Carol-Anne Naylor
Powered by Books.by
Carol-Anne Naylor
Book One: The Hollow Star Cycle
by Nai Lore
The Fractured Star is a dark, immersive fantasy that follows Kaelen Vire as he arrives at the Crucible of Stars, a living academy of ancient magic, hidden dangers, and secrets long buried beneath its roots.
As Kaelen begins to uncover the truth about his power and his past, he learns that magic is never without consequence. Watched by forces older than the world itself, and drawn into a fate he does not yet understand, Kaelen must navigate shifting loyalties, dangerous trials, and a power that threatens to fracture more than just his future.
The Fractured Star
Book One of The Hollow Star Series
The Fractured Star is a dark, immersive fantasy that follows Kaelen Vire as he arrives at the Crucible of Stars, a living academy of ancient magic, hidden dangers, and secrets long buried beneath its roots.
As Kaelen begins to uncover the truth about his power and his past, he learns that magic is never without consequence. Watched by forces older than the world itself, and drawn into a fate he does not yet understand, Kaelen must navigate shifting loyalties, dangerous trials, and a power that threatens to fracture more than just his future.
Atmospheric and richly imagined, The Fractured Star explores identity, choice, and the cost of awakening forces that should perhaps have remained asleep.
Recommended for readers aged 12+, particularly confident young teen readers who enjoy darker fantasy, magical academies, and high-stakes adventures. This novel sits between middle grade and young adult fiction and is ideal for readers transitioning into YA fantasy.
***
Magic was never meant to break… but Kaelen Vire is already splintering.
Seventeen-year-old Kaelen Vire, a half-Sielari empath with a talent he barely controls, thought the Crucible of Stars, the most prestigious arcane academy in Vaelmyr would finally give him answers about who he is and why his magic feels wrong. Instead, he finds himself surrounded by ancient rivalries, hidden agendas, and a power structure built on secrets no one dares to speak aloud.
When Kaelen befriends Rhiir, a sharp-eyed girl with a past she refuses to share, and Talia, an outspoken glyph-savant whose brilliance often gets her into trouble, the three of them begin pulling at threads that were never meant to unravel. Whispers of a forgotten cult echo through the academy halls. Strange symbols appear in forbidden chambers. And something in the night sky is beginning to stir.
Then Kaelen crosses a line no student has ever crossed:
He uses forbidden magic to save lives and the world changes.
Reality fractures.
An ancient god awakens.
And the Crucible’s carefully maintained illusions begin to crumble.
Now Kaelen must confront the horrifying truth: the cult was never truly stopped, the glyphs are alive, and something is calling to him from the darkness between the stars.
As the boundaries between worlds thin and the academy descends into chaos, Kaelen and his friends stand at the centre of a conspiracy older than Vaelmyr itself. The choices they make will either mend the fracture they’ve unleashed… or rip the world apart.
A story of forbidden magic, found family, unraveling destinies, and a looming cosmic threat, The Fractured Star is the gripping first instalment of The Hollow Star series. Perfect for fans of deep world-building, character-driven fantasy, and mysteries woven with starlight and shadow.
Age Guidance: 12+
Best for: Confident readers aged 12–16
Carol-Anne is a storyteller who weaves worlds of wonder and emotion for readers of all ages.
For children, her novels Memoirs of Faeries and Secrets of the Quercus Tree open the door to hidden realms where courage, nature, and imagination meet. Stories for readers aged 8+ who still believe in magic. Inspired by her own childhood adventures in grand gardens and quiet libraries, and by her lifelong love of stories that whisper of something beyond, Carol-Anne believes that every tale whether magical or mysterious begins with the same spark: the search for truth. For older readers, she writes chic noir and psychological thrillers that explore loss, hidden identities, and the fragile threads that bind relationships. Her adult fiction delves into the question of who we are beneath the masks we wear, blending tension and tenderness in equal measure. When she’s not writing, she can be found teaching, wandering through the woods with her family, or settling down with hot chocolate and music to dream up her next story.
