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Asunder
We choose our own gods here.
Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch entity—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a job goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended.
Ferain is willing to pay a ludicrous sum of money for her help. To save him, Karys inadvertently binds him to her shadow, an act that may doom them both. If they want to survive, they will need to learn to trust one another. Together, they journey to the heart of a faded empire, all the while haunted by arcane horrors and the unquiet ghosts of their pasts.
And all too soon, Karys knows her debts will come due.
Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch entity—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a job goes sideways and connects her to a dying stranger with dangerous secrets, her entire world is upended.
Ferain is willing to pay a ludicrous sum of money for her help. To save him, Karys inadvertently binds him to her shadow, an act that may doom them both. If they want to survive, they will need to learn to trust one another. Together, they journey to the heart of a faded empire, all the while haunted by arcane horrors and the unquiet ghosts of their pasts.
And all too soon, Karys knows her debts will come due.
432 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 20, 2024
About the author
Kerstin Hall
11 books207 followersKERSTIN HALL is the author of the The Border Keeper, Second Spear, and Star Eater. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 30, 2024
you've heard of only one bed but may i suggest only one head??? forced proximity but may i offer you LIs sharing a body and needing to get split up before they both die?
dark adventure fantasy with a tender heart - this brings you through fantastical place after place with an almost ghibli-esque wonder and imagination, while never losing its characters or kirsten's other trademark of super concerning demons and doses of body horror. this is an excellent loner-reluctantly-gains-band-of-allies-and-learns-to-trust fantasy; it's learning to open a walled-off heart and want to live and live with someone; it's got scholars with magical workings, demented sea slug gods and places and creatures i'd love to visit; it crosses personal stakes with a vast world so wonderfully and the ending DEVASTATED me.
i would kill to see this as an animated series. tor give the people the sequel i'm quite literally in your walls
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1 sept 2023:
I've read the first few early chapters of this and like. Adventure fantasy with a darker bent and a little Ghibliesque wonder? Stabby woman sworn to demon who accidentally binds a pathetic pretty quippy man to her shadow in order to save his life and must now free him to save her own?? im about to be incredibly annoying about karys x ferain let the record show i was their first shipper
dark adventure fantasy with a tender heart - this brings you through fantastical place after place with an almost ghibli-esque wonder and imagination, while never losing its characters or kirsten's other trademark of super concerning demons and doses of body horror. this is an excellent loner-reluctantly-gains-band-of-allies-and-learns-to-trust fantasy; it's learning to open a walled-off heart and want to live and live with someone; it's got scholars with magical workings, demented sea slug gods and places and creatures i'd love to visit; it crosses personal stakes with a vast world so wonderfully and the ending DEVASTATED me.
i would kill to see this as an animated series. tor give the people the sequel i'm quite literally in your walls
--
1 sept 2023:
I've read the first few early chapters of this and like. Adventure fantasy with a darker bent and a little Ghibliesque wonder? Stabby woman sworn to demon who accidentally binds a pathetic pretty quippy man to her shadow in order to save his life and must now free him to save her own?? im about to be incredibly annoying about karys x ferain let the record show i was their first shipper
March 7, 2024
Despite the description immediately making me think of warlock pacts in D&D, I found myself immediately pulled into the novel's mythology. I was fascinated by the idea of these two sets of, essentially, gods who are neither incredibly beneficial to humankind. At least, while there are examples of benevolent seeming creations, the stories of the old gods were pretty much all rather dark with ample evidence that whatever care they had for humans was pretty callous. The new gods, however, seem less concerned with humanity overall -- except for those who make contracts with them.
The main character, Karys, is one such person. While she's able to scrape by with the power her Ephirite (and is that basically pronounced "efreet" so it's essentially a djinn?) master gave her to speak to the dead, the trade-off is that he gets to force her permanently into his realm someday. No one really knows what happens there, but her short visits indicate it will be horrific and probably involve unspeakable acts and some body horror.
After she accidentally bonds someone to her shadow in attempt to rescue him, she becomes a target for several political groups... but he promises her riches if she can figure out how to set him free. That's the main thrust of the story, but the scope gets so much bigger and there are plenty of misadventures along the way.
