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Edge of Oblivion
Автор: J. T. Geissinger
Текст читает Angela Dawe
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2013 RITA® Finalist for Best Paranormal Romance
A sensual, page-turning read that brings together two unlikely lovers in an explosive world of danger, beauty and supernatural forces.
There exists a world beyond our own. It is a world of ancient magic and well-guarded secrets, of strict laws and harsh punishments for those who betray them, inhabited by the Ikati, a race of gifted people with unimaginable powers. It is here where two people with dark pasts meet.
Morgan is beautiful, smart, sexy…and about to die. Convicted of treason against her shape-shifting kin, she is given one last chance at redemption; discover the hidden lair of the enemy intent on destroying every one of her kind, or forfeit her life.
Xander is ruthless, heartless, cold-blooded…and assigned to kill her if she fails in her task. Expecting to feel nothing but contempt for the traitor under his watch, the assassin accompanies Morgan on her search, but as the two race through the heart of Italy while the clock winds down to zero hour, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous web of desire as powerful as it is forbidden. Their passion will test everything they believe in, and endanger the future of the tribe itself.
Sensual, edgy, and action-packed, Edge of Oblivion is a must-read for lovers of dark paranormal romance in the vein of Laurell K. Hamilton and J.R Ward.
Активность, связанная с книгой
Начать прослушиваниеСведения о книге
Edge of Oblivion
Автор: J. T. Geissinger
Текст читает Angela Dawe
Описание
2013 RITA® Finalist for Best Paranormal Romance
A sensual, page-turning read that brings together two unlikely lovers in an explosive world of danger, beauty and supernatural forces.
There exists a world beyond our own. It is a world of ancient magic and well-guarded secrets, of strict laws and harsh punishments for those who betray them, inhabited by the Ikati, a race of gifted people with unimaginable powers. It is here where two people with dark pasts meet.
Morgan is beautiful, smart, sexy…and about to die. Convicted of treason against her shape-shifting kin, she is given one last chance at redemption; discover the hidden lair of the enemy intent on destroying every one of her kind, or forfeit her life.
Xander is ruthless, heartless, cold-blooded…and assigned to kill her if she fails in her task. Expecting to feel nothing but contempt for the traitor under his watch, the assassin accompanies Morgan on her search, but as the two race through the heart of Italy while the clock winds down to zero hour, he finds himself drawn into a dangerous web of desire as powerful as it is forbidden. Their passion will test everything they believe in, and endanger the future of the tribe itself.
Sensual, edgy, and action-packed, Edge of Oblivion is a must-read for lovers of dark paranormal romance in the vein of Laurell K. Hamilton and J.R Ward.
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A very dark & morose story with a couple love interests thrown in for good measure. This story has some fight scenes and some characters die. Good character, storyline, & plot development.
Rating: 4A very dark & morose story with a couple love interests thrown in for good measure. This story has some fight scenes and some characters die. Good character, storyline, & plot development.
Rating: 4I didn’t like this book so well. The storyline never grabbed me.
Rating: 3There's plenty of suspense, given it starts off with the heroine being sentenced to death for betraying her people--a sentence the hero is meant to carry out, if she isn't able to use the grace period she's been provided to uncover the secret enemy who intends to destroy them all.This is a very sensuous book--not just in the obvious sense of its steaming sexuality, although there was that, too, but in the sumptuous descriptions of Rome--and it's food (I love it when heroines indulge themselves, and the scene where Morgan has a run for freedom that incorporates going for gelato won my heart over) as the characters explore the city in search for a hidden society that intends to destroy their hidden civilization of shapeshifers. Specifically, these are cat/panther shifters, not werewolves, although similar dynamics seem to prevail--by which I mean, Alpha Male syndrome rears its needy head. I'm not a fan of these particular sorts of dominance dynamics and likely I never will be. Especially when it's Alpha Male syndrome. The women in this story do stand up for themselves--sometimes.SPOILER for the climax: there is a test for female characters, the "sexy lamp test," which poses the question: Would an attractive lamp have fulfilled the same purpose as the character in this scene? The climax strongly fails the sexy chained-up lamp test. While the heroine gets the chance to exert her genuinely cool shapeshifting and mind-control powers at other points in the story, at the climax she just dangles there. I kept waiting for her to break free and unleash holy hell and...she didn't. That was a strong strike against this book for me.The hero of this story, for all he's got the dominant vibes, has a crushing backstory as a trained assassin that made me want to get him a warm blanket and hot soup. He has a support structure of sorts from his friends--and then terrible things happen to some of those friends. The heroine, Morgan, has a twisted past based in her rebellion against the genuinely oppressive 'shifter society, obsessed with its own safety to the point of crushing individual freedoms. Secondary characters are well-developed, at least one couple because they're being prepared for starring role in the concluding book of this trilogy. But, despite that and despite a moderately interesting revelation about the villain-behind-the-villain, I don't think I'll read on. Delicious as the description is, and sympathetic as the character's hopes and dreams (as they're caught up in) when it's gilding on some extremely tired gender dynamics I just can't be that engaged. If this was the historical I at first thought it was I might at least excuse it on grounds of time period accuracy. Might. But, no, I really wouldn't have; I'm picky like that, wanting female characters to have agency and male characters to not be domineering assholes (the hero of this story was both, but not at the same time, I'll give him that; and the assholedom is something he's been pushed into and is actively trying to change from. The villain was both at the same time and so gross because of it that I had trouble reading about him, and that makes me only more disappointed that Morgan wasn't able to whup his sorry ass to the curb during the climax).I haven't yet been converted to paranormal romance. For those of you who are into it, and who don't mind the gender dynamics so much (given how much of this sells like hotcakes I'm clearly more sensitive to it than many), would probably enjoy the travelogue of Rome, the sizzling emotional and sexual tension between the protagonists, and the genuinely sympathetic side characters.A longer version of this review appears at Story Addict .
