Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either.

Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power).

But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it . . .

Just finished this book. I really liked it alot. Absolutely loved the supporting characters especially Rose's little brothers Jack and Georgie.
This book is has a very different feel to it than Ilona Andrews 'magic' series. To me, it reads more like a PNR rather than urban fantasy. But thats just fine with me. My only complaint, it had such a 'complete' ending that I'm not sure there will be any more books in this series. I liked Rose and Declan. And the 'Broken, Edge, and Weird' were interesting places to visit. Hope we see more of this world. Maybe Williams story?

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I am SO in love with this book. It has gone straight to the top of my "Best of" list (don't hold it against me that I actually don't have a "Best of" list but if I did, this book would be on it). I loved this book so much that this morning, I walked my dog while reading the book. Thankfully, my dog is very well trained and knew that oncoming cars meant stop.

Now about the book, Rose is a wonderful character. If you ever read Jeaniene Frost's "Night Huntress" series, Rose is very similiar to Kat. Rose has an incredible heart, very loving to her two brothers, will do whatever it takes to care for them but is also suffering from some serious self esteem issues. She righfully doesn't trust anyone but her own small family but she also doesn't want to let in someone who may/or may not truly care for her. She wonders how someone could possibly really want her, considering her circumstances. The only part of Rose that Rose is confident about is her own magic. Of course, Rose's magic is what has made her more of an outsider in a world of outsiders.

The other characters are truly wonderful. The boys (Rose's brothers) absolutely make you laugh and cry. Even though they are different from "normal" kids, you will find yourself relating to your own siblings and how you felt about them. Declan is arrogant, snobby and powerful. William is mysterious, sweet and innocent in a weird way. The Grandma cracked me up. Each character surrounding Rose is well thought out and is essential to the story. Please read this book. You won't regret it.

Excellent book! Wonderful world building and characters who learn and grow through-out the story. Makes you want to read more about Declan and Rose and especially Jack and Georgie!

This was the first book in The Edge series by Ilona Andrews. I read somewhere that this is going to be a duology. I wasn't able to find the second book's title, but it is supposed to be released in September of 2010. This was an excellent book! I love Andrews' writing style. Those who love Andrews' Kate Daniel's series will not be disappointed.

In this book Rose is raising her two brothers Jack and Georgie in the Edge. The Edge lies between the Broken (the world we live in) and the Weird (a magic analogue of our world). Rose is special in that she can "flash" brighter and hotter than anyone else in the Edge; her brothers are also significantly magical. Jack can shapechange into a cat and Georgie can raise the dead. Rose is just trying to eek out a living for her and the boys in the Edge by working as a maid in the Broken. Unfortunately things are starting to go wrong. Rose's family is being stalked by horrible creatures that ooze evil; and then one day Declan stumbles into Rose's life. Will Declan be a help or is he there to bring an even greater evil to Rose's life?

Of course a lot of people were introduced to the Andrews writing team through the Kate Daniels series so it is hard not to compare this series to that one. This is definitely a different series and a different type of book. Rose is a very different type of person from Kate (as she should be). Rose is kind of a one-trick-wonder. She can flash and that is her thing; other than that she is just trying to make a living and give her brothers a decent life in whatever way she can. This book has a bit more romance than the Kate Daniels series too and is a bit more graphic about love scenes, there is also a different tone to the story. Rose is not a bad-ass, although she has her moments. Declan has a lot of the alpha-male personality that Curran has in the Kate Daniels series, but a lot of the aspects of his personality are also quite different.

That being said I really loved all of the characters. They are complex and interesting. I love how the Andrews incorporate children into the story and treats them realistically; the children aren't forgotten or conveniently removed from the plot at tough spots. Jack and Georgie are always there and are, in their own right, extremely interesting and complex characters. They also play a major part in the story and plot itself.

The things I love about the Kate Daniels series also hold true for this book. Very creative and complex world-building. Tons of action scenes that are very well-written. A plot that is complex but easily followed and clips forward at a fast rate. The writing style of this books is fabulous. Most of the action scenes are no-nonsense in their writing style, but detailed and beautiful descriptions are added in at the parts where it really benefits the story for it to be there. The book is completely engrossing and engaging; it was super hard to put down.

All in all? A wonderful, wonderful read. I can't wait for the next book. I can't wait for the next Kate Daniels book either. My husband also likes Kate Daniels and I am trying to get him to read this book to see what he thinks the differences are. He has been a bit put off by the cover which is kind of romancy looking; I have to agree with him....the cover gave me pause and made me wonder if this book was going to involve some pretty heavy romance. No worries though! It is a wonderful urban fantasy with a bit more romance than the Kate Daniels series. I think anyone who has read the Andrews before should read this one, and anyone who hasn't should give it a go too! Now if only I could get past the sadness of having to wait for more books from Andrews!

This is much more romance focused than the Kate Daniels series and falls under paranormal romance rather than urban fantasy, but the great world building I'm used to is still there. The idea of the different worlds is a really interesting one, sort of a spin on a faerie world we can't see except it's really just down that road there. It's just that only people who have the right bloodlines can see it and walk past the boundary. I'm always a fan of Andrews' detailed world building, because it's so well thought out. Like they've said, "You can build a most fantastic world, if you take care to make it logical and follow its own rules." This is what I always appreciate in an Ilona Andrews' series: a fantastic world that makes sense.

The Edge is like the Wild West. They don't belong in the Broken, where magic doesn't exist, but they aren't part of the Weird either, where pureblood magic families rule. In the Edge, it's everyone for themselves, but families band together. The Edgers are poor, some rather trashy, lawless, and feisty. There are some real characters living in the Edge, especially with magic thrown in the mix. Rose herself has two younger brothers, Georgie and Jack who exemplify the oddness of the Edge. Georgie is a little necromancer with a soft heart. He resurrects animals he feels sad have died, and their grandfather Cletus (who gets drunk on dog brains). Jack was born a changeling, and like the cat his other half is, is easily distracted by birds and climbing trees.

So Rose has her hands full raising her two brothers because their parents aren't in the picture, but they're good kids (who also bring something to the story). Rose also has to deal with all the people who are after her because of her amazing control over her flash, and when Declan arrives at their door, a pureblood from the Weird who says he will have her, Rose isn't pleased. At first Declan's statements would dismay me. He would often spout some really over-the-top alpha hero stuff, but Andrews manages to fix this for me later on with a viable explanation (thank goodness). Maybe there's also a touch of Pride and Prejudice here: Declan making his remarks and Rose taking offense, thinking that he's the typical blueblood. Rose's circumstances are much lower than Declan's but she's being avidly courted by someone who is obviously a catch. The book takes on a romance feel with Rose's awareness of Declan's appearance (I imagined He-Man) and breeding, and his alpha male assertions that he will get what he wants. On the other hand, Rose is pretty cool, and it makes sense that Declan realizes this. She's a good sister, working hard and going without so that she can buy her brothers those Inu Yasha comics they're obsessed with (Inu Yasha, good choice kids), and she's smart and determined, but just has a hard life where she has to be independent in order to survive.

The paranormal/contemporary fantasy aspects of this story had probably about equal footing as the romance. Creepy rotting creatures in hound like form start terrorizing the Edge, and the mystery of what's going on keeps Declan and Rose busy. The results aren't pretty, but it makes for a great story.

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