Richard St. Vir is young, smart and handsome. He is a cold-blooded killer who carries out “orders” from the City’s aristocrats for money. He is an experienced swordsman, a swordsman from God, who has never known defeat in his life. He is an outlaw, but without his participation society is unable to maintain the rule of law. Richard has his own code of honor, which he strictly adheres to. He never takes sides, keeps the name of the customer strictly secret and reserves the right to refuse a “case” that he does not like. Therefore, when one of the nobles, Lord Horn, encroaches on the most sacred things in order to force Richard to carry out the “order,” Saint Vir is furious. The unfolding tragedy strikes with the intensity of passions.

“At the Edge of the Blade” begins with a drop of blood spilled on a field of freshly fallen snow. This image remained forever in my imagination after I first opened this book. I close my eyes and I can still see him. This novel has a stunning start and gets better with every page.George R.R. Martin

Witty, detail-oriented, full of interesting characters and gripping dialogue, this novel is a real delight for the reader.Charming, gripping and an ironically provocative novel. Peter Beagle

A sparkling diamond... witty, mischievous, entertaining, beautifully written and simply unique. Joan Vinge

Exquisite, talented and extremely enjoyable novel. Samuel Delany< /p>

A truly multifaceted work. It simultaneously awakens in the reader memories of the witty novels of Georgette Heyer and the hidden fogs, dangerous streets of Lankhmar Fritz Leiber. A clearly structured plot, psychologically convincing portraits of characters - all this allows us to talk about Ellen Kashner as a writer with her own, unique style of writing. Guy Gavriel Kay

A magnificent work. A hooligan and witty novel that instantly draws the reader into its net. Jean Wolf

Ellen Kashner writes like an angel... clear, poetically structured prose and an intensified sense of tragic reality. It's been a long time since I read such a good book. Algis Budris

To all lovers of Dumas, Dickens characters and witty dialogues. If you are even slightly interested in the play of sharp blades and equally sharp tongues, then “On the Edge of the Blade” is your book. Charles de Lint

Kashner leads reader through the story with such a clear, powerful writing style that he begins to trust her completely - and she does not let him down. Very few writers deserve such trust. Kashner perfectly imagines the world she created and its characters, has an excellent command of language and composition, so the plot never falters. Orson Scott Card

A smart, funny and dramatic novel. Publishers Weekly

Brilliant, bold performance, fun from start to finish.LOCUS

A witty, compelling, original story as if written by the duo of Jane Austen and M. John Harrison... an almost flawless debut.Interzone