Green are rivals. Ed Yonker is a tent-revival preacher they need to hamstring as part of the quid pro quo.
The Cover and Title
The cover is soft greens with a red-haired Audrey holding one big dagger in the middle of the woods with a gorgeously dreamy Mar in the upper right corner.
I'm interpreting the title as referring to both Audrey and Mar's fates that result from Fate's Edge that could impact those living in the Edge due to Audrey's actions.
My Take
There are three "worlds" in the Edge series: the Weird where most things and people are powered by magic, the Broken where there is no magic, and the Edge, no-man's land between the Weird and the Broken where there are no rules.
I rather like that the family simply keeps growing as we interface with the major characters from On the Edge, 1, and Bayou Moon, 2, and new ones are added with this story.
I really don't feel sorry for Audrey at all; she should have simply backed away. I did enjoy Helena's negotiations with Alex; it just concluded too fast.
Audrey and Kaldar are two-of-a-kind, and it's fascinating to read the interaction between these two; they spark off each other and continually blow each other away, driving up their individual levels of respect. They're both grifters and can twist and turn any situation on its head. If you've ever wanted to see inside a grifter's operation…read this, for they get into more of these situations in these few days than most people do in several lifetimes. And the evolution of their romance is like nothing you have ever read before and an absolute hoot to follow.
Oh man, this is too much fun. I just finished reading it, and I already want to read it again!
The Story
Woo-hoo!!! Yes! Audrey has gotten herself a job. A real, ordinary job. She's legit! Damn, a job where she'll pay taxes and get a regular paycheck…!
Until she gets home and finds her dad has shown up needing her help on a chancy job. It's for her poor brother. The same one who sold her for drugs. Audrey makes a bargain with her father, and with his taking her up on it, she only needs to do this one last job. But it's a job that puts Kaldar Mar and the Hand on her trail.
On a parallel plot line, Jack is suffering from emotional overload and keeps getting into trouble. Bad trouble. This last incident Declan told Jack that changes would have to be made. Jack knows what that means, Hawk's, and he can't. He just can't do it. He needs William's help, and now Cerise and William are taking off on a mission. He just can't face Declan alone without William backing him up. William understands.
And so sets the collision course of Jack-George smashing into Kaldar-Audrey and creating the most unlikely team of Mirror agents as they infiltrate a corrupt tent-revival preacher's domain, a self-obsessed addict, a "mob" boss, and the persistent Hand agents dogging their trail.
The Characters
Audrey Callahan has escaped her oblivious family and just wants to be left alone to work for Dominic and his private investigation agency. She wants an ordinary, normal life. Well, yeah, she will still use her gift for locks. Ling the Merciless is the raccoon she rescued when he was a baby; a very useful accomplice in crime. Gnome is a man who runs a general store of sorts in the Edge with a bit of fencing on the side. Seamus Callahan is Audrey's dad, biologically. He's only ever seen her as a tool to prop up his addict son, Alex. Neither Callahan has any commonsense.
Kaldar Mar is an Edger, like Audrey. A thief, smuggler, pickpocket, gambler, a scam artist, a liar, and he doesn't hesitate at murder. He works for the Mirror in exchange for his family's safety. And revenge. He has an interesting gift with coins. One of his cousins is Cerise Sandine who is married to William Wolf (see Bayou Moon). Gaston is almost up to junior agent status for the Mirror.
Declan, Lord Camarine and the Marshal of the Southern Provinces, and Rose met up in On the Edge, and now they live in the Dukedom of Louisiana with her two brothers, Jack, a lynx shapeshifter who needs to tame the Wild, and George, a necromancer.
Lady Nancy Virai is the head of the Mirror, a secret policing agency for Adrianglia. Erwin is one of Lady Virai's flash sharpshooters.
The Hand is the Dukedom of Louisiana's counterpart. Only the Hand has no qualms, no morals in how it achieves its aims, and its agents are magically augmented — the Industrial Light and Magic people would enjoy this! Helena d'Amry is a Hound of the Golden Throne, a more elite department of the Hand; the wrecked and paralyzed Spider is her uncle. Lady d'Amry is even more cruelly ruthless than her team: Sebastian is her second-in-command, Karmarsh wants to be her second-in-command, Mura is a slayer shadow on loan, Soma and Killian are enhanced hunters, a lessarge-class operative, a boddus, Emily and Sobat are trackers, Cotier is a scout, and Jasmine.
Morell de Braose is a robber baron/slaver. Magadalene Moonflower, Clive Keener, and Kaleb Green are rivals. Ed Yonker is a tent-revival preacher they need to hamstring as part of the quid pro quo.
The Cover and Title
The cover is soft greens with a red-haired Audrey holding one big dagger in the middle of the woods with a gorgeously dreamy Mar in the upper right corner.
