Asunder
#3094.08 adjusted 4.05 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2024 Reading commitment Low Kerstin Hall Last reviewed 2026-09-05
Overview
A standalone dark fantasy novel following a Deathspeaker protagonist, blending fantasy and horror. A finalist for both the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel. Kerstin Hall's 2024 novel follows Karys Eska, a woman who sold her soul to become a Deathspeaker able to communicate with the recently deceased and works as a detective investigating suspicious deaths, whose life is upended when she becomes bound to a mysterious stranger caught in the same fatal accident, forcing the pair to search together for a way to survive before their shared curse kills them both. Library Journal gave the novel a starred review, praising its handling of relationships, mythology, and political dimensions, while Locus reviewer Liz Bourke called it "a thoughtful novel, complex and deep... a fast-paced, tense ride through a world that doesn't hold back from glittering weirdness," and Grimdark Magazine described it as a fantasy-horror adventure at its darkest and most inventive.
Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
Asunder Kerstin Hall
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Asunder; Distinct from Hall's separate Mkalis Cycle (The Border Keeper, Second Spear) and her other standalone novel, Star Eater, neither of which is in the canon yet. | 2024 | 1 | core | 4.08 (2,452 ratings) |
A single standalone novel.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Asunder? Asunder's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is Asunder finished? Complete (2024).
- How much reading does Asunder take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book · ~432 pages).
- How is Asunder ranked? #309 in this site's official ranking, based on 2,452 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #309?
Ranked #309 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.08 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (2,452 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Less than 0.01 behind #308, Shattered Sea (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
- A single standalone novel: ranked on that one book alone.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 1 book · Complete · 2k ratings · Ranks #309 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment dark fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Nebula Award (Best Novel), 2024: finalist: Asunder
- Locus Award (Best Fantasy Novel), 2025: finalist: Asunder
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.08 across 2,452 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Admit Asunder (Kerstin Hall) accepted 2026-09-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- kerstinhall.com — Books Tier 1
- Wikipedia — Kerstin Hall Tier 2
- Macmillan — Asunder Tier 1
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05
Rule: A single standalone novel; registered as one Core Canon entry. Distinct from the author's separate Mkalis Cycle and her other standalone novel, Star Eater, neither of which is in the canon yet.