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.

OMG LIKE OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

FREAKING FANTASTIC, AMAZINGLY ASTOUNDING, JUST WOW

Ok, really review time.
Writing: spot on. Kinda like Stephanie Garber where everything is so poetic and pretty. I loved her writing. It was very descriptive, but didn’t drag on.
Plot: It was amazing. The pace was exceedingly well done. The ending was…just….I’m left speechless. Like the ending is really truly amazing. I saw that on alot of reviews, but it’s true.
Characters: Ummm, I’d like Ryon please. He’s so cute and dangerous and I love him. Kinda like a bat boy, but with less power. Dawsyn was someone I really loved. She wasn’t some baby or weak girl. She is powerful and has her weak spots, but she over comes them.

I really loved this book. This has to be on my top 10 of the year. I can’t wait to read the next book!

What I loved: Dawsyn, the setting, the pacing, the romance, the ENDING 😭

Wow. Right from the start, McEwan had me captivated with Dawsyn’s story. I’d highly recommend going into this book fairly blind and letting it wash over you. Dawsyn Sabar reminds me of Katniss Everdeen, Rey Skywalker, and someone entirely her own. The worldbuilding in Ledge was so well done, and yet I’m still yearning for more. I hope in the next book (Chasm, out September 2023), we will see even more beyond the Ledge and Terrsaw.

What I didn’t love: the inconsistencies of POV switching, the short length of the book, the questions I’m left reeling with.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Well let me just say that this book was going to easily be a five star read for me all the way up until that dang last chapter!

Do I regret reading it? Nope!

Will I read the next book in the series? Absolutely.

Am I still mad about that last chapter? Yes! (Mostly because it made no sense to me why the heck it happened.)

4⭐
R for some 🌶️ scenes

If ACOTAR left you with a bat boy sized hole in your heart, I think this book will help you fill it with Ryon. Stacey McEwan pulls a variety of fantasy tropes to craft her own story of a small village girl pulled out of her world to reckon with the forces that shaped it. Throw in some enemy to lovers romance and how the fight to survive creates feelings and you've got this book which is a clever romp that ends on a cliffhanger where you immediately need more.

I'm a sucker for a strong female heroine who can fight and won't let a man save her, so I enjoyed all of Dawsyn's sass throughout the book. Though world building was not all there and sometimes this book felt more YA than adult, I found the set up to be unique and I think there is so much more to come in this trilogy. I am so curious to see how Dawsyn grows because there were so many interesting characters introduced in this book who have so much potential in the sequel. If you enjoyed the Throne of Glass series, I think you would like this book too.

This was the most unique fantasy romance I have read in a long time. The world Stacey created was phenomenal.

In Ledge we meet Dawsyn, who is the last remaining member of her family. She is barely surviving on the Ledge, a mountain ledge where humans were herded 50 years ago. They cannot leave and struggle to survive. Their captors occasionally drop supplies, but also take humans from their “town” on the Ledge a few times a year.

One year, Dawsyn is finally “chosen” and is ripped from the only life she has ever known. What she discovers about what happens to those carried off the Ledge by their winged captors changes everything… including Dawsyn’s life.

Along the way, we also meet Ryon, who is half human and half Glacian (the name of the winged beings that have held the humans captive on the Ledge).

I almost feel like saying much more will spoil the story, but it was seriously SO GOOD!!!! I was transported to this world and could NOT stop reading once I really got into it.

I am so excited for Stacey and I cannot WAIT for the next installment. I really need to know what happens to Dawsyn and Ryon! I highly recommend this book.

Okay I am VERY upset by that ending?????? What the hell ?????

That being said, huge fan of this book. Loved the main characters, loved the different kinds of people and the general story - it was easy to follow along but still complicated and interesting and HEARTWRENCHING. Now I have to wait ages for book 2 ??? But the ending!!! Urgh

Thanks (a lot 🙄) to netgalley for the free review copy

This book focuses on Dawsyn, a 24-year-old badass, has lived her whole life on the icy Ledge, where her and other humans are forced to survive the harsh environment and the possibility of being plucked by one of their winged captors, the Glacians. One day, Dawsyn is swooped up by one of the Glacians and given the choice of certain death or possible death by running down the mountain. She chooses to run and reluctantly allies with half-Glacian Ryon to make her escape. But the world outside of the mountains and chasms is just as dangerous as the place she just came from.

