⭐️⭐️⭐️

Edelweiss is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel that blends history, romance, and tragedy. Lloyd Hall captures the setting with a lyrical touch, making you feel the cold bite of the mountains and the fragile beauty of the flower the book is named after. The story balances tenderness with heartbreak, showing how love and hope can bloom even in the harshest circumstances.

At times, the pacing lingers a little too long on description, but the emotional payoff makes it worth it. If you enjoy poetic prose, slow-burn relationships, and stories that stay with you after the last page, this is one to pick up.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lloyd Hall for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read that this book took four years to come to fruition, I was shocked. The premise of this book is brilliant and full of exciting ideas (the entire reason I requested it). However, the story did not hold up. For me, I felt that the characters, plot line, and the technique of writing lacked depth.

Characters:
It seemed like the characters lacked motivation and direction, including Olivia. Unfortunately, Olivia faced little to no resistance regarding her ideas/plans/decisions. Ava, who initially seemed to be open to being resistant to Olivia, never resisted for more than one line of dialogue. Their relationship was fully surface-level, without any complexity, tension, or building of their budding romance. I was so disappointed that I didn’t get to see any relationship truly develop.

Plot Line:
The premise of this story was so exciting. Climate Collapse world? Android underworld? Sign me up. Almost none of this is written about in depth. There are many holes in this plot, including the antagonists individual plot (if she is even an antagonist?). Things happen quickly and conveniently, all wrapped up in a very neat bow at the end of the book, despite this book being the first in a trilogy somehow.

Writing Technique:
The writing of this felt very elementary. Sentence structures are similar, if not exactly the same from page to page. Pronouns are almost exclusively the beginning of the sentence (I, My, etc etc). There is no rhythm or movement to the writing. It makes the story overall that much more dull. I so wish this was better than it turned out to be.

Overall, I think this is a great book if there are heavy edits brought in and a better focus included to drive the story and its characters.

Sadly, I have to say I did not enjoy this book. The premise was good, the art is phenomenal and it had a lot of potential, but it simply did not read like a YA novel. This book read like a children’s book or a novel for teenagers who are getting into reading, which is by no means a bad thing, it was just not what I felt like I was promised.

The writing was a lot of telling not showing, the characters felt quite flat, and the dialogue was not very realistic. At some points, the characters felt one-dimensional with no personal traits, and I could not connect at all with them. At many points they acted weird, and often not realistically, especially towards the end, which pulled me out of the story a lot.

Overall, this story was not for me, but I think as a children’s story it could work quite well. It’s not a book for the seasoned reader who craves complexity, but someone in want of a light book, might find it more appealing.

Initially, the beautiful cover and blurb is what made me request an ARC of Edelweiss and I was delighted after having it confirmed. From the blurb alone it’s clear to see that Hall is extremely creative and talented when it comes to coming up with stories.

Unfortunately, despite how excited I was to receive this book, it took me multiple attempts to actually finish. The writing felt flat, and lifeless at times which was really disappointing to see from a book with such an interesting premise.

After the first chapter or two I was able to look past the unsatisfactory writing style and actually appreciate the story that Hall was trying to tell, and in the end, I found myself enjoying it. The mystery aspect of the book was really interesting to me, and I wasn’t able to predict where it was going and was satisfied with the conclusion. The world was really interesting to read about, I was really intrigued by June, and was happy to dissect it and find out what secrets it held. The beautiful illustrations throughout the book were both stunning to look at, and a huge help in understanding the world of June a bit better. The romance subplot between Olivia and Ava was very sweet to read, though slightly underdeveloped and I would’ve loved to have seen it explored further especially as wlw relationships are not often explored in depth in the sci-fi genre.

Overall, Edelweiss was a really interesting story, it was easily digestible and I believe it’d be a wonderful first introduction to science fiction for younger readers. With a few improvements to the writing style and pacing, I am confident that Edelweiss would be a perfect addition to the sci-fi space. I look forward to keeping up with Hall’s work, and seeing how he improves in the future.

Set centuries in the future after an apocalyptic flood the cosy town of June is peaceful and perfect. Olivia and her family move to June as her father takes up a new role in the lighthouse. After a class assignment takes Olivia and her new friend Ava to dangerous heights they find themselves wanting to explore more of the strange tunnels they have found.

