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Forest at the Edge #1
The Forest at the Edge of the World by Trish Mercer
Captain Perrin Shin, assigned to village Edge of the World, is out to do more than command the new fort. He’s determined to uncover the mystery of the Guarders: where they live, why they attack, and what they want. Suspiciously, none of their behavior has ever made sense. Mahrree Peto, a teacher in Edge, is also growing suspicious. Of the Administrators who promise to eradicate the Guarders, and of the arrogant captain they sent to protect Edge. It’s hard to know who to trust. The most powerful man in the world is also fascinated by trust, and precisely what it takes to destroy it. He’s looking for research subjects, and up in Edge a brash captain and a nosy teacher have caught his attention. Let the experiment begin.
Paperback
First published June 28, 2013
123 people are currently reading
359 people want to read
About the author
Trish Mercer
14 books19 followersThis is the uncomfortable part where I have to write about myself. So here goes.
I have loved, absolutely LOVED writing this series! I started writing it because I couldn't find a book quite like it, and it just grew and grew, dragging me willingly along. It's brought me incredible joy, and although writing is agonizing, it's also fun. Agonizing fun. Yeah, that's it.
I don't claim to be an author, just a tinkerer of story lines and a jumbler of ideas.
If you've enjoyed these books, great!
If you haven't, well . . . that's awkward. Let's just smile stiffly at each other and slowly go our separate ways.
Oh, you're still here? Well, if you want to know more about me, here's the list. I'm married. I have nine kids.
I like my stories because that's the only place where people do exactly what I tell them to.
I worry about America, and I worry about our future.
I'm a Mormon (LDS). I believe in educating my children according to what I feel God wants them to know.
I believe in freedom of religion for all people, and I fear we're losing that freedom.
I'm a lot goofier than I sound.
I dance at random moments and sing in the van when no one can hear me.
I love Yellowstone National Park, God's playground.
I love orchestral soundtracks and trailer music, and walking at twilight and writing scenes to fit the music.
I worry immensely about the world my grandchildren will grow up in, and I hope I'll become that Muggah who sits with her grandchildren telling them that the sky is not really blue.
But I probably won't be weeding.
I have loved, absolutely LOVED writing this series! I started writing it because I couldn't find a book quite like it, and it just grew and grew, dragging me willingly along. It's brought me incredible joy, and although writing is agonizing, it's also fun. Agonizing fun. Yeah, that's it.
I don't claim to be an author, just a tinkerer of story lines and a jumbler of ideas.
If you've enjoyed these books, great!
If you haven't, well . . . that's awkward. Let's just smile stiffly at each other and slowly go our separate ways.
Oh, you're still here? Well, if you want to know more about me, here's the list. I'm married. I have nine kids.
I like my stories because that's the only place where people do exactly what I tell them to.
I worry about America, and I worry about our future.
I'm a Mormon (LDS). I believe in educating my children according to what I feel God wants them to know.
I believe in freedom of religion for all people, and I fear we're losing that freedom.
I'm a lot goofier than I sound.
I dance at random moments and sing in the van when no one can hear me.
I love Yellowstone National Park, God's playground.
I love orchestral soundtracks and trailer music, and walking at twilight and writing scenes to fit the music.
I worry immensely about the world my grandchildren will grow up in, and I hope I'll become that Muggah who sits with her grandchildren telling them that the sky is not really blue.
But I probably won't be weeding.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 5, 2017
Trish Mercer has done an excellent job with this series! Starting with a debate match between two twenty-eight year olds. The plot and story structure is fantastic, I especially like the two main bad guys being cloaked in mystery and darkness. Mahrree Peto, and Captain Perrin Shin meet each other on a debate stage in the village of edge. Being the new fort commander Perrin finds himself faced with the mysterious Guarders in several life and death encounters. Maureen is faced with back to back pregnancies while supporting her young Captain husband. Great first book in their five book series.
