I was really hoping that the series would pick up in this book for me, but this one dragged more than the last one. Again, I felt like this one had some amazing moments that really pulled me into the plot just like the first one, but overall, the plot was kind of boring. That was especially true with this one where a lot of the book was focused on storytelling and character development that I felt like I didn't need. This could have been about 100 pages shorter and I wouldn't have missed out on anything. Also Dawsyn's character was generally more unlikable, especially in the first half of the book and it felt like the whole point of this book was a third act conflict in a romance book. It was just generally frustrating.

But yet again, I will be reading the next one because it ended on such a good cliffhanger. I just wish the rest of the book was as interesting as the end was.

This book starts off exactly where Ledge finishes which I really enjoyed, I’d definitely recommend reading these books back to back. However, I was hoping for a lot more from this book. I think one of my biggest issues is the miscommunication trope which this book was fraught with. Maybe that’s just a me thing, and others won’t mind it as much, but I really didn’t enjoy this aspect of it at all. As much as I enjoyed Ledge, this book just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It was well-written, but perhaps just not for me.

There aren't many series out there where the second book is better than the first in my opinion, but this one did it. I loved how it immediately picked up upon how book one ended and then never had a lull chapter AND I loved all the added characters. There were some favorites from book one and then many new ones, but every person felt necessary. LOVED this book.

First of all thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and receive an eARC.

Ledge was the first book that I read this year. I read it for a book club and while it wasn’t my favorite book I wanted to give the second book a chance.

I did enjoy the second book more than the first. The friendship in this book was wonderful. It did lack some romance but that’s a personal preference. I just prefer books with more romance in them.

This book continues the story from book one and does a good job of answering those lingering questions from The Ledge.
We return to the colourful characters you've come to admire and delve into their characteristics and personalities a lot more.
Personally this was no Ledge, it felt more like an interim book to (hopefully!) an explosive ending in The Glacian Trilogy.
This was my personal opinion. Started strong, lost its way, started to come full circle but fell short. I assume to make the reading of book 3 a guarantee.

I loved the first book and was dying to read book 2 especially since the first book ended on a cliff hanger. The first book set us up for a lot of questions about the Glacians, the magic, and the kingdom, and a lot of them were answered in this book. The lore was very well thought out and connected a lot of dots.

The beginning and the end of this book are action-packed, but it does slow down a little toward the middle. I personally loved it. We learned a ton in this book without it feeling like info-dumping.

Stacey did an amazing job at showcasing Dawsyn’s inner turmoil between Ryon’s betrayal, learning her new magic, and fighting to save her people. I enjoyed seeing Dawsyn grow and learn how to exist off of the Ledge when survival was no longer her only goal.

I’m so happy we got to learn more about the entire cast of characters, mainly Baltisse, who quickly became my favorite. I especially love the Banter between her, Salem, and Esra. It had me laughing out loud at some points! The found family trope is truly my favorite.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it’s made me very excited to read book 3.

I really enjoyed this book, the storyline is gripping and I love the back story we're finding out about!

I love the characters, especially Esra, Salem and Baltisse. Scenes with them together are always hilarious!

It's rare to like the 2nd book in a trilogy more than the first, as middle books seem to be more filler than action but I loved this.

Chasm is book two in Stacy McEwan’s Glacian Trilogy. I enjoyed the first book, Ledge, and the ending left me eager to start the next installment.

Chasm picks up where Ledge left off and starts strong. The bulk of the plot revolves around Dawsyn’s efforts to free her people from the Ledge. After a disturbing return to the Glacian Kingdom, there is a significant lull in the action. For much of the book, Dawsyn tries to control her newly acquired magic while everyone waits, ensconced in their camp, without a plan.

It was a joy to reunite with Salem, Esra, and Baltisse. I loved their endless banter in Ledge. Chasm significantly expands on Baltisse’s character, as she becomes a close ally to Dawsyn. I enjoyed learning more about her magic, her history, and her lifestyle.

While the start of the book satisfyingly resolved the cliffhangers at the end of Ledge, the remainder lacked the energy and action that originally drew me into the trilogy. By the end of Chasm, I no longer felt invested in the story, and probably won’t prioritize book three.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for this eARC.

The second book in this series delivered on everything I was waiting for! The first book ends with a lot of things up in the air so I was so glad that this book got right back into the action. Dawsyn was left trapped in the queens dungeons after watching Ryon die. It seems clear to her that Ryon betrayed her. She is awaiting her execution but finds help from one unlikely source as well as her friends from the village. We get to watch Dawsyn grow as a person as she struggles with her need to help the people on the Ledge. I also really enjoyed the new mix of characters that came into play. This book also ends with some unanswered questions that have me anxiously anticipating the next book.

