I had been considering purchasing this when I found the sampler/excerpt and thought it was a great opportunity to discover whether I would enjoy it as much as I felt I might before taking the plunge. Therefore, I downloaded it immediately. The two chapters that are featured give just enough flavour to whet your appetite unlike some as often I have found excerpts to be far too short, but this was pretty on the money. The language and worldbuilding and the introduction of characters were done nicely, and I found myself compelled to keep reading which gave me the answer I was seeking all along. I only hope the sequel is as exciting and richly portrayed.

This was a taster of the first two chapters for ledge I was able to access for free through netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book starts as a massive wow! I can't wait to go buy and finish reading this. It's a dark fantasy in a dystopianesque world where cold is an evil they all must face. Humans have been overtaken as the apex predator. Friends are hard to come by and love along-lost ideal.

The writing style is typical of fantasy and makes it very easy to get lost in but also question name pronunciations 😉

The plot in just the first two chapters alone is intriguing. The scene setting and world building are done beautifully with a large part of it done through character introspection rather than telling us about the world.

It feels like the kind of dark fantasy where you will get lost in it and come out several hours later feeling like you have travelled across a different world for several days.

I will provide a full updated review once I have completed the full book.

I didn't realize this was only two chapters but I did enjoy them! The first two chapters definitely pull you into the story and I can't wait to one day read the rest.

I love Stacey’s work so much! I can’t wait for the next book to come out! I will definitely be buying it!

Stacey McEwan's "Ledge" offers a compelling start to the Glacian Trilogy. Set in a unique, ice-bound universe, the book introduces readers to Dawsyn, a strong and persistent protagonist wielding an ax and bearing a tremendous burden.

In just the first two chapters, McEwan's world-building is exceptional, painting a chilling picture of a society trapped in a harsh frozen landscape known as the Ledge, constantly fearing the mystical and fearsome Glacians.

Numerous unanswered questions presented in these initial pages amplify the reader's curiosity. How did the Ledge come into being? Is this community the last bastion of humanity or simply a secluded society?
I'm so glad "Ledge" is already out because I've added it to the top of my reading pile.

Thanks to NetGalley and Stacey McEwan' for the two chapter sample in exchange for an honest review.

So glad for the sneak peek! Cant wait to read more by McEwan! The first few characters really draw you in and make me so hyped to see more.

I didn’t realise this was a 2 chapter sampler when I downloaded it and I confess myself disappointed because I am intrigued by what I just read and want to know more… looks like I’ll just have to buy it.

Now bearing in mind that this is a sampler, I can only comment on what I have read so far. I like the use of present tense - it definitely provided a sense of urgency to the narration, I felt my anxiety growing even though nothing particularly horrific has happened yet. A surefire way to build tension.

Not much characterisation within two chapters but I liked what little I saw.

Something needs to be done about the actual formatting of the book: in the sampler sent to my kindle, the second chapter was full of random line breaks and no indents for new paragraphs.

I’ve just bought the book to learn more. I’ll post a full review once finished on Goodreads.

***This review is based on a sample (two chapters) of the book Ledge by Stacey McEwan***

A young woman living alone in a society that is literally on a cliff edge. Does she enjoy her solitude or is she secretly wishing for the day she is chosen?

As soon as I heard the premise of this book when Stacey was writing it, I knew it was one I wanted to read. After reading the first two chapters I'm now absolutely certain this is a book I am going to love. Already the writing style is gripping and feels natural to read. The characters are, so far, well written and you can tell that they have been thought out over time. I can't wait to get my hands on this book.

Having only sampled the first two chapters of Ledge, I’m certainly intrigued to explore this story more.

Set on an harsh and icy mountain face where resources are scarce, our strong willed, axe wielding FMC Dawsyn is all that is left of her family. As she endures this frozen wasteland, she can’t help but wonder about the Glacians; vicious, winged creatures who provide rations to the community in exchange for a human sacrifice…

Thank you to Netgalley, Stacey McEwan and Angry Robot for providing me with this sample.