The premise was good, the exploration and the world building was really interesting but the actual story was way too short.
I feel like we only just got into the fun gripping part when the book suddenly stopped.
It didn’t feel like a cliff-hanger ending, it felt like we stopped mid chapter and there was a lot of loose ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for supplying me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

There were many elements to this book that made me believe I would love it.
Unfortunately I couldn’t get past the quality of the writing style. It was too simplistic, like reading a list of stage directions.

For example:

‘Ava lowers the holo-recorder as we walk to our seats. I pull out the map from my pocket and hand it to her. She passes back the holo-recorder and I hit the stop button.’

Just actions described on the page. Most of the writing read like this and elicited no emotions from me. It felt like our FMC Olivia didn’t seem to emote, so why should I?

This book has the fundamental problem of telling the audience and not showing. We were told something and then Olivia would repeat it to herself and come to the same conclusion.
This happened repeatedly and it truthfully just made Olivia seem slow. It felt like the author thought his audience incapable of taking in information.

Olivia also did the most ridiculous things in every scenario thrown at her. There didn’t seem to be any logic in the decisions she made. It was hard to warm to her or anyone around her as there was no depth to her relationships or even to her own thoughts, which we were entirely privy to!

There were also a lot of inconsistencies in the story.

*spoilers ahead*

How was Saffron, an android, able to cry one lone tear?
(It also took these two girls 21 pages too many to figure out Saffron was an android! I know they’re teens, but we as the audience were being spoon fed the information by Olivia herself, yet she struggled to come to this very obvious conclusion for far too long.)
The Wardenclyffe institute is supposedly a mythical place, like Atlantis, but Olivia was able to accidentally stumble across it by barely walking 20 mins out of town.
And then these two teens easily opened the door up with a crowbar. A door which no one else has been able to discover in hundreds of years?

Olivia also seemed to barely feel any remorse, considering the explosion which they inadvertently helped to cause, killed a lot of people and destroyed most of their town?! But in her mind, it seems like she’s mostly just annoyed that she’s grounded.
Emotionless and unlikable are not good traits to have unless, like Saffron, ‘You’re an AI!’

There are two good things about this book - one is the concept. A dystopian world that has completely flooded then turned to ice and the ramifications of this on the human race is such an interesting plot idea.
Edelweiss is labelled as Book 3 in the series but can also be read as a stand alone and if I had a better impression of this authors writing after reading this book, I would have been interested to read its two predecessors to learn more about the world and maybe discover answers to some of my questions, but I’m not entirely convinced.

The second good thing - the cover design and the artwork within the ebook sent to me were absolutely gorgeous. They really evoked the feeling of the dystopian world and I always looked forward to seeing each new picture within the chapters.

I know this book is described as YA but I feel it either needs to be marketed to a much younger audience, or it needs some serious editing and bulking up to create a more detailed, emotional and well crafted story.

3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own!!
I really liked the concept of this book but I felt that the execution wasn't quite there for me. It's part of a series, but can be read as a standalone, which is how I read it and I think there should've been just a little more context at the start for people reading it as a standalone as some elements were left unexplained. It wasn't difficult to catch up though, which was good. The dialogue was quite simple and the writing style in general seemed to be more 'telling' than 'showing', which made the story fall a little flat. Despite being a YA, the characters and the dynamics between them felt quite young, especially Olivia, which was not what I was expecting. Having said that though, Olivia and Ava's relationship was very sweet, I just wished there was more of it included and in more depth because at some points the relationship felt rushed. However, the worldbuilding in this book is so good. The concept of June is insanely cool and the author portrays it really well, and the inclusion of illustrations in the book really elevated it. even though I wasn't particularly engaged while reading it, the ending managed to get me wanting more.

I loved the idea but sadly this didn’t quite make the cut for me. I was attracted to the cover and title and then the plot sounded neat. The icy world and novella seemed like my jam! However it just fell flat and bored me.

DNF. It was a little short, I couldn't really understand the story, or get attached to the characters. Maybe I'm too old for this, I was expecting a YA novel, but it might be for a younger audience? The cover is gorgeous though.

