I did not read the description and as such, did not realise this was a sampler, carrying only the first two chapters.

That said, Stacey sure did pack in a lot: backstory, spice, some world building, heightened sense of danger and a desire to know what will happen next. Questions like - how on earth did they get here - were answered too so it’s good to know (and hope) the pace of the trilogy will be thrilling.

In only two chapters, we get a good enough idea of the world. The writing is good and the world building is pretty clear, at least for what we're supposed to know, until the protagonist herself gets to the point of discovering new things. Still, they didn't make me exited enough to pick up the book. If the selection takes place in chapter 3, maybe it would have been nice to have that as the cliffhanger of the sneak peek

The opening chapters of "The Glacian Trilogy" immediately showcase the author's prowess in crafting a narrative that is as captivating as it is harrowing. The reader is drawn into the plight of Dawsyn, a character forged in the unforgiving climes of a world where survival hangs by a thread. In this icy realm, high atop a mountain ledge, a community exists in the shadow of death, with escape an impossible dream—save for a fatal plunge into the abyss below or at the hands of the malevolent Glacian overlords. The saga begins with a fierce scramble for precious supplies, a lifeline for those perched on the Ledge. Dawsyn, our indomitable protagonist, stands among them, unwavering in her resolve. She is beset on all sides—by the relentless cold, the gnaw of hunger, the specter of disease, and the desperation of her own people. Yet, when the Glacians mark her for their own sinister purposes, Dawsyn is faced with the ultimate choice: to engage in battle or embrace death. The narrative weaves a spell with its lyrical prose, inviting the reader to delve deeper into this chilling world. The anticipation of discovering Dawsyn's fate is irresistible—I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to immerse myself further in this extraordinary journey.

In this thrilling first installment of The Glacian Trilogy we meet Dawsyn who is part of a trapped community whom live on the ledge of a cliff high up in the snowy mountains with no way down except through the deep chasm to their deaths, or to be taken and consumed by the evil Glacian overlords. Dawsyn must fight day and night, first the cold, hunger, sickness, and her neighbors in order to survive. When Dawsyn gets chosen by the Glacians she either has to choose to fight or die.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the exclusive sampler of Ledge by Stacey McEwan. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been debating buying this book for a while now and this sampler helped me decide to buy it.

The story starts with a desperate fight for supplies, which were dropped for the people living on the Ledge. Our main character Dawsyn is one of them and she doesn’t back down.

We learn about the precarious means of the people living on the Ledge and their fear of the Chasm which had claimed many lives, also
“There are beasts over the Chasm. The very beasts in fact who herded the people onto the Ledge so many years before. Their gatekeepers. Their wardens. The masters of their fate.
The Glacians.”

In these first few chapters I was able to appreciate the writing and storytelling abilities of the author. I am intrigued and want to find out more about Dawsyn’s story, this cold and cruel world she lives in, and the Glacians.

I loved this. The prose is so magical and beautiful. I am very interested in exploring this world and seeing what happens next! Definitely will be picking up this book as soon as possible.

I had the opportunity to read a sample of this book and absolutely loved it. This will immediately be added to my cart, I need it now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 stars
🌶️🌶️ spice

<b>What to Expect:</b>
🪓Human x Bat Boy (Ice Edition)
🪓Badass axe-wielding FMC
🪓Enemies to lovers
🪓Forced proximity
🪓Court Politics
🪓Found Family

Favourite Quotes:
“Only stupid men goad women with knives.”

“She wears boldness like a cloak, claims to separate desire from true attachment, but he knows he cannot do the same. He cannot have just her body and not become starved for the rest of her.”

“Perhaps souls like theirs can only wander so far before they collide.”

Stacey McEwen has absolutely no business being so outrageously funny and charismatic, and as it turns out, also being a phenomenal author. This was incredibly well written, especially for a debut novel. I was blown away!

I received a sample of this book from NetGalley but you best believe I went and bought it straight away - I was hooked from the start, and had to know what happened after getting introduced to badass FMC Dawsyn. Seriously, what a fucking epic main character.

Absolutely frothed over this world building, it felt so unique, and still left so much we’re yet to explore for the rest of the series. There was a real grittiness to this book you often don’t see in a lot of Romantasy reads, it felt raw and real and utterly heart wrenching at times.

The side characters were all great - we love those found family feels, and what can I say, Ryon’s a heart-throb. Was he the most amazing love interest? Not really, he was kinda just nice eye candy (or rather, brain candy for the vivid imagery playing in my head while reading this). Dawsyn was a significantly superior character. But just give a guy some wings and a soft side to his brooding, tough exterior and we’re all done for. Dudes with wings - they’ll get you every time.

Absolutely reeling over that ending. I did not see that one coming, sheeeeesh rip out my heart Stacey…

I received this sample from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for this review.

I loved this sample so much that I instantly added the first book (of which this is the opening chapters) and the second to my TBR. While I haven't finished beyond this sample yet - I have not stopped thinking about the premise: A community of people living in a freezing icy village, hopeless, with no escape and as futile as their existence seems, the threat looms of death during the yearly culling where a member of the community is selected as sacrifice.

It is so different to anything I've read in a long time, plus the fact that it is a trilogy means it is bound to be a thrilling experience - my only reason for holding off thus far is because it's a trilogy. I will be binger-reading these three books as soon as book 3 releases next month!

I recently started following the author on her socials and have been getting more interested in her books. This sample was the perfect amount to convince me that I need to add her books to my TBR. I loved the feeling of despair that is instant in these 2 chapters but that Dawsyn is a small flame just waiting. Can't wait to read more!

In the haste of reading about this book I did miss that it was a sampler. The two chapters are good and I think I will read the whole book at some point.

I received this sample and was enthusiastic to read it (after all, who doesn't love Stacey McEwan?!) However, I just couldn't immerse myself into the book: the descriptions felt quite lacking and some didn't make sense. Sadly, I don't think I'll continue with the book.

I was glad to have found this sampler of this book. Getting a taste of this sensational book that everyone is talking about finally gives me a reason to go and get myself a copy. Definitely worth my time reading.

Stacey McEwan gives us fantastic world-building and imagery. The world is described beautifully. Reading Ledge literally made me feel the cold! The storyline and characters are top-notch qnd stand out from your usual fantasy romance. It's dark and utterly delicious!

Honestly the first two chapters are compelling but they leave much of the book unknown, with that being the case I cannot decide if to purchase the book or not for our members as I do not know if the rest of the story is good or not. I also did not feel drawn in enough during the first two chapters to feel the need to purchase the book to see how it ends.

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.