Cursed by the Stars (Paperback or Softback)

In a world ruled by the Twelve Zodiac Signs, power isn't just inherited-it's written in the stars.

Every year, those who wish to prove themselves are summoned to Aphelion University for the Zodiac Trials, a deadly competition where only the strongest survive-and where failure can mean more than just defeat.

Talah has spent her life under her father's unyielding control, hidden away for reasons she's never understood. Determined to prove her worth, she enters the Trials in secret-only to find herself thrust into a world of merciless politics, brutal tests, and whispered truths the Imperium would kill to keep buried.

Firas should not be alive. Branded a traitor and presumed dead, he slips into Aphelion under a stolen name, playing the role of mentor while waging a far more dangerous game. In truth, he is a rebel of the fractured Ambigua-Zodiacs born with more than one power, hunted to extinction by the Council. His mission is clear: uncover the secrets hidden in Aphelion's heart and save his people from annihilation.

But when Talah's unraveling destiny collides with Firas' perilous mission, both are forced to confront the most dangerous choice of all. Because the closer they draw to each other, the harder it becomes to tell if their bond is the spark that will save them...or the fire that will consume them both.

Some destinies are written in starlight. Others are cursed to burn.

When Michele Khalil isn't lost in fictional worlds of rebellion and slow-burn romance, they're hoarding books like a dragon, cheering on fellow authors, and daydreaming about more stories than they could ever possibly write. Inspired by ancient cultures, sweeping romances, and the belief that stories can change us, Michele writes fantasy worlds where love and survival collide. Cursed by the Stars is her debut novel, and the first book in The Starbound Trilogy.