Steel's Edge

The Edge #4

by Ilona Andrews

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird. But even though she possesses rare magical healing abilities, her life has brought her nothing but pain. After her marriage crumbles, she flees to the Edge to build a new home for herself. Until Richard Mar is brought to her for treatment, and Charlotte’s life is turned upside down once again.

Richard is a swordsman without peer, future head of his large and rambunctious Edger clan—and he’s on a clandestine quest to wipe out slavers trafficking humans in the Weird. So when his presence leads his very dangerous enemies to Charlotte, she vows to help Richard destroy them. The slavers’ operation, however, goes deeper than Richard knows, and even working together, Charlotte and Richard may not survive...

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Magic, Audiobook

388 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 27, 2012

About the author

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

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➽ And the moral of this rererereread is: threatening teenagers with infecting them with dysentery for a week is the key to parental bliss, if you ask me. Charlotte de Ney, you might not have kids of your own but you sure are a natural when it comes to this child-rearing thing.





[June 2020]

🔫 Of Guns and Walmarts Buddy Rererereread (OGaWBR™) with the IA Addicts 🔫

Previous rating: 8.5 stars.
New rating: 10 stars. duh

➽ And the moral of this rerereread is: My nefariously beloved Kaldar Mar, you are one of the top boyfriends in my harem, and I lurves your scrumptiously roguish ways very much indeed, but I deeply regret to inform you that I just decided I like your brother Richard's book a lot better than yours.



Quite.

Because darker=better + Hunter + the Plaguebringuer + Sophie and George and Jack, oh my! + evil scumbags everywhere + “You want it different. Come, make it different” =





[October 2018]

💊 Ilona Andrews is the Only Antidepressant We’ll Ever Need Buddy Rererereread (IAitOAWENBR™) with the IA Addicts 💊

Original rating: 7 stars.
New rating: 8.5 stars. Obviously.

➽ And the moral of this rereread is : Charlotte de Ney, my little Angel of Death, my dearum dearum Plaguebringer, I 💕lurves💕 you like a shrimp loves not being paella decoration and stuff. That’s saying something, methinks.



Mass crustacean homicide!!!!!!!!! Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!



[March 2016]

• Buddy reread with the Awesome IA Army Of Utter Awesomeness (aka the eye candy IA Addicts) •

Note to self: stop getting high while reading.

In my original review for this Utter Piece of IA Awesomeness (UPoIA™), I said that this story was better than MY Kaldar's. I don't know what I was taking at the time, but it must have been high quality stuff. I mean, Steel's Edge is bloody brilliant because IA = Awesome = QED and all that crap, but My Kaldar is and forever will be My Kaldar. My Kaldar is and forever will be the best there is in this series. Because he is my Kaldar. Sorry, Richard. You're cool and amazing and a super yummy bloodthirsty killer and stuff, but I'm downgrading you to second best book in this series. Because you're no delicious rogue, like that delightfully annoying little brother of yours. I am so sorry I am being so hard on you, Richard dear. Rejection is a total bitch and I know how hurt you must feel right now. But worry not, for I am quite sure Charlotte the Plaguebringer will take good care of you. And if she doesn't, just ask Robin for help. I have a sense she'll be more than happy to oblige.





[Original review]

Ha! Fooled you right there with my rating! 5 stars you think? Think again!

Actual rating: 7 stars. Or maybe 8. DESPITE the romantic bits. Can you believe it? Of course you can, it’s IA, you silly.



But you know what? This book and I got off to a bad start. The first 16% didn’t bode well. YES. You read that right. IA. Me. Off to a bad start. UNBELIEVABLE.

I couldn’t connect with Charlotte, the female mc. She’s a healer. A healer? Really? What’s supposed to be butt-kicking about that? {insert desperate sigh here} So there I was, pretty much bummed, thinking there would be no cut-cut-cutting and slice-slice-slicing to be had. All I could think was: please IA don’t do this to me. You haven’t failed me so far and this is the last book of yours I haven’t yet read. You cannot do this to me. I just went through 33% of Outlander. I FORBID YOU TO DO THIS TO ME. I have been reading too many crappy books lately. Have mercy on my poor soul.



O me of little faith. How could I ever doubt the Andrews? This has to be one of their best books ever. The first three instalments in this series were more PNR than UF. They were lots of fun, light and entertaining. This one is much darker. And more complex. And more gruesome (yummy). And the characters have more depth. Much more depth. This was good. Very good. Amazingly good. So freaking good I don't even know what to say about it. And even better than my Kaldar *gasps* Oops, sorry. I realize something as I write this. This review should have come with one of those "Caution!" notices:



Yes. There will might be some silly fangirling going on in this review. I'll try and keep it down to a minimum though. You're welcome.

SO. I really don't know what to say here. I guess I could make some sort of list to give you an idea what the book is like. Sure, I can totally do this. No problem.

Steel's Edge is:
✘Good
✘Awesome
✘Amazing
✘Fantastic
✘Brilliant
✘Terrific
✘Incredible
✘Unbelievable
✘Astonishing

Oh. That's not the kind of list you were expecting is it? Right. I think I know what the problem is. Excuse me for a minute while I try & put the crazy away ← remember who said this first? You'll get a prize if you do. Then again maybe not.



Okay, we'll see how long this lasts. I have most of my senses back now. Where were we? Oh yes, a list of what makes this book so amazing-fantastic-incredible-brilliant… STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT! Get it under control NOW before your friend list starts plummeting! Breathing in, breathing out. Breathing in, breathing out. That's better.

✨ Why this book is slightly fantastic ✨

① Charlotte de Ney aka Silver Death aka The Plaguebringer.
Because she's one of the coolest butt-kicking heroines ever. Because she's strong. Because she's iron-willed. Because she's complex. Because she's noble in more ways than one. Because she's always true to herself. Because she wants revenge. Because her magic is like no other. Because she can heal your wounds as fast as she can unleash the worst plagues on the world. And because she threatens kids with dysentery if they don't behave.

“Her life as a healer was over. Her life as an abomination would be brutal and devoid of sympathy or warmth, but probably short. It would be worth it, she told herself. If no other child ever had to cry the way Tulip had because the slavers had taken someone from her, it would be worth it.”

② Richard Mar aka The Hunter.
Because he's one of the most amazing killing machines ever. Because he's dark. Because he's complex. Because he's noble. Because he's iron-willed. Because he's strong. Because he's always true to himself. Because he wants revenge. [See a pattern there? You should] Because he's my Kaldar's brother (ha!). And because of this:

“Come,” he invited. She stared at him, her eyes wide. “You want it different. Come, make it different.” “Me?” “You.”

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! ← this is me dying. Just so you know.

③ Fights.
Because they're as cool as some of the KD fights. Because they're gruesome. Because they're gory. Because they're violent. Because they're lethal. Because the body count is staggering. Because all the bad guys in this book deserve to die slow, painful, horrible deaths. And because sometimes weapons are optional:

“Pavel clenched up, gagged, holding it in . . . The cough exploded out of him in a gush of red. Blood burst from his nose and the corners of his mouth. The slaver dropped to all fours, retching. A clump of something wet, soft, and bloody fell out of his mouth. Across from Pavel, at the other side of the fire, another man collapsed, coughing and bleeding. Voshak roared. His voice caught, he sneezed and stared at his hand, covered with red mist and tiny chunks of flesh. The slavers fell, as if cut down at once by an invisible sickle.”