Rating: 34.2 stars. I sure wish they had a 5 star "I love it" & then a special 6th for "It was amazing".
Love the tension b/w these 2 characters. Quite the conundrum to be falling for someone you're supposed to kill.
I enjoyed the new twists on the overriding plotline of the Ikati world.
Looking forward to book 3.
Rating: 4Love the tension b/w these 2 characters. Quite the conundrum to be falling for someone you're supposed to kill.
I enjoyed the new twists on the overriding plotline of the Ikati world.
Looking forward to book 3.
Fans of the paranormal and shifters in particular will enjoy this exciting story that combines danger and romance. Morgan has been sentenced to death for actions she took that endangered her secretive Ikati colony. Her one chance to save her life requires her to go to Rome and locate the Expurgari who are her tribes ancient enemies.Morgan doesn't travel alone though. Accompanying her is Xander Luna who is one of a small number of assassins who act as the Ikati's enforcers. If she doesn't find the Expurgari in fourteen days, Xander will kill her. Almost as soon as they get to Rome they find what they think is a feral Ikati but soon learn that he is the head of a secret hidden colony based in the catacombs under the Vatican.Between falling in love as possibly the most star-crossed lovers ever and trying to find the colony of Ikati, Xander and Morgan are kept very busy. We learn much about the barbaric and brutal lives of the Ikati and the role of women in the culture as we see Morgan struggling to live free or die and see Eliana who is a princess of the hidden Ikati but who has never been allowed to leave the catacombs. I couldn't help but contrast this title with some of the other books about shifters I have read. This one is definitely more violent and more restrictive. The draconian methods used to keep the Ikati colonies hidden were brutal and unforgiving. I recommend this one and the first book in the series - Shadow's Edge - to fans of darker paranormals.
Rating: 4Morgan is about to die but Jenna cant let that happen so she sends her on a mission with Xander as her keeper. Morgan is a firecracker who doesn't give up so its no surprise that she will do anything to complete her mission and stay alive. Xander is an assassin and is willing to take care of Morgan if she doesn't complete her task. Of course neither of them imagined that they would fall for each other in the process.I don't think any fans of the series will be disappointing with EDGE OF OBLIVION. I was really sad when I started reading and realized that EDGE OF OBLIVION wasn't about Leander and Jenna, I was really hoping we could continue to follow their story some more. Thankfully Morgan and Xander proved to be great of characters to follow as well. The story takes place in Rome and I loved the way J.T. integrated some famous sites into the plot and the detail was great. We get a huge amount of information on the Expurgi and we meet a good amount of the power players. Emotions are high as Morgan and Xander start having feelings for each other. Xander is there to kill Morgan if she fails and Morgan accepts that but they don't like it and fight their attraction for quite a while. I do still hope we get to revisit Jenna and Leander again but I'm glad that J.T.s other characters are living up to them and I'm looking forward to jumping into what happens next in the Night Prowler world.
