The Edge of Reason

by Michelle Torlot

A soulmate is supposed to love you forever.
So what's wrong with Ember?

Ember grew up in a sexist pack where women are only valued for cooking, cleaning and bearing pups. But when her fated mate rejects her, she's sent away to join a very different kind of pack.

Led by the powerful and brooding Alpha Damon Scopus, Ember's new pack plunges her headfirst into a war she doesn't understand, a new mate bond she never expected, and shocking revelations about her own identity.
Has Ember finally found a place where she fits, or is she hurtling towards her own destruction?

Genres: Werewolves, Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Wolves, Enemies To Lovers

ebook

First published September 7, 2023

Reviews

[Pam Marcola Duff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would love to rate this book higher but if you can’t publish a book where we don’t have to buy it buy the chapter then you don’t get a good rating. So freaking annoying you can’t just read this book unless your on a terrible app that makes you wait 6 hours between chapters or buy it by the chapter instead of the entire book so you have no idea how much it will cost

[Nana Pickrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update: I broke down and ended up paying for the chapters on Galatea. Fortunately there were only 30 chapters so it wasn't too bad. The story was good and editing was ok.
DNF...Found this on Facebook. Started reading then realized I would have to pay chapter by chapter. I really dislike these types of stories. You end up paying more than the book is worth.

[Crush Critiques · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started off pretty good and had loads of potential, but then it introduced a lot of characters who never really make an appearance. Plus it very suddenly wrapped up in a neat little bow which surprised me, as I didn’t realize it was so short. Just when it should have been getting really good with Ember coming into her own, it ends with nary a conflict in sight. Needless to say, it either needed to skip the whole “much more than a conduit” thing if it wasn’t going to build upon it more than it did, or show how Ember has to cover her tracks after the talk (it really wasn’t much of a showdown) with Conrad & Marcus.

Skipping 3 months to simply summarize the ending when that should have been written out, it’s conflict and drama the author had been building up to), is unforgivable. Unfortunately that ending was a little too “HEA” for my liking, especially since Ember went through hell during the first half of the book but then once she’s mated everything turns out great. It’s giving the idea that a woman needs a man to complete them and/or to turn their life around, which simply isn’t true. That dropped it down a star for me.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a wild ride! I was invested, but the story skips a lot with a rushed ending and lots of “and suddenly this world element exists!”. However, I rated it well since I did stay invested. I doubt I’d truly read it again but if you want a dramatic tale this one is for you!

[Margaret Mary James · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a hard one to rate. I want to give it three stars because of the potential during the first half of the book. The writing is amateur, but the story is fun and again, it has such potential! It feels like a good outline draft for a great book.

But the second half. Suddenly we have heavy Greek mythology and a royal world factor with a wolf king? It is way too much and that combined with the writing style, I had to reduce my rating.

[Michelle (MichelleBookAddict) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well this was a predictable read. So 2 1/2⭐️ but rounded up to 3 because I read it in 2 nights. Insomnia sucks but this kept me entertained while I was suffering from not being able to sleep.

Pet Peeves yup they’re there.
• Age gap with a 19 year old heroine (Ember) described as a small manic pixie dream weakling! yup. A weakling. (I have an Age Gap tag but that’s only for 21yo and up.)
But luckily her “Mate” is able to *revive her inner-strength for her. 🙄
* (or in this case - “break a curse” to give her strength. Luckily the Hero does help her. I’ll give him praise for that.)
• Also she’s not a white wolf but she is “honey-colored” and small. And a virgin… so there’s still some “purity” theme there. Oh and she’s “speshkal” hence a Manic Pixie Dream, just like all the author’s other books according to one commenter in the Galatea app.
• Hero (Damon) is of course a “Big/ Strong” dominant Alpha type. At least he was a bit of a cinnamon roll side to him with Ember and his pack… just to show that he’s also a caring Alpha.
• World building was just ok. First half was your typical shapeshifter Alpha/ Luna PNR… and then out of no where comes the Greek Mythology.
• Was hoping for some smut but only got one scene toward the very end in the last chapters.

So what kept me invested in reading this? I guess after ignoring some of those pet peeves the story got me hooked to read in my insomnia haze.

Just don’t do what I did during that haze and purchase that book (found in Galatea) and then remember to make an account after. Lost the credits from doing that and there’s been no reply from them. But that’s not the book’s fault. Just my insomniac haze.

