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After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison...
In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.
Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?
Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.
With a slow-burning romance, high stakes and even higher rewards, this richly created new fantasy series by popular TikToker Stacey McEwan will keep you gripped to the very end.
*Content warnings* gratuitous violence & death; death of a minor; suicide; attempted sexual assault
In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.
Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?
Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.
With a slow-burning romance, high stakes and even higher rewards, this richly created new fantasy series by popular TikToker Stacey McEwan will keep you gripped to the very end.
*Content warnings* gratuitous violence & death; death of a minor; suicide; attempted sexual assault
271 pages, Hardcover
First published November 30, 2021
1988 people are currently reading
65335 people want to read
About the author
Stacey McEwan
8 books3,956 followersStacey McEwan lives in Queensland, Australia with her husband and two children. She is a teacher by day, writer by night.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,202 reviews
October 16, 2022
Disclaimer: This review is about to be very chaotic.
(You can’t give me antagonists that remind me of frozen chicken nuggets and expect me not to bring that up.)
So before we dive right into, or fly right into it, let me explain why this book didn’t work for me. The worldbuilding and magic system failed to meet my expectations, the rhythm of the story was off, and the characters were so dull that I couldn’t even care about them or their overly used and classic motives.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s start with some important questions I found myself asking.
Question 1: What is their religion? I mean there are literal monsters and shit like that but are they Christians between all that? I am asking this because one of the monsters said: “Fucking hell.” I mean I do know hell is in multiple belief systems in one way or another but still, what is its context in this book?
Question 2: So we all know Dawsyn is very strong, can defend herself, and survive anything. Somebody explain to me how someone who grew up in starvation and lived in the upside-down version of Disney’s Frozen can be this strong? She should be famished! She should be weak and skinny. She is a human after all, no?
Question 3: This might be a spoiler but you learn about it at the very beginning of the book so no big deal. So these Big Bird-looking ass monsters feed from the human souls to be immortal. They need humans. Then why on earth do they force the humans to live in a setting where they can just DIE at any given second because of the weather or starvation or wild animals or literally anything? Why? If humans are their main food source they should be taking care of them? I’m not saying take them in and give them a nice bath but giving them food every once in a while or medication would be better than THIS.
Anyway, let’s move on to the main character Dawsyn whose name kept reminding me of that one famous dish soap. She was just too busy drooling over an overfed Donald Duck to have a personality. She just likes axes and is mean. That’s it. She was about to be pigeon food and was still making googly eyes at a literal monster instead of thinking of a way to save herself. So much for being a strong independent female lead. I’m not even gonna get into how she was saved by Ryon almost every damn time. Speaking of…
Ryon, the love interest. There is not much to say about this guy. He was suffering from the hot love interest whose only aid to the plot was just being present syndrome. And that's about it. One thing though: HE NEEDS TO STOP SAYING GIRL IN EVERY FUCKING SENTENCE BEFORE I TURN HIM INTO A SISH KEBAB. I can’t even begin to explain how annoying that was.
The relationship. Honestly I don’t know what the author was aiming for but if she was aiming for the worst insta-love possible, she succeeded. “We met three days ago and I went through something traumatic yet I do like you so much that I’d die for you.” Get a grip, please. This girl was ready to jump the bones of that hybrid, as she likes to call him, even though he was THE enemy and he haven't done ANYTHING to redeem himself other than using her as a survival tactic to save himself, which was smart but not honorable, or something that can make any reasonable human being forgive him and forget his kinds crimes. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ENEMIES TO LOVER NOT SLIGHTLY DISLIKED TO HORNY.
At some point, they fight and Ryon goes "Do you not know me, Dawsyn?”… My man, you've known her for two weeks tops, the barista at the Starbucks near my work knows me better than you guys know each other.
These two really felt weird. You could feel and see that they were forced to have feelings for each other for the sake of the plot and nothing more.
They also liked to get down and dirty in the most unavailable places possible. "We almost got caught by the enemies! Hurry, let’s have a make-out session out in the open for whatever reason… Oh no! They found us! How?! How did they do that?!" (Insert shocked Pikachu face)
Aside from these, this book failed to give us the excitement and thrill of the upcoming war. There wasn’t preparation or anything... Just random sex scenes with Yakky Doodle who has the personality of a frying pan and an unexplained plan to take down a freaking kingdom.
The new cover was cute though.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
(You can’t give me antagonists that remind me of frozen chicken nuggets and expect me not to bring that up.)
So before we dive right into, or fly right into it, let me explain why this book didn’t work for me. The worldbuilding and magic system failed to meet my expectations, the rhythm of the story was off, and the characters were so dull that I couldn’t even care about them or their overly used and classic motives.
Now that’s out of the way, let’s start with some important questions I found myself asking.
Question 1: What is their religion? I mean there are literal monsters and shit like that but are they Christians between all that? I am asking this because one of the monsters said: “Fucking hell.” I mean I do know hell is in multiple belief systems in one way or another but still, what is its context in this book?
Question 2: So we all know Dawsyn is very strong, can defend herself, and survive anything. Somebody explain to me how someone who grew up in starvation and lived in the upside-down version of Disney’s Frozen can be this strong? She should be famished! She should be weak and skinny. She is a human after all, no?
Question 3: This might be a spoiler but you learn about it at the very beginning of the book so no big deal. So these Big Bird-looking ass monsters feed from the human souls to be immortal. They need humans. Then why on earth do they force the humans to live in a setting where they can just DIE at any given second because of the weather or starvation or wild animals or literally anything? Why? If humans are their main food source they should be taking care of them? I’m not saying take them in and give them a nice bath but giving them food every once in a while or medication would be better than THIS.
Anyway, let’s move on to the main character Dawsyn whose name kept reminding me of that one famous dish soap. She was just too busy drooling over an overfed Donald Duck to have a personality. She just likes axes and is mean. That’s it. She was about to be pigeon food and was still making googly eyes at a literal monster instead of thinking of a way to save herself. So much for being a strong independent female lead. I’m not even gonna get into how she was saved by Ryon almost every damn time. Speaking of…
Ryon, the love interest. There is not much to say about this guy. He was suffering from the hot love interest whose only aid to the plot was just being present syndrome. And that's about it. One thing though: HE NEEDS TO STOP SAYING GIRL IN EVERY FUCKING SENTENCE BEFORE I TURN HIM INTO A SISH KEBAB. I can’t even begin to explain how annoying that was.
The relationship. Honestly I don’t know what the author was aiming for but if she was aiming for the worst insta-love possible, she succeeded. “We met three days ago and I went through something traumatic yet I do like you so much that I’d die for you.” Get a grip, please. This girl was ready to jump the bones of that hybrid, as she likes to call him, even though he was THE enemy and he haven't done ANYTHING to redeem himself other than using her as a survival tactic to save himself, which was smart but not honorable, or something that can make any reasonable human being forgive him and forget his kinds crimes. THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ENEMIES TO LOVER NOT SLIGHTLY DISLIKED TO HORNY.
At some point, they fight and Ryon goes "Do you not know me, Dawsyn?”… My man, you've known her for two weeks tops, the barista at the Starbucks near my work knows me better than you guys know each other.
