3.5/5

I have been eager to read Ledge since I heard about it many months ago so I was super excited to receive an ARC. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book and thought the plot was unique and exciting. I did however find issue with the prose. It seemed as though the author was attempting a flowery writing style but it unfortunately came off as rather stiff. Luckily the pacing was fast and I loved the plot so I was able to look past this.

Humans being trapped on a snowy ledge for the convenience of winged creatures known as the Glacians was a concept I really liked. Once every year, a select few humans are taken from the Ledge by the Glacians for an unknown purpose. This part was predictable in the sense that it was obvious that Dawsyn, our main character, was going to be picked.

I liked Dawsyn and how brave and rebelliousness she was. She isn't one to trust very easily and I enjoyed Ryon's attempts to help her. Their slowburn romance was definitely my favourite aspect of the book.

Overall, whilst Ledge wasn't a flawless book, I really enjoyed it and will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let it be known that I really really wanted to love this book…but it just fell flat.
I was having a hard time keeping interest for a majority of the book. It wasn’t until ~75% on that things started to get interesting. And even then I wasn’t gripped by it.
A couple of issues are me-things, like the awkwardness of third person present tense just wasn’t my favorite, but other things…like the slow pacing and almost drive-less plot felt like a barrier to entry.
There was a cliff hanger…but I don’t think I would continue with the series to find out how it’s resolved because the overall political plot *dragged* in this book and I don’t think I could handle more of it.
If you like winter survivalist stories and a little bit of fantasy thrown in, this may be for you. But know that most of this book felt aimless.

So I will preface this by saying: I had no idea that the author, Stacey, was popular on tiktok (I have seen her videos before) but I had no idea she was writing a book or that this was hers. I was intrigued by the premise of the book and I will say this is really more of a 2.5/5 read for me. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers Angry Robot, and Stacey McEwan for an e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

The protagonist, Dawsyn, and how she lives on this icy Ledge, where winged almost "bat-like" non=humans are stolen away twice a year, and this time Dawsyn's luck finally runs out. She finally finds out what happens to these humans that are stolen away. The book was entertaining and became a page turner once she left the Ledge.

The premise was SO cool and the setting was very atmospheric. and the world-building attempt was there - and I've seen comparisons of this to SJM' but it did not feel fully fleshed out. Like, at all. The only similarity it has with SJM's world-building is that a lot of it was given right at the beginning, as an info dump (similar to Crescent City but to a lesser extent). In the grand scheme of things, I understand that this is Stacey's debut novel and that she will likely improve, but I've seen AO3/fanfiction with better writing (there are some great lines, but overall it was meh), character development, and plot pacing. I will say though, I did like how it was shown Dawsyn didn't know some of the more "normal" things when she was off the ledge. That was a nice tidbit. I liked the LGBTQ representation in the book as well. Overall, I thought this book had a lot of potential, but fell short of it.

Now...lets move ontothe things about this book that bothered me *SPOILERS below*
There was absolutely no explanation as to how Mages existed, how this one was alive if they were supposedly burned to death, and how the mage was conveniently always there to heal the MC. The magic the Glaciers made sense, but human Mages just appeared out of nowhere. I also absolutely hated that Ryon called Dawsyn "girl" even after she expressed she didn't like it. I don't even recall what their age difference is to be honest, but it was weird that even when they were romantically linked he called her that. Immediate ick, and one I suspect many people reading will have. It felt like infantilizing Dawyson. Also, this is really not a true enemies to lovers. It was so quick, it was predictable af that they were going to get together before they even got down the mountain.

Also, Dawysm being a badass was so.....confusing. I know NA/YA is known for the strong female protagonist trope but how was someone half-starved on top of a mountain able to kill these magical beings with no training. Like okay yes, she had axes and knives, and had to provide for herself on top of the mountain, but how does that translate over to killing these mythical beings?? I think more than halfway in the book it states that Briar trained her (which was introduced a little to late in my opinion) but like...how?? How is she strong enough to take on these Glacian beings that are constantly described as huge and muscled and imposing?? It made zero sense.

