I absolutely loved Ledge! The characters were so descriptive, and the story was immersive. This is a fantastic book, and I am extremely eager to read the second!

I love Stacey McEwan's online presence, so I was super excited to receive this ARC. That being said, I had several slumps reading this book where I really contemplated not finishing. The plot straddles dystopian and high fantasy without really leaning into either, and I wish that the characters were more complex. The romance felt forced at times from sheer proximity, and the third person POV made me feel too removed from the story.

Despite all of that, the creativity of this novel was stunning, and it certainly sets itself apart from the usual fae / vampire fantasy books in the market. As a debut, it will certainly be something to look back on as McEwan grows her writing career.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the world, the setting and the idea of the Ledge; a civilisation trapped on a ledge between a vast chasm and a sheer mountain face with no escape. These people know nothing about the outside world or an alternative life. They lead a freezing cold and miserable existence fighting for scraps of food and waiting for their turn to be taken by one of the winged Glacians who come to make their choice every season. I liked the author’s writing style and there are some lovely detailed descriptions of the world. The opening scene amidst a frigid forest landscape immediately drew me into the story and I could feel every moment of the intense cold Dawsyn was feeling.

Dawsyn’s character is brilliant, she’s strong, determined and fearless. She’s a fighter and has absolutely no problem defending herself with her skilful axe wielding. Those first few moments of Dawsyn experiencing the real world were heart wrenching, the author brought forth Dawysn’s emotion seeing grass and sea for the first time and you really feel for her. The love interest is Ryon, a winged half Glacian. I adored their banter and interactions and this is a worthy enemies to lovers romance.

This isn’t the most complex of fantasies, but there are plenty of plot twists and turns and action scenes which makes for a compelling and entertaining read. I do hope to learn more about the world and Glacians in the next books. The ending is an absolute shocker and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where the next instalment takes us.

Thank you to the publisher for the Netgalley eARC.

I enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters in it. The ending was a big cliffhanger so be aware! I am waiting on a second book.

I have followed Stacey McEwan on Instagram for awhile and I was so thrilled to recieve an ARC of this book. The setting of the ledge was such a unique story that I was instantly hooked. The world building is quick and easy to understand. I couldn't read it fast enough. The book ends on a major cliffhanger and I cannot wait for the next one due in September 2023. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Angry Robot books for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Ledge is the debut novel in the Glacians trilogy by Stacy McEwan. This book starts off really strong. I loved the environment of the Ledge, like the literal ledge that the MC lives on. I thought the world building here was great and I loved how tough Dawsyn was, especially since she was surviving on her own. The premise of the book is that the only way off of the ledge is if you get selected by the terrible winged ice monsters that are essentially farming the humans there(This had me thinking maybe the author was trying to say something about how terrible the meat industry is, but I as a vegetarian that could just be me projecting). I thought this was interesting because it makes you question what would you prefer? A life of hardship and cold on the ledge or the unknown fate of those that are chosen. Dawsyn ends up getting chosen and this triggers the rest of the story. Dawsyn is very tough, which makes sense since she grew up in such a harsh place, but I didn’t love that she was constantly getting herself into situations that she had to be saved from, and she is saved every time. At the start of the book, Dawsyn has no one helping her and I feel like something of her character strength got lost after she leaves the ledge. I think this is due in part to the creation of the romance between Dawsyn and the love interest Ryon and I wish there was a way to make it so their relationship didn’t take away from Dawsyn’s self-sufficiency. The middle of this book was problematic for me. It might be because I found the beginning so strong, but the middle dragged for me, to the point where I almost lost interest in finishing. Thankfully the ending really picked it back up, the pacing found its footing again, and I honestly didn’t see that twist coming at the end. I think this was a good debut novel from a writer I heard about on Tiktok and will be interested in finding out where Dawsyn’s story goes.

Well where to begin. I love adult fantasy and well doesn’t this book just have it all. The strong female lead who will throw the axe first and ask question later. The winged male who can’t stay away and is fiercely protective (not that she needs it) and brilliant side characters that help to bring their own quirks to the story, I’m looking at you Esra!! I cannot fault this book or the author it was brilliantly written and had me hooked with a never ending pace.
And please that ending what have you done to me!! It was a “are you kidding me!?!?” moment a “you can’t leave it there, surely?!?”
I need the next book now please thank you.

