Ledge was a good debut with an excellent premise that I felt did not quite live up to its potential.
The setting of the Ledge was incredibly atmospheric and claustrophobic, and the more of the book I read, the more I wished a larger part of the story took place there. The potential to set the scene and Dawsyn’s backstory there was immense. It is a common occurrence throughout the novel that Dawsyn is an incredibly skilled fighter and while it is briefly touched upon that her guardian and grandmother may have taught her, there is not much detail (also the potential for her grandmother —spoiler— as a former princess to be well versed in combat is incredibly low). So, I would have liked more flashbacks of her history; I did love the descriptions of the den of girls and I can only imagine her sister, Maya, will make a reappearance.
The story itself was incredibly fast paced and while I did not feel it so keenly in the beginning, as the story and the romance began to race toward the climax, I wished for a slow burn. Dawsyn at least took some time to move beyond attraction to love for Ryon but the instant romance between them went against my personal preference for slow burn romances. I can only hope that the pregnancy trope so far so foreshadowed does not come to pass.
In addition, I couldn’t stand how Ryon continuously infantilized Dawsyn by calling her “girl” even when she asked him not to. Although she doesn’t seem to care so much, it rubbed me the wrong way when he continued to call her such after their relationship grew more intimate.
Over all, I did like Dawsyn as a character as her ideals, determination, and arrogance never faltered. Ryon was the classic love interest that I’m positive fans of Sarah J Maas will love. As for the side characters, i did not consider the two married queens to be token queer characters. Instead, I considered them to be introduced naturally and completely non dramatically in a world where queerness is normal and accepted. As for Esra, while at times he could be a caricature, i did appreciate his explanation of gender to Dawsyn. The healer only showed up in only opportune moments and that seemed too coincidental.
The final betrayal by the queen was almost expected as the battle ended too easily, but the entirety of the ending was unexpected and it excellently sets the scene for the next installment.
Overall, this is a great debut and despite at times it felt a bit overwritten, it is an inventive new addition to the NA fantasy romance genre.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Angry Robot for a free copy of the ebook so that I could leave an honest review. I had this pre-ordered several months back so the chance to read it early is exciting!

Dawsyn was born on the ledge, an ice shelf where freezing temperatures mean fighting for survival every waking minute. When she is selected as a human sacrifice by the monstrous creatures that torment the people of the ledge, she is offered a means of escape. As she works her way down the mountain with her new guide, she questions his motived and aims to learn the truth about the people of the ledge.

I enjoyed this story a lot. Keep in mind going into it that this is setting up a trilogy so there is a lot of backstory and world building happening to start. It definitely took me a good chunk to get into but once it was rolling, holy moly. This was a really unique story and I definitely can’t wait for book 2. I did struggle a little bit with the writing style as it felt a bit formal, but as the characters developed I was less caught off guard by it.

This is a great fantasy and I would never guess it was a debut novel. This book releases September 13th!

Thank you @netgalley and @angryrobotbooks for the e-arc of Ledge!!

Here’s what I loved:
❄️ the setting was so fantastic- give me all the winter vibes
❄️ Dawsyn is so fierce and her character arc is going to be really cool to see.
❄️ the banter
❄️ Ryon, that’s all.
❄️ the ending was INSANE. I mean. IT WAS CRAZY.

If you love fantasy with steam, winged-men (swoon), fierce leading women, rebellion, frost, and cliffhangers that will leave you on the ledge (see what I did there) then pick this book up on September 13.