I'm interpreting the title as referring to both Audrey and Mar's fates that result from Fate's Edge that could impact those living in the Edge due to Audrey's actions.
majabwds's review against another edition
4.0
Fun adventure with high stakes, evil villains, magic, grifts, humor, action and romance.
yodamom's review against another edition
5.0
The Edge, the Weird, the Broken, all filled with twisted exciting people. Their stories never fail to hold me entranced. This addition to the series had me chasing through the worlds with Kaldar, our con-hero as he tracks down a stolen item of great value. His tracking leads him to a beautiful, skilled and reluctant con-women with special lock skills, Audrey. She hates him he wants to be rid of her,and the big bad's want to filet them both. Two of a kind, they find it hard to pull one on the other making for some funny moments. They tumble through it, and not easily.
Jack and George steal the book with their witty remarks and outlooks. They are teenagers now and full of all the spiked independence you would expect. They are the dynamic duo plus. They hold each other up support each other and are willing to die to help. Gaston was another fun young character, I wish he had more parts. I love these characters.
This book had a different pace and feel from the other two in the series. It was nice to have a fresh look into their world. I really enjoyed it, the first book, The Edge is still my favorite in the series. ah but- There is so much going on it needs another read. This one goes one the top shelf to re-read soon
Jack and George steal the book with their witty remarks and outlooks. They are teenagers now and full of all the spiked independence you would expect. They are the dynamic duo plus. They hold each other up support each other and are willing to die to help. Gaston was another fun young character, I wish he had more parts. I love these characters.
This book had a different pace and feel from the other two in the series. It was nice to have a fresh look into their world. I really enjoyed it, the first book, The Edge is still my favorite in the series. ah but- There is so much going on it needs another read. This one goes one the top shelf to re-read soon
jenhurst's review against another edition
4.0
After the uneven start of the first book, this was solid. I loved the plot and the magic of the edge. The writing also improves a lot between Ilona Andrews early works and their later works.
cobaltbookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
While the plot was dragging in middle, but romance was amazing, and I loved we got Jack and George POV. Their relationship is so wholesome.
While the plot was dragging in middle, but romance was amazing, and I loved we got Jack and George POV. Their relationship is so wholesome.
magikspells's review against another edition
3.0
Can we be honest, all of these books go the same way. There's a broken beautiful girl that is down on her luck until she meets a man that she hates. Said man is obsessed with her and cajoles her until finally the girl gives in and they live happily ever after.
katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
Yay, the smart ass cousin from the last book gets his own book! And yay, the kids are back. And we have... a heist plot? Kind of?
kzimm2024's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Re-read April 2024, original read was 2018 and 5 stars with no review.
Man, I really liked this story this time around. I have the privilege to see the story arc into the Innkeeper series as well as see George, Jack and Gaston as young troublemaking punks. It bends my brain a little, since Innkeeper is more alien with other worlds and Edge is more magic on 1 planet, but somehow they made it work!
Kaldar was terrific, 38 highlights! The whole story was well balanced with adventure, romance, blood & gore and the snappy dialogue we have come to know and love from IA.
Spoilers & highlights ahead:
Audrey wanted a legit life, no more scams and cons.
Her family was a problem:
But she was Seamus’s daughter, and twenty-three years of grifting made her voice calm and light.
“How did you find me?”
“I have my ways.” Seamus opened the bag and poured some flour into the batter. “I’m making my patented silver-dollar pancakes. You remember those, don’t you?”
“Sure, Dad. I remember.”
He was in her kitchen, touching her things. She would bleach it all after he was gone.
She gets roped into 1 last heist and boy it is a doozy. It leads to all kinds of trouble.
George- this is where he learns his scheming ways!
George shook his head again. “They will send you to Hawk’s after that for sure. No, we need an actual plan.”
“Well, I don’t have one,” Jack growled.
--------------
Jack looked at the wyvern. It was a large cabin. Large enough to hide in, especially if it was packed with crates and bags.
“Let me talk to Gaston. We can’t pull it off without him. If it goes well, we pack tonight,” George said. “We’ll tell Declan and Rose we have an overnight camp for school. By the time they realize we’re gone, we’ll be in California.”
“Gaston won’t help,” Jack said.
“Let me worry about that.”
--------------
George sank a fist into Jack’s ear. Pain exploded in his head. Ow.
Jack punched him in the ribs.
A huge fist landed on his head. The world got fuzzy for a second, and Jack went down.
Half a second later, George sprawled next to him, clutching the back of his head.
“Nothing, just some crates shifting,” Gaston called out.
Jack pointed to the front of the cabin and put his fist into his palm. George nodded. When they got out of here, Gaston would be in for a treat.
--------------
“THIS wasn’t one of my better ideas,” George murmured.
