An Edge Sharp Enough

An Edge Sharp Enough #1

by Jesse Q. Sutanto

In a brilliant departure from the novels that made Jesse Q. Sutanto a USA Today bestselling author—including Dial A for Aunties—comes the first book in a debut dark fantasy duology, following an assassin, a scholar, a con man, and a guard in a race to rediscover powerful lost magic and save their world...

Mara has no memory of life before her assassin training behind the fortress-like walls of Tchu-Morrokhai, which has been her world since she was five. Practicing discipline and strategy, sacrifice and solitude, she has dedicated herself to resisting the Divine Empress’s plans of eradicating the all-but-forgotten magic. She longs for a world once again filled with magic—and freedom and love. And she’ll do whatever it takes to find those things.

In the faraway city of Velingard, Livya is the privileged daughter of the revered scientist whose invention of an indestructible new metal was the catalyst for a great revolution. Yet Livya’s bored of suitors and balls, more interested in philosophical debates. But when an invite to a secret salon leads to a kidnapping attempt, Livya is suddenly on the run—with the unlikely aid of charming con man Kaian, a once dear childhood friend inexplicably turned frosty stranger.

Captain Fonde has served Velingard faithfully in the twenty years since the revolution, and all has been peaceful... until now, when he’s informed that their “indestructible” metal is inexplicably starting to crumble. Ships, bridges, buildings, statues—their entire post-revolution world is literally about to come apart. Could it be that the metal—and therefore the revolution—was flawed all along? Or is there something darker—evil, ancient, inhuman—at play?

With stunning world-building, Jesse Q. Sutanto weaves an epic tale of characters whose lives irrevocably intertwine—and unravel—as paths collide across continents, racing toward an explosive twist that will forever change all of their fates...

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Fiction, High Fantasy, Queer, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication November 17, 2026

About the author

Jesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she's not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids.

Reviews

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚]

‎ ‎ ‎ ⌗‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ──🍋‍🟩🐈‍⬛ᝰ .ᐟ pre-read.
I GOT THE ARC OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, OMG, I'M CRYING

thanks to netgalley, avon & harper voyager and jesse q. sutanto for an arc in exchange of an honest review.

[Amanda Blanche]

Releases Aug 2026

I was very fortunate to receive an e-ARC super early. I won’t rate because honestly I’m still wrapping my head around the whole thing. Props to the author for the beautiful writing style and wording - just made it flow so effortlessly.

A fantasy story filled with a lot of political intrigue. This land/continent is on the brink of collapse. The elemental magic in their land (referred to as “Art”) is gone, an empress is waging war and taking over territories one by one and more plots are underway. On one side of the continent we have Tchu - our main character here is Mara. Mara is in training at the institute to become an emissary (a soldier), taken at the age of 5 to enter training, she is the runt, physically weak - but her mind and affinity for magic are strong. What keeps her going is her forbidden love/crush on her fellow trainee Lia. On the other side, we have Velingard - a more civilized society on the other side of a shaky revolution. The main characters here are Livya, Cerra, Kaian and Commander Fonde. A scholar/socialite, her lady’s maid/adopted sister, a low class thief/magic wielder and a soldier. All four are interconnected when murders, a political plots and odd magical occurrences start to ramp up. There is a complicated mix of beliefs (gods and demons), metallurgy and an elemental magic system. And I won’t get into the details because it won’t be brief. This story was filled with twists and turns, and honestly a plot twist I never saw coming. I think I went into this thinking romantasy - and I don’t think it’s quite that - I think this is more fantasy/science fiction, there is romance/love, but it’s not the focus. (At least I didn’t think so)

[Jessica B.]

*early work perk read*

[Lucia]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early review copy.

When I started reading this book, it was slated for an August 2026 publication, but after I finished, I see a publication date of March 2027 is now listed. So I don't know when it will be published!


world-building:  solid

POV: four - I wished there were not as many POVs (although I can't pick one that I would get rid of, either)

characters:  a bit frustrating, some of them were very stupid.

pacing: slow - I often lost my focus and set the book down, I wished for a tighter plot.  This is my biggest complaint about the book:  it just did not hold my attention.

magic-system: interesting, but confusing, "Art" is like a chi, a spirit that is present in everything (people, animals, plants, stars, shadows, rocks, even "the space between air"), and can be drawn out and woven into spells; it used to be abundant and commonly used, but in the last century is has mysteriously dried up.  And from this "Art" are also dark demons from another dimension.   Maybe.

Things I liked:
I thought I had this all figured out, but I missed one key detail, and that's all due to Sutanto's cleverness.  Well done!

Things I didn't like: 
Things took too long to get started.

Read alikes: 
This is  high fantasy, set in a world where magic has inexplicably disappeared.  Some of the characters are very young, and at times this reads like YA.  This might appeal to fans of Robert Jackson Bennett.

Is this a series?  Maybe! The ending seems to set things up for a sequel.



This is one of those straight-up fantasy-world fantasies, complete with place names, jobs, weapons, abilities, religions, cultures, continents, and histories that I had to quickly learn to keep track of.  It's ... a lot at first.  Once published, there will be a map (and hopefully a glossary) to help new readers, but I read an arc so I was on my own!  Each chapter is from a different POV, and at first the connections between characters was unknown, so I found myself getting attached to one character and then poof! dumped into a completely different world with different characters.  I had a hard time staying engaged.  