I had hopes as high as the Ledge itself but this book didn’t quite rise to those heights.
I enjoyed Staceys writing style is super poetic and there are some sentences that even when describing the simplest things sounds like the most beautiful thing I’ve ever read, especially in the early parts of the book. However throughout the book there were things I liked and thing I didn’t.
Plot:
Let’s start with the plot. I really like the overall plot. It’s not that it was quite as complex and busy as some fantasy novels, but it was interesting enough even in simplicity that I was enthralled from page 1. Dawsyn is stuck on the Ledge. A place where humans were herded to, like cattle, for Glacians to use for their own purposes. She gets grabbed by the Glacians but escapes with some help and so the unfolding of how the Ledge colony came to be starts.
The story is clearly introductory and I know there will be a bigger picture and more intrigue and mystery as the series unfolds. As such I enjoyed this first books introduction to the world. I enjoyed the plot twists even though I was able to guess at some of them and I feel like these twists will also be more involved with the following books in the series and as such I look forward to seeing how it unfolds.
Here and there I felt like I questioned the characters actions or motivations when looking at how the plot was unfolding. Like small continuity errors that made me ask why would X do/say this if X just said/did this specifically in relation to the plot points. Contradictory thoughts or actions that didn’t quite get explained or make sense, which also leads me to my next point. The characters.
Characters:
The main characters in this book felt very two dimensional. We didn’t get enough inner monologue to understand or give context to their personalities (or lack thereof) or even the choices they make throughout the book. Even with how Dawsyns trauma from the Ledge is handled, there isn’t enough inner monologue for me to understand what she went through and how this shapes who she is now and influences her every decision. We kind of have to just assume that when she does something, this is why she did it. As the reader you are left to draw your own conclusions as to why whichever character reacted the way they did or acts the way they do. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as I’m sure some readers would enjoy a more open ended style where they play a role in shaping these characters in their head. In my opinion more inner monologue was needed to flesh out their emotions and actions to form a more three dimensional character that I can get attached to. Near the end of the book I still didn’t feel like I cared about what happens to them. If one of them were to die I’d probably just shrug and be like okay.
The side characters however are *chefs kiss*! They are by far my favourite thing about this book! The banter, the representation, the accents! It was amazing! This does also link back to inner monologue though as some of Dawsyns relationships with the side characters formed so suddenly that I was like huh? Wait when did you guys even have more than a basic interaction and now all of a sudden you have this deep connection?
So to sum up my feelings on the characters, more inner monologue, more dimension for the main characters and more of the side characters please!
Romance:
Next up the romance and interactions of the main characters. I’ve already mentioned how the lack of inner monologue got to me and it plays in here to. This is painted as enemies to lovers. I back Ryon as being Dawsyns enemy however Dawsyn isn’t Ryons enemy. If anything context from later on in the book shows that he would’ve never viewed her as an enemy at all. Then from Dawysns side, he is fully her enemy and yet I feel like I still don’t understand how she went from hating him to loving him and why. Ryon might not have hated her but also theres no real indication as to what made him love her. They both keep saying that this pairing cant happen but never is there more reason other than I’m a human and he’s not. Even just explaining their feelings on the whole “I want this but it cant be” thing and the angst that would bring would’ve given their feelings more context. The only reasons we see for them falling for each other is forced proximity and shared trauma as well as them both being hot and impressive. None of which are sufficient reasons to fall in love. Later in the book we’re given context as to why he didn’t hate her and wanted to get to know her but that is also not reason enough to fall in love!
Now the spice…I needed more angst, I needed slow burn, emphasis on the burn and I needed to understand their thoughts and feelings leading up to the spicy scene. Instead it was super abrupt and the timing was really weird to me. The scenes itself I’m conflicted on. Some of it was good and some of it was a bit weird. Not the best smut I’ve read and not the worst. Lastly after this point in the book, the banter between Dawysn and Ryon is so good but also just feels mistimed. They’ll be in a super difficult/serious situation and then they’ll be bantering, which doesn’t fit their earlier interactions at all. I wish we saw some of this earlier on and that it was more situationally aware.
World building:
We definitely get a decent sense about the world this series is taking place in and the concept is amazing. I do feel like there are aspects lacking. The magic system isn’t fully fleshed out in this book and we still don’t really understand Glacians and what they can or cannot do. There is no history in terms of the magic to explain what it does or why or how they came to have it. It’s very much just there and we kind of just have to go with the little we’re told whether it makes sense or not.
Also moving between places felt weirdly set out. There would be like 1 or 2 pages of talking or a character thinking and then we’d be told they’d been walking for 1 and a half days at that point. The way times moves during conversations felt strange. This would’ve been a great way to introduce more inner monologue to stretch time and flesh out characters.
Pace:
Lastly pace. Overall the pace of the book is great. I was never bored and it didn’t feel slow or boring at any point. The only pacing issue I have is that certain things take too long in comparison to other things that should be longer. For instance I felt like the battle scenes were way too quick. It made them seem unrealistically easy and as such I didn’t feel suspense during what was happening as it felt low stakes.
I’ve followed Stacey for the longest time on tiktok and I love her!! She is brilliant and I can’t wait to keep following her on her journey as author. Overall I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading the next one when it comes out!

The plot had me by the neck from page one.

There are no luls or fillers in the book; it is jam packed and I absolutely love it. Dawsyn is such a strong main character who is realistically flawed. The world feels so richly constructed and the characters feel three dimensional and real.