“Yes, but it’s fun.” Jack strode down the street.
The sun shone bright, and he squinted at it. Kaldar’s scent floated on the breeze, spiced with the deep, resin-saturated aroma of eucalyptus. “When was the last time you’ve had fun, George?”
He stretched “George” out the way Adrianglian blueblood girls did.
George looked sour. “I’m too busy making sure that you don’t kill anybody or get killed to have fun.”
“Blah-blah-blah.”
Kaldar discovers the stowaways and they all beat a hasty retreat:
Kaldar adjusted the rearview mirror until Jack’s face swung into view. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“They were torturing the cat,” Jack said. That explained volumes and nothing at all.
“Who else knows you’re here?”
“Why are you asking?” George asked.
“So I would know if I could kill you and dispose of the bodies.”
Kaldar reluctantly includes the boys in his plans to meet Audrey and they hit up a thrift store for clothes:
In the backseat, George wore a gray hoodie with a pocket in front and ripped jeans that needed to be thrown away. Kaldar had also bought him a used skateboard, a plank of wood on four wheels. George caught him looking. “What?”
“You look ridiculous,” Jack told him.
“This from a guy who strips naked and runs around in the woods.”
and on it goes! Its so good. Basically Kaldar has to find these magic bracelets but its a crumb trail to follow and along it he meets Audrey who is more than a match for him.
Audrey slapped a piece of duct tape over his lips.
He growled and lunged at her, but his arms didn’t move. She’d zip-tied him to his chair. He’d been had. She’d tricked him like he was a sucker. Like he was a child.
The moment he got free, she would regret it. He would make her deeply regret it.
-------------
The way she sat now, leaning forward frowning, biting her pink bottom lip, her shirt dipping to reveal a hint of her cleavage . . .
He wondered idly if he could get her to bend over a little farther . . .
“Just what are you staring at, exactly?”
Kaldar snapped back to reality. “You. You’ve been thinking hard for the last five minutes. It’s not good for you to strain your pretty little head like that. I’m waiting for the steam to shoot out of your ears to relieve the pressure on your brain.”
“Aha.” Audrey glanced at Jack and George. “What you have here is a man who was caught gaping at my breasts, and now he’s trying to cover it up with rudeness.”
Kaldar lost it and laughed.
Gaston was great in this story too:
Kaldar kicked some bushes, forcing them to rustle.
“Hurry up, Gaston!”
His nephew pushed to his feet, swiped the buckets off the ground, and croaked in a choked-up voice. “Yes, master.”
Kaldar rolled his eyes and carried the buckets to the wyvern’s mouth to feed him.
------------------
Audrey tapped Gaston’s shoulder with her finger.
“Think you can get into that barn?”
Gaston shrugged his muscular shoulders. “Sure.”
“I need you to get down there, open the stalls inside, and panic the horses.”
“ ‘Panic’?” Gaston asked.
“Smile at them or something.”
He gave her an insane grin. “I can do that.”
“What about me?” Kaldar whispered.
“You lie here and look pretty. I’ll be back.”
Kaldar and Audrey are perfect together as they plan a con on a preacher:
“How long will you need at the mall?” Kaldar asked.
“At least four hours.”
He blinked.
“Manicure, pedicure, wax, hair, makeup, clothes, jewelry. You’ll be lucky if I’m out of there by three in the afternoon.”
“I’ll count my blessings,” he said. “Don’t buy anything tasteful.”
“Shut up. Do you think this is my first time?”
and so many more good highlights- stopping here. I really liked how Audrey was able to swindle her way into getting Kaldar rescued there at the end!
Question though...
Did William find out that Spider survived? Would have loved to peek in on THAT conversation between Kaldar and William.
Man, I really liked this story this time around. I have the privilege to see the story arc into the Innkeeper series as well as see George, Jack and Gaston as young troublemaking punks. It bends my brain a little, since Innkeeper is more alien with other worlds and Edge is more magic on 1 planet, but somehow they made it work!
Kaldar was terrific, 38 highlights! The whole story was well balanced with adventure, romance, blood & gore and the snappy dialogue we have come to know and love from IA.
Spoilers & highlights ahead:
Audrey wanted a legit life, no more scams and cons.
Her family was a problem:
But she was Seamus’s daughter, and twenty-three years of grifting made her voice calm and light.
“How did you find me?”
“I have my ways.” Seamus opened the bag and poured some flour into the batter. “I’m making my patented silver-dollar pancakes. You remember those, don’t you?”
“Sure, Dad. I remember.”
He was in her kitchen, touching her things. She would bleach it all after he was gone.
She gets roped into 1 last heist and boy it is a doozy. It leads to all kinds of trouble.
George- this is where he learns his scheming ways!
