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Edge #1
The Edge of Reason
Since the dawn of consciousness, a secret war has been fought between the forces of magic and religious fanaticism, and the cause of reason, understanding, and technology. On one side are the Old Ones, malign entities that feed on the suffering of mankind. On the other are the Lumina, an ancient order dedicated the liberation of the human spirit.
Officer Richard Oort of the Albuquerque Police Department is caught in the middle of this primal battle when he rescues a mysterious teenage girl from a trio of inhuman hunters. Recruited by the Lumina to serve as their latest paladin, Richard ends up fighting beside a handful of unlikely allies, including an adolescent sorceress, an enigmatic philanthropist, a sexy coroner, and a homeless god with multiple personalities.
The Old Ones and their mortal pawns are determined to destroy Richard–or subvert him to their cause. And they have all powers of magic and organized religion at their disposal. As the gates between the universes shred apart, it may be up to Richard to save humanity from the endless horror of a new Dark Age.
Provocative as The Golden Compass or the Illuminatus! trilogy, The Edge of Reason dramatizes the fundamental conflict behind the hot-button issues of today...and the future of the human race.
Officer Richard Oort of the Albuquerque Police Department is caught in the middle of this primal battle when he rescues a mysterious teenage girl from a trio of inhuman hunters. Recruited by the Lumina to serve as their latest paladin, Richard ends up fighting beside a handful of unlikely allies, including an adolescent sorceress, an enigmatic philanthropist, a sexy coroner, and a homeless god with multiple personalities.
The Old Ones and their mortal pawns are determined to destroy Richard–or subvert him to their cause. And they have all powers of magic and organized religion at their disposal. As the gates between the universes shred apart, it may be up to Richard to save humanity from the endless horror of a new Dark Age.
Provocative as The Golden Compass or the Illuminatus! trilogy, The Edge of Reason dramatizes the fundamental conflict behind the hot-button issues of today...and the future of the human race.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2008
17 people are currently reading
802 people want to read
About the author
Melinda M. Snodgrass
69 books220 followersMELINDA M. SNODGRASS
Melinda Snodgrass was born in Los Angeles, but her family moved to New Mexico when she was five months old making her almost a native. She studied opera at the Conservatory of Vienna in Austria, graduated from U.N.M. with a degree in history, and went on to Law School. She practiced for three years, and discovered that while she loved the law she hated lawyers so she began writing.
In 1988 she accepted a job on Star Trek: TNG, and began her Hollywood career. Her novels, The High Ground, In Evil Times and The Hidden World are available from Titan Books. She is the executive producer on the upcoming Wild Cards shows being developed for Hulu. Her passion (aside from writing) is riding her Lusitano stallion Vento da Broga.
Melinda Snodgrass was born in Los Angeles, but her family moved to New Mexico when she was five months old making her almost a native. She studied opera at the Conservatory of Vienna in Austria, graduated from U.N.M. with a degree in history, and went on to Law School. She practiced for three years, and discovered that while she loved the law she hated lawyers so she began writing.
In 1988 she accepted a job on Star Trek: TNG, and began her Hollywood career. Her novels, The High Ground, In Evil Times and The Hidden World are available from Titan Books. She is the executive producer on the upcoming Wild Cards shows being developed for Hulu. Her passion (aside from writing) is riding her Lusitano stallion Vento da Broga.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
March 20, 2009
You just think you're not worshiping Cthulhu.
January 25, 2012
I sense this is a story that has lurked in the author's brain for a long, long time. I say this because it seems kind of out-of-date.
This is urban fantasy where the dialectic is Unreason (superstition, religion, magic, the bad guys) vs Reason (rationality, science, no magic, the good guys). (But the good guys get to use a *little* bit of magic, because otherwise it wouldn't be urban fantasy.) This is preaching to the atheist choir (i.e. me), but unfortunately it's the most annoying kind: preaching which isn't very good. It's all broad strokes, like a mediocre episode of Star Trek TNG. (Yes I know who the author is.) The bad guys feed on fear and hatred, start wars, inflame religious fanatics, set off bombs, impede stem-cell research, and generally are responsible for anything that's ever annoyed a liberal. All religion belongs to that faction, except for some handwaved "some hippy cults preach compassion and love, and oh yes there was once an era of polytheistic tolerance and goodwill, remember?" Uh-huh. The good guys will Give Us The Stars(tm). I'll take that sort of thing from Diane Duane, who can infuse it with the love of *actual* technology and science and SF and so on, but here it's boilerplate. The protagonist starts out religious (Lutheran) and winds up indistinctly agnostic through an indistinct process of that's-where-the-plot-went. Also, there's an angsty character backstory which does not break new ground.
The book does some things right. The protagonist is a gorgeous blue-eyed platinum-blond cop with a delicate face and perfectly manicured nails, and also plays classical music; his name is Richard. I don't think I've run into that trope-and-gender combination before. His police department (Albuquerque) is plausibly full of non-cardboard human beings, acting in plausible cop ways; when they go investigate some trailer full of creepy magic they know they have to get a search warrant first. If the book has a saving foundation, it is the relationships between Richard and his family, particularly his father. By the end I was grudgingly on the book's side (and I see a sequel has appeared), but it is not the grand evocation of rationality in SF that the author clearly wanted.