This is an ARC received by NetGalley; all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

This novella is about Olivia (Olive), a 16-year-old girl who has moved to the town of June with her parents. The reason for the move is because her father has started a position at the lighthouse, which is called Wardenclyffe. Olive lives at a point in the nearish future; the time is never fully explained, but we know it’s hundreds of years after 2300. In this period of time there seems to have been a return to older tech and a rejection of AI due to how it is taught to Olive in her school. The town is, however, inhabited by Androids that seem a little off to Olive, and she doesn’t exactly enjoy their presence. June is a town that seems to be in the north of this world; again, the details are few, and the reader is allowed to make many of their own assumptions. The town is cold and snowy year-round, and what was once an ocean bordering the town is now completely icy and is referred to as the Ice Shelf. 

Olive is a curious girl who chooses to explore her new town because there are no phones or TVs, and she is often accompanied by her classmate Ava, who is another freshman in Olive’s class. Olive also has a penchant for recording everything she is up to and everywhere she goes on her holo-recorder, which is a film camera of sorts that can project a hologram of the recording. 

There is a hidden and unknown history to the town, and a strange woman often moves around the town who wears a red coat; Olive later finds out this woman’s name is Saffron. Olive’s curiosity about Saffron leads her and Ava to stumble across a secret hiding underneath the town. 

Edelweiss was an interesting ARC to receive because it felt rather unfinished. From what I understand, this book is being marketed as a standalone but is also a part of the Wardenclyffe series. I feel as a reader I was missing a significant amount of information to properly enjoy this book, and I felt myself searching for more information to properly visualize or understand the world I was in while reading but not receiving it. Which is unfortunate because I think the heart of the story could have been more enjoyable if given more care and detail. The ARC I received was 139 pages, while on Goodreads it is marketed as having 278, and if that is the case, there are around 100 pages of story I didn’t get to see or will be added later to this book. These are my main concerns with the ARC as it has been presented:

1. It takes us until page 64 out of 139 to learn Olivia and Olive's age, which is 16, but they are freshmen in (what I assume is) high school. As a reader, my assumption was that Olive was 10-12 based on how she acts up until receiving this information. 

2. There is a large lack of description of others throughout the book; for example, I don’t know what Olive looks like. Ava is described as pretty with long dark hair and often wearing dresses. There are very few detailed descriptions of our main characters, but side characters with 2 or 3 appearances in the story have more complete descriptions, which was frustrating as a reader because I couldn’t imagine or visualize the person whose point-of-view I was in. 

3. The overall lack of detail in the story: I feel like this story was so short because no part of the plot is given the time to be fully described, and there is such a cool hidden underworld that could have been given so many more details. 

4. There are illustrations in this book that are beautiful, and I enjoyed it because they provided me more information about what was happening in the book in comparison to the writing. 

With all of this being understood, I do know this is a YA book, but it reads very young, and it could easily be considered a middle grade book. I think this book is a good start, but it doesn't feel complete, and it surprises me that it is a standalone book. I would suggest a few more editing sessions between now and the publishing date of February 14, 2026.

Unfortunately I really wanted to enjoy this little novella, but I think perhaps I was not the intended audience and that made a dramatic difference in how this book was received. I was initially really drawn to the gorgeous cover, but the book itself was a little too childish for my tastes. Usually I'm happy to read teen/ya, but it comes off as even younger than that. The writing itself was also a little clunky, and was very much in a "tell, not show" style which doesn't do much for me.
I truly hope that this book is well enjoyed by those it was meant for, and I take the blame on myself for perhaps being blinded by a pretty cover.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this one just didn’t work for me. The writing felt flat and repetitive, with way too much telling and not enough showing. The characters came across as really juvenile, which made it hard to buy into the relationships, and the dialogue often felt awkward or forced. The plot jumped around without much explanation, and when things did finally get going, it all wrapped up far too abruptly.

The setting and artwork were nice touches, but overall the story felt rushed and underdeveloped. Honestly, it read more like a draft than a finished book. Not for me.

I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book ahead of its release.

Unfortunately I did not finish this book as it was just not meant for me. I think it’s meant for a different target audience. I made it 10% before stopping.

I think if this is pushed in a different direction with the right audience it could do well.

Thank you net galley for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review. I was initially drawn to the book because of the cover. I’ve been craving a good dystopian novel and who can say no to queer love.

Although this book can be read as a stand alone I found maybe the author didn’t explain or world build enough for this to be a true standalone. Perhaps if I had read the other novels I would feel better about the state of the world-building. Unfortunately the characters also fell flat for me. The book is clearly geared towards a younger audience which isn’t a deal breaker for me but the lack of depth really left me wanting more.