Mara, in Tchu-Morrokhai, was taken as a baby and raised in The Institute, a school of “Emissaries” (aka assassins), trained by the Elders, and forbidden to make friends with any classmates (and they seem to be encouraged to attack and even kill each other -  I'm not sure  how THAT fosters national pride, but what do I know about training to be an Emissary).  Kaian, across the ocean, is a Kazgarthian orphan now living in Velingard, and surviving on his wits and the money he makes as a tavern worker and a petty thief.  Livya Bellevue, also in Velingard, is an elite rich girl, the child of two famed scientists, and formerly Kaian's childhood friend; Livya is so elite that she lives with a paid companion, aka Sectator, Cerra.  (I struggled with the fact that a "Sectator" felt a lot like a slave). Commander Fonde, the only adult in the mix, is captain of the police (aka Vigils) in Velingard.

Some of the characters do act a bit too "YA" and this made the tone of the book feel a little confusing at times.  Mara is absolutely obsessed with her classmate, Lia, to the point where this is her complete personality.   (I confess I kept getting the names “Mara” and “Lia” confused, and I wish Sutanto had chosen more dissimilar names so I could keep them straight - it doesn't help that there's also a Livya in the book.  All the names in the universe, and we get Mara, Lia, Cerra, and Livya to contend with.) Lia returns the feelings, but unfortunately for both of them, friendship and romance is absolutely forbidden in their school, on pain of death by stoning.  This seemed extreme, but I was willing to accept it, since, ya know, "fantasy world rules" and all that.  

Kaian is also feeling pretty obsessed with rich socialite Livya, and that was a whole lot of teenaged obsession to be carried in a non-YA novel.  Luckily, the fifth character, Fonde, does not have googly eyes for anyone.  In fact, his character was so different that I sometimes wondered why he was there.  I think he provided backstory for how the revolution happened and how it affected the country, since he lived through that.

Livya is kind of stupid.  I lost count of the number of tines Kaian cautioned her to hang back, and she darted past him insisting she had to do whatever.  Once, I can see.  Twice, maybe. But why didn't she learn her lesson?  Her stupid headstrong insistence got people killed.  How many people have to die before you catch a clue, Livya?

Metallurgy is important to the plot.  A deified former emperor, Eziri, discovered that dracerium was effective in repelling “demons,” so he gathered a lot of that.    Lyvia’s mother, Dr. Yohana Bellevue, invented adther, (created by putting adtherium on dracerium), which is now used everywhere, since it was believed to be indestructible.  This is a key plot element, and it didn't completely make sense.  If a metal is indestructible, how do you form it and carve it?  That’s never explained.  And why would it be cheap, if it's not plentiful? And who builds houses out of metal??

In the Author's Notes,  Sutanto explains that this was actually her very first book, it was based on the many hours she spent playing World of Warcraft, but it was never accepted by a publisher back then so she shelved it.  Until now!   I never played WoW so I missed any easter eggs she hid in the book.  I'm sure that will be fun for any fans.

[Just Blue Through Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and to Avon & Harper Voyager for the ARC of An Edge Sharp Enough by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Reading the author's note at the end of the book has me the most conflicted about how to write this review. When I first saw a Jesse Q. Sutanto novel that was in the sci fi and fantasy genre I assumed that her agent or her publisher had approached her about this being a genre worth pivoting to due to the increased interest from the past decade thanks to Leigh Bardugo, Rachel Gillig, Sarah J. Maas, Rebecca Yarros, Devney Perry, etc. I am so used to being a fan of her for Vera Wong and her Aunties series, so I was surprised and a bit intrigued, but I was keeping my expectations low. In the author's note, Sutanto talks about how the characters from this book were part of her master's thesis over a decade ago, but were never picked up by publishers. This was her first genre of choice, not some sort of cash grab. Knowing this, I much more appreciate the overall story and Sutanto's love and passion for finally having this book published. That being said, this also makes me so mad at the publishing industry, because, in many ways, this book would have hit the market super successfully a decade ago and in 2026, with the market so oversaturated, it only hits mid range and it makes me so mad at myself to even type that. Jesse Q. Sutanto deserved better on this one.

An Edge Sharp Enough is a fantasy novel that takes place in a world that once had magic, called Art. About 25 years ago, Art completely disappeared from the Northern Continent as a woman known as the Divine Empress waged war against the seven districts to take control and keep Art eradicated forever. On the Southern Continent, Art has been gone for nearly 1000 years, but about 25 years ago the city experienced a revolution where the common folk overthrew the kingdom of the Revven family. The Revven family was said to have the power to keep demons at bay through their control of a specific building material that much of the capital city is now made of, but with the creation of a new material that is just as indestructible, the people found a way to rise up. Now, 25 years after the loss of Art in the North, and the death of the Revvens in the South, our four main characters are brought together when the new indestructible material starts to collapse and upend the world order in the North and South.

An Edge Sharp Enough starts out dropping you into the action with a complex magic / political / religious system that does begin to make more sense once you get about 1/5th of the way through, just like Leigh Bardugo does in her books. I do wish more was said about the term artifices and subtlety and how they work, but I think past that the magic system does make a lot of sense and is well thought out and interesting once you can place the terminology.

The multi POV of 4 separate characters each have their own purposes and twists, but I had trouble connecting with them. I think this was because the book reads a lot more YA than Adult, and so the characters and their interactions and reactions felt just a bit shallower and basic than I needed to really feel for them - so much of their movement is plot driven, which is great, but when they reflect on their pasts its both to set you in the world-building AND create compassion for them but its spread too thin with all the other action and POVs also needing their own time. I think many of the characters just felt immature, even for being age 20. Mara is solely driven by "I like this one person", Livya stopped talking to Kaian at age 12 for the silliest of reasons and she is still very immature and sheltered from diverse opinions, Kaian is solely driven that he likes Livya - I think Fonde is the only one acting with any direction. I wonder if the book is only listed as Adult because there is a fair amount of violence and one mention of sexual assault, but past that it is very tame in terms of conversation (barely any swearing), no sex, etc.

