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The Storms of War Trilogy #2
Edge Of The Fall EXPORT EDITION
In the aftermath of the Great War, the de Witt family are struggling to piece together the shattered fragments of their lives. Rudolf and his wife Verena, still reeling from the loss of their second son, don't know how to function in the post-war world. Stoneythorpe Hall has become an empty shell with no servants to ensure its upkeep. Celia, the de Witt's youngest daughter, is still desperate to spread her wings and see more of the world. To escape Stoneythorpe and the painful secrets that lie there, she moves to London and embraces life and love in the Roaring Twenties.
432 pages, Paperback
First published November 19, 2015
27 people are currently reading
1527 people want to read
About the author
Kate Williams
144 books581 followersHello! Thank you for visiting my page. It's a great privilege to be on here - and to say hi to readers. Thank you very much for all your support and interest in my books! My twitter account is @katewilliamsme and I have a facebook page for Kate Williams author, come and say hello! I'm always thrilled to hear from you and your thoughts about my work.
I grew up in a very modern house in a dormitory village in the Midlands- and as a consequence became completely obsessed by the past. When I was about six, we got a new washing machine - and I took the huge cardboard box, covered it in silver foil and told my little brother it was a time machine. I used to rumble it about and tell him 'Look! We're in Egypt in the time of the pyramids - but you can't get out!' So he had to listen to all the stories inside, my poor brother...
'One of Britain's best young historians', Independent.
'Historian Extraordinaire', The Today Programme, Radio 4
'Queen of historical fiction' and 'History at its best', Guardian
'Unforgettable', (the book, not me!), The Lady.
'Gripping, seductive', The Times
I'm still looking for that time machine - and still living in it, really as I am obsessed by history.
Thanks so much for coming with me in my time machine.....
My latest novel, Edge of the Fall, is about the DeWitt family in the 1920s as they try to make sense of their lives in the aftermath of the war. It's the Flapper Age - and everything is in flux. As Kirkus puts it, there is ' a beautiful socialite threatened by a stranger, a murder trial and a baby born out of wedlock' - 'strange disappearances, unexplained deaths, dramatic births and a juicy court case' Grazia
'Brilliant', Daily Mail
'Gripping from the first page', 'Thrilling' 'a must read', Grazia
'Imbued with a sharp awarenss of the devastating effects of war in any era, Williams' novel presents sympathetic characters who transcend history', Kirkus
My previous novel, The Storms of War, is the first in a trilogy about the de Witt family. The first explores their lives from 1914-1918, as the youngest girl, Celia, sees her perfect world crumble and change. I've wanted to write about the wars since I visited the trenches in France when I was ten on a school trip. I was fascinated by how small they were - and how men could ever live in such places. I really wanted to go into the lives of Germans - the Victorians couldn't get enough of them. Then - almost overnight - they were the enemy and people saw German spies everywhere and the newspapers demanded that all Germans in the country be imprisoned. At the beginning of the book, Rudolf and Verena have four children - and their lives will never be the same again.
'Quietly impressive...hard to put down....Gripping, thoughtful, heartbreaking and above all human', Kirkus (starred review)
'truly affecting...richly detailed, light of foot..tantalises with loose ends and disturbs with shocking shadows', Independent
'Fans of Dowton Abbey will love it, as do I', Alison Weir
'Vivid....fascinating,' Observer
My most recent history book was in 2013, Josephine: Desire, Ambition, Napoleon (UK) and 'Ambition and Desire: the Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte' (US). It has been optioned by Ecosse Films (Nowhere Boy, Mrs Brown) and they are working on the script now.
'I send you a thousand kisses, but send me none back because they set my soul on fire', wrote Napoleon to Josephine.
In 2012, my book about Elizabeth II, 'Young Elizabeth' was published, exploring the Princess's life before she became Queen - and how the abdication of Edward VIII changed her world. In 2011, I co-wrote The Ring and the Crown with Alison Weir, Tracy Borman and Sarah Gristwood about the history of royal weddings.
My previous novel,The Pleasures of Men, about Catherine Sorgeiul, a young woman in 1840 who terrifies herself with her obsession with a murderer, appeared in 2012. I began writing the book while living in Paris, one
I grew up in a very modern house in a dormitory village in the Midlands- and as a consequence became completely obsessed by the past. When I was about six, we got a new washing machine - and I took the huge cardboard box, covered it in silver foil and told my little brother it was a time machine. I used to rumble it about and tell him 'Look! We're in Egypt in the time of the pyramids - but you can't get out!' So he had to listen to all the stories inside, my poor brother...
'One of Britain's best young historians', Independent.
'Historian Extraordinaire', The Today Programme, Radio 4
'Queen of historical fiction' and 'History at its best', Guardian
'Unforgettable', (the book, not me!), The Lady.