This is urban fantasy where the dialectic is Unreason (superstition, religion, magic, the bad guys) vs Reason (rationality, science, no magic, the good guys). (But the good guys get to use a *little* bit of magic, because otherwise it wouldn't be urban fantasy.) This is preaching to the atheist choir (i.e. me), but unfortunately it's the most annoying kind: preaching which isn't very good. It's all broad strokes, like a mediocre episode of Star Trek TNG. (Yes I know who the author is.) The bad guys feed on fear and hatred, start wars, inflame religious fanatics, set off bombs, impede stem-cell research, and generally are responsible for anything that's ever annoyed a liberal. All religion belongs to that faction, except for some handwaved "some hippy cults preach compassion and love, and oh yes there was once an era of polytheistic tolerance and goodwill, remember?" Uh-huh. The good guys will Give Us The Stars(tm). I'll take that sort of thing from Diane Duane, who can infuse it with the love of *actual* technology and science and SF and so on, but here it's boilerplate. The protagonist starts out religious (Lutheran) and winds up indistinctly agnostic through an indistinct process of that's-where-the-plot-went. Also, there's an angsty character backstory which does not break new ground.
The book does some things right. The protagonist is a gorgeous blue-eyed platinum-blond cop with a delicate face and perfectly manicured nails, and also plays classical music; his name is Richard. I don't think I've run into that trope-and-gender combination before. His police department (Albuquerque) is plausibly full of non-cardboard human beings, acting in plausible cop ways; when they go investigate some trailer full of creepy magic they know they have to get a search warrant first. If the book has a saving foundation, it is the relationships between Richard and his family, particularly his father. By the end I was grudgingly on the book's side (and I see a sequel has appeared), but it is not the grand evocation of rationality in SF that the author clearly wanted.
October 9, 2008
I don't care what the others have rated this book; I really liked it and can hardly wait until the next installment (I think it's meant to be a triolgy). Oh, yes, some of the characters are a little one dimensional, and some of the dialogue is dorky. I've been to New Mexico, and I appreciated that the action mainly took place in Albuquerque. The story includes police department politics and work, homophobia, magic, fear of terrorism, science, other realities, interesting characters, intrigue and action.
December 23, 2015
I've always wanted to read some of this Author's work, since I saw her piece in the anthology "Dangerous Women".
Although this book is not set in the same universe (or possible writing style and characterization) as the short story I read, I would still like to experience more of her writing.
It's truly a dark day, when gangbangers show relieve in seeing the police when they were expecting their neighbours.
My sides are hurting from laughing when "Christ" talks.
Well this is new, the Devil and multiple Gods
Although this book is not set in the same universe (or possible writing style and characterization) as the short story I read, I would still like to experience more of her writing.
It's truly a dark day, when gangbangers show relieve in seeing the police when they were expecting their neighbours.
My sides are hurting from laughing when "Christ" talks.
Well this is new, the Devil and multiple Gods
July 25, 2015
Experience a literal war between the forces of magic and science, in the streets of Albuquerque! Marvel at the stalwart force of a man reluctantly donning a sword of reason! Fall backwards at the villainy of those who would betray their own race to Old Ones from Beyond!
The Edge of Reason was published in 2008, but feels like a call back to a previous generation of urban fantasy, lightly updated. Richard Oort is a (short!) police officer (with a tragic past!) who stumbles into the secret history when he stumbles onto a street where electricity doesn't work and a young college student is being pursued by creatures of mud. Then he discovers that magic is real -- and the forces of magic are tied intimately to religions across history, and are Evil. (As some other reviewers point out, there's a definite line where the book at least nears crossing into atheist preaching ... I don't think it quite stumbles across it, but I also don't think that the reaction of religious people in the book is quite plausible. Religious beliefs can be both strong and flexible).
The magic and Old Ones are not just evil... that's Evil with a capital E. This is the first book in the series and it makes it very clear that bombings, murder, terrorism are the tools of these forces. They feed on negative emotions and reveal in terror -- there is only one group (apparently) opposing them, and it's outgunned and outmanned. Also kind of magical, which doesn't really get explained. (There are brief hints that this force isn't all good itself, which I hope get developed later).
This book was published in 2008, but in some way it feels older, as if the author had been working on it over a long period. There are references to AIDS and homophobia that strike me as very 1990s-ish. The two series that this reminds me of most are F. Paul Wilson's "Repairman Jack" crossed over with Mercedes Lackey (& coauthors) "Bedlam's Bard", two series started in the 1980s and 1990s.
I am giving it 4 stars because I both enjoyed it and read it quickly, and because it calls back to some archetypes I haven't run into in a long while and includes some mention of male bisexuality, a sexual orientation that's often skipped over; probably just on the storyline itself, I'd give it a 3.
The Edge of Reason was published in 2008, but feels like a call back to a previous generation of urban fantasy, lightly updated. Richard Oort is a (short!) police officer (with a tragic past!) who stumbles into the secret history when he stumbles onto a street where electricity doesn't work and a young college student is being pursued by creatures of mud. Then he discovers that magic is real -- and the forces of magic are tied intimately to religions across history, and are Evil. (As some other reviewers point out, there's a definite line where the book at least nears crossing into atheist preaching ... I don't think it quite stumbles across it, but I also don't think that the reaction of religious people in the book is quite plausible. Religious beliefs can be both strong and flexible).
The magic and Old Ones are not just evil... that's Evil with a capital E. This is the first book in the series and it makes it very clear that bombings, murder, terrorism are the tools of these forces. They feed on negative emotions and reveal in terror -- there is only one group (apparently) opposing them, and it's outgunned and outmanned. Also kind of magical, which doesn't really get explained. (There are brief hints that this force isn't all good itself, which I hope get developed later).