Also, the plot twists were really obvious (although this may be due to the fact that I like guessing plot twists) but at least it wasn't thrown in as a surprise shock value factor, like the ending had when the Queen said that Ryon came and tried to strike a deal with her about not revealing who Dawsyn is yada yada yada, and then he dies. While I am not surprised by the Queens treachery, the random btw Rayon's come here before about Dawsyn and then murdering him felt so random. Like if Rayon had threatened the Queen about revealing who Dawysn is (heritage wise) and whatnot...why would they willing go to her then?? Like Ryon supposedly planned a rebellion and to overthrow the King Vasteel for 10 years?? but his mastermind plan didn't think how this would backfire? It made literally zero sense except for the fact that I, as the reader, know it is conveniently thrown in there in order to further some plot in the next book.

Last thing - the "pure" oppressors being white and the hybrids having color just..felt kinda weird to me. Like yeah the hybrid Glacians called them brutes but that rubbed me weird as a POC. I do not have the words to describe why it felt weird, although I am guessing they are white bc they like the cold and stuff, it just felt odd.

A big thank you to Stacey McEwan, Angry Robot, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Ledge comes out on September 13, 2022.

The Ledge is a village of people trapped on a mountain encased by a sheer mountain on one side and a vast dangerous chasm on the other. Living there is rough with absolutely no guarantee that you will be alive another day, and if you do survive the exposure, miniscule rations and the other struggling villagers then you have to worry about the start of the new season when you must offer yourself up to possibly be taken by the Glacians. The Glacians are a winged creature that control the mountain, what they do with the humans they grab is a mystery. Dawsyn is a girl who has lived her whole life on The Ledge, she has watched her whole family either die from sickness, or get snatched by the Glacians or fall into the Chasm. She has been able to survive the rough terrain, the men who think because she is alone she is fair game, and every year so far she has avoided being snatched. Her luck changes when she is chosen during this season's culling. When she is given the chance to escape with the help of a half-Glacian, Ryon, will she be able to trust him and herself enough to get herself off the mountain.

I absolutely loved this book, to the point that I couldn't put it down and when the ending happened I was prepared to be thrusted out of the complicated world that Stacey McEwan built. Dawsyn was an amazing main character, she was incredibly fierce, strong and nonsense. Ryon was also pretty great, protective but also believed in Dawsyn being able to protect herself in tough situations. I thought they made a great team, even though they started off as enemies, or at least people that were supposed to be enemies. The world building was wonderful and the kingdom that was developed was complicated and beautiful. I do think that the writing was a little stiff, but considering this is a first novel from a new author I think that can be understood. I am looking forward to how this series progresses and also how Stacey’s writing develops as she continues to write.

I really wanted to love this because I love Stacey on social media. The story in terms of plot was good but I found the actual writing itself to be a bit stiff and formal. Maybe that was the intention, but I found it hard to get into the flow of the story

Wow. This debut novel is INCREDIBLE. The adventure, the drama, the romance... I fell in love with many of the characters, each unique. I couldn't put this one down. Stacey really performed and I cannot wait to continue the series. I will be purchasing the sequel as soon as it is available. WELL DONE.

I am just going to dive right into this review because I just finished it and everything is fresh in my mind.

The world building was great. I felt really immersed while I was reading this book. It was easy to picture what the world looked like and I got a good idea off how the land was laid out. The scenes where Dawsyn was running down the snow covered mountain covered by trees was so well written and extremely easy to picture.

I also really enjoyed the characters. They all had great personalities and there was a diverse cast of characters. I feel like we don't often get such diverse characters like we did in this story. I thought Dawsyn was so well written. Her strength and determination really made the story what it is.

