This was an okay read. A wonderful concept but the execution of the plot was less than desirable for me.

This book was requested by a previous Lesbrary reviewer who did not finish or review it. In order to keep my Netgalley feedback up to date, I am submitting this review marking it as a DNF, though it was another reviewer who requested this.

I love apocalypse books! However, I found this one a bit hard to follow. I am not the biggest sci-fi fan, which I think was my main problem. I can totally see why people would love this one!

Great premise about an important topic and the lengths people will go to survive and what they will use to control people. I do think that ending is...a choice. It seems like maybe there should be more? It's definitely different and will have people talking. I think I liked it, but I'm not sure who I would recommend this to.

This book was just sadly not for me! I was hoping for something different but it turned out to be something I was not expecting, which is okay and I'm sure someone else would love it!

The cover of this book is honestly what grabbed me because come on, you don't get to see that type of love often. Overall, the story was pretty good. I like the plot and settings of it all. Though I am a little unsatisfied about how it ended. It felt kinda loose and could totally form another story from the ending, or have a slightly different one that could have tied it at the end.
Full review on my YouTube channel.

Knowing that the end of the world is coming and being prepared for its arrival are two very different things. Tasha is a Royal flyer and feels confident in her safety, until she learns nothing is guaranteed. Ella doesn’t care about the end, she just wants to reach her goal before the end comes. Both of these girls voices are powerful and will keep you interested in their tales as you wait for the flood to come.

Um, a girl/girl romance in a dystopian world! Yes please. This book was captivating in all the right ways. I was enamored the entire time!

Um, did Natasha and Ella give anyone else Catra and Adora vibes? *Gush* I thought the story was super compelling with the apocalyptic background and the I loved how the side characters were well developed instead of plot devices.

DNF’d at 30%. Paragraphs were too long and the movement was too slow. Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.

I loved this! Didn't want to put it down. The twists and turns will keep you wanting more. The writing style is amazing and anyone of any age can enjoy it

This was an interesting apocalyptic fantasy set to mirror a bit of a Noah's Ark type of feel.

In this world, every 1000 years there are 10 storms. After all the storms, the world floods for 12 moons and the worry over the storms starts all over..... For those that make it through alive.

Natasha is the flyer who is being set to marry the King. Ella is the newest Flyer, she has a secret mission that no one knows about. She was once branded a Siren, a girl who likes girls. They are branded if caught.

My favorite part were the friendships of the Royal Flyers. These are girls who perform in silks high in the sky. They are guaranteed a spot on boats to survive the flood.... Until they are not. I really liked Ella. She is really smart.
Natasha will do what she thinks is best for her girls (as she calls the other Flyers) until she finds herself falling for Ella.

I thought this was a good debut but not as stunning as I had hoped. But the end makes me excited for more (if there are plans for more?)

I very much enjoyed the concept of this book and great writing. Though I’m fairly new to dystopian fantasy I was able to follow well and was definitely intrigued and kept me focused on the story. The middle is a little slow but that could be me because I’m not used to reading much of this genre tho the ending does pick up . A very good SSF sapphic romance and I enjoy a slow burn .

I enjoyed this one a lot!!! It’s a Girl/Girl romance with a good premise and it blew past my expectations and was so good! I can’t recommend this one enough, definitely an enjoyable read and great romance!

I think this book was wonderfully original. It combines many new things I haven't seen in fantasy, with some elements of other books i liked (of fire and stars, the never tilting world). My only gripe with it is the pacing was terribly slow, and I think even readers who read and enjoyed the other two books i mentioned, will be put off by the pacing of this and struggle to finish.

Girls at the Edge of the World sounded amazing - an apocalyptic romantic fantasy novel? I couldn’t wait to start. Unfortunately, while Girls at the Edge of the World has a lot of excellent pieces, they don’t quite come together in a cohesive whole.

This book starts off incredibly strong - we’re introduced to this world, the flyers, and both of the main characters. Natasha and Ella were both fascinating and I loved their backstories. But with the way this book is written, I never felt like I truly knew who they were. The writing kept me at a distance, and we’re never really granted access to their thoughts/feelings (which also contributed to the pacing of the romance being way off).

However, I think all of this wouldn’t have bothered me so much if this book wasn’t so dang slow. I kept waiting for things to happen, but instead we’re treated to the minutiae of everyday practice for the flyers. Which would be interesting if it wasn’t the majority of the book. And if the books wasn’t set during an apocalyptic count-down. Overall, the pacing of the book of the first 80% seemed really off compared to the urgency of the setting. Then the last 20% comes out of nowhere and the pacing is too fast, not really spending a lot of time on important aspects (like the romance).

