Book Log 33/2010 - Ilona Andrews: On the Edge

Ilona Andrews: On the Edge

Our world is the Broken. The magic world is the Weird. The Edge is the no-man's-land that separates the two - except it isn't a no-man's-land because it's been settled by tough survivors who fit in neither one world or the other, but inhabit both. Magic exists, but not in it's pure form. The Edgers may have a weak magical talent, but even so they often struggle to put food on the table, some of them having minimum-wage jobs in the Broken to keep their lives together.

Rose Drayton works her fingers to the bone, living on the Edge while holding down a minimum-wage, no-questions-asked cleaning job in the Broken. She's trying to keep her young brothers - Georgie and Jack - fed, since their mother died and their feckless father deserted them for adventure.

But Rose has a talent that not many Edgers have, and it's not small. She can flash pure white - a fierce magical defence that makes her in demand as a wife, to the extent where she's been wooed for her genes - and some unscrupulous Edgers have even tried kidnap and barter to win her. So when a handsome Blue-Blood from the Weird comes calling she instantly assumes he's after nothing but her magic genes.

Rose is short on trust for his type - well, for any type, actually - so she does the traditional thing of setting him three riddles before she'll go back to the Weird with him. Unfortunately Rose has misjudged not only the stranger, Declan, but also the situation. Declan's not really after a wife, he's tracking a villain from the Weird who is about to unleash a terrible destructive power on the Edge. But Rose has piqued his curiosity and he can fight the bad guy just as well from her place as from any other, so he does a deal and moves in a lodger. After that it gets complicated...

This book is not just a paranormal romance, neither is it (quite) an urban fantasy. In fact it's a refreshing mix of fantasy genres with a great cast of characters, from Rose, Declan and Grandma (who has a neat line in curses) to Georgie who raises Grandpa from the dead without really understanding why he shouldn't, and Jack, a feline shapechanger and natural predator whose mission in life is to protect his big brother.

Book Log 33/2010 - Ilona Andrews: On the Edge

Ilona Andrews: On the Edge

Our world is the Broken. The magic world is the Weird. The Edge is the no-man's-land that separates the two - except it isn't a no-man's-land because it's been settled by tough survivors who fit in neither one world or the other, but inhabit both. Magic exists, but not in it's pure form. The Edgers may have a weak magical talent, but even so they often struggle to put food on the table, some of them having minimum-wage jobs in the Broken to keep their lives together.

Rose Drayton works her fingers to the bone, living on the Edge while holding down a minimum-wage, no-questions-asked cleaning job in the Broken. She's trying to keep her young brothers - Georgie and Jack - fed, since their mother died and their feckless father deserted them for adventure.

But Rose has a talent that not many Edgers have, and it's not small. She can flash pure white - a fierce magical defence that makes her in demand as a wife, to the extent where she's been wooed for her genes - and some unscrupulous Edgers have even tried kidnap and barter to win her. So when a handsome Blue-Blood from the Weird comes calling she instantly assumes he's after nothing but her magic genes.

Rose is short on trust for his type - well, for any type, actually - so she does the traditional thing of setting him three riddles before she'll go back to the Weird with him. Unfortunately Rose has misjudged not only the stranger, Declan, but also the situation. Declan's not really after a wife, he's tracking a villain from the Weird who is about to unleash a terrible destructive power on the Edge. But Rose has piqued his curiosity and he can fight the bad guy just as well from her place as from any other, so he does a deal and moves in a lodger. After that it gets complicated...

This book is not just a paranormal romance, neither is it (quite) an urban fantasy. In fact it's a refreshing mix of fantasy genres with a great cast of characters, from Rose, Declan and Grandma (who has a neat line in curses) to Georgie who raises Grandpa from the dead without really understanding why he shouldn't, and Jack, a feline shapechanger and natural predator whose mission in life is to protect his big brother.

Glurk!

The Artisan tour is still in full swing. We've done Phases 1 and 2 (the UK July tour and the August Canadian tour), but Phase 3 is just about to begin - the UK September tour. It runs from September 3rd to 17th. The first ten days are all in the south and southwest of England, so we probably won't get home between gigs. Mum and Diezel Dog are once more in charge of both home and office - and of each other, of course. They did a great job in August and this trip lasts for less than half the time - plus we're only a few hours away if any emergencies arise.

But I've just looked at the calendar and - eep - the last week of the tour, which I thought was fairly light because we only had three gigs, all done as run-outs from home, has suddenly filled up. For starters, we can't even count the fiirst day because though we've no gig, we do have to drive all the way home from Swanage, Dorset. Then we only have one day (Wednesday) without a gig.

What's the panic?

The last Artisan gig is on Friday 17th September and on Saturday 18th it's the start of the Milford week. A week closeted away in the wilds of Snowdonia with a dozen or so other SF writers. And between now and then I have to deliver 2 pieces of writing of up to 15,000 words (combined).

I have just one thing to say: AAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!

It looks like I'll be nose-to-laptop at every available opportunity on this tour.

Probably no more LJ posts until after Milford.

Glurk!

The Artisan tour is still in full swing. We've done Phases 1 and 2 (the UK July tour and the August Canadian tour), but Phase 3 is just about to begin - the UK September tour. It runs from September 3rd to 17th. The first ten days are all in the south and southwest of England, so we probably won't get home between gigs. Mum and Diezel Dog are once more in charge of both home and office - and of each other, of course. They did a great job in August and this trip lasts for less than half the time - plus we're only a few hours away if any emergencies arise.

But I've just looked at the calendar and - eep - the last week of the tour, which I thought was fairly light because we only had three gigs, all done as run-outs from home, has suddenly filled up. For starters, we can't even count the fiirst day because though we've no gig, we do have to drive all the way home from Swanage, Dorset. Then we only have one day (Wednesday) without a gig.

What's the panic?

The last Artisan gig is on Friday 17th September and on Saturday 18th it's the start of the Milford week. A week closeted away in the wilds of Snowdonia with a dozen or so other SF writers. And between now and then I have to deliver 2 pieces of writing of up to 15,000 words (combined).

I have just one thing to say: AAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!

It looks like I'll be nose-to-laptop at every available opportunity on this tour.

Probably no more LJ posts until after Milford.