Overall it was just an ok read.

The cover and synopsis are what made me want to read this. The idea of a very futuristic world covered in ice, and a girl arriving to a new city constructed as a maze of streets and buildings and experiences she has never seen before, with its own mystery, sounded magical.
I'm sure this is a story a younger audience can appreciate more in every aspect, especially with such an interesting world concept, but the way it was carried and written was not for me.

When i was about to start readint it I discovered that this is part 3 of a series and it hadn't even been indicated in any way? - but wathever, apparently all three are separated stories so that's perfect for me- wait, and the info says this is plus 300 pages and the arc I received is only 139 pages long? - huhh??- okay it doesn't matter, i love short stories anyways.
But then I started reading this and nothing clicked the way it's supposed to in a book. If the writing is the same in the other books, I'm guessing the stories must be otherworldly kind of good, or if the writing in those is different, I don't understand how in this one it can result so confusing and make such a difference.

My main problem was mostly the writing, in the description part of what's around and what's happening, and in how the characters talk. It all felt too childiss for me. The conversations felt too scripted, and the character of Olivia resulted in this very ambiguous person of child-like mannerisms, and not in a cute way, but in a «this is what you'll be dealing with' .» kind of way.
Every few pages or so I was thinking "this could be much more light if reworded!" The rhythm felt rushed and the change between scenes disconnected.
And this might be more specific, but the way this futuristic world so easily regarded the 'old' world in a ' we don't know what this was, or how it was called, or what it was supposed to do, oh well!' way, made me sad (the in 'watching such a good opportunity to add some insane fictional world-building being thrown away.' kind of sad).

he elevator pitch
Set centuries after cataclysmic floods and deep freeze reshape the planet, Edelweiss follows Olivia, a shy newcomer to the mountain town of June, whose awe at its grand library and still‑functioning androids is quickly eclipsed by her bond with Ava—a bolder classmate who coaxes her into the town’s forbidden underways. What begins as school‑day adventuring turns into an investigation of a buried Institute, sabotaged androids, and the mysterious Wardenclyffe lighthouse where Olivia’s father has taken a scientific residency.

What works especially well

A “cozy‑dystopian” vibe. Hall leans into warmth and wonder as much as peril. The icy setting is enchanting rather than relentlessly grim, and the narrative’s sense of discovery—lost tech, hidden tunnels, a lighthouse that hums with old secrets—invites curiosity before it demands fear. Kirkus captures this tenor nicely: the book favors delight over “urgent melodrama,” which proves a feature, not a bug, for readers who want YA speculative fiction with room to breathe.

Voice and texture. Olivia’s first‑person narration has a disarming, almost storybook directness; paired with Ollikainen’s illustrations, it evokes the feel of classic, whimsical adventures while still telling a thoroughly contemporary queer coming‑of‑age tale. That blend—Baum‑like charm in a post‑apocalyptic frame—is unusual in today’s YA field and gives Edelweiss a distinct tonal signature.

A tender f/f center. The relationship between Olivia and Ava is the book’s moral and emotional compass. Their chemistry reads as first love—tentative, curious, occasionally messy—and it grounds the larger conspiracy plot in human stakes that feel immediate and true. Early materials repeatedly foreground the romance alongside the sci‑fi mystery, and the book positions itself clearly for queer YA audiences.

Where it may divide readers

Measured pacing. If your personal bar for YA dystopia is set by high‑octane, cliff‑every‑chapter storytelling, Edelweiss’s gait may feel gentle. The plot does escalate—kidnappings, explosions, sabotage—but Hall prioritizes atmosphere, rapport, and puzzle‑box discovery over adrenaline. For many readers (myself included) that’s a strength; for those craving constant jeopardy, it might frustrate.

Series placement. This is billed as Volume 3 in the Wardenclyffe Series. While the June‑set mystery reads as a contained arc, newcomers should know they’re stepping into an existing universe whose earlier entries (Wardenclyffe and Mercury) established Hall’s interest in retro‑futurist tech myths and community ethics. You can start here, but series readers will likely catch more resonances.

Themes worth chewing on

Memory and technology. The androids in June aren’t just set dressing; they become a way to ask what (and who) a community chooses to maintain, decommission, or bury. The Institute’s secrets, the “ancient tech” under ice, and a town that runs on inherited systems collectively stage questions about stewardship and amnesia after collapse.

Belonging and first love. Olivia’s move to June, her father’s new post at Wardenclyffe, and the social risk of following Ava into off‑limits spaces all echo the book’s core arc: belonging is not given, it’s made—often by choosing curiosity over fear. The romance never overwhelms the plot; it focuses the stakes.

Craft notes

Illustration integration. Ollikainen’s art isn’t ornamental; it amplifies tone and worldbuilding (especially the contrast between June’s picture‑book prettiness and the stark under‑ice machinery). Readers who appreciate illustrated YA—where images enrich rather than replace prose—will find a lot to love.

Prose style. The “naive directness” of Olivia’s voice is a deliberate choice. It trades rhetorical flourish for clarity and wonder, which in turn keeps the narrative welcoming to younger YA readers without talking down to them.

Bottom line

Edelweiss is a charming, quietly ambitious YA novel: part wintry adventure, part queer first‑love story, part meditation on what communities keep frozen in place. Expect a slower burn, an emphasis on curiosity and care, and a finale that privileges restoration over carnage. Readers who enjoyed City of Ember–style mysteries, soft dystopias, and f/f coming‑of‑age romances should place this one on their radar.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me.
I could not get invested in the story as the writing style was too basic and lacked depth. I felt like I was being told what was happening rather than showing. The world building?? Where was it?? Is it in the room with us??
I did try to push through as this is only a short novel but I just couldn't bring myself to pick it back up.
It did have a great premise and felt like it had a steam punk vibe which was cool. But unfortunately, it fell quite flat for me.

To be transparent I requested this based on the cover and did not know it was part of a series - although I understand it can be read as a standalone. (100% my bad).

I feel like I’m not the target audience for this book and I’m not entirely sure who is? It’s is marketed as YA but really reads more middle grade. The characters were juvenile and until the romance was introduced (a tad abruptly and forced imo) I thought the FMC Olive was maybe 11 or 12, not 16, which really changed my attitude towards this book.

The artworks scattered throughout was absolutely stunning, and I appreciated the easy read. I can see the appeal for younger readers interest in diving into dystopian/sci-fi genre for the first time, but I just felt that it needed more world building and expansion of characters. Perhaps read the other books in this series prior to reading this when it comes out in February 2026.

Thanks NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for this arc.

I will start with the positives of the book. The concept of the book itself is pretty interesting.
I am new to the sci-fi genre so i was pretty excited. The world building and the description of the city this takes place in is what kept me going at the beginning of the book. I also thought that the small illustrations were a nice touch. I miss when books did that. Now on to the reason why i had to DNF the book. It unfortunately is not very captivating. Nothing about the story kept me hooked or wanting to know more. It’s really hard to connect to the characters, there is something about the story telling that is not organic and lacks whatever it is that authors do to help you connect with the content. The dialogue is also not great, the main character is very juvenile, it doesn’t give YA to me at all. I think the idea of what the book is about had a lot of potential but ultimately is not something i am interested in finishing. It put me in an awful reading slump that i am actively trying to overcome. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

This was an interesting read, but did leave a lot left to be desired. The world the book is set in is very interesting, and I would have loved to know about why there's ice shelves, and what happened for the area to be flooded. The city Olive lives in is certainly interesting, especially with all the tunnels, and some secret "Atlantis" type area under the city - hence why it leaves a lot to be desired. The book felt quite rushed at times, and it would have been nice to know more, such as why was the area sealed off, and also introducing the part where Olive cuts her hand on a crystal, but there's no wrap up on what happens here! The relationship between Olive and Ava seems superficial at best, and we don't really see how they develop feelings for each other - it almost seems like she just picks Ava out of a lineup and decides she will be her person, ie right from the get go of telling Ava she will be going to the ice rink with her ??? And Ava simply goes along with all this, until the end, but then there's a very quick resolution and suddenly they are okay again. Overall, a very interesting story, and I would be curious if this is going to be expanded on further in other books, as the plot certainly is quite unique and it would be nice to get more from it. Finally, I really enjoyed the artwork present throughout the book, it helped paint a picture of the world the characters were in. Massive thank you to NetGalley and Lloyd Hall for letting me read this ARC. I would really love to see it go a bit further, as like I said, it left a lot to be desired.