'Gripping, seductive', The Times
I'm still looking for that time machine - and still living in it, really as I am obsessed by history.
Thanks so much for coming with me in my time machine.....
My latest novel, Edge of the Fall, is about the DeWitt family in the 1920s as they try to make sense of their lives in the aftermath of the war. It's the Flapper Age - and everything is in flux. As Kirkus puts it, there is ' a beautiful socialite threatened by a stranger, a murder trial and a baby born out of wedlock' - 'strange disappearances, unexplained deaths, dramatic births and a juicy court case' Grazia
'Brilliant', Daily Mail
'Gripping from the first page', 'Thrilling' 'a must read', Grazia
'Imbued with a sharp awarenss of the devastating effects of war in any era, Williams' novel presents sympathetic characters who transcend history', Kirkus
My previous novel, The Storms of War, is the first in a trilogy about the de Witt family. The first explores their lives from 1914-1918, as the youngest girl, Celia, sees her perfect world crumble and change. I've wanted to write about the wars since I visited the trenches in France when I was ten on a school trip. I was fascinated by how small they were - and how men could ever live in such places. I really wanted to go into the lives of Germans - the Victorians couldn't get enough of them. Then - almost overnight - they were the enemy and people saw German spies everywhere and the newspapers demanded that all Germans in the country be imprisoned. At the beginning of the book, Rudolf and Verena have four children - and their lives will never be the same again.
'Quietly impressive...hard to put down....Gripping, thoughtful, heartbreaking and above all human', Kirkus (starred review)
'truly affecting...richly detailed, light of foot..tantalises with loose ends and disturbs with shocking shadows', Independent
'Fans of Dowton Abbey will love it, as do I', Alison Weir
'Vivid....fascinating,' Observer
My most recent history book was in 2013, Josephine: Desire, Ambition, Napoleon (UK) and 'Ambition and Desire: the Dangerous Life of Josephine Bonaparte' (US). It has been optioned by Ecosse Films (Nowhere Boy, Mrs Brown) and they are working on the script now.
'I send you a thousand kisses, but send me none back because they set my soul on fire', wrote Napoleon to Josephine.
In 2012, my book about Elizabeth II, 'Young Elizabeth' was published, exploring the Princess's life before she became Queen - and how the abdication of Edward VIII changed her world. In 2011, I co-wrote The Ring and the Crown with Alison Weir, Tracy Borman and Sarah Gristwood about the history of royal weddings.
My previous novel,The Pleasures of Men, about Catherine Sorgeiul, a young woman in 1840 who terrifies herself with her obsession with a murderer, appeared in 2012. I began writing the book while living in Paris, one
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
January 17, 2016
I'll make this short. Reading the synopsis: Downton Abby! Kate Morton! Sounds perfect, however, in retrospect I guess too perfect. Sadly, it was neither.
"It was as if the war had aged everything, dirtied it all, however much you hid things away."
Where did it go wrong for me? (and I'll say 'me' because this might just be right for others). Firstly, The Edge of the Fall is the second in a planned trilogy from historian Kate Williams. That I only learned upon closer inspection (not highlighted obviously anywhere), so I was behind from the get-go. Having picked this book up and not realising this fact, I was a little lost, and most likely, did not appreciate certain character developments. As an addendum, this book gets you ready for book three, so some answers you will not receive.
Given this, I don't believe it can really be viewed as a standalone due to the plot of the book. Maybe this book was suffering from middle trilogy syndrome? To my mind, the plot jumped around, everything from the narrative (two characters, first person), to the timeline itself. At times, the alternating viewpoints of Celia and Louisa are difficult to reconcile. In fact I found them in the extreme and bordering on major exaggeration. How could two people see the one event SO differently.
At the heart of the book is Celia and, sad to say, I just did not like her. She is a sulky character and you never really feel like being on her side. She just whines way too much:
"She's no fun. Always feeling sorry for herself, wandering around under a cloud."
Then there is her brother Arthur, and he is even worse. What a cad! Meant to be of course, however, I was most unhappy with the predictable outcome. In my humble opinion there was some much needed editing required as topics of conversation were repeated over and over, even events restated time and time again. We get it! Move on!
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Better editing would have cut much of the repetition and had an increased impact. For example, the inclusion of Jonathan visiting Emmeline's children: why include this? In fact I struggled with much of the plot structure/timeline: Celia's personal drama, suddenly switched to brother's drama (her's totally forgotten), switched to this Jonathan (old beau) on the scene - one hot potato dropped for another with no depth or relevance.
I was bordering on a two and a half star rating, however, by the end, I had 'fallen off the edge' (pun intended) and she didn't care and neither did I!
