Fiery Edge of Steel
Author: Jill Archer
Series: Noon Onyx 2
Publisher: Ace, May 28, 2012
Format: Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages
List Price: $7.99 (print)
ISBN: 9780425257166 (print)
Review Copy: Provided by the Publisher
Lucifer and his army triumphed at Armageddon, leaving humans and demons living in uncertain peace based on sacrifice and strict laws. It is up to those with mixed demon and human blood, the Host, to prevent society from falling into anarchy.
Noon Onyx is the first female Host in memory to wield the destructive waning magic that is used to maintain order among the demons. Her unique abilities, paired with a lack of control and reluctance to kill, have branded her as an outsider from her peers. Only her powerful lover, Ari Carmine, and a roguish and mysterious Angel, Rafe Sinclair, support her unconventional ways.
When Noon is shipped off to a remote outpost to investigate several unusual disappearances, a task which will most likely involve trying and killing the patron demon of that area, it seems Luck is not on her side. But when the outpost settlers claim that an ancient and evil foe has stepped out of legend to commit the crimes, Noon realizes that she could be facing something much worse than she ever imagined…
Nouiomo Onyx and her brother Nocturo are unique personages among the denizens of Halja, the post apocalyptic country in which Lucifer and his army rose victorious against the Savior and his angels almost two thousand years ago. In this world of demons and angels who live among humans it is up to the Host, humans whose bloodlines are mixed with demon-kind, to prevent total chaos by upholding and enforcing the strict laws of the land. The Host possess magical abilities. The females are born with waxing magic, or powers to create and heal. The males are born with waning magic; the power to destroy and to control Demons. Noon and her twin brother, Night, were born an anomaly. She is the only known female to possess the destructive waning magic and her brother the only male to possess waxing. Introduced in Dark Light of Day, the first book in this series, Noon, enrolls in St. Lucifer's Law School while she struggles with her identity as a wielder of waning magic and her feelings for the mysterious Ari Carmine.
*Spoiler alert: If you haven't read book one, but would like to, stop now, before ruining any of the excellent story.
Fiery Edge of Steel picks up with Noon’s second year at St. Lucifer’s. She has accepted what she is, a wielder of waning magic, and she has embraced her feelings for Ari, allowing them to bloom into a satisfying love affair. Noon's next adventure begins as the magistrates at St. Lucifer’s assign her a new case. This time, she may pick an angel from the neighboring Joshua School to accompany her on a journey to the "Shallows" in order to discover the cause of missing villagers. But she is not going alone; Ari is also assigned to travel with her. It is a dangerous mission as the most likely culprit is the "Shallows" patron demon. Upon their arrival, however, the residents insist that their patron demon is not to blame, but something more ancient and evil. A foe that may prove impossible to defeat and may even cost her her relationship and her life.
Trinitytwo's point of view:
Fiery Edge of Steel is the second urban fantasy book in the Noon Onyx Series. The book stands on its own, but I would highly recommend reading Dark Light of Day first to get the most out of the story. Halja's sole female waning magic wielder returns to St. Lucifer’s School of Law (St. Luck's for short) as a Maegestrar in training. She is assigned a new case that takes her and her band of assistants to "The Shallows", an outlying community that is being ravaged by an unknown demon where 17 of its citizens are missing and feared dead. Noon has embraced her unusual magic and has accepted her feelings for Ari, her powerful Host lover and classmate. She is in a good place in her life. I really enjoyed the early banter between Noon and her school friends. Because she has accepted who she is, Noon is able to exhibit her sense of humor and it is so wickedly delicious; I actually laughed out loud. The great quality about Noon is she never feels sorry for herself. In the first book she was dealing with a major life choice, but now that she has accepted who and what she is, she is free to let her heart and soul guide her life decisions. Although continually faced with adversity, she perseveres and meets most challenges head on. The second part of the book was pure adventure. The addition of two new angels with their unique personalities added another layer of interest to this fascinating world. Jill Archer has created a unique civilization, populated with angels, demons, humans, and Host and complicated laws in which they all must obey in order to coexist. Noon is a character that I really like and admire. In fact, in some ways, I wish I were more like her. Fiery Edge of Steel is a fantastic blend of danger, adventure, magic, love, and the quest for truth. I am invested in Noon Onyx; I have come to care for her and worry about her as if she were one of my own. I am looking forward to the release of the third book in the series, White Heart of Justice which will be released spring of 2014.
Thanks, Trinitytwo, for sending me the link to this great review. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the first two books and am eager to share WHITE HEART OF JUSTICE with everyone this spring. (Just turned in revisions yesterday!) Hope Sally and everyone else here at The Qwillery are doing well. Have a great week!
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