Thanks to NetGalley I received a sneak peek of “Ledge” by Stacey McEwan and I’m definitely intrigued! The sampler sets up a chilling, icy world with just enough tension and mystery to pull me in. It gives off serious survival vibes with a side of slow-burn secrets, Now I absolutely need to know what happens next. Definitely adding this to my TBR!

Honestly I thought this was the full book and when I realised it was only 2 chapters I pushed it so far down my tbr I forgot about it.

I finally read the first 2 chapters when in a slump and I'm definitely intrigued by the rest of the story. It's not gone to the top of my tbr but it'll definitely be waiting for me when I fancy it - life of a mood reader.

The story is really unique and the beginning is really gripping. I have read this entire book and enjoyed the story and the romance. Enemies to lovers and a slow burn romance that pays off but the ending is diabolical.

This was misleading. It was as only two chapters. The chapters were good but I believed this was the book and led astray. No fault of the author.

A gripping tale for fans of the Hunger Games and similar dystopian tropes. From the first few pages, this story grips you with the strife, loss, and hunger (both physical and mental) that FMC, Dawsyn, feels. In just a few chapters, McEwan hooks her readers' in; making them want to learn of what happens to those that leave the safety net of the Ledge. This is a must read! Fantastic, refreshing take on what line we'd cross, both ethically and morally, to survive.

From only two chapters I’m hooked. Does Daywsn get chosen in Selection? What happens to her? Who are the Glacians? Where is this ledge!

Well, this was only a sample of the book, but I definitely wanted more. I want to know more about this world. The two chapters that were in this sample were a tease. I like this authors style though!

This was a fantastic preview! I can tell this will be a very interesting book and I immediately ran to the bookstore to purchase my own copy! I can't wait to finish the story because it has a very unique premise.

Note: This review is based on the sampler consisting of the first two chapters.

I picked up this sample to get a taste of Stacey's writing style for her upcoming novel A Forbidden Alchemy. I was pleasantly surprised at how much Stacey packed into the first couple of chapters that really gives me a clear sense of the dystopian world. I also like her writing style as it's fast-paced and pulls you in right from the start. I am definitely intrigued enough to read the rest of Ledge as well as check out her new novel.

Ledge throws you straight into the action and doesn’t really slow down, which I loved. The world is harsh—literally freezing—and you can really feel how brutal life on the Ledge is. It’s not just background noise; the setting actually matters and shapes the characters in a real way.

Dawsyn, the main character, is tough as nails. She’s sharp, stubborn, and not here to play nice, which makes her super easy to root for. When she gets taken by these creepy, winged creatures called Glacians, things start getting wild. She ends up teaming up with one of them, Ryon, and the enemies-to-something-more tension is definitely there, but it doesn’t feel rushed or overdone. Their banter is solid and adds a bit of fun to an otherwise intense story.

The pacing is quick and stays that way—no long boring stretches. Things keep moving, which made it really hard to put down. Even when I could guess where a few plot points were headed, I still wanted to see how it all played out. Yeah, it uses some familiar fantasy tropes, but honestly? It works.

If you’re into survival stories with a cold, dangerous setting, strong female leads, and some slow-burn tension, Ledge is definitely worth checking out. First in a series too, so there’s more to come if you’re into it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for access to this ARC sampler! 📚