March 20, 2017
Imagine this...a book series that is free on Kindle and is thoroughly enjoyable. Mercer has developed interesting characters and an engaging story. Set in the past...the future...who knows? Part of the fun of this book is trying to figure out the when and how. Digging into book two now...
May 8, 2014
I will start of saying that I am not fond of romance novels. Many people described this as such (and many other things) so I went into it with a bit of concern - figuring I would not like it. But the price (free on Amazon when I got it) was hard to beat and I like branching out here and there - always looking for new to me authors to enjoy. I primarily enjoy fantasy and post apocalyptic tales so, despite the romance label, I picked this up. While it wasn't a "stay up all night and read the book in record time" type book...I have to admit I really really liked it. Yes....two really's. I found myself smiling and laughing over the "debates", was intrigued by Guarders and their purpose...as well as the mysterious others of which I will say no more for fear of spoilers, and was not overly "ickied" out with romance. All in all this was fun to read and I look forward to following the story further.
July 28, 2015
Stayed up late to finish!
I loved the characters, the world building, the plot kept me turning pages. I will look for more books from this author. Clean, inspiring, and suspenseful you won't be disappointed. The action scenes were so vivid I could see them in my mind. The romance was fun and I loved how deep the description went. Even after marriage the relationship continued to develop. Laughed out loud and giggled a bit. Political intrigue and mystery enriched the story. Very well developed evil vs good.
I loved the characters, the world building, the plot kept me turning pages. I will look for more books from this author. Clean, inspiring, and suspenseful you won't be disappointed. The action scenes were so vivid I could see them in my mind. The romance was fun and I loved how deep the description went. Even after marriage the relationship continued to develop. Laughed out loud and giggled a bit. Political intrigue and mystery enriched the story. Very well developed evil vs good.
May 12, 2014
I just could not get into this book very well. It is rare that I lose interest in a storyline but I just couldn't grasp the initial story this book tried to relay. It was just not my cup of tea!
August 31, 2014
We are proud to announce that THE FOREST AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD by Trish Mercer is a B.R.A.G.Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
April 10, 2023
I got the first three books in this series free on Kindle three years ago and I just finished the first book. I prefer audio books and often forget that I have two Kindles plus the app on my phone. The amazing thing was that I was usually able to remember the characters and what had gone on earlier in the story when I'd read a couple pages three months later. I hope I get to read the second book a little faster. It is interesting trying to figure out what is really going on. I think I'm rooting for the right team.
November 14, 2024
When I started this book, I didn't like it. But since I seldom close a book before I finish it, I stuck with it. It does get much better. And yes, I have book 2 waiting for me to read it. A new world is set up with 500 families who have to learn to live and survive on this new world. Part of this world is off limits. Some is not possible to farm or live on. Then we met a Capt. of army who is to set up a fort to protect a very far away A romance happens and changes the way this story takes off. I would recomend it to sci=fi readers.
August 28, 2022
I enjoyed the concept of the book & the characters. I struggled to get into it and often skip pages because it’s redundant and wordy and it feels like the story isn’t progressing but the author is putting her beliefs on the pages and making it very obvious. I like a more subtle and natural approach than having it hammered over and over again.
August 24, 2018
I enjoyed this Christian themed science fiction book which I got for free from Smashwords for my Nook.
Read
February 26, 2020Liked it well enough to read all 8 and recommend it to my friends!
June 13, 2020
Eh..ok
In reading it makes sense the author is from UT, BYU, and most likely LDS. The story follows the basic doctrine. It was ok.
In reading it makes sense the author is from UT, BYU, and most likely LDS. The story follows the basic doctrine. It was ok.
December 30, 2020
took me several months to actually get into this book. I started and stopped it several times, when I finally decided I was going to read it no if ands or buts by the end of the first chapter I couldn't put it down.
July 29, 2017
Surprisingly good
July 22, 2019
This book starts kind of slow and confusing, but if you're willing to hang in there, it's worth it. The way to build something great is laying one brick at a time. This first book lays a strong enough foundation that I decided to go ahead and read the next book, and then the next, and now... I'm in the middle of book six with no regrets.