There were a lot of world-building choices that pulled me out of the story. More humans seemed to die on the ledge for reasons other than being picked up by Glacians, surely, it’s inefficient? There are at least two different types of magic; where do they come from? Religion? Trade?

While the writing style was pretty strong, the plotting and pacing made it clear this was the author’s first book. The middle was the definition of a sagging middle, with the first conflict out of the way and no secondary conflict already in place or character growth continuing to maintain the momentum. Even once we got past that part, the twists were very predictable.

Speaking of characters, Dawsyn had very little character besides “badass with an ax” and Ryon just alternated between “loves Dawsyn” and “wants revenge” so neither was a super compelling character and together, they did not make a super compelling relationship.

Also, as much as I’ve seen people claim this book has “LGBTQ+ representation,” only the human side characters are queer, neither Dawsyn, Ryon, or any Glacian mentioned are queer. There's the two sapphic queens, the owner of the inn who is gay, a witch who is sapphic in some regard, and the inn's supplier who is nonbinary. The supplier gave me the most pause, not because he's nonbinary and uses he/him pronouns (pronouns =/= gender so I'm perfectly fine with that), but because of how Dawsyn talked about him and I was worried he was edging on being a stereotype. Really, we didn't get that much meaningful interaction with the latter three, who I could tell were supposed to be Ryon's quirky found family. Maybe in future books, we'll be able to see more of their personalities and it'll be clearer that they're more than whatever stereotypes I was afraid of, but spoiler alert, I'm probably not going to be reading more of this series.

In fact, speaking of those characters, I found it odd that those characters were built to be Ryon’s found family, when it really should’ve been the other half-Glacians who not only helped raised him, but were working with him to build a revolution! That only occurred to me in writing out this review, but it seems like the perfect missed opportunity for, if nothing else, two found families!

I rated this two-stars. I think the people who this book is made for are going to really enjoy it. If you don’t normally like NA romantacy books, you can probably pass on this one.

Ledge is the first book in the fantasy romance Glacian trilogy by author, Stacey McEwan.

Dawsyn has grown up on the ledge, a small community set high up on a mountain chasm where all she has known is fear and the cold. When she is taken by the terrifying Glacian's and faces a turning point for her and her people, will she be brave enough to withstand everything thrown at her as she faces those who are responsible for the enslavement of her people.

Part fantasy, part romance, this story will delight fans of these genres. The romance is medium burn with just enough spice. I enjoyed the epic world building, interesting and strong characters and fast paced action.

Be warned the book ends on a cliffhanger so you will have to eagerly await book 2. I look forward to diving into book 2 when it comes out. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an arc of this novel.

4.25 Stars/2 Chilis

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot Publishing for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

I was prepared to not like this book. In fact, I went in ready to roast this book. Why you ask? Because we have yet another Booktoker writing a book, yet another tale about a heroine rescued by a hero, etc. Or so I thought. I was pleasantly surprised by this novel, in the best ways possible and happy to say very much proved wrong.

Trigger warnings: violence, murder, attempted murder, attempted assassination, mass murder, mass kidnapping, mass captivity, kidnapping, imprisonment

What I liked:
-Our heroine, Dawsyn, is an absolute badass. If you think I’m kidding, there is a scene where another woman is flirting with our hero, Ryon. Dawsyn approaches the twosome where the other woman says something rude to Dawsyn, along the lines of, “I’ve called dibs, move along honey.” Rather than responding in any way, Dawsyn merely looks at the woman in such a way that she apologizes and moves on. Again, Dawsyn doesn’t say a word. Then she seduces Ryon. It was incredible.
-There are a lot of things you don’t know as a reader despite this being third person. I love a good reveal and the fact that we weren’t privy to everything, just like Dawsyn.
-Our heroine is very much able to protect herself, but also still needs help from Ryon to navigate a strange and foreign world to her.
-Ryon is a very masculine character, but also very willing to allow Dawsyn to own and lead their relationship. She seduces him, she determines their relationship, she controls the narrative.
-There is a clear set up for the next books and I am honestly so excited for the sequel. I can’t wait. I’m on board.
-I initially wasn’t sold on the premise, I’ll be honest. It seemed silly to me, but this was such a well thought out, nuanced tale that was more than I expected and also very unique.

What I struggled with:
-Dawsyn and Ryon… look I’m going to say it: the names are standard but just spelled differently so it looks exotic. Just give me Dawson and Ryan. It’s ok. I’m fine with it.
-I personally don’t like books written in the present tense. It throws me out of the novel. That aspect of this isn’t my favorite, however I was still very involved in the world and it didn’t mess with my experience once I was in the world and bought into the story.


