Member Reviews
Valley by Stacey McEwan was such a brilliant conclusion to this series. The world building continues to blow me away, and my love for the characters continued to grow—they’re the kind you just don’t forget. The story had a good balance of action, emotion, and some unexpected twists that kept me hooked. The ending was super satisfying and tied everything together perfectly. If you’re into fantasy, this is definitely one to pick up!
Loved this book! An absolute amazing continuation of this series. Genuinely more than I could have imagined, I really enjoyed reading it. I just could not put it down
Stacey has really nailed it with this book and conclusion to the trilogy. I love the way the characters develop over all three books. Dawsyn is gritting and endearing. I love her as an fmc.
This book was everything I didn’t know I needed for the final installment of the trilogy. The plot took a path I was not expecting, but I was definitely hooked the entire time. The author expertly wove a story of generational trauma, magic, family (both found and blood), and the ultimate battle scenes that had me on the edge of my seat! It was sad to finish Ryon and Dawsyn’s story, but I’m infinitely grateful for being able to read this trilogy and experience the beautiful mind of McEwan. I look forward to any future books she may write as one of my favorite authors going forward! The Glacian Trilogy is one I will not forget!
3.5 stars
This was an okay conclusion to this trilogy. The romance was not really there for this book, which was fine for me, but I know Romance readers are going to want more. The connection between Dawsyn and Ryon felt forced and repetitive. I've struggled with their relationship throughout the series, so it's not surprising that I'd find it lacking once again.
We got additional POVs for this book, and I liked one of them. I found Yennes's backstory very interesting and a nice little tie-in to the small gang Dawsyn has surrounding her. The last book left us with the devastating loss of Baltisse. I did miss her in Valley. The secondary characters, like Esra and the rogue Glacians, had less page time, which made them feel more like cardboard cutouts of themselves. They were more fleshed out in previous books. The character death at the end of this book did not hit me at all compared to Baltisse, and I wish that it had. I wanted to feel the loss, but I wasn't as emotionally connected.
It took me longer to read this book because the plot was a little disjointed. They did a lot of wandering. I liked the twist with the other end of the Chasm and wish that something more had been done with that. I liked meeting the other mages, but that also felt a little flat. It wasn't until the end that I felt that things smoothed out, and we had a very satisfying wrap-up of events. I enjoyed the conclusion and thought that was well done. McEwan has fantastic moments in her writing style and then other moments that left me wanting more.
This is a good trilogy, and I enjoyed it. I preferred the first two books over this one, but Valley does have its good points. I would recommend it to romantasy lovers, with the warning that the romance is pretty low in book three.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
After all that pain and anticipation, this was the PERFECT closure. Stacey is a queen and writes so incredibly well. There was so much pain, suspense, and some really good twists and turns. I truly am just so happy at the emotional devastation that took place and I can't believe this is over. The ending was truly perfect.
This series ripped me apart and our be back together. I read Ledge before Chasm came out and the plot twist & cliffhanger absolutely blew my mind. Chasm was so enchanting and exciting. This final book, Valley, rounded the trilogy out so well. I loved the alternating POVs. I loved the romance. The backstory of the Queen and the plot twists in Valley made me pave around my room. This is one of the bests ending to a trilogy in a long time.
loften see people on the lookout for a new fantasy series when they feel like they've read them all so l'm telling you, this should be it!
I first found @staceymcewanbooks account through her hilarious reels, and after seeing all the creativity she packed into those I couldn't wait to read her debut book, Ledge.
Fast forward to now and I can confirm the entire trilogy? Innnncredible.
If you're looking for a new fantasy collection with unique world building, a loveable found family, amazing spice, high stakes and an all consuming plot - add this to your TBR. You won't be disappointed.
Ledge, Chasm and Valley are out on everywhere now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing an eARC of Valley in exchange for this honest review!
I'm gonna be real honest right here, this series isn't worth the read. How do I know? I read the first and third book and did not feel like I missed anything at all.
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I feel like this was just a half-written draft of an actual book. My favorite example of this is the first time Dawsyn and Ryon have any intimacy in this book, we get the beautiful line: "He tells her other things" 😐 Way to give us nothing.
Also stop fricking calling books Romantasy / Romance / etc. if you aren't going to give us that!!! There was 0 chemistry between Dawsyn and Ryon. They also just refused to do any amount of communication, and it very much felt like we were just told they loved each other and given no proof of it at all. I believed the Queens loved each other more than you could convince me of Dawsyn and Ryon being in love.