Trigger Warning Depression, self-harm attempts, suicidal thoughts and attempts, violent death (which the guy deserved imo).
CW ONE Open Door Sex scene that was an ok vanilla 🌶️

Side Note: Found in Galatea app. Made a mistake and changed my account on there so lost what I bought but luckily already read this quick read.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of 2 books that intrigued me enough to purchase a subscription to the Galatea reading app. Unfortunately based on this book it wasn't worth it.

This started out very well. It was a very typical rejected mate story. The characters and writing were decent. Unfortunately about chapter 20 it went off the rails. The conduit stuff was interesting I suppose and I was actually kind of hoping that the author would explore her as a disabled Luna within a warrior pack. Then all of a sudden Greek deities make an appearance and of course the end game is that Ember the oh so weak female isn't weak she's actually super special she's just cursed until she and her mate mark each other. Barf. No thank you. Then there's a whole bunch of other stuff I skimmed that was just jammed into this novella and it did not work well at all.

I have this app for a year now. I hope I find some enjoyable stories to read.

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read about 4 chapters in Galatea and gave up because they wanted me to wait 6 hours between chapters or buy points. By that time I already disliked most of the characters. The whole point of fated mates is so you have a guaranteed loyal love interest. Having that trashed in the opening chapters just ruins the whole point of reading shifter romance at all! Deleted the Galatea App, and good riddance!

[Summer Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed something short to break me out of my grief induced slump. This was perfect. I enjoyed it.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenido y rápido de leer. Una historia corta que engancha desde el primer momento.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn’t very good, being too fast-paced, and ridiculous with bringing in Zeus and Ares, but parts of it were interesting and it made me laugh in places - cringe and laugh, but laugh.

I wouldn’t recommend it, and I wouldn’t read another, but I can’t say I didn’t like it. Thus, 3/5 stars, but it’s probably more like 2.5.

[Amanda C · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had real potential but every time you start a new chapter the author has skipped big chunks of the story which i feel are important. She keeps hurtling you forward in the story as if she’s not sure how to expand it and just wants it finished happy ending. Its a shame it could have been a really good book. Theres also a lot of copy catting goes on with all these werewolf/ fae/ vampire books. Needs to be a bit more unique. A bit more mythical/ historical research . Although Sara J Maas books can be repetitive and the main character always seem to lose their personality once they find power and status. They are still compelling and some research seems to have been done. But The Edge of Reason is pale in comparison . Needs a lot more work. The summary is more exciting than the actual book.

[Emma Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ember and Damon.

[Lorianne Palmer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I shouldn't have to pay for a subscription for this book just to read it. I love the beginning but it's not sold at barnes and noble and only sold for $50 which sucks bcuz it has a great start. Please sell it at a store like barnes and noble I would love to read it.

[Katydid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first three chapters on Galatea. They want way too much money for a year subscription or to buy this book by the chapter, so I did not continue.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spice Level: 1.5/5

This book was a low sloped roller coaster of attempting to be a book while rushing itself to keep within the word count I suppose it has of itself.

It is also one of those stories you cannot buy as a book, and have to use one of those reading apps (Galatea) to wait and wait to read chapter to chapter. So either you DNF out of frustration, finish to say you did after 15-30 days of trying to read it, or paying for a ridiculously priced service just to read it in one go.


Spoiler Free TLDR: Mysterious, handsome, rumored dark and evil and tough-as-nails Alpha falls for the new pack member who is small, frail, and emotionally abused from her previous pack. And how quickly they fall "in love" makes no sense. Plus plot twist ending was... sure something. Quick, simple read.



~Spoiler Possible Review Below~

The story starts with us learning the FMC is malnourished through her sadness from a recent break of mateship. She appears thin, weak, and unkempt in a "losing vitality" type of way. And then a few chapters in, that is basically ignored or forgotten. Hell, it takes several chapters to find out how she looks, and more so to learn how the guy looks. That's insane. I already gave them an appearance in my head, you can't fix it now. But also, how is someone who is so weak and thin going to be much use of anything, let alone falling in love, when she hadn't eaten in days?

Another problem I faced with the novel is the time frame.

This is probably the biggest hiccup that made reading it a grit of teeth with several bouts of sighing. I persevered simply out of spite.