This book was published in 2008, but in some way it feels older, as if the author had been working on it over a long period. There are references to AIDS and homophobia that strike me as very 1990s-ish. The two series that this reminds me of most are F. Paul Wilson's "Repairman Jack" crossed over with Mercedes Lackey (& coauthors) "Bedlam's Bard", two series started in the 1980s and 1990s.
I am giving it 4 stars because I both enjoyed it and read it quickly, and because it calls back to some archetypes I haven't run into in a long while and includes some mention of male bisexuality, a sexual orientation that's often skipped over; probably just on the storyline itself, I'd give it a 3.
July 24, 2009
That was a new experience for me.
I really liked the first half of the book. But then there was a cut and within some sentences I totally lost contact to the main characters. I tried to connect again until the end but it was in vain.
That means four stars for the first half of the book and one star for the second half which lead me to a final rating of two stars.
I really liked the first half of the book. But then there was a cut and within some sentences I totally lost contact to the main characters. I tried to connect again until the end but it was in vain.
That means four stars for the first half of the book and one star for the second half which lead me to a final rating of two stars.
March 19, 2010
Richard Oort, a police officer in Albuquerque, finds out that he is a paladin for the forces of rationality and science. He is recruited in the fight against the forces of evil: Cthulhu-esque beings from another dimension who feed on humanity's fears and pain to break through to our world and use religion to gain power by spreading hatred and fear.
The Edge of Reason is set in the present day but successfully ties the history of various myths and religions into its background. At times, the "religion = bad" message is a bit heavy (and I can imagine some people taking offense to it), but at the same time, it manages to turn this fantasy novel into a sharp social commentary that, depending on your political views, may or may not make you nod in agreement. Regardless, the connection between religion and a Chtulhu-type invasion is quite original — and it's not every day you encounter a fantasy novel in which rationalism is good and magic is evil.
Oort is an interesting and complex character, and the way Melinda Snodgrass slowly reveals his personality and his past is one of the best aspects of this novel. There's also a cast of solid, well-realized side-characters (human and otherwise) who make this novel a pleasure to read. I also enjoyed the loving way Melinda Snodgrass described New Mexico and Albuquerque, the setting for most of the novel.
The Edge of Reason is a fascinating present-day fantasy with a unique concept and solid characters. Its sequel, The Edge of Ruin, is due out this Spring from Tor, and the author is currently at work on book 3 in the EDGE series.
(This review was also published on the Fantasy Literature website: www.fantasyliterature.com --- come check us out!)
The Edge of Reason is set in the present day but successfully ties the history of various myths and religions into its background. At times, the "religion = bad" message is a bit heavy (and I can imagine some people taking offense to it), but at the same time, it manages to turn this fantasy novel into a sharp social commentary that, depending on your political views, may or may not make you nod in agreement. Regardless, the connection between religion and a Chtulhu-type invasion is quite original — and it's not every day you encounter a fantasy novel in which rationalism is good and magic is evil.
Oort is an interesting and complex character, and the way Melinda Snodgrass slowly reveals his personality and his past is one of the best aspects of this novel. There's also a cast of solid, well-realized side-characters (human and otherwise) who make this novel a pleasure to read. I also enjoyed the loving way Melinda Snodgrass described New Mexico and Albuquerque, the setting for most of the novel.
The Edge of Reason is a fascinating present-day fantasy with a unique concept and solid characters. Its sequel, The Edge of Ruin, is due out this Spring from Tor, and the author is currently at work on book 3 in the EDGE series.
(This review was also published on the Fantasy Literature website: www.fantasyliterature.com --- come check us out!)
December 5, 2014
If you are a religious conservative, you will hate this book. I am a Progressive Christian and I loved it, and immediately requested the sequel from inter-library loan. The world in this book is the battlefield of a war between the forces of religion/magic and science/reason. Yes, that's right - the witches and the priests are ON THE SAME SIDE. The why of this is nuts and a bit of a spoiler so I won't go into it here, but it is definitely a novel concept. The protagonist is Richard, who is in his late 20s, gorgeous, bisexual, and a cop. Bisexual cop is definitely something that I have not run across before in the fantasy genre, and it is a welcome change. He is unwillingly drafted into this war on the side of science/reason, even though he is pretty religious himself and has to unlearn a lot of that. One of his allies is Cross, who the book cover describes as a homeless Jesus, but that is really not the case at all. Cross is a supernatural being who is a compilation of various ideas of Jesus, Allah, and Jehovah created by a variety of different religious sects. But he is not The Jesus. Glad I could clear that up for you. There is also Rhiana, who is a university student in her early 20s majoring in Physics who has magical powers. So even though the war is against religion and magic, there are some religious people and magic users on the side of science/reason. My point is that these characters are not stereotypes. They are all complex with interesting backstories and compelling motivations.
January 15, 2016
The Edge of Reason is an urban fantasy which challenges the reader's view on organised faith. Melinda Snodgrass manages to pit science against superstition in this first adventure in the Edge trilogy.
Richard Oort is not your typical fantasy hero - he's short, bisexual, awkward in social situations, and he has absolutely no magic. Richard is probably one of the most interesting characters I've come across. His faith is constantly challenged by reason and science, and he has to come to turns with the fact that God isn't coming to help him. In fact, God may just be trying to kill him!
I really enjoyed the eclectic mix of characters in this novel, they seem to fit well with the storyline and support the main character very well. Another thing I like is that Richard has had a troubled past and we also get to see his believably dysfunctional family.
