On The Edge
⭐⭐⭐
On The Edge is a solid showing from Ilona Andrews, but admittedly not one of my favorites. Normally I love the chemistry of the central relationship in each of their books, but for whatever reason this one was just ok. I didn't dislike it, I have no complaints, but I also wasn't really rooting for it to work out at any point.
The rest of the book made up for it. My particular favorite was the way Ilona Andrews handled the characters of William and Jack - both changlings but from wildly different backgrounds - was excellent, and I really just want a book from Jack's perspective. They did a great job of always keeping Jack's cat side centered, so even when he was kid-shaped he was more than just a kid with shapeshifting powers. His decision making throughout the book is influenced by his animalistic tendencies. We see him struggling to sit still, to keep track of things like shoes or books. We also see him in his element as a hunter and loyal family member. This nicely showcases one of the best aspect of the authors writing - characters may be described as smart/loyal/whatever, but whatever their key characteristics, they always act as a double edged sword. Someone who will always be loyal to their family can easily be taken advantage of by dangling said family as bait. Someone who is super smart can be tricked or outmaneuvered by depending on them to overthink a scenario or by playing to base emotions instead of brain power. This is classic writing advice, but its rare to see it so consistently and skillfully applied.
I also really liked the culture clash between the rich noble and the poor locals. It was a very sympathetic look at why impoverished small towns will close ranks against an outsider, even if that outsider is trying to help. I was very happy they didn't just explain that away as 'uneducated hicks are dumb', which would probably have been easier and could have been played for cheap laughs.
Overall the world Illona Andrews built is super cool and I enjoyed enough of the characters that I'll pick up the next in the series eventually. Pair it with a canned cocktail with a beautiful label. Both will make you feel a little hungover if you consume it too fast, but you know you’re going to because its just so fun. And the beautiful label is just to make up for the terrible cover art. (I’m sorry. I know its a style. I hate it.)
One of my go-to canned cocktails is the Miss Collins from Abbott & Wallace, a local Longmont, Colorado distillery. Its big so I don’t drink them often, but I love them as a treat! Its a carbonated gin base blended with lemon, lavender, and sage. Yum!
