For more than three years I have followed Stacey McEwan's journey with this series and I can honestly say my heart is broken for it to come to a close--but what an amazing conclusion it is!! What can I saw that hasn't been said? This trilogy contained so much and this third book lacked nothing in my opinion. I absolutely loved the tie in with all the characters and that this story was still about Dawsyn and her connections, but it was also so much more about Ryon and his origin as well (can we all have a moment to sob for Thaddius and Farra please? I may never recover). I still cannot believe this was a debut series for McEwan and I went from being someone who loved supporting someone who was a content creator to author into a true fan who will auto-buy anything she writes. Thank you to those who I had to hunt down for access to this! It meant the world.

5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I love you, dear Dawysn…But sometimes I think you ought to have remained on the Ledge.”

Valley is the third and final novel instalment in the new adult fantasy romance trilogy, The Glacian Trilogy. After escaping the harrowing Ledge, uncovering the dark secrets of the land below, and returning to save her people, Dawsyn finds herself in the Chasm below with her people to find a new place...except they're doing this on a gamble. With a finite amount of resources and her powers depleted, they may not survive the journey. Add in the new King of Glacia and Queen Alvira are out for Dawsyn's blood and the stakes are high. Secrets can make or break their journey going forward...so will they find the valley below?

This was the ending I needed for this series.

Dawsyn is still our fierce and feral protagonist and in this book we see her at her lowest and highest. She is a leader and cares for her people above her own safety. Her struggle to protect them as well as deal with their personalities takes a toll on her. I adored how we see her approach others for support as it marks a transition in her as she realizes she can turn to others and listen to them. It doesn't make her weak, it makes her more powerful.

Ryon stole my heart. He was the support Dawsyn desperately needed to help keep her strength amidst what felt hopeless at times. His casual touches to show his support and love had me in a chokehold. He loves Dawsyn so much and he knows she does him - that confidence in their connection meant he was able to see them as equals and fight alongside her. I also was surprised by a few twists for Ryon's journey that really shake his world...but Dawsyn is able to be to support he was for her and that just had me by the heartstrings.

I also want to acknowledge the few other POVs we got in this book that surprised me. We get to explore different perspectives and flashbacks that help us understand the greater world and lore that I felt really fleshed out the world some more as well as give it closure. I was truly impressed how much I enjoyed these additional storylines. They are rich and emotional and stand on their own.

In terms of spice, this book is about 2 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. The spice occurs towards the second half of the book and consists of maybe 2 scenes across two different POVs. I found the spice to be well written and not super detailed, with more of a focus on the connection and love between characters. I appreciated the build up to these moments as a slow journey. Given what is occurring in the novel, spice is not a priority initially but the romance that happens leading up made it so rewarding.

“You took my heart long ago…It stays with you.”

I highly recommend you refresh yourself before reading before you start this book as there are references and names that will show up again and they reveal some VERY interesting things. It took me a moment to remember and I loved the twists. The first half of this book had this interesting psychological element to it as the Ledge people, Dawyn, and company try to keep it together despite not knowing what will happen. There is an additional POV that focuses on the past and two others that are giving context of what is happening elsewhere to help shake things up. The second half of the book ups the tension with a looming conflict and there are risks, reveals, and betrayal that really keep you going. I loved the growth we saw with the characters in this instalment and the amount of risk that comes with it. There is loss, there is a sense of despair, but also hope. The ending really provides such a satisfactory feeling as it all comes together. It was a true reward...I just hope Stacey gives us some fun slices of life chapters in the future because I am not done with these characters.

Valley is a true treasure that brings an end to this harrowing fantasy romance and it was so worth it.

Thank you Angry Robot for this arc!

I write this with tears freshly streaming down my face, what a perfect ending to a magical series.

The final instalment of the Glacian Trilogy is hands down my favourite of all 3 books in the series. I read this book in one sitting, I couldn't put it down.

The character development we get in this is amazingly thorough. I especially loved the details we learn about the queens! The author is able to seamlessly showcase the complexities of each character and highlight how no one character is inherently good or bad. They are all flawed in certain aspects. There were even times I was empathising with the villains, that's how well we got to know all the characters in this final book.

Valley had me on the edge of my seat for it's entirety! Without giving too much away there is one particular scene that had me reeling! The whiplash! My emotions went from relief to horror so quickly.

The author took us on such an incredible journey, I feel so lucky I got to experience this world and it will be a series I recommend to everyone.

Thankyou so much to Netgalley and Angry Robot Book for an ARC

Picking up this book was like having lunch with an old friend. Dawsyn and Ryon were still fighting the good fight and seeing how everything came together was SO satisfying.
There were definitely a couple of plot elements that I had forgotten since reading Chasm last year, but I didn’t feel lost or confused because if there’s one thing I can trust, it’s that Dawsyn is going to be stubborn and self-sacrificing and everything will fall into place from there.
My one criticism is that I wanted MORE at the end. 😂😂 I wasn’t even close to ready to leave this world.