I think Girls at the Edge of the World has a fascinating premise, with some incredibly intriguing world-building. But the writing style just didn’t quite work for me. I do think it will work for some readers though!

Holy heck I literally could not have asked for more in a book. World that is going to end. One girl going to assassinate the king who killed his sister, with whom that girl was in love with. Another girl who is a member of the royal dancers and is doing everything to get close to the king in order to save herself and her friends. Friends to lovers but secrets and assassins and EVERYTHING BUILDING UP!! This book was just altogether amazing!

Quick Stats
Age Rating: 14+
Overall: 4 stars
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 4/5

This book was definitely a fun read for Pride month. I loved the characters and I thought that they were all really well developed. The plot was fun and enjoyable, if lacking at times. Honestly, the biggest issue I had with this book was the romance. There was some good yearning, but as soon as there was a romantic catalyst, everything moved really fast. They were in love and ready to die for each other a paragraph after they admitted they had feelings for each other.

The book ended very open-endedly and left me with more questions than answers as to the world building and the flood. It might have been fine for people who prefer open ended books, but it felt unsatisfactory for me.
In the end it was a good book, and I was invested, but it fell flat and left me unsatisfied.

I’m always down for a good apocalyptic book, and Girls at the Edge of the World, scratched that itch perfectly. The story takes place on the eve of a global flood that threatens the future of humanity. If you’re thinking Noah’s Arc, then you’ve got the right idea. But instead of just one boat, there’s a royal fleet. The only problem is they can only save so many.

Natasha, a Royal Flyer (think aerial silks), is determined to get on one of those ships, even if it means pretending to be who everyone thinks she should be instead of who she actually is. Ella, on the other hand, has something else in mind entirely. She’s the new recruit, and she’s hellbent on revenge against the kingdom that took everything from her. But when these two cross paths, something interesting happens.

The alternating chapters put us in the shoes of both heroines, and it’s nice to see different sides of the same story. After reading so many fantasy books where homophobia either doesn’t exist or is merely a footnote, it was jarring to see it front and center in Girls at the Edge of the World. Then again, that kind of prejudice is very real even today, and exploring those themes and watching the protagonists overcome those issues can be extremely cathartic. Just make sure you’re prepared for that when you pick it up.

Enjoyment: 3.5/5
Execution: 3.5/5
Final rating: 3.5/5 (rounded to 4)

Fascinating premise with fables interspersed through the story of a world destined for a giant flood that will kill the inhabitants save for a select few who survive via ships. The book is a dual POV between Natasha, principle of the elite aerial silk performers known as the Royal Flyers, and Ella, who is infiltrating the flyers in the hopes of assassinating King Nikolai. Historically, the Flyers have been given passage on the ships, however when Natasha and her mentor discover that they are being taken off the roster, they hatch a plan for Natasha to win Nikolai's hand in marriage so that she can become queen in order to save the Flyers. Ella however is hellbent on revenge as Nikolai had her lover, his sister, killed.

My biggest issue with this was the pacing. It starts off very slowly, so I had trouble committing to the book initially, but I'm glad I stuck with it! It slowly starts to pick up and the second half is absolutely captivating. Robson's writing is truly very lovely! However, the ending is a bit of a let down because a lot is uncovered in the last few pages and everything just suddenly ends on an open note. It would open perfectly for a sequel (HINT HINT!! I want one!! Desperately!!) or at the very least, an epilogue. I actually had to double check that I was actually on the last page because I couldn't believe it was ending like that.

While there is a romance, I wouldn't classify this as a romance book by any means. This is the slowest of slow burns that, while it finishes in great proclamations of love and dramatic acts, is very minimally developed, which is odd considering the depth and detail given to the other relationships in the book. I really wanted more between them, more mounting romantic tension and moments that would help add up to the finale. However, there is a lot of development in the friendships between the main characters and the flyers which I loved. The side characters, from the other flyers to the charismatic and cruel Gospodin, are all well developed and make a great cast, though I would've loved to see more of Nikolai. I loved reading the ensemble scenes the most - please read for lovely found family vibes.

Absolutely fascinating world building with the storms and the traditions/religions. It did get a little confusing because I think? The storms count down? (Clearly I am still confused even after finishing the book.) But small confusions aside, I really loved reading about this world and would absolutely love a sequel.

Thank you to PenguinTeen for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content warnings (may be incomplete, may contain spoilers): Murder, blood, death of multiple secondary characters, environmental disasters, homophobia, racism, plague, poisoning, violence, religious imagery & bigotry.