I thought the plot was okay. There were some parts that I thought were a little underdeveloped. When Dawsyn and Ryon get shoved into the pool and nothing really happens to them was strange. Everyone was scared of this pool and it was suppose to suck out their soul but the two main characters went into it and came out of it unharmed? I just thought it was a little weak. BUT the ending was insane, I am definitely hooked and I need to know what happens to Ryon. Please let him live.

Overall, I thought this book was good. I would rate it a 3.5/5 stars. It was super close to 4 stars for me but some the events that happened in the book just didn't hit the marker for me. I will be continuing this series, I am hooked and I am also invested in the characters. Well done!

Side point, this book took me about two months to read because I have it on my kindle app on my phone and I would sneak read it here and there at work when no one was watching. With that being said every time I would pick the story back up I knew exactly where I was in the plot, sometimes when I wasn't reading at work, I was thinking about it. I never got lost or had to reread any pages. I think that says a lot about the authors writing and world building. Its vivid and it was engraved into my memory and not a lot of authors can do that.

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for the eARC!!!! For an honest review. So, here it goes....

Stacey's fantasy debut novel is spectacular!!!! The book follows Dawsyn on a harrowing journey of getting off "The Ledge". On the way she meets Ryon, a half-breed Glacian who strikes up a deal to help her get out of Glacian territory. The pacing was amazing; I never once got bored. Stacey's words were magic. Sheer magic and flowed so beautifully. There is some spice and it was perfect. This fantasy book is an original story, to me at least, and I haven't read any this and it blew my mind!

Dawsyn Sabar (Our FMC)- Is strong (in mind and body), stubborn, morally grey, and an axe wielding human babe from "The Ledge". She has dealt with so much trauma in her past and present. But still she does not falter and she is resilient. She will do anything to survive and help her people get off of "The Ledge". She has a smart mouth and will go toe-to-toe with the strongest of beings. I could go on and on about Dawsyn I love her so damn much! I can't wait for you to read about her.

Ryon Mesrich (Our POC MMC)- Is also strong, gorgeous (let's be honest we stan a winged boy who is all about consent!), strategist, morally grey, egotistical, grumpy half-breed Glacian. Ryon has also dealt with his share of trauma in the past and present. He doesn't fit the mold of pure Glacian so that has also made him ridiculed and cast out. And by mold he doesn't fit the pure and all white" Glacian. Because of this the Glacian King had him punished (physically and mentally) throughout his life. I don't want to elaborate on this because I don't want to spoil any of the story. I just want to hold this beautiful being and comfort him. But I guess I can let Dawsyn do that! Haha.😜

Now on to the side characters; Salem, Esra, and Baltisse are such a band of misfits and I LOVE it!!!!! Their banter is amazing and had me laughing so much!!!

What to Expect:
*Enemies to reluctant allies to lovers
*Grumpy x Grumpy
*Deals are struck
*Did I Mention Wings!!!!!!!
*Double Betrayal
*Secrets
*Banter galore
*Found Family
*Dual POV
*Forced Proximity
*"Malishka" (also, if my husband doesn't start calling me this I am trading him in haha)
* Check Trigger Warnings: ⚠️⚠️⚠️
-Suicide
-Attempted Sexual Assault
-Death of a Minor
-Gratuitous Violence and Death
*If you cry during books bring the tissues!!!!
*LGBTQ+ Rep

"Stay the frost.
Watch the Chasm.
The cold is not alive."

"Do not die.
I never do."

I preordered Stacey's debut novel before I received it as an eARC... I will now be buying the physical copy! I can't not have Ledge on my bookshelves!!! It needs to be there.

I have been following Stacey's journey as an author on social media and it has been a wonderful opportunity to get to read Ledge to review it! I think this is a valiant debut novel, at times I felt the pacing was a little rushed, but over all, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I think that this will end up being an epic trio and I am already looking for to the next installment. I would give this a 3.75/5 rounded up to 4, and I will be recommending it to those who enjoy fantasy and adventures!

[Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC.]

