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When Princess Lorelei of Leithe overhears her fiancé’s plot to murder her on the way to their wedding, she does the only smart thing: she runs.


Into the Edgelands, the savage, woodland home of the legendary U’lfer, a race of fierce wolves who walk as men, she knows she is as good as dead, but she would rather be torn apart by werewolves than die by Trystay’s hand.


A young U’lfer warrior named Finn catches her scent on the wind and finds himself possessed by an unnatural desire to shield and protect her from that which hunts her. From the moment he first sees her, Finn knows she is his. He feels her heartbeat, knows her soul, and he will do anything, even suffer exile from the Edgelands to be with her.


But there is more to Lorelei than meets the eye. She is like Finn; there is U’lfer blood in her veins, a beast beneath her skin she never knew was there. The answers she seeks lie south, in the frozen tundra of Rimian, where a village of people just like her have been waiting for Lorelei to come and save them since before she was even born.

567 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2014

7 people are currently reading
485 people want to read

About the author

Jennifer Melzer

33 books146 followers
Jennifer Melzer spent the majority of her life as a writer denying she actually liked to write romance, only to wake up one morning and discover that every single tale she’d ever written had somehow revolved around the heart. She has since given into the whim, spinning yarns of love and firmly believing that everyone deserves a happy ending.

She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her husband and daughter, but dreams nightly she is laying on the beach watching the stars fall over the Atlantic Ocean.

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5 stars
37 (35%)
4 stars
31 (30%)
3 stars
20 (19%)
2 stars
6 (5%)
1 star
9 (8%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Heather Faville.
Author 1 book23 followers
February 9, 2014
Here I am with yet another book from the ever talented Jennifer Melzer. Edgelanders is volume one of the Serpent of Time trilogy and if books two and three are even half the book this one is we are all in for a fine time indeed.

Set in a mythical world our heroine Lorelei, is on the run from her betrothed when she is rescued and finds herself under the care of a man/beast who is destined to be her mate. Yes, I said mate. Lorelei's savior is a warrior named Finn who is an U'lfer....thing werewolfian. The connection Finn feels to Lorelei is unmistakable and Lorelei feels it too, but she does not understand it yet. Her world continues to be thrown into chaos as she learns that the man who she knew as her father is not actually her real father. Her true blood is an U'lfer like Finn, making her half U'lfer, a woman with a beast lying in wait under her skin. Then add in the knowledge that an entire village of people believe her to be the deliverer of, essentially, their salvation. That's a lot to put on a young girl.

I have to admit, Jennifer Melzer is a favorite author of mine. I enjoy the way she crafts a tale and can even sometimes keep you guessing. That being said, I have to say that Edgelanders is my favorite work from Ms Melzer thus far. I love the characters of Finn and Lorelei. Heck, I love quite a few of the various characters and I even mistrust one, but I may be proven incorrect in my mistrust in the next Volumes...we shall see. They have great interactions with each other, both when in conflict and when attempting to forge a relationship that may lead to a coupling. The world that the author has created is very detailed and can be seen easily through the descriptions given.

Any complaints? I may have thought Edgelanders to be a bit slow starting out, but admit that once everything fell into place and the pace picked up I saw how the buildup was necessary. Also, it's a trilogy which slightly irritates the impatient person in me, especially when we are talking about a good story that I want to continue NOW, not a few months ago. However, if that's my only complaints than Jennifer has succeeded in creating a wonderful book that I am sure those who enjoy a fantasy world filled with mythical beings and magical elements will enjoy just as much as I have.
Profile Image for Denise  Lhamon .
29 reviews1 follower
August 8, 2014
This book got me through the worst night I have had in a very long time. I woke up in a fever and couldn’t do much but toss and turn. So, I decided to stare at words on a page. Stare is the wrong word, I tore through the book in a matter of a night and a morning.

Every time I told myself I had to try to sleep because I had homework in the morning, the book called to me when I closed my eyes, told me I had to see what happens.

The characters are rich and so real it hurts. The world is full of surprises, and I swear to God if anything happens to Finn and Lorelei, pitchforks will become part of the equation. It’s been a very long time since I’ve gotten so deeply involved in characters lives, and gone through so many emotions over one single character that I hate myself for waiting so long to crack open the book.

I cared from page one. Jennifer has an expressive way of writing that takes you into the character’s heads and keeps you there whilst simultaneously growing the world around them. It’s the most organic form of writing I’ve seen in a high fantasy book. And, though it takes a minute to get used too and you get frustrated with Lorelei, it’s so worth it. So, so very worth it.

This book hooked me from the beginning and kept me going long past when I should have fallen asleep. If I can write half as well as Jennifer Melzer when I grow up, I’ll consider myself very lucky. The woman is a wordsmith, and I’m waiting in anxious anticipation to see what happens next, my faith in high fantasy bubbling back into restoration.
Profile Image for Fabi NEEDS Email Notifications.
1,038 reviews153 followers
March 6, 2017
It was a four star fantasy story but it lost a star from me due to extremely poor editing. I'm invested enough in the characters that I want to continue the series.
Profile Image for Katharina.
Author 14 books25 followers
June 9, 2017
What a fantastic book! Warmly recommended, can't wait to start on the second one :)
Profile Image for Blodeuedd Finland.
3,669 reviews310 followers
dnf
July 11, 2015
Eh, I have up. I have no idea what the first 30 pages were about. Except for some guy finding a girl in the woods.

SO much easier to give up with freebies, I got tons more. it needs to catch my attention at once.
Profile Image for Iain Gray.
92 reviews4 followers
March 12, 2014
I really enjoyed this, characters are well rounded. Sets up nicely for the other books on the sites to come.
Profile Image for Alicia Huxtable.
1,901 reviews60 followers
August 2, 2021
This was such a great read. Really enjoyed how in depth the story went and how the characters all meshed together so well. Trystay was my least favourite and once you read the book, you'll understand why. Great start to what I hope is a great series
Profile Image for Jane.
29 reviews12 followers
October 19, 2015
EDGELANDERS ended up being a completely different book than I was expecting it to be, but I still enjoyed it, nonetheless, despite the problems I have with it.

Let's start out with what I liked the most, which was the colorful set of characters I was introduced to throughout the book. Lorelei was a strong female heroine who wasn't afraid to speak her mind, though she came off as a little immature at times. Finn was hilarious for about the first third of the book, then he sort of lost it, but in return he sort of grew, even though sometimes it was for the worst. I liked Viln at first for his mature seriousness and the decision to protect his brother like he promised his mother he would at her death bed, then he just became a little annoying and turn-offish. Logren I loved, if only for he affection towards his son and the feeling of nobleness I get from him he was in the book. Brendolowyn I love too, 'cause you know, he's an elf--you really have to screw up to make me not love an elf. However, Bren did seem a little bit creepy at times and somewhat pathetic when trying to get the attentions of Lorelei.

Which brings up my biggest problem with this book. Okay look, though I'd rather not have a love-triangle in the books I read, sometimes I can bear with it or completely pay it no heed, but in EDGELANDERS, once we meet Bren, we'll told of the conflicted feelings of Lorelei and how jealous Finn is of the elf every frickin' chapter, and it stays like that until the end of the book. I'm convinced that the love-triangle is just filler, primarily on the fact that there is no way Lorelei in not going to end up Finn. That fact in so blatantly obvious that it makes me want to puke--unless, of course, Melzer is totally going to through an absolute curve ball and have Lorelei realize she likes Brendolowyn more, which I'd be willing to bet twenty dollars ISN'T going to happen.

Another thing that annoyed me was that every single person that Lorelei met was a stranger. Even though Finn has just saved her life twice and they've been traveling through a frozen wasteland in exile together for a week, he's still just a stranger and she shouldn't trust him. She's now met Logren and Bren, and they're willing to give her and her friends shelter and food and warmth, and after many days of traveling with them, they're still just strangers, so, how could she possibly have any trust towards them? She now is starting to realize her feelings towards Finn, but he's just a stranger! She hardly knows him! OMG, let's freak out about it! Can I go slap Lorelei now?