Dawsyn faces an unknown path as she and her people brave the Chasm in search for a new home. The Queen of Terrsaw and the Glacians are on the hunt, refusing to let the people of the Ledge go. Will Dawsyn succeed in freeing the Ledge from tyranny once and for all?
This story has themes of rage, guilt, and overcoming the past that is beautifully constructed. The first part of the story is full of unknowns, and I was STRESSED the whole time.
There was an extra layer of the story that came full circle and wove into the current timeline. It was a lovely surprise that truly added to the entire narrative, creating a poetic full circle that was necessary to the emotional journey of our characters.
The resolution was an emotional roller coaster. Friends near and far all play a role and I loved every moment of it. What I really appreciated was that the epilogue was a lovely nod to what life after the conclusion could be, provided in a unique way that had me both laughing and crying.
I am so sad that this trilogy is over. Thank you to Stacey for creating Dawsyn, a woman full of rage who refuses to give up.

I greatly enjoyed the finale of this trilogy. It started a little slow but once the plot picked up it was non-stop for me!
my favorite quote in the book:
“Women do not have need of men,” Samskia rebukes. “It is only men who suffer and destruct when women withdraw their attention.”

So thankful to Angry Robot, Stacey McEwan and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy

Firstly thank you to Angry Robot and Stacey McEwan for giving me an arc of this, the third and final book in the glacian trilogy. I was not ready to say goodbye to this world and my heart hurts, I sobbed at the end of this book for many reasons, mostly the epilogue, which was beautiful and sad all at the same time.
I really loved the concept of this book from the beginning and I think Stacey has done it so very well. This is a fantasy which for me ticked all the boxes.
Dawsyn Sabar has lived on the ledge her whole life, a place where humans are kept to feed the Glacians, and inescapable mountain ledge, where at any moment the winged monsters could come and take who they choose. Having lost everyone she loves the one thing Dawsyn hasn’t lost is her need to fight, and this is tested when she is taken. She meets a half breed who changes everything, and we then follow their journey and battle to bring justice to those who deserve it the most.
The side characters in this are so funny and add such a vital part of the story line, and being really good comic relief. This trilogy has been a rollercoaster of emotions, and I very much enjoyed the ride.
Dawsyn fast became one of my favourite fantasy FMCs, we love a strong female and she is one of the strongest. I love her relationship with Ryon and how they need to break down each others walls and build a strong relationship. I am sad to see this story end but so glad I got to experience it.

It’s over :( this book was so good. I’m sad the trilogy is over but it was a good ending. I have loved all these characters so much and I’m sad to leave them.

4.5 ✨

What an epic conclusion to a truly remarkable trilogy. Stacey’s mastermind writing literally transports you to a marvellously wonderful world. So many twists and turns, betrayals, heart felt moments and treacherous journeys with what seems like no end in sight. Expect the unexpected and no one (I MEAN NO ONE) is safe. The final instalment in the trilogy has Dawson making the impossible decision of whether to tell her recently liberated Ledge people the truth about their journey ahead through the chasm or lie out of fear they will abandon her and walk right into the hands of another tyrant vying for her blood above.

My adoration for all of these characters truly elevates this journey. Valley is a book that defines the meaning of “Found Family”- how beautiful it was to fall in love with so many characters. I really enjoyed the varying POVs and flash back storyline we received and I found it was a perfect way to deliver in a way that felt natural and not at all “info dumping”.

Let’s be honest, our axe wielding badass FMC Dawsyn is really a big softie at heart whose sole purpose is ensuring the safety and freedom for the Ledge people. The plot and adventure of Valley was by far my favourite of the series and I was simply captivated by the story the entire way through. The bittersweet ending had me not wanting to say goodbye to this series and these characters however, I believe Stacey’s conclusion to this story left you feeling very satisfied. One of my favourite fantasy series to date and highly recommend for all readers.

𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼
𐃈 “ Be demure, don’t scowl”
𐃈 “ To her, peace feels idealistic. Naive. How nice it must be, to feel its proximity”
𐃈 “Mother take us all now, if you wish. We have lived”

Thankyou kindly, NetGalley and Angry Robot books for giving me the opportunity to read an early e-ARC copy of Valley in exchange for a honest review.

This was a perfect ending for the trilogy.

The character arc is thoroughly developed and the dynamic between them all is the ideal found family trope. The wit and banter is perfectly placed and never makes the story line feel overshadowed. Same goes for the romance line, it is perfectly placed and feels natural and balanced with the plot.