Book Review: The Ledge by Stacey McEwan
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
This review may contain minor spoilers.

This story follows Dawsyn, someone who was born on The Ledge and has lived her entire life fighting for survival. After being taken by the Glacians, her life is on the line as she tries to escape down the treacherous mountain she has always called home. This book contains enemies-to-lovers, hidden identity, forced proximity, and a bad-ass FMC.

This book is multi-pov, alternating between Dawsyn and Ryon. He is a half-Glacian half-human and has never fully belonged in either world. Prior to the events of this story he has gained standing and access to the Glacians royal court. When Dawsyn is thrown into his life, he seizes the opportunity to set his plans in motion.

I enjoyed the world that was created but it did take a minute to get invested. It's harder for me to connect when it's in 3rd person narration. Some of the internal descriptions felt a little stilted. For any other Toy Story fans, it reminded me of "Combat Carl never gives up, Combat Carl finds a way" a few times. Can you tell what my daughter has been watching a lot of recently 😂? As the story progressed it pulled me in more. By the end of the story I was fully hooked and now need to know what happens in the next book.

I received an eARC from NetGalley & Angry Robot for my honest review.

For a debut novel, this book was beautifully written. The world building was incredibly clear and I could picture everything so easily. The storyline was unique and inventive. I liked that there was some spice but nothing overt or too graphic. BUT THAT ENDING. Can’t wait for the next book!

This book is a dystopian fantasy romance story following Dawsyn and Ryon. Dawsyn is a woman who has grown up on the Ledge; a mountain village in an extremely harsh environment where the people are forced to live the barest existence just to stay alive, under the rule of the Glacians. People are harvested from the village and taken away by the Glacians every year for an unknown purpose. We follow Dawsyn's story as she is taken away from her home where she meets Ryon, a mysterious 'hybrid' who has a whole story of his own to tell.

There was a lot I really enjoyed about this book. The story is really intriguing, as we follow Dawsyn's journey of survival and self-discovery. There are so many fun elements brought in as things unfold, including wayside inns, rebellions, hidden secrets, mysterious mages and a host of fun side characters. The setting was one I really enjoyed and felt like the writing did a great job of creating the atmosphere of the story, and the grittiness of Dawsyn's life.

The plot kept me intrigued the whole way through. The author really nails a lot of great twists and turns that I didn't see coming at all and thoroughly enjoyed. Often I find these 'enemies to lovers' stories are short on plot in favour of romance but I found this one was really well balanced. This book has lots of interesting elements for world building, the potential for a magic system to be developed and just lots of interesting backstory to be explored. I am hoping more of this comes in future books as there are lots of gaps here in terms of this but as the first book in a trilogy I can understand if that stuff is coming in future instalments. The pace is fast with lots of action, which kept me turning the pages as things just keep moving forward at a decent pace which was nice. While the ending was a bit rushed, I did like the explosive ending.

There is a storyline in this book of an uprising and revolution, which I expected to be built up and drawn out to a major story point for the series. However, it was (as it seems so far at least) concluded in this book, which was an interesting choice by the author in my opinion. I am looking forward to where the story goes from here as it went in a direction I really didn't expect.

The characters were all really interesting, and I felt the side characters in particular were nailed really well. The main three side characters we meet at the inn all have so much personality, I found it so easy to imagine what them as real people. The banter and interactions are top notch between Dawsyn and Ryon, and their back stories are full of heart and heartbreak that makes you root for them as a couple.

In terms of improvements, there were a few things I found that didn't work so well for me personally. The main difficulty I had was that the 'enemies to lovers' arc just didn't land for me. I felt like the 'enemies' portion of Dawsyn and Ryon's relationship was great, but it was the transition stage between this and them becoming more that I really didn't connect with as a reader. They went from ememies to lovers too quickly. It would have worked better if the story had slowed down a bit for them to have more of a stage in between where they understand one another and build a real connection, which there is potential for but it just isn't given the time to blossom properly. Their relationship in the latter half of the book therefore didn't feel earned to me and I just wasn't invested in it as much as I would have liked.

The writing style could be a factor in this, as the book is written in third person present tense. I felt like a lot of times things were told to us rather than shown through the story or the characters. I feel this style just isn't for me personally, and I'm sure others will feel differently.