"She didn't care. She hoped it poured down on her and everyone else for the rest of their lives."
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
"It was as if the war had aged everything, dirtied it all, however much you hid things away."
Where did it go wrong for me? (and I'll say 'me' because this might just be right for others). Firstly, The Edge of the Fall is the second in a planned trilogy from historian Kate Williams. That I only learned upon closer inspection (not highlighted obviously anywhere), so I was behind from the get-go. Having picked this book up and not realising this fact, I was a little lost, and most likely, did not appreciate certain character developments. As an addendum, this book gets you ready for book three, so some answers you will not receive.
Given this, I don't believe it can really be viewed as a standalone due to the plot of the book. Maybe this book was suffering from middle trilogy syndrome? To my mind, the plot jumped around, everything from the narrative (two characters, first person), to the timeline itself. At times, the alternating viewpoints of Celia and Louisa are difficult to reconcile. In fact I found them in the extreme and bordering on major exaggeration. How could two people see the one event SO differently.
At the heart of the book is Celia and, sad to say, I just did not like her. She is a sulky character and you never really feel like being on her side. She just whines way too much:
"She's no fun. Always feeling sorry for herself, wandering around under a cloud."
Then there is her brother Arthur, and he is even worse. What a cad! Meant to be of course, however, I was most unhappy with the predictable outcome. In my humble opinion there was some much needed editing required as topics of conversation were repeated over and over, even events restated time and time again. We get it! Move on!
To say I was disappointed is an understatement. Better editing would have cut much of the repetition and had an increased impact. For example, the inclusion of Jonathan visiting Emmeline's children: why include this? In fact I struggled with much of the plot structure/timeline: Celia's personal drama, suddenly switched to brother's drama (her's totally forgotten), switched to this Jonathan (old beau) on the scene - one hot potato dropped for another with no depth or relevance.
I was bordering on a two and a half star rating, however, by the end, I had 'fallen off the edge' (pun intended) and she didn't care and neither did I!
"She didn't care. She hoped it poured down on her and everyone else for the rest of their lives."
http://greatreadsandtealeaves.blogspo...
January 3, 2018
The story of the De Witt family continues into the 1920s, mostly seen through the eyes of Celia. This family is damaged by far more than war. 3-3.5 stars.
June 23, 2016
"The Edge of the Fall" is the second novel in "The Storms of War" trilogy.
This continuing saga finds Celia de Witt embracing the roaring twenties in postwar London.
In the aftermath of the Great War, the de Witt family is struggling to piece together the shattered segments of their lives.
I love this family saga and can't wait for the next novel in the trilogy to be released!
If you love historical fiction...This is the trilogy for you!!
November 13, 2018
Basically every character is stupid and hateful.
June 22, 2021
I enjoyed part two of this family saga
October 2, 2020
Scattered, ineffectual, unlike-able main characters that needed a hard smack—or in some cases, hanging. This was a jumbled hot mess from beginning to end, and only the fact that I had spent money on the book kept it from being a DNF. I felt bad about myself for having wasted my own time with it.
September 6, 2016
Wonderful read. I couldn't stop and lost many nights of sleep just to stay up and read.
May 14, 2024
Too much going on. Death, murder mystery and missing family. Each problem seems to get watered down because there are too many storylines happening. Celia is such an annoying character, she hasn’t matured at all since the start of the series. That being said, I’m still invested in this series and have to find the third book!
September 10, 2019
Beautifully written
March 1, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. Am starting the 3rd in the trilogy
September 7, 2024
Read this on vacation. I started this series years ago and am glad I finally read this. I chose it because I hadn't read any historical fiction of this kind in a while. It's still a compelling story and I'm going to keep all the books I have. Recommended.
April 11, 2016
The Edge of the Fall by Kate Williams is definitely a must read for all. For fans of Downtown Abby, this is indeed a read that you won't want to miss. Readers are brought back in time to the Roaring Twenties. A dashing, exciting, and bold time for those living in the time period.
The Edge of the Fall will leave readers in suspense even when they have come to the end...wondering what really just happened. The exciting life and ways of the people in London are truly an entertaining read. Drama, action, and a sense of intrigue created on every page. Witnesses are saying that a man has pushed his wife over the edge of the fall...did he really or is it a way of going after an innocent man? Then there's a woman being sent cruel things...A cat goes missing...only to turn up dead...the mystery of who and why will plague readers into continuing their search for the answers as they keep turning the pages. Suspenseful, well-written, and characters that are believable will keep readers coming back to this novel every time. A murderer might just be living near you the whole time...and you won't know it until his plan for freeing himself and you happens. The Edge of the Fall is a thrilling adventure, that will leave readers guessing and feeling goosebumps form on this skin as they dive further into the story. The tale feels so real, that readers will have a hard time shaking reality from fiction. I enjoyed reading this new title by Kate Williams. Her talent shines throughout her historical novel. Overall, I highly recommend it to readers worldwide.