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
This book starts off right after that cliffhanger ending of book one, we go straight into action and I simply devoured the first half. The pacing was slightly off in the middle but then it picked up again very quickly. This book gave our FMC some time to develop as a character, which I appreciated. She learns to soften slightly, and I mean only slightly. The romance element continues but this takes a back seat due to the setting up of the overarching plot. The MMC is so pure and I think he deserves more. There is minimal spice and it’s a YA read throughout. The inclusion of the mages and powers is cool and a nice addition to the narrative. I really like where the story is going and it’s nicely set up now for book three, which I think will be AMAZING! So this is definitely worth a read. Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

What a fantastic sequel in this wonderful world!! I binge read this book so quickly- I was so excited to be back in this story!!

I love the writing style, and how well developed this world and the characters feel. If anyone hasn’t read book one yet, then they need to!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
In this follow up to Ledge (The Glacian Trilogy #1), we continue to follow Dawsyn's story. It picks up right where the first book left off which is great considering the doozy of an ending McEwan gave us!. This second book is not one you can read if you don't have the information from the first book, including the world building which is a heavy part of the plot. Having been deceived by Ryon, she is trapped in the dungeons of the Queens. But she is strong, if not strong willed, and has more people on her side than she knows and finds herself escaped and on the run. But she's determined to save the people of the ledge. Along with some old friends, and some new ones, we follow her story.
This book starts with a bang. It was tense and truly kept my interest. I really wanted to see where Dawsyn's story was going and how she would manage. She receives help in so many unexpected places. I enjoyed how this book was not only plot driven, but also character driven. There's immense growth to Dawsyn. And we get to know Salem, Baltisse, Exra, and a few others even better. Each character lending something unique to the story.
As with the first book, this one has an interesting writing style. As an American, it took some getting used to the different spellings of words. There was a point I even went to look the words up to see if these were typos. The third person limited point of view allows us to see trough the eyes of more than one character. Lots of inner monologue to drive the book through the character's eyes. We get a new point of view in this book, as well.
There is a roller coaster of emotions in this book. I had many moments where the tension was almost overwhelming. The romance gave a good slow burn in this book, as well. And then there are the areas of comic relief which are greatly needed considering the emotional ride you are expected to endure. And there were definitely some moments where I shed tears.
I will say I was expecting a bit more of the book to include the villains, but we don't really see them all that much after the first third of the book. It suffered a bit from "second book in a trilogy" or "middle book" syndrome. Lots of wandering for the characters, circling back to things over and over again, and an inability to truly move forward for a good portion of the book. And there's a bit of a slow down in the middle plus some areas where the plot seems to stagnate and I had to push through, thus my 4 star rating.
Overall, this was a great follow up to the first book. And the ending, while not a cliffhanger, leaves me wanting more of the story. I need to know what happens to the people of the ledge and to Dawsyn and her band of misfits.

After the cliffhanger ending of Ledge, the first book in the series, Chasm was a must read and thank you to Netgalley for giving me access to an ARC.

Whereas Ledge was all things new and exciting, this was more of the same. The story does develop and we find out more about Dawsyn and Ryon as well as many of the other characters from the first book, but there is not that many surprises or unexpected twists and turns as we were treated to on Ledge.

To me, Chasm comes across as a 'holding book', before, what I am hoping is an unexpected and explosive finale in the final book in the Glacian Trilogy.


Book 1 - Ledge: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book 2 - Chasm: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC of Chasm. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This sequel to Ledge finds Dawsyn struggling to adjust with the shock of the previous book’s concluding events. Injured, weak, and held captive, Dawsyn plots how to thwart the Queens she finds herself pitted against.

Book two of the series introduces new secondary characters to the cast, and allows the reader a chance to better know Dawsyn. Without the need to build a world, McEwan more effectively drives the story through plot and characterization. I found myself enjoying this book more than the first in the series. The book could benefit from a final proofing— articles and prepositions were omitted several times and the occasional homonym was deployed in error. I also didn’t ~love~ that “pregnant silence” was used more than once but I found myself flying through the pages of this book. If you’ve already made it through Ledge, I would definitely recommend continuing to the second book of the trilogy in Chasm.

I’m gonna be honest I thought I had read this was gonna be a duology? But it’s a trilogy? Maybe I’m wrong but I’ll be real this series could have and should have been a duology. There’s a lot of wandering around in this book that doesn’t add to the story or the characters and it kind of falls flat. I liked this book less than the first one because much of it was boring.

Spoilers follow:

Our main heroine is in a dungeon barely surviving and the evil Queens are gonna hang her in public but help comes from unlikely sources including a captain in the guard who knows this is wrong and her friends including the witch and Salem help free her from the gallows.

She runs and learns she’s got magic from the pool thing and she can’t control it. The witch attempts to teach her tricks as they travel and wait around. She decides she wants to free the ledge. Turns out Ryon is alive as well and he escapes the prison and finds her and she says she won’t forgive him for basically selling her out but she does pretty quickly.

Anyway Salem and the other character who is like a drag Queen are attacked and nearly die they join the rest of the group and learn the half breeds left have gone back on their plan and word and plan to drink from the pool which angers D. People of the ledge don’t immediately want to leave because they don’t trust it.

D learns she has regular magic too and will die if she can’t teach both of her Magic’s to respect each other. She also learns the witch is one of the people who helped create the pool for a former King who ended being the first glacian because of magic and she feels so guilty so that’s why she helping. She ends up sacrificing her life for them as she helps the good half breeds transport the people of the ledge to the bottom and to freedom.