These two really felt weird. You could feel and see that they were forced to have feelings for each other for the sake of the plot and nothing more.
They also liked to get down and dirty in the most unavailable places possible. "We almost got caught by the enemies! Hurry, let’s have a make-out session out in the open for whatever reason… Oh no! They found us! How?! How did they do that?!" (Insert shocked Pikachu face)
Aside from these, this book failed to give us the excitement and thrill of the upcoming war. There wasn’t preparation or anything... Just random sex scenes with Yakky Doodle who has the personality of a frying pan and an unexplained plan to take down a freaking kingdom.
The new cover was cute though.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2025
Is this book out yet? No
But have I read an advanced copy of it? Also no
But do I know the author personally and know the story and the plot already? Not a chance
But will I buy it and read it the second it comes out? Absofriggingloutely 10000000% a big fat YES!!!!
But have I read an advanced copy of it? Also no
But do I know the author personally and know the story and the plot already? Not a chance
But will I buy it and read it the second it comes out? Absofriggingloutely 10000000% a big fat YES!!!!
November 25, 2022
a very cool concept. the basics reminded me a little bit of an nordic version of ‘skyhunter’ for adults. and i was super into this in the beginning. the writing is as brutal as the ledge itself and creates a world full of coldness and fear. it really is such a great start to a book.
but as the story goes on, the setting starts to lose its sharpness, the writing begins to dull, and the characters start to lose their depth. the plot is still solid throughout, but its everything that caused me to slowly lose interest.
but readers looking for something unique and who arent as critical as i am when it comes to storytelling will most likely enjoy this!
↠ 3 stars
but as the story goes on, the setting starts to lose its sharpness, the writing begins to dull, and the characters start to lose their depth. the plot is still solid throughout, but its everything that caused me to slowly lose interest.
but readers looking for something unique and who arent as critical as i am when it comes to storytelling will most likely enjoy this!
↠ 3 stars
May 21, 2022
I would like to give this book zero stars. As in, it never should have happened. The plot is the same as every other book of this genre, the "mythology" of the world is laughably vague, the characters have no personality, and the twists are the same as any other book, but worse because the writing is also incredibly bad.
Let's start with the main character, Dawsyn (oh, the names in this book are terrible too). Multiple characters remark that she looks gaunt due to her lifetime of near-starvation, and yet she also has a great rack? Okay. She's also somehow very good at hand-to-hand and close quarters combat (she's especially handy with a dagger and an axe, sure)... but how? When she's survived on this icy ledge populated by about... twenty people, all of whom are also near starvation as well? A character remarks at some point that she's well trained. Again, I ask, by whom?
And then there's Ryon. He is, of course, basically in love with Dawsyn from the beginning. Of course he is! And yes he's handsome, and he may be half-Glacian (what are those? Oh, just these bird people with poison spit who've subjugated the land, also they have this magic pool that steals human souls and gives them immortality, don't think too much about it), but he really hates the king of the Glacians and that's all we need to further the plot.
Let's not forget the token gay character (who of course thirsts after Ryon and practically snaps his fingers saying "YASS QUEEN" every time Dawsyn says anything) and the bonus token gay queens! Representation matters. And a random nice guy who runs an inn. And a random mage who can just heal people whenever the plot demands.
Oh, speaking of inns. Dawsyn doesn't know what inns are or what money is, but she's somehow able to forage for food even though she grew up on the side of a mountain where there's constant snow? Okay Katniss.
Long story short, this is a YA dumpster fire of a novel disguised as an adult fantasy. The only reason it's not classified as YA is because the author makes sure to throw around plenty of adult language, and then there's of course the gratuitous sex scenes that really and truly do nothing for the plot. I honestly cannot fathom there being two more books available of this garbage story. Do yourself a favor and go read Holly Black's Folk of the Air trilogy or Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology instead.
Galley provided by the publisher, the opinions are (obviously) my own.
Let's start with the main character, Dawsyn (oh, the names in this book are terrible too). Multiple characters remark that she looks gaunt due to her lifetime of near-starvation, and yet she also has a great rack? Okay. She's also somehow very good at hand-to-hand and close quarters combat (she's especially handy with a dagger and an axe, sure)... but how? When she's survived on this icy ledge populated by about... twenty people, all of whom are also near starvation as well? A character remarks at some point that she's well trained. Again, I ask, by whom?
And then there's Ryon. He is, of course, basically in love with Dawsyn from the beginning. Of course he is! And yes he's handsome, and he may be half-Glacian (what are those? Oh, just these bird people with poison spit who've subjugated the land, also they have this magic pool that steals human souls and gives them immortality, don't think too much about it), but he really hates the king of the Glacians and that's all we need to further the plot.
Let's not forget the token gay character (who of course thirsts after Ryon and practically snaps his fingers saying "YASS QUEEN" every time Dawsyn says anything) and the bonus token gay queens! Representation matters. And a random nice guy who runs an inn. And a random mage who can just heal people whenever the plot demands.
Oh, speaking of inns. Dawsyn doesn't know what inns are or what money is, but she's somehow able to forage for food even though she grew up on the side of a mountain where there's constant snow? Okay Katniss.
Long story short, this is a YA dumpster fire of a novel disguised as an adult fantasy. The only reason it's not classified as YA is because the author makes sure to throw around plenty of adult language, and then there's of course the gratuitous sex scenes that really and truly do nothing for the plot. I honestly cannot fathom there being two more books available of this garbage story. Do yourself a favor and go read Holly Black's Folk of the Air trilogy or Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows duology instead.
Galley provided by the publisher, the opinions are (obviously) my own.
October 2, 2021
I am speechless. Finished this AMAZING book and i am speechless(proceeds to speak😂)….10/5⭐️ 2/5🌶. I am completely blown away. The world building was so detailed, easy to follow, and always interesting. Dawsyn is a bad ass, strong, amazing MC. Ryon is a sexy, bat winged half breed. The spice scenes in this book were so well written and fit the plot perfectly. I can’t even think straight after that ending. I am lost. I am numb. That ending wrecked me. You NEED to read this.
January 4, 2023
When 5 Seconds of Summer wrote “I wish that I could wake up with amnesia” they were actually talking about this book
August 12, 2022
WOW.
WOW. WOW. WOW.
Jaw on the floor.
This book has consumed me.
Ledge is an absolute thrilling experience.
I read this book in less than 24 hours. MY GOD.
Stacey Mcewan is about to take over, and rightfully so.
I am DELIGHTED to inform anyone reading this review, that this book is EASILY in my top five favorite reads. Ever.
Jam packed with a delicious plot, an incredible love story, an unforgettable ensemble and a bada$$ fmc, LEDGE, is the book of 2022.
The writing style had me hooked from page one, and it never lagged. The pacing was impeccable. I’m truly jealous that my brain doesn’t work this way. What a masterpiece. 🤌🏼
THE ENDING!!!????? I need a drink. Scratch that, I need several.
I am shaking in my trousers waiting for the next installment, which cannot come fast enough.
I would give me iskra to have it now. What an absolute ride!!!
IF I COULD GIVE IT MORE STARS I WOULD!!!!
WOW. WOW. WOW.
Jaw on the floor.
This book has consumed me.