The world that is built is (intentionally) cold and harsh, and the characters are the only source of warmth in the story. This book just grows my love of the romantasy genre and rich characters within those stories. Dawsyn was a character who has such resolve in her actions. She knows what she wants and will take it. I want a whole story about Baltisse and her background. I want more banter between Salem and Esra.

Definitely a good read for romantasy fans! I hope that Dawsyn is absolutely unhinged in the next one.

4.5 stars.

This book was good enough that I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt it was all set-up work for the next two books in the trilogy. This means I will likely be reading book two when it comes out, which means I’ll be reading the final book because I have the compulsive need to finish things.

If you enjoy books by Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa, you may enjoy this one!

What I liked about the book:
1. This book had Game of Thrones vibes. I’m not sure if it was because I imagined the Ledge to basically be the Wall or because of all the political tomfoolery, but I absolutely adored it and imagined the setting from the GoT world while reading.

2. This book also had a lot of the same things I loved about Laura Thalassa’s Four Horsemen series. It had the collapsed civilization, the warrior heroine with a smart mouth, the hulking hero with supernatural abilities, and even some winged vigilantism (shout out to Daddy Death from "Death"!).

3. Ryon had wings! That automatically promises he’s a 5/10 in my book. Unfortunately, he stayed there, but I’d still take him for a ride!

4. There were moments I was like “What the hell is she doing? She’s acting like an uncontrollable child”, but then I thought this through and realized it was actually great character insight on the part of the author. You have this woman, who has grown up in a wasteland with very little adult guidance in her formative years. You can’t expect her to act like a functioning adult. Through her bouts of childishness and her yearning for the familiarity Ryon’s group of friends had with one another, the author definitely knew this character.

5. Because I didn’t like or dislike any of the characters (everyone was pretty meh), the end scene was exactly what this book needed to give it an extra spark. I won’t spoil it, but if I had liked the characters I would have been devastated. Instead, my indifference brought the evil villain in me out: “Yes, kill [insert person here]. KILL [HIM/HER]!”

What could have been better:
1. This book is definitely not instalove, but how fast they went from enemies (lite) to falling for one another was a bit unrealistic. I think I feel this way because the story told us so rather than having actually let us experience them forming a close bond. I feel there was a lot of potential between these two characters and it ultimately did not manifest as well as I had hoped.

Also, the steamy scenes had good buildup but were ultimately…unsatisfactory. We got a bunch of delicious sexual tension and playful banter, to get like two lines of good times.

2. I felt this book had a lot of potential for worldbuilding, and it just wasn’t there. The magic wasn’t expanded on, the history of the Glacians was non-existent, and the characters were surface level at best.

Special thank you to NetGalley, the publishers Angry Robot, and Stacey McEwan for this gifted copy! My opinions expressed above are honest and voluntary.

3.5 I’m-on-the-ledge stars

I was SO excited when I was recently gifted this arc and it didn’t disappoint!

Starting with the world building- it was seamless and smooth. The elements of the ledge are introduced in a way that is both interesting and easy to digest, and all the parts eventually come together to build a cold and unflinching world that’s also unique to this book. This is largely due to the writing style of the author, which I was simple but beautiful.

Through this world building we are also introduced to Dawsyn, our FMC. We get glimpses of her past throughout the first few chapters that are just heart wrenching. But they also show us how and why she became who she is. And who she is is admirable. She’s tough but not unkind. She’s intelligent and self sufficient, but not audacious. She’s definitely a wonderful fantasy FMC; I think sometimes they can lean too much into certain traits and become flat or frustrating.

And our MMC is just as wonderful. His story unfolds throughout the book as well, rounding out his character and actions. But what I loved the most was his dedication to and respect for Dawsyn. He always respected her choices (ie. she tells him to put her down and he does) and did not coddle her. Instead, he pushed and supported her. They were great as partners because they were so much themselves rather than losing themselves in each other; they stayed two distinctive characters with their own goals and beliefs rather than almost merging into two versions of the same character. And of course, their banter was amazing and hilarious!

Along with the world and fantastical aspects being unique, the plot was as well. There were a few twists and turns, and more than one heart pounding fight, but when I tell you the end blew my mind I mean it. I screamed. And cried. And then screamed some more.

If you’re looking for a unique, spicy, strong FMC lead fantasy book, then Ledge is it! It comes out September 13th but I already can’t wait for book 2!

