The Edge of Reason

by Melinda M. Snodgrass

Book Overview

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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0765315165
• ISBN13: 9780765315168
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Length: 381 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.8" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

The Unreason Plague

The Edge of Reason (2008) is the first Fantasy novel in the Edge series. It is set in contemporary Albuquerque, New Mexico. There magic wars with reason. In this novel, Richard Oort is a scion of a rich and influential family. Now he is an Albuquerque beat cop. He had been a student of music and then worked for an investment company. Something happened to him and he left home to become a policeman. Rhiana Davinovitch is a physics student at the University of New Mexico. She has discovered that she is also a sorceress. Kenntnis is the owner of Lumina, a large firm in Albuquerque. He is a coldly rational person. Cross is an alien from another dimension. He contains the splinters of many personas, some very destructive. Damon Weber is a Lieutenant in the Albuquerque Police Department. In this story, Rhiana is running from something that is chasing her. She has been running for seventeen miles and is getting exhausted. But the things chasing her do not tire. Richard is following a line of blackouts in his car. The power company is not aware of any disruption of electricity. Yet he is sitting in an area that has no power. Even his headlights are fading and the car engine dies. Richard gets out of the car with his flashlight and looks around. Then his flashlight beam starts fading. Just before it dies away, Richard finds Rhiana. Three things surround Rhiana. Richard draws his pistol and tells them to freeze. When they ignore him, Richard fires a shot into the air. One of them comes toward Richard. He notices that it is not human. He fires two shots into its body. The first one is underpowered and the second misfires. Richard immediate discards his pistol. Rhiana takes out a penny and murmurs some words over it. It starts glowing and spinning. She bats it toward one of the monsters and it catches fire and then shatters. Richard manages to break a window with his nightstick and they climb into an office. The monsters follow them inside. Penny activates another penny and guides it toward a monster. It catches on fire, but the sprinkler system puts out the flames. Richard notices that the water has dissolved part of the monster. He breaks the glass and takes out the emergency firehose. High pressure water soon dissolves the other two monsters. Then a street person sticks his head in the window and surveys the situation. He looks at both Richard and Rhiana and then tells her to stick with Richard. Sirens converge on the building and Cross flees the scene. After lying royally, Richard manages to calm down Lieutenant Weber. When the lieutenant offers to have one of the cops drive Rhiana home, she asks if Richard can take her. They both go to his apartment. She sleeps on the bed and he sleeps on the couch. The next day, Richard is told to report to Kenntnis at the Lumina office. There Richard learns that religions are a scam by aliens like Cross. They feed off emotions, particularly negative ones. They have b

Awesome book that you will HAVE to read in one sitting!

This is one well written, engaging book! Completely messed up my weekend because I couldn't do the honey-dos until I finished it. The book hooks you on the first page (you hear that alot but it is rare that it actually happens; this is one of those rare times) and you will be midway through the story before you look up again. I _rarely_ give anything five stars, so when I do it is because I honestly feel it is deserved. Having said that, I feel I have to respond to a few of the commenters that gave it one star. The main complaint seems to be that the protaganist is "good-looking". Two thoughts on that complaint: 1. the protaganist is 5'4". 2. get over one small detail. So he doesn't have a wart on the end of his nose (moley, moley, moley) and isn't cross-eyed... How about the plot? How does the story progression suit you? This is a GREAT book and I will be anxiously looking for a sequel (the ending is open to a sequel). My advice: If you like an intelligent plot that challenges conventional thinking, read this book.

Wow!

I read a lot and most books are only good. This book is excellent and I can't wait for the next one. Many things are left to be resolved! Not since The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss have I read anything of this quality.

Hope this is Vol I

I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Always have. It has been years since I picked up a book I couldn't put down. I read this in two evenings. It has everything: conspiracy, fantasy, magic, science, monsters, twists, cops, robbers, etc. It is very well written with good detailed descriptions that are not long enough to become "page fillers". It is not exactly correct to call it a story of good vs evil but it is not incorrect either. It is "good" vs "evil" with a twist. It has no ending. It just quits. Leaving the world hanging from the edge of a cliff clawing desperately to keep from falling. It makes the reader scream for Volume II. I hope to see it soon.

terrific action-packed apocalypse thriller

Former concert pianist but now Albuquerque police officer Richard Oort may be stunned by what he sees, but he reacts. Naked strange beings, obviously not human though what they are Robert is not sure of, chase after a young girl. His efforts to rescue a sorceress are noticed by affluent Kenntnis, who thinks he may have finally found the perfect warrior in his eternal war with the Old Ones. Richard learns just who recruited him as Kenntnis has been called the Serpent and Lucifer amongst other derogatory names. The cop also finds out that the Old Ones encourage human religions as they feed on the emotional frenzy and suffering of diehard believers. Kenntnis and his Lumina supporters insist they want free will for mankind while their opponents need human dependency. As his mother commits suicide, Richard with no time to grieve, has doubts that he is fighting for the good guys as he has been indoctrinated throughout his life that Lucifer is the tricky devil while his new commander in chief insists the opponents won the propaganda war. This is a terrific action-packed apocalypse thriller that will have the audience pondering the roles in society of organized religion, formal education, Lovecraftian mythos, and the Albuquerque Police Department. The story line is fast-paced yet readers will empathize with the beleaguered human hero as he struggles with comprehending a supernatural war that has gone on from the moment Eve seduced Adam into taking a bite and has spilled onto the streets of his hometown. His dealings with the stick man and associates, a homeless bum who happens to be a God (the RFK theory of the deity comes to mind) and a new Dark Age driven by the Old Ones but supported by human fundamentalists who see power in the golden rule of those with the gold make the rule are fascinating to watch. Melinda Snodgrass provides a strong thriller that will send her readers over THE EDGE OF REASON. Harriet Klausner