I also did find a few minor plot points quite confusing honestly, and still couldn't get my head around their significance or how they even worked fully despite going back and rereading. I won't say what exactly due to spoilers, other than they were to do with Ryon, his family backstory and his 'plan'. I will say these are very minor and didn't impact my reading much overall. Though I did find this to be more of an annoyance.

Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and at the core this book has the bones of a really great story. Things could be a bit more fine tuned overall, and some elements were perhaps not to my taste but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to fans of this sub-genre of fantasy. I would definitely read book two.

I’d like to preface this review by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I’m sure a lot of other readers will enjoy this, but I unfortunately didn’t. I really liked the concept of this and the potential, unfortunately it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I feel like the lore and worldbuilding was neglected, though what we got was quite interesting. I wish that part had been developed more. I also wish the characters had been more developed too, since they fell quite flat for me. I also don’t understand how the main character was so gifted in combat. Wouldn’t she have been put at a disadvantage, since she’s malnourished? Also, who trained her? It felt like a plot hole. Another plot hole is why do the monsters, who depend on humans souls to live, let make live in an environment that’s killing them off too?? Seems counterproductive.

I didn’t really like the love interest either. He seemed like every other sad hot boy love interest out there to me. Didn’t really bring anything new to the table. I mean, the female main character was also pretty standard and flat.

One last thing is?? The names?? Why was there a character called Phineas? I could not take that seriously.

Anyways, you might like this if you’re into spicy fantasy stories. They’re pretty hit or miss for me, with this one being a miss. Might give it a chance in the future, since I’d like to see more development in terms of the world.

Review will be up on my Instagram, @kratist0, within a week

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Trigger Warnings, this book does contain content of violence, slavery, sexual harassment, kidnapping, assault and attempted murder.

The Ledge is a brutal and unforgiving landscape, with a vast chasm and a sheer mountain face, the people who live on the ledge are trapped, there is no way to grow food, so all of the people must rely on the Glacians. The Glacians are humanoid-winged creatures that live on the other side of the chasm, they provide food, but in exchange every season the people must present themselves as a human sacrifice. Dawsyn, is the only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is ripped from her icy home with no idea what will happen to her next.

“The cold is cruel, but it is not alive. It can consume you, extort you, and convince you to do unspeakable things. It can turn your enemies into body heat, and your friends into the coats you steel from their backs. The cold does not live, but there can be no ridding it.”
Isn’t that just beautiful and poetic? It speaks of a powerful force, one that cannot be ignored, something that you are forced to become a slave to, and in Dawsyns case, this is all too familiar. I absolutely loved this book, yes, I did think that in some parts it was slow to move, but for a debut book, I think that this was outstanding.

The plot and the storytelling were very original, especially when the author talks about Dawsyns time spent living on the ledge as it was so atmospheric. The are quite a few characters in the book, and the range of personalities was refreshing. I did find the LGBTQ characters of Esra, Salem, and the mysterious Baltisse, to be slightly confusing, they didn’t have much interaction except to fill in for the middle part of the story that by this point had slowed down.

I’m giving this book a rating of four. Fantastic work by Stacey McEwan, can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The good:
I really liked Dawsyn's character (even though it was often unrealistic) but I liked that she was a no nonsense character and didn't make empty threats. She was a strong character with understandable moments of weakness and her character doesn't change for convenience.

I also liked Ryon's character although it was quite simplified. Even when we get his point of view it is fixated on his feelings and his mission. That's all.

The setting was a nice touch. It was interesting and since I live in Canada I could feel the cold weather and what it must have been like. Though the way Dawsyn survived some situations is (like I mentioned) seemed unrealistic.

The bad:
The plot and the writing was not my favorite. The wording for some scenes were a bit awkward in my opinion and the plot is predictable. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing, but in this novel it makes it lack substance (in some areas).

The unnecessary:
Honestly, this could have been a standalone novel. I don't see what else is needed to write a whole trilogy on the subject.

I have been so excited for Stacey's debut novel and I was not disappointed. The plot was well thought out, the characters intriguing, and the world building was so interesting!

The entire world Stacey has created is unique, her spicy scenes are very well written, and I am so excited to see where the next book goes.

The premise was intriguing but unfortunately, this didn't work for me. I hard a difficult time sustaining interest in reading it. Didn't really feel it offered anything new. However I think it will prove entertaining enough for YA readers and we will still be getting a copy for our collection.