LEDGE is the first book in a new YA fantasy trilogy filled with our favorite and familiar tropes yet its heart remained encased in ice and the plot more often than not moved at a near-glacial pace. I can see how it ticked all of the trendy boxes, but unfortunately for me it ended up feeling rather boring.

I remember the author of this talking about it in a TikTok and I have been watching the journey this book has made ever since. I was so excited to read this and it did not disappoint! The writing is engaging and helps create this beautiful story. I am trying not to spoil so I guess all I can really say is READ THIS BOOK ASAP!

4.5 stars

Imagine this: You are living in a lonely community on the ledge of a snowy mountain. And it is cold. Like, FUCKING cold. You've lost most of your friends and family to illness and starvation. Many have even fallen into the depths of the deadly chasm that separates you from the rest of the world. But that isn't the only danger.... because you never know when you might be chosen by the Winged creatures who soar into the village and leave it SEVERAL PEOPLE LESS. Blood soaked snow in their wake. ARE YA FEELING DOOMED YET KIDS?

Grab your sledge/mittens/axe/cuppa, this one's going to be COLD.

I love books where absolutely everything is going wrong. I love books with pocket-rocket, trauma-ridden main characters full of rage and hidden weapons. I love books with lingering looks and touches and thigh-clenching temptation. I love books with blood and vengeance and sex and forests and taverns. I love books with banter, and wit and smarts. And this is why I loved this book.

In this book you will follow the bitter struggles of Dawysn as she unravels the secrets of her icy hometown on the Ledge. She will make an unlikely alliance with her winged nemesis Ryon that will make your heart race. You will journey with them down deathly ice slopes and through abandoned villages. You will hear the sound of wings in the sky and RUN.

If you like happy books, this one is not for you.

Points to the author for respecting that you, the reader, are not stupid.
Extra points for the LGBTQ+ representation.
And finally, can i have Ryon pls. Gib to me.

This book was amazing. It has that amazing quality that fantasy books can have, when you just don’t know what will happen next.
I read the whole thing in less than 12 hours.
Really enjoyed this writers style, the premise was really unique and a new take in the fantasy genre.
Give me the sequel now please I beg of you.
5/5 stars!

I enjoyed the heck outta this book. It checked all the boxes, right down the line, no complaints. I've seen other reviews with some alarming takes and I'm very willing to acknowledge my own bias in my take, so I may have to update this review after some discourse with others. But my first impression is that this was just a well written, well paced, clearly thought out story that sets us up for a promising series to come! I loved all the characters that I was supposed to, hated the ones I was meant to, the magic system was basic but well described, the world building was organic and not spoon fed (though a map woulda been super helpful), and the pacing was such a breath of fresh air. This one book could have been stretched to 2 or 3 on it's own if McEwan really wanted to drag it out and get her money, as many authors do, but she gave the readers just enough story and plot and action with none of the "filler" that so many fantasy series fall victim to. If you loved A Gathering of Dragons or The Plated Prisoner series, this has the same high stakes, fast paced vibes but with it's own unique story to tell.

I could write so much more, but the basic gist is I loved this story and I eagerly await the next installment in the series!

**Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for the eARC**

TW: imprisonment, slavery, murder, abuse, blood, talk of rape, talks of blood purity, racism

I've been looking forward to Stacey's debut ever since she first started talking about it on TikTok, I never thought I'd get an ARC but here we are!

I really enjoyed Ledge, it hooked me from the very beginning and was entertaining through out the entire story. Our main heroine, Dawsyn, is the only one left of her family on The Ledge, a human encampment located on the slopes of a humongous mountain. The conditions are brutal, freezing temperatures, food and other resources are scarce and once a year their captors, the Glacians, come to steal them away and/or kill them. Dawsyn is a bad ass, she's learned how to wield weapons, forage for food, and to build things from her beloved grandmother. She doesn't know how to quit, and has a penchant for violence. When Dawsyn gets the chance to escape the mountain she's forced to allow the help of a half Glacian half human male, Ryon, who also wants to escape the mountain. He's the only one of mixed heritage to be allowed in the Glacian palace and secretly makes plans with the rest of those mixed Glacians living in the colony to one day over throw the pureblooded Glacians. Ryon is of course dark and handsome and makes an imposing figure. But in reality he is total mush for Dawsyn the moment he lays eyes on her. I really liked his backstory and how he explains his reasons for helping Dawsyn later down the line.

