Kerstin Hall

1 universe Last reviewed 2026-09-05

Kerstin Hall is a South African writer who studied at Rhodes University and earned her MA from the University of Cape Town as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar. She has held editorial roles at several speculative fiction publications, including fiction editor for sub-Q, editorial assistant for Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and submissions manager for Typecast, and began publishing short fiction in 2015. Her debut novella, The Border Keeper (2019), follows a character seeking help from an underworld border keeper to locate a lost lover's soul, and was a finalist for the Nommo Award in 2020. Her debut novel, Star Eater (2021), centers on an acolyte within a sisterhood that protects its city through ritualized magic, and its sequel, Second Spear (2022), follows a new protagonist confronting invasion and questions of leadership. Her 2024 novel Asunder follows a Deathspeaker detective who communicates with the recently deceased, and was a finalist for both the Nebula Award (2024) and the Locus Award (2025). Her fiction is known for its dark worldbuilding and its close examination of power dynamics within fantasy settings.

Universe(s)

Books

• Asunder (2024) · Asunder Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 1 book
• Award recognitions across all universes: 2 (2 finalist mention)

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