④ The coolest kids ever.
Because George Drayton Carmarine the necromancer/spy. Because Jack Drayton Carmarine the homicidal lynx. Because Sophie/Lark Mar the lethal maiden. Because they kick ass. Because they're as deadly as they are cute. Because I want to adopt them all. And because they're hilarious:

“What the hell did you do?” Jack shrugged. “I stole a fish.” “Why?” “I was hungry. And bored. But mostly hungry.” Jack spread his arms. “Look, I took one small fish, then the guy started screaming, so I slapped him with it. It wasn’t my fault he tripped and fell into a stall of fruit. So I laughed, and they all started chasing me.” “And so you had this pissed-off mob chasing you. Why did you lead them my way?” Jack widened his eyes in mocking sincerity. “Because you needed a bath.”

⑤ My Kaldar Mar.
Because I said so.

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

✨ That’s it ✨

See, I managed to keep the fangirl under restraint for a bit. Quite the achievement, huh?



With Steel's Edge comes the end of The Edge {insert desperate sobs here} I'll miss Lord Submarine and his butt-kicking damsel in little distress, Lord Leather Pants and his Hobo Highness, my Kaldar and his magpie. And I'll REALLY miss The Hunter and Silver Death, the coolest of them all.

The moral of this series? Don't mess with the Mars. Or the Draytons. Or the Camarines. Or the Sandines. They won't stand for it.



And the moral of any IA book:



• Book 1: On The Edge ★★★★
• Book 2: Bayou Moon ★★★★
• Book 3: Fate's Edge ★★★★★

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth and last book in the EDGE quartet of books, about a weird and dangerous semi-magical borderland, called the Edge, between our non-magical world and a parallel world where magic is in full power. Ilona Andrews really knows how to tell a story, and I liked the way each book in this series focuses on a different couple, though they're all interconnected. Charlotte and Richard, the main characters in this book, are in their thirties, both having survived the breakups of their first marriages. Charlotte is an extremely talented magical Healer, and Richard is a fantastic swordsman and dedicated hunter of slavers, a terrible and brutal organization of degenerates who have been kidnapping people and selling them into slavery.

Tragic circumstances bring Charlotte and Richard together, pitting them in a fight against the slavers. Richard especially is determined to bring down the entire slaver organization by finding and stopping the people at the very top. It's a daunting undertaking with a high likelihood of death, especially since Richard is #1 on the slavers' hit list (luckily they know him only as "Hunter"). Charlotte is able to use her powers to kill as well as heal, which is incredibly useful, but every time she does it it brings her closer to the dark side of her magic.

It’s an exciting and fast-paced story. As is always the case with Ilona Andrews’ books, the hero is incredibly buff and hot and the heroine is both lovely and kickass, but if you're good with that kind of wish-fulfillment and some sexytimes, her novels are really great, imaginative adventures.

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fourth and currently last in the Ilona Andrews ‘Edge’ series, Steel’s Edge ends the current arc that began in Bayou Moon. Thinking about my review finds me reflecting on the series as much as the final story. Perhaps the Edge was originally conceived along the lines of individual paranormal romances set in a shared setting, but they evolved into a Kate Daniels-type external conflict story arc with a reoccurring opposition. As such, I think the most satisfaction would be obtained reading these in publication order.

There is a quick background in each one, but Andrews did a superb job weaving together characters who reappear further along in their individual lives. Those reappearances, I think, is what makes the series so appealing. In particular, the two young brothers who first made their appearance in On the Edge, Jack and George, end up reappearing in book three and four with major roles. And that would perhaps be both the strength and weakness of the series: do you want a physical conflict-laden urban fantasy, or do you want a paranormal romance that focuses on the emotional–sexual development–between the leads? Both On the Edge and Bayou managed to balance these dual plots reasonably well, although Bayou lost its grip on the romance near the end. Fate’s Edge edged farther (sorry, couldn’t help myself) into the oppositional conflict over the relationship story, and Steel’s Edge basically repeated the oppositional conflict structure. I suppose, in romance terms, these all follow a ‘romance through shared combat’ format (is that a thing? That seems like that should be a thing) and have varying competency.

One of the other interesting things to me about this series is how much of our character’s lives are contextualized by family and relationships. In the first book, Rose has a dead mother and a missing father, but is guardian for her two young brothers and has a very involved grandmother. Cerise in Bayou Moon comes with a large and involved extended family, two of which end up being leads in the last two books. Although if you scrutinize, you’ll notice the pattern: one partner with a large, involved family and one partner with minimal or absent family. It feels like quite a contrast to the more common PNRs out there where there’s a young twenty-something woman in dating mode and usually reliant on a couple of friends for guidance. Curiously, in all of the books, a well-meaning family member takes at least one of leads aside and gives a “I’m not sure you are considering this,” kind of talk that provides moments of doubt to our leads. I actually appreciated that, because I think it’s the more well-meaning but challenging aspects of connecting that considers the individual in context of a life story and community (not just, ‘sure, they’re hawt, but can they support themselves’ kind of storyline).

Another fascinating thing for me is that Andrews clearly tried to have unique female leads in each story that represented a variety of less traditional backgrounds: Rose, essentially a single mother working as a cleaner; Cerise, another head-of-household carefully managing resources; and in this one, Charlotte, older, established professional and recently divorced. Only Audrey, in Fate’s Edge is a more traditional female lead in terms of developmental stage.

Steel’s Edge had the potential to be the most interesting, as Charlotte was a healer and in a later, post-established relationship phase of her life. But I found that it’s focus on the anti-slaver concept made it a challenge for me. It is hard to square the idea of romantic love with systematic destruction of an underground slavery organization. It calls for extreme tonal shifts. Some readers called it ‘dark,’ but I think it’s often quite conflicted, not sure if it wants to be about love, or about the mission. The last third involves running a sort of con and results in Charlotte doing a lot of education with Lark about dresses, poise, and, believe it or not, a color wheel. I also wonder if they skimped a little on research for this book, because when Charlotte switched into society mode, I had a hard time squaring it with the young but accomplished healer (‘The Healer,’ as was said earlier). But I hated nothing so much as the sudden appearance of plastic surgery as part of accomplishing the con. That, I really didn’t find realistic or acceptable, and I doubt any legitimate healer would.

I enjoyed the blossoming romance and mature connection between Charlotte and Richard, but found that it seemed to disappear once they reached the sex point. I realized that in all of the books, the leads reached physical intimacy by 60-70%, and then after that the focus shifted in varying degrees to the oppositional conflict. In Steel, there were actually fade-to-black moments in their relationship that surprised me, given the romance reputation of the series. I think that was actually the part that I missed the most, having expected more of a ‘romantic’ book that expounded on intimacy–not just sex, but developing understanding and connection between two people.