Their adventure is everything you could want it to be with loads of favorite book tropes scattered throughout. Enemies to lovers, touch her and die, one bed/cave, etc etc. Their chemistry was hot, and I love how much Ryon tried to resist her. Their banter was funny and I could see Stacey's humor from TikTok leaking through.

The ending is a HUGE cliffhanger and I'm so distraught over how it was left. Did not see the twist at the end, not at all! Everything was tying up nicely at 98% and I thought we were good but NO!<spoiler>If Ryon is really dead I'm gonna RIOT!</spoiler> I hope Stacey has the sequel lined up, I don't think I can wait an entire year to find out what happens!

There were a couple of parts that did make me pause. One being the obvious establishing of these white oppressors being "pure blooded" and therefore superior and the mixed Glacians being some how inferior and because they are deemed inferior they are being thrown to their own imprisonment/colony. I got racism vibes immediately. Not really sure how to express my thoughts on this but it just felt a for lack of a better word, ick. Also the handling of Esra's sexuality reveal felt really clunky and could've been handled better I think.

Overall really liked it and would recommend to people who like the fantasy romance genre. Thank you so much to Angry Robot for providing me with an e-arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I literally just finished this book and it was so good beyond words. I loved the hate-to-love relationship between Dawsyn and Ryon. I loved the world-building in this book, it was the perfect amount of world-building and plot and character development, and dialogue. The world in this story was so interesting! My only iffy critique was that there is a place called Mecca in the story which is also a very important holy place for Muslims. There might be some problems with that.

I was given an Arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely devoured this book! I have had it on my Goodreads TBR for an entire year and boy did it live up to the hype!!

This story is about a girl (Dawson) and a half Glacian (hybrid) Ryon. An unlikely pair as they team up, each for their own reasons.

I love their banter and their chemistry. I also loved the uniqueness of the story line!

I usually dread so much world building but I found myself enjoying this because it was so well written!

I will definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelf and recommending this book!

I LOVED this book. I love fantasy books, and maybe I just haven’t read enough fantasy, but this book was a breath of fresh air! It was so different and I loved it 😍
I never really knew what to expect and I enjoyed that the most. I try so hard to predict what is going to happen and I love being surprised by the plot twists.
Speaking of, I NEED the second book. That ending!!!!!!!! I cannot. Dawsyn lived on the ledge and now I feel like I’m trapped there in anticipation of the second book!!
I highly recommend reading this book if you like fantasy and romance and plot twists and men with wings 😉

I was giddy and honored when I found out I’d get to read an ARC for the famous Stacey McEwan!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The main character was great ,strong and feisty and the setting was interesting and formidable. The 'bad guys' were terrifying but mysterious. Loved it !

This was a mixed bay of feelings for me. On one hand I really liked the main character, she is fierce, bold, and doesn't take any crap from anyone. I think there's a lot to her that we can learn from. I also thought she had good chemistry with the romantic interest and I enjoyed their banter back and forth. I just did not really enjoy many of the other characters outside of them, they just fell flat to me like we didn't spend enough time getting to know them. However, overall this was a really good book with an interesting plot and worldbuilding.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a fairly fast read. The beginning was a little slow. Things happened but at the same time not much was happening. Once things picked up it was definitely more enjoyable. The writing tense was a little strange at times for me. I do feel that the author established their voice and style early on and stuck with it. The characters also stayed consistent.

Some of the characters seemed to show up at just the right times and we weren’t really given their story or made to feel connected to them.
I think those that enjoy Sarah J. Maas will also enjoy this series.

Overall it was an entertaining read and the ending for sure had me. I should know better to read the first book in a series before the rest are out. Now I’m just left to wait who knows how long to get some resolution and peace.

*This review is my honest opinion of an ARC received via Netgalley*
Ummm, does anyone know how to highlight an entire book? Also does anyone know when the second book comes out because i need it after that ending (and no worries, this review is spoiler free). The Ledge was such an surprise read for me. I wasn’t expecting to have my heart race, break, put back together, just to be broken again. Nonetheless, I still give this book 5 stars because of the writing alone. The dual POV and the consistent description of events throughout the book was amazing. I can always tell when I’m really enjoying a book, because I take my time reading it. The Ledge took me a week to get through and I absolutely did not want it to end. I’m still pondering over the characters and what I think is to happen next. Overall, I can’t wait for The Ledge by Stacy Mcewan to release and for everyone to obsess as much as I am.