This kind of gives it an episodic feel, but also lends to a feeling of things not really resolving at the end. (hence why this is a four star read for me instead of a five -- if there is a sequel, then I might have to bump it up) But at the end of the novel, there are plenty of big issues that could spawn sequels or spin offs and I hope they do. Though Karys was the POV character, the greater found family aspect of the book makes me really want to learn more about where everyone else ended up. And there are minor villains I'd like to see get some comeuppance...
At any rate, overall, just a lovely, gripping writing style that usually is able to span both cosmic (Ephirite) horror and mundane (the difficulty of paying rent) ones.
The main character, Karys, is one such person. While she's able to scrape by with the power her Ephirite (and is that basically pronounced "efreet" so it's essentially a djinn?) master gave her to speak to the dead, the trade-off is that he gets to force her permanently into his realm someday. No one really knows what happens there, but her short visits indicate it will be horrific and probably involve unspeakable acts and some body horror.
After she accidentally bonds someone to her shadow in attempt to rescue him, she becomes a target for several political groups... but he promises her riches if she can figure out how to set him free. That's the main thrust of the story, but the scope gets so much bigger and there are plenty of misadventures along the way.
This kind of gives it an episodic feel, but also lends to a feeling of things not really resolving at the end. (hence why this is a four star read for me instead of a five -- if there is a sequel, then I might have to bump it up) But at the end of the novel, there are plenty of big issues that could spawn sequels or spin offs and I hope they do. Though Karys was the POV character, the greater found family aspect of the book makes me really want to learn more about where everyone else ended up. And there are minor villains I'd like to see get some comeuppance...
At any rate, overall, just a lovely, gripping writing style that usually is able to span both cosmic (Ephirite) horror and mundane (the difficulty of paying rent) ones.
March 1, 2024
Holy FUCK
there are tears in my eyes & im in agony
I think this is already going to be one of my top 5 reads of 2024
there are tears in my eyes & im in agony
I think this is already going to be one of my top 5 reads of 2024
July 22, 2024
Mesmerising, breathtaking, darkly wondrous. A fucking FEAST. I am wildly ravenous and unspeakably satiated. Utter perfection.
Rtc!
Rtc!
April 20, 2024
I desperately hope that we get another book in this world from Hall. A direct sequel, a spin off, a bunch of short stories, a one woman show on Broadway that is then published as a play, I don't care what form it takes I WANT MORE.
This is by far one of the most inventive, gut-wrenching, and compelling fantasies I have ever read. There is no hand holding, you are thrown into this strange world with eldritch creatures and strange magic. I have never felt such empathy for a main character before while reading, I cried, feeling Karys's emotions as my own as she went on this difficult journey. The cast of characters is fantastic, from the friends to the enemies Karys meets along the way. The book is fast-paced and deeply immersive. I could not pull myself away from this book.
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is by far one of the most inventive, gut-wrenching, and compelling fantasies I have ever read. There is no hand holding, you are thrown into this strange world with eldritch creatures and strange magic. I have never felt such empathy for a main character before while reading, I cried, feeling Karys's emotions as my own as she went on this difficult journey. The cast of characters is fantastic, from the friends to the enemies Karys meets along the way. The book is fast-paced and deeply immersive. I could not pull myself away from this book.
Thank you so much to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
November 6, 2023I am FERAL for this book. I NEED ❤️🔥
March 7, 2024
I read a digital ARC through my company access to Edelweiss, and I've been thinking about Asunder nonstop since. It's been a while since I loved something the way I loved this story. Karys is an amazing protagonist, the characters surrounding her and their experiences were so engaging and delightful and stressful (the good kind) and I'm still obsessed with Ferain and the magic systems and oh my GOD I just can't wait to handsell this in August. (I'm also so nervous because the setup is there for a follow-up, but all marketing material from Tor right now calls it a stand-alone, which is fine and good, but like. Oh my GOD!!!! Please!!!) I'm definitely going to go read Hall's other works. Chef's kiss. I love finding gems like this.
