Steel’s Edge

The Edge, Book #4

By Ilona Andrews

ISBN# 9781937007829

Author’s Website:  http://www.ilona-andrews.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Charlotte was dealt a devastating blow when she discovered that she is infertile and it led to her husband leaving her.  She is a healer, but couldn’t heal herself.  The dangerous thing about being a healer is the ability to use the darker side of your magic to cause the very illnesses you can treat.  Once Charlotte starts feeling the urge to use her dark magic she decides it’s time to leave the Weird and move to the Edge where her magic won’t be so potent.

Charlotte meets, Rose’s grandmother, Éléonore, who takes her under her wing.  She sets her up in Rose’s former home and gets the other Edgers to accept her as their healer.

Richard has been trying to get vengeance for the horrors that Sophie has been through at the hands of the slavers and won’t rest until he ends them.  But when he gets mortally injured in battle he runs to the boundary and into the Edge to die.  But he is discovered and taken to Charlotte.  She heals him. But when she goes to get more blood for him, the slavers come looking for Richard and when Éléonore won’t give him up willingly they burn the house down with her inside, and take him.

Now Charlotte decides she must fight back.  She goes after the slavers herself and finds Richard caged.  She embraces her dark magic to rescue him.  They then decide to work together to find a way to end the slavery ring once and for all.  But if Charlotte isn’t careful she could lose herself to her magic and could lose all her humanity as well.

I wasn’t sure about this book when I saw that it was about Richard.  I always found him to be a pretty dull character, especially after just finishing the book on my favorite Edger, Kaldar.  But I quickly was drawn into Charlotte’s story with the end of her marriage which led to the beginning of her new life.  I like how Andrew and Ilona were able to connect Charlotte to Éléonore and her family and truly making the books to date come full circle.  I did end up liking Richard, but this story truly belonged to Charlotte!

There were a few dull points in the book, fighting the slavers didn’t end up being as exciting as I thought it would be.  But once Charlotte and Richard put their plan to expose Brennan in to play the novel became fast-paced and action filled; you won’t want to put the book down from that point on!

I enjoyed the ending more than I thought I would and it shows you just how strong the love between Richard and Charlotte truly is and that they really can overcome all obstacles!

This was another good book in The Edge series (although Fate’s Edge is still my favorite to date) and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next!  I’m anticipating a future book about Jack, George, and Sophie….maybe even a little love triangle?  Who knows?  I’m not really expecting that to be the next book though as I think the ‘kids’ still have some growing up to do, but I can’t wait to see who the next installment will feature!  Erian perhaps?   I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!