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witcheep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book was a disappointment to me – for three main reasons.
The first and the biggest disappointment is that the main chatacter Dawsyn is just too stupid to live. Don't get me wrong, she is almost overpoweredly competent in survival and fighting skills, but her stubborn attitude and rash decicions should have had her killed multiple times throughout the book. For example, when Dawsyn is chased for her life, she taunts her hunters, refuses an unlikely ally or tries to spite said ally in every possible way. Even Dawsyn herself thinks she is being childish in a life-or-death situation!
And then she'll have won this childish game of wills.
The ally has to save Dawsyn's life multiple times mainly because of Dawsyn's stupidity. Dawsyn counts on this: she doesn't care what her actions result in because the ally will of course save the day . Annoying! And this makes the ally just a doormat, trying to keep Dawsyn safe from their enemies and Dawsyn's own whims. Their romance (sub)plot doesn't add any real value to the story: I don't buy the level of their infatuation, which makes the romantic parts just cringeworthy.
The plot seems to be that Dawsyn and her ally are constantly in a hurry, but nothing much actually happens. The stakes should be very high (life and death!) but it doesn't feel like that at all. Dawsyn and her ally rush around from a hiding place to another,manage it fairly easily, and defeat the chase parties that find them in combat waaay too easily even when they are clearly outnumbered . While escaping and hiding, Dawsyn manages to make new powerful enemies just because she acts rash and doesn't stop to think things through (and we've come back to her too-stupid-to-live trait).
The plot seems to be that Dawsyn and her ally are constantly in a hurry, but nothing much actually happens. The stakes should be very high (life and death!) but it doesn't feel like that at all. Dawsyn and her ally rush around from a hiding place to another,
Secondly, and this is kindof just a side note... The setting of the Ledge and the Glacian captor race offer an interesting premise for escaping and finding out more about the reasoning behind this captive arrangement. At first, this arrangement and the escape seem to be filled with plot holes (things suddenly being possible when just a while ago they were impossible; new convienient things coming across all the time), but slowly these get explained better by Dawsyn discovering more about the truth of how the kingdom works. I wish the plot holes weren't there at all – don't say something is impossible just to make it doable in a minute. Why not say it is commonly known to be very unlikely to achieve instead?
Finally, another bigger issue: The political and ruling systems are unfortunately very unimaginative, rendering the setting worth less than it should be. Everything comes down to cruel monarchs and selfish nobility who want to hold on to their priviledged lives, even for the cost of the others. The lowest social classes are suffering in a world where resources are very scarce and the survival of the fittests dictates who lives and who dies – teamwork is forgotten outside of the closest family groups. The book presents the people of this world as very violent beings who only think of themselves, no matter the social standing, and that is just a very negative perspective on life used as an easy way to make opponents for the story. Reality is more complex, and I'd like to see that reflected in the people of a fantasy world.
Oh, and just to add to the annoyance of this all, the book has a bloody cliffhanger ending. 🙄
Oh, and just to add to the annoyance of this all, the book has a bloody cliffhanger ending. 🙄
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Body horror, Infertility, and Pregnancy
aurora4847's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Minor: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse
brysonsmommie84's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s only January, but I’ve already read ten books this year and this is the best one by far. To the point I haven’t been interested in the books I have tried to read afterwards…
I cannot wait to read Chasm, which is book two in this series. (Hurry Library, I don’t own this one!) This is not what I was expecting, but I throughly enjoyed every minute.
I have been following the author Stacey on TikTok since the beginning and have been so excited to read this novel. It reminded me the entire time of the 1976 movie Logan‘s Run, with Jenny Agutter and Michael York. Just add in bat-like people swooping in to steal away the people that are destined for the carousel or in this case Iskra and set it all on a snowy/icy ledge. If you like Hunger Games or Divergent, but for adults, this is for you.
It had some smutty scenes I was not expecting, at all. Out of two hundred and seventy-one pages, I believe it’s ten to twelve pages throughout the book, roughly three percent. The first scene was pretty early into the book. So, if romantasy is your thing, there is probably enough, this only the first book in the trilogy.
The quote from page 207 is my only true complaint about this book. Ryon and other glacians, but mostly him, use the word girl repeatedly. Can’t stand the word…
Just a few quotes I don’t want to forget:
Page 74
“The cold is not alive, but it might as well be fangs and claws, for the havoc in can wreak.”
Page 135
“I do not need you.”
“Ah, but wanting is not the same as needing, as you so perfectly illustrated tonight.”
Page 142
“It is my aim in life to leave an impression and I don’t much care for ensuring it be a good one.”
Page 207
“You will refrain from calling me girl.”
Amused, he gazes at her from beneath his eyelashes. “Or what?”
“Or I might decide I don’t want your hands anywhere near me.”
Page 216
“ When I first saw you, I thought you were an intolerable, arrogant maniac with a smart mouth and a pretty face. My mind is unchanged.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
kat1105's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
meat_muffin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this. Absolutely loved it. Blasted through, sad it’s over, am D Y I N G that the next one won’t be out for months - and on that cliffhanger?! How very dare (but I still adore you, Stacey!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
jayremps's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement
amre23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Genocide, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
soniajoy98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Classism
Minor: Physical abuse, Torture, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy
magiquek8ball's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book took me longer to finish than I expected because I had to keep taking breaks. I loved and felt so there with the characters, that whenever something happened I needed to literally walk away and come back.
Based wholly on those breaks and when in the book I needed to take them, I can say that this book is perfectly paced and the ebbs and flows of the plot are as soothing and intoxicating as the magic in the pool of Iskra. I’ve never wanted to pick back up a book so soon after finishing it.
One of my favorite things about this book (aside from the characters) is the language used both in and out of dialogue. When the characters are talking to each other, not only does their individual personality come through but it really feels like a fantasy book in the cadence of their speech. I was constantly aware that I was witnessing something magical and of-another-world. Despite the true, heartwarmingly, human moments in the book, there was nothing pedestrian about it because of the words the author used in those moments.
Throughout this book, I got a sense that Stacey McEwan was sharing her wishes for the world. Some were small and simple like a man with huge hands who loves a woman with a sharp wit and being able to shove entitled men into gaping holes in the earth . Others were huge; the type of hopes we have but rarely know how to chase. Things like making the world “A Better Place” where people are not forced to go without freedom and comfort so that others may benefit, bluntness is welcome so long as it’s used without judgment, and differences are used as strengths to join forces against those with their heels on the backs of others. I loved being in a world where these wishes became plans and actions and I thank the author for sharing it with me.
Based wholly on those breaks and when in the book I needed to take them, I can say that this book is perfectly paced and the ebbs and flows of the plot are as soothing and intoxicating as the magic in the pool of Iskra. I’ve never wanted to pick back up a book so soon after finishing it.
One of my favorite things about this book (aside from the characters) is the language used both in and out of dialogue. When the characters are talking to each other, not only does their individual personality come through but it really feels like a fantasy book in the cadence of their speech. I was constantly aware that I was witnessing something magical and of-another-world. Despite the true, heartwarmingly, human moments in the book, there was nothing pedestrian about it because of the words the author used in those moments.
Throughout this book, I got a sense that Stacey McEwan was sharing her wishes for the world. Some were small and simple like a man with huge hands who loves a woman with a sharp wit and
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and War
Minor: Confinement, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Classism
As a fantasy book, the -isms that are mentioned act more as a metaphor for ones that exist in our world. I found them powerful and thoughtfully done, but they are there.anxiousnachos's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
1.75
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
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