November 6, 2023
OHHHH love this
June 20, 2024
this really did not need to be as long as it was
March 27, 2024
Official blurb:
There is no doubt in my mind that Kerstin Hall is one of the great imaginative minds writing fantasy today. ASUNDER is a masterful novel, one that is both intimately character-focused and layered with intrigue, eldritch horrors, and high-octane action. It is immersive, inventive, and intensely unputdownable. I was spellbound from the first pages.
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Coherent thoughts to come, but I just wanted to say that ASUNDER was the most intense, most inventive, most heart-wrenching fantasy novel I've read in a long time. The characters and the world have been living rent free in my head (like Ferain does, literally, lmao) ever since I read the last page. Preorder and thank me later.
Thank you to TorDotCom for the ARC via NetGalley! (now no one in my life will be able to escape me yelling about karys and ferain)
There is no doubt in my mind that Kerstin Hall is one of the great imaginative minds writing fantasy today. ASUNDER is a masterful novel, one that is both intimately character-focused and layered with intrigue, eldritch horrors, and high-octane action. It is immersive, inventive, and intensely unputdownable. I was spellbound from the first pages.
---
Coherent thoughts to come, but I just wanted to say that ASUNDER was the most intense, most inventive, most heart-wrenching fantasy novel I've read in a long time. The characters and the world have been living rent free in my head (like Ferain does, literally, lmao) ever since I read the last page. Preorder and thank me later.
Thank you to TorDotCom for the ARC via NetGalley! (now no one in my life will be able to escape me yelling about karys and ferain)
June 28, 2024
Maybe more of a 4.5 but I don’t know I haven’t decided yet.
Thanks to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Wow, I LOVED this. This had excellent world building and magic systems, and I really felt attached to the characters. The plot was slower-paced with a lot of the focus being on the politics, magic, and world building of this universe. Karys and Ferain’s relationship devastated me (I love a slow burn).
The last couple chapters were super stressful and the ending felt very open-ended for a book that is described as a standalone so… I really hope there’s a book 2.
Thanks to Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
Wow, I LOVED this. This had excellent world building and magic systems, and I really felt attached to the characters. The plot was slower-paced with a lot of the focus being on the politics, magic, and world building of this universe. Karys and Ferain’s relationship devastated me (I love a slow burn).
The last couple chapters were super stressful and the ending felt very open-ended for a book that is described as a standalone so… I really hope there’s a book 2.
June 6, 2024
I absolutely adored this until the last 50 pages, when everything got really metaphorical and convoluted and there was a LOT happening but I didn’t fully understand any of it, and if there was a resolution I missed it? Worth reading for the complex world building and the quality of the writing, but be prepared for some confusion at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 22, 2024Not sure on the rating -- I really liked a lot of this, but not sure how I feel about the ending.
I received an advanced copy of this from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
I received an advanced copy of this from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.
March 24, 2024
If Isabel Cañas says something is great, I will at least give it a look.
June 21, 2024
4.5 Stars
July 8, 2024
I need more. There had better be more. This story is not over yet.
July 19, 2024
I love this, it is amazing, and there needs to be a sequel right now.
Seriously, read Kerstin Hall's books. I've loved everything by her I've ever read excepting Star Eater but including the entire Mkalis cycle (three novellas so far) and an obscure M.R. James-like short story with a couple lines of dialogue in Zulu. (Which I took on Duolingo, so I actually recognized it!)
I believe Kerstin Hall and Kathleen Jennings are in some way a replacement for Patricia McKillip except that Hall adds the intrigue sensibility of C J Cherryh or John M Ford.
Disclaimer: I received a Digital Review Copy from the publisher with no requirement for review. Mostly publishers just put stuff up on the reviewer site and hope someone will review it.
Seriously, read Kerstin Hall's books. I've loved everything by her I've ever read excepting Star Eater but including the entire Mkalis cycle (three novellas so far) and an obscure M.R. James-like short story with a couple lines of dialogue in Zulu. (Which I took on Duolingo, so I actually recognized it!)
I believe Kerstin Hall and Kathleen Jennings are in some way a replacement for Patricia McKillip except that Hall adds the intrigue sensibility of C J Cherryh or John M Ford.
Disclaimer: I received a Digital Review Copy from the publisher with no requirement for review. Mostly publishers just put stuff up on the reviewer site and hope someone will review it.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews