On the Edges of Darkness

by Barbara Erskine

On the Edges of Darkness [Paperback] Barbara Erskine

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Time Travel, Romance, Paranormal

Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

An historian by training, Barbara Erskine is the author of six bestselling novels that demonstrate her interest in both history and the supernatural, plus two collections of short stories. Her books have appeared in at least twenty different languages. She lives with her family in an ancient manor house near Colchester, and in a cottage near Hay-on-Wye.

Reviews

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book in a thrift shop years ago, it ended up on my shelf, and I never picked it up. I figured it was about time I read it, either I would enjoy it, finish it and get it off my shelf, or I would not enjoy it, abandon it, and also get it off my shelf. Win win!

It started off much better than I expected, it was fast-paced and intriguing. However, the more I progressed, the more certain things started to bother me. One, I had expected (and hoped) there would be a lot more about the 6th century, but there was only little, and what there was was not infomative at all. 95% of the book is set in the present day (well, 1935-1990, but not 6th century). Two, after a while the book got a bit repetitive and long-winded, it could have been much shorter without losing much of the story. Three, all the stuff regarding Brid, Broichan and Meryn was never well-explained. It seemed like the author just liked to write a book on time-travel but didn't give a thought to how this would occur or how Brid was able to do the things she did. Especially the ending was very rushed.

All in all, a finished book and one less on my shelf.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Barbara Erskine. I’d read this book many years ago when it first came out but, I’d forgotten a lot of the story so, it was new to me. Full of creepy scenes and strange happenings I throughly enjoyed this one.

[Mari-Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were moments in this book that were brilliant... And moments where I was verbally abusive towards it...
A massive build up to what could of been a fantastic, satisfying finalie... But it ends with a whimper. I don't think the author knew how to end it, so took the easy way out.

I've never thrown a book across a room after finishing it before...

Frustrating to read, but the good bits are REALLY good, so it's spurs you to read on. Character development is good, I genuinely cared for them... But the skipping of time was annoying, skipping a decade at a time (or a couple of decades!) felt ridiculous, unnatural, and disturbed the flow of the story for me.

I don't usually condone getting physically violent with books, but I made an exception for this one....

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

My second Barbara Erskine read after HIDING FROM THE LIGHT. Not as good as HIDING; it's a little slow for my liking, with a lot of unnecessary padding. Too much focus on mundane events in the present and not enough of the intriguing Pictish history. Lots of atmosphere, though, and well-drawn characters. I'd recommend it for fans of the author, and people who like historical/time-slip/time travel/romance.

[Yan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a long journey that revolves around the beyond-lustful-obsessed-psychopath-Druid-bitch over Adam fvcking Craig. And when I say it was a long journey, it was definitely a long journey! And my brain cells were drained to bits.

[Gary Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good but not a great read. It was an interesting twist on the time travelling with our 6th century Druid Princess, so out of place in the 20th century that she spends much of her time locked up in an asylum. Rightly so because she is a psychopath! She is obsessed with Adam, a medical student, then alcoholic Doctor, from the mid 20th century who is such a jerk she must be crazy.
The book takes a long time to get to a conclusion and I am not sure if it does. Despite the length of the book we never see any depth in the two "wizard" characters who battle it out in the end over the two lovers and the two women who are collateral damage of their affair. There is a titanic battle in the highland heather (very well described) and then it's over. About time.

[Jen Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been sat on my bookshelf for a while now. I'm glad I've read this book because I did really enjoy it. It is a little dark and sinister in places but it added an extra something to the story. I know some of the places around Hay that featured in the story, it was really nice being able to picture the scenery from memory and not just imagination. Some of the characters I really liked, others I really didn't care much for. So overall I really enjoyed it.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a hard book to love. The hero is somewhat careless of the women in his life to say the least, and what could have been a fascinating link to the Pictish past became only abhorrent obsession.

I think I would have preferred it if it was made clear that power was the corruption of her spirit rather than the relentless pursuit of Adam whom I really didn't like.

The end was also fairly unresolved, and I've no intention of ever going back into this world!

[Tania Tierney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible but I had to finish it as I've never left a book unfinished

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time I read this book was about 20 years ago as a teenager. It’s been on my mind the last few years but could never remember what it was called. I even googled what I could remember but to no avail. I went through some old boxes and to my surprise I found it and was so excited to read it again. I have a new appreciation for the book reading it as an adult. The way the story unfolds over the lifespan of the various characters, combined with the descriptive beauty of the Celts; their history and culture, warrants my 5 star review.

[M.J. Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be a bit of a slow start, a lot of attention to very trivial and mundane details that sometimes made it a bit of a boring read. It picked up about halfway through, when we got to see what Brid was truly capable of and how affected Adam was by it. Essentially, when the pair of them have grown up and left childhood.

I was left a little disappointed at the ending though, and I don't know why. It left me a little angry. After following Adam along for nearly the entire span of his life (and in the slow parts, trust me, it feels like you've been reading it for years), I expected a bit more from the very end. It was, however, well written and made me interested to read more of Erksine's work.

[M A Redhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read all of Barbara Erskine's books and really enjoyed them. However, this one was not one of my favourites. It was an intriguing story and I really enjoy how she pulls in characters from other novels she has written but this book seemed to be very drawn out when the story could have been told in far fewer pages and been just as good, particularly as the ending seemed quite abrupt. I also thought some of the background Pictish characters like Broichan weren't developed much and so I found it a bit difficult to grasp the intensity of their actions. However, despite being a bit long winded it was a good read and I would recommend it.

