The Brink of Darkness (Edge of Everything Series #2)

by Jeff Giles

Overview

"A dark, twisted thrill ride that is also a funny, warm-hearted romance . . . I adore it." —Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Muse of Nightmares

In this sequel to the cinematic, romantic fantasy The Edge of Everything, star-crossed X and Zoe must overcome the boundaries of their two worlds in order to find their way back to each other.

Things have changed for seventeen-year-old Zoe ever since the otherworldly events that brought her together with the mysterious bounty hunter she calls X. In order to save Zoe and her family, X has done the unthinkable—he's given up his freedom and returned to captivity in the Lowlands.

X is determined to break the lords' hold on him once and for all, but being stripped of his power pushes him toward a darkness he's never experienced and a past he's never known. The secrets that surface could be the key to reuniting X and Zoe . . . or they could mean the destruction of everything they have been fighting for.

Gripping and full of heart, this epic continuation of Jeff Giles' series will bring readers right to the edge of everything.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619637573
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/09/2019
Series:	Edge of Everything Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	372,393
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	HL660L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jeff Giles is the author of The Edge of Everything and it sequel The Brink of Darkness. He grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts. He's been the deputy managing editor of Entertainment Weekly and has written for Rolling Stone and The New York Times Books Review. He also coauthored The Terrorist's Son, a nonfiction book that won an Alex Award from the American Library Association and has since been translated into more than a dozen languages. While reporting on the Lord of the Rings movies for Newsweek, Jeff was invited to be an extra in The Return of the King. He played a Rohan soldier, and—because he didn't have a beard or mustache—they glued yak hair to his face. Jeff lives with his family in Montana.

@MrJeffGiles

Editorial Reviews

You know how you were just wishing for a dark, thrilling bounty hunter romance set in Hell? Well, here you go. The Brink of Darkness is a dark, twisted thrill ride that is also a funny, warm-hearted romance . . . and a beautiful tribute to friendship and family. I adore it.” —Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of STRANGE THE DREAMER and MUSE OF NIGHTMARES

“Prepare to be obsessed . . . A wild, gripping fantasy about how only love can lead you out of the dark. Zoe and X will break your heart ten times before it's over, but their story glitters with humor and hope.” —Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of STEALING SNOW and the Dorothy Must Die series

“Made me laugh, cry and kept me turning pages way past my bedtime. This series is a must-read for fantasy fans everywhere.” —Susan Dennard, New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series

“A thrilling edge-of-your-seat fantasy—Jeff Giles gives readers an unforgettable finale to his brilliant series.” —Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and author of BROKEN BEAUTIFUL HEARTS

“Some lovely meditative thoughts on the nature of parenting and friendship, and a heartwarming and thoroughly romantic happy ending.” —Booklist

“This heartrending love story fits right in the paranormal fiction and romance genres that center on the devotion and sacrifice of true love.” —School Library Journal

“Praise for The Edge of Everything” —.

“A sharp fantasy thriller, and a dark one at that.” —People

“An intriguing start to a new series.” —Entertainment Weekly

“Thrilling.” —Buzzfeed

“A lot of fun.” —The New York Times Book Review

“With imagination and verve, Giles delivers the goods required by the genre.” —Time

“[An] amazingly crafted novel.” —USA Today

“Smartly written fantasy with depth.” —New York Magazine

“A gorgeous, unearthly ride.” —starred review, Shelf Awareness

“Sharp, dark, thoughtful and romantic.” —Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series

“Gripping. Utterly original. Beautifully written.” —Peter Jackson, Oscar-winning director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies

“A fresh and addictive read.” —Kami Garcia, #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES and author of THE LOVELY RECKLESS

“A dark and suspenseful supernatural thriller that kept me up all night.” —Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE ISLE OF THE LOST

“A rich and satisfying read on multiple levels.” —Booklist

“Reads like a blend of J.R.R. Tolkien's “The Lord of the Rings” and modern-day horror, such as Stranger Things.” —School Library Journal

“An intriguing story that leaves the door open for future books.” —Publishers Weekly

“Readers are advised to dive in now and revel in the star-crossed-lovers glory of it all.” —BCCB

“Fantastical in nature, this story will keep readers interested until the very end.” —School Library Connection

“A wholly-engrossing page-turner.” —VOYA

From the Publisher

05/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—X and Zoe's love story continues but not without further pain and heartbreak. X tries to find a way out of the dreaded lowlands, a task that will put him in search of his true mother. The lord, Dervish, will do anything in his power to keep X right where he is. Giles's focus is on X this time, his story, who he really is, and how he will make his was back to Zoe. Zoe still has her own demons to reckon with and will never stop fighting for X. The pacing starts off slow as the opening chapters wrap up some of the events from the first book. This heartrending love story fits right in the paranormal fiction and romance genres that center on the devotion and sarcifice of true love. VERDICT Purchase where books by Meg Cabot, Maureen Johnson, and A.G. Howard are popular.—Kayla Casiello, Woods Memorial Library, Barre, MA

School Library Journal

2018-04-03
Love-struck teens go to hell and back in this sequel.After some cursory interactions with her clichéd friends (an angry lesbian and goofy white rapper) and remaining family (her unnamed, weary, now-single mother and oddly toddlerlike 8-year-old brother), Zoe Bissell eagerly trades her humdrum small-town Montana life for more whirlwind romance with 20-year-old brooding, soul-stealing bounty hunter X. Adorkable white teen Zoe undertakes some research then literally plunges into the underworld in pursuit of X. Meanwhile, X—the only living and innocent person in the purgatorial Lowlands—seeks his long-missing mother. X's MacGuffin-laden quest drags readers across a repulsively and randomly violent Dante's Inferno rip-off world with all the internal (il)logic and randomly shirtless men of an Old Spice commercial. Secondary characters present as homicidal trading card stats, stereotypes spouting cringeworthy dialogue: the fat, placid, Asian Buddhist; the Cold-War-cartoon "Russian" (who is actually Ukrainian); and the antagonist whose villainy is indicated by inappropriate use of all-caps. Even inexplicably infatuated lovers X and Zoe suffer from cliché, with X's oddly formal speech and Zoe's babbling and klutziness. Serious issues like mental illness, domestic violence, and abuse are raised, ham-handedly used to humanize the damned Lowlanders, and then roughly dismissed. The story crams together clichéd YA trends without appreciation for craft, substance, or sympathetic characters.Fervent fans may be satisfied, but newcomers should be steered to better options (or wait for the inevitable movie). (Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More