The Edge of Reason was a compelling read, however the story feels old - not outdated, but almost like an older style of writing, and it ended too soon for me. I think there are a lot of ideas which aren't fully realised in this novel, but I am hoping they will be addressed in the second and third instalments. I enjoyed this book a fair bit.
One of my favourite quotes (about McDonald's):
"The playground was surround by a high wrought-iron fence with mesh wire between the posts. Hamburger wrappers and squeezed ketchup packets had blown up against the eastern side. It had all the charm of an exercise yard in a prison."
Richard Oort is not your typical fantasy hero - he's short, bisexual, awkward in social situations, and he has absolutely no magic. Richard is probably one of the most interesting characters I've come across. His faith is constantly challenged by reason and science, and he has to come to turns with the fact that God isn't coming to help him. In fact, God may just be trying to kill him!
I really enjoyed the eclectic mix of characters in this novel, they seem to fit well with the storyline and support the main character very well. Another thing I like is that Richard has had a troubled past and we also get to see his believably dysfunctional family.
The Edge of Reason was a compelling read, however the story feels old - not outdated, but almost like an older style of writing, and it ended too soon for me. I think there are a lot of ideas which aren't fully realised in this novel, but I am hoping they will be addressed in the second and third instalments. I enjoyed this book a fair bit.
One of my favourite quotes (about McDonald's):
"The playground was surround by a high wrought-iron fence with mesh wire between the posts. Hamburger wrappers and squeezed ketchup packets had blown up against the eastern side. It had all the charm of an exercise yard in a prison."
April 13, 2009
Reason vs. religion in an urban fantasy. The Edge of Reason sounded like my kind of book, so I was eager to give it a go. Blurbs talking about Lovecraftian Old Ones vs. technology sealed it.
Right away, Snodgrass creates interesting characters and situations that draw the reader in. I was reminded of Tim Powers from his Last Call/Expiration Date time period--which is a good thing.
But somewhere along the way, my enthusiasm waned a bit. The characters for the most part were too black and white. Richard's painful past was not well-handled in my opinion. In fact, most of the book's plot takes place within the first 100 pages, and the reader simple waits for it to resolve for the remaining 300 pages. The Lovecraftian influence was minimal, and hardly seen.
Did I like it? Sure. Would I read another? Yes. But I'll read the reviews first . . .
Right away, Snodgrass creates interesting characters and situations that draw the reader in. I was reminded of Tim Powers from his Last Call/Expiration Date time period--which is a good thing.
But somewhere along the way, my enthusiasm waned a bit. The characters for the most part were too black and white. Richard's painful past was not well-handled in my opinion. In fact, most of the book's plot takes place within the first 100 pages, and the reader simple waits for it to resolve for the remaining 300 pages. The Lovecraftian influence was minimal, and hardly seen.
Did I like it? Sure. Would I read another? Yes. But I'll read the reviews first . . .
March 14, 2016
I bought this book on the strength of a short story by Snodgrass in F&SF, “A Token of a Better Age.” Couldn’t get through the book. Some of the ideas were fine, but the lack of plot, cardboard characters and the subtle-as-a-nuke mythology revelations made it too much of an effort to slog through and try to get where the author was heading with this. (I assume she was heading farther on. Somewhere. I just couldn’t get there with her.)
Alas.
Alas.
October 19, 2010
An…odd book. First of a series (I think?) about apocolyptic forces where Jesus is actually working on the side of Lucifer to eradicate the supernatural, and magic is bad as is religion and yeah. Odd, odd read, but strangely compelling at the same time. I don’t know who I could recommend this to, but hey.
June 22, 2019
Albuquerque, NM police officer Richard Oort has many things. Good looks, musical talent and training, a fine education and a passion for police work. He even has some dark secrets. But it’s what Richard doesn’t have that makes him special.
When Richard saves a young woman from impossible monsters, a feat that itself should be impossible for a normal human being, he comes to the attention of wealthy philanthropist Kenntnis. It seems that Kenntnis is on one side of a shadow war for the fate of humanity. He, he claims, is on the side of reason and science. The other side are the forces of superstition and magic, who worship the Old Ones, aka any kind of god.
Richard was born without any magic, which makes him unaffected by mind-warping spells, and able to wield a special anti-magic sword. Kenntnis quickly recruits the police officer to join the Lumina, those who fight against unreason. Somewhat more reluctantly, Kenntnis also shelters teen sorceress Rhiana, whose magic could be useful despite being a tool of the Old Ones.
Also on the team is Cross, a renegade Old One who is essentially Homeless Jesus, and Richard soon adds an older police detective and the coroner to his allies. But they’re up against a worldwide conspiracy and one of the most powerful religious figures in America–and Richard’s secrets may be enough to tear them all apart.
This is the first book in the “Edge” trilogy of modern fantasy novels, so a number of subplots are not resolved here.
Good: Some seriously spooky moments when magic intrudes on the world.
The book acknowledges that centering the narrative on one super-special protagonist tends to shove other interesting characters to the margins. One ally’s issues aren’t addressed because everyone is fixated on Richard as the Chosen One, so the enemy finds an easy pickup.
Less good: Richard has perhaps too much special crammed into one character. He has almost all the best talents and skills in this narrative, plus the most painful backstory to grab the readers’ sympathy.
The sense of scale keeps bouncing up and down; the Old Ones and their followers are a worldwide threat, but because Richard is the only one who can really fight them, every action is local to him.
