Today we’re featuring war time fantasy novel The Ethereal Squadron by author Shami Stovall. It’s about a strong female protagonist who disguises herself as a man to join the Ethereal Squadron, a military division of sorcerers, and fight in the great war (WWI, I think). Interesting, right? I thought so too, that’s why I decided to join this blog tour! And I’m glad I did because this book was a good read.
Read more about the book, check out my thoughts on the book, check out the really short (but intriguing!) excerpt, and, of course, enter the blog tour giveaway at the end of this post. Enjoy!
About the Book
It’s 1916, and the world is on fire.
The Great War has already consumed much of the globe, but a second, secret war between sorcerers threatens to crack it in two. The ruling families of Germany and Austria-Hungary, those with the chill of magic in their blood, will stop at nothing in their quest for power, and they’ve drawn the entire world into a bloody war because of it.
But Florence Cavell—codename Geist—means to stop them. She had to defy her family, cut her hair, and disguise herself as a man to join the legendary Ethereal Squadron: a joint US-UK division of the allied powers’ mightiest sorcerers. Armed with her powerful specter sorcery, which allows her to “ghost” through bullets and barbed wire alike, Geist fights a tireless battle to end the war once and for all.
Fans of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole, and The Roar by Emma Clayton will love this book.
This book is for anyone who likes reading about: strong female protagonists, military fantasy, historical fantasy, World War I, and adventure stories.
Exciting story, great characters, awesome magic concept
I enjoyed this book!
It had an intriguing storyline and a great heroine. I mean, use of magic during the war? And a powerful sorcerer disguising herself as a man to fight in that war? Pretty exciting stuff. I really liked Geist. She’s strong and determined, but also imperfect and vulnerable. I liked the balance.
The book was also fast-paced and didn’t drag at all, with new and interesting bits popping up as you progress in the story. I really enjoyed the twists and reveals.
I thought all the other characters were also interesting and well-developed in some way. They weren’t one dimensional and you could at least understand their motivations and why they were who they were.
The magic system was interesting, too. Magic systems are one of my favorite things in stories like this and I thought this one was fascinating. In this book, magic is in the blood. Meaning it only appears in certain families and each family has a distinct type of power. So naturally, magical families can be quite protective of their power and strategic in how they connect with other magic families in terms of marriages and alliances and that sort of thing. Because if members from two magic families marry, their kids can potentially develop all the powers that are in their bloodline, right? Very interesting stuff.
Anyway, this book kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning and had me thinking about the story and the characters (and the magic system!) long after I finished. I would love to read a sequel if there was one.
I received a review copy of this book with no obligations. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.
About the Author

Shami Stovall relies on her BA in History and Juris Doctorate to make her living as an author and history professor in the central valley of California. She writes in a wide range of fiction, from crime thrillers to fantasy to science-fiction. Stovall loves reading, playing video games, entertaining others with stories, and writing about herself in the third person.
Connect with the author: Website | Facebook | Twitter
Read an Excerpt
Geist stepped up to the edge of the first German trench and pointed her rifle down. Surprised soldiers could only half-lift their weapons as she fired. One soldier, tucked away in the shadows, his face muddy and his hands unsteady, managed to fire on Geist before she could ready her rifle for another round.
His shot pierced the collar of her uniform but flew off into the night, her power momentarily causing her skin to shimmer and fade.
“Geist,” the soldier mouthed. German for ghost. She had earned the codename from a hundred men murmuring the same thing just before they died.
Giveaway
Shami Stovall will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayFollow the tour and comment on the other hosts’ blog posts; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.
Thanks for sharing the great post!
Thanks for sharing this book with us. I think we all enjoy reading about new books we previously didn’t know about. Also, thank you for the giveaway.
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for hosting!