Having read the first two chapters of ledge I'm very intrigued the story is well written and hooks readers from the get go. The story seems to be well paced with action from the very first chapter as well as world building and some back story included. I lokn forward to reading the rest of this book when it us released to see where it goes

It was not my cup of tea, but I imagine others would like it.

I felt like the editing could have been more fine-tuned regarding the pace, character development, and overall tone of the story.

Book review editing space

Title: Ledge
Series: The Glacian Trilogy
Author(s): Stacey McEwan
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Date Published: September 13, 2023
Date Read: May 23, 2023
Format: eBook
Free?: ARC from NetGalley - 2 chapter preview

NOTE: The following ratings are based on the first two chapters only.
Overall Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5

Spice Rating: 🔥 / 5
Fantasy Rating: 🦄 / 5
Tear Rating: 💧 / 5
Humor Rating: 0 / 5

The Ledge does not reward the meek.

I will first say that I was given the first two chapters as a special preview ahead of the book’s paperback release, so this review only covers that preview.

That being said, I was instantly drawn into the world that Stacey McEwan has built, where the Ledge is cold and unforgiving, and monstrous dwell in the Chasm. I found her writing style to be very easy to fall into, and was sad that tore through the preview so quickly!

I have so many questions about the book — who are the captors? Why the Ledge? What will happen? And I cannot wait to purchase my copy of the book and find out for myself.

If and when I am able to buy this book in full and read it all, I will update my review accordingly.

Based on the two chapters I read, I would definitely recommend this book. I’ve given up on books for less, and I think this book holds great promise of adventure and intrigue.

A really interesting first couple of chapters which set the world up quite nicely and which have really intrigued me. The setting of a small civilisation isolated on a snowy mountain but with something mysterious lurking in the outside world seems quite unique to me and I am definitely curious to read more. I really enjoyed the writing in these two chapters, I felt it portrayed both the world and the characters' emotions vividly, and the prose flowed really nicely.
Often it can take a while to settle into some books, but after only two chapters I already feel like the plot and worldbuilding are moving at a steady pace and I want to know so much more. Based on this sample I'm definitely going to add Ledge to my TBR.

For just the first two chapters, this was gripping.
The pacing was good. We got a decent amount of backstory but not so much I was overwhelmed. The writing itself was very good.
The story seemed different from most, something I haven't read before, and something that could surprise me with wherever it's heading.
I will be adding this to my TBR list!

Despite the fact that I usually advise reading your trigger warnings, I feel confident in declaring that any reader would appreciate picking up this book! I can't wait to see how the tale develops when the sequel debuts in September of this year. It's a brilliant example of work and demonstrates her excellent writing skills.

This is such a solid opening, I was hooked from the first paragraph. I really enjoyed the writing style - easy to follow and really created the picture in my head.

It’s difficult to rate based on a small sample but I will definitely be adding the full book to my TBR

Interesting premise to the story and introduction. Sounds like it's going to be a good one. Not overly detailed and well paced.

I grabbed the sample for this book after hearing a ton about it on TikTok, and following the author. I sometimes feel wary of books written by popular TikTok creators because they don’t always live up to the hype. After reading this two chapter sample I can confidently say, I will be picking up and reading this entire book as soon as possible. The writing is really well done, and the concept is so interesting.
I was a little surprised that a woman from Australia would write about snow and ice, but she did so flawlessly and I found it to be very believable and realistic (for a fantasy book). I think Stacy’s writing deserves all the praise she is getting. Can’t wait to finish this and move right on to book two!

I was given the first two chapters of ledge by NetGalley and I am going to purchase the book now! Cannot wait to find out what happens with the rest of the book!

This book sounds incredible.
I only got the first two chapters and I've added it to my wishlist.
I love the writing style, that it's a female MC, and the addition of song.
Hope to read the full version soon!