Asunder

Starred review from May 1, 2024

The old gods are dead, and the new ones are horrific. Karys Eska is bound to a new god, and the price for her ability to speak to the dead is, on an unspecified day, to be snatched away to a realm of terrors. When she attempts to rescue a dying stranger from uncanny creatures, she accidentally merges Ferain with her shadow. If Eska learns how to free him, he'll make her wealthy. But they soon discover that the creature attack didn't happen by chance, and forces will pursue them across nations to ensure their deaths. Along the way, both learn that they can't outrun their pasts, but maybe some parts are worth holding on to. Hall (Second Spear) weaves a fascinating tapestry of mythology and divine politics that she underscores with deep, complicated relationships. Nearly every character struggles with trust, unequal power dynamics, and the expectations of class and nation, despite also having an intense desire for connection. The novel's charming interludes between deadly situations are few but powerful. VERDICT This compelling mix of horror, found family, and intricate mythology will appeal to those who loved Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys and The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin.--Matthew Galloway

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Starred review from June 24, 2024
In this dazzling and eclectic fantasy from Hall (Star Eater), a scrappy, foul-mouthed medium wrangles with an impressively imagined cohort of skin thieves, smugglers, and shape-shifters—as well as her own inner demons. At 17, Karys Eska ran away from an abusive father and sold her soul to the god Sabaster to became a deathspeaker, one able to communicate with the deceased. When, years later, a job gone wildly wrong leaves her stranded in a sea cave, a stranger saves her life. Feraine Taliade turns out to be a diplomat from a neighboring country who survived an assassination attempt that left him badly wounded. Karys tries to use her powers to save him—and by fluke instead attaches him to her as her shadow. At first merely awkward, the situation quickly proves perilous; the assassins now pursue Karys as she sets out in search of a magic that can separate her from Feraine. Along the way, the pair become emotionally attached, but the odds that both of them will survive a powder-and-potion-induced separation are slim. Adding to the danger, Sabaster grows increasingly persistent in summoning Karys to his underworld, where he aims to make her his bride. Though extraordinarily complex, the plot never loses focus or pace. With elements of gut-turning horror, adventure, and romance, this is a powerhouse.

July 1, 2024
Karys Eska has made a huge mistake. When she finds Ferain, a young man stuck in a time loop, in a cave haunted by terrifying eldritch ghosts, she thinks she can save him. All she has to do is bind his time-travel device to her body, and they'll both get out just fine--and in exchange, he'll give her enough money to try and escape the compact she made with the demonlike Sabaster in order to get her powers in the first place. But soon, they realize Karys' error: she bound their souls together by accident, and now time is running out to fix this before they're both torn apart. With the help of some old friends and new allies, Ferain and Karys embark on a journey to try and save themselves. Hall's (Star Eater, 2021) newest is gory, dark, and filled with vivid, arcane magic. Its ending is a bit obtuse for a stand-alone novel, leaving many characters' story lines with loose ends. But the vivid world building and eldritch magic will intrigue many fantasy readers.

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