The world is entirely unbelievable in a way that I can't even tell myself "Well sure, but it's fantasy so it's fine!" No. I'm 99% sure this story exists in some vacuum and there is no rest of a world here. I have read some pretty bad fantasy books and still at least felt like there was a world present.
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I love myself some romantasy. Save yourself the disappointment and pick up really anything else. If you wanted it because "monster lover" type of stuff, I can assure you there are WAY better monster romances you could read that would actually deliver on the romance.
This was such a good wrap up to such a fun romantasy series, Dawsyn is a bae and she deserves all the power in the world, cant wait to see what Stacey writes up next!
This was a great and satisfying-everything was tied together in this book, which I was so happy to see!
I loved seeing Dawsyn come into her power in this book- she is truly a fantastic FMC and I love her relationship with Ryon.
Such a brilliant series for any fantasy romance lovers!!
Stacey McEwan delivers an absolutely stunning, dare I say perfect, conclusion to the Glacian Trilogy. The twist as the third act was looming was my undoing. Of course this story was going to be heart-wrenching as well as triumphant, but did I honestly need to be sobbing for nearly half the book? It feels a little unnecessary, Stacey. I am too invested in these characters in a way that felt personal. Regardless of tears shed, this was a deeply satisfying finale that weaves together complex political intrigue, betrayal, past revelations and secrets while never losing sight of the personal relationships that have made this series so compelling.
This tale has set a new gold standard for the found family trope, and I do not think I will be able to read anything ever again without comparing it to how I felt about the characters in this series. The overarching character development is some of my all time favorite, and it felt natural watching not just one character take the spotlight through the book. However, Dawsyn was the perfect blend of strength and softness. She is the type of FMC I live for.
Thank you not just to Angry Robot, but Stacey for allowing us to be on this journey. This series will always have a piece of my heart.
Valley is an enjoyable romantasy, but it is the weakest book of the trilogy.
The earlier books were better with more intrigue and overall more interesting plot points. This certainly did not need to be three books and probably would have worked better as a duology. I was often bored with the repetitiveness, and even though everything was tied together in this book, it wasn’t satisfying.
I loved seeing Dawsyn come into her power. I felt truly connected to her and wish we could have had more time with her family: “Dawsyn closes her eyes and she is in her den of girls, the wind beating its mighty gale beyond their walls. But she is not afraid. She is not alone.” There were points like this that the writing completely drew me in. Dawsyn is a wonderful fmc and her relationship with Ryon was a highlight. I adored the wider cast of characters and felt Esra, Salem and Baltisse were such interesting characters on their own, but also created a greater depth of understanding to the natures of both Dawsyn and Ryon.
Overall, this wasn’t inherently bad but just wasn’t necessary. Sometimes a standalone or duology is more than enough. I would still recommend this to lovers of romantasy.
No, mi spiace, ma non ci siamo proprio...
Avevo grandi aspettative da questa serie, dato che mi era davvero piaciuto tanto il primo libro, Ledge, ma purtroppo sono state completamente deluse.
Già nel secondo libro avevo percepito la trama andare per conto suo senza alcun controllo e senso, ma avevo sperato con tutta me stessa che l'autrice avrebbe riportato la storia sulla retta via, anche se quello che stava facendo la protagonista non aveva alcun senso.
Ma alla fine questo terzo libro è stato il totale CAOS.
Mi ci sono voluti tre mesi per finirlo, perchè ogni volta che lo aprivo mi passava completamente la voglia di andare avanti tanto lo trovavo noioso e senza alcun appiglio narrativo che mi coinvolgesse.
Il ritmo della trama è completamente sbagliato purtroppo.
La prima parte che occupa quasi la metà del libro è ambientata nella Frattura (Chasm) dove Dawsyn ha trascinato tutti i suoi amici e persone che ha salvato dalla montagna, nella speranza di trovare una terra libera dal dominio di Terrsaw e dei Glacian.
Tutta questa parte di testo poteva decisamente essere ridotta ad un terzo di quello che è, perchè l'ho trovata estremamente ripetitiva e noiosa. Le persone che ha salvato avrei voluto soffocarle tutte nel sonno, sopratutto quel dannato vecchio ingrato.
E questo viaggio infinito alla fine è servito a qualcosa? NOOOOO, assolutamente no! Perchè siamo ritornati al punto di partenza in cima alla montagna, con uno schiocco di dita da parte di un personaggio buttato li a caso e di cui poi non abbiamo più sentito parlare per il resto del libro.