Rating: 4Shape-shifter Morgan Montgomery has been convicted of treason that comes with a penalty of death. Just before sentencing is announced, Queen Jenna gives her one last chance to redeem herself. Find her way into Expurgari (the Ikati's enemy) and kill them all. If she fails in this mission death awaits her. Morgan is sent on her way, but not alone. The very dangerous and very delectable Xander will be traveling with her. The temptation for the both of them will be great.Edge of Oblivion was a good read. But it was quite different compared to the other shape-shifter stories I've read. To me the story felt more fantasy than paranormal. Ms. Geissinger does an amazing job with including rich detail. Morgan and Xander were the shining stars of the story even more than the mission. I enjoyed them quite a bit. Going into this book I didn't know much of the world and felt a bit lost because I hadn't read the first book, Shadow's Edge. If you have interest in reading this series, I highly recommend starting with book one.
Rating: 3Reviewed by: MariaBook provided by: PublisherReview originally posted at Romancing the BookSo. A paranormal romance, Xander and Morgan’s story. Unlike other paranormals I’ve read, both of the pair are superhuman beings, not just one or the other (when I’ve read paranormal romances before, it was always the male who was supernatural).Well, I’m not a huge reader of paranormals, but I like to read one every now and then, and this one was good. None of your werewolves or vampires, this pair belong to a tribe called the Ikati, a tribe of shifters who have coexisted uneasily with humankind through the ages. They’ve survived primarily because of their close bonds and secrecy. The trouble is, anyone who violates the rules is dealt with swiftly and harshly. On the brink of a brutal and humiliating execution, Morgan gets an unexpected reprieve. She has to go to Rome to hunt down the Expurgari, the enemies of the Ikati. She’s accompanied by an assassin, Xander and he is the nearest thing to a machine I’ve ever read about. Hard as iron and just as unfeeling. Should Morgan fail in her mission, she is to be swiftly eliminated, without mercy.I must say, this Morgan is quite an irresistible character. She practically dances off the page, in her high heeled shoes and her revealing ensembles. She mercilessly teases Xander with her unique pack of paranormal gifts. It isn’t long before the formidable Xander starts melting, but we are given to understand that this is not his usual style. Morgan, you see, is unique. Her life may be in danger from you, but she’ll defy you to the end and tell you to go to hell if you piss her off. You get the picture? Somehow, she manages to pull it off.Morgan’s mission to find the Expurgari is accomplished in the most surprising and unexpected ways. Along the way, she discovers an unknown colony of Ikati, living in one of the holiest shrines of the Christian world. Xander may be hard boiled, but he’s not evil, having survived horrific abuse as a child. The evil characters in this tale would give your nightmares nightmares, with ghoulish hints of bondage, torture and terror. Only hints, mind you, but heck, it’s enough! This writer was skilful enough to credibly reproduce the roughhousing banter of male company, extremely hard boiled male company. I didn’t hear the voice of a woman in that narrative and was quite surprised to learn that the author was female, as the name doesn’t give the gender away.As Morgan and Xander come to know each other and their unique personalities better and better, time grows short and the heat is on. Morgan proves her loyalty and Xander comes to realize, even as he grows to care, that she is not the traitor she’s supposed to be. But as danger closes in around Morgan. As she edges towards the catacombs of Rome, will Xander be able to reach her on time and will he be able to save her? And will he save her to have to kill her ultimately? That’s the hook that will have the reader turning the pages.There are love scenes, pretty hot at that, but nothing slows down the pace of this novel. And the author has left me with a lasting impression, which none other has ever done. She’s turned the Vatican into a veritable house of horrors. I, a lifelong paid up member of the church, saw this place as the center of the Christian universe. That’s all changed now. Why, it’s a mausoleum, a two thousand year old tomb, full of rotting bones and corruption. Why didn’t that ever strike me before?Favorite Quote:‘ The door swung farther open, and suddenly there came a sound that stood all the tiny hairs on the back of his neck straight on end.A low, rumbling growl, from a back corner of the cell, a corner so black he couldn’t fathom it. Rich and spine chilling, with an unmistakable tone of warning, it was a sound he’d recognize anywhere. Then out of the blackness, a glow appeared, two almond shaped points of hot, burning green.A pair of eyes, beautiful and predatory, fixed on her.
