Ledge by Stacey McEwan

(Angry Robot Books, 2022)

Reviewed by John Dodd

The world is only a Ledge, too steep are the cliffs behind it to climb out, too wide is the chasm beyond to jump to freedom, and from above, every once in a while, Glacians, a race of winged predators, come to take tribute from the steadily dwindling numbers upon this narrow precipice.

This is the story of Dawsyn, who lives upon the ledge and has nothing in her life to look forward to, those around her are dying, there are no moments of joy to be had, and as the demons come again and again, so those around her are taken, and leave her with nothing.

Till she herself is taken, and there’s a realisation that the world she knew is a prison, and that the Glacians aren’t invincible, that they can be fought, and they can be beaten. Strangest of all, it would be one of them, Ryon, a hybrid, outcast from the Glacians himself, that helps her to escape and learn more of the world beyond.

So begins the hunt, as Dawsyn and Ryon seek to find their way to the truth of things, to find out why Dawsyn’s tribe were left upon the ledge to die, to learn more of Ryon’s heritage and the tragedy that brought him to be. The book starts fast and doesn’t slow down, there’s no pause to stop and view the scenery, no wait to catch up as the pair hurtle headlong into danger and mystery. The world as presented is a dark and dangerous place, without mercy or quarter from any angle as both Dawsyn and Ryon learn more about each other and the world.

Invariably, the two of them find an attraction to each other, and Ryon being an outcast from the Glacians plays well here, as both of them have every reason to hate the Glacians and everything they stand for. So, even though he is everything physically that Dawsyn hates, they have common purpose and find solace with each other in that.

The story arc ramps up well: the betrayal of Dawsyn’s tribe and the truth of who she is, the dark realisation of how Ryon came to be and who he really is, and the knowledge that the enemy isn’t just the Glacians, but those who brought the ledge into being through their weakness and scheming.

This is well told; it’s not heroic fiction, the characters are gritty, the world is grim. The brief glimpses of happiness and joy that are present are eclipsed by the continuing chase and the truth of the world around them. By the end, the immediate crisis is resolved, only to be replace by something much larger, and the opening of the world to a darker future. I have no doubts that there are more stories to be told here, and enough seeds sewn that have not yet grown to be gathered.

It's a fast action read, and the world is well fleshed out. Although in places it has the feel of Twilight in the infatuation between Dawsyn and Ryon, it resists the temptation to turn every scene with them into two horny teenagers, keeping the perspective of two people who were raised with nothing but hate for each other, yet still being bound together by forces well beyond their control. When things resolve, it is neither unreasonable nor unbelievable, and the book is more powerful for it.

I enjoyed this, but it very much had the feeling of a first book with the certainty of a second to follow—there are not answers to all of the questions that were posed, and the ending was shocking to the point that it needs to have something follow it, if only to answer those last few pages. Good premise, good ideas, and well executed, I’d recommend this to anyone who liked Twilight or Outlander.

Review from BSFA Review 19 - Download your copy here.