Love the segment of this book it has definitely intrigued me into buying the whole story. I liked the prose and use of descriptive/metaphorical writing, and I think the beginning line really helps draw the reader in. Including hints about the character and her past (ie childhood) in the first chapter really helps draw the reader in and made me intrigued from the get go.

This sample from the Ledge seems to be the start of a promising new book series. With a focus on survival and the struggles of an isolated society, I can see some of the main issues in the novel emerging in the first chapters.
Although some of the new terminology was confusing, as we did not have time to fully learn about this new setting, I can see the seeds of strong world building.

I particularly liked that the author focused on man vs nature (or more accurately, man vs cold). The struggle of surviving in cold temperatures is especially poignant when the characters seem to live in a society that discourages co-operation. The people fight, steal and kill when the Drop occurs. They cannot trust their neighbours or rely on one another for survival. This is a strong set up and I can definitely see the link to books like The Hunger Games.

I look forward to reading more from Stacy McEwan!

I read only but a sample of the book “Ledge.” It’s not a fully formed story yet so I’m not quite sure what it’s trying to say with the author’s choice of words and setting. This book starts ominously feeling like an Arctic fantasy with elements of The Hunger Games, but for Adult audiences rather than a YA version. The story became interesting when the FMC visited her neighbor, Hector. Their relationship, history and interactions were intriguing. The book so far has caught my attention enough to want to know more. I’d definitely continue reading. Some books need to be read at least 50% of the way through to know if it’s going to be your best or worst book. It truly depends on the pacing of the book. I get the feeling there’s something big looming like the FMC will soon be selected by the Glacians and find out exactly what the humans purpose is and the origins of the Chasm. There’s a foreboding tone just simmering. I don’t agree with certain word choices. There were many times the author chose peculiar words that didn’t fit as if they used a thesaurus plucking obscure words. It started to become distracting to the story. Overall, I enjoyed this sample and am willing to keep reading. I am fairly forgiving because I recognize not all works are perfect and quite a lot of time and effort goes into writing. My favorite line from the book is “Perhaps there are worst things than death.”

This snippet was easy to get into and seems like a very cool set up for a promising fantasy read! Really liked the tone.

I read the first two chapters of Ledge as an exclusive sample from Netgalley.
I will definitely be reading the rest.
Ledge gets straight into the action, skillfully world building and amping up pace and tension at the same time.
Our main character is likeable, relatable and an excellent example of a strong female character.
I'm excited to read the rest of the book.

With only the first few chapters, it’s hard to properly review and rate this.

The pros:
-I can clearly imagine this world. Her use of imagery allows me to see, feel, smell, and hear it.
-This clearly is dystopian and I love dystopian novels.

The cons:
-I wasn’t invested in the FMC by the end of chapter 2. Normally I am. However, the chapters are very short and I maybe could have with more chapters.

Overall, it’s not bad. It’s just hard to gauge with two chapters.

Well, I decided to give this book a go because of the hype, really.
Probably I shouldn't have;
I'll be very honest: I don't think there is anything essentially wrong with this book or with Stacey McEwan's writing, whatosever. This is simply not a book for my personal taste and preference.
Even though I did enjoy the dystopia side, the fantasy and romance were too much for my taste, so I never could fully enjoy the story or be engaged with the characters.
Again, not the book's fault. I'm just not the proper audience for it.

I encountered this author randomly on TikTok. She posted a video that made me laugh so hard that I immediately shared it with all of my friends (it was the one where if a genie offered you three wishes what would you do). Since this video I've followed her, and I've seen Ledge featured in the BookTok community. However, I've read some of the BookTok books and have been left slightly disappointed and so I'm sometimes a bit hesitant to go all-in on a book/series. This sampler was a great way for me to get a taste of what her writing style is about, and to determine if I want to read her stories (spoiler: I do); not only is Stacey McEwan a very funny (and relatable internet) person, but she is a very talented author. What a great way to help get me more excited about a series and I can't wait to actually sit down with the full copy of Ledge and its sequel.

Thanks Angry robot and Netgalley for this ARC of Ledge by Stacey McEwan

I was so excited to receive this ARC as I've seen talk of this all over tiktok, and I was really getting into the story, but I'll be honest, As much as I loved the premise, the blurb. I love fantasy, I love the dystopian nature of this story, a sampler is just not enough for me to give a review and this why I struggled to give this a higher rating, unfortunately.

Phew sign me up, from these first few chapters I already love Dawsyn. She's a badass willing to fight for what's hers. Excuse me while I run off to Amazon to purchase the whole book.

I really loved the world building and the characters in Ledge. Dawsyn is a wonderful mfc to read and I can’t wait to dive into book 2.

I felt like this was a book that set an expectation and met, if not superseded it, in the best way.

It is YA so that should be kept in mind for readers, but I don’t think that takes away from it.

