On the Edge by Ilona Andrews Book Review

This book is an introduction to Ilona Andrews Edge Universe, and it is a very good introduction to a rich and fascinating world.  The Edge is the borderland between the land of magic, and the land of technology.  The author does a good job of describing the problems, and the character of the people who live in this borderland.  The characters are believable, and you cannot help but be caught up in their struggles.  There is a very good balance of the mundane and the fantastic that allows you to connect even as the characters do amazing things.

The only thing I didn't like about the story is how dark it can seem at times, but borderlands are often harsh places, and it really helps you get a feel for the place.  Life may be hard for edgers at times, but their isolation also allows for the freedom to live in their own way.

In this world reality is broken into two parts The Weird and The Broken.  The Broken is our world with Wallmart, Interstate Highways, and The United States of America.  In the Broken Magic doesn't work so technology has taken its place.  The Weird on the other hand has magic and is run by a feudal system modified to be based on magical strength.  The Edge is the borderland between the two.  If you have the ability for magic you can make your way there from the broken, and if you have a low enough need for magic you can come there from the wierd,  but most inhabitants from either world cannot live long in the edge.  Rose Drayton is an edger but she has the power of a Wierd Aristocrat, and has had no end of trouble because of it.  While she has their power she does not have a title or a pedigree, and that makes her a very valuable second class citizen in the Wierd.  Several attempts have been made to kidnap her to sell to nobles whose family is waning in power that want to breed it back.  Now Rose works for minimum wage under the table in the broken so that her family can survive.  Declan Camarine is a a Wierd noble who finds himself chasing a fugitive into the Edge, and runs afoul of some less than hospitable Edgers. When he shows up on Rose's Doorstep for help he gradually falls in love with her, and her power can allow him to make a relationship work in Wierd Socieity. Rose however has been burned too many times to accept that easily. In addition to this Declan must perform his original mission before everyone runs out of time.  If the madman he is after is not stopped then both the Edge and the Wierd could be burned to the ground by an ancient evil he has awoken in the edge.

This book should appeal to several audiences.  The love interest between Rose and Declan makes this book a Fantasy Romance, but it has enough meat on it to be a great story for anyone who loves a good fantasy adventure.  The plot is also about catching a fugitive who has secret plans as well so it should also appeal to the mystery lovers out there.  So I guess Fantasy Adventure Mystery Romance?

This book can be found at www.amazon.com in e-book or print format.

The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Steven Baxter

This book is a frontier style science fiction novel, but with a delightful twist.  The frontier is all different versions of earth.  This book explores the concept of many worlds in a new and unique way.  It follows a protagonist on a journey of exploration, but unlike most many worlds science fiction he is not the person to discover stepping between worlds, and most worlds do not have humans already on them, but are instead unsettled wilderness.

My only complaint about this book is that it takes a while to get interesting and there is a lot of character building before anything particularly interesting happens.  Despite this when the pace does pick up the book is well worth it, and the reason for the character building becomes apparent.  I just wish that the process had been more interesting at the beginning.

The plot of this book is that of an exploratory journey into new frontiers.  The main character, Joshua, is approached by an emancipated AI named Lobsang, who claims freedom based on being a re-incarnated motorcycle repair man,  to accompany him on an expedition as a backup way of getting home.  Joshua is one of the minority of people who have found they don't need a device to step, and he has traveled the worlds more extensively than most.  During the voyage they discover non-human races of steppers who all appear to be fleeing back in the direction of our world, and eventually determine what they are fleeing from.  This book is more about what is learned on the journey, and exploring the possibilities of a limitless frontier than the actual journey itself.  It is a great look at how things could go in a modern frontier when the cost of travel is achievable.

This book will appeal to science fiction fans who enjoy world building, and colonization novels.  I bought it because I enjoy reading both authors work, and I was not disappointed.

This book can be found in print or as an e-book at www.amazon.com.