Within 24 hours of them first meeting, the MMC is starting to feel something for her, such as protectiveness and desire. Suddenly his inner wolf is thinking of making the FMC his mate. And this builds while she is awake for about (generously) 6 hours then asleep for 5 more days in a medical/pain induced coma. And as soon as the FMC wakes, there's more of that pull for him. Like hunh???

And that isn't touching on the fact that the FMC almost rolls over in personality for her desire for him.

He goes from 'I'll never take another mate again' and 'My pack will eat her frailness alive' to 'You're my mate and I'll protect you until I die' in the span of a few days when really it's no more than 3 hours total of them ever interacting together.

I expected a semi slow-build type of love where he realizes something happened to her previously and he encourages her to eat, build her strength and confidence, and slowly reveals he's not as all the rumors say. I expected her to fill into herself outside of the bad situation she was in, and grow to desire this hard ass man who has a soft spot for her.

What I got was... not that, that's for sure.

Then (spoiler), we find out that she is the daughter of Ares, granddaughter of Zeus, and has powers because of it. Like wha... what???

I gave it an attempt as the premise sounded interesting and I'm a sucker for werewolf/shifter stories. But this was... woof.

[Amanda M Zsuzsics · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the facebook werewolf smut so you don't have to.

Nature is healing, the werewolf smut adds have returned to my facebook timeline after being absent for several years. I've never engaged with these ads before, and this isn't normally my kind of thing, so I'm not sure why my algorithm keeps hounding me (pun intended).

Anyway, I broke down and read it.
My first complaint is that it is often hosted on pay-by-chapter websites, and honey, let me tell you, it is NOT worth the money. I would have happily bought the book for $5-$7 outright, but with these websites, they often have you paying MUCH more than the "book" is actually worth.

Now, "book" is in quotes, because this is more like a short story. I finished the whole thing in about 1.5 hours. It's 30 chapters, and each chapter is like a 5 min read. It's shorter than most fanfics I've read.

The story itself is pretty milquetoast. It's pretty predictable and bland overall (even the sex scenes...all two-ish of them), but it does have potential. The writing itself is ok at best, the language says what it needs to, and that's about it. If this were a first draft (and it really feels like it), I'd be asking for more. More backstory, more conflict, more tension, more suspense, more action, more passion, more mystery.

It feels very rushed. From the moment the book starts, you're already stampeding towards the finish. Big conflicts are solved in two paragraphs. Everything happens so fast and boom the story is over. Every resolution is handed to the characters on a silver platter. Ok, well, not silver, because werewolves, but you get me.

The exposition chapters tend to feel lazy, like they were thrown in at the last minute, instead of the story flowing together, they feel like "oh, and BTW here's why this is." Instead of actually fleshing out major plot points. Back stories are skimmed over or skipped entirely, making it feel like the book was an overdue assignment just thrown together at the last minute.

For example, in the first chapter, we're barely introduced to the main character's mate before he rejects her. The reader has no emotional attachment, and it makes it sound like the two characters barely know each other, she just runs up to him yelling "mate!" and he turns around and says "nope."

Overall a nice idea, but not fully fleshed out, and not worth the price.

[Persephone Full · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!!!

I couldve had easily given it a 4 had i finished it in one sweep and not painstakingly waited every 6 long hours from one measly chapter to the next for friggin 6 days. It wouldve taken me longer to finish this book had i not found the link to the last five chapters from reddit.

A book of 30 chapters is just a short read for me but that Galatea app im using warrants unlimited chapters only upon paid subscription on the spot when some others give trial periods. I went too close to subscribing out of frustration too many times but i refused to cave in because most of my fave authors arent on it yet. Blah.

So ok, let me make a short review of this prized book that had made me lose my sh*t for waiting.

This isnt my first time with wolf romances. Alpha males are unfathomably hot! All that testosterones in a handsome package who has power above all his breed and has a bid to the royal throne— no woman in her right mind can resist such Alpha! And Alpha Damon was just that. Id love to be her Luna. But of course I had to give it up to Ember who, though was introduced as a weak link of her pack, casted away after being rejected by her mate, fell inlove with the Alpha of the pack which took her as refugee, only in the end turned out to be the daughter of Ares the God of War and grandaughter of Zeus! Beat that!