This is the story of a girl named Dawsyn who’s lived her whole life on a small slice of land called the Ledge. And every season, these beings called Glacians steal away some of the humans.

Dawsyn gets taken and things don’t go as expected and Dawsyn (who’s also a badass ax wielder by the way) meets Ryon along the way. Together they set out on a journey that upturns a lot of interesting secrets.

That was kind of a bad summary and things are a lot more complex than that but I don’t want to give away spoilers and I feel like there are so many unexpected turns that summarization can be a slippery slope.

I have been on the fence about reading this series for a while now, as I love the author on Instagram but I also have quite the TBR stack to read. This sampler is such a great idea and really helped me prioritize reading this series in a way that didn't require my full investment right off the bat, while still getting me hooked! I can't wait to read the rest of the book/other books in the series! I will be posting reviews on both my instagram @/briellesbookshelves and my GoodReads account.

Ledge - 4.75 ⭐️
Dawsyn grew up on a ledge with harsh snowy conditions and minimal resources. Their village on the ledge is forced to endure their loved ones being sacrificed one at a time. Dawsyn is taken by the winged creatures called Glacians and finds out what happens to those who are chosen.

Such a quick read and couldn’t put it down! Dawsyn goes through a lot very quickly, and the book is fast paced. She learns so much about the Glacian’s, the circumstances of her village, and the rest of the world. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about that world alongside her. The romance is good, and I’m invested in their relationship. That cliffhanger though! Be glad book 2 is already out!

Very interesting beginning! I’m already hooked and can’t wait to read more! I was only given a sneak peek at this upcoming book. I think it was 2 chapters. Dawsyn is the only one left of her family on a cold ledge where a chasm separates a few villagers from the Glacians. The Glacians fly across the chasm and choose some villagers to take over the chasm. Dawsyn has been saved from the selection for seven years. Has her time come to be picked?

Throughly enjoyed this sample. All the things I am looking for in a fantasy and I am intrigued by The Glacians and selection day…

Seems pretty clear that Dawson is about to go on some kind of Glacian adventure and I want to know more!!!

“Ledge: A Gripping Tale of Survival and Betrayal”
In the icy realm of the Ledge, where civilization teeters on the edge of oblivion, Stacey McEwan weaves a captivating fantasy. Dawsyn, an ax-wielding survivor, faces an unthinkable fate: chosen as a human sacrifice. But destiny takes an unexpected turn, propelling her on a quest to save her people from their frozen prison.
The Ledge, trapped by sheer cliffs and haunted by Glacians—mystical, winged creatures—holds secrets and danger. Dawsyn’s resilience shines as she navigates treacherous terrain, her survival instincts unyielding. When a half-Glacian named Ryon offers an alliance, she finds trust becomes her greatest challenge, when this creature risked her existence!

Stacey McEwan’s storytelling grips readers from the first page. Heartache, betrayal, and vengeance intertwine, leaving us on the edge of our seats. The slow-burning romance adds depth, while high stakes keep us turning pages.

Content warnings: gratuitous violence, death, loss of a minor, suicide, attempted assault.
Thanks NetGalley, Angry Robot And Stacey McEwan for crafting this chilling tale. 🌟

Well, I need to know what happens. Off I run to go get a full copy of Ledge to find out what happens to Dawson. How will the selection go? Will she be chosen? If she's chosen will she find out the previous chosen aren't dead. Ooooh so many possibilities, my mind is whirring!

There were only a few pages, but it was super good! I'm definitely interested in reading more of this book.

Ledge
Stacey McEwan

I received the first two chapter of Ledge by Stacey McEwan to review from NetGalley. Most books, especially in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi genre take a few chapters for me to get into and this wasn’t an exception. Unfortunately, it means that I didn’t connect with the book well enough that I want to seek it out to read in the future. From what I can tell Ledge follows the story of Dawsyn, a girl who has no family and nothing to lose, living in an isolated frozen ledge in the mountains where they rely on supplies from big winged shape shifters who drop them into the village and let a hunger games-esqe cornucopia battle ensue. In exchange the shapeshifters take a human to sacrifice. This is as much knowledge as I gleaned from the first two chapters, however I think if the reading section I was provided had gotten up to Dawsyn being taken, I might have been more inclined to pursue the rest of the book. Unfortunately, I didn’t connect with any of the characters as I feel as a reader, I wasn’t given the right information within the first two chapters to do so. This may very well turn out to be a fantastic book, however I won’t be finding out. My advice for providing ARCs in future is to either provide the whole book or choose a strategic ending point where the reader will be left really wanting more.

I can’t give this high stars since it was only the first two chapters. While I am interested in continuing it, I feel I could have done without the sex scene that was rather badly done. But the story itself is intriguing and something I haven’t read yet so I would read the rest of it either way.