E' servito a qualcosa questo spreco di pagine? Assolutamente a niente, a parte farmi perdere un sacco di tempo!
La seconda parte poi è dedicata a un inutile flashback (che anche qui poteva essere ridotto a 2 o 3 capitoli al massimo) sul personaggio più inutile, fastidioso e noioso di tutta la serie, Yennes/Farra (e sono dovuta andare a cercare il suo nome, perchè gliene avevano dato uno nuovo in questo flashback e ora del finale non mi ricordavo più come veniva chiamata prima).
Quando siamo finalmente all'80% del libro finalmente torniamo ai nostri protagonisti che ovviamente decidono di imbarcarsi in un'altra causa persa...(e si, mi sto seriamente trattenendo mentre scrivo questa recensione dallo scrivere cattiverie!), che poi porterà a una delle più tristi battaglie campali che abbia mai letto.
I buoni vincono, la magia dei cattivi viene distrutta, tutti contenti e tutti felici. Fine.
Se non fosse stato per il capitolo 60 e l'epilogo, avrei sicuramente dato solo una stella a questo libro, che mi ha deluso terribilmente. Sono stati gli unici capitoli che mi hanno trasmesso una qualche emozione.
Questo è uno di quei libri che vorrei seriamente buttare fuori dalla finestra per quanto mi ha infastidita.
Non capisco perchè non dedicare più spazio ai protagonisti (benchè il cervello bacato di Dawsyn e le sue idee geniali siano veramente da mettere sotto discussione. Perchè diamine gli andate tutti dietro? E' una pazza! Se dice buttatevi giù da un ponte, sono sicura che tutti quanti lo avrebbero fatto...santo cielo...) e ai coprotagonisti che abbiamo imparato ad amare nei primi due libri.
E non dimentichiamoci questo assurdo sistema magico, che ha bisogno di ricaricarsi e che non ha abbastanza carica manco per accendere una lampadina per più di 5 minuti. Assolutamente inutile, frustrante e senza senso.
Mi spiace solo per Ryon. E' un personaggio che avrebbe potuto essere sviluppato molto di più ed essere amato molto di più dai lettori. Dawsyn l'ha solo usato per i suoi fini e niente di più. Non ho sentito nessun tipo di sentimento romantico da parte di lei in questo libro, mentre lui era li a struggersi ogni singolo istante, mentre lei era pronta a far la kamikaze ogni 5 minuti.
E' stata una lettura assurda e spero di dimenticarmene il prima possibile.
Grazie comunque a Netgalley per avermi dato la possibilità di leggerlo e dare la mia opinione.
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No, I'm sorry, but this is unacceptable...
I had high expectations from this series, since I really liked the first book, Ledge, but unfortunately they were completely disappointed.
Already in the second book I had perceived the plot going on its own without any control and sense, but I had hoped with all my heart that the author would bring the story back on the right path, even if what the protagonist was doing made no sense.
But in the end this third book was total CHAOS.
It took me three months to finish it, because every time I opened it I completely lost the desire to continue to read because I found it so boring and without any narrative hold that involved me.
The rhythm of the plot is completely wrong.
The first part that takes up almost half of the book is set in the Chasm, where Dawsyn dragged all his friends and people she saved from the mountain, in the hope of finding a land free from the dominion of Terrsaw and the Glacians.
This whole part of the text could definitely have been reduced to a third of what it is, because I found it extremely repetitive and boring. I wanted to suffocate all the people she saved in their sleep, especially that damned ungrateful old man.
And did this endless journey serve any purpose in the end? NOOOOO, absolutely not! Because we returned to the starting point at the top of the mountain, with a snap of the fingers by a character thrown in there at random and who we will never hear from again for the rest of the book.
Was this waste of pages useful? Absolutely not, apart from wasting a lot of my time!
The second part is then dedicated to a useless flashback (which again could have been reduced to 2 or 3 chapters at most) on the most useless, annoying and boring character of the whole series, Yennes/Farra (and yes, I had to go and look for her name, because they had given her a new one in this flashback and now at the end of the book I no longer remember what she was called before).
When we are finally 80% of the way through the book, we finally get back to our protagonists who obviously decide to embark on another lost cause... (and yes, I am seriously holding myself back from writing mean things in this review!), which then leads to one of the saddest pitched battles I have ever read.
The good guys win, the bad guys' magic is destroyed, everyone is happy. The end.