Rating: 4Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy.allthingsuf.comTransformed from villain to heroine, EDGE OF OBLIVION makes Morgan’s story just as awesome as I could have hoped. Choked under a restrictive, patriarchal rule her whole life, it was not hard to empathize with Morgan’s efforts to break free. EDGE OF OBLIVION offers her the barest hope of redemption, and is my favorite Night Prowler book to date.Building off the world established in SHADOW’S EDGE, EDGE OF OBLIVION starts on the opposite end of the romantic scale. Where Jenna is born with once in a lifetime abilities that allow her to rise above stifling Ikati society, Morgan has had to fight this patriarchy her entire life. There is no genetic happy ending for Morgan, which makes her all the more compelling as a heroine. Xander is a bit of a cypher, but I enjoyed the conflicted dynamic between him and Morgan. Of course, as much as I enjoyed these characters, the mechanics of the Night Prowler world still doesn’t quite work for me. The concept of Bonding for life is right along side a polygamous society where Alphas have harems, but the actual mechanism of the Bond never became clear. The succession to Alpha is muddy as well, as sometimes the most powerful male ascends, and other times it’s solely by bloodline. These nuances impact the romantic happily-ever-after side of the story, which means these ambiguities detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.EDGE OF OBLIVION gave me everything I wanted for Morgan’s story, in so far as remaining true to her personality and character from book one. I have high hopes for how Ikati society is going to continue to change and develop in future books, though the presumptive hero and heroine for book three don’t have me as fired up as Morgan did. Fans of SHADOW’S EDGE will love EDGE OF OBLIVION even more, as it has that wonderful old school flavor mixed in with a heroine who breaks all the rules.Sexual Content: References to rape, sex scenes.
Rating: 3The previous book in this series, Shadow’s Edge was an introduction into the world of the Ikati and had a new mythology I was very eager to learn more about. We knew some things about this groups past, but there are still some holes that need to be filled in and J.T. gave us some of that in the prologue for Edge of Oblivion. It gave us some great insight into why the Ikati have become who they are today and why they have chosen a life of secrecy.In Edge of Oblivon, we are following Morgan after she has been found guilty of being a traitor. She gave information about her people to their enemy and put many lives in jeopardy. While that may not sound like a heroine you can root for, here is a quote of Morgan remembering a day from her childhood when she saw the cruelty of her tribe.“She’d been there the long-ago day his mother had dropped his newborn sister-tiny, puling, and deformed- into the yawning black mouth of the Drowning Well, then turned and walked away without even shedding a tear. Waist high and frightened among the somber, gathered adults, Morgan had clutched her father’s hand and felt terrified and proud there was nothing wrong with her, no deformity or weakness that would compel the tribe to shun her, compel her own mother to make a trip to this unholy place or risk death for all her other children and herself.”As you can see, her tribe shows no mercy and on top of that they have very strict rules they enforce on the women of the tribe. Which is why Morgan has become the person she is today. She grew up in a world where her life has been dictated for her and she had very few choices of her own. Her motto is “live free or die” which is how she has ended up in the situation she is now. The enemy promised her freedom in exchange for information and that is the one thing she craves over all else. I admired her courage and determination to have a life that was her own. Her people, however, are not so impressed and have decreed that she needs to find the lair of the Expurgari to destroy them once and for all to gain her freedom or she will return and be executed. While on this journey she is accompanied by the man that is to be her executer, Xander. He is just as determined as Morgan to live his own life. He has a tortured past that haunts him and has turned him into a killer with seemingly no remorse. The two of them have an instant attraction to one another, but the situation they find themselves in keeps either one from acting on it.The emotional tension between these two burned white hot for the entire book, but the physical side was a slower build. They had too many issues they had to work through and neither believes there is a happy ending in their future. They are both struggling with thinking they even deserve to be happy. This inner turmoil made Edge of Oblivion such an emotional journey for both characters. Morgan says to Xander:“We both know how to live broken. But the past is just that. Past. And the future is out of our hands. Neither one has a place here with us now. Let it all go and just be with me.”The city of Rome was an amazing backdrop for the plot in Edge of Oblivion. It was almost like another character with all the vivid descriptions J.T. painted for us and the locations within it that played pivotal roles in the plot. I have not been to Rome myself, but I felt like I was transported there for the duration of this novel and could clearly see all of the places Morgan and Xander visited.While the book does focus on Morgan and Xander, we do get a couple other characters points of view. We briefly visit with Leander and Jenna at the beginning of the novel with Morgan’s sentencing, but that is the only time we see familiar faces. I was not sure I was going to like being taken away from what I already knew, but I ended up enjoying meeting new characters, especially the Ikati that live in Rome. They were a big surprise in terms of how they thought and the role they ended up playing in Morgan’s story. I am not sure if the next book will involve them or not, but I will be interested to see where everyone ends up after the ending in this book.Overall, Edge of Oblivion was a great addition to this series! It was an emotional ride, but I loved watching Morgan and Xander learn how to love and trust one another. Edge of Oblivion is a great paranormal romance read and I cannot wait to see what J.T. will bring us in the future.
Rating: 5