Despite its flaws, EDGELANDERS is a book worth reading, if only for its gripping plot and beautiful characters. For some, it may seem a little bit slow, but you can just thank the endless pages of love-triangle for that and Lorelei thinking that everyone around her was a stranger that can't possibly be trusted, even though they've saved her butt several times. Personally, I didn't find it terribly slow, but I would have preferred more action and more answers to my questions, but I'm sure they'll be lots of both in the next book.

4/5 Stars
Profile Image for Melissa Hayden.
979 reviews120 followers
May 27, 2015
Lorelie runs into the Edgelands, determined to have a say in how she will die. She'd rather be torn apart by the wolf U'lfer people than at the hand of her betrothed. To Lorelie's surprise she wakes alive, with the U'lfer.

Finn scented her on the wind. He knows she's different yet no one else seems to scent it. He feels a draw to her he's never felt before, and is willing to face exile to be with her.

There is an introduction (which the first sentence is from). I like this as it's a complete short story of an important event in Lorelei's past.

There is a Celtic feel to the U'lfer - descendants of The Wild Hunt and Fionn mac Cumhaill. They are were-wolves and people. By chapter 7 you will know and feel it too. I loved this creation and grow to express the feel to me.

We get to see the world through different eyes, Lorelie, Finn, and from time to time Finn's brother Viln. The characters spend a lot of time re-evaluating and evaluating through thought to themselves. I felt a very intimate feeling with the three characters. I felt the most for Finn though. However with these characters being in the same place, I felt there were sections that repeated things - how limited the U'lfer are in number, Finn's madness, Viln repeats many of these things and Finn. The actions tell a lot, so their thoughts aren't needed as much to reiterate what we know or have learned.

The focus is on Lorelie who's t save the half-breeds of U'lfer and who doesn't know much of the world as she was shielded from it by her father, and king. This gives a young adult feel to the story. She's young and finds her way along with a sweet romance highlight here.

The beginning had me with the strong feeling of The Wild Hunt and Finn influences. The ending...Oooo. Enjoyed the end and the take of the Serpent of Time here. The middle had it's slow moments and lots of reflection by the characters, but I'm curious more of Finn. And what is Lorelie to do in the journey to come. But Finn? He's where my thoughts are.

This book ends the first step in Lorelie's events and starts the next journey. Looking forward to reading that next adventure. I'm curious to see if what is 'seen' happens or if Lorelie finds a way... I have the second book and will be reading it.
Profile Image for A.F. Grappin.
Author 18 books4 followers
August 4, 2015
I liked Edgelanders quite a bit, but it's one of those books that, for me, had a lot of little nagging problems that detracted from my enjoyment of it. Little things, like there being too many names of characters and places that were similar. Drekne, Deken, and Dunvarak; Rimian, Rivenn, Rognar, Ruwena, Rhiorna, and Roggi; Lorelei, Logren, and Leithe. In some ways, it just felt like Melzer got stuck on a few letters, and they all got used at the expense of other letters. It made keeping track of people and places a little difficult, but not much.

There was a lot of repetition of ideas. Almost any time we had Finn's point-of-view, he was always mooning and harping over how afraid he was that Lorelei would shun him or never accept him as a mate... only days after they met. I understand that it was a driving force for him, but I got a little sick of these sorts of things always popping up in his thoughts. I think if some of that repetition had been toned down across all the characters, it would have made the book flow faster (for me, at least) and smoothed things out, but that's a personal aesthetic.

Throughout much of the book, I felt like there was something lacking, and it was during the epilogue (which was, in my opinion, the most intriguing part of the book) that I realized what it was: there was no real clear personification of an antagonist. It wasn't until the epilogue that I saw Trystay again, and holy cow, did his presence make a huge difference in the urgency of the plot! Frankly, it brings up my hopes that book two of this series will be better, which isn't to say this book was bad. To me, it felt like a prologue... one really long prologue to the real story.
Profile Image for Zouagie.
69 reviews43 followers
February 18, 2015
Seriously?! Really? What book is this? He sounds like some animal in heat. All the time. I can't bring myself to finish this book. I really can't. Mad Finn the Reckless? Could they really not come up with a better term. Not to be rude but in this age, creativity is a plus. I would have given it another star if everyone would just stop blindly agreeing to "help" her just by looking at her. If that was the case, every pretty girl would be the damsel in distress.