Content issues: There’s rape in the backstory, torture and homophobia, as well as a suicide. Some readers may also have issues with how religion, particularly Christianity, is depicted.
Recommended to modern fantasy fans who enjoy “reason vs. madness” plotlines and are looking to get into another trilogy.
When Richard saves a young woman from impossible monsters, a feat that itself should be impossible for a normal human being, he comes to the attention of wealthy philanthropist Kenntnis. It seems that Kenntnis is on one side of a shadow war for the fate of humanity. He, he claims, is on the side of reason and science. The other side are the forces of superstition and magic, who worship the Old Ones, aka any kind of god.
Richard was born without any magic, which makes him unaffected by mind-warping spells, and able to wield a special anti-magic sword. Kenntnis quickly recruits the police officer to join the Lumina, those who fight against unreason. Somewhat more reluctantly, Kenntnis also shelters teen sorceress Rhiana, whose magic could be useful despite being a tool of the Old Ones.
Also on the team is Cross, a renegade Old One who is essentially Homeless Jesus, and Richard soon adds an older police detective and the coroner to his allies. But they’re up against a worldwide conspiracy and one of the most powerful religious figures in America–and Richard’s secrets may be enough to tear them all apart.
This is the first book in the “Edge” trilogy of modern fantasy novels, so a number of subplots are not resolved here.
Good: Some seriously spooky moments when magic intrudes on the world.
The book acknowledges that centering the narrative on one super-special protagonist tends to shove other interesting characters to the margins. One ally’s issues aren’t addressed because everyone is fixated on Richard as the Chosen One, so the enemy finds an easy pickup.
Less good: Richard has perhaps too much special crammed into one character. He has almost all the best talents and skills in this narrative, plus the most painful backstory to grab the readers’ sympathy.
The sense of scale keeps bouncing up and down; the Old Ones and their followers are a worldwide threat, but because Richard is the only one who can really fight them, every action is local to him.
Content issues: There’s rape in the backstory, torture and homophobia, as well as a suicide. Some readers may also have issues with how religion, particularly Christianity, is depicted.
Recommended to modern fantasy fans who enjoy “reason vs. madness” plotlines and are looking to get into another trilogy.
October 4, 2023
BOOK FEATURES
Genre/s: Urban Fantasy
Main themes: good vs evil, demons, magic, fallible heroes, detective, religion
POVs: third person perspective, multiple POV
Length of book: 377 pages, not including afterwords etc.
Spice: a little nudity (not absolute, as I DNF)
Romance: a little, not very much
Suspense/intrigue: some
World building: very well done
Character building: believable and genuine
Writing overall: a little dry/stiff but overall enjoyable to read
Happily ever after / cliffhanger: some characters’ personal issues are wrapped up but the world and conflicts at large are not resolved
Trigger warnings: (incomplete list as I DNF) general violence, blood splatter, autopsy, mention of suicide, retelling of a rape and torture
My fellow book dragons.. Overall as a standalone book it’s not bad. I highly recommend it if you like reading straight urban fantasy without all the other fluff like romance, vamps/werewolves etc.
I did not finish this book and I skimmed two thirds of it. I tried really hard to get into it, it was a book I had picked up from a free public shelf on the street. It looked promising and the writing and world building are great but it’s sadly just not my cup of tea.
Needless to say Snodgrass’s ability to build such a believable world and to drag me into it says a lot. I was riveted from page one and it had me glued for a while until it fizzled out when I struggled to connect personally with the characters and lack of romance. Through no fault of the author’s I might add. I’m just a petulant dragon who just wants it all –laughs-.
May all our DNFs be few and far in between..
Your book dragon always,
Ava Bates
Link to my full review on WordPress
Book Dragon Reviews on FB
Book Dragon Reviews on IG
Genre/s: Urban Fantasy
Main themes: good vs evil, demons, magic, fallible heroes, detective, religion
POVs: third person perspective, multiple POV
Length of book: 377 pages, not including afterwords etc.
Spice: a little nudity (not absolute, as I DNF)
Romance: a little, not very much
Suspense/intrigue: some
World building: very well done
Character building: believable and genuine
Writing overall: a little dry/stiff but overall enjoyable to read
Happily ever after / cliffhanger: some characters’ personal issues are wrapped up but the world and conflicts at large are not resolved
Trigger warnings: (incomplete list as I DNF) general violence, blood splatter, autopsy, mention of suicide, retelling of a rape and torture
My fellow book dragons.. Overall as a standalone book it’s not bad. I highly recommend it if you like reading straight urban fantasy without all the other fluff like romance, vamps/werewolves etc.
I did not finish this book and I skimmed two thirds of it. I tried really hard to get into it, it was a book I had picked up from a free public shelf on the street. It looked promising and the writing and world building are great but it’s sadly just not my cup of tea.
Needless to say Snodgrass’s ability to build such a believable world and to drag me into it says a lot. I was riveted from page one and it had me glued for a while until it fizzled out when I struggled to connect personally with the characters and lack of romance. Through no fault of the author’s I might add. I’m just a petulant dragon who just wants it all –laughs-.
May all our DNFs be few and far in between..
Your book dragon always,
Ava Bates
Link to my full review on WordPress
Book Dragon Reviews on FB
Book Dragon Reviews on IG
September 3, 2017
I'm coming to this short review with mixed feelings.
When i started reading, i stumbled on some details that made me shiver to the bones.... like "she is beautiful? Well, i like beautiful girls... oh maybe here comes another main character... oh crap, he is gourgeous?! Oh no, i sense some romantic foolishness incoming!!!"
