The Edge of Reason
ISBN: 9780765376084
Description
Since the dawn of consciousness, a secret war has been fought between the forces of magic and religious fanaticism and the cause of reason, understanding, and technology. On one side are the Old Ones, malign entities that feed on the suffering of mankind. On the other are the Lumina, an ancient order dedicated to the liberation of the human spirit.
Officer Richard Oort of the Albuquerque Police Department is caught in the middle of this primal battle when he rescues a mysterious teenage girl from a trio of inhuman hunters. Recruited by the Lumina to serve as their latest paladin, Richard fights beside a handful of unlikely allies, including an adolescent sorceress, an enigmatic philanthropist, a sexy coroner, and a homeless god with multiple personalities.
Reviewed on 16th April 2020
I knew of Melinda Snodgrass from her work on Star Trek, and have previously read a short story by her in the Dangerous Women anthology which I enjoyed. So when I saw her trilogy on the shelf of the bookshop I picked it up - this is the first novel. It’s the story of good vs evil in the form of an unlikely police officer in suburban america.
I wasn’t massively hooked - the story felt fairly familiar in some respects to other urban fantasies, but I struggled to understand some of the character motivations, and didn’t really engage with how they chose which side to be on in the epic cosmic battle - it felt like there lacked evidence of which side was good and which was bad.
Really I was a bit disappointed - I was anticipating something I’d feel more engaged with, and instead I struggled with reading past some of the diversity issues addressed, and so I don’t feel much like continuing reading the series - I’ll be surprised if I pick up book two before finishing a lot of other books from my reading list.