Ya’ll I’m so upset. I wanted to love this book so bad. Let’s go…

I LIKED:
~The unique plot. I LOVED the idea of this fresh fantasy world.
~The humor was fun, with some side characters. I really felt the author’s voice here.
~The writing overall was good.
~It started out strong. The first 20%-ish of the book was great!
~The ending surprised me!! Unexpected and thrilling! (I do have questions though)

I DID NOT LIKE:
~The main characters were SO TYPICAL and flowery it hurt. Ryon is the strong, handsome, overbearing, sex driven, alfa male who has wings. (gag) Dawsyn is also strong, beautiful and can perform like an Olympic athlete, (even though she’s horribly malnourished?) oh and she can sprint on broken toes too. She also had a traumatic life and hates everyone.
~The world was interesting but did not expand enough in my opinion.
~WHY is there SO much running??? The time spent on them simply running was a bit silly.
~This felt very plot driven and not character driven. I needed more character growth and depth.
~The romance?.... It’s steamy, but the relationship is stale. It’s pure smutty lust. It's just fight, survive, attraction and let's F***. If you love that great!!! I just couldn't get behind the relationship. I love a good “devour me” moment but I wanted more than feral attraction.
~Ryon won’t stop calling her “girl.” I COULD NOT STAND THIS. She demands he stop, TWICE! but nope. Not this over domineering male. Call her woman, wench, fighter, rag doll…. Something else! but “girl??” UGH. (I will admit that he does call her a sweet name towards the end, but it didn’t make up for the first 80% of the book)
~The pace ended up being a lot of stop and go. It felt so much longer than 288 pages.

OVERALL:
I liked parts of this but there was SO much that didn’t work for me. I don’t think I’m the right audience for this type of book. To each their own. I hope the author has success, and the readers who connect with it, show her love.

CW: Strong language, gore, multiple open door romance scenes.

Characters - 3
Atmosphere/Setting - 5
Writing Style - 5
Plot - 5
Intrigue - 5
Logic/Relationships - 2
Enjoyment - 4
Total: 32
Divided by 7 = 4.5 (2 stars)

1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Ledge" basically has it all - strong (believable) female lead, adventure, fantasy, great world building, romance, and an almost unfair cliffhanger. I am very excited to see how the world of Glacia, Terrsaw, and the Ledge evolve in the following books.

Thank you NetGalley so freaking much.
I LOVED this! I cannot wait for the rest of the series. Ryon and Dawsyn are so good. They're so gone for each other also, spoiler alert, there's a fight scene that the catch up on during, and a fight scene when they're thriwing weapons back and forth. Both things I am here for.
I was so engrossed in the book, I don't really have words. The side characters are also delightful. A+. Had a great time

I was so over the moon when this publisher approved my request for this one.
When I seen this beautiful cover and read the synopsis I knew I had to get it in my hands right away.
Much love to Angry Robot!

Ledge by Stacey McEwan is a remarkable debut novel.
A beautiful epic fantasy story with a flaming enemies to lovers romance.
These characters are fabulous and I enjoyed them all.
McEwan built an amazing world which I didn't want to stop reading once I started.
I couldn't read this fast enough.
This book did not disappoint. And I can no wait to see what she hits us with next!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Angry Robot,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I admit, I was confused for the first 10-15% of this book but I am SO glad I stuck it out! And that cliffhanger?? Omg I'm ready for the next book!!

Dawsyn has lived her whole life on The Ledge. A community on a ledge surrounded by the chasm and a sheer mountain face. The only other living being they know are the Glacians - a winged creature who brings supplies and selects human sacrifices. Ripped from her home as one of those sacrifices, Dawsyn chooses to run. A half-Glacian, Ryon, chooses to help her and open her eyes to the world beyond. But that world comes with secrets, fates, and so much more than she expected.

Once I got into the cadence of the book I consumed it so quickly! I had to know what was going to happen with Ryon, Dawsyn, the king, the queens, all of it! I would have loved some more spice (mostly cause what was included was very well done!) but honestly, the development between the characters was more important and the dialogue was on point!