I love Greek mythology, hence is why my FB name is Persephone. I love that this book is laced with such trimmings aside from being a wolf love story. I also love that its an easy-read (waiting aside), fast paced, written without unnecessary blabbers. Its kinda rushed but heck with all the waiting, I couldn’t care less if its shorter. Glad its over. More glad to have read it without having to pay $69!

[Marti · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Edge of Reason by Michelle Torlot is a werewolf novel that I found on Galatea (Reading App). I have to admit I read a chapter a day (YAWN) even though I hate reading that way. I was illiterate about werewolf culture but from reading the book,I learned so much about it. The head of the pack is the Alpha and behind him is the Beta. Both positions can be hereditary, but not always. The Alpha’s mate is called Luna. The pack is family and needed for hunting, protecting, raising kits and support. Each pack is usually independent from the other. Oh and silver and wolf’s bane erode their power and self healing.

Ember is a small werewolf who struggles with changing into her wolf form. She is maltreated and despite the fact she found her mate, he denied her. Ember ended up escaping and showed up in another pack where she was treated with more care. She is weak, small and full of angst. It is not until Alpha Damon Scopus realises that she is his mate, that she begins to find her way. Damon is definitely an Alpha expecting everyone to demur to him. It is only after this that we find out more about Ember and her powers.

One of the serious problems with this novel is that it is on Galatea, where the chapters are slowly parsed out. I can only assume it is this way to squeeze its reader into giving up and buying a membership or the chapters of the book. This method is quite disappointing and irritating. I ended up reading the book chapter by chapter - a serious PIA.

The book is a good read if you can suck up the reading app and its disadvantages and liking the hero/victim and weak/strong genre. The Edge of Reason by Michelle Torlot was an interesting read.

[vakilo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Das Buch hat als interessanter Page-Tuner angefangen und verliert dann doch ganz schnell einfach alles.

Die Protagonistin Ember ist absolut nutzlos. Kann nichts, ist total weinerlich, sieht aber mega heiß aus und ist was ganz "Besonderes". Sie bekommt am Ende des Buches ihre einzige Sternenstunde und dann wars das auch schon mit ihrer "Besonderheit". Zwischendurch wird angedeutet, dass Ember vielleicht doch mehr drauf hat, aber ihr ganzes bisheriges Leben unterdrückt wurde und die Verbindung zu sich selbst einfach finden muss. Ich habe lange auf diesen Moment gewartet, aber er kam leider nicht. Absolut enttäuschend.

Damon ist der 0815 Counter Protagonist zu Ember. Er ist das genau Gegenteil zu Ember und führt die seichte Handlung voran. Die meisten Dialoge von ihm bin ich nur noch überflogen. Seine Dialoge sind so krass kitschig... kein erwachsener Mann redet so. :|

Bis zur Mitte des Buches verfolgt man eine klassische Paranormal Romance Story, die zweite Hälfte integriert griechische Mythologie und ab dann macht die Geschichte noch weniger Sinn als zuvor.

Das Buch soll 18+ sein, aber älter sollte man für das Buch auch nicht sein. Irgendwelche 18/19-jährigen Protas sowie ihre 30-jährigen Verehrer, aber keiner von denen wirkt älter als 17 so wie sie "reden". Manchmal fragt man sich, ob einige Autorinnen sich überhaupt damit mal beschäftigen, wie "erwachsene Menschen" miteinander reden und nicht irgendwelche Teenies.

[Syl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give it three stars because it hooked me within the first three chapters, even if it's an average story of this kind.

There were characters that could have been used more, to include interesting subplots to help build Ember's main plot (Oliver, Crystal, Noah) and Damon's (Joshua), but they were all shallow. World building was fine and so was the first part of the book, but then, the author seemed to have been bored of writing, stepped on it and driven fast to the end of the story.
I'm still a bit peeved about how Zeus and Ares were introduced. Had the author said anything else about the Moon Goddess (Selene), her real place in the Pantheon, etc., I would not have had that mouth feeding sensation. They felt like a Deus ex Machina to me, as did her powers and explanations.

Anyway, I was bored, found the book, read it and had fun.
Three stars, no wolfsbane.

