I love the Reader's Favorite Book Awards. They're a well-respected organization that honestly reviews and supports books and writers without favoring the big publishers.
I've entered every first in series book I've written into their award program. The Last Descendant won the Bronze Medal in Adventure Fiction and Forged in Shadow was an Honorable Mention in the highly competitive Epic Fantasy category. (Two of my good author friends took gold and silver that year for books that very much deserved the accolades.)
So of course, I obviously entered Aether Bound into this year's awards program. I think it's my best book so far, and I'm hoping it will do well!
The results of the contest haven't come out yet, but the first review released today!
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Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers’ Favorite
Aether Bound by Megan Haskell is the first book in the Rise of Lilith series. Lil has a gift - she can see the desires of others. She has worked to keep her secret as she serves drinks at a beach bar where her co-workers have made her feel as if she belongs, especially a fedora-wearing musician. This provides the perfect location for Lil as she uses her abilities to read the desires of the various patrons while she has a running banter with the other characters. Everything is relatively perfect but when her older brother Ezra disappears during a storm, no one will believe that something is wrong. With everyone shrugging off her concerns, Lil takes it upon herself to search for her brother and is swept into a journey that takes her to the Unseen realm where she must face off with a god who has a diabolical plan.
Family drama is at the root of this story which involves the complexities of forgiveness and fixing past mistakes. In Aether Bound, Megan Haskell explores these elements through an honest approach that finds Lil struggling to face the source of her past trauma. Lil's journey into the Aether realm weaves the story into a vivid mythological setting that uses the gods to explore the concept of higher emotions such as love, family, and friendship. These themes are examined through an interesting juxtaposition between Lil risking her own life by going into this realm to find her brother and one of the gods fixing a mistake by physically altering a character. Her journey is set against a rich background that breathes life into vibrant mythology with an Aether spirit realm filled with an assortment of demons and gods. Saving Ezra is at the root of the journey as Lil follows a path that explores love, family, forgiveness, and loyalty set against lovely mythology.
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Have you read it yet? If so, what did you think? Make sure to leave a review and let me know!
And if you haven't picked it up yet, did you know you can buy direct from me, right here on my website? Whether you want an ebook, signed paperback, or both, I've got you covered. Use discount code FIVESTAR15 for 15% off your Aether Bound purchase!