**Review will be published September 12th, 2022 on my site and socials**

3.5 stars

MIXED.

This book may have been too hyped for me, but I just didn’t love this like I hoped for.

The writing style took me a bit to get into, once there though, I was fine. I really liked the initial plot set-up and the winter vibes. It was unique with the chasm concept and the clear secrets being withheld from this group of humans stuck being terrorized by the Glacians. A winged folk group is always a good decision and I liked those aspects too.

What got me is the lack of intimacy between the love interests Ryon and Dawsyn (also love that name). I think the burn was a little too fast and with the writing style I didn’t feel fully invested in them. There was much more emphasis on their physical dynamics rather than any other facet that I also like seeing in a budding relationship.

With the focus turned so much inward the larger plot lost some steam. I liked many of the reveals and even seeing them coming didn’t take away from my enjoyment. There’s some good plot twist tropes I like (won’t mention specifics because of spoilers). BUT a particular scene towards the end felt too easy because there wasn’t enough time dedicated to this rebellion that was occurring.

Ending was totally shocking. I’m still sitting here contemplating how that’s supposed to work itself out. Am I intrigued enough to try book two? I *think* so.

Overall audience notes:
- Fantasy Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: multiple brief open door; low-med explicitness
- Violence: high
- Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of rape and sexual assault, near death experiences, kidnapping, murder, physical and weapons altercations, battle scenes, loss of loved ones

5/5

Um, hi, hey, hello? This book was fantastic! It honestly kinda reminds me of Tricia Levenseller and the way that she writes books (she is one of my favourite authors so it was nice to read). It was how Stacey created such an interesting yet such an easy to understand world.

I love that the author made the main character someone so badass and so loveable I wanna read more about Dawsyn! AND RYON 👀 Im a simp.

I can’t recommend this book enough!

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robots Books for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"The cold is not alive. Stay the frost. Watch the chasm..."

First off, gorgeous cover!
Second, Dawsyn is a badass and we should be bowing to her. We are all unworthy.

I love how fierce and strong Dawsyn is. If she were my leader I'd follow her to the ends of the world. I really liked her enemies to lovers romance with Ryon. I think the way their relationship is built was paced right. There are definitely some spicy-hot scenes between them.

"Every part tempts me, girl. Every inch. You can keep yourself from me all you like, but not one part of you won't be branded to my memory..."

And that cliffhanger!? I feel like I should of known, with a sequel on the way, that it wouldn't be *that* easy but darn that twist killed me.

This might be just a "me thing" but what keeps me from giving this book 5 stars is the writing in the beginning felt like we were reading off a shopping list of actions. She does this, then she does that, then this happens... I was worried it would be like this for the whole book but it's not.

I am excited for the sequel and I'll be impatiently waiting for it.

4.5 stars

*blurts out “Cliffhanger ending!”*

I could assume that, since this is the first in a trilogy there would be continuation into the next books, but was not prepared for some serious, bewildering abrupt cliffy-pain. Most of all, I’m left wondering at the MCs’ actions post-main-conflict-resolution that led to me being left hanging on that figurative ledge (had to). Right up to that, I had no complaints. So, just know, this ends in a major “What-huh-what just happened? TO BE CONTINUED…”. I’m definitely invested, which says a lot, I’m just still reeling a bit. I have questions.

Well, hi, here’s your non-fantasy-reader perspective. Avid romance reader, I have nothing against the subgenre, just haven’t felt much pull to explore it yet, so more like, fantasy-curious beginner. And this was perfect for me, in terms of an interesting premise with an immersive yet not overwhelming magical world. The writing draws you in without hitting you over the head. The present third person dual POV is predominantly from the heroine’s, so we’re often left in the dark, effectively serving both the storyline and reveals pacing, which I appreciated and very much was gripped. Most of the third act you’re like “What’re they doing?” and then “Oooh”. So fun.