Ledge is an absolute thrilling experience.
I read this book in less than 24 hours. MY GOD.
Stacey Mcewan is about to take over, and rightfully so.
I am DELIGHTED to inform anyone reading this review, that this book is EASILY in my top five favorite reads. Ever.
Jam packed with a delicious plot, an incredible love story, an unforgettable ensemble and a bada$$ fmc, LEDGE, is the book of 2022.
The writing style had me hooked from page one, and it never lagged. The pacing was impeccable. I’m truly jealous that my brain doesn’t work this way. What a masterpiece. 🤌🏼
THE ENDING!!!????? I need a drink. Scratch that, I need several.
I am shaking in my trousers waiting for the next installment, which cannot come fast enough.
I would give me iskra to have it now. What an absolute ride!!!
IF I COULD GIVE IT MORE STARS I WOULD!!!!
June 15, 2022
This book wasn’t for me as much as I’d hoped it would be. It’s very firmly situated in the NA fantasy romance genre, and it knows its audience well. I’m just apparently not that audience.
I’m increasingly discovering that I don’t like NA fantasy romance very much. It feels too cookie-cutter for me. Every book—including this one—has a muscly, domineering male love interest (usually with wings for some reason) and a sassy, weapons-wielding main character. Which is good if you like the formula, not so good if you’re looking for something new.
Things I liked:
+ The premise. Our MC, Dawsyn, lives in a village that’s isolated high on a mountain, where Fae-like beings called the Glacians come once a year to steal away a few inhabitants. There’s a lot of tension built into this idea.
+ The writing. Generally, it’s vivid without getting overly flowery. There were a few places where I either couldn’t understand what was being described or I thought the descriptions didn’t quite work, but I’m willing to let it slide in a debut.
+ Dawsyn’s journey from her isolated village into the wider world. One of my favorite moments in the book occurs when Dawsyn, who has lived on the mountainside her whole life, sees the sea for the first time.
Things that didn’t work for me:
- The characterization. I really don’t know much about Dawsyn except that she likes her weapons and she grew up never seeing the sea. I mean, she is clearly a fighter, but there’s not much to differentiate her from other spunky protagonists. What makes Dawsyn Dawsyn?
- The love interest, Ryon. Look, I’m an ace lesbian, which probably makes me exactly the wrong target audience for this muscly love interest guy, but I still enjoy books with straight romances when I understand why the characters are a good match for each other. Ryon and Dawsyn’s attraction to each other felt almost entirely physical. While that might be enough for some readers, it won’t carry a romance for me.
(Also, Ryon consistently calls Dawsyn “girl,” even after she’s said she doesn’t like it, and even after they’re together. It started to feel demeaning very quickly. “Female” also gets thrown around a lot. Again, I realize this kind of stuff is a genre staple, so I’m not gonna say people shouldn’t enjoy it, but it bugged me.)
- The dialogue. The villagers in this book speak in a dialect that’s written out on the page—“yeh” for “you” and “me” for “my” and so on. I’m not entirely opposed to written dialects, but this one didn’t quite feel natural to me. Also, both Dawsyn and Ryon use “fuck” but almost no other swear words? It felt weird. I might believe that one of them just really likes the word “fuck,” but they both swear in very similar ways, despite growing up in entirely different places.
Thanks to Angry Robot Books for providing an ARC for review.
I’m increasingly discovering that I don’t like NA fantasy romance very much. It feels too cookie-cutter for me. Every book—including this one—has a muscly, domineering male love interest (usually with wings for some reason) and a sassy, weapons-wielding main character. Which is good if you like the formula, not so good if you’re looking for something new.
Things I liked:
+ The premise. Our MC, Dawsyn, lives in a village that’s isolated high on a mountain, where Fae-like beings called the Glacians come once a year to steal away a few inhabitants. There’s a lot of tension built into this idea.
+ The writing. Generally, it’s vivid without getting overly flowery. There were a few places where I either couldn’t understand what was being described or I thought the descriptions didn’t quite work, but I’m willing to let it slide in a debut.
+ Dawsyn’s journey from her isolated village into the wider world. One of my favorite moments in the book occurs when Dawsyn, who has lived on the mountainside her whole life, sees the sea for the first time.
Things that didn’t work for me:
- The characterization. I really don’t know much about Dawsyn except that she likes her weapons and she grew up never seeing the sea. I mean, she is clearly a fighter, but there’s not much to differentiate her from other spunky protagonists. What makes Dawsyn Dawsyn?
- The love interest, Ryon. Look, I’m an ace lesbian, which probably makes me exactly the wrong target audience for this muscly love interest guy, but I still enjoy books with straight romances when I understand why the characters are a good match for each other. Ryon and Dawsyn’s attraction to each other felt almost entirely physical. While that might be enough for some readers, it won’t carry a romance for me.
(Also, Ryon consistently calls Dawsyn “girl,” even after she’s said she doesn’t like it, and even after they’re together. It started to feel demeaning very quickly. “Female” also gets thrown around a lot. Again, I realize this kind of stuff is a genre staple, so I’m not gonna say people shouldn’t enjoy it, but it bugged me.)
- The dialogue. The villagers in this book speak in a dialect that’s written out on the page—“yeh” for “you” and “me” for “my” and so on. I’m not entirely opposed to written dialects, but this one didn’t quite feel natural to me. Also, both Dawsyn and Ryon use “fuck” but almost no other swear words? It felt weird. I might believe that one of them just really likes the word “fuck,” but they both swear in very similar ways, despite growing up in entirely different places.
Thanks to Angry Robot Books for providing an ARC for review.
August 28, 2022
2.5/5
I loved the opening chapters of the Ledge. McEwan opened the story with short, gritty chapters that introduced readers to the harsh world of the Ledge and its strong heroine. They kept me immersed in the story and captivated.
Unfortunately, when Dawsyn was captured and then "rescued" by Ryon, the story devolved into a tired tale of enemies to lovers. Sure, McEwan threw in a few nice twists here and there, but it wasn't enough to elevate Ledge above dozens of similar books.
The world-building remains underdeveloped, the tone changes, and the romance didn't appeal to me. Still, I'm sure readers who like hot moments between a badass heroine and a powerful, mysterious Inhuman will be thrilled.
I loved the opening chapters of the Ledge. McEwan opened the story with short, gritty chapters that introduced readers to the harsh world of the Ledge and its strong heroine. They kept me immersed in the story and captivated.
Unfortunately, when Dawsyn was captured and then "rescued" by Ryon, the story devolved into a tired tale of enemies to lovers. Sure, McEwan threw in a few nice twists here and there, but it wasn't enough to elevate Ledge above dozens of similar books.
The world-building remains underdeveloped, the tone changes, and the romance didn't appeal to me. Still, I'm sure readers who like hot moments between a badass heroine and a powerful, mysterious Inhuman will be thrilled.
September 16, 2022
*Rolls up sleeves* *Wipes the sweat from my forehead*. Wow. So this is my first time ever publicly reviewing a book and if feels oddly right that this is the one.
Ledge is an Adult Fantasy Romance, full of intriguing characters, original storytelling, and a world of magic and possibility.