I suppose the conclusion is that don’t let the reputation of romance–or the covers–scare you off if you are an Andrews fan. There’s significant attention to their trademark world-building and fighting scenes in all four books, and the recurring ensemble means some interesting character development. For me, it was an uneven book and possibly the least favorite of the series. However, as Emily said in her review , it’s been a long time since I chain-smoked a series, and while it may say quite a bit about me, it should also say quite a bit about how well the Andrews can tell a story.

Two and-a-half cigarettes, rounding up because The Andrews.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sale Alert: Kindle daily deal 22May21 1.99

Re-reading with all my fellow addicts at Ilona Andrews Addicts (IAA) again....yes that makes it 3x but I don't care I love this series.

So it was a little slower for me the third time through....but still totally amazing. Loved hanging out with the main couple, but more than that I totally adored seeing the kids George, Jack and Sophie need their own series some day. For now I'll just have to catch glimpses of them in the Innkeeper Series as grown-ups.

Buddy Read/reread with all my fellow addicts at Ilona Andrews Addicts (IAA), I thought it was impossible but these girls make reading Ilona Andrews more amazing than it already is.


Original Review:
Steel’s edge is just as fun as any of the other books in this series. It is full of action and family and I enjoyed every minute I spent in this world. Now I know that this is supposed to be the end of the edge series but it seems that even though the older couples have had their arcs completed it is entirely possible that in the future Ilona Andrews might try to do something else in this world that involves George, Jack and Sophie. I would definitely be interested in that series.

That said this book is about Richard and Charlotte who are thrown together when Richard is mortally wounded and is brought to her for help. After a devastating incident Charlotte is determined to help Richard destroy the slavers, while the serious man is reluctant to accept her help he sees that they have many things in common and he could use a little help from an extremely beautiful woman he is attracted to.

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

The action is intense and there are a few heartbreaking moments along the way. I like Richard and Charlotte together they complement each other well and both have tragic pasts where they have been wronged by the ones they loved. Charlotte is a great heroine, being deadly and kind. She knows who she is and can put others in their place when they try to encroach on her, especially when the man isn’t Richard.

"Having a fling with you doesn’t appeal to me. You’re handsome, but you’re too inexperienced and too arrogant to be good in bed. Having ridden many horses doesn’t make you a good rider; it just proves that you can’t recognize a good one or don’t know how to keep her. You’re too young for me, and in ten years, when you improve, I will be too old for you. So let’s not speak of this again.”

One of the best parts of this book is that George and Jack get to tag along through much of it and Sophie gets a spot in all of the deceit and fun too. I love all of those kids and I really would read another book that included or was about them. Sophie is still so broken from her time with the slavers and has become probably more deadly than even Richard or Celise. Gods help the enemy that tries to go up against Sophie.

“The death isn’t important. The only thing that matters is the moment of decision. My path is a line. My opponent’s path is another line. In the instant we meet, we’re forever altered. We may both walk away, or my line or his line may end, but for a brief time we exist in the same space on the verge of action, and that space is full of possibilities. It’s the moment in which I truly live. It’s short. It’s always so very short.”

The other thing I loved about this book was the relationship between Charlotte and Richard. The resolution of the plot affected one of the MCs in a way that could have really tested the actual love felt between the characters. Without giving away what happened I wanted to say that it was handled so well. When you love someone, really love them, when a tragedy strikes you take care of one another no matter what. I thought it was wonderful the way it played out and I will say I totally teared up at the level of devotion felt between the two MCs

This book did tie up very well most of the story lines in a complete manor. There is no wondering what happened to all of the enemies the hand, the slavers or the people in charge of them. I would also say that the story lines for many of the main players are totally wrapped up. The only ones that had great openings still are with George, Jack and Sophie so like I said before I hope that Ilona Andrews has some ideas for them down the road. I know that George is making an appearance in book 2 of the Clean Sweep series for sure.

Another great and fun series from Ilona Andrews…what will you guys think of next.

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished a buddy reread with Choko and Sarah. This was a lot of fun! We need to do the Innkeepers next to see how George and Jack are doing.

Original Review:

I like what the authors say about the Edge series:

It’s like Twinkies. Everybody likes it, nobody is 100% sure what it is.


full of creamy goodness...

Instead of Urban Fantasy, it is Rural Rustic Fantasy - and I have loved every minute of it!

In this last book we get Richard Mar's story. He is Kaldar's brother whose wife had left him years before because she hated living in the Mire. He is also the one who saved Lark/Sophie from the slavers and has devoted his life to bringing down the slaving industry. He has killed so many of them that he has been dubbed "The Hunter" and is hated and feared by the slavers.

We also have Charlotte, a blueblood royal healer, whose husband left her because she is barren and his family name is more important to him than her. She leaves the Weird to get away from her old life and ends up renting Rose's old house in the Edge. She works as a healer for the local Edgers and has been "adopted" by Rose's grandmother.

Richard is almost killed by the slavers and is brought to Charlotte to be healed. This starts a chain of events in which Charlotte decides to help him bring the slavers down.

Because, although Charlotte can heal people with her magic, she can also reverse that magic and kill anyone at anytime. It's awesome!



He needed a blade to kill, but she could kill dozens at once empty-handed. She was Death, and she had just asked to be his ally.

But, Richard is deadly with his sword. He, like all of the Mar family, can wrap his magic around it and cut through people like butter. It comes in handy, but can be a little messy.

"It's good that you're a human Cuisinart," she said.
"I'm sorry?"
"A Cuisinart. It's an appliance from the Broken. you put vegetables into it, push a button, and it chops them into tiny pieces."
Richard frowned. "Wouldn't it be easier to chop them with a knife?"
"It's meant to save time," she explained.
"Does it?"
"Well, cleaning it usually eats up most of the time you save on chopping."
"So, you're telling me I'm useless."
"It's a neat gadget!"
"And I'm hard to clean, apparently."


this is easier than cleaning the kitchen after the hubby decides to use the Cuisinart...

So, they are both lethal killers - a match made in heaven!

We also get George, Jack, and Sophie in this book, and it is fun to see how they are growing up. I wish that the series would continue so that we could have their individual stories.

The action in this book is great, the fight scenes are bloody and awesome, and the romance is cute. My only drawback is that I thought the ending was a little bummerish. But, totally worth it!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

So.
The Edge isn't my favorite Ilona series, but it's still good. And this (last?) installment wasn't my favorite of this series, but it was still pretty decent.
Honestly, I wanted to read about the kids (Jack, George, & Lark) more than I did Charlotte & Richard.
One of the amazing things about these authors is that they create such special & interesting characters. And not just the main ones, but the bad guys and secondary characters, too!



Anyway, I'd love to see a series about those 3 nuts!
And Derek and Julie. And Roman...
*big pleading eyes*
That's not asking for too much, is it?
PLEASE?!



Ok, ok, ok. Back to Steel's Edge.
Charlotte is/was a Healer. THE Healer. <--she's badass
But her life sucked, b/c her ex-husband was a bastard who only wanted her for her ovaries, and when they found out should could never have children...he divorced her. In a fit of (I think, deserved) rage, she almost sucked the life out of the smarmy a-hole, and in an effort to control her magic and get a fresh start, she runs away to the Edge.