Because, this is a “Come with me and tolerate my snark and secretiveness, if you want to live” set-up, as the spine of steel young human female and the half-breed warrior run away from the icy bad guys. Also a “Fine, I’ll tolerate you saving me from my stubborness, but just know, I don’t need you and will happily cut you” set-up. Omg, does our girl Dawsyn Sabar bring on the bad-ass heroine bookish boner. Born into a people that have been exiled to live between a deep canyon and a hard place, dependant and exposed to said icy baddies, she is left to fend for herself with just her impressive ax-wielding and commanding stare. But she eventually finds, having a handy, if not initially aloof, protector has its perks.

Ryon Mesrich gets the distinct honor of being my first winged hero. Who knew this would actually involve so much flying? Not me, I guess I thought they were more for effect. But, the literal soaring in his arms was a whole thing. Jury’s still out on the aesthetic allure of wings for me, but I’m leaning in favor of any excuse for closeness/ neck-sniffing and less walking.

My favorite part of having a wintery world escape: HUDDLE FOR WARMTH, dammit. This slow burns for a good while as they travel from sheltering crevice to village to castle (as a reference, if they’re not fooling around before 50% that’s slow for me). Steam was generally satisfying, though the extent of kink is that our boy discovers some things about himself when she holds him at knifepoint. Their story and relationship arc is not completed yet, but the build-up to them having enough of all the huddling foreplay and that tether-snap abrupt giving-in by the time there’s a tentatively tangible emotional connection (if no declaration), was lovely to see.

Such a great couple. While he’s doing his darndest to come off mostly unphazed and detached, we’re just greedily catching all the tiny signs that this huge, dark, winged hybrid is just in awe of her grit and competence while simultaneously marvelling at her raging recklessness and chuckling at her smart mouth. Some on-point banter and snark there. They’ve both been shaped by their respective lone-wolf outcast situations, and I loved seeing them grudgingly become a unit. Ok, yes, he mostly chases her around and lets her do her thing, but they make quite the team. Thank the iskra, the focus was placed firmly on them, and I was a happy romance reader.

You know, besides the whole unforewarned cliffhanger torture.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this romantic fantasy from a great debut author! Ledge follows Dawsyn, a warrior and survivor who lives in the brutal mountains at the mercy of the Glacians. Upon her capture and escape, she is forced to team up with a half-Glacian to survive.
The writing style and voice was very unique--I don't often enjoy present-tense 3rd person, but the author made it work. I think the dialogue could use some work and there were some errors, but overall it was written very beautifully and was a super quick read.
The enemies to lovers in this was great, not necessarily slow-burn (they were already falling for each other 30-40% in) but the tension and relationship was spicy and I loved them together.
A lot of YA/new adult is unoriginal and the same these days, but this story felt unique in its plot and the voice. I loved Dawsyn as a badass MC. Definitely will be reading the rest of the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to the publisher, Angry Robot, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Overall, I thought this book was good! I love the concept, possibly the most. I love the fae-like Galicians and the Ledge and just everything. It’s super fascinating and I’ve never really read anything quite like it, which was nice. I also really enjoyed the setting, and, by extension, the writing itself. Stacey McEwan writes beautifully, in my opinion. She describes the world and actions with enough detail that you know what’s happening but without being over-flowery. The story and world flow together well.

What I wasn’t a huge fan of was the romance and some of the characters. Admittedly, romance isn’t my favorite to read so I can’t say too much other than that it felt quick? If that makes sense? What I can comment on is the diversity (or lack of diversity really). To me, and I could be totally alone on this, it felt like there was a single gay character thrown in to check that off the list, and the same can be said for the few black characters. Some of the stereotypes applied to these characters can be harmful as well but I was really put off by the lack of diversity.

All that said, I do think this book is good. The story is promising and I do think McEwan can improve the diversity with some effort. And, of course, the writing really is right up my ally—I really liked how easy it was to read.

Thank you again for the ARC—I’m super grateful!