The Edge of the Fall will leave readers in suspense even when they have come to the end...wondering what really just happened. The exciting life and ways of the people in London are truly an entertaining read. Drama, action, and a sense of intrigue created on every page. Witnesses are saying that a man has pushed his wife over the edge of the fall...did he really or is it a way of going after an innocent man? Then there's a woman being sent cruel things...A cat goes missing...only to turn up dead...the mystery of who and why will plague readers into continuing their search for the answers as they keep turning the pages. Suspenseful, well-written, and characters that are believable will keep readers coming back to this novel every time. A murderer might just be living near you the whole time...and you won't know it until his plan for freeing himself and you happens. The Edge of the Fall is a thrilling adventure, that will leave readers guessing and feeling goosebumps form on this skin as they dive further into the story. The tale feels so real, that readers will have a hard time shaking reality from fiction. I enjoyed reading this new title by Kate Williams. Her talent shines throughout her historical novel. Overall, I highly recommend it to readers worldwide.
February 18, 2016
This book is an odd hotch-potch of different plot lines competing for the reader's attention. I couldn't get "into" the story, because the moment you really got interested in one plot line, the author would bait and switch for a seemingly completely unrelated one. There's some nice historical detail, but I never felt like I had really been taken back in time into the world of the story.
Reviewed in my December Reading Wrap Up.
Reviewed in my December Reading Wrap Up.
April 25, 2016
I RECIEVED THIS BOOK FREE AS A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL WRITTEN BOOK DESCRIBING THE RELATIONSHIPS WITHIN FAMILIES AND THEIR SECRETS. I WOULD DEFINETELY ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO READ THIS AND I WOULD MYSELF READ FURTHER BOOKS BY KATE WILLIAMS.
November 19, 2015
The Edge of the Fall is the second in a planned trilogy from historian Kate Williams based on the De Witt family. I had only read the first in the series The Storms of War just a few months ago and reviewed it on the blog. I found the first book quite slow to get going but once it did I found it to be a brilliant read chronicling the fortunes of a family with German origins living in England during World War One. With The Edge of the Fall I had hoped the author would take us straight back to where we had left off before. All of the setting up was completed with the long introduction in book one so fingers crossed this next instalment would take us straight to the heart of the roaring twenties.
This book proved to be the opposite to the first as the beginning and end were fast paced and packed full of things happen but the middle took a real dip and at times became repetitive and needed something to get it moving on again. That said I did enjoy this book, the prologue did grab my attention as there is mention of a man living in Paris but recently returned to England with his new love. Was this more to come of Arthur De Witt who barely got a mention in the previous novel? I hoped it was as it was obvious there was a story waiting to be told concerning his fortunes during and after the war.
When we reunite with the De Witt family they are not the same as they once had been. War like for so many other families has torn them apart but yet they are doing the best they can to piece themselves and the family home Stoneythorpe back together. The house feels old and tarnished and its residents feel the same. Peace had been so longed for but now that it is here what do they do? How can they carry after such a great loss? How can a family so beset by tragedy pick themselves up and begin again? Rudolf - patriarch of the family is broken both mentally and physically after what he has endured whilst matriarch Verena can barely hold herself together not to mention deal with a house run by a skeleton staff 'It was as if the war had aged everything, dirtied it all, however much you hid things away'. Celia although young and naive in book one has been through an awful lot and to me she really is the glue that holds the family together. Still single and always on the lookout for the man of her dreams her ambitions had been put on the back burner as war raged on but now that it has ended she feels lost and adrift. 'It was her, marooned and alone in Stoneythorpe while everybody was out there living'. Stoneythorpe is not the place she grew up in, older sister Emmeline now has her own young family to deal with. Not to mention husband out at all hours of the day fighting for his causes. So who can Celia turn to? Well in steps brother Arthur returning from Paris after the war? Are the families fortunes about to change? Will Celia gain the independence and freedom she craves?
I was so glad to see Arthur playing a more prominent role in this book. He had fleeting mentions in the previous novel but you did get a sense that he was an enigma, that he seemed to have some hold over the family and they all held him in awe and now that he has returned and may make a go of the family business things may just be ok. What frustrated me about Arthur was he never came home to his family during the war nor did he enlist. I'm sure he didn't enjoy a playboy lifestyle in Paris during the war years but to me he seemed to get off lightly compared to his brother. Verena held him in such respect and never questioned his actions when that would have been the first thing I would have done. Arthur is clearly different from his other family members, he is headstrong and always get what he wants. With the arrival of cousin Louisa to the family fold after her mothers death a spark is ignited within the household. Celia hopes for a friend but Arthur has other ideas. Louisa was a great addition to the overall storyline. Arthur seemed to take her over despite her being so young and to be honest it was just creepy and controlling. What happens next sets the tone for the remainder of the book as a further deep shadow hangs over the family and plenty of questions needed to be answered.