Stacey does not shy away from visceral emotions, forces us to the most realistic HEA, and creates a beautiful story through it all. I'll read everything she writes and maybe even beg her to write my eulogy one day. 😇

This was an excellent finale to The Glacian Trilogy and I was left satisfied with how it all wrapped up. If you think you know what’s going to happen in this book, think again!

We start where we left off in Chasm and I will admit the first third of the book is quite slow paced, however as I progressed through the story it all became clear as to why it was done that way and I’m not complaining about the pace at all. For a final book we actually get most of our missing backstory and find out how characters came to meet each other, their back stories, what happened in the past to get to this point and more meaning behind all the magic and politics.

The pacing of the second half of the book was better and I found myself needing to read as much as possible, it was a regular “one more chapter” moment when I didn’t want to put it down and wait to find out more. We have additional POVs in Valley and lots of flashbacks but it all fit in together perfectly, keeping my reading experience interesting, and we definitely went on a journey with lots of twists and turns. And the epilogue? Not what I expected, I loved it and it made me emotional in all the right ways. It was a surprisingly perfect end I didn’t think I’d read.

The found family is truly what made this series for me, I love Dawsyn being a strong, feisty, fighty woman who doesn’t see herself as a leader and just wants justice. Ryon is a heart of gold protector yet also a Rottweiler. Ezra and Salem need their own side novella just for the banter. The addition of Rivdan, Tasheem and Hectar didn’t add masses but still gave further personality variety though they’re certainly more minor characters.

Overall I have this book 4.5⭐️ and it’s a series I would recommend to romantasy readers who prefer the romance to be more subplot than a main focus.

Valley is the final instalment in the Glacian Trilogy and I have been so excited to see how Dawsyn, Ryon and the rest of the crew have fared, especially after the ending of Chasm!

The nature of the characters in Valley was really interesting to read, particularly seeing the citizens of the ledge adapt from a harsh environment where only the strong and emotionally detached can thrive. It was interesting watching Dawsyn evolve as a leader, where she has traditionally been motivated by her own individual survival. While she has grown as a character and exhibits leadership qualities, I actually found it comforting that she maintained some of her more violent tendencies and that her character wasn’t softened in that regard.

As always, the writing is textbook perfect. It’s packed full of descriptive language to the point where the cold leaps off the page. I particularly liked that there were subtle flashbacks that felt almost like a movie in the way they seamlessly flowed into the story and moved it along. The changes in protagonist were infrequent, but I liked it, it seemed like it happened for necessary plot points and not just for the sake of skipping. It was nice to see the plot and characters tied together as the story progressed, tying all three books together nicely.

I found the eerie nature of traversing the Chasm well written, but I felt like there was a lot of travelling in the first half. Travelling as a plot point often frustrates me (and it was my biggest frustration with the second book in the trilogy, Chasm) and I feel like it drags, so I was eager to see some kind of resolution and advancements in the plot. Once this happened, I felt like I was flying through the rest of the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Angry Robot for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.

Going to start off by saying "Valley" closes the Glacian Trilogy by Stacey McEwan well. It comes out September 10th, no more excuses if you were waiting.

This series is one of the first books I read for Angry Robot. Glad I did, justified angry lady with an axe is very much my speed.

OK, we aren't in the best spot at the beginning. You have a group of malnourished, angry,, untrusting folks pulled from everything they have known at the bottom of the place they have been terrified of for most of their existence. With limited food, the mage who knew things is gone, and now folks are hearing voices. Oh and the Glacians have snitched and the Queen knows that the Ledge-Folk are loose, which would disrupt her hold on the people. Better get a move on to what's at the end of the Chasm because it all ends here.

Reasons to read:
-This is the finale, I told you it's good, put your eyes on it
-Comeuppance
-Honestly didn't expect it to go in that direction
-Ooooo that makes a few things make more sense
-You have to find out if your favorites live or not
-Proper winter survival tips

Cons:
-Of course the one I really enjoyed dies

Flawed but uncomplicated trilogy ending

The model for all high fantasy is obviously professor Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, but what was necessary then, to publish in three volumes thanks to his glacial and revisionist writing style or the rationing of paper, shouldn't mean that every fantasy quest needs to be broken into three. in fact, there seem to be more and more 'duologies' being published lately, which makes sense if you are using the Hero's Journey as a model: the first book ends on a low so that the second and final book can end on a high. For a trilogy, the middle one needs to end on a low, but so does the first one, or you don't have a second book; or you do what Tolkien did and end on a new start, with the titular Fellowship riven, with death at their heels.