[Carrie Hetherington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Erskine is my favourite author, I have all her books and would highly recommend each and every one. You won't be able to put them down! There are characters from the past and present intertwined in a single story, grounded in historical fiction and they're always full of ghosts. Gripping.

[Kate Stjohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of her best...

[Sarah Goodwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

484 pages and then 'it was all a dream'.

WTF??

Good book in concept, shaky in execution and falls apart in the last act.

[Kate Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a slow start, I ended up loving this book. It was so atmospheric and I loved some of the characters such as Liza and Beth. I did have a few niggles that stopped it from being perfect in my eyes (below), but overall it thought it was fantastic. It was my first Barbara Erskine and can't wait to devour some more of her novels.

My grumbles:
1. The first part of the book which focused on Adam and Brid as adolescents went on for too long and was a bit repetitive. I know it was key to setting the story but I found it a bit dull and almost gave up reading.

2. There wasn't enough character development of Meryn. I would have loved to have learnt a bit more about him and what he was up to on all his mystical trips away and how this shaped the final showdown with Broichan.

3. Adam really wasn't likeable. Even from before his obsession, he was cold and insufferable. it made it hard to believe Jane, Liza or even Brid would spend so long trying to be with him.

4. As others have said, the ending was very abrupt. After such a tense and well paced build up , the 'final battle' was a bit anti-climactic and I didn't feel like enough time was given to it.

Apart from my grumbles, I thought it was a fantastic read.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasn't as good as "The Dream Weaver", I enjoyed the concept of a time travelling druidic priestess from the ancient Picts coming into our world.
But the conversational waffles of the characters in the modern timeline bored me to death and the whole plot unfolded like a depressing episode of Eastenders.
This book drained me, it was so chaotic and depressing but with dull, detailed dialogue between characters that I began to have an out of body experience myself, to time travel to a simpler time.
The characters were unlikeable--- Adam is a selfish wet lettuce and his main love interest was a psychopathic murderous succubus.
I wish the storyline focussed more on the Picts, Pictish folklore and the 4th Century AD, rather than the modern timeline which took up the bulk of the story.

I did enjoy the supernatural elements of astral projection, charms, ghosts, time travel, dreams, familiars, portals and more. But that was broken up by a very slow and boring storyline. It was basically Coronation Street on Halloween.

[Worrywort · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy all of Barbara Erskine's books but the main male character in this one is such an unlikeable, emotionally unavailable shitheel. Every woman (and man) in his life would have been far better off walking away from him. He didn't deserve any of their concern. This book had me wishing all the women had deconstructed patriarchy enough to happily run away from him and and live their own wildly happy lives never giving him a second thought

[Margaret Hage · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s so rare for me to not want to finish a book but this one after about a third of the way through just became a struggle, too predictable and I had no desire to keep going. Which is rare! Maybe in the future I’ll look back to it but I’ve so many good books to read on my stack right now I can’t see that happening for a long time. Disappointed as I’ve enjoyed the others of this author which I’ve read

[Kim Meskes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never read a book of Barbara, one of my client's had given it to me. I'm a sucker for Ireland and Scotland so a story like this one was made for me.

Some people might think the story could be shorter but I liked it this way. It was like you lived adams life yourself.

I definently want to read another book of her.

[Catriona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh, no. I had been looking forward to reading this for so long and only the fact that it was Barbara Erskine and I've enjoyed so many of her other books kept me reading...but it never got any better! There were some interesting points sure, but I was bored and confused at other points and I'm glad to be finished!

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reread of this book by Barbara Erskine. Must confess the old cover was a lot better than this new one. It related so much better to the topic of the book. It was such a great read but the end left me a bit flat thus only 4 stars. Such a great book, well written, very likeable characters but the end… just didn’t do it for me. Shame.

[Junee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll give it a three just coz I did not expect that ending, like WTF, rly? It gave me In The Tall Grass vibes and it seemed like I wasted 5 months of reading, yes five coz it was such a slow burn but I understood though coz the curse lasted three generations.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good story, romance, supernatural, history, suspense, everything rolled into one, with echos of Fatal Attraction. I couldn't help wanting Brid and Adam to get together, never mind the awful things she did. Perhaps they did??!

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fucking hell this was a CHORE to get through and it all kicked off only in the last like twenty pages and then THE ANTICLIMACTIC ENDING OF THAT what the hell you know when you’re English teachers say “don’t use the it was all a dream trope” - THATS WHY. ITS SHIT.

[Jan Nerenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting & Layered

A bit different from Erskine’s regular book. Deals with a weak but intelligent man who gets caught up in a long ago world. A bit more graphic and heart-wrenching but all in all an intriguing read.

[Gilly-Tamar K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another enjoyable read from Barbara Erskine. Starting with boyhood it’s kind of like coming of age novel. And a journey through this boy’s life with him slipping back in time to another life. I did enjoy this.

[Emiliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ужасен е гневът на изоставената жена. Особено, ако притежава свръхестествени сили.

[Cherie Melbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first Barbara Erskine book that I've read & I'm now a fan. I couldn't put it down

[Asha Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great fun- As with nearly any supernatural thriller, it did get QUITE ridiculous at some points, but overall? Very enjoyable.