George shook his head again. “They will send you to Hawk’s after that for sure. No, we need an actual plan.”
“Well, I don’t have one,” Jack growled.
--------------
Jack looked at the wyvern. It was a large cabin. Large enough to hide in, especially if it was packed with crates and bags.
“Let me talk to Gaston. We can’t pull it off without him. If it goes well, we pack tonight,” George said. “We’ll tell Declan and Rose we have an overnight camp for school. By the time they realize we’re gone, we’ll be in California.”
“Gaston won’t help,” Jack said.
“Let me worry about that.”
--------------
George sank a fist into Jack’s ear. Pain exploded in his head. Ow.
Jack punched him in the ribs.
A huge fist landed on his head. The world got fuzzy for a second, and Jack went down.
Half a second later, George sprawled next to him, clutching the back of his head.
“Nothing, just some crates shifting,” Gaston called out.
Jack pointed to the front of the cabin and put his fist into his palm. George nodded. When they got out of here, Gaston would be in for a treat.
--------------
“THIS wasn’t one of my better ideas,” George murmured.
“Yes, but it’s fun.” Jack strode down the street.
The sun shone bright, and he squinted at it. Kaldar’s scent floated on the breeze, spiced with the deep, resin-saturated aroma of eucalyptus. “When was the last time you’ve had fun, George?”
He stretched “George” out the way Adrianglian blueblood girls did.
George looked sour. “I’m too busy making sure that you don’t kill anybody or get killed to have fun.”
“Blah-blah-blah.”
Kaldar discovers the stowaways and they all beat a hasty retreat:
Kaldar adjusted the rearview mirror until Jack’s face swung into view. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“They were torturing the cat,” Jack said. That explained volumes and nothing at all.
“Who else knows you’re here?”
“Why are you asking?” George asked.
“So I would know if I could kill you and dispose of the bodies.”
Kaldar reluctantly includes the boys in his plans to meet Audrey and they hit up a thrift store for clothes:
In the backseat, George wore a gray hoodie with a pocket in front and ripped jeans that needed to be thrown away. Kaldar had also bought him a used skateboard, a plank of wood on four wheels. George caught him looking. “What?”
“You look ridiculous,” Jack told him.
“This from a guy who strips naked and runs around in the woods.”
and on it goes! Its so good. Basically Kaldar has to find these magic bracelets but its a crumb trail to follow and along it he meets Audrey who is more than a match for him.
Audrey slapped a piece of duct tape over his lips.
He growled and lunged at her, but his arms didn’t move. She’d zip-tied him to his chair. He’d been had. She’d tricked him like he was a sucker. Like he was a child.
The moment he got free, she would regret it. He would make her deeply regret it.
-------------
The way she sat now, leaning forward frowning, biting her pink bottom lip, her shirt dipping to reveal a hint of her cleavage . . .
He wondered idly if he could get her to bend over a little farther . . .
“Just what are you staring at, exactly?”
Kaldar snapped back to reality. “You. You’ve been thinking hard for the last five minutes. It’s not good for you to strain your pretty little head like that. I’m waiting for the steam to shoot out of your ears to relieve the pressure on your brain.”
“Aha.” Audrey glanced at Jack and George. “What you have here is a man who was caught gaping at my breasts, and now he’s trying to cover it up with rudeness.”
Kaldar lost it and laughed.
Gaston was great in this story too:
Kaldar kicked some bushes, forcing them to rustle.
“Hurry up, Gaston!”
His nephew pushed to his feet, swiped the buckets off the ground, and croaked in a choked-up voice. “Yes, master.”
Kaldar rolled his eyes and carried the buckets to the wyvern’s mouth to feed him.
------------------
Audrey tapped Gaston’s shoulder with her finger.
“Think you can get into that barn?”
Gaston shrugged his muscular shoulders. “Sure.”
“I need you to get down there, open the stalls inside, and panic the horses.”
“ ‘Panic’?” Gaston asked.
“Smile at them or something.”
He gave her an insane grin. “I can do that.”
“What about me?” Kaldar whispered.
“You lie here and look pretty. I’ll be back.”
Kaldar and Audrey are perfect together as they plan a con on a preacher:
“How long will you need at the mall?” Kaldar asked.
“At least four hours.”
He blinked.
“Manicure, pedicure, wax, hair, makeup, clothes, jewelry. You’ll be lucky if I’m out of there by three in the afternoon.”
“I’ll count my blessings,” he said. “Don’t buy anything tasteful.”
“Shut up. Do you think this is my first time?”
and so many more good highlights- stopping here. I really liked how Audrey was able to swindle her way into getting Kaldar rescued there at the end!
Question though...
Did William find out that Spider survived? Would have loved to peek in on THAT conversation between Kaldar and William.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Blood