Richard had a bad experience with his ex-wife, as well. Only she wanted to have money, not children. Poor guy.
Unfortunately, instead of these two meeting at a church mixer, they're introduced to each other by a bunch of slavers from the Weird.
See, Richard is hunting slavers for what they did to his niece, and (after some spoilery events) Charlotte is hunting for them because of what they did to someone she cared about in the Edge.
Turns out, they make a pretty good team!



And that's the gist of the story...ish.
Bottom line: If you've been reading this series, you can't miss this one.

[Anna [Bran. San. Stan] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ilona Andrews duo writes such wonderful characters, no matter if hero or antagonist. Kate Daniels, Curran Lennart, Hugh D‘Ambray, William Sandine, Cerise Mar, Kaldar Mar and now Richard Mar, just to name a few.

And the plot is always fast-paced and captivating from start to finish. That’s why I’m sorry to say that one thing happened at around 70% that took me out of the story and I had to force myself to continue. It had nothing to do with the romance but was something Richard decided to do when he thought the bad guys couldn’t be caught otherwise and I really, really loathed it.

Also, Richard is jealous at one point when he really should not be, insecurities or not - no way would Charlotte fall for the bad guy. Apart from that, I was a big fan of their relationship arc and their characters, which thankfully made up for the unexpectedly weak finale of the series. Yes, most loose ends were tied up but it felt hurried. The book was trying to do too much, dealing with one new group of villains for the most part, while still needing to finish off a main antagonist from the previous books.



------------SPOILER SECTION--------------

Considering the fact that Spider was the main antagonist in book 2 and book 3 ended rather dramatically with him standing to gain a lot of magical power, I found myself disappointed that he is mostly an afterthought here. As much as I appreciate that the villains in this book are characters previously unknown, seeing Spider be an appendix, only appearing when the main plot is resolved, was unsatisfactory to me.

I also feel the cost to Charlotte’s magic as a result of that fight was too high. Was that really necessary? Same for Richard undergoing surgery to change his facial features – bone structure and all. That’s what really took me out of the story. I just hated Richard looking like one of the bad guys – for forever! It’s not reversed and somehow, apart from Charlotte saying she loves him no matter what he looks like, is never addressed again. Couldn’t there have been a magical device to only make the change temporary? Also the big solution to Charlotte managing to break out of her fatal magic spiral felt rather unoriginal. Love. Really?

------------END OF SPOILER SECTION--------------



And yet, despite all my issues, what I enjoyed outweighed my occasional frustration, thanks to the characters. Charlotte and Richard; George and Jack Drayton (Rose’s brothers from book 1) and the fact they helped out once more; and Sophie (Cerise’s sister from book 2/cousin to Kaldar and Richard from books 3 und 4, respectively) playing a part made this book worthwhile and still deserving of 4 stars.

I do hope, though, that George, Jack and Sophie will get an appearance in other books as their character arcs are nowhere near finished! Possibly in the Innkeeper Chronicles?

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the Edge (The Edge #1): ★★★★
Bayou Moon (The Edge #2): ★★★★
Fate's Edge (The Edge #3): ★★

This is the last book of “The Edge” series. After not liking the previous one, at all, I avoided reading this book for a long while but eventually, my desire to read Clean Sweep won. I can only thank Annie for reading this book with me or it would’ve taken more even more time to read. Especially since we didn’t like Kaldar’s story. And he’s the fun guy… so you can say I did not like Richard. Nothing personal, he just never appealed to me. Turns out, this book is more enjoyable than Fate’s Edge. However, the kids continued to be the most interesting thing about the book.

Charlotte used to be a Healer before leaving to the Edge, since her husband from the weird turned out to be a complete asshole.
Richard’s ex-wife was also a bitch and left him for a richer life in the Broken. Now he is known as the Hunter, he hunts slavers for what they did to one of his relatives.
Because of a spoiler, Charlotte now also want to kill all slavers. After rescuing him from some nasty slavers, they make a deal. They will help each other to expose a slavery ring.

You see, what I didn’t expect was for Charlotte to turn out a total badass. Silly me, it’s Ilona Andrews, I should’ve known better, I know. I expected a fragile healer and not one who is ready to the forbidden and use her ability to kill. So that was a plus. On the other hand, Richard was likable (something I can’t say about his brother. I just can’t stand him). Nothing memorable but not bad. Their love story took more than 2 weeks to wrap up! Something I can’t say about the other books. I finished it in 2 days so it was a pageturner (since I was reading other books at the same time).

However, this book is no match for the first 2. My favorite moments were with George, Jack, and Sophie. The kids are so damn interesting… and adorable, of course! I’m so looking forward to knowing where their story will go in the Innkeeper’s Chronicles. And is there a romance between George and Sophie?? I totally ship this! They again played an important role in the book and made it more enjoyable. Easily the best thing about this novel.

I quite liked the mission in this book. The little politics in the Adrianglia, the nobles there, trying to expose an important person in the country, all of it made the story entertaining. Along with well-developed and likable characters, this book was decent-ish. Nothing outstanding but much better than I expected.

Steel’s Edge wasn’t a proper conclusion to this series, in my opinion. We know the destiny of some characters who played an important role in former books and others we wondered about. However, many questions were left unanswered. Truthfully, I don’t mind letting this series go since I don’t think I can digest more similar stories. I mean sure, they are fun BUT I’m not a fan of series in which each book features the love story of a character we’ve met before.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Better than the last book, but not the best one. I still think the first book was my favorite out of the four. And again my favorite part of the book was the inclusion of George and Jack, they are the best. I am going to have to re-read the Inn Keeper books now that I know who the crossover secondary characters are!

[Choko · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** 4.44 ***

I will leave the review of the first time I read the book still here, because that must have been how I felt at the time, but darn it, I have no idea what I was thinking... This is definitely the most mature of the books in this series and it is closer to reality in feel, if not in storyline. It is a bit darker and bad things do happen. Maybe when I read it the first time I was not in the mood for anything else but a happier subject matter, so I didn't appreciate the strength of the emotional punch this book provides. I loved every second of it this time around! The two mandatory love birds are older than the requisite early twenties - they are in their upper thirties and are dealing with more adult issues, such as the inability to conceive, the loss of loved ones, The betrayal of the people who are supposed to be there for us no matter what, and the horrible indifference for the lives of the ordinary people by those who have everything they could possibly want... The two main characters are not as flashy, not as handsome, and not as powerful as the ones in the first three books, but they are hurt, and they have not lost their humanity and sense of empathy, and their thirst for justice leads a man from the swamps and a woman from the highest levels of the Noble academic sphere, to find a mutual cause and be prepared to lose everything in order to achieve it... They do lose parts of themselves on their path, but they also find more than they could have hoped.