When we do read of Louisa's viewpoint it appears all is not as it seems with her 'friendship' with Arthur. Two questions struck me regarding this, why bring us further into the story only for part two to bring us back in time? Secondly wouldn't it have worked better to intersperse Louisa's viewpoint and story amongst the chapters of part one instead of reading continuously of Celia as parts of her story were flat and monotonous as she appeared to be endlessly lost in a cycle of confusion. Also a few chapters from Arthur's viewpoint would have been nice and might have gone some way towards changing my opinion of him. Even at the end I still wasn't sure what to make of him. As I have mentioned the middle of the book was the weakest for me there was far too much focus on Celia where she actually didn't do much expect mope and wonder what was she going to do with her life. Emmeline didn't want her although when giving birth she didn't say no to Celia's support.These scenes were brilliantly written and had my heart in my mouth as to the outcome. A change of scenery visiting her German relatives in the Black Forest started out good as Celia sees the German people still view the English as their enemy but apart from a trip to a spa town that descends into chaos and a surprising visitor this section all just fell a bit flat. Towards the end though things did pick up and I was glad to see Celia coming to the forefront even what did happen wasn't just or fair.
The Edge of the Fall didn't grab me the way it should have mostly because I think it was too long, it could have been shortened and have had more of an impact. It was enjoyable enough and yes it was really interesting to read of life after the war to end all wars as most often books focus on events during the war. It's plain to see that life didn't and couldn't possibly revert back to normal for all involved and that the impact would be felt for many years to come. Did I get the sense of the roaring twenties I had wished for? Sadly not because with the De Witt family things just aren't going all that well. This book isn't full of the glamour of the music, fashions and styles of the twenties because frankly the family are not in that frame of mind with so many things ongoing. I'm still rooting for them though and after reading the final two chapters Kate Williams has really set us up nicely for what is to come in the concluding instalment as within the last few pages a jaw dropping revelation became clear and the reader was left hanging on a thread.
The Edge of the Fall is a good enough read but I do think if you just picked this up without having read the first book you would be a little lost and maybe not appreciate certain characters or situations. Do read The Storms of War first and then give this a go. It may not be the highlight of my reading year but the De Witt family have enough going on to make me want to return for part three next year.
This book proved to be the opposite to the first as the beginning and end were fast paced and packed full of things happen but the middle took a real dip and at times became repetitive and needed something to get it moving on again. That said I did enjoy this book, the prologue did grab my attention as there is mention of a man living in Paris but recently returned to England with his new love. Was this more to come of Arthur De Witt who barely got a mention in the previous novel? I hoped it was as it was obvious there was a story waiting to be told concerning his fortunes during and after the war.
When we reunite with the De Witt family they are not the same as they once had been. War like for so many other families has torn them apart but yet they are doing the best they can to piece themselves and the family home Stoneythorpe back together. The house feels old and tarnished and its residents feel the same. Peace had been so longed for but now that it is here what do they do? How can they carry after such a great loss? How can a family so beset by tragedy pick themselves up and begin again? Rudolf - patriarch of the family is broken both mentally and physically after what he has endured whilst matriarch Verena can barely hold herself together not to mention deal with a house run by a skeleton staff 'It was as if the war had aged everything, dirtied it all, however much you hid things away'. Celia although young and naive in book one has been through an awful lot and to me she really is the glue that holds the family together. Still single and always on the lookout for the man of her dreams her ambitions had been put on the back burner as war raged on but now that it has ended she feels lost and adrift. 'It was her, marooned and alone in Stoneythorpe while everybody was out there living'. Stoneythorpe is not the place she grew up in, older sister Emmeline now has her own young family to deal with. Not to mention husband out at all hours of the day fighting for his causes. So who can Celia turn to? Well in steps brother Arthur returning from Paris after the war? Are the families fortunes about to change? Will Celia gain the independence and freedom she craves?
I was so glad to see Arthur playing a more prominent role in this book. He had fleeting mentions in the previous novel but you did get a sense that he was an enigma, that he seemed to have some hold over the family and they all held him in awe and now that he has returned and may make a go of the family business things may just be ok. What frustrated me about Arthur was he never came home to his family during the war nor did he enlist. I'm sure he didn't enjoy a playboy lifestyle in Paris during the war years but to me he seemed to get off lightly compared to his brother. Verena held him in such respect and never questioned his actions when that would have been the first thing I would have done. Arthur is clearly different from his other family members, he is headstrong and always get what he wants. With the arrival of cousin Louisa to the family fold after her mothers death a spark is ignited within the household. Celia hopes for a friend but Arthur has other ideas. Louisa was a great addition to the overall storyline. Arthur seemed to take her over despite her being so young and to be honest it was just creepy and controlling. What happens next sets the tone for the remainder of the book as a further deep shadow hangs over the family and plenty of questions needed to be answered.
