If you like your fantasy mixed with a bit of mystery, a bit of magic and a heroine who can hold her own, you will love this new series by Vanessa Nelson.
Title: Fractured Conclave
Author: Vanessa Nelson
Genres: Fantasy > Urban Fantasy > Magic
Read Format: Kindle Edition
Total Pages: 1,710
Reading Date: 25th July 2026 – 31st August 2026
The reading order – How to Read the Fractured Conclave Series by Vanessa Nelson
- 1 A Usual Suspect
- 2 A Broken Contract
- 3 A Lost Treasure
- 4 An Unwanted Heir
- 5 An Uneasy Peace
- 6 A Fractured Conclave
A Usual Suspect
She can see the truth, but when she’s accused of murder, no one believes she’s innocent.
Hallie works as a skip tracer – hunting down people wanted by the law, for one reason or another. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t pay all that well. But it’s legal work, and that’s hard to come by in the cramped quarters of old town.
When a childhood friend calls her in a panic, Hallie goes to help and gets a lot more than she bargained for. One of the elite has been murdered, and the special investigators are looking for someone to blame.
The moment Hallie is near a dead body of one of the ruling class, her hard work and clean record count for nothing. She just becomes a usual suspect. Worse, the real killer also wants Hallie dead.
Can she stay ahead of the investigators long enough to find the real killer and bring them to justice?
My thoughts…
This is the first book in the Fractured Conclave Series, and I am hooked! I have always loved Vanessa Nelson’s books, and I waited until the series was complete before I began reading this one; the patience was worth it!
As usual, her female lead is a tortured soul. This time Hallie is disowned by her mother after an incident that changes her permanently and is beyond her control, and, as in Nelson’s other series, there is a mystery to be solved.
Hallie works as a skip tracer for her aunt Gin and never fails at tracking fugitives, working alongside enforcers. When she and her only friend Rosalia are wanted for murder, her world turns upside down. No amount of a good record earns her any credit in a society that is so biased.
I am enjoying the ride so far. The book slowly exposes us to a harsh new world, its politics, its inhabitants and our main character’s personality and life. I am intrigued by Hallie’s condition and want to learn more about what attacked her and who healed her. I am also eager to see what mystery and challenges she will face next. ❤️
A Broken Contract
A promise broken. Her future torn up. But she still has a job to do.
Betrayed by her blood family, all Hallie’s plans for her future are in ruins. She has no time to lick her wounds as Special Investigator Girard wants her help looking for some members of the elite who have gone missing in Hallie’s territory.
Furious and hurt at the destruction of her plans, the last thing Hallie wants to do is look for spoiled rich kids. But then she and Girard start finding bodies, and a simple hunt for missing persons turns into a deadly game with a ruthless and deadly opponent. Hallie and Girard will have to work together if they are going to survive to have any future at all.
My thoughts…
Family drama, an intriguing investigation, brutal villains and a heroine who actually uses her brain. This book has everything! The intensity of the story, combined with the MC’s resilience, makes every chapter gripping!
So, yeah, this Broken Contract is a fantastic second instalment in the Fractured Conclave series. Vanessa Nelson creates a likeable protagonist whom you grow close to, worry about and want to protect. The supporting cast is also brilliant, adding direction and depth to the MC’s challenging life.
The MC, Hallie, comes from an awful family line, and they can absolutely go to hell for all I care. Her brother especially is rotten to the core, and I would happily see him thrown into the fighting ring!
In the meantime, I love the friendship between Hallie and Rosalia; it is comforting to imagine Hallie having someone to rely on after years of living alone, and the same is true for Rosalia. She is such a good friend.
Meanwhile, Girard Abbot, the special investigator, reappears in Hallie’s life and deliberately seeks her help in investigating the missing hochlen. There might be something in store for them both, although they come from different social classes, or so Hallie believes.
The revelation about Hallie’s special condition is exciting, and not long after it is revealed, fortune seems to turn in her favour, which I am delighted about. If I had to guess, the change might be connected to her ancestor.
Looking ahead to book three, what will prompt the skip tracer and the special investigator to team up again? Now that Hallie is free to follow her own path, will she search for her father? Will Peter cause further problems? Overall, I am excited to start the next book.
A Lost Treasure
How do you find something no one wants to admit even exists?
With her life turned upside down, it’s almost a relief for Hallie to be asked to work a case. She is tasked with helping the Conclave Investigators follow up on a suspected theft, and also help track down one of their own – Special Investigator Girard Abbott has gone missing.
But nothing is straightforward. The supposed victim of the theft doesn’t seem interested in helping with the investigation. No one seems to know what’s been stolen. Girard may not just be missing, but also injured – or worse. And then Hallie senses the stirring of ancient magic, powerful enough to threaten her entire city.
Hallie will need all of her resources, from her own magic to the allies and friends she’s gathered over the years, to try and save her city from ruin.
My thoughts…
Hallie’s expertise is called on once again in this story. A lost treasure needs to be recovered, a conclave investigator has gone missing, a trail of bodies demands answers, and an ancient, dangerous magic must be neutralised. It is a full plate, even by Hallie’s standards.
There are no dull moments in her life. Between tackling her investigations, helping Rosalia get her bakery up and running, and playing dress‑up for a visit to Girard’s parents, Hallie barely has time to breathe.
The severity of the case forces Hallie to cash in the favour owed by the witch we met when we were first introduced to her world. It is a reminder of how far she has come and how selfless and mature her character is.
The way the story wraps up leaves intriguing possibilities for what comes next. I cannot help wondering whether the zauber or Hallie’s father will influence her future, or even play a significant role in whatever comes next. And when will she finally tell someone she is a full hochlen? I doubt even Rosalia knows.
All in all, book three is a gripping instalment, and I am eager to see where Hallie’s path leads next. The story even reminds me a little of the Grey Gates series with its certain arrogant race and the wider worlds Hallie wasn’t aware of.
An Unwanted Heir
Be careful what you wish for.
Hallie has always wanted to travel, and now she’s getting her wish – leaving the city she’s lived in all her life to investigate a violent death at the country home of Cotovatre, who is not only one of the most powerful people in the world but also has a personal connection to Hallie.
It quickly becomes clear that nothing is quite what it seems. The victim and the house’s owner were apparently locked in a bitter feud, or at least that’s what everyone is trying to tell Hallie. And there seem to be a lot of people who don’t want the truth of the death uncovered.
Together with Investigator Girard Abbott, Hallie will need to use all her skills and her secret magic to navigate her way through the tangled politics of the elite and uncover the true killer before the situation can explode into more violence.
My thoughts…
The conclave investigator requires Hallie’s help again, and this time it brings an opportunity she has been waiting for. She finally gets the chance to travel outside Low City, the place she has known all her life. It is her first time beyond familiar streets and her first train ride, which makes the journey feel even more significant.
In this book, we meet more conclave members and witness their distasteful behaviour. History surfaces, including answers to a question I once had about the creature that attacked Hallie and thus changed her life forever.
I really enjoy the story in this instalment, especially the moment Cotovatre acknowledges Hallie in front of everyone. It feels like a turning point for her future. I cannot wait to see her journey continue, perhaps with her learning magic and discovering what awaits her as Cotovatre heir.
With all her involvement in conclave investigations, it seems only fair that she should be offered a position with the team, especially now that she is technically no longer just a Karlen.
For those who have not started this series, I highly recommend reading it in the correct order. Pick it up if you enjoy detective work, magical elements, supernatural beings, dirty political segregation and a very slow‑burn romance.
An Uneasy Peace
There’s trouble in Paradise.
In the middle of delicate negotiations between the human-only island of Paradise and the world Conclave, Paradise’s chief negotiator has vanished. Worse than that, at least as far as the Conclave is concerned, no one on the island is returning their calls.
Still trying to adjust to recent revelations and changes in her life, Hallie is more than happy to assist in trying to find out what’s been happening on Paradise.
Along with Girard, Hallie is dropped onto the isolated island, with no backup. Together, Hallie and Girard must navigate untamed land and hostile locals, only to find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that has a far wider reach than the island’s shores.
My thoughts…
This penultimate book finally grants my wish of seeing Hallie work for the conclave investigators, and I could not be happier. The family drama returns as well. I thought we had reached the end of it, but Hallie’s mother proves she has remarkably thick skin.
I do wonder how she found out. Perhaps one of the conclave members who dislikes the idea of Hallie as Cotovatre heir let something slip. On the other hand, when it comes to turning over a new leaf, what Peter did was completely unexpected!
Alongside the family chaos, the book delivers an adrenaline‑fuelled story. There is so much action and danger on the island known as Paradise, supposedly a haven for humans seeking a better life away from Hochlen rule. In truth, it is far worse than Low City, where Hallie lives.
I love Hallie and Girard’s adventure on the island. I was so engrossed in the story that it followed me into my dreams, where I found myself running from warrimel. It was a nightmare, but on the bright side, I met Hallie and Girard. They used a different solution to escape the creature, relying on magic. Hallie shrank us, and we took refuge inside a Coke can. It was ridiculous and hilarious.😂
Looking ahead to the final book, I imagine the plot will tie up the loose ends: resolving the family issues, uncovering what it truly means to be Cotovatre’s heir, and finally catching the villain, Findo Trask. I am excited to read how everything unfolds. It would be awesome!
A Fractured Conclave
A dangerous fugitive on the loose. Threats against the world’s rulers. And a bit of family drama, too.
Hallie Talbot is far from everything that is familiar to her, halfway across the world, traveling through buildings and landscapes she had only read about. If the locations are new, the job is not. She and Girard Abbott are charged with tracking down and bringing into custody a dangerous fugitive.
As if that job wasn’t hard enough, they are working against a backdrop of intense scrutiny and pressure on their investigative team, not to mention growing threats against members of the world’s ruling council, and whispers about an extensive plot to over-turn the established world order. Whoever wants to reshape the world doesn’t care who they have to hurt – or kill – to get their way, and as bodies pile up, Hallie is the focus of a lot of unwanted attention.
Added to which, Hallie’s family ties and personal connections – old and new – are trying to shape her life to their wishes.
Can Hallie, once a skip tracer from low city, find a way to navigate the new dangers around her and prevent disaster?
My thoughts…
I really like the main character, Hallie. She begins as someone who never leaves Low City, yet once she becomes part of the Conclave Investigators, she finds herself travelling to several places and facing challenges she never imagined. Hallie also earns the respect of her colleagues, and a few of them become genuine friends. Following her journey from skip tracer to her current role is incredibly rewarding.
I tried my best to prolong my departure from this series, but in the end I had to let go of Hallie’s world and finish the final book. It is bittersweet to say goodbye to characters and a world you have come to know and care about.
I have read all of Vanessa Nelson’s series, and I have yet to be disappointed by any of them. This one is no exception, and it delivers a satisfying conclusion to the story. Hallie saves the day with her bravery and quick thinking, so if you enjoy a capable heroine with a heroic end and plenty of adventure, pick up this series as soon as you can.
