Review of Aether Bound (The Rise of Lilith #1)

Blurb: Hello, my name is Lil, and I can see the demon on your shoulder.

I found my calling as a bartender in Laguna Beach, California. Home to sunshine, sand, and surf—and I provide the tropical drinks to go with your vacation vibe. Or I did until things went sideways.

A woman nearly drowns. My brother, Ezra, is missing. Demons are climbing from the ocean depths. And I’m the only one who can see what’s really going on.

The question is, can I stop it and bring Ezra home before the primordial god of the ocean claims his due?

Review: Lil has lived anything but a normal life, but she's trying to find some sense of it working as a bartender in Laguna Beach. She can see the demons on your shoulders, and while it helps her read people well, it also makes her keep her distance. She cares only for her brother, Ezra, but when he goes missing into a god's realm under the sea, she will stop at nothing to bring him back. Yet the sea god and his new bride won't make it easy for her.

The is the first book in the thrilling paranormal fantasy series, The Rise of Lilith. We start with Lil as a smart, sarcastic bartender who keeps people at an arm's length away to protect her heart. She's afraid if people get too close to her that they'll end up hurt. That's where the stereotypical female main character tropes end. Her unusual power is that she sees and hears the demons on people's shoulders. Though, I get the feeling they're not truly demons. Maybe she's seeing the "personification" of emotions? Her witchy powers as a Daughter of Lilith grow as the plot moves along, but it's a cool power that could lead to some interesting places. Much of the book is spent in the sea god's realm: a party all the time afterlife where he's collecting souls to fuel the invasion he's planning. Ezra is taken, and Lil to go on a deadly mission to get him back. Lots of world building with various gods from different cultures and times. I love how they mesh together and all the infighting. The whole cast of characters is fantastic. I adore Grams, and I really want more of Hecate.

You can find Megan Haskell on her site and buy the book here.