We also get Jack, George and Lark, and they made this book totally awesome!!! I will recommend this book and this series to all fans of Urban and Paranormal Romance and Fantasy, but also to all who love a good story told really well!❤️

-------------------------------------------------------

Wow! For an Ilona Andrews book, not the best she could do. Many things skipped over, rushed and some loose ends left dangling. But having been reading other authors as of late which make me feel as if i am wasting my time reading them, I have to give at least 4 stars to this book, since it is so much better than most in the field. I still love this author very much and would read anything they write:)

[Deborah Obida · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There is no shame in grief. It’s human. You didn’t do anything wrong. It doesn’t make you weak, and you don’t have to hide it.”

The fourth instalment and the last book in the series did not disappoint, I still think this series deserve a spin off with George, Jack and Sophie as the protagonist, it would be awesome, I can already imagine it.

The writing and world building are okay, It's easy to understand, the book is written in third person multiple POV. The was an abundance of well depicted fight scenes. The magic system is okay, it wasn't awesome just normal.

The plot is quite touching, after what happened to Sophie with the slavers, Robert blamed himself cause it was him who gave permission for her to leave the house. Years later he decided to dismantle the slave trade organisation, he realized that killing a few slavers isn't doing anything and they got replaced, the best thing to do was to cut the head off.
Charlotte is a bluebood whom her husband left cause she was infertile, she left and lived on the edge for years, she was contented till slavers arrived and killed two people. She decided to hunt them and that was how she started working with Richard.

We finally know what happened to John Drayton. Rose,George and Jack's father and its not something you would imagine in a million years.

Richard is basically a bluebood even though he grew up in the Mire. He is so cultured,he is the perfect gentleman. Just like the rest Mar he is efficient with the sword and killing isn't an issue for him, he doesn't enjoy it but he kills only when necessary and the slavers deserved worse than that.

Charlotte is the love interest, she is also cultured like him. The both of them is what is called match made in heaven. She has a rare magic, healing magic is very rare and it can also be reversed to kill just like it can heal. She is hunting the slavers for different reasons and their part entangled.

George and Jack were also in this, George got a POV, Sophie was in this for just a little while. Kaldar also has some page space which I enjoyed.

[Jo ★The Book Sloth★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Sophie Stole The Show Stars

Review to come tomorrow...


Well, almost. Most of them finished days before I even started.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

NEW & FREE: The authors have written a FREE short story, to end THE EDGE series. It is about the grown kids, set in the future, about 13 years after this book. Find it free online here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog... . Also, George makes a cameo in another series, beginning with the book Clean Sweep. Note that Klaus Demille appears in both of these titles. Klaus is the brother of Dina Demille, the heroine in Clean Sweep.

Getting back to this book -- Wow! Steel's Edge was BETTER than expected, given my disappointment with book 3. I have read all four books in the series. Book 2 is my favorite -- Bayou Moon, with William the wolf and Cerise the slayer. Book 1 was fine, too, but it took me a while to warm up to Declan. (Now I love him).

MILD or NO SPOILERS -- I keep it obscure:

Characterization: 5★ especially for Charlotte!

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

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

Characterization was outstanding: Solid portrayal of Charlotte, Baroness of Ney. Throughout the book, we see her change from a gentle "Do no harm" healer to a killer, out for justice, willing to use her magic to wipe out the slave traders. I sympathized with Charlotte from the beginning, when Elvei abandoned her so cruelly. Whenever evil threatened, Charlotte had to battle the tempting dark side of her healing magical powers. Frodo-ish, battling the seduction of the ring.

Much as I loved Richard -- and I really did!! -- my favorite hero in this series is still William, the wolf changeling from book 2, Bayou Moon. However, Charlotte gives William's mate, Cerise, a run for her money. IMO, Charlotte and Cerise are tied for best heroine in the series.

Secondary characters: Supporting characters were nicely fleshed out, with the exception of the old guy on the ship, who played a surprisingly important role. I'm referring to Jack and George's father. I just didn't buy his character!! What motivated him to become so terribly ruthless?

★ However, I was happy to see that Jack, George, and Sophie (Lark) had strong supporting roles. George's character struck me as quite solid, particularly when he had the serious confrontation on the ship -- an engrossing scene. Keldar also played a strong role, and he was more likeable than in book 3 -- more like how he behaved in book 2. Grandmother Éléonore Drayton, living in East Laporte, in the Edge, also played a fairly important role, and so did the Duchess, Declan's mother. Rose and Declan made only a brief appearance. I ♥ the "wolfripper" dog, eventually given a name and a home. He was so protective of Char and Sophie. Lady Augustine (Charlotte's noble adoptive mother) also had some layers.

The bad guys were "very bad" yet Andrews provided a credible motive for the leader of the council -- I understand WHY he ran the slave trade business, despite his wealth. I also understand the reason for the absurd cowardice of the townsfolk when slavers attacked in the Edge.

Plot and pacing: A coherent plot. There were several surprise revelations that I never saw coming. Suspense was good -- some scenes were quite tense. I was engrossed in the scenes on the ship and on the island, and where Charlotte had to battle the dark side of her healing magic. However, some parts of the plot were wrapped up too quickly, like the part with Spider. Happy to say, the pacing was not bogged down too much by endless pages of inner dialogue (but there was some rumination, more than I like). Pacing also slowed a little when the diseases were mentioned, and when the castle was described in detail, but I skimmed. (This plot was tight, compared to book 3).

♥ Romance: The relationship between Richard and Charlotte was just wonderful. Richard was such a cool-headed warrior, but so protective, tender and almost courtly towards Charlotte. She soooo needed to be loved for herself, not for her healing powers or her noble status. Richard also needed to be accepted, loved, and not feared, despite his killings and his Mire-rat status. He had to get over his first marriage, just as Charlotte did (but thankfully, the authors didn't dwell on that too much!). Team Andrews excelled in the final battle scene, where Charlotte fought the lure of the plague bringer magic, potentially sacrificing her own life or her sanity to protect Richard, young Sophie, et al. Very cool!

(The ♥ between William and Cerise in Bk 2 was even better. Slightly.)

Sex: I don't read urban fantasy for the lovemaking, but Steel's Edge had more -- and more explicit -- sex than any other book in the series, yet it did not drive the plot (much). A yummy 3-day love scene in Richard's cabin in the woods, while the rain pattered down. ツ

Excerpt: Earlier scene, when Richard and Charlotte had just met, where Charlotte had only a sheer robe to wear after her shower, as they shared a hotel bedroom:

"He was staring. All of his years as an adult male had vanished, wiped away as if they never existed, and he was a teenage boy again, awkward and dumbstruck. He gaped at her, unable to glance away, unable to make a sound, unable to do anything but stare.

He wanted her. She was an erotic dream."

Dialogue: It flowed - but first Charlotte had to teach Richard to "Talk! Use words!" cuz at first he tended to run the show without explaining anything. Also, Steel's Edge had none of the bull about religion that took up endless pages of dialogue and internal reflection in book 3.

Epilogue: Lovely. Several pages. It left me feeling good.

Disappointments: William and Cerise did not play any role in this book. None. William was mentioned in the epilogue, but that's it. I ♥ William the wolf changeling. Also, I wanted Charlotte's cruel ex, Elvei, to suffer more.

