A review by misslexisaurus
The First Ethereal by E.L. Williams

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-paced

5.0

 I'm struggling to put into words how much I loved this book and why. The First Ethereal is so relevant and rooted in reality while still being full of real magic, with a sprinkle of hocus pocus for good measure!

The underlying message is so beautiful and made me cry at various points through the book. It threads hope into the most painful, hopeless situations and highlights the beauty of humanity without ignoring the awful parts of it.

The characters are relatable and, despite having clear goodies and baddies, the plot manages to expose the shades of grey in each situation.

After luring you in with its light, warm and fuzzy opening, The First Ethereal suddenly kicks up several gears which serves to ensure the reader understands the confusion and overwhelm of the characters. From the opening chapters I would never have guessed we could have landed in those final chapters and yet, in a very natural way, we do.

I was so moved by the story, it made me think and really look at my own beliefs and the way I've been acting simply by showing the complexity of the human experience.

I can't wait for the sequel!