From the Publisher
Written in beautifully agile prose, Star Eater is a layered and incisive examination of power, and Elfreda Raughn its beating heart. Her voice grabbed me from the first page and never let go.”—Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls
“The intricate, bloody mechanics of Hall's worldbuilding come together with her perfectly assured prose to make an utterly compelling fantasy, both haunted and haunting.”—A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken Name
“Gut-churning, wonderful, and strange—a fantasy that knows where the bodies are buried.”—Max Gladstone, author of This Is How You Lose the Time War
“Hall paints a lush and haunting world with a terrifying magic that forms the very foundation of society. Gripping and absorbing, Star Eater will leave readers lingering over its themes of heritage and power.”—Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
“Systemic power structures built on the back of a dead god, ritualistic cannibalism, and magical disease are balanced with emotional themes of love and regret. . . . Hall's solid worldbuilding and strong prose create an utterly gripping novel that blends the boundaries of horror and fantasy.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Star Eater is exciting horror-fantasy about power, violence, and control, and El’s complicated quest to be free of the violent magic system at the sisterhood’s core will keep readers compelled from the first page.”—Booklist
Praise for Kerstin Hall
“A phantasmagorical picaresque through a lushly realised underworld, populated by a grotesque bestiary of fantastical creatures. . . . This twisty example of the new weird genre examines love, loss and loyalty.”—The Guardian
“Beautifully and vividly imagined. Eerie, lovely, and surreal.”—Ann Leckie
“A labyrinth of demons, dead gods, cranky psychopomps, and broken all-too-human lives.”—Max Gladstone
“A fantasy forged in the belly of dreams. . . . A singular debut with no easy answers and beauty to spare.”—Indrapramit Das
“Quiet but intricate, shored up by rich prose. . . . The tangle of love, loss, grief, and regret that is gradually exposed as the book’s emotional core feels tender and profound.”—Publishers Weekly
"There is no doubt in my mind that Kerstin Hall is one of the great imaginative minds writing fantasy today."—Isabel Cañas, USA Today Bestselling author of Vampires of El Norte, on Asunder
"Kerstin Hall's writing is simply awesome."—Ann Leckie, on Asunder
"Once again, Hall proves herself a worldbuilder of rare talent."—Premee Mohamed, Nebula Award-winning author of Beneath the Rising, on Asunder
Library Journal
★ 03/01/2021
As a member of the Sisterhood of Aytrium, Elfreda Raughn is part of a magical bloodline that preceded her, from her mother to her grandmother and generations back. But it is the same bloodline that forces Elfreda into eventual pregnancy and unavoidable death. Hoping for a way to escape her fate, Elfreda finds a mysterious group, those who believe the power of the Sisterhood has gone too far. Acting as their spy, Elfreda infiltrates a world of opulence and cunning, as drought and rationing affects the rest of Aytrium. With her closest friends by her side, Elfreda discovers that freedom could come at great cost, for the Sisterhood has made many sacrifices to keep its power, and Elfreda could find she is the next to pay. Systemic power structures built on the back of a dead god, ritualistic cannibalism, and magical disease are balanced with emotional themes of love and regret. VERDICT Hall's (The Border Keeper) solid worldbuilding and strong prose create an utterly gripping novel that blends the boundaries of horror and fantasy.—Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