Most poignant scene -- a medium spoiler!!

“Mémère. Mémère, it’s me. Answer me. Please answer. Please, Mémère."

The desperation in his words flooded her. The tears heated her eyes. He was reaching far, past the edge of the Weird, past the boundary. It was impossible, but he was doing it.

"Please, Mémère. I love you so much. Please answer.”

That voice, suffused with so much love and hope, pulled tears out of her. Hot moisture wet her cheeks. Someone put his arms around her, and she realized it was Richard.

"Please, Mémère."

The darkness didn't answer.

Two Unresolved Issues:

1. Is you-know-who really dead? I am not convinced.

2. What about Erian, Richard's treacherous brother who walked away after the fight with Spider at the end of book 2? What becomes of him?

I always thought Sophie (Lark) and Jack would pair up some day, but now I wonder if it's George and Sophie?? He was floored, gobsmacked, even dumbfounded -- that's sayin' a lot for our man George -- when Sophie was all dolled up. Will we ever know? Is this the last book? (Yes, apparently so.)

Content: Fairly explicit sex, minimal or no swearing, bloody battles.

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

1.) On the Edge ★★★★
2.) Bayou Moon ★★★★
3.) Fate's Edge ★★★★

Buddy Read with Ilona Andrews Addicts (IAA)!

I enjoyed this book, don't get me wrong, but it really didn't feel like a conclusion. I understand that Lark/Sophie, Gaston, George, and Jack are in Sweep in Peace as adults, but so much is left unsaid.

And if I'm being really honest, I feel like this series never surpassed the peak of the first book, On the Edge. This is a very fun series, and each book is in its own way good, but if I knew the final installment was going to end like this I probably would have passed on reading the rest.

I do also want to note that in Clean Sweep, Klaus Demille is the brother of the main character, Dina Demille, and he has yet to make an appearance. Hopefully, when Dina is able to finally locate him in her series, we will have a little more context since he is the one that recruits George in this series.

This final installment was surrounding a healer, named Charlotte, who escapes her privileged life to find herself in the Edge after an unfortunate turn of events. The male protagonist is Richard Mar, better known as Kaldar's (from Fate's Edge) brother, who has put quite a mark on his back for some very bad people who refer to him as The Hunter. They find themselves tangled up in an extremely sticky web and decide to try to take down a very organized sex trade together.

Charlotte and Richard were alright, but it seemed like, again, the kids stole the show, especially Sophie/Lark. I would love, love, love a book just about her and what has happened to her since in Clean Sweep, especially with "help" from Charlotte's adoptive mother. Also, I always sort of felt like it was going to be Sophie/Lark with Jack, but this book kind of shifted (*ba dum tss*) the romance to George. Either way, she was phenomenal in this book and I don't believe for a second her vendetta is truly over.

I'm not sure if IA plans on coming back and wrapping this up a little better, but I certainly hope they do. This world just feels so incomplete now, and I think a fifth book would definitely fill in the missing pieces. Here's to hoping, right?

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[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Fantastic stars!

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

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

Why do I love this book?

*The story is compelling. Richard is on the hunt to bring down an illegal slave trade. He has been working to develop connections, gather intelligence and dismantle the system. The system reaches to the highest levels in the aristocracy. He is aided in his quest by Charlotte, who as the Greatest Healer of her time, also has dark secrets. For every yin there is a yang. Charlotte has the power to heal but she can also employ that power to kill and bring plague.

*The characters are mature. Both Richard and Charlotte are older than the characters from previous books. They are more experienced in life. Both have been married and experienced love before. They come to their union with more understanding and also more baggage. (And there intimate scene are very hot)

Charlotte is a striking heroine with an indomitable spirit. In an exchange with an enemy who challenges her standing:

"Don't try to belittle me; you're hopeless outclassed. I see shortcomings in your every single aspect, from your lack of taste to your rotten morality. You've involved yourself in the basest of crimes. You facilitated murder, rape, and the torture of children. Your conduct is unbecoming a peer of realm." Oh, snap!

She is confident in who she is and is determined to a fault. And I love her spirit!

Richard is my kind of hero: steadfast, honorable, skilled, caring and determined. I love the way he is in awe of her. When he experiences the power of her magic:

"...he stood in the epicenter of her silent storm, a feeling of otherworldly awe claimed him, as if he became part of a mystical event that could be explained, only experienced....He had encountered something greater than the limits of his ordinary life, and he was both alarmed and drawn to it."

*You got a to love a book that gives a nod to one of the best movies of all time, Princess Bride - "I do not thing that word means what you think it was means."

IN A NUTSHELL: This is nearly a perfect book. I say nearly even though I couldn't find anything I didn't like about it, but surely there must be, right?

For a fuller review : http://loveaffairwithanereader.blogsp...

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
Great beginning but second half unfortunately didn't work that well for me.
I enjoyed healer's transformation into plague-bearer (welcome to the dark side!) I enjoyed the darkness, the gruesome deaths, the tragedy even, action scenes filled with sword fights and dark magic. I enjoyed beginning of the romance with playful dialogues and Princess Bride references. The first half was intense and griping and I've read it one sitting. Would have given it 5*.
But then we get to the part where espionage and scam come into play and it didn't quite work for me. Affair hinged on impersonating the suspect's friend/business partner by changing one of the main character's face via plastic surgery. Well... what about voice, facial expressions, manners, hands, temper, favourite sayings, body language? If it was just a passing glance - perhaps - but face to face conversation in a daylight - I just don't buy it. Anyone calling themselves a friend would notice the difference. Trickery also involved balls, dances, different colour and cut gowns (yawn) and polite tea party conversations (zzzzz..). Not to mentioned that romance at this point became soppy and melodramatic...
Anyhow, this is I.Andrews we are talking about - it wasn't all that bad. :) Action picked up in the end.
All in all I enjoyed this series immensely. I recommend it to anyone who likes action packed fantasy with touch of humour and romance.

[Liz* Fashionably Late · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving the whole series 4 stars even if I'm still not sure about this book.

It's undeniable that if you read a IA book, you are in great danger of ending up like this for life:


But having finished it a few days ago, I'm not sure if I can tell you what actually makes this book better than the previous three. I'll still try, though.

The OceanKaldar's Eleven
Not as good as Fate's Edge but I've got to give it to Richard and Charlotte. That was pretty cool, taking the Mission: Impossible's latex mask to another level.


The Edge New (and different) Heroine
She's different, she's fragile, she's older, she's the plague-bearer. Liz likes her.

Steamy R Us
Okay, guys. Is it me or this book is steamier?? Or at least... more explicit than the other books. Sweet, innocent Charlotte was on fire!


JACK. And Sophie. But mostly JACK.
No words. They're amazing together. I'm shipping them. HARD.

Guess who's not here!
How come this is the last book of the series and ROSE, CERISE and WILLIAM <3 are not here??


The Edge New (and similar) relationship
I'm not sure this is a good or bad thing but being used to the slow-burning romance between Curran and Kate, I got a little nervous with every new relationship in this series. I won't commit heresy and say this was insta-love but you could rename the series as "This is Crazy, We just Met but I Am in Love With a Mire Rat and I Don't Deserve Him and He Doesn't Deserve Me so the Kids Stole Our Show" because George, Jack and Sophie are the best! :/

Moody George
I love the kids. I think that right next to KALDAR and WILLIAM, they're the best of the best. BUT, George and his sad vision of the world was kinda unbearable all the time sometimes. We get it, you're a Mire Rat and people is mean to you! STOP MOANING GEORGE :/

And:
☁ They're not my favorite couple.
☁ She's not my favorite kickass heroine
☁ He's not the best male character of the series
☁ Spider's loose end was disappointing.

I'm going to hell after this, am I?


However,
☀ Brennan is a heartless villain, so points for that.
☀ Shit (AND HEARTBREAK) gets real since page one, and who doesn't love that?

All in all, this was good. But nothing is better than Kate Daniels.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I am disappointed that there will not be any more Edge books. Ilona Andrews has made me fall so deeply in love with the characters of Jack and George that I feel positively robbed when I consider the idea that they will not get their own book. A travesty. But I'll get back to my boys in just a minute.

The hero of the story is Richard Mar, Kaldar's brother, who we first met in Bayou Moon. He is on a mission to destroy the slave trade thriving in the Weird. The slavers nearly destroyed his niece, Sophie, and now he won't rest until he finds the head of the serpent and cuts it off.

Charlotte is the Healer of her generation. Her gift helped her become magic nobility. But even her skills could not help her conceive a child --or keep a husband who married her for all the wrong reasons. His betrayal of their marriage drove Charlotte to use her gifts to harm... and as a result, she fled to the Edge to start a new life.

The two cross paths when slavers chase Richard into the Edge nearly killing him. Charlotte saves his life, but his attackers follow him to her home and kill a dear friend of hers. That starts Charlotte on her own path of revenge against the slavers, and she is willing to use any means necessary to take them down. She and Richard join forces --and end up falling in love.

First I'll tell you what I liked. The world building in this series is fantastic and unique. I love the idiosyncrasies of the Edge and the Weird. I love the complex social class system and the magic. I love how all the books and characters are connected, and while each book features a different love story, the bigger picture remains. Last but not least, I love the characters. Richard is a solid hero, with just a touch of that "I'm not good enough for her" vibe going on. Charlotte is refined, broken, and powerful all at once. She is almost impossible not to like. And --of course-- there are Jack, George, and Lark (Sophie.) Damn you, Ilona, for making me love them without ever giving me a look at their adult lives.

This wasn't my favorite book in the series, however. The love story was too fast and the romance too easy. I think Richard and Charlotte were declaring their love in about two days. The real angst was in the external conflict. --My other issue was that it felt like the book was forced into an end-of-series role. It tacked on the Spider and the Hand elements almost as an afterthought... which is a shame considering they were worth their own big story arc.

Overall I did enjoy it. Definitely worth reading for any Edge fan.

Rating: B

UPDATE: Ilona says she may indeed give us Jack, George, and Lark's story --but in a different format than the current Edge books. A trilogy, perhaps. Someone... cue the party music!!

*ARC Provided by Ace

[♥Rachel♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 4/29/25 and loved it even more the second time around! This is my favorite installment of the series!

Glad to have finally finished this series! I really loved Rose's kid brothers, George and Jack, and also Sophie Marr (aka Lark) throughout the series. They always made me laugh, even though they each had their sad stories, too. They're older teens here and we get to see the beginning of romantic interest between George and Sophie. This is continued in The Innkeeper Chronicles and I really hope it's developed more in that series. Love these characters!

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth and last book in this series which is sad because I have enjoyed all four books very much. I am not usually a fan of series where the main characters change in each book but I coped in this case because characters from past books always featured highly as well. In fact we have watched George and Jack grow up and they had great roles in this last book. I really enjoyed the world building in all four books and the characters and dialogue are all written with the authors' usual great skill. Maybe one day in the future Ilona Andrews will decide to write more in this series. I won't mind that at all!

[Woman Reading (is away exploring) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆

In Steel's Edge, the final installment in The Edge series, Ilona Andrews finally takes the readers deep into the societies within The Weird. Magic may rule but dysfunction exists because everyone is still a flawed human.

That's how the slavers operated. They adopted costumes and personas, trying to make themselves larger-than-life and hoping to inspire fear. They counted on that fear. One could fight a man, but nobody could fight a nightmare.

Richard Mar is part of the extensive Mar clan, which had been first introduced in Bayou Moon. The Mars know how to protect their own and to defend their territory, because they had failed years ago. One of their own had been murdered as another had been kidnapped. Now that the Mars have been safely relocated to The Weird for the past several years, Richard has embarked on a lone crusade against all human traffickers to avenge that disaster.

“I want in,” the boy said.
“In on what?”
“You’re the Hunter. You’re hunting the slavers. I want in.”
“And how would you know that?” If someone had opened their mouth, he would be really put out.
Jack gave a one-shouldered shrug.
“We overhead you and Declan talking.”
“Declan’s study is soundproof.”
“Not to reanimated mice,” Jack said.

But not even a self-sacrificing hero can be an island unto himself. Richard meets Charlotte de Ney, a blueblood healer, in an unexpected place.

She was beautiful and radiant. He remembered the concern in her eyes. The same concern drove her now, pushing her toward acts of violence. On the surface, he'd be a fool to turn her down. She was driven by tragedy, just like him, and she would be incorruptible, just like him. He needed a blade to kill, but she could kill dozens at once empty-handed. She was Death, and she had just asked to be his ally.

Given the characters who pop up in Steel's Edge, it would help to have read some of the earlier novels. The interesting thing about The Edge series isn't its world-building, which has felt pretty limited until this book. As a fan of Ilona Andrews who counts herself among the BDH (the "Book Devouring Horde"), it's been fun to read this series and essentially see the seeds which flourish in their later books — such as what makes for an enduring female main character, how to structure their magical societies, or to note that Ilona Andrews's works are strongest when they focus on character development. Aside from the Kinsmen trilogy, this is the only series which changes its main protagonists with every installment making it unnecessary to read the books in sequential order.

[Orient · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Andrews book is always a great idea and when the series ends as strongly as THE EDGE, oh my, I just swallowed it.
From the start, all "The Edge" books are a fascinating mix of paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery, action, adventure, knighthood. Fourth book has the strongest impression on me, as the collision of good and bad is much more noticable and crushing. The fighting scenes encircled me with action, thrill and adrenaline.

In some point, this book feels like two individual stories, which unite to make a fascinating book. I really liked the nicely written, engaging heroines and heroes in this series. In the first part, the authors presented the key stories from Charlotte and Richard life. They both are unique characters with fascinating abilities.
In the second part, the book transfers the daredevil adventure, that I read in other books of this series, to a high level in espionage, spying, exclusive deception and tricks. Not forgetting the romance line and a hilarious role both George and Jack play in the world of danger. I hope some day there will be the fifth book about the boys. George and Jack stole my heart from the beginning. Love ya guys <3 The touching story about Sophie/Lark gripped my heart too. I admired her development and change.