If it weren't for chapter 60 and the epilogue, I would have definitely only given this book one star, which disappointed me terribly. They were the only chapters that gave me any emotion.
This is one of those books that I would seriously like to throw out the window because of how much it annoyed me.
I don't understand why they didn't dedicate more space to the main characters (although Dawsyn's brain and her brilliant ideas are really questionable. Why the hell do you all follow her? She's crazy! If she says throw yourself off a bridge, I'm sure everyone would have done it... goodness...) and to the co-protagonists that we learned to love in the first two books.
And let's not forget this absurd magic system, which needs to recharge and doesn't even have enough charge to turn on a light bulb for more than 5 minutes. Absolutely useless, frustrating and senseless.
I only feel sorry for Ryon. He's a character that could have been developed much more and loved much more by the readers. Dawsyn just used him for her own ends and nothing more. I didn't feel any romantic feelings from her in this book, while he was there pining for her every single moment, while she was ready to go kamikaze every 5 minutes.
It was an absurd read and I hope to forget about it as soon as possible.
Thanks anyway to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read it and give my opinion.
This fast-paced book is the perfect finale to the series. The dialogue is witty, the characters are engaging, and the story moves along wonderfully.
I can't put into words the feelings of a trilogy coming to an end. It was beautifully done, I loved book 1 and book 2 and the 3rd book was exactly what I needed.
Valley (Book 3, The Glacian Trilogy) - Stacey McEwan
I was given a copy of this story by the publisher in order to provide an honest review.
Stacey McEwan is an Australian author and school teacher who resides in the Sunshine state. The Glacian Trilogy is her first fantasy series.
Dawsyn and the people of the Ledge are now free, but are stuck at the bottom of the Chasm. Now they begin, what feels like a never-ending journey, through the Chasm to the end, because surely there is an end to this – one must hold onto hope. But they are running low on food, water, hope and Dawsyn’s magic. The desperation to find the end, for there to be something better grows with each passing day, as do the tensions between Dawsyn and the people of the Ledge and the few free Glacians.
Their troubles do not end there however, the Queen of Terrasaw is still determined to be rid of Dawsyn Sabbar and the threat she poses to her throne – being the rightful heir to it all and how every day she is alive is another day she could expose her secret and the truth about how the people of the Ledge started.
Yet that is not Dawsyn’s only enemy – the Glacian King is also wanting her blood, for thwarting him, for removing the people of the Ledge from his grasp and adversely affecting the pool of iskra – his main source of power.
Now Dawsyn finds herself finding battle on all sides – one for survival, one against the Kingdom of Terrsaw and one against the King of Glacia. Can she save the people of the Ledge without sacrificing herself...
“Valley” is the conclusion to Stacey McEwan’ fantasy series – The Glacian Trilogy. Now from the pace and action from the first two instalments in this series I was expecting and explosive ending to the series. So, I will have to be honest and say I was a little disappointed at the lack of action, the lack of boom. Don’t get me wrong it was an enjoyable read there just was not the action I was expecting. I know it was important to the story but I felt as though the travelling to Chasm to get to the end was drawn out a little for me, it also felt like the plot was chasing its tail at times. The ending wrapped everything up nicely so there were no loose ends which is something as a reader, I greatly appreciate.
Since finishing this series, I have been attempting to channel the badass Dawson vibe in the real world. Unfortunately, without corrupt royalty and magical bat mutants as my mortal enemies, the results are mixed? Apparently, “When we next meet… run,” is not yet an acceptable response to Janet’s insufferable emails. Don’t worry, I will make it work and report back. In the mean time, you should read this trilogy ASAP. I love loved the last installment to this surprisingly unique series. I’ll still read the viral books with trendy fantasy worlds and repetitive plots, but this only fills the void while I search for a new unpredictable, original, and exciting world to binge read. The Glacian Trilogy delivered all of this, plus characters with personality and BFF energy. I couldn’t put down any of the books in this trilogy, and Valley may have been my favorite. I laughed. I cried. I had a great time.
I can’t believe the triology is over. Amazing to see the story conclude and what an amazing world stacey made. I found her from tiktok and love her writing. Can’t wait to see what she does next
I loved this series from the beginning and couldn’t wait to start the third book. From the get go this book is emotional and the characters and going through it! They are trapped in the chasm and everything is going wrong. I really hoped for some high points but they really never get that. Overall I enjoyed the book but felt like the pacing was slow at the beginning. I loved the plot twist and backstory and thought it was perfect. The mystery epilogue honestly had to be my favorite thing.