In the third and final part of the Glacian Trilogy, Dawsyn and Ryon (why? Terrible names) are leading the remains of the Ledge-dwellers through the Chasm to look for the promised valley. I write these words having not read the first two books as this part of the book is clear. What isn't at all clear are the one note scenes with the two Queens and then a major section that focuses on one of the main supporting cast but with all revelations laid bare, which could have resonated more strongly with the theme of parents and children that threads throughout.

Structurally, this book is a mess, less a novel than a series of things thrown at walls to see what sticks. Major enemies and plotters are dispatched off-page or offhandedly, offering no scene or act turns. The complexity of Dawsyn and her family history is the only interesting note, which makes the lack of development of other characters and acting uncharacteristically harder to ignore. And there are plenty of missed opportunities to develop Dawsyn, even in a third and final book, so the sudden ending is like being thrown off a cliff face as some characters are, with an epilogue in a (welcome) wry and knowing style that has no relationship to anything previously.

A flawed three stars.

Firstly, a huge thank you to Stacey, NetGalley, and Angry Robot for the ARC! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I was beyond excited to receive an early copy of the final installment.
The richly imagined world and unforgettable characters have captivated me from the very beginning. Stacey’s immersive writing style pulls you right back into the action, making you feel as though you're slogging through every challenge alongside the characters and looking around every corner for the next twist. You'll sigh at the relentless marching, shake your head at their decisions, gasp at the betrayals and reveals, and... well, you’ll just have to read to find out the rest! 😉
It’s been an incredible journey—walking, flying, and folding through the ledge, chasm, and valley with characters who, despite everything, hold onto their savage determination, their found family, and the hope of building a better world.
I highly recommend this series to anyone searching for a unique fantasy world, compelling, battle-worn characters, a splash of romance, a pinch of spice, and a heavy dose of action.

3.7⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, although Ledge remains my favourite. Valley was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, although the pacing was a bit off as things moved a bit too slowly at the beginning. There were also some additional POVs I wasn’t expecting, which were interesting in terms of back story, but which sometimes took me out of the story a bit when I lost track of who was narrating.

There were some unexpected twists, but I did like the ending and the epilogue was very fitting for Dawsyn’s character (although overall the ending felt slightly rushed given how slow the start was).

Overall, a good ending to the trilogy, and I’m sad that this is the last we’ll see of Ryon and Dawsyn, and their friends.

I loved Ledge and enjoyed Chasm, so was thrilled to be able to finish off the Glacien Trilogy with Valley.

I would say that I am happy with how it ended, although it was done rather easily. I was hoping to see that tension and breathless anticipation from the first book, but it didn't quite manifest as strongly as I had hoped. The suspense of what Dawsyn would face at the bottom of the Chasm sort of petered out.

There is a big twist that was interesting, but it could have delved deeper into the character motivations and the after-effects more.

Overall, this was a fine and okay conclusion to the series, but not necessarily outstanding.

Thank you to netgalley and angry robot for the arc.

I was so excited for the conclusion to this story. However I am left feeling a bit disappointed.
The start was so incredibly slow, and not in a good way. We have extra POVs in this and we also get flashback chapters of a side character - it felt like she didn't know whose story she wanted to tell. I feel like the flashback chapters would have been a great novella instead.
We also found out something in the flashback chapters before the main characters found out so when the main characters found this pretty big thing out, I feel like it just didn't have the same impact.

I liked the conclusion to the story and how everything ended and wrapped up. But I didn't particularly enjoy how we got there. The last 30% was the best part and felt more like the other two books.

Valley by Stacey McEwan is a stunning conclusion to the Glacian Trilogy.
From the very first chapter, it captivates the rich world-building and deep character development.
So many characters, Ezra being a favourite.
Ezra's humor and the dynamics among the characters keep the pages turning. The plot twists and turns, making the journey emotional and immersive.

As the story reaches its end, Stacey delivers an ending that is both heart-wrenching and satisfying, leaving you in tears yet grateful for such a perfect conclusion. An incredible and unforgettable end to a beloved trilogy!
Highly recommend

Thank you to both Stacey and Angry Robot for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬.”

I am beyond excited and honored to have had the privilege to receive an ARC of Valley. I have been OBSESSED with this series since reading the first two books early this year. Valley is one of my most anticipated book releases this year, and I am so so happy to have been able to read it early.

If you have not yet read Ledge and Chasm, I highly recommend them both. This series is one of the most unique fantasy romance series I’ve read, and I immediately fell in love after picking up the first book. If you love high stakes and crazy plot twists, this series is for you.

Valley was an easy 5 star read for me. This series has some of the most lovable characters, and it was so amazing to continue their journey after being so invested in this story.

I laughed, cried, and stressed while reading this book. The world building and perfectly timed revelations set this book up amazingly. My mind was absolutely blown several times while reading, in the best way. The Glacian Trilogy will always be a favorite of mine, I cannot recommend it enough!