Mahree Peto and Perrin Shin think they have normal lives. They think they know what to expect when their local rector pits them against one another in public debates. They figure out pretty quickly that they'd been wrong, but even then, they can't imagine the forces that are out to impact them, for good or for ill. This book presents a close view of two strong characters and their dynamics and lives - plus an epic world scope that you know will come crashing down on their heads one day.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you Mahree and Perrin are the two most amazing characters in all of fictiondom, and I'm also not going to say the epic scope is the most breathtaking phenomenon ever to grace the fantasy genre. What I *am* saying is that investing time in these two fallible individuals who come together to be something greater is worth it. Living vicariously through them in this world is worth it. What's the color of the sky? Do you know, really?
This book is Christian fantasy, but far from being preachy, it invites you argue either alongside or against the characters however you see fit. I picked up the first four books for free on Amazon and bought the last four for 99 cents each. By the time I'd finished book three, I would've been more than willing to pay market price for each subsequent book. For those of you who are on the fence about the series, I think the author does frequent, if not constant, discounts like this, so you can give the series a try with an investment only of time.
Mahree Peto and Perrin Shin think they have normal lives. They think they know what to expect when their local rector pits them against one another in public debates. They figure out pretty quickly that they'd been wrong, but even then, they can't imagine the forces that are out to impact them, for good or for ill. This book presents a close view of two strong characters and their dynamics and lives - plus an epic world scope that you know will come crashing down on their heads one day.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you Mahree and Perrin are the two most amazing characters in all of fictiondom, and I'm also not going to say the epic scope is the most breathtaking phenomenon ever to grace the fantasy genre. What I *am* saying is that investing time in these two fallible individuals who come together to be something greater is worth it. Living vicariously through them in this world is worth it. What's the color of the sky? Do you know, really?
This book is Christian fantasy, but far from being preachy, it invites you argue either alongside or against the characters however you see fit. I picked up the first four books for free on Amazon and bought the last four for 99 cents each. By the time I'd finished book three, I would've been more than willing to pay market price for each subsequent book. For those of you who are on the fence about the series, I think the author does frequent, if not constant, discounts like this, so you can give the series a try with an investment only of time.
May 4, 2014
Building to Become an Excellent Series
Trish Mercer has created a world where nothing is as it seems. 500 original families are created on a planet made for them, and the Creator teaches them all they need to know to thrive on the new world. Everything the Creator taught is left in the Writings, which is the sponsored religion.
For the first few centuries, the world was a monarchy, with the King's over the years being horrible to the populace. At one point, an explorer is sent out to find usable land outside the small habitable space which is now populated. The explorer is killed, and the guards, along with a lot of the population flee into the forest - as it seems a secret society was living amidst everyone which opposed the monarchy. These people become known as the Guarders. They live in the forest and the mountains, and have existed for over one hundred years by the time the book begins. The Guarders steal money, food and clothing from towns that border the forest. They also kill people.
Our story takes place in the town of Edge, which borders the forest, and is a very small, but independent town. After the monarchy is replaced by a Council, a decision is made to build a fort in Edge to battle the newly emerging Guarders threat.
Captain Shin, son of General Shin - head of the army, is sent to head up the effort at the fort. He meets a very independent and outspoken school teacher named Ms. Peto, and it is her recollections as the most dangerous woman in the world, that this story is told.
There is action, adventure, skullduggery, betrayal, treason and a plot that just keeps twisting and turning. Even at the end there is much that isn't revealed, which is why I give it 4.5 stars instead of 5.
The characters are wonderful and their foibles are so human you just have to chuckle. Mrs. Peto is a kick in the pants, writing to the General about wanting to redecorate the fort in manly plaid and new window coverings, along with throw pillows. Joriana Shin is fantastic with her lists for her son about his wife. What a great Mom. General Shin and his weather forecasts are priceless. The Densals are a warm and wonderful couple. The younger Shins are the sweetest, but most real romantic pair I've read about in a while. They are a joy to read about.