A lot happens in the last 22% and, while it was super engaging and entertaining, I didn't feel shocked or hurt by the outcomes even though they will drastically change the second part, which fans of Rachel Gillig may really appreciate. But it's not that the book is bad in any way - it's just average for the overall market at this point. It's hard to hide a twist when people are expecting one, and so much has been overdone or become predictable in fantasy that this duology isn't yet setting itself drastically apart. I still really enjoyed the book - I read it in two sittings and every time I thought it might be getting into a lull, Sutanto pulled you right into the next bit of action. Her writing overall in this is fantastic and she is still excellent at plotting and timing. I also would still recommend this book to any of her fans and any fantasy readers (again, especially those who like Bardugo and Gillig) and I definitely do want to read the conclusion in the next book.

[Gianmccall •(Kaz Brekker's Version)• · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚔️✦✧✧ 𝐀𝐧 𝐄𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐩 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 Review ✧✧✦⚔️

•Rating: ★★★★★/5
•Duology
•Pub Date: 11/17.


"Desde la primera página hasta la última mi mandíbula se cayó al suelo y tuve esta expresión de pez koy durante toooodo el último 50% del libro. Entonces dije, 'mejor no la recojamos del suelo, ya que a cada rato se va a estar cayendo con todo lo que está pasando!!' ".
-Yo, explicándole a mi hermana mi experiencia con este libro.

Ya me explico. Pero primero...

✨Thank you so much to Harper Voyager and the author for the e-arc opportunity through Netgalley! ✨


𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

Mara has no memory of life before her assassin training behind the fortress-like walls of Tchu-Morrokhai, which has been her world since she was five. Practicing discipline and strategy, sacrifice and solitude, she has dedicated herself to resisting the Divine Empress’s plans of eradicating the all-but-forgotten magic. She longs for a world once again filled with magic—and freedom and love. And she’ll do whatever it takes to find those things.

In the faraway city of Velingard, Livya is the privileged daughter of the revered scientist whose invention of an indestructible new metal was the catalyst for a great revolution. Yet Livya’s bored of suitors and balls, more interested in philosophical debates. But when an invite to a secret salon leads to a kidnapping attempt, Livya is suddenly on the run—with the unlikely aid of charming con man Kaian, a once dear childhood friend inexplicably turned frosty stranger.

Captain Fonde has served Velingard faithfully in the twenty years since the revolution, and all has been peaceful... until now, when he’s informed that their “indestructible” metal is inexplicably starting to crumble. Ships, bridges, buildings, statues—their entire post-revolution world is literally about to come apart. Could it be that the metal—and therefore the revolution—was flawed all along? Or is there something darker—evil, ancient, inhuman—at play?

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖

𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧


Empecé 𝑨𝒏 𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑 𝑬𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 sin tener la menor idea de lo que me esperaba. Pero lo poco que sabía me pareció interesante, así que aposté todo a mi curiosidad y BAM! Terminé dando con ORO PURO.

(Al menos en lo que a libros se refiere)

Desde que empecé a leer, sentí intriga y fascinación por todo lo que se describía. Los personajes que narraban. El mundo que se ampliaba más y más en cada página. Después descubriría el lore que había inspirado gran parte de este mundo (del que no tengo conocimiento real) pero que de ninguna manera, con la habilidad de la autora, me hizo sentir perdida o abrumada. Fue simplemente increíble.

El world building es complejo pero no incomprensible. Hay tantos elementos que al principio no parecen tener relación hasta que poco a poco empiezan a conectar entre sí. Hay política, religión, guerra, campañas de conquista, tecnología, magia, ciencia y mitología. Hay monarquías, revoluciones, ideologías... Y todo se explora a través de los ojos de 4 personajes:

𝑼𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒂.
𝑼𝒏 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒓𝒐́𝒏.
𝑼𝒏𝒂 𝒂𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆́𝒎𝒊𝒄𝒂.
𝑼𝒏 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒂𝒅𝒐.

El rol que juega cada uno dentro de esta historia...eso, es mejor averiguarlo al leer.

Sólo puedo decir que me tuvieron al borde del asiento todo el tiempo, y en más de una ocasión también gritándole a la kindle con desespe como si pudieran oírme o algo.

También debo decir que, particularmente para mí, fue un libro lleno de acción, adrenalina y sí, sangre. Las descripciones fueron especialmente útiles para darle forma a las diferentes escenas, aunque en varias ocasiones tuve que bajar el libro para procesar 🫪🤣

Quiero decir mucho, y al mismo tiempo, lo más valioso de mi experiencia fue entrar con la mente en blanco respecto a todo, así que no voy a entrar en mucho detalle.

(Bueno, más)

Disfruté este libro ENORMEMENTE.
Se llevó mi mente a una aventura de la que no quería salir y a la que me muero por regresar ahora que se terminó esta primera parte. Aunque soy muy consciente de que, si este libro me rompió la mente, el segundo me hará puré.

Pero ni modo qué hacer 😎

* . °•★|•°∵

Algunas de mis frases favoritas:


•"𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑳𝒊𝒂, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑽𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏."

•"𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓.”

•"𝒀𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕, 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕. 𝑰𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓."

•“𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕.

[Kristen M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy. I was SO excited to be approved for this and it did NOT disappoint.

This is a 5 star for me, for so many reasons: 1. I love multi-POV, especially when you know they’re all going to converge at a certain point. In this case, I was stunned by the twists and turns it took to get the paths to converge and felt it was well worth the ride. 2. The world building was top notch. It reminded me of the grimdark world of Locke Lamora, which I love. Readers of Fourth Wing and similar will also enjoy Mara’s POV as her time in the institute has shades of Basgiath. (I hate to make comparisons to other books out there as when I read the acknowledgements section I know Jesse has been working on this for over a decade, but I mean this with the most sincere praise). 3. I think several POVs is the only way to really get the reader fully immersed in the complexities of this world. When you follow characters that hold different levels in a society as layered as this, it really helps showcase the different sides of religion and politics without too much info-dumping. At least, in my opinion. I also really enjoyed each of the characters and their stories. 4. This is not a romantasy but the relationships are very much a huge part of what drives the characters. Without that, it would be really hard to understand their motivations. But I think Jesse did a fantastic job laying the groundwork for certain backstories to really make sense of characters’ actions and choices. (And, I won’t spoil anything since this is an ARC, but I was shocked and delighted at one of the foundational relationships being written a certain way since I didn’t see it advertised anywhere…).