Now that the formal part is out of the way... THIS BOOK HAS BECOME MY ENTIRE PERSONALITY. It made me scream and cry. At one point I was jumping on my couch because I couldn't handle all of the emotion it provoked in me. Without getting too deep and personal in a BOOK REVIEW. Hello, Hannah this isn't therapy. But this book truly felt like it, sometimes when the numbness of depression settles in, you begin to miss feeling the big stuff.
This made me feel the Big stuff. It made me think and believe and love and hate, at a point where I didn't think I was capable of any of that. It made me feel the strength of Dawsyn and the impossible love that lay ahead of her. But more that that it is a story of healing, and trusting, and discovering just how strong you are.
It was an absolute privilege beta reading this book. The writing was lyrical and poetic, it flowed like a river and I was certainly swept away.
Ledge is an Adult Fantasy Romance, full of intriguing characters, original storytelling, and a world of magic and possibility.
Now that the formal part is out of the way... THIS BOOK HAS BECOME MY ENTIRE PERSONALITY. It made me scream and cry. At one point I was jumping on my couch because I couldn't handle all of the emotion it provoked in me. Without getting too deep and personal in a BOOK REVIEW. Hello, Hannah this isn't therapy. But this book truly felt like it, sometimes when the numbness of depression settles in, you begin to miss feeling the big stuff.
This made me feel the Big stuff. It made me think and believe and love and hate, at a point where I didn't think I was capable of any of that. It made me feel the strength of Dawsyn and the impossible love that lay ahead of her. But more that that it is a story of healing, and trusting, and discovering just how strong you are.
It was an absolute privilege beta reading this book. The writing was lyrical and poetic, it flowed like a river and I was certainly swept away.
July 27, 2023
WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THAT BOOK?! IT’S PERFECT!!! ❄️❄️❄️❄️♥️
January 16, 2024
Listen, I don't know what happened, but we need a redo.
I was so hyped for this book, I was specifically in a mood for some fantasy, winter vibes, cold, batmen. So this book was perfect for it, but it was so bad, sorry not sorry.
The first 50 pages felt so looong and then it got even worst, the main character was insufferable, she didn't have any personality, and mmc was even worst.
But THE WORST was their romance, it was so instalove, they were besties after one day AND HE LITERALLY KIDNAPPED HER THAT DAY.
Don't even get me started on the world building... Since like the middle I dozed off and basically idk what happened and honestly I don't care.
I wanted to like it, I really did, but it just wasn't why.
Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
I was so hyped for this book, I was specifically in a mood for some fantasy, winter vibes, cold, batmen. So this book was perfect for it, but it was so bad, sorry not sorry.
The first 50 pages felt so looong and then it got even worst, the main character was insufferable, she didn't have any personality, and mmc was even worst.
But THE WORST was their romance, it was so instalove, they were besties after one day AND HE LITERALLY KIDNAPPED HER THAT DAY.
Don't even get me started on the world building... Since like the middle I dozed off and basically idk what happened and honestly I don't care.
I wanted to like it, I really did, but it just wasn't why.
Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.
September 19, 2022
DNF @ 76%/pg 273
I don’t usually abandon a book once I’m this far along but the thought of reading another 100 pages of this was killing me. Really disappointed in this one, I had been looking forward to it, even pre-ordered it, but whoa it’s bad. The bones of the plot seem good, like it could have been something pretty cool, but the author didn’t just drop the ball, she punted it off the ledge (har har.) The characters were dull and vacant, no attachment to them at all. The romance is boring as hell, the FMC needs a few slaps in the face and the representation/inclusion/diversity/however you want to name it seems so heavy-handed and forced rather than genuine. I’m done.
I don’t usually abandon a book once I’m this far along but the thought of reading another 100 pages of this was killing me. Really disappointed in this one, I had been looking forward to it, even pre-ordered it, but whoa it’s bad. The bones of the plot seem good, like it could have been something pretty cool, but the author didn’t just drop the ball, she punted it off the ledge (har har.) The characters were dull and vacant, no attachment to them at all. The romance is boring as hell, the FMC needs a few slaps in the face and the representation/inclusion/diversity/however you want to name it seems so heavy-handed and forced rather than genuine. I’m done.
June 14, 2022
Content warnings: sex, suicide, violence, blood and gore, confinement, kidnapping, murder, threats of rape, child death, injury detail
Thank you to Angry Robot for the physical ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review!
I’ve been struggling with how to write this review since I finished because I’m hugely grateful to AR for sending me an ARC, especially because it’s so rare for me to get physical ARCs given where I live. Unfortunately as you can tell from my rating, this was not my cup of tea. This sounded like a really fun, enemies to lovers romantic fantasy which I was so on board with and I was so excited to see how the author’s humour translated into a book. But I found the worldbuilding to be pretty nonexistent (please explain the existence of a mage who turns up to heal people whenever the plot needs it) or badly written and the pacing off. It takes more than a third of the book to get off the mountain and the journey becomes very monotonous. At times, it felt like a tool to tell Dawyson (and thus us, the reader) things about the world. The whole book is very much “worldbuild entirely from telling not showing” which is the exact opposite of the books I tend to enjoy the most.
The above I can forgive as personal tastes, as I do think this could be something that might appeal to SJM fans? (Though note I say that having never read her books, but I imagine they could be something similar). And I know the heavy immersive worldbuilding I prefer is not for everyone! But more than the above, there were several moments that really…raised my hackles? The main love interest, Ryon, being an animalistic half beast Black man? 😬😬😬 This is a highly overused and problematic trope in media. Particularly given he is for much of the book, the only person of colour around - in fact on first read through, I thought he was the only one until page 284. When I went back to check I did notice a brief mention of another character’s darker skin colour.
There were also several very…TERFy lines around genitals and womanhood that I did not like? It was rather odd. One of these I could have excused as me just looking too deeply and feeling touchy as I read but there were multiple throughout the text and they just added up and left such a feeling of distaste in my mouth which is obviously not the feeling you want when reading. For some examples, implying that to reach womanhood you have to have a period. Or referring to “parts that make me girlish will never know your touch again” as if our genitals make our gender. Of course all of these lines wouldn’t even exist if Ryon didn’t constantly infantilise Dawyson by calling her “girl”… They all come up in her responses to him calling her this.
So yeah, l wasn’t a big fan of this unfortunately! But thank you again to Angry Robot for the ARC!
Oh God I thought I was finished but I just remembered they almost had sex after Dawyson just drowned and Ryon had to resuscitate her. WHAT.
Thank you to Angry Robot for the physical ARC of this one in exchange for an honest review!
I’ve been struggling with how to write this review since I finished because I’m hugely grateful to AR for sending me an ARC, especially because it’s so rare for me to get physical ARCs given where I live. Unfortunately as you can tell from my rating, this was not my cup of tea. This sounded like a really fun, enemies to lovers romantic fantasy which I was so on board with and I was so excited to see how the author’s humour translated into a book. But I found the worldbuilding to be pretty nonexistent (please explain the existence of a mage who turns up to heal people whenever the plot needs it) or badly written and the pacing off. It takes more than a third of the book to get off the mountain and the journey becomes very monotonous. At times, it felt like a tool to tell Dawyson (and thus us, the reader) things about the world. The whole book is very much “worldbuild entirely from telling not showing” which is the exact opposite of the books I tend to enjoy the most.
The above I can forgive as personal tastes, as I do think this could be something that might appeal to SJM fans? (Though note I say that having never read her books, but I imagine they could be something similar). And I know the heavy immersive worldbuilding I prefer is not for everyone! But more than the above, there were several moments that really…raised my hackles? The main love interest, Ryon, being an animalistic half beast Black man? 😬😬😬 This is a highly overused and problematic trope in media. Particularly given he is for much of the book, the only person of colour around - in fact on first read through, I thought he was the only one until page 284. When I went back to check I did notice a brief mention of another character’s darker skin colour.
There were also several very…TERFy lines around genitals and womanhood that I did not like? It was rather odd. One of these I could have excused as me just looking too deeply and feeling touchy as I read but there were multiple throughout the text and they just added up and left such a feeling of distaste in my mouth which is obviously not the feeling you want when reading. For some examples, implying that to reach womanhood you have to have a period. Or referring to “parts that make me girlish will never know your touch again” as if our genitals make our gender. Of course all of these lines wouldn’t even exist if Ryon didn’t constantly infantilise Dawyson by calling her “girl”… They all come up in her responses to him calling her this.
So yeah, l wasn’t a big fan of this unfortunately! But thank you again to Angry Robot for the ARC!
Oh God I thought I was finished but I just remembered they almost had sex after Dawyson just drowned and Ryon had to resuscitate her. WHAT.
August 25, 2022
3✨
“He cannot stop his lips from finding hers, like missing pieces connecting. And in every second that he knows he should stop, leave her be, he also knows he cannot possibly let her go. Because she is his. And he is hers.“
This is a solid debut novel! Ledge follows Dawsyn, a woman stuck in a poor, desolate village on a ledge of a mountain. At the beginning of every season, winged creatures swoop down and steal away humans for unknown and presumably malicious reasons.
Obviously our girl gets taken.
Once in Glacia, the kingdom of the winged creatures, she finds out about their need for human souls. When posed with a choice to lose her soul or take a chance running down the mountain, she chooses running, only to be caught by one of the half-breed winged warriors, Ryon who agrees to help get her down the mountain. What follows is a slow burn story of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and revenge plotting and political schemes.
Dawsyn is a bad bitch and I love her. Axe-wielding, determined, and sassy, Dawsyn is my favorite type of female main character. Ryon, our wingedlove interest, is stoic and quiet. He eventually gets around to being protective of her and cares for her, but I wish I had stronger feelings for him. I feel like because of the 3rd person narration, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and watching their relationship develop. The plot was also very slow to develop and I had to force myself to keep reading at parts BUT that’s because I’m not the biggest fan of a lot of traveling/hiding in books. If you like that you’re going to enjoy those parts a lot.
I wish we got a little more depth and tension in all aspects: characters, world building, romance, and plot. But as a debut novel, this was still a solid read. The cliffhanger literally had me rereading the page and saying, “wait, wtf??”
Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the arc on exchange for an honest review! This book comes out September 13th.
“He cannot stop his lips from finding hers, like missing pieces connecting. And in every second that he knows he should stop, leave her be, he also knows he cannot possibly let her go. Because she is his. And he is hers.“
This is a solid debut novel! Ledge follows Dawsyn, a woman stuck in a poor, desolate village on a ledge of a mountain. At the beginning of every season, winged creatures swoop down and steal away humans for unknown and presumably malicious reasons.
Obviously our girl gets taken.
Once in Glacia, the kingdom of the winged creatures, she finds out about their need for human souls. When posed with a choice to lose her soul or take a chance running down the mountain, she chooses running, only to be caught by one of the half-breed winged warriors, Ryon who agrees to help get her down the mountain. What follows is a slow burn story of forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and revenge plotting and political schemes.
Dawsyn is a bad bitch and I love her. Axe-wielding, determined, and sassy, Dawsyn is my favorite type of female main character. Ryon, our wingedlove interest, is stoic and quiet. He eventually gets around to being protective of her and cares for her, but I wish I had stronger feelings for him. I feel like because of the 3rd person narration, I had a hard time connecting with the characters and watching their relationship develop. The plot was also very slow to develop and I had to force myself to keep reading at parts BUT that’s because I’m not the biggest fan of a lot of traveling/hiding in books. If you like that you’re going to enjoy those parts a lot.
I wish we got a little more depth and tension in all aspects: characters, world building, romance, and plot. But as a debut novel, this was still a solid read. The cliffhanger literally had me rereading the page and saying, “wait, wtf??”
Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the arc on exchange for an honest review! This book comes out September 13th.
December 24, 2022
This fantasy romance definitely had an interesting premise, but it was lacking in too many areas for me. First, the beginning and the world building was really slow and it was hard for me to want to continue reading. I would have loved the beginning to be cut a bit shorter and the time the heroine spent with the enemies to be a bit longer before she went on the run. The romance was just okay and the action scenes were too short and quick for me. There weren't a lot of stakes and everything felt a bit too easy for the heroine, especially with the end battle scene. Overall, this was just okay but I was left wanting a lot more.
February 24, 2025
Well im giving this book 3 ⭐ it was ok but in my opinion there were a lot of things missing in this book in the world building and the romance was like ok in my opinion but the quest bringing it up a bit in my opinion 🙂
September 17, 2022
I have seen some very mixed reviews and while everyone has their own thoughts and opinions I thought this was pretty good!
A lot of people are commenting on the rep and inclusion. I am not really a sensitive reader so I personally didn’t have a single issue with any of the rep throughout this book. That being said, I thought most of the side characters throughout this story were pretty funny! Some good banter too!
For a new author, debut novel, this read pretty well. Decent plot, intriguing world, decent characters (though some could be fleshed out more) some spice and good plot twists! I have read my fair share of debut novels and this lands somewhere in the 3-4star range for me.
A lot of people are commenting on the rep and inclusion. I am not really a sensitive reader so I personally didn’t have a single issue with any of the rep throughout this book. That being said, I thought most of the side characters throughout this story were pretty funny! Some good banter too!
For a new author, debut novel, this read pretty well. Decent plot, intriguing world, decent characters (though some could be fleshed out more) some spice and good plot twists! I have read my fair share of debut novels and this lands somewhere in the 3-4star range for me.
September 29, 2024
3.5 stars
That was surprisingly good! As soon as I heard the premise of Ledge, I knew I wanted to pick it up. The world sounded brutal, and the plot interesting. I had heard a lot of reviews saying that the first half of the book was the best and most unique, and after that it devolved into a generic fantasy romance. However, I actually enjoyed the second half of the book way more. The first half explores Dawsyn's life on the ledge and escape down the mountain with Ryon. It was interesting at first, but then got a little dull and repetitive. However, once I found myself enjoying the book much more. The more that the world was elaborated upon, the more interested I was by it. And I really liked seeing Dawsyn's character outside of the ledge. She is a very blunt, reserved, and vicious character. At first, you think this is just because of her surroundings and how she's had to fight to survive. But then, and gets to enjoy moments of tranquility. We also get to see her from Ryon's POV. And even in those moments, she is a woman of little words. She keeps herself guarded, and often reacts with violence. Personally, I have read almost no female, fantasy main characters who are written like her, so I really enjoyed seeing her character maintain the same characterization pillars even in immensely different settings. I also enjoyed the romance more than I thought I would. I had heard people say it was a generic fantasy romance, and while I think it was rushed into development, once it had it's footing, I found there to be some very genuine moments. And lastly, I really liked the end of this story and the cliff-hanger. I'm excited to see where the sequel goes!