It’s difficult to review a book based on only two chapters, but from the sample my initial impressions were that this story had potential for some great world building. We had mythical monsters threatening a closed community, ‘feeding’ at intervals on individuals who sacrificed themselves to spare their families. Anybody too ‘cowardly’ to come forward would be ‘hunted and killed’, too. The people of the Ledge were living in harsh and dangerous conditions with no chance for escape due to being between a chasm splitting the landscape and a mountain wall that stretched beyond where the eye could see. I would definitely be interested to find out what the monsters were, how they came to be and why they trapped the community on the Ledge. For example, were the beasts magical? Were they actually eating the citizens? Where were they taking them? Could they be overcome? What is the chasm, was that magical too? Where did the beyond lead?
The introduced characters didn’t have much chance to grab my interest in only two chapters, but the atmosphere was set well with the characters battling intense loneliness and seeking intimacy from each other in an almost symbiotic relationship. The female lead was very hardened, both physically and emotionally, from living entirely alone and having to fend for herself in ‘the frost’. The two characters showed how alliances had to be formed when facing threats from others for resources, with the trees in the forest being divided amongst different groups for ownership. We saw the tension and ruthlessness involved in families trying to take ownership of more, extorting or blackmailing the more vulnerable.
There were plenty of potential plots that came to mind such as escaping the Ledge and discovering what was beyond, falling down the chasm and seeing what lay at the bottom, trying to defeat the monsters or putting an end to the ritualistic ‘killings’, or being chosen as the sacrifice and discovering where the victims were taken and what actually happened to them. I imagine there would be storylines involving the community itself and its internal politics.
The writing sometimes leant on the flowery side, with unnecessary adjectives or similes bloating the descriptions. But there was some beauty in there too, my particular favourite being ‘she watches her stale blood swirl into cursive’. I’m not personally a fan of third person present narrative voice, as I feel it’s harder to stick to correctly and often sounds clunky. I was surprised there was a smut scene so early on, a tame one admittedly, but it was short and vague to reflect the detachment of their intimacy. The dialogue wasn’t the best, with the male character’s first lines being ‘what the fuck’ and addressing her by surname, a very modern vernacular, only to then start talking quite formally. So that made it difficult to fully envision the community’s culture.
Overall I would potentially seek this book out to read to find out more.

I found Stacey McEwan on TikTok and I have been dazzled by her writing ever since. Her FMC, Dawsyn, finds herself as the next sacrifice. I simply loved the setting because it was a cold and frozen land. I feel like that isn’t done much. Cannot wait to read the rest of Stacey’s catalog.

I was hooked straight from the beginning, so much so I'm going to read the full books.
Straight the way we are pulled into a barely inhabitable freezing landscape, which our fmc is surviving alone. We hear of the bleak surroundings and the fights for what is considered highly tradable resources. A yawning casm that takes lives and only makes the frozen landscape more dire. Then to top it all off, winged creatures that come bearing gifts of resources, yet their payment is death upon being selected in the culling that takes place.

Truly magnificent, I can't wait to read the full book.

The first few chapters of Ledge truly don’t do this book justice. This book is haunting and eerie and full of heart stopping twists and turns for our fierce FMC, Dawsyn. After reading the whole book, this sampler gives us a glimpse into the world of the Ledge without spoiling too much for us. It’s absolutely a great read and worth diving into the series,

I’m excited to grab this book! The sample has truly piqued my interest.

I appreciate NetGalley for sharing an exclusive sample.

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:

Wow! I am surprised how much these first couple of chapters really pulled me in! Stacey McEwan has such a vivid writing style, and it's easy to picture the world we're introduced to within this sampler. These 15 or so pages have left me intrigued, and I'm eager to finish this book and continue the series.

I loved the cosy aspect that came with this story, it is the perfect novel to curl up with on a snowy day. I fell in love with the characters, the plot and the fast paced story, I wish we delved further into a romance though!

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this eARC sample!

I was pulled in by the cover, but really found myself interested in the book description. In Chapter 1 I found myself almost immediately creating questions about Dawsyn and the world around her. I could picture myself in this arctic world, clawing over others trying to salvage what I could of the drop.

The drop is actually one of the things I found to be most interesting! I could not think of another book that had that aspect that I have read recently.

Stacey’s writing felt very poetic as I moved into Chapter 2. I felt lonely reading about Dawsyn. I could feel her inner isolation. I was actually quite surprised at Dawsyn’s interaction with Hector. I was expecting her to be more reserved when she entered his cabin, but I felt that reservation in her connection with Hector.

I think these were great opening chapters and have me interested in learning more about the series!

The first two chapters of Ledge engross you. The main character is introduced, a bit of the world-building and the book's settings are established, and the potential antagonists are alluded to.

The author's writing is phenomenal so far - the style is engaging, concise, and holds the reader's attention. The first sentence captures your attention and pulls you into the book.

The main character is likeable thus far and some of her personality is already evident - she is strong, independent, and generous. The world-building at this point is unique which makes this book even more fascinating.

I really enjoyed the first two chapters and will be reading the rest of the series as soon as possible! Thank you so much for the Netgalley eBook preview.