I would highly recommend this series to people that like a good fantasy with an intelligent story. You must pay attention or you will get lost on who is doing what to whom. When you do pay attention, you are awarded with a rich layered tapestry of betrayal, treason and infamy. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. 4.5 / 5 stars
Trish Mercer has created a world where nothing is as it seems. 500 original families are created on a planet made for them, and the Creator teaches them all they need to know to thrive on the new world. Everything the Creator taught is left in the Writings, which is the sponsored religion.
For the first few centuries, the world was a monarchy, with the King's over the years being horrible to the populace. At one point, an explorer is sent out to find usable land outside the small habitable space which is now populated. The explorer is killed, and the guards, along with a lot of the population flee into the forest - as it seems a secret society was living amidst everyone which opposed the monarchy. These people become known as the Guarders. They live in the forest and the mountains, and have existed for over one hundred years by the time the book begins. The Guarders steal money, food and clothing from towns that border the forest. They also kill people.
Our story takes place in the town of Edge, which borders the forest, and is a very small, but independent town. After the monarchy is replaced by a Council, a decision is made to build a fort in Edge to battle the newly emerging Guarders threat.
Captain Shin, son of General Shin - head of the army, is sent to head up the effort at the fort. He meets a very independent and outspoken school teacher named Ms. Peto, and it is her recollections as the most dangerous woman in the world, that this story is told.
There is action, adventure, skullduggery, betrayal, treason and a plot that just keeps twisting and turning. Even at the end there is much that isn't revealed, which is why I give it 4.5 stars instead of 5.
The characters are wonderful and their foibles are so human you just have to chuckle. Mrs. Peto is a kick in the pants, writing to the General about wanting to redecorate the fort in manly plaid and new window coverings, along with throw pillows. Joriana Shin is fantastic with her lists for her son about his wife. What a great Mom. General Shin and his weather forecasts are priceless. The Densals are a warm and wonderful couple. The younger Shins are the sweetest, but most real romantic pair I've read about in a while. They are a joy to read about.
I would highly recommend this series to people that like a good fantasy with an intelligent story. You must pay attention or you will get lost on who is doing what to whom. When you do pay attention, you are awarded with a rich layered tapestry of betrayal, treason and infamy. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. 4.5 / 5 stars
February 12, 2014
This is a deep, haunting inspirational fantasy novel, well, somewhere between inspirational fantasy and sweet romance, with dystopian elements thrown in.
A small town teacher, Mahrree Peto, is challenged to publicly debate the new fort's commander, Captain Perrin Shin. As they verbally wrangle on the village green's stage, they find a) they like each other and b) they like arguing with each other. But there are dangers in this world, where strange people called Guarders attack villages from the forest, killing and stealing, where it almost seems as if the Guarders know individuals within the village and single them out as targets. What's going on and what's it going to take for the captain to protect his growing family?
Some solid writing underlies the story, although a bit of trimming and another proofreading pass wouldn't hurt the text. The characters not only are well constructed, they have that extra something that personality provides. The combination carries the story through the slower parts (where trimming could help it along), making it rather hard to notice the story's slowed until you think on it later.
All in all, it's a good story for patient readers. Let's call it four stars.
A small town teacher, Mahrree Peto, is challenged to publicly debate the new fort's commander, Captain Perrin Shin. As they verbally wrangle on the village green's stage, they find a) they like each other and b) they like arguing with each other. But there are dangers in this world, where strange people called Guarders attack villages from the forest, killing and stealing, where it almost seems as if the Guarders know individuals within the village and single them out as targets. What's going on and what's it going to take for the captain to protect his growing family?
Some solid writing underlies the story, although a bit of trimming and another proofreading pass wouldn't hurt the text. The characters not only are well constructed, they have that extra something that personality provides. The combination carries the story through the slower parts (where trimming could help it along), making it rather hard to notice the story's slowed until you think on it later.
All in all, it's a good story for patient readers. Let's call it four stars.