Jesse took on a lot with this one: politics, religion, magic (or Art) and built a world that I could really sink my teeth into. Granted, it is a little complex, but I think she did a wonderful job divulging it to the reader at a pace that wasn’t overwhelming. Not only that, but I love when a fantasy book takes on some characteristics of a thriller. In this case, the back half was fast paced, kept the reader on their toes, and had several plot twists that just knocked my socks off. I saw one of them coming, which was more a credit to great set up than any failure of writing, and one that simply had my jaw on the floor. The last ¼ of the book cleared up any confusion I may have had about the world, the politics, the stakes, and really had me ITCHING to get the next book in my hands. The epilogue was a mic drop, and honestly, I felt all of the characters’ emotions come off the page when I closed the book and thought about how book 2 would evolve.

All in all, I loved this. I can’t wait to order a physical copy, and I will be eagerly anticipating book 2. I hope Jesse continues to write fantasy, because I think she’s proven this is a great place for all her skills to be on full display.

[Hamad Naif · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesse Q. Sutanto, widely known for her cozy mysteries and warmly comic fiction, has undertaken something genuinely audacious with this novel: she has entered the grimdark genre and, with considerable craft and conviction, made it entirely her own.

The world Sutanto constructs is among the most fully realized fantasy settings in recent memory. Set twenty years after a revolution catalyzed by the invention of an indestructible new metal, this is a society still bleeding from its own transformation, one that dismantled a tyranny only to quietly erect another in its place. The Divine Empress's campaign to eradicate the last traces of magic operates not as conventional fantasy villainy but as something colder and more recognizable: the systematic erasure of the ancient by the efficient, the irreplaceable displaced by the expedient. It is a tension that resonates far beyond the page.

What elevates the novel above its considerable world-building, however, are its four central characters. Mara, the assassin raised behind fortress walls since the age of five, carries the novel's moral weight without ever collapsing into martyrdom. She desires freedom, love, and a restored world, and Sutanto never permits her to want those things without cost. Livya, the scholar daughter of the man whose invention sparked the revolution, is the novel's great complication: privileged, exceptionally intelligent, and implicated in a history she is only beginning to fully comprehend. The con man and the guard complete a quartet that ought not to cohere, four voices, four competing agendas, four corners of a fractured world drawn inexorably toward collision, and yet Sutanto orchestrates their convergence with the assurance of a writer who has been building toward precisely this work.

The prose merits particular attention. This is not the stripped momentum of commercial fantasy. Sutanto writes with texture, deliberateness, and a keen sense of consequence; even minor scenes carry weight. The action is taut and visceral. The quieter moments are, somehow, more devastating still. And the novel's concluding twist, which shall remain undisclosed here, though readers would do well to brace for it, demands a long moment of stillness before one is capable of moving on.

*An Edge Sharp Enough* is a genre debut in the narrowest sense only. In every meaningful regard, it is the work of a writer at full command of her abilities, given at last the canvas she has always deserved. For admirers of R.F. Kuang's moral fury, Joe Abercrombie's unflinching complexity, and fantasy that extends its readers the dignity of being treated as adults, this is not merely recommended reading. It is essential.
Sutanto has not simply crossed genres. She has, with this novel, laid claim to one. I can't wait for the audiobook 😊

[Siavahda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The worldbuilding is interesting, but not worth the ridiculous amount of infodumping, repetition, or the frankly abysmal prose.

Quotes taken from my review copy, so any and all of these could be edited in the final version of the book.

Then the pain, bursting like an overripe fruit, bloomed from she got hit and surged everywhere, until even the tips of her hair hurt.

I’m assuming ‘from she got hit’ is a genuine typo with a word missing, but even if it’s meant to be ‘from where she got hit and surged everywhere’, that’s just…really clunky and basic?

Only Mara didn’t feel threatened. She was more than enthralled.

???

The boy’s skull was crushed and he died sometime between the first stone and the last.

Yeah no duh, that’s how stoning someone to death works?

walking like they had somewhere of vital importance to go.

Usually this kind of thing is phrased as 'somewhere of vital importance to BE', so although this isn't WRONG, it SOUNDS wrong to me.

just as ready to raise its colossal fist and ground its own people into dust.

That’s definitely meant to be ‘grind’.

the flames licked at Queen Seyrah’s face, slowly melting it into black ash.

You can’t melt something into ash, wtf?

As such, there was no way of predicting how the classes would go, and no way of preparing for them, which was how Mara had managed to–hah–survive most of her classes so far.

After rereading this a couple of times, I THINK this is saying that Mara has survived her previous classes by preparing for them, and that won’t work this time because she doesn’t know what to prepare for. But WOW is that badly phrased.

Life was good for Velingard’s only Earth Artist. Well, as far as Kaian knew, anyway.

For context, Kaian IS Velingard’s only Earth Artist. This sounds like as far as he knows, his own life is good. When I THINK what this is meant to say is that he’s the only Earth Artist around as far as he knows.

He’d dismissed them as sons of Prestige employees or some other, but one in particular caught his eye.

Some other what?

His instincts were no longer pricking up, they were full-on shouting, trying to catch his attention.

‘Pricking up’ sounds terrible.

But when he met Sergeant’s Cormack’s eye, something inside it reached past all those layers of conscious thought, ripping through them and going straight into the part of his brain that reacted based on just one single need: survival.

Again, this is so unbelievably clunky.

Yeah sorry-not-sorry, I hate it.

[Dotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

An Edge Sharp Enough is Jesse Q. Sutanto’s latest entry into the fantasy genre. Our story follows four different perspectives: three in the city of Velinguard, a modern metropolis built on science, and one in the assassin training of Tchu-Morrokhai. The four perspectives weave and connect as our characters untangle the structures that threaten to crumble around them.

This story has good twists and turns, creating moments of shock. I expected one of the two major twists, which felt like it was being set up but would subvert tropes in a nice way, but I was pleasantly surprised by the other. The writing was solid, with interesting world building and engaging characters. Some of our characters feel very young, which could frustrate some readers; parts of this book feel very YA, despite being an adult fantasy.

I understand why Sutanto did four perspectives, but I think it was one too many. Pacing with this many different storylines is nearly impossible, and the story is bound to drag occasionally. After coming to the end of the book, I understand why the points of view were all present, but I don’t know that all felt necessary. One of the perspectives felt like it was there solely for a macro-perspective to explain the worldbuilding and situation, but I feel like that information could have been disseminated differently, and there were two perspectives that experienced the same events that could have been condensed to one. For most of the story it felt like two books placed next to each other rather than woven together, and it wasn’t until the end that the dots connected. I think the next book will be a little more cohesive, but the pacing of this book really suffered from all the back-and-forth. I think Sutanto did the best that could be done given the circumstances, but so many perspectives will inevitably cause your story to suffer.

A small side note: it took me longer than I expected to get used to calling magic Art. Art as a discipline is so specifically coded in our lexicon that the mental shift to describe it as a system of magic felt distracting. I’m fine when authors rename everyday things (though that can occasionally get distracting, too) but this felt just unnecessary. The magic system itself was interesting, and built slowly to bring complexity without being overwhelming, but I would have preferred a different name.

Despite the pacing, I felt very engaged with the story once we got through the early chapters. The mystery built well, the thriller and horror elements weren’t too overwhelming, and the characters were believable. The magic system was complicated and built well, and the relationships in our story felt lived in.

Thank you to Jesse Q. Sutanto, Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!

[Bethany J · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for an e-arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own!*

This is a bit of a confusing one for me. It started out pretty interesting, particularly where the plot was concerned, but there were a few things that threw me off. The writing is a big one. It's weird; it felt like the author was attempting, at times, to emulate the language of a more high fantasy novel, but there were some... almost anachronistic bits thrown in that really ended up cutting into the vibe it felt like the author was trying to set. This lead to a very uneven tone, particularly when the writing edged toward the humorous in a way that didn't fully fit in the places it was put.

The characters were mostly interesting, but it felt like the way the relationships were built didn't really translate. A lot of it felt forced, mostly told rather than shown. Truthfully, there was a lot more telling than showing, in general, but it stood out the most when it came to the relationships and character-building. As a result, I never felt connected to any of the characters in the way I wanted to be. I was viewing everything from a distance when it felt like the novel wanted me to be on the ground with them.

While the plot was interesting and creative, the way it resolved was not. It was honestly disappointing because it all felt so very convenient. I'm not going to spoil anything, but the way the author chose to do it sapped the tension entirely out of the novel. It felt like a lack of trust in the reader to put things together, which was particularly frustrating because the author actually did lay out the peaces of the plot decently well. It's just that it ended up being a monologue of exactly how everything went down, spelling everything out in a way that was honestly boring. The mystery and reveals ended up being broken by this decision.

This book ended on a cliffhanger, but I'm not even remotely interested in reading the sequel based solely on how this book handled the plot. Truthfully, I'd probably have given this one star if there weren't interesting things happening, if there weren't some moments of writing that made me stood up. It's just that the larger resolution and character development really fumbled hard and I don't care enough to continue.

[Melodie Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Content Guide:
🤬Frequent use of the F-word, and some more moderate language.
🌶️One scene with implied sex that is fade-to-black. Same-sex relationship. Kissing.
🗡️Lots of violence that gets pretty gruesome, including torture and murder.
🍺Brief alcohol use by adults. Reference to use of other magical substances.
TW: Gruesome violence, trafficking, torture, and psychosis.

Pub date: Nov 17, 2026

This book is primarily a dark fantasy, but also has strong elements of horror and thriller in it. I personally don’t enjoy the horror genre, so those elements were off-putting for me, but might delight other readers.
The world-building is subtly woven in with character stories that keep things interesting. One example of this is Fonde’s story. In his youth, he fought in a revolution that sets the stage for the problems are currently facing. Now he is a commander for law-enforcement, investigating mysterious crimes that could somehow be connected.
What I loved most was the character development of Mara, who we meet as a traumatized child, ripped from her family and forced into assassin training. She is chosen for her proficiency with Art - a magic akin to chi or the force. Her journey to harnessing her gift with Art, and her choices along the way, are fascinating, particularly at the end, when her story converges with the other characters.
The ending was exciting, and answered a lot of questions for me, while also setting up for a sequel that is promising to be even more exciting.
I do think that this book needs more proofreading and editing before official publication, because there were quite a few grammar errors. And I would have liked more character depth from the other POVs. But Mara’s story and the overall plot are excellent. So long as those grammar errors are corrected, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy dark fantasy with horror and thriller elements.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a planned fantasy duology. It is Sutanto’s 18th published work but the first book she ever wrote (although she has extensively reworked it before publishing). I’ve enjoyed some of her mysteries and romance so I was very excited to see what this would be like.

So we have four points of view in two parallel storylines. First is Mara. She was sold to the Institute at age five to train as an assassin against the Empress who has driven her people to hide in a secret mountain fortress in the North. Mara is not physically strong but she is very smart and adept at Art. Art seems to be like the Force: it’s everywhere, in everything and people can use it to make themselves beautiful or create things or hide in the shadows, all sorts of things. It vanished from the world suddenly several years ago and the Elders are hoping Mara can help figure out how to bring it back so they can defeat the Empress. Then in the South we have Commander Fonde the police captain, Kaian a war refugee who grew up on the streets and is now a thief, and Livya, a wealthy debutante, struggling to find her place outside of the shadow of her famous mother. Trouble is brewing in their city and while the leaders, including Livya’s mother, seem to know what’s up these three do not. As things start to fall apart they join forces to unlock past secrets and try to save their city.

I quite liked this. It has clear, easy to read language. The story flowed well. There was a lot of world building and character introductions at the beginning but I was able to keep everything straight and she did it without doing a big info dump. It’s a duology so you know there are going to be some plot twists and cliff hangers and while I saw somethings coming the gasp I gave at other parts was audible. Super solid fantasy story and I cant wait for the conclusion.

[Genny · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down.

I have previously read 2 other books by Ms. Sutanto that I enjoyed despite the fact that they were different from my usual genre of choice, so I eagerly picked this up because fantasy is my happy place. I was blown away that the same author who wrote those quirky, humorous books could shape shift and create this dark high fantasy.

“An Edge Sharp Enough” is the first installment to a duology and as such, spends quite a bit of time world-building and establishing new magical and religious systems. She achieves this through four POVs– Mara, Livya, Fonde, & Kaian. They are distinct enough that they don’t blend in your mind as you read and learn about the magic system (named Art) that has inexplicably become obsolete. The downside to having so many POVs is that it takes about two cycle-throughs of these characters to truly get the plot set into motion, which makes it difficult to get into it. Every time you begin to understand within one character’s POV, the chapter ends and you are thrown into another character’s POV. The POV shift is generally set in an entirely different setting (opposed to the same storyline told through someone else’s perspective), so it adds significant speedbumps to the pacing. And while they do initially read as separate tales, they eventually become woven together and things become clearer as you get deeper into the story.

Despite the pacing, the twists and ending have me itching to read the sequel. Be sure to grab a copy on November 17, 2026 so you can come speculate how this duology is going to conclude with me!

Thank you to Jesse Q. Sutanto and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[bells · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.25⭐️


This book has one of those concepts that immediately made me sit up and pay attention. The idea of Art as a life force and the foundation of magic is incredibly intriguing, and honestly, it was the thing that kept pulling me forward whenever my attention started wandering.

Because unfortunately… the pacing and I were not always on speaking terms. There were stretches where it felt like the story kept circling the same point instead of diving headfirst into the action. At some point I wanted to gently grab the plot by the shoulders and tell it to move.

And this hurts me to say because I usually LOVE multi-POVs. But here, the different perspectives felt a little surface-level. I understood the characters, but I never felt deeply attached to them. The interactions also lacked that extra spark that usually makes me obsess over fictional characters and ruin my own sleep schedule.

The political intrigue and magical concepts are genuinely compelling, though. I could absolutely see the potential, the foundation and ideas are there. I just wanted deeper character work, stronger emotional investment, and a smoother flow to make everything a bit more impactful.

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read at all. In fact, I think it has a lot of promise. The world-building is intricate, the magic system is captivating, and the political intrigue kept me curious enough to keep turning the pages. And yes… despite my complaints, that sequel is absolutely going on my TBR.


════════════════════════

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Ladybird · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ARC review!! Thank you so much Sutanto and NetGalley

“Art”, which is like magical chi, has disappeared from the world. Mara was taken at age five to train as an emissary at a place only Trunchbull from Matilda would love. She’s in love with fellow student Lia and that’s… that’s a no no. That’s gonna get her killed, or worse, expelled. We also have characters on the other side of the map navigating potential political collapse, which includes Kaian (thief), Cerra (Livya’s lady maid), and Livya (idiot). Inspired by the author’s love for World of Warcraft, Sutanto (of Dial A for Aunties) departs from contemporary and gives us a rewrite of her actual first book and first love. Arm in arm with our different character’s perspectives, we go deep into a complex political world on the brink of revolution.

This is a huge jump from Vera Wong and Aunties, and I’m happy to make the jump with Sutanto. World building was excellent, political stage was complex, and while I wish there were fewer perspectives, we really need them all. This definitely has a sequel written all over it, so stand alone lovers should be wary. I will say, the twist at the end is so well played I actually physically gasped and covered my mouth and added a whole star to the book, and you all know as someone chronically stuck in a book, it’s really hard to pull the rug out from under me like that. While it does take a minute for the wheels to start spinning, I think the end is so well woven together it’s almost worth reading just for that.

WoW and classic fantasy fans, dial Y for Yes.

[NS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties, despite somehow skipping the first two Aunties books entirely because I spotted that one in a bookstore and the cover got me. So when I saw Jesse Q. Sutanto doing something this different, I was immediately curious. Dark fantasy from the author I knew for chaotic family comedy? Yeah, I wanted to see what that looked like.

An Edge Sharp Enough is set in Velingard after a revolution that reshaped the country, with dracerium playing a huge role in the new order. Then the supposedly indestructible metal starts crumbling, while the Art that once shaped the world is disappearing too. The story follows four POVs, though Mara was easily the one I was most interested in. Her history with the revolution slowly becomes more important, and I liked how much of the book is really about what happens after people have already won the fight they thought would fix everything.

The worldbuilding gets pretty dense. There were stretches where I had to slow down because the politics and the rules surrounding dracerium were arriving faster than I could comfortably absorb them. Once the pieces started connecting, though, I enjoyed seeing earlier details take on more weight.

What surprised me most was how far this feels from the Sutanto book I’d read before. The scale is bigger and the tone much darker, yet there’s still enough character tension to keep all the lore from swallowing the story. I’m glad curiosity got me again. Four stars, and I definitely want to see where the duology goes next.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think you know what this author writes like, you will be more than pleasantly surprised by this novel which is a huge departure from her usual books. And yet, as she points out in her afterword, this was actually the first book she wrote, back in Oxford. This is amazing, draws you in, and makes you wish the second book in the series was out so you could know what happens next.

Told in four voices, there is Mara, who is training to defend her homeland from the Divine Empress.There Livya who is studying Art (which is not the way we think of art). And then there is Captain Fonde who is trying to figure out what is going on. And of course there is Kaian, the street rat, the love interest. Put them all together to solve the problem of both the Divine Empress and metal that she has been using against them all.

There was a revolution. And yet nothing changed, but who rules. Meanwhile there are wars going on.

It is great world building. You suspect that all the time lines might not be happening in the same time, but it is hard to know, at first, though clues are given.

I raced through this, and now I, like the rest of you, will have to wait for the second book in this duality. I have always loved this author’s books, and this is one more genre that she has written that I love. All the stars. Go pre-order it now.

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 17th of November 2026.

[bookish.brietto]

I I went into An Edge Sharp Enough not totally sure what to expect, but it ended up feeling a lot more emotional than I thought it would. It’s not loud or overly dramatic its more of a quiet, creeping kind of story that slowly pulls you in without you really noticing at first.
What really worked for me was how real the main character felt. Not perfect, not always making the best choices, just very… human. The kind of messy thoughts and reactions that actually feel believable. There were a few moments where I had to pause because something hit a little too close, and I always love when a book can do that without trying too hard.
That said, the middle did feel a little slow for me. I wasn’t bored, but it felt like the story stayed in the same emotional space for a bit longer than it needed to. I also found some of the tonal shifts a little abrupt it would move between lighter and heavier moments in a way that didn’t always feel seamless.
But the ending really landed. It didn’t feel overly neat or wrapped up, which I appreciated, and the emotional payoff felt earned. It’s the kind of ending that lingers a little, which made the whole reading experience feel more worth it.
Overall, this is a quieter, more introspective read that focuses a lot on internal conflict and emotion. If you like character-driven stories that feel a little messy and honest, this one will probably work for you.

[Mimi Chamelian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

You know that cartoon meme of a dog drinking tea surrounded by flames and it says “this is fine”? That was how I felt reading it.

This book is a sheer perfection. Absolutely captivating. Easily top three best books of the year that I’ve read, if not THE best.

I thoroughly enjoyed all characters throughout. There was no chapter that I would consider a filler. Each scene had its role and brought in new information.
The worldbuilding was beautiful, not overwhelming at all, but still rich. I was so invested, I experienced frisson multiple times.

The book went into some surprisingly dark places at times (the leaves, iykyk) but it also surprised me with some hilarious lines and scenes, particularly in Livya’s chapters.

There were two major plot twists but one of them was heavily hinted throughout the story so it wasn’t shocking. However the second twist that explained absolutely everything that happened was great.

Two romantic subplots were lovely but my problem was that we were told they were in love. I, as a reader, did not experience any situations that would explain the feelings. There were no butterflies. No kicking my feet in the air. But that’s also okay because romance was not heavy in the book.

I am delighted this is a part of a duology and I will have a chance to go back into this world. I simply cannot wait! What an utterly treat this was. Ugh!

[nyx · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review.
An Edge Sharp Enough is a sci-fi fantasy with queer rep that kept me engaged from page one.
I found its strengths particularly in the magic system and in the world building, which is well-thought, rich with history, culture and religion.

There are a total of 4 POVs, which I’m usually not a fan of, but here only 2 of those are from characters that interact with each other, so it felt more like 3 distinct POVs in time and space.
The writing style is fluent and engaging. There’s lots of descriptions and inner thoughts, but they never felt heavy or unnecessary. Sometimes they’re a tiny bit too over explained, but with all the political and social mess going on I honestly didn’t mind it at all.

I’m not sure how to explain this without giving spoilers, so I’ll just say that some elements of this book reminded me of Rin from The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, and Kell from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.

Overall this was a great book from start to end. I guessed one of the main plot twists but that didn’t change my enjoyment of the story, and to me that indicates a great read. I really can’t wait for book 2, with all the buildup that happened here I expect a lot.

Thanks again so much NetGalley and the author Jesse Q. Sutanto for the ARC copy. This has been one of my best reads of the year.

TW: gore, lots of blood, death, murder, violence, police brutality, religious bigotry.

— nyx ♡

[Maaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC widget in NetGalley. All my thoughts are my own.

**

A very intriguing and dark high fantasy book. I enjoyed the book a lot though I was surprised to see the level of darkness inside. But I feel it fit the world really well and the author has done a really good job at painting the world at a brink of a war.

This starts off the series so it makes sense that a good chunk of the story is building the worlds, setting up the magic system (called Art which was a fun one!) and letting us know the key players in the story. We follow four different characters; Mara, Kaian, Commander Fonde and Livya, but it’s not just them but a few key side characters too which you need to keep track of. It has a risk of being confusing but I found the structure well-crafted and I liked the change in POV’s.

The author has managed to slip in a few really big surprises along the way and I was happily very much unaware of them until they happened. That created such a cool reading experience since I was flabbergasted.

Like mentioned, the story is quite dark and gore is very much present. I did take a couple of breaks because of it but I do understand why the graphic nature of those scenes was included as it gave me a deeper understanding of the world and how it’s run (brutally).

I’m definitely excited to see where the story goes next!

[Reading Xennial · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a few of Jesse Q Sutanto’s books and I’ve always enjoyed their writing. I love how they can go in between genres and pretty much nail it. This is the first fantasy by Sutanto, and they didn’t disappoint. Their writing skill translated well to this genre.

There is quite a bit of world building and Sutanto does a great job of showing instead of telling or info-dumping. I’m glad this is going to be a duology because we get an entire new world in two books. There are four main characters where we see their viewpoints. As with all fantasies, this book is a lot to get into because of the world building and learning the different characters so it takes a lot of brain power to get invested. Once I was invested, I really enjoyed my time and I can’t wait for the next book to come out to see where this all ends up.

I highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of Sutanto’s previous works, but be aware this is quite a departure from the cozy books written before. This book is not cozy and goes into some more serious events. Also, if you’re a fan of fantasy then I recommend you give this a try.

Thank you, NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Dial A For Aunties so I was so excited for this! Jesse W Sutano's first released fantasy novel. Come to find out, she's been working on it for over a decade! I was worried I was overdoing it on fantasy books these days, making me more critical but I can happily say, this was absolutely fantastic. Told from multiple POV's and different locales, each chapter brings more and more depth to the story as a whole, Fair warning, it's REALLY hard to put down. Nearly every chapter ends in a cliffhanger or a twist of some sort and even when you're not that connected to the characters, you just have to know what happens next. The twist near the end and last 80% is absolute non-stop action and Big Reveals.

Commander Fonde gives Georgie from Grantchester vibes and Mara's storyline felt like a combo of Maze Runner and Divergent. There's a little Oliver Twist and a little regency romance.

AND THAT TWIST AT THE END!!! You are not prepared.... Greatly anticipating book 2. (That said, I hope the author does not rush, this is a perfect example of "let the author cook and you won't be disappointed.")

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for my gifted EARC!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An edge sharp enough is a solid fantasy about a world where magic vanished a generation ago, told through multiple povs. Usually I like different povs, but in this case I think the author used too many. Because there has to be space for each one, everything has to be compressed which led to too much “tell, not show”. The big amount of different systems/beliefs/political topics added to this. Also I think its advertising is misleading. I thought it would be an adult fantasy, but it reads more like ya.
I would like to add that you should take my review with a grain of salt, as the use of the word “Art” for magic irritated me so much it probably affected my rating. Why use a word that already has a meaning for another? If you don’t want to use the word magic, you can use it in a different language or even invent a new word. Using one that already has a meaning made me stumble over it every time and severely worsened my reading flow.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing me with the earc

[Yara · Rating 4 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC

Wow - this story was not what I expected! (In the best way).

When I first read the premise of the story, what grabbed my attention was the mystery of an "indestructible" metal that started to crumble. There is also a mention of a forgotten magic and several characters whose lives intertwine. Everything & everyone is kind of a mystery and it's thrilling to jump from one POV to another and try to start putting things together.

I enjoyed all 4 POVs. The jump from one to another did NOT interrupt the flow of the story, in fact, I think it added more intrigue. I like all the characters - they were well fleshed out, with their individual personalities, backgrounds and motives. I wish I had gotten more emotionally attached to the characters, but I think that emotional connection can develop in the 2nd book. I also hope we get to see the Divine Empress and learn more about her and have art magic fight scenes.

Overall, this story took me for a ride! There was mystery, romance, assasin training, action, gore and literal buildings crumbling. This book was like watching a movie in my head. The plot twist got me and I loved it. If you're a fantasy reader looking for a more unique story that centers around science and the fantasy part is a huge mystery, I would recommend it.

[Sara Ratliff]

DNF at 20%

I know this author writes primarily contemporary books, so I was expecting the world-building to be a bit clunky, but unfortunately there just isn't any element of this that is working for me.

The writing style reads on the much younger side of YA, in a way that can sometimes work in adult contemporary books, but is very disorienting in an adult fantasy. The dialogue is clunky, like the author knew exactly what she wants the reader to get out of each interaction, but not how to write it in a way that sounds like an actual human conversation. The exposition comes in awkwardly timed rambles. The characters read as too eloquent when they're children and frustratingly juvenile when they're young adults — the latter of which wouldn't be as much of a problem if their characterizations weren't also extremely flat.

It was honestly a struggle just to reach the 20% mark. I'm sure this will work for some people, but I'm not one of them.

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical and interesting fantasy with a superb sense of the characters, carrying forth Sutanto's strengths from her previous works. We have two perspectives, Mara being trained to be an assassin inside a fortress and Livya, far away, the daughter of a brilliant scientist who altered the world. These two seem to have little to do with each other, but as the indestructible metal Livya's mother invented suddenly starts breaking, things shift rapidly.

The characters are superb, as expected from Sutanto. Each character, even the most miniscule ones, feel quite real. But, and I was surprised to see this, Sutanto's worldbuilding is incredible as well. At first, it may seem a bit confusing, considering the differences between Livya's and Mara's worlds. But this works incredibly well as the reveal hits and suddenly it all clicks into place. Plus, great sequel hook. Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the E-ARC.

[Manuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into An Edge Sharp Enough excited to see Jesse Q. Sutanto try her hand at dark fantasy, and I'll admit the ambition of it won me over even when the execution didn't fully land. Juggling three POVs, an assassin raised in isolation, a scientist's daughter on the run with a con man, and a captain watching his world's "indestructible" metal literally crumble is a lot to pull off, and the world-building really is imaginative, with some genuinely cool magic-system ideas simmering underneath. My main hang-up was pacing: with so many threads to weave together, some stretches felt like table-setting rather than story, and I wanted more time to sit with the characters instead of jumping between them. Still, there's a solid, twisty foundation here, and I'm curious enough about where the Empress's secrets and that crumbling metal are headed that I'd pick up book two to see how it all resolves. 2.75 stars is a promising start to a duology that just needed a bit more room to breathe.