When we do read of Louisa's viewpoint it appears all is not as it seems with her 'friendship' with Arthur. Two questions struck me regarding this, why bring us further into the story only for part two to bring us back in time? Secondly wouldn't it have worked better to intersperse Louisa's viewpoint and story amongst the chapters of part one instead of reading continuously of Celia as parts of her story were flat and monotonous as she appeared to be endlessly lost in a cycle of confusion. Also a few chapters from Arthur's viewpoint would have been nice and might have gone some way towards changing my opinion of him. Even at the end I still wasn't sure what to make of him. As I have mentioned the middle of the book was the weakest for me there was far too much focus on Celia where she actually didn't do much expect mope and wonder what was she going to do with her life. Emmeline didn't want her although when giving birth she didn't say no to Celia's support.These scenes were brilliantly written and had my heart in my mouth as to the outcome. A change of scenery visiting her German relatives in the Black Forest started out good as Celia sees the German people still view the English as their enemy but apart from a trip to a spa town that descends into chaos and a surprising visitor this section all just fell a bit flat. Towards the end though things did pick up and I was glad to see Celia coming to the forefront even what did happen wasn't just or fair.
The Edge of the Fall didn't grab me the way it should have mostly because I think it was too long, it could have been shortened and have had more of an impact. It was enjoyable enough and yes it was really interesting to read of life after the war to end all wars as most often books focus on events during the war. It's plain to see that life didn't and couldn't possibly revert back to normal for all involved and that the impact would be felt for many years to come. Did I get the sense of the roaring twenties I had wished for? Sadly not because with the De Witt family things just aren't going all that well. This book isn't full of the glamour of the music, fashions and styles of the twenties because frankly the family are not in that frame of mind with so many things ongoing. I'm still rooting for them though and after reading the final two chapters Kate Williams has really set us up nicely for what is to come in the concluding instalment as within the last few pages a jaw dropping revelation became clear and the reader was left hanging on a thread.
The Edge of the Fall is a good enough read but I do think if you just picked this up without having read the first book you would be a little lost and maybe not appreciate certain characters or situations. Do read The Storms of War first and then give this a go. It may not be the highlight of my reading year but the De Witt family have enough going on to make me want to return for part three next year.
November 17, 2023
This is the second book in a series, the first being The Storms of War, about one aristocratic family before, during and after World War I. It has an air of Downton Abbey in the way that you get the lives of this rich family on their country estate but you don't get as much of the lives of the servants as you do in Downton.
This series is an historical epic. It fleshes out the consequences and emotions caused by WWI. It makes them real through the experience and lives of its characters. The De Witt family may be aristocratic but it is their half-German background that complicates their interactions with the war and with Britain.
Reading this series as an adult I found myself having conflicting feelings about the character's attitudes towards the war. I have the benefit of hindsight and knowing that WWII followed close on the heels of WWI. This story caused a lot of anger towards the naivete of the characters. The men for thinking fighting was noble and how the Germans now living in the UK were "othered". The main character of Celia also has such naive views that she is quickly disabused of once she serves as an ambulance driver. As an adult who never lived through the war, I see the short-sightedness so easily and get annoyed at the characters. I had to cast myself back to when I was a teenager and try and view it from that perspective.
This book made me think a lot about the consequences of war. It is particularly relevant with the war in Ukraine and in Israel at present and I think that is why it inspired so much frustration in me. I feel that I, someone who finds so much wisdom in history, am terrified by how so many people in the present are marching ahead into war so easily and willingly. In 2023 we know the consequences and the cost and yet that is still the choice the majority are making. I want to scream "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
Alas, this is not about the book. This series is worth the read. Just be aware both books are quite lengthy but I feel, worth the effort.
This series is an historical epic. It fleshes out the consequences and emotions caused by WWI. It makes them real through the experience and lives of its characters. The De Witt family may be aristocratic but it is their half-German background that complicates their interactions with the war and with Britain.
Reading this series as an adult I found myself having conflicting feelings about the character's attitudes towards the war. I have the benefit of hindsight and knowing that WWII followed close on the heels of WWI. This story caused a lot of anger towards the naivete of the characters. The men for thinking fighting was noble and how the Germans now living in the UK were "othered". The main character of Celia also has such naive views that she is quickly disabused of once she serves as an ambulance driver. As an adult who never lived through the war, I see the short-sightedness so easily and get annoyed at the characters. I had to cast myself back to when I was a teenager and try and view it from that perspective.