I kind of forced myself trough the initial part of the book because i was expecting it turning in a glitter-style, so sweeeeeet and tragic but tender love story.
It came out a little different, and in the end i decided to give it 4 stars.
Willing to dissect my judgment, i suppose i found the love story worth 2 stars (really? The two of them are beautiful, but there is a third one, oh my God, and maybe they will stuck or not... oh come on! Who gives a... ); the characters is ranging from 2 to 3 stars (someone is definitely sketchy, some other is a stereotype), and 4 stars to the whole story: maybe it's not entirely new and innovative, but i liked it, it has some different twists here and there and some good ideas overall.
I advice the new readers: if you like me don't stand the "i'm-a-little-girl-so-tough-but-sweet-and-vulnerable-so-why-don't-you-protect-me" style, hold on and try to overcome the initial feeling. Is not exactly like that.
When i started reading, i stumbled on some details that made me shiver to the bones.... like "she is beautiful? Well, i like beautiful girls... oh maybe here comes another main character... oh crap, he is gourgeous?! Oh no, i sense some romantic foolishness incoming!!!"
I kind of forced myself trough the initial part of the book because i was expecting it turning in a glitter-style, so sweeeeeet and tragic but tender love story.
It came out a little different, and in the end i decided to give it 4 stars.
Willing to dissect my judgment, i suppose i found the love story worth 2 stars (really? The two of them are beautiful, but there is a third one, oh my God, and maybe they will stuck or not... oh come on! Who gives a... ); the characters is ranging from 2 to 3 stars (someone is definitely sketchy, some other is a stereotype), and 4 stars to the whole story: maybe it's not entirely new and innovative, but i liked it, it has some different twists here and there and some good ideas overall.
I advice the new readers: if you like me don't stand the "i'm-a-little-girl-so-tough-but-sweet-and-vulnerable-so-why-don't-you-protect-me" style, hold on and try to overcome the initial feeling. Is not exactly like that.
July 23, 2022
3.5 stars
A fun read that I sped through in one sitting!
Good exposition, fun worldbuilding, interesting and well-written characters, and an action-packed plot.
It had a science/atheism vs religion thing that was a bit aggressive; Snodgrass nuances it a little by eventually discussing that there are interpretations of faith that are not quite so fundamentalist, but it's still too aggressive of a dichotomy as presented for my taste.
You really can't write about a cop main character anymore without doing some thinking about the many issues with policing, and I would say that while this is by no means radical, it's better than most 2008 detective novels / cop dramas. Our main character does believe that he can do good work protecting folks in his job as a detective, but he also is faced with virulent homophobia from his colleagues, Snodgrass shows us lots of racism from officers, and there's some discussion of cycles of poverty and crime. There is a rather questionable police shooting that would certainly be written differently in a post-2020 novel, but still, it treats the issues with a solid amount of thoughtfulness and nuance.
A fun read that I sped through in one sitting!
Good exposition, fun worldbuilding, interesting and well-written characters, and an action-packed plot.
It had a science/atheism vs religion thing that was a bit aggressive; Snodgrass nuances it a little by eventually discussing that there are interpretations of faith that are not quite so fundamentalist, but it's still too aggressive of a dichotomy as presented for my taste.
You really can't write about a cop main character anymore without doing some thinking about the many issues with policing, and I would say that while this is by no means radical, it's better than most 2008 detective novels / cop dramas. Our main character does believe that he can do good work protecting folks in his job as a detective, but he also is faced with virulent homophobia from his colleagues, Snodgrass shows us lots of racism from officers, and there's some discussion of cycles of poverty and crime. There is a rather questionable police shooting that would certainly be written differently in a post-2020 novel, but still, it treats the issues with a solid amount of thoughtfulness and nuance.
July 18, 2018
Honestly, I was disappointed with this book. I liked the premise that magic is a force of evil introduced by powerful beings to let them into our world, while science and reason is a force for good. But the main character seemed like a Mary Sue ( is that possible when the author is female and the character is male?)
I may try another book by this author, but I don’t think I’ll continue this series.
I may try another book by this author, but I don’t think I’ll continue this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 7, 2020Entertaining, fast-paced, and a cool concept that feels deeply relevant during this time. But the writer also frequently plays into offensive stereotypes, even as she tries to point them out and break that. It didn't read like the critique on religion that I think she was going for, but instead the kind of rude elitism that has turned so many people against science in the first place.
January 19, 2021
This is an extremely well written book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy interwoven with the reality of human personality. I look forward to reading the other two books in the series.
August 30, 2017
I saw an awful lot of the author in this book, and for that reason it made the main protagonist more human, real not some avatar of the writers imagination, more believable than heroic.
August 23, 2018
Bit grim for me.
May 11, 2025
While a bit heavy-handed, the novel hits on a still (shamefully) relevant problem, religion as social control. I suspect the book has such poor ratings due to its criticism of religion.
November 3, 2025
Hmmm nope
September 17, 2016
Copied from my Audible review:
Melinda Snodgrass wrote one of my favorite STTNG episodes. So when I saw she had written a novel, I was keen to check it out. The story didn't grab me until about 2/3 of the way through. The book felt like it was adapted from a previous project as a possible television script, which was distracting. The story itself seemed more like "our good reasonable magic vs their bad primal magic" rather than "reason vs superstition".
The narrators voice was fine and he generally read the story okay. He did a decent job differentiating voices. But once in awhile he would mispronounce a word, which would throw me out of the story. Also, at least later in the book, there was inadequate space given between scene changes inside chapters leaving me confused as we where we were and who was in a scene to start with; this may have been an editing problem rather than a voice issue, but it did affect the performance.
I'm not sure if I will continue with the series or not. At the very least, I'm going to take a break and see if the story stays with me.
Melinda Snodgrass wrote one of my favorite STTNG episodes. So when I saw she had written a novel, I was keen to check it out. The story didn't grab me until about 2/3 of the way through. The book felt like it was adapted from a previous project as a possible television script, which was distracting. The story itself seemed more like "our good reasonable magic vs their bad primal magic" rather than "reason vs superstition".
The narrators voice was fine and he generally read the story okay. He did a decent job differentiating voices. But once in awhile he would mispronounce a word, which would throw me out of the story. Also, at least later in the book, there was inadequate space given between scene changes inside chapters leaving me confused as we where we were and who was in a scene to start with; this may have been an editing problem rather than a voice issue, but it did affect the performance.
I'm not sure if I will continue with the series or not. At the very least, I'm going to take a break and see if the story stays with me.
March 3, 2013
Stories that take religion and dump it on its head have always been a personal favorite of mine. The premise behind The Edge of Reason certainly falls into that category. If you are super religious, or don't have an open mind, this book will offend you. You have been warned.
The main character, Officer Richard Oort is a multifaceted character; some daddy issues, a rich upbringing, a mother with a fragile mental state, a love of classical music and being an accomplished pianist, struggles with his sexuality, rape and betrayal by a close friend of the family, and harassment within his own police department makes him a very interesting character. Throw in the fact that he was handed a magical sword and is only 5'5", our hero is in for quite an adventure.
So why only 3 stars? All of the other characters felt flat and two dimensional. People responded in predictable ways, and for the most part I could plan who was going to do what. I loved Richard, and am really curious as to where the story is headed, but it wasn't as amazing as I had originally hoped. This is still a fun book, and if this sort of genre is one you like to read, I would certainly pick it up. Just don't let Gustave Doré's fantastic etchings convince you the work inside matches up (for those who don't know, the cover art comes from Gustave Doré's "The Fall of the Rebel Angels" which illustrated Paradise Lost by John Milton).
One last thing, this book has a rather horrible cliffhanger. Book two is out, so you can jump right into the the next installment if the sudden stop gets to you.
The main character, Officer Richard Oort is a multifaceted character; some daddy issues, a rich upbringing, a mother with a fragile mental state, a love of classical music and being an accomplished pianist, struggles with his sexuality, rape and betrayal by a close friend of the family, and harassment within his own police department makes him a very interesting character. Throw in the fact that he was handed a magical sword and is only 5'5", our hero is in for quite an adventure.
So why only 3 stars? All of the other characters felt flat and two dimensional. People responded in predictable ways, and for the most part I could plan who was going to do what. I loved Richard, and am really curious as to where the story is headed, but it wasn't as amazing as I had originally hoped. This is still a fun book, and if this sort of genre is one you like to read, I would certainly pick it up. Just don't let Gustave Doré's fantastic etchings convince you the work inside matches up (for those who don't know, the cover art comes from Gustave Doré's "The Fall of the Rebel Angels" which illustrated Paradise Lost by John Milton).
One last thing, this book has a rather horrible cliffhanger. Book two is out, so you can jump right into the the next installment if the sudden stop gets to you.
September 25, 2012
Writing horror is hard. What romance is to the realistic novel, horror is to sf and fantasy. A number of good sf writers try their hand at horror, perhaps because that is where the money is, perhaps because the premises of horror strike a chord that other genres do not. But few sf writers manage to horrify, manage to work the back of the spine in quite the right way. F. Paul Wilson, for instance, seems to make a good living out of his unsuccessful attempts. I don't find his work all that horrifying. Same for Ms. Snodgrass.
But I usually do enjoy their efforts. They are good writers. They have interesting ideas. They draw good characters. And that is probably enough.
Had Ms. Snodgrass really wanted to make her quasi-Lovecraftian premise effectively horrifying, she would have withheld the rationale of the book's premise to at least the last half, imbuing uncertainty and mystery to the strange events of the book, letting fear build up.
But she didn't do that. She is an sf writer at heart, and she wanted to state the book's central premise early and up front, like a thesis.
That is a workable idea in science fiction. But not in horror. This book, therefore, is not horror. Despite the gods and monsters.
But I usually do enjoy their efforts. They are good writers. They have interesting ideas. They draw good characters. And that is probably enough.
Had Ms. Snodgrass really wanted to make her quasi-Lovecraftian premise effectively horrifying, she would have withheld the rationale of the book's premise to at least the last half, imbuing uncertainty and mystery to the strange events of the book, letting fear build up.
But she didn't do that. She is an sf writer at heart, and she wanted to state the book's central premise early and up front, like a thesis.
That is a workable idea in science fiction. But not in horror. This book, therefore, is not horror. Despite the gods and monsters.
did-not-finish
September 25, 2015Setting aside at page 95 because I'm not really enjoying anything it's doing. The reason vs religion central struggle seems to be getting both more and less nuanced: all religion is not bad, but there's a strong vibe of all bad is religious, or at least ignorant, that just... I think it's a cop-out. If you're going to pivot your worldbuilding and story around a fundamental struggle of/for humanity, and then sort of blame the depths of humanity's nastiness on Old Ones / aliens / evil emotion-eating creatures from a parallel dimension, I'm going to go off looking for something more interesting and intelligent. That's just how it is, unfortunately.
I might have stayed for delightful prose or gripping characters, but the former was far more workmanlike (not a flaw if the story it's carrying is enthralling me) and the latter weren't doing anything for me, especially our poor little pretty rich boy hero. His sexuality has been interestingly and subtly flagged, but he's just got so much privilege that I can't say I'm particularly interested in his various crises; I did think that his faith was going to be an interesting element, but it seems to have been flimsier than anticipated.
Anyway, too many books on the list to carry on with something that's giving me this much meh. Onwards.
I might have stayed for delightful prose or gripping characters, but the former was far more workmanlike (not a flaw if the story it's carrying is enthralling me) and the latter weren't doing anything for me, especially our poor little pretty rich boy hero. His sexuality has been interestingly and subtly flagged, but he's just got so much privilege that I can't say I'm particularly interested in his various crises; I did think that his faith was going to be an interesting element, but it seems to have been flimsier than anticipated.
Anyway, too many books on the list to carry on with something that's giving me this much meh. Onwards.
November 12, 2014
Different from what I expected, fantasy but very much tinged with sci fi with allusions to the origin of the universe & physics. The core conflict of the book is between secret societies dedicated to science, one to propagating ignorance (it's most visible acolytes being the forces of organised religion). The book wears it's politics on it's sleeve but that didn't really bother me as it conformed to my own viewpoints but I could see how it'd be off-putting to others (the more vigourously religiously minded should probably just avoid all together). The actual conflict & much of the fantasy/sci fi content takes a back seat for a substantial amount of the books length. It's very much a contemporary oftentimes mundane real world with the protagonist Richard Oort (a chosen one of sorts) & his personal struggles being the primary focus. Other than the fact that Richard seems upper crust & Waspish almost to a distracting degree at times, he's a likeable character & engaging enough that you want to see him overcome the obstacles. A lot of the reviews I've seen of this book have been quite negative now that I've read it I can see those were probably more down to the particular world view of the individuals reading it than nature the actual content. I for one enjoyed it a lot.
February 7, 2017
The Edge of Reason (Edge #1)
by Melinda M. Snodgrass
I would have to commend Melinda Snodgrass, I have impatiently waited for the time I could read this book. I loved Richard Oort in The Edge of Ruin when it came out. The concept of reading a novel about “The war between science and superstition” was an intriguing concept. Her seemless blend of religion and superstition as an opposing force to science and technology look at the real nature of humanity. Which would you choose if you find that alterative motives lie between the two sides. Richard Oort is a failed opera vocalist, or at least it is what he believes. His powerful parents look down his choices of music. The failed attempt to get him into their high powered world caused him more then they will ever know. Richard faced a difficult choice, so he left home and became a police officer in New Mexico. What he thought was a safe choice, will be what leads him to the forefront of a battle between Good and Evil, Humanity and other dimensions. Ms. Snodgrass blends aspects of science, religion, music and police work into a remarkably complete universe. I will begin the final chapter in the Edge series, and hope that she will continue the story of Richard Oort beyond The Edge of Dawn.
by Melinda M. Snodgrass
I would have to commend Melinda Snodgrass, I have impatiently waited for the time I could read this book. I loved Richard Oort in The Edge of Ruin when it came out. The concept of reading a novel about “The war between science and superstition” was an intriguing concept. Her seemless blend of religion and superstition as an opposing force to science and technology look at the real nature of humanity. Which would you choose if you find that alterative motives lie between the two sides. Richard Oort is a failed opera vocalist, or at least it is what he believes. His powerful parents look down his choices of music. The failed attempt to get him into their high powered world caused him more then they will ever know. Richard faced a difficult choice, so he left home and became a police officer in New Mexico. What he thought was a safe choice, will be what leads him to the forefront of a battle between Good and Evil, Humanity and other dimensions. Ms. Snodgrass blends aspects of science, religion, music and police work into a remarkably complete universe. I will begin the final chapter in the Edge series, and hope that she will continue the story of Richard Oort beyond The Edge of Dawn.
May 29, 2009
The author of this book is also the writer of the only Star Trek: Next Generation that I liked - "The Measure of a Man". It was a very deep episode that dealt with how human an android is and what rights he has. So I knew from the get-go that this would be a deep book that dealt with controversial issues, and I was ready.
The book started off great - a futuristic fight between religion and science, presented through an wild array of characters (among which a homeless god with multiple personalities). However, I was a bit disappointed that all the secrets were out by the middle of the book. I was hoping for a little mystery until the end that left me thinking, but it was a bit clean-cut.
I was also disappointed that although the book started out well, it reverted back to mechanical arguments and childish crushes and petty revenge, coupled with some ridiculous conversations (whine - "what does she have that I don't have?")
Ah well. Can't have them all. I would have loved the book if I had stopped reading after three quarters of the book...
The book started off great - a futuristic fight between religion and science, presented through an wild array of characters (among which a homeless god with multiple personalities). However, I was a bit disappointed that all the secrets were out by the middle of the book. I was hoping for a little mystery until the end that left me thinking, but it was a bit clean-cut.
I was also disappointed that although the book started out well, it reverted back to mechanical arguments and childish crushes and petty revenge, coupled with some ridiculous conversations (whine - "what does she have that I don't have?")
Ah well. Can't have them all. I would have loved the book if I had stopped reading after three quarters of the book...
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