This book was everything I needed and I’ll just say this: I read this entire book while traveling (not on vacation but literally in an airport traveling on a plane) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend it and I cannot wait for the next book.

Wow! Great debut from Stacey McEwan. The world building was original and great, loved the questing portions of the plot and the steam was on point. The story is interesting and face paced and the main characters are nuanced and likable. Can't wait for book two!

This book took me longer to finish than I expected because I had to keep taking breaks. I loved and felt so there with the characters, that whenever something happened I needed to literally walk away and come back.

Based wholly on those breaks and when in the book I needed to take them, I can say that this book is perfectly paced and the ebbs and flows of the plot are as soothing and intoxicating as the magic in the pool of Iskra. I’ve never wanted to pick back up a book so soon after finishing it.

One of my favorite things about this book (aside from the characters) is the language used both in and out of dialogue. When the characters are talking to each other, not only does their individual personality come through but it really feels like a fantasy book in the cadence of their speech. I was constantly aware that I was witnessing something magical and of-another-world. Despite the true, heartwarmingly, human moments in the book, there was nothing pedestrian about it because of the words the author used in those moments.

Throughout this book, I got a sense that Stacey McEwan was sharing her wishes for the world. Some were small and simple like a man with huge hands who loves a woman with a sharp with - honestly, same. Others were huge; the type of hopes we have but rarely know how to chase. Things like making the world “A Better Place” where people are not forced to go without freedom and comfort so that others may benefit, bluntness is welcome so long as it’s used without judgment, and differences are used as strengths to join forces against those with their heels on the backs of others. I loved being in a world where these wishes became plans and actions and I thank the author for sharing it with me.

Will destiny kills or saves?

Living on the Ledge battling the harsh winters, we meet Dawsyn who is capable of surviving anything her own. Up there on the little remote community, humans are either seen as food or sports. While the magic system and the worldbuilding is moderately okay, I still found myself asking questions that are unanswered.

The romance is okay, and yes, there is spice. I'm not attached to the characters, especially both the main character and the love interest, but the buildup was still okay.

Now, the writing was what hooked me. From the very first page, I was already drawn to how the author articulated intricately the story. It was lyrical in a sense that wasn't overtly flowery. It was what drawn me to turn page after page.

Thank you to Angry Robot and Netgalley for approving my request of the eARC!

I had been so excited for this book for so long, that when the author announced it was going up on Netgalley, I have never requested a book so fast!

Welcome to the Ledge, where if the cold doesn’t kill you or being picked up by a winged Glacian, a fall into the Chasm surely will. There is no escaping. Dawsyn was born on the ledge and it’s all she’s ever known. She is tough and a fighter. Until one day she is chosen by a Galcian in the culling, now her life will never be the same.

I always look forward to picking up a fantasy book. The reading escape that they provide is incomparable. This one was no different. The imagery that the author was able to pack into this book was incredible. I was able to travel to a whole new world, and learn about a new way of life. The concept behind the Ledge and the Glacian colony was fascinating and also heartbreaking. This book ends on a huge cliffhanger and I will be slowly dying until the second book comes out.

If you are looking for your next fantasy book, look no further. This one has it all!


Thank you so much to #netgalley and #angryrobot for the opportunity to read this book and give it my honest review.

GREAT DEBUT DESPITE A FEW MINOR BUMPS

Actual rating: 3.5 ⭐

The first thing that drew me in to this book was the setting and the atmosphere. The humerous banter and the chemistry between Dawsyn and Ryon made me hang around. But there were a few things, that bothered me...

👍 What I Liked 👍

Universe: The world of the Glacians fascinated me right from the start. I loved the wintery brutality and the survival-of-the-fittest vibes. It felt like something new and unique. The grit really pulled me into the world and the fantasy elements.

Chemistry: Right from the beginning there is obvious chemistry between Ryon and Dawsyn, our two MCs. At first the chemistry was that of two enemies trying to size each other up and tear one another down. Which was super fun to read! But as the sexual tension entered the equation, the chemistry took on a new form. And as a fan of enemies to lovers romance, I was there for is!

Banter: Though this is a very dark and brutal world, there is still delightful, humerous banter. And that just gets me every time. Both as enemies and lovers, Ryon and Dawsyn deliver worthy one-liners.