That was surprisingly good! As soon as I heard the premise of Ledge, I knew I wanted to pick it up. The world sounded brutal, and the plot interesting. I had heard a lot of reviews saying that the first half of the book was the best and most unique, and after that it devolved into a generic fantasy romance. However, I actually enjoyed the second half of the book way more. The first half explores Dawsyn's life on the ledge and escape down the mountain with Ryon. It was interesting at first, but then got a little dull and repetitive. However, once I found myself enjoying the book much more. The more that the world was elaborated upon, the more interested I was by it. And I really liked seeing Dawsyn's character outside of the ledge. She is a very blunt, reserved, and vicious character. At first, you think this is just because of her surroundings and how she's had to fight to survive. But then, and gets to enjoy moments of tranquility. We also get to see her from Ryon's POV. And even in those moments, she is a woman of little words. She keeps herself guarded, and often reacts with violence. Personally, I have read almost no female, fantasy main characters who are written like her, so I really enjoyed seeing her character maintain the same characterization pillars even in immensely different settings. I also enjoyed the romance more than I thought I would. I had heard people say it was a generic fantasy romance, and while I think it was rushed into development, once it had it's footing, I found there to be some very genuine moments. And lastly, I really liked the end of this story and the cliff-hanger. I'm excited to see where the sequel goes!
July 11, 2022
The initial premise of the book, the Ledge itself, fails completely. The Glacians need live humans, so they put them in the most dangerous, inhospitable place and keep them on a starvation diet?
As later events reveal, they already had somewhere to put them without going to all that trouble.
Apart from that, the book doesn't work on any level. The romance is scant, the sex is cold and the fantasy is deeply flawed. There's more, but I won't list it all here.
This book reads like a very early draft, before the author has worked out all the problems. It certainly isn't ready for publication.
And to all marketers, please look up the meaning of the word 'epic'.
As later events reveal, they already had somewhere to put them without going to all that trouble.
Apart from that, the book doesn't work on any level. The romance is scant, the sex is cold and the fantasy is deeply flawed. There's more, but I won't list it all here.
This book reads like a very early draft, before the author has worked out all the problems. It certainly isn't ready for publication.
And to all marketers, please look up the meaning of the word 'epic'.
October 16, 2025
I finally picked this one up after intending to read it ever since it came out. Dawsyn is my favourite kind of female lead: independent, strong, intelligent, and with more than a little bit of sass. Ryon is my favourite kind of male lead: strong with a kind heart, and has a sometimes snarky but witty attitude. Both are super attractive so I'm sure many readers will be like me; just waiting for it to get a bit hot and heavy. As with many fantasy novels that are the beginning of a series, some of this book felt slightly slow but I note this seems fitting in the context of worldbuilding. The end was quite the cliffhanger!
Overall: I quite enjoyed this story and look forward to continuing it soon with the next book in the series.
Overall: I quite enjoyed this story and look forward to continuing it soon with the next book in the series.
April 9, 2024
"Tu n'étais pas censé garder tes distances ?
— Je trouve cela de plus en plus difficile."
J'ai lu le premier tome de la trilogie Glace de Stacey McEwan qui sort le 11 avril en français chez les éditions Olympe.
C'est la traduction de Ledge.
Une romantasy pour adultes avec un enemies to lovers, de la proximité forcée, et d'autres tropes que j'aime énormément retrouver dans mes lectures.
“Refais ça et je te tue.
— Terrifiant.”
Note finale : 4⭐️ 2,5🌶️
✨ à lire si tu aimes :
*romantasy adulte
*enemies to lovers
*intrigue politique
*proximité forcée, knife to throat
*récit à la 3ème personne
*de la tension et du spicy
attention aux avertissements de contenus : violence, sang, meurtres, scènes de sexe explicites, tentative d’agression sexuelle
produit offert - merci aux éditions Olympe pour l'envoi 🖤
LE RESUME
Les habitants de la Pointe, coupés de toute autre civilisation, vivent dans un territoire isolé entre un gouffre et une montagne qui domine le Royaume de Sciterre. Ils sont voués à être choisis par les Glaciens, un peuple ailé, sournois et cruel, pour être enlevés de force vers leur palais. Dawsyn fait partie de ces habitants. Elle, qui pensait échapper à cette sélection, se retrouve emportée malgré tout, et elle devra lutter pour sa survie, quitte à devoir faire alliance avec l’ennemi...
L'HISTOIRE
Cette lecture a été une agréable découverte pour moi. Dès le début, j'ai été intriguée et rapidement plongée dans l'histoire. Bien que je me sois parfois sentie un peu dans le flou, ne sachant pas exactement où l'autrice voulait m'emmener avec des intrigues qui tardaient quelques fois à se définir, j'ai trouvé l'histoire très intéressante et dynamique dans l’ensemble.
J'ai particulièrement apprécié l’intrigue autour de la relation amoureuse et je trouve que le récit était bien réparti entre la fantasy et la romance.
Malgré le caractère prévisible de certaines intrigues et le fait que certaines résolutions soient parfois rapides et simples, cela n'a en rien altéré mon plaisir de lecture. Au contraire, j'ai apprécié jouer les “détectives”, développer mes propres suspicions et suivre le déroulement de l'histoire avec un certain angle d'analyse.
L'UNIVERS
L'univers présenté dans ce premier tome m’a beaucoup intriguée, bien qu'il ne soit pas pleinement exploré. Je pense qu'il sera davantage développé dans les prochains tomes et j’ai encore pas mal d’interrogations autour de l’univers et de quelques intrigues à la fin.
LES PERSONNAGES
J’ai beaucoup aimé les personnages dans leur ensemble.
Dawsyn se démarquait vraiment : j'ai adoré son franc-parler, sa détermination et son côté combatif ! Elle était remarquablement forte, courageuse et n'avait pas sa langue dans sa poche. Son personnage était captivant et inspirant.
Quant à Ryon, il était également un personnage que j'ai beaucoup apprécié découvrir. Son caractère et sa personnalité m'ont séduite. Il est bienveillant, respectueux, il est tout ce que j’apprécie dans un love interest.
Les personnages secondaires ne m’ont pas tellement marqué, si ce n’est Baltisse et Esra qui m’ont beaucoup plu et m’ont fait sourire plus d’une fois.
LE STYLE/RYTHME
Le rythme était dynamique, avec de l’action. J’avais vraiment envie de le lire et je ne voyais pas les chapitres défiler. J’ai beaucoup aimé les scènes de combats qui dynamisaient énormément le récit. J’ai trouvé la traduction très belle, reconnaissant le style d’Ada.
LA ROMANCE
Je suis complètement fan des romances enemies to lovers, supplément coûteau sous la gorge, avec de la proximité forcée. J’ai été servie ici ! J’ai beaucoup aimé leurs interactions, leurs répliques sarcastiques, et j'ai apprécié voir l'évolution de leur relation tout au long de ce premier tome !
En revanche, qu'il arrête de l'appeler jeune fille :')
“Elle ressemble exactement à la femme qu’il a vue pour la première fois dans le palais glacien - à une guerrière, à la destruction incarnée.”
EN BREF
Un premier tome qui m’a beaucoup plu, avec beaucoup de potentiel, une romance que j’ai aimé découvrir et une fin qui me donne très clairement envie de lire la suite quand celle-ci sortira.
Si vous avez apprécié la romance et l’héroïne dans Le Serpent et le descendant de la nuit, je pense que ce livre pourrait vous plaire.
— Je trouve cela de plus en plus difficile."
J'ai lu le premier tome de la trilogie Glace de Stacey McEwan qui sort le 11 avril en français chez les éditions Olympe.
C'est la traduction de Ledge.
Une romantasy pour adultes avec un enemies to lovers, de la proximité forcée, et d'autres tropes que j'aime énormément retrouver dans mes lectures.
“Refais ça et je te tue.
— Terrifiant.”
Note finale : 4⭐️ 2,5🌶️
✨ à lire si tu aimes :
*romantasy adulte
*enemies to lovers
*intrigue politique
*proximité forcée, knife to throat
*récit à la 3ème personne
*de la tension et du spicy
attention aux avertissements de contenus : violence, sang, meurtres, scènes de sexe explicites, tentative d’agression sexuelle
produit offert - merci aux éditions Olympe pour l'envoi 🖤
LE RESUME
Les habitants de la Pointe, coupés de toute autre civilisation, vivent dans un territoire isolé entre un gouffre et une montagne qui domine le Royaume de Sciterre. Ils sont voués à être choisis par les Glaciens, un peuple ailé, sournois et cruel, pour être enlevés de force vers leur palais. Dawsyn fait partie de ces habitants. Elle, qui pensait échapper à cette sélection, se retrouve emportée malgré tout, et elle devra lutter pour sa survie, quitte à devoir faire alliance avec l’ennemi...
L'HISTOIRE
Cette lecture a été une agréable découverte pour moi. Dès le début, j'ai été intriguée et rapidement plongée dans l'histoire. Bien que je me sois parfois sentie un peu dans le flou, ne sachant pas exactement où l'autrice voulait m'emmener avec des intrigues qui tardaient quelques fois à se définir, j'ai trouvé l'histoire très intéressante et dynamique dans l’ensemble.
J'ai particulièrement apprécié l’intrigue autour de la relation amoureuse et je trouve que le récit était bien réparti entre la fantasy et la romance.
Malgré le caractère prévisible de certaines intrigues et le fait que certaines résolutions soient parfois rapides et simples, cela n'a en rien altéré mon plaisir de lecture. Au contraire, j'ai apprécié jouer les “détectives”, développer mes propres suspicions et suivre le déroulement de l'histoire avec un certain angle d'analyse.
L'UNIVERS
L'univers présenté dans ce premier tome m’a beaucoup intriguée, bien qu'il ne soit pas pleinement exploré. Je pense qu'il sera davantage développé dans les prochains tomes et j’ai encore pas mal d’interrogations autour de l’univers et de quelques intrigues à la fin.
LES PERSONNAGES
J’ai beaucoup aimé les personnages dans leur ensemble.
Dawsyn se démarquait vraiment : j'ai adoré son franc-parler, sa détermination et son côté combatif ! Elle était remarquablement forte, courageuse et n'avait pas sa langue dans sa poche. Son personnage était captivant et inspirant.
Quant à Ryon, il était également un personnage que j'ai beaucoup apprécié découvrir. Son caractère et sa personnalité m'ont séduite. Il est bienveillant, respectueux, il est tout ce que j’apprécie dans un love interest.
Les personnages secondaires ne m’ont pas tellement marqué, si ce n’est Baltisse et Esra qui m’ont beaucoup plu et m’ont fait sourire plus d’une fois.
LE STYLE/RYTHME
Le rythme était dynamique, avec de l’action. J’avais vraiment envie de le lire et je ne voyais pas les chapitres défiler. J’ai beaucoup aimé les scènes de combats qui dynamisaient énormément le récit. J’ai trouvé la traduction très belle, reconnaissant le style d’Ada.
LA ROMANCE
Je suis complètement fan des romances enemies to lovers, supplément coûteau sous la gorge, avec de la proximité forcée. J’ai été servie ici ! J’ai beaucoup aimé leurs interactions, leurs répliques sarcastiques, et j'ai apprécié voir l'évolution de leur relation tout au long de ce premier tome !
En revanche, qu'il arrête de l'appeler jeune fille :')
“Elle ressemble exactement à la femme qu’il a vue pour la première fois dans le palais glacien - à une guerrière, à la destruction incarnée.”
EN BREF
Un premier tome qui m’a beaucoup plu, avec beaucoup de potentiel, une romance que j’ai aimé découvrir et une fin qui me donne très clairement envie de lire la suite quand celle-ci sortira.
Si vous avez apprécié la romance et l’héroïne dans Le Serpent et le descendant de la nuit, je pense que ce livre pourrait vous plaire.
November 12, 2022
2🌶
Great debut!!
This book was well paced, had nice writing and I really loved the winter aspect of this story. You don't see cold weather books very often so I loved that we got something new. This idea of winged creatures coming to take you away from your dying village was awesome and very intriguing.
I think our characters and side characters were very likeable and the romance was good! The fighting/action scenes were also quite exciting.
I will say, I do think this needed more descriptions. I had a hard time picturing what everyone looked like. I still to this day have no idea what the characters look like other than dawsyn. I felt like i had to make it up on my own.
This was also advertised as slow burn, I disagree. This is a solid medium burn romance. I do love them together tho 🤩
But that cliffy was intense and ill definitely continue!
Great debut!!
This book was well paced, had nice writing and I really loved the winter aspect of this story. You don't see cold weather books very often so I loved that we got something new. This idea of winged creatures coming to take you away from your dying village was awesome and very intriguing.
I think our characters and side characters were very likeable and the romance was good! The fighting/action scenes were also quite exciting.
I will say, I do think this needed more descriptions. I had a hard time picturing what everyone looked like. I still to this day have no idea what the characters look like other than dawsyn. I felt like i had to make it up on my own.
This was also advertised as slow burn, I disagree. This is a solid medium burn romance. I do love them together tho 🤩
But that cliffy was intense and ill definitely continue!
December 11, 2022
Have you ever read a book that felt like the best book you've ever read RIGHT after you finish it? So you're happy and all, until you start reading other people's reviews and start noticing that dang, the book could've been much better?
But it was still good?
Yes, this is me.
Right now.
But it was still good?
Yes, this is me.
Right now.
February 11, 2023
This was a solid start to a series by a debut author. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book👏
August 30, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy of this book. Below is my honest review:
1⭐️ DNF’d at 58%
I tried so hard to finish this book, but it was a truly terrible reading experience. First off, the only black character in this book (the male love interest) is half-beast and it just gave some racist undertones that made me uncomfortable. The love interest also calls the main character “girl” repeatedly and “child” at least once, which gave me the ick. However, the main character did act like an idiot for most of the book, so maybe that was an apt description of her? 🤪 just kidding, but truly, Dawsyn (the main character) repeatedly makes stupid decisions that nearly kill her, so Ryon (these names 😳) has to save her repeatedly. She then repeatedly tells him she doesn’t need his help despite REPEATEDLY needing to be saved by him.
The dialogue in this book is extremely cringey with repeated comments from other characters about how “gaunt” Dawsyn looks but she’s still well endowed?¿? And every character has to make a comment on how well endowed she is. If I took a shot every time this book made it clear how perfect Dawsyn is, I’d have been super drunk by the time I stopped reading this book.
The love story is also terrible. There is no chemistry between Ryon and Dawsyn, and him referring to her as “girl” or “child” only makes me like them less.
This book felt like a poorly strung together collection of tropes that ultimately falls flat and is, at times, painful to read. I do not recommend this one.
1⭐️ DNF’d at 58%
I tried so hard to finish this book, but it was a truly terrible reading experience. First off, the only black character in this book (the male love interest) is half-beast and it just gave some racist undertones that made me uncomfortable. The love interest also calls the main character “girl” repeatedly and “child” at least once, which gave me the ick. However, the main character did act like an idiot for most of the book, so maybe that was an apt description of her? 🤪 just kidding, but truly, Dawsyn (the main character) repeatedly makes stupid decisions that nearly kill her, so Ryon (these names 😳) has to save her repeatedly. She then repeatedly tells him she doesn’t need his help despite REPEATEDLY needing to be saved by him.
The dialogue in this book is extremely cringey with repeated comments from other characters about how “gaunt” Dawsyn looks but she’s still well endowed?¿? And every character has to make a comment on how well endowed she is. If I took a shot every time this book made it clear how perfect Dawsyn is, I’d have been super drunk by the time I stopped reading this book.
The love story is also terrible. There is no chemistry between Ryon and Dawsyn, and him referring to her as “girl” or “child” only makes me like them less.
This book felt like a poorly strung together collection of tropes that ultimately falls flat and is, at times, painful to read. I do not recommend this one.
November 2, 2022
I really wanted to like this. I love Stacey on TikTok and was so hyped for this after everything she shared about it.
I found it completely unreadable, I made it 4 chapters and DNFd it. The characters were flat, and the storytelling was lacking a little. Now, those may have been sussed out if I’d read further, however the most egregious issue, for me, was the writing.
The book has a weird current active voice that reads like a children’s book “Jane likes water. Jane gets up to drink water. Water is good.”
Chapter 2 there’s a s*x scene where one whole sentence read “now they are standing”... I’ve never been more dry.
Beginning of chapter 4: “One more step and Dawsyn’s heels will hit ice and she will slide into that gaping black mouth.” A rewrite might be “If Dawson were to take one more step her heels would hit the ice and she’d slide into the gaping black mouth of the chasm.”
I found it completely unreadable with the short, staccato sentences in that weird “she does this, she does that” children’s book style.
BookTok promised this book was going to be everything I like in fantasy books and I've never been more frustrated trying to read a book. DNF and I want my money back.
I found it completely unreadable, I made it 4 chapters and DNFd it. The characters were flat, and the storytelling was lacking a little. Now, those may have been sussed out if I’d read further, however the most egregious issue, for me, was the writing.
The book has a weird current active voice that reads like a children’s book “Jane likes water. Jane gets up to drink water. Water is good.”
Chapter 2 there’s a s*x scene where one whole sentence read “now they are standing”... I’ve never been more dry.
Beginning of chapter 4: “One more step and Dawsyn’s heels will hit ice and she will slide into that gaping black mouth.” A rewrite might be “If Dawson were to take one more step her heels would hit the ice and she’d slide into the gaping black mouth of the chasm.”
I found it completely unreadable with the short, staccato sentences in that weird “she does this, she does that” children’s book style.
BookTok promised this book was going to be everything I like in fantasy books and I've never been more frustrated trying to read a book. DNF and I want my money back.
January 14, 2023
The Plot: Dawsyn lives in a place called the Ledge - a desolate community high on a mountain. The last living member of her family, she ekes out a living in the harsh landscape and waits for the yearly culling, a time when the local, winged creatures known as Glacians come to steal away several human sacrifices. After being chosen and ripped away from the only life she has ever known, Dawsyn is determined to find a way to survive.
The Review: This new adult fantasy romance started strong. The setting made it a perfect winter fantasy read and I loved that Dawsyn didn't seem to be ~special~ in the way so many heroines in YA/NA are. I was hoping for an Elide-esque character, where Dawsyn would be notable simply because of her intelligence, ferocity, and strength. Unfortunately, I think the beginning of this book was the strongest - as the story continued I became less and less invested in the characters or their goals. By the time I reached the ending, I was reading mostly just to see the book through, rather than because I wanted to see what happened.
I also found the world-building a little confusing - sometimes Dawsyn seemed to know nothing about the outside world, but other times she referenced things that she had never been exposed to before. Early on, she commented that her isolated community had never seen an avalanche and it bothered me that she had a word for an experience no one she had been exposed to had ever had.
This was a really promising debut from Stacey McEwan, but it lost steam as the story unfolded.
All in all, I enjoyed this but didn't love it. Props to McEwan for this debut though - it takes courage to publish a novel and this one had a lot of good things going for it.
** Thanks so much to Stacey McEwan and Angry Robot for this ARC via NetGalley. Ledge is available now! **
The Review: This new adult fantasy romance started strong. The setting made it a perfect winter fantasy read and I loved that Dawsyn didn't seem to be ~special~ in the way so many heroines in YA/NA are. I was hoping for an Elide-esque character, where Dawsyn would be notable simply because of her intelligence, ferocity, and strength. Unfortunately, I think the beginning of this book was the strongest - as the story continued I became less and less invested in the characters or their goals. By the time I reached the ending, I was reading mostly just to see the book through, rather than because I wanted to see what happened.
I also found the world-building a little confusing - sometimes Dawsyn seemed to know nothing about the outside world, but other times she referenced things that she had never been exposed to before. Early on, she commented that her isolated community had never seen an avalanche and it bothered me that she had a word for an experience no one she had been exposed to had ever had.
This was a really promising debut from Stacey McEwan, but it lost steam as the story unfolded.
All in all, I enjoyed this but didn't love it. Props to McEwan for this debut though - it takes courage to publish a novel and this one had a lot of good things going for it.
** Thanks so much to Stacey McEwan and Angry Robot for this ARC via NetGalley. Ledge is available now! **
September 15, 2022
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.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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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.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: Which Book Should you read next based on your favourite Jane Austen Heroine
September 27, 2023
This book started off SO well - unbelievably well, in fact. It was addictive, fast-paced, dark. Then the protagonist falls for her captor within a few pages and it just snowballs into pure nonsense from there. While there are some really good scenes throughout the rest of the book, so much character development is glossed over by a weak relationship. The plot, its magic system, and side characters deserved… more. I shan’t be reading book 2 or 3. Life is too short.
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