This book made me think a lot about the consequences of war. It is particularly relevant with the war in Ukraine and in Israel at present and I think that is why it inspired so much frustration in me. I feel that I, someone who finds so much wisdom in history, am terrified by how so many people in the present are marching ahead into war so easily and willingly. In 2023 we know the consequences and the cost and yet that is still the choice the majority are making. I want to scream "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."
Alas, this is not about the book. This series is worth the read. Just be aware both books are quite lengthy but I feel, worth the effort.
April 22, 2025
After enjoying and finishing "The Storms of War" (the first in the trilogy), I went straight into reading "Edge of the Fall" (book 2). My attention was grabbed right away although, like the first book in the series, I found the lead character of Celia De Wit immature, naive and frustrating. Considering what she was exposed to during her time serving at the front during the war as an ambulance driver and at home, I would have expected the character to have become stronger and more worldly then she is depicted. Perhaps her behaviour though is simply a sign of the times and how women were?
It is post-World War 1 and, for the most part, the story takes place in London, England and France with a brief time in Germany. Celia's sister, Emmeline, seems unchanged from "The Storms of War", mothering her growing, young family as almost a single mother as her radical socialist husband is otherwise busy with protests and some illegal activity. Brother Arthur, always a difficult (and I feel, weak) character, also became involved in illegal business and, soon, a much more deadly situation. Their parents, Rudolf and Verena De Wit, have lost touch with reality, living in their formerly grand and now derelict home. Their children have partially or, in the case of Arthur, totally abandoned them.
While I found it to be a page turner, I did find my eye skimming in some sections where the focus was on Celia. There is a trial later in the book and I found the court scenes well written and quite captivating. Now the question is, should I read the final book in the trilogy, "The House of Shadows" (or "Into the Darkness", depending on if it is the American or British release) when Celia crosses the Atlantic to New York to save her family's failing business and deal with some personal business of her own? I'm not sure. I might have had enough of Celia and the De Wits for now...
It is post-World War 1 and, for the most part, the story takes place in London, England and France with a brief time in Germany. Celia's sister, Emmeline, seems unchanged from "The Storms of War", mothering her growing, young family as almost a single mother as her radical socialist husband is otherwise busy with protests and some illegal activity. Brother Arthur, always a difficult (and I feel, weak) character, also became involved in illegal business and, soon, a much more deadly situation. Their parents, Rudolf and Verena De Wit, have lost touch with reality, living in their formerly grand and now derelict home. Their children have partially or, in the case of Arthur, totally abandoned them.
While I found it to be a page turner, I did find my eye skimming in some sections where the focus was on Celia. There is a trial later in the book and I found the court scenes well written and quite captivating. Now the question is, should I read the final book in the trilogy, "The House of Shadows" (or "Into the Darkness", depending on if it is the American or British release) when Celia crosses the Atlantic to New York to save her family's failing business and deal with some personal business of her own? I'm not sure. I might have had enough of Celia and the De Wits for now...
August 4, 2018
I found this story a bit disappointing in the end. It had potential but it just annoyed me in the end.
Arthur was just a spoilt brat, Celia lacked substance and we never really got the full story from Louisa's perspective despite more being alluded too. It felt like many aspects of her behaviour remained unexplained. Was she simply a silly manipulated girl or was there more to the story?
Meanwhile, the courtroom scenes were plain frustrating. I'm not sure when the laws around hearsay, lawyers "testifying" (telling stories), speculation and the likes came in but I just spent the whole of that section wanting to yell objection and yet the defence lawyer did nothing. It smacked of poor writing rather than character development. The prosecution lawyer spent more time telling stories than actually presenting any evidence or actually interviewing the witnesses about what really happened. Yet the defence lawyer did nothing. It was hard to tell if the defence lawyer was meant to be seen as competent and calm under pressure with assurance of a win in the end, or clueless and inept. I didn't get swept up in the narrative of the lawyers in that section.
Maybe it would have been different if I'd read the other book in the series although I didn't know it existed at the time and this one appeared to be a stand alone title. Perhaps it was leaning on character development that occurred in the previous title. I'm not sure. But had I not been listening to this in audiobook form, I doubt I would have made it to the end.
Arthur was just a spoilt brat, Celia lacked substance and we never really got the full story from Louisa's perspective despite more being alluded too. It felt like many aspects of her behaviour remained unexplained. Was she simply a silly manipulated girl or was there more to the story?