Now available worldwide, go read it right now!!
This book is amazing!!! I can’t recommend it enough.
Strong female lead character that has to fight her way out to survive having been selected as a human sacrifice in an unthinkable dangerous iced land!
Can’t wait to read the second one!!

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for granted my wish! Here I leave my honest review!

Actual rating 3.5⭐

One thing I really love about this book is how the world building created. It is detailed, easy to follow and easy to imagine. Although I was a bit confused by the terms Ledge, Chasm and Face at the beginning but with the explanation from the author who was quite good so it was not difficult to follow the world.

The conflict for this first book is just okay I think. About Ryon who want to depose the tyranny King and Dawsyn who want to help her people to escape from Ledge. This is enemies to lovers story. The way Dawsyn and Ryon hate each other is so good, they constantly want to kill each other well I think it's mostly Dawsyn. But, they develop this friendship because they have the same purpose to escape Glacian.

Personally I don't really like Dawsyn at the beginning. She's brave and strong but she is very impulsive! Well it gave me a stress while reading her act and at first I don't know what she want to do after escaping the Glacian. But, with the development rise between Ryon and Dawsyn I think she became much a better character and I can see what she want to do. And I can say I love their relationship!

And the ending! I can't stop thinking about the ending! This book give you a cliff hanger so I can't wait for the next one!

I have been following this author on social media platforms for a long time so I have been anticipating this book for quite a while! I was a bit nervous when the release was pushed back but I shouldn't have been. This story is great! I love when the world-building is so good that the world almost becomes it's own character. The plot in this story is character driven with a clear narrative and great dialogue. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys strong female characters who get things done.

You can’t just end the book like that! I have lots of questions but I’m hoping the next in the series will answer them. The different POV worked with one was more dominant than the other. My only downside of this book is I couldn’t visualise the surroundings but I just went with it. My pet peeve throughout the book was the word ‘girl’ in nearly every bit of dialogue I get pet name but nope. Overall I really did enjoy this book and I will be reading the rest of the series

I want to first thank Angry Robot and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

We follow the story of Dawsyn Sabar. A young woman who has lived near the Ledge all her life. After having lost all her family to the Glacians, who come twice a year to reap some humans from their small village into the chasm. Little does Dawsyn know, there's a world she never knew of beyond the Ledge. But will she survive after being chosen and taken away? With the help from an unlikely ally, Ryon, and a few new friends, Dawsyn discovers much about the world beyond the Ledge, and why her people were chosen as the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good. But is there more to her family than what she's been told by her grandmother? Time will tell.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. As a personal fan of Stacey McEwan and her wit and humor, I knew I would be getting a different side of her as an author in her debut novel.

And though I expect areas of opportunity from some authors who especially come from Booktok, and have little to no experience in literature and writing, I at least expect the work of their agents and publishers (which this author had) to help improve and elevate the writing a bit more.

The fatal flaw from my perspective? The author failed to know how to set the scene in any scenario in this book. It was so difficult to imagine surroundings, facial structures, the villages, the Castles, etc… and it doesn’t take much for me to be able to imagine that. But so much was missing that imagery in my head was blurry and full of holes. The dialogue was also minimal, the expressionist writing was also very lacking, and that also made it incredibly difficult for me to connect to any characters in the book or feel what they felt. Not to mention the repetitiveness of anytime the MC was screaming, she didn’t know the sound came from her until after. Her screaming was always described the same way.

The plot was full of promise, but also incredibly predictable. I love the premise of the book, but it lacked in other areas. The battle scene was short and quick and not as descriptive as I’d have expected it to be. I was only surprised by one detail in the middle of the book, but everything else in the book was easily guessed, including the ending which opened up the door for a sequel.

I was more of a fan of the secondary characters. Ezra, Salem and Baltisse were more interesting to me and more layered than the main characters and I look forward to seeing more of them.

This book took me longer than expected to read considering it was a fairly short book. I think it would have done better as a YA book instead of adult. But since there were adult sexual themes, it could be more NA.

I will be reading the second book in hopes that the plot is more surprising, and we learn more about the characters. But if you are a big fantasy reader like me, you may notice a lot of the same tropes and plot twists you come to expect in more recent books due to the demand coming from booktok.

Ratings:
Plot: 3.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
World building: 2.5/5
Romance: 2/5
Spice: 2.5/5

Overall: 3.25 out of 5 stars.