The story would have progress better if I would just keep reading it cause I don't even know the whole story but I judge a book by their chapters. Too obnoxious, you get another love story that has no base whatsoever. Too slow you get bored of it to continue. In this case, he fell in love with at first sight. I've read waaaay too many stories to see where this is going.

If I was still in my teen years, I probably would have swallowed this book up. But less romance and more fighting/action/adventure or something that falls more into the fantasy category. The only fantasy thing about this is the U'lfer and the background. Maybe I'll give this another try next time. But not today.
Profile Image for Stohelit.
74 reviews6 followers
May 9, 2016
This is another one of those "raw gems". A book that could be really good if it had been thoroughly edited. The author has a unique and beautiful writing style, she does great introspection paragraphs, and there is some really great world- and character building. Some paragraphs stand out for their especially beautiful wording. But, oh, but. Introspection is good, but this novel consists mostly of introspection. It sometimes destroys the pacing of the story. I'm not usually a romance reader, so I won't say anything about the romance elements, I leave that to more competent romance readers.
I loved some of the side characters, but I don't like the main character much. She has her moments, but mostly she behaves so much against common sense or even a sense of her own survival that it is just barely believable. I like my heroines flawed, but this one is spoilt beyond believability.
Spelling errors there are a few, but more prominent are repetitions, in one case a complete paragraph.
Nevertheless, I see true potential in this book if a good editor works on it.
Profile Image for Malinda Andrews.
Author 17 books35 followers
August 11, 2016
An excellent fantasy that will take you on a roller coaster ride!
I really did enjoy this book, the characters, the plot, and the world building. I feel like I'd like to go and explore the world Melzer has created in this book!
Yes, I will agree with some of the reviews that at times the characters are much too stuck in their heads. At times the ratio of exposition and action leans more to the side of rumination, and I sadly found myself skimming through those parts. Just a little less "getting stuck" in a characters thoughts and the story would flow that much better.
Can't wait to start the second book!
Profile Image for Melanie.
195 reviews5 followers
October 16, 2014


3.5 stars :)

Would have been more if Lorelei wasn't such a ninny!!! (that's me being PG rated, not something I'm used to lmao!) :) She acted like a 12yr old most of the time and I just wanted to slap her lol!!

But in general I really enjoyed the book and thank goodness it had a decent amount of pages in it for a change!!

Will be starting bk 2 soon ...
359 reviews4 followers
July 8, 2015
A wonder to behold. That is the saga begun in a world of mysterious adventures.

The world woven in this first volume of The Serpent of Time shows Ms. Meltzer to be an author of the highest plane. The lands are locked in a constant cycle fated to be repeated until the heroine is victorious. A great read.
Profile Image for Fiorela.
773 reviews20 followers
March 3, 2015
I love this world's book, is rich, it has so many different races, so many histories within, I like the almost love story between Lorelei and Finn and all the mystery around what is to become, that is so inciting of this whole journey.

So I'm dying for book 2, which I am starting right now!
Profile Image for Joanna Krahn.
6 reviews3 followers
May 20, 2015
Edgelanders

I enjoyed the story and the characters. The only thing that really bothered me was that the editing was shoddy
Profile Image for Alexandra G..
928 reviews1 follower
could-not-finish
September 13, 2017
When you read almost 40% of the book and you still don't care what happens to the main character, then I think it's time to stop.
You know, this is why I don't like reading books where the protagonist is 16 or 17 years old. Pages and pages of the book are wasted because that kid can't decide what she wants to do, even though the choices are : try to save a hole race from extinction or die because you're a spoiled fucking child that throws temper tantrums.
So, no. Just no.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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