Book ends there. D and crowd have to go back to the capital and take the throne. As mentioned this could have and should have happened in this book.

I was massive fan of Ledge so I was super excited to get approved for the ARC. Overall, I really enjoyed it, I think Stacey McEwan writes really interesting and diverse characters that feel deep and well thought out. This carried over, both from Ledge and with the new characters that were introduced in Chasm.

I also really love the world McEwan has created, it feels very intricate and well thought out, with unique histories, legends and myths. For me, the world building and the characters are what are really carrying this series.

However, I don't think this could be a five star review as the plot really let it down. It felt like the main characters spent 70% of the book ambling around doing a whole lot of not very much. It lacked the fast paced, exciting plot that Ledge did so well.

I also found for a book that is marketed as fantasy romance, there wasn't actually much romance. I understood Dawsyn was going through some stuff hence her plotline, but I craved some romance plot lines to happen with side characters to make up for the lack. There was a hint of romance between two side characters and I would have enjoyed more of a focus on them.

Lastly, Dawsyn felt quite stagnant as a character in this book. She is incredibly stubborn to a point of childishness at points and it was quite frustrating as a reader. I would have liked to have seen more development and maturity in her character as the book progressed.

But overall I still love this series, the side characters are really carrying it for me and I can't wait to read the final book when it comes out.

“It is a strange thing, to be so filled with loss and heartbreak and wrath, all for the same person.”
Found Family ✔️
Undiscovered Magical Heritage ✔️
A quest for justice & the truth ✔️
Queer rep ✔️

This was a really great continuation of the series, I found it interesting how the author introduced the concept of Light Vs Dark Magic but in a unique way. Dawsyn discovers a lot more about herself in this book, & there’s a lot of character development for both her, Ryon & many of the main side characters. Emotions ran high in this sequel, & unlike many, it did not suffer from second book syndrome. While there were a few lulls, for the most part the pace was consistent & enjoyable, the worldbuilding was expanded enough that you had glimpses of where the author was leading you, & the story had just enough twists to keep you interest piqued throughout the whole story. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish, especially after how Ledge ended I wanted to diver headfirst into Chasm. Thank you so much for Netgally for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review, it would have been painful waiting for the official release after that ending! I can’t wait for the third book.

I was so excited to get accepted to read an arc of this book. I loved Ledge, and this continuation of the series did not disappoint.

We pick up right from where the last book left of.

This plot is jam packed - there is so much action and so many plot twists that the excitement kept up throughout this book.

I continue to love Dawsyn as a main character. She is the epitome of a fierce female character. She’s so capable, strong and brave.

Ryon redeemed himself in this book after some questionable decisions at the end of Ledge. He is completely devoted to Dawsyn and is prepared to fight alongside her.

The side characters play a stronger role in this book and I especially loved Baltisse and Ruby. I feel that they really compliment Dawsyn and together they make for a fearsome trio.

This story was fascinating and I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next. The only slight criticism I have is the lack of romance in this book. It has more of a high fantasy feel and while this is great i would have loved to see more of the romance between Dawsyn and Ryon.

Any fantasy lovers should give this series a go; you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review

Chasm is a wonderful continuation to the stark, cold world Stacey McEwan presents to readers in Ledge. The story picks up directly following the cliffhanger events in Ledge, following Dawsyn's journey. I loved these new glimpses into her character and her challenges with embracing and controlling these new powers she has. It was fun to watch Dawsyn grow even more on this journey.

The multiple points of view were fun. Usually, I am not a fan of too many POVs, but for this book, I think it truly worked at getting into the minds of different characters across this world McEwan has built. The characters fit perfectly into this world from the massive evil, manipulative queens, to those who fall after a taste of power. Loved that some characters switched sides working to support Dawsyn's new destiny. The book is a sharp exploration of uncontrolled power, loss, sacrifice, and trust. McEwan did a nice job of fitting that into a quick, easy, accessible read.

My only wish was that I got more pining from the FMC and MMC. I really wanted that pining for each other to come through, but I really enjoyed the relationship between them and can't wait to see where it goes next.

Chasm had all of the things in Ledge, but even better. Following Dawsyn and Ryon as they return to Ledge we are drawn along with uncertainty with everything. Sometimes book two in a trilogy tends to feel just like a bridging book, but Chasm held it's own and kept me well and truly interested. I always had so many questions and was suspicious of everyone! The discussions of mental health and loneliness were approached well and handled with finesse and care. Sometimes it did however feel like the plot line wasn't moving along, but once it found it's groove it moved smoothly and quickly into another great ending. However, if you're in this one for the spice, the romance does take a backseat this time while the story works on evolving the other relationships and characters. But it still won't disappoint.

Chasm is for you if you love;
- Found Family
- Enemies to Lovers
- Winged Men
- Slow Burn

Many thanks to NetGalley, Angry Robot and Stacey McEwan for an advanced copy to review. This one is available 12th September, 2023.