Ending: Of course I won't spoil the ending... But I liked it!

👎 What I Disliked 👎

POVs: Most of this book is narrated from Dawsyn's POV. Which was why I found it really strange when Ryon suddenly had a chapter. And then another. And then another. But in the end it was only a handful, while the rest was from Dawsyn's POV. To me it was just confusing, annoying and really not necessary.

World building: Yes, the world was my favourite part of this book. And I really needed more of it. There were simply too many things left unsaid about this world. Especially in regards to the Glacians. But I hope we'll get more of that in a later book.

Wow! This was my first read by this author and can I just say it was amazing! The world building was top notch, Dawsyn was a complete bad*ss that has strength and courage. Ryon is a great addition, but I felt that the FMC stole the show for me, which I'm good with. I couldn't put this book down and need the next book ASAP! If you enjoy NA fantasy this will be a great read for you!

Okay so I have mixed feelings about this book...on the one hand, I liked the description of the places and the author nicely sets the scene in the first few chapters. Introducing the characters and the sub plot so we all know what's happening...but in reading this so quickly after the A Court of Thorns and Roses Series, it pales in comparison, which is not the book's fault I might add!

The enemies to lovers happens over a very short timeline which to me seems unrealistic. Dawsyn and Ryon, the main characters in this dystopian fantasy, are the typical fantasy duo, a big bulky male with wings and a sassy weapon weilding no-nonsence female. I didn't engage with them because I didnt find out a lot about them; what makes them who they are just wasnt covered.

This is a dialogue heavy book and I struggled with it. Also, Ryon uses the word "girl" in almost every sentence aimed at Dawsyn...which began to grate on me. There's a lot going on and at times it can get busy with description and speech.

However, I didnt see the ending of the book coming! At all. All the right steps were taken to set up book 2 nicely.

I have not been able to put into words how much this book blew me away.
I am so glad I was able to read an ARC of this book because I preordered the physical copy immediately after finishing it.

This book has everything I long for in fantasy romance books. (An underrated genre let's be honest)
High fantasy, romance subplot, female protagonist that is not here for anyone's BS, magical fantasy elements, a love interest that tried so hard not to fall for his "captive," as well as the forbidden romance vibe.

Dawsyn grew up on the Ledge. Starving, cold, and fighting to survive is all she knows. She's watched her whole family suffer and perish on the ledge. But Dawsyn is the ultimate survivor. Think adult hunger games with the stakes times 100. The story sucked me in from the beginning and it was a wild ride all the way to the end. I am fairly good at predicting where stories are going because of how much I read, but I did NOT see this one coming. The end had my jaw on the floor and left me so mad (in the best way). I cannot believe McEwan is a debut author when she handed us this gold. If you love dark fantasy romance where the stakes are life and death this is for you. It was sad, it was intense, and the romance was just everything I love to swoon for. I cannot wait for more of this series and more from this AUTHOR!!

McEwan has any and all trigger warnings listed at the beginning which was so helpful.

Honestly this is what I needed to renew my faith in the fantasy romance genre. THANK YOU STACY MCEWAN.

What a fun fantasy adventure! I enjoy this first book and cannot wait to see where it goes. My only complaint is I wanted more! I felt like the story moved too fast with so much going on. I would have enjoyed it slowed down a bit.

The premise of Ledge really pulled me in. A society of people living in the harshest of environment, their village perched on a ledge. Their life consists of survival and awaiting the meager rations that are given to them by the winged Glacians in return for sacrifices.

Dawsyn is the lone surviving member of her family, using her axe and sheer strength to survive. When she is chosen for sacrifice as well as others, she is thrown into another fight for her life.
This was a 3.5 star read for me. A lot of it has to do with the fact it’s a little lacking in the world building. There isn’t a lot of information such as the hows, whys, or even history of the Glacians. I felt readers were expected to accept things at face value. Also, I would have liked to see more initial character development with Dawsyn in the beginning. I would have liked to see more time in the beginning spent with her day to day survival and maybe filling in more of her family history. This is more a personal preference than anything else.
McEwan’s writing is strong. It’s very wordy in places which does slow down the pacing a bit, but she had a wonderful grasp of imagery and her use of metaphors is really nice. She does a really nice job in the action and even the romance.

Overall, I think this is a pretty solid start for a debut novel and book one of a series. The series has a lot of potential, and if that doesn’t compel you to read on in the series, then the cliffhanger definitely will.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Ledge.