[Carrie O · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I've read earlier incarnations of this story, more than once, in the pandemic years... but recently found it again on Galatea, and I read it twice in the same week because I enjoyed this version so much. We have a coherent storyline with a finite end, and a solid story that we can enjoy following. A PNR with shifters and a touch of mythology. A FMC who appears weak at the beginning, but develops into an OP central character. A MMC who begins gloriously strong, and finds himself drawn to the petite feisty FMC who couldn't save herself, much less someone else.

I love that this story did not take a lifetime to finish, and had a solid story arc. I liked both the MMC & FMC. And the writing pulls you through the story easily.

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ☆ & 2,5 🌶

Found this book on Amazon-kindle

Surprisingly good writing, even if the world could have used a bit more world building.

Ember James gets rejected by her mate Noah because she's small, a runt.
Because off the rejection her wolf wants to die, but Ember does not.
She gets chosen by her alpha as a tribute to join the Dark Moon Pack.
The reason behind this is never fully explained.
Along the way she finds some things out about her heritage, but I'll leave that for you to discover for yourself while reading this story.

I will say the kindle edition has also an epilogue included.
But that seemed a little to short to be satisfied with the ending of this story.
I wanted a little bit more, especially with her powers & her mate bond!

[Tessa A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved these characters and premise. Great read I was HOOKED! So hooked I kept paying for chapters. I waaaaas a little - maybe a lot-disappointed in the ending though. The spiciness was written not very well. It felt like how I would have written a sex scene as a 17 year old. It was too fast, not enough tension and anticipation building/ teasing/ foreplay/ etc. I felt like we had to wait so long for some spiciness (the bath scene was lame) and it really just didn't deliver on what I felt like those characters deserved. Also, the actual plot line was spectacular but also felt like it ended so quickly and abruptly.

[Lynda Brooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really more of a short novella I found on a website that charges a subscription fee or by the chapter. Or you had to wait like 6 hours to read the next chapter. Lame. Anyway, I started the book, and it was pretty good, drew me in. Ember and Damon from rival werewolf shapeshifting packs fall for each other despite their differences when Ember arrives as tribute to Alpha Damon’s pack. Anyway, the plot line became pretty unbelievable with not near the spice I thought it would have and some dropped characters that were seemingly pretty important in the beginning, and then just disappeared. A real disappointment and a waste of money.

[Hilda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen sometimes I read crap. I know what will happen. It’s the same exact story and I love it. It’s predictable and I know what's going to happen and can rely on it. She’s bullied and hurt by her old pack. Then she mates with the alpha who then denies her, hurts her, then sends her away. She always finds a more powerful alpha who is also her mate. Repeat. I don’t care. It’s an easy read and it brings me comfort.

This one was slightly different since you need to pay for it on an app. That was the only thing that made it not so good. If it was on KU I would have rated it higher.

[Tawnya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Found the book on Galatea, got hooked into the simple story line. Then found out that I had to wait 6 hours between chapters! There were 30 chapters and I'm not going to sit down and read 2-4 pages (on a cell phone screen) then wait for 6 hours. Based on the points need to just outright buy the book, no way was a amateurishly written book worth $10, or an annual subscription of $56.

That lost me right there! In a week, I'll have completely forgotten the characters, plot and any other aspects of the story.

[Kasey Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3.5-4 for me. I like the unique plot, which is difficult to find among so many para/were stories like this. Even more unique than many others, it was a little simplistic, and tbh I don't feel like our MFC had to go through ALL of that. Granted, it's right there in the title, plus I like the cover, but I didn't love every aspect. And the ending is sick. Happy I picked it up, I enjoyed it!

[Tiffany Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was pretty good and a quick read, I thought it didn't need the FMC's special discovery but it is what it is. It was strange to see Greek Mythology thrown in. I would have liked there to be more follow up with Ember and her brother.

Someone said the writing was amateaur but I've read big box published books with worse writing writing so I didn't find much issue with the writing.

Also no virgin orgasms from rough sex on their first time....I wish authors would stop trying to sell that.

[Leslie Sebastian-Ybanez · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about this book were the plot twists that combined the werewolf lore with other fantastical elements, which played into the plot as a nice surprise. Some of it seemed contrived when building up to the climax, but the story was compelling, and the author did a great job of both hiding the mystery and revealing it. <---not saying what the "mystery" part is because that would spoil the fun of finding out.