The Edge of Ruin: Science vs superstition, round two

The Edge of Ruin by Melinda Snodgrass

The Edge of Ruin (2010) is a direct sequel to The Edge of Reason, an excellent present-day fantasy novel by Melinda Snodgrass in which Chtulhu-esque beings use religion to generate emotions like fear and anger, enabling them to enter our dimension. It’s an unusual and original concept that led to a fascinating novel.

Unfortunately The Edge of Ruin is not quite as strong as the first novel in the EDGE series. At the start of the novel, things are in extreme disarray: Lumina’s leader, Kenntnis, is incapicated; Richard Oort, the cop-turned-paladin-of-reason, is trying to get a handle on both the Lumina enterprise and his family; and worst of all, the invading Chtulhu beings have established a beachhead in our dimension, making it all the more urgent for Richard & co. to get organized.

The “& co.” part is important: this novel has a larger cast of characters than the first novel, and switches viewpoints very frequently, from returning characters such as Richard (now told in the first person), Rhiana, and Mark Grenier (who, in the most jarring change since the first novel, is now on Lumina’s side), to new ones like scientist Eddie Tanaka and Lumina COO Dagmar Reitlingen. The frequent changes in POV are a bit jarring as the chapters are very short: there are 50 chapters, plus a prologue and a coda, for only about 380 pages. In addition, not every character is as interesting as Richard and Rhiana, and as a result, The Edge of Ruin never gripped me like The Edge of Reason did.

The dialogue at times is a bit too pat (e.g. about Rhiana: “She’s finding that life in Monsterville isn’t as wonderful as she expected.”), and the novel occasionally takes on the tone of an action movie… which it probably would have been if seen entirely from the eyes of Eddie Tanaka, the scientist who evades slaughter by escaping on a tramp steamer. The ending is a bit chaotic, and the resolution downright bizarre, but it does set up an interesting starting point for the next novel in the EDGE series.

All in all, if you enjoyed The Edge of Reason, I still suggest picking up The Edge of Ruin. It’s not quite as impressive as the first novel, but if, like me, you were hooked by the start of the story, I’m sure you’ll want to know how it continues. It’s not an ideal sequel, but Richard Oort is still a fascinating protagonist, the concept for the novel is still quite original, and I’m still eager to see where Melinda Snodgrass will take the story in the next novel.