Meanwhile, the courtroom scenes were plain frustrating. I'm not sure when the laws around hearsay, lawyers "testifying" (telling stories), speculation and the likes came in but I just spent the whole of that section wanting to yell objection and yet the defence lawyer did nothing. It smacked of poor writing rather than character development. The prosecution lawyer spent more time telling stories than actually presenting any evidence or actually interviewing the witnesses about what really happened. Yet the defence lawyer did nothing. It was hard to tell if the defence lawyer was meant to be seen as competent and calm under pressure with assurance of a win in the end, or clueless and inept. I didn't get swept up in the narrative of the lawyers in that section.
Maybe it would have been different if I'd read the other book in the series although I didn't know it existed at the time and this one appeared to be a stand alone title. Perhaps it was leaning on character development that occurred in the previous title. I'm not sure. But had I not been listening to this in audiobook form, I doubt I would have made it to the end.
October 5, 2017
The second in this series about the de Witt family is set post World War One. Celia once again takes centre stage, and has more troubles heaped upon her. Themes that were left up in air in The Storms Of War are for the most part dealt with, although with a few surprises. One major change is the reappearance of eldest brother Arthur, absent in Paris for the duration of the war. His return, though welcomed by the family, is one which leads to a change in direction of the storyline. Less a family saga this time and more a whodunnit (a woman falls from a cliff in Margate at the opening of the book). Secrets and lies abound, and Celia for one seems surprisingly blinded to all that goes on around her. Maybe this is because she is caught up in her own deceptions, but either way she did annoy me a bit. Still very enjoyable, but overall I preferred the first book.
November 30, 2019
Quite a letdown after the first, well-written volume in the trilogy. Tragedy follows tragedy, no one is happy or remotely successful, plot seems to wander around from one depressing incident to another, some thrown in with little regard for the integrity of the story line. I'm not sure if I'll try the third or not. My guess is Williams was aiming to show how people expected life to go on as normal after the war when, of course, everything had changed and things were difficult and tragic for many. However, if there's no rhyme or reason or hopeful ray anywhere, things become an exercise in futility, which is how I felt after finishing this book. Maybe the story will come back together in the third volume?
June 30, 2018
honestly I was torn about the first book and I'm torn about this one too. I will most likely read the 3rd when it comes out because I do feel invested in the story and want to see it through. however, this book was incredibly long worded. the story would have been just as good, if not better in a shorter format. it took forever for anything to happen. the majority of which occured in the last 100 pages. a good book, but certainly not a favourite.
October 10, 2020
If Celia was a wee bit irritating in the first book she is really really irritating in this one, although the plot of the first book was good enough to compensate for that. In this one I found the twists and turns of her post-war life just all too much, no drama that could potentially happen to her is spared. Louisa I also found quite annoying but at least she had the excuse of being younger. I have been told that in the third book the series gets much better again, I really hope so.
June 16, 2023
At first I was enjoying this author’s writing and then I realized I was reading pages and pages of nothing with a little tiny hint of something. No wonder I stopped reading the book a few years ago and had to start over a gain this year.
I kept with it this time since it was an easy read and I enjoy the timeframe (think “Downton Abbey”). There continued to be large swaths of nothingness and then right near the end it got interesting and my reading pace sped right back up.
I kept with it this time since it was an easy read and I enjoy the timeframe (think “Downton Abbey”). There continued to be large swaths of nothingness and then right near the end it got interesting and my reading pace sped right back up.
January 16, 2018
Read the first book of the trilogy, The Storms of War and this one which is the second. Loved both and am patiently awaiting the third one. Love to read stories that tell us what people went through in war times and how it changed their lives. I know it's fiction but there are bits that represent real life.
April 7, 2022
Solid 3.5. Not mad at it per se. I think I just expected a little bit more. I feel like Celia did a lot of running in this book. Maybe because I was more aware of it from Storms of War reviews. Still though. I couldn't really find myself connecting with any of the characters except maybe Tom or Jonathan.
January 7, 2024
Volume 2 of the Storms of War trilogy, I liked this one even more than the first & was very disappointed when it ended...however, by now I am reading the 3rd & final installment. This installment follows the DeWitt family after the end of the war - changing fortunes, death, murder (or is it?), family ties, romance.
June 1, 2017
Honestly, wasn't as good as the first. Was disappointed as I had really come to love the characters, especially Celia and I found her to be a tad irritating in the second book. Doesn't stop me from recommending or enjoying the first - just sad the story didn't wow me.
July 15, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed the story but hadn’t realised it was part of a trilogy and had found the lack of conclusion frustrating - my fault as hadn’t realised that the story wasn’t going to be wrapped up yet!! I just need to read the 3rd in the trilogy now
January 16, 2018
i received this book through a goodreads giveaway. this book wasn't my cup of tea. if you like things like historical dramas then this is for you.
November 6, 2018
I like the story but Celia is annoying at times.
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