Though, to sum up all the four books, I found one thing, that annoyed me a little bit in some way. The series has one pattern: rough- tough heroine is in trouble and needs help. She attracts disasters and of course she meets a hot man who is capable to help her. At first they deny their affection, while fighting the evil and after some time they get their "happy ever after" (which was really too sweet in the first book). But it doesn't spoil the series, I even found comfort there in the end. Andrews know how to write a good, intense and gripping romance!

[Denisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 I couldn't put it down!

I loved all books by Ilona Andrews I've read so far. And yup, this was no exception.
It was fast paced and engaging, the characters were incredible and the plot was spectacular. I really have nothing but great words about this one.

Why not 5 stars? It left me with a question that I kinda wanted answered: what happened to her ex-husband, the one who left her? I wanted to see him pay in some way. What can I say, I like seeing the characters being revenged.

[Suzanne (Under the Covers Book blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know why am I surprised by heroine badassery when these two wrote my favorite heroines in fantasy, hello Kate Daniels anyone.. and Baylor sisters.
Charlotte is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G badass bitch and I love to see it...
Great full-blown action-packed book..
4,5⭐

[Carmel (Rabid Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.

It should come as no surprise that I've been enjoying this series a lot, but I haven't LOVED any of the installments yet, until now. When I first discovered that this final book featured a healer as the main heroine, I had some qualms as to whether Charlotte would be able to achieve the level of badass-ery that I've come to expect from Ilona Andrews. Case in point, FATE'S EDGE's Audrey Callahan wasn't a fighter either, and ended up being my least favourite THE EDGE female protagonist. All of my doubts quickly flew the coop though when I learned that de Ney's abilities could also be used to harm, and I'm not talking little ouchies here, but mass murdering plagues. Never have I been so happy to eat my words! The world-building, narration, secondary characters, and storytelling absolutely rocked too. This was the series finale after all, and this author duo doesn't do half-assed. Period.

I liked that the protagonists were older; they've both been married once already, are individuals first, and a couple second. Charlotte and Richard have been around the block a couple of times, and as a result, were unwilling to settle for anything less than true love. It made them both more accepting of their respective faults; the flash fire romance was believable on account of them knowing exactly what they wanted in a partner, and not being afraid to go after it. I loved de Ney's flawless poise vs. Mar's backwoods mannerisms, and her raw power to his skill with a blade. She fears transforming into a bringer of plagues, while as he's worried that he's not Blue Blood enough for her. When they finally opened up their hearts to a relationship, it was like two puzzle pieces sliding home.

The Andrews' skillfully wrapped-up this series' story arc while still weaving a captivating story about slavers, political intrigue, and also tying up several loose ends secondary character wise. Jack and George play a vital role in this installment, and I loved how they were able to get some closure with regards to their father's abandonment. Sophie gets a piece of Spider for fusing her mother, and even Rose, Declan & Kaldar had brief cameos. As much as I enjoyed the action, I actually liked Charlotte's poised manipulations and tutelage of Lark more. It takes finesse to defeat a foe with a sword, but even more so with words, and clever artifice. However, not everyone got their HEA unfortunately, poor sweet Éléonore... And, was it just me, or were there sparks between George and Sophie? Potential spin-off?

I've now had the pleasure of listening to eleven audiobooks from Ilona Andrews and Renée Raudman, and let me tell you, the experience is in no danger of getting old. There are many reasons why this trio makes up the bulk of my Audible library including spellbinding performances, flawless pacing, and masterful tone. Raudman is the voice behind the Andrews' written word, breathes life into all of their memorable characters, and makes listeners feel like they inhabit this author duo's fictional worlds. If you're still on the fence about audiobooks, I highly recommend that you give these a try, you won't regret it! In fact, your house may end up cleaner than it has even been because you'll find yourself actively seeking out excuses to read hands-fee.

STEEL'S EDGE was the ultimate epitome of go big or go home! My god, am I ever going to miss these characters!

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with the awesome bunch at Ilona Andrews Addicts!

This book has Richard (Kaldar's older brother) as a main character. And we get a new leading lady, this time a full fledged blueblood and a healer! Charlotte is not snarky, Charlotte doesn't flash, Charlotte doesn't carry a weapon. She's polite and sensible and I freaking loved her.

It's good to know that Ilona doesn't feel the need to make all her heroines a copycat of each other.

And it was a really good pairing, particularly because they're both so alike.

"Congratulations" he (Kaldar) said, his voice dry. "You finally managed to find a woman as tragically noble as yourself. I didn't think one existed."

The plot was interesting and fast paced, and we get to see George and Jack again! And of course, the awesome thing about these books is that they are really entertaining, you pick them up, you start reading and you keep on reading until the book is done.They're highly addictive.

One problem I do have with this series is that it doesn't really end!

At the end of this book there are still several sub-plots that are not finished. We don't get to know what happens with Spider, or see George, Jack and Sophie's stories. I think that's really sad and I'm so happy that Ilona decided to combine this with the Innkeeper series in other to bring a bit of closure.

[Cathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This! This is the book I've been waiting for this entire series. I LOVED IT!!!! If you had asked me a couple of books ago I would have said that Kaldar's book will be my favorite since I just love him but oh hell no. Richard's and Charlotte's is hands down the best of the series. The rest of my review will just be fangirling gifs. Oh and one last thing. There had better be a book for Sophie, Jack, and George without a love triangle.

[Zero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book and a good end to the series. I liked that the main characters were trying to take down a human trafficking ring. I liked both main characters, Richard and Charlotte. Their romance was fast, but it did seem like they got to know each other. I liked the side characters a lot: George, Jack, Sophie, Grandma Éléonore, etc.

I'm excited to start The Innkeeper Chronicles, since that series and this one are connected.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Steel’s Edge the Andrews gives us an older couple and I loved it. Charlotte may be a healer but she bared her backbone and I knew we were going to have some fun. I cannot believe how badass she was. The clever twist in her ability was wicked and deadly. Trust me when I say you do not want to get on Charlotte’ bad side. We first meet Richard in Bayou Moon and I was delighted to see him as our hero. Because these characters are older, they are comfortable in their own skin and know what they want. Both are unwilling to settle and this made their growing romance delightful to watch. A little snark, banter and tender moments had me caught up.

Steel’s Edge delivered an intense tale as Richard and Charlotte go after a slave trade with deep connections. I loved the way they battled together. His blade to her gift was the perfect match. He was calm, she seethed and it totally worked. Once again, Jack and George are vital to the mission and gads but I adore these two. Rose, Declan and Kaldar make appearances and Sophie gets a little revenge.

While the Andrews weaved threads of the overall story arc into the tale giving us long-awaited answers and resolutions there was also some developments that leave the door open a crack for further visits to this world.

As you have probably figured out if you stay caffeinated, I listen to all Ilona Andrews’ books. Renee Raudman narrates and is a personal favorite. She captures the characters and engages me. Theirs is the perfect partnership and listeners are rewarded. This review was originally posted on Caffeinated Book Reviewer