May 10, 2014
I loved the writing. I loved the characters. I loved the story.
It got a bit too sappy around the middle for my taste but as if my complaint was heard the sap was under control about twenty pages later.
It's witty, it's funny, the characters are an absolute plus since they are not the atypical soldier and housewife. I love the way the author gives only glimpses of what is really going on and you only get a clearer picture as you dive deeper into the story. So you can do quite some thinking for yourselve, develop the story in your own mind and then be surprised.
I'd give it 4,5 stars because of the sap and the amount of small grammatical errors and such. But since there is no 4,5 and this book feels really more on the 5 stars side than on the 4 stars side because it got me invested and laughing I gave it 5 stars.
It got a bit too sappy around the middle for my taste but as if my complaint was heard the sap was under control about twenty pages later.
It's witty, it's funny, the characters are an absolute plus since they are not the atypical soldier and housewife. I love the way the author gives only glimpses of what is really going on and you only get a clearer picture as you dive deeper into the story. So you can do quite some thinking for yourselve, develop the story in your own mind and then be surprised.
I'd give it 4,5 stars because of the sap and the amount of small grammatical errors and such. But since there is no 4,5 and this book feels really more on the 5 stars side than on the 4 stars side because it got me invested and laughing I gave it 5 stars.
May 20, 2014
I enjoyed this book, but the ending left the nagging feeling that I shouldn't have read it. It MOSTLY ends, but it's part of a series, so things are left hanging.
I really enjoyed watching the progress of Shin and Mahree's relationship. I like how the town was involved but not really involved in watching their courtship. It was cute.
The world is interesting, but a lot of the political maneuvering was not as compelling as the parts of the story taking place in Edge.
I really enjoyed watching the progress of Shin and Mahree's relationship. I like how the town was involved but not really involved in watching their courtship. It was cute.
The world is interesting, but a lot of the political maneuvering was not as compelling as the parts of the story taking place in Edge.
August 5, 2014
This is Christian speculative fiction but not overtly preachy, so the nonreligious can live with it provided they like the primary genre. I enjoyed the tension and theatrics between the spirited heroine, Mahree, and the tall, dark, handsome mysterious captain, Perrin Shin, whom everyone in the village of Edge thinks should get married. They agreed and did so, but that's when the story really begins. The author does a good job of making readers want to take in the next installment.
September 12, 2013
After reading this book, I want to call it a fantasy novel because of the setting. However, it doesn't really fit any specific category. It is a very good story, with well-formed characters that keeps you engaged and wanting to read until the end. It's also very clean with no objectionable language or content, so it would be great for families or teens.
February 17, 2023
This is quite easily one of the best books that I have ever read. It combines everything that I love to read about, all written in such a masterful way. Trish Mercer has an incredible talent for weaving humour, intrigue, action, romance, deception and wonder all into a few pages. This is by far my favourite ‘world’ to get lost in, and I cannot wait to read the entire series.
August 21, 2016
The first half of the first book was interesting, with plenty of funny dialogues, suspenseful plots, and a love story. But the book went straight downhill after the two main characters got married, and was filled with long descriptions of trivial details in family life. It seems that I started watching a thriller movie, and ended up watching a daytime soap opera.
August 23, 2013
Such a great, clean read. Romance and intrigue all rolled in a dystopian novel. I love that both male and female leads are strong.
Oh, and did I mention how cheap this is for the kindle!? Perfect!
Oh, and did I mention how cheap this is for the kindle!? Perfect!
November 19, 2015
Honestly slightly less than three stars. I struggled with the flow of the story and the names of the characters. I felt like the point was veiled at times and confusing. The one thing I did like was the concept of the Creator and the Refuser/ Christian themes of good and evil.
January 24, 2016
I loved this book! It moved slow at times but the world create in this and the following books is rich and compelling. I both can't wait to finish and will be sad when it is over.
February 24, 2014
Good. Funny because there are so "LDS" ideas woven into the book. A little sappy, but it was good.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews