GODKILLER is the fiercely gripping debut novel from Hannah Kaner!

After a short, but brutal war between Mortals and Gods, worshipping and making offerings to higher beings is banned – meaning there is plenty of jobs going around for our protagonist, the Godkiller Kissen. Who is more than happy to help folks with their God problems, for a price of course.

However when Kissen comes across a god that she can't kill her life moves in an unexpected direction.
She is thrown onto a journey with a young girl bound to a God of white lies and a knight turned baker with his own goals and a dark past.

We bounce between these four very different characters often, allowing us to better understand each of their motivations, feelings and the burdens they are carrying throughout their adventure together.

The story gets off to a very strong start that shows us how this world works and what lengths people will go to when fulfilling offerings for their Gods. Before slowing down and allowing us to get to know the characters we are travelling with.

The world itself is put together well and there's always a sense of danger and unpredictability, you never know who or what will come out to cause issues for the group. With Gods hungry for offerings, people torn between wanting boons from Gods and others wanting to keep them away. It's a fantastic backdrop to this tale.

To say that I was captivated by this book is probably an understatement. From start to finish, I found myself often thinking about it and looking forward to that time when I could pick it up and carry on the adventure. Everything from the premise to the characters just worked for me, even during the slower sections, just being in that world with these characters was enjoyable.

The story Kaner has created is an exciting one packed with potential and I truly can't wait to explore more. This is an incredibly strong debut novel, with a whole lot to love!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and make an offering to the God of Books to ensure GODKILLER's sequel comes sooner rather than later!

Finally, a huge thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this early copy of the book in return for my honest review.

I enjoyed this considerably more than I expected. The book is more mature than I had thought. I had assumed it was aimed at younger teen readers (around 12/13) based on the cover and title, but I would say it is more YA.

Godkiller has some incredible world-building. The pacing worked well for me, the first 2/3 of the book went quickly enough to keep me interested without feeling rushed or unnecessarily drawn out. I would have preferred a slower ending, where we got to explore more of the city - but that is just me loving world-building! My understanding is that this is the first of a trilogy, so really hoping to see more of the city - and perhaps Talicia - in future.

The characters have a proper depth to them. Kissen was a really fun character to read, and it was nice seeing how she developed throughout the book. Skedi has a special place in my heart, he's probably my favourite character.

Godkiller also has some of the best Queer inclusion that I've ever seen in a fantasy book. There are LGBTQ+ characters throughout, but they're written in such a way that you almost don't notice. It is so normal, whereas you find many other fantasy authors force queer characters into their stories, and then turn their sexuality into a characteristic or a personality trait. Hannah Kaner did it so well, purely by having characters who happened to be queer. Very nice to see in this genre.

It is not an overwhelming story, as some fantasy books are. It is easy to follow, even with the multiple POVs. I'm hoping that as the books progress the storyline can grow a bit more complex.

Overall it is a really good book - and properly incredible that it is a debut novel! You would think a very seasoned author had written it. Definitely recommend reading. And I'm very excited to read the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley and harper Collins for providing me with an early review copy.

Godkiller opens in quite a brutal way that throws you straight into its world it certainly doesn’t stray away from violence.
You Join Kissen who is a Godkiller in a time of unrest in the kingdom.
The old and new gods have been outlawed by the king and their shrines have been destroyed.
Kissen is killing for coin and taking out gods where she can.
This is when she then meets a child Innara who has a rather interesting god problem of her own and they set out together on an epic journey to the fallen city of Blenraden to beg for a favour from the wild gods.
Along the way you meet a whole cast of interesting characters and gods as the walls that kissen has put up start to come down you fully emerge yourself in her character and story.

I’m giving Godkiller a rating of 4.5 stars it gripped me immediately and was a great set up for the series I was really missing a pronunciation guide for this one and I found that struggling with that hindered my emmersion in places but I know I received an unfinished copy this is something I’d love to see in the final version!

Overall a great read that took me back to growing up playing black and white and making wild gods of my own!

This was an easy read and usually that's great but I did not feel immersed in the story or the characters. I felt that that characters were a little two-dimensional and needed fleshing out. Some of the side characters had a bit more heart than the main characters.

The plot itself is what saved me from rating this lower. The idea of killing gods and what they mean to others was a great concept but the execution felt flat to me.

BOOK REVIEW
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A BIG thank you to Netgalley and HaroerCollins UK for the opportunity to read this arc.
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This review is SPOILER FREE.
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While scrolling through Netgalley searching for titles to request, I stumbled across the beautiful cover of Godkiller and immediately decided I needed to read the story inside. I am very glad I did!
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Kissen is basically a female Witcher only, instead of monsters, she takes out Gods. Elogast is the retired Knight on a mission to save his king and best friend Arren. Inara is a young girl with a God problem and Skediceth is that God. This unlikely group must unite to reach the ruins of Blenraden, a city destroyed in a war with the Gods, and complete their quests.
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This book has everything I could want in a story. Magic, adventure, a budding romance, peril, Gods and mythical creatures, curses and a badass female lead. All the characters are likeable. Kissen could easily be Geralt with her gruff exterior and bad manners. Inara has Ciri vibes. A noble, pampered child seeking help from the warrior but coming into her own strength. Inara and Skediceth also reminded me somewhat of Lyra and Pan.
The story is told from the PoV of all four main characters helping you understand their motivations and personalities more deeply.
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I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy fiction and strong world building. A solid 4/5 🌟 read.

I absolutely ADORED this book! Such an addictive high-tailing fantasy that swept me up in a bundle of promises, gods and white lies. Elo, Kissen, Ina and Skedi are the very definition of perfection when it comes to found family and I can't wait to see where this story is going.

Kissen was orphaned traumatically as a child, and ever since has made it her mission to kill Gods. When she encounters a young girl unusually linked to a minor God, for once it is not as simple as just killing the creature and moving on.

This is a fine book with well written world building. The plot was fairly strong, and I did really enjoy the fantasy elements. Unfortunately, it just didn't grip me and I found myself putting it down for long stretches because I just wasn't that interested in knowing what was going to happen. A real shame, but it just didn't resonate with me!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Godkiller follows an unlikely trio of heroes- Kissen the Godkiller, Elogast the baker and Inara the noble girl bound to a god. We follow their journeys and points of view as they team up on an adventure through a vast and well thought out world full of Gods big and small. I adored the unique magic lore of the Gods and their shrines and the way it was built into the lives of the characters.
I liked all of the characters and the queer and disabled character representation in the book is really well done and meshed into the story rather than feeling like and afterthought or forced as can happen sometimes.
At times the pace was rather slow but I actually enjoyed the break in the action and getting to know the characters a bit better.
I did not guess the plot twist at the end which never happens and I cannot wait for the sequel!

I loved this! Intentionally or unintentionally, this riffs off a few concepts from Terry Pratchett’s Small Gods and maybe Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, but there any similarities end. Set in a fantasy world where gods, large and small, are common and almost given pest status in some instances, this is a quest tale with immersive world building, flowing prose and loveable characters. My only complaint is that it’ just the first book in a trilogy. I need the other books!

This book has everything you could want from a fantasy novel. An absolutely perfectly written debut! Loved it

I love God novels and this did not disappoint. I felt this was mainly plot and character driven. There is some world building. It is medium paced I feel. It is set in a short timeframe which I found good. There are 4 main Characters which are all different and unique. Kissen is a bad ass woman who has been through alot. I just love her. Elo is an ex knight with a burden who wants to repent. Inara is a hidden child with surprise & mystery. Skedi is a cheeky mischevious little god. One spicy scene which was hoping would be coming with the tension. Full of twists, turns & surprises. Ends on a cliffhanger. Amazing read and loved it. Can't wait for the next one need it asap.

Full review will be posted as soon as possible and I'll add links to the blog as well. The review will be scheduled and posted closer to publication date.

I would like to thank the publisher HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Godkiller is an amazing debut novel.

Hannah Kaner @hanfrankan has written a beautifully immersive world. She takes the idea of the power of belief; that people’s belief creates deities and the strength of this belief determines the strength of a God’s power. creates a sinister world where Gods demand more and more sacrifice.
I loved the female characters, Kissen is so badass. There is a mix of P.O.Vs which I found really effective at balancing the worldview we receive, it means the book feels quite new and fresh, too dark and sinister for YA but with too optimistic to feel wholly dark. This really worked for me but I can see it being a bit divisive for people.

The world building was so evocative, I felt anchored in the settings but also wanted to explore the rest of the world.

Disability and LGBTQA+ representation.
Echoes of Pratchett, Laini Taylor and Anna Stephens whilst being a fresh new voice.
Excited to see what the next book holds!
Thank you @netgalley
and @harpervoyager_uk for this eArc

#fantasyfellowship #fantasyfellowshipreadathon
#godkiller #fantasy #autumnbooks

A great start to a new series that I expect will get better with each book. The world-building is dark and fascinating as a kingdom recovers from the bloody aftermath of a war with gods. I enjoyed the lore around the gods and the dived between ancient and new gods that sparked the war. Skediceth, the small god of white lies has some of the best pov chapters and character development. It's interesting to see how different his nature is and some of the drastic steps he was prepared to take to protect himself and Inra.

With an excellent set of characters and a twisty plot, it kept me hooked throughout. I did feel the pacing was slightly off, it didn't feel like all that much happened but I'm putting this down to it being a set-up for a larger series. I'm expecting the next books to have a more bombastic plot and I am eagerly anticipating their releases.

Setting/Worldbuilding: 10/10
Main characters: 10/10
Side characters: 10/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
Technique: 10/10
Prose: 10/10
Romance: 8.5/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 95.5/100 (4.775)

This was a flawless debut. I am ON THE FLOOR.

In a world of new gods and old gods, human-created gods and wild gods, warring gods and greedy gods, we have a spectacular ensemble cast of unlikely allies: (1) Kissen, a godkiller with a sordid past, (2) Inara, a petulant noble child tied to a god and a fate that she has no idea about, (3) Skedi, the god of white lies bound to Inara, who awoke with no memories of who he used to be, and (4) Elogast, a jaded knight with secrets of his own.

It was a beautiful premise, and executed perfectly. There was nothing I could fault about this at all. So let me just point out all the things that stood out to me.

(1) Mature and tight characterisations that belied the author's years of publishing. Hannah knows that you don't have to create unlikeable characters to portray their flaws. Each of her characters were brilliantly concepted, had well-thought out motivations, and most of all behaved entirely rationally within the realms of their background, experience and knowledge. They made mistakes, mistrusted each other, took a long time to warm up to each other - no instalove here guys. And none was needed, because we are drawn to them like moths to a flame.

(2) Excellent prose. I am ENVIOUS you all, ENVIOUS. Hannah's writing was sharp, to the point, but evocative as hell. All the scenes were painted brilliantly, emotions were drawn and held. Flawless. I will also add that most of my reads from debut fantasy authors this year have been American, and it was such a breath of fresh air to see British English in writing in a way that felt incredibly natural. It felt like coming home, and I'm all for it.

(3) Amazing plot pacing - everything was done right. All the scenes flowed smoothly, nothing was left amiss. Mysteries are solved, but more are left unanawered as we head towards the inevitable sequel.

(4) Romance. The romance was done SUPERBLY well here. We know it's not the end of it, but I am SO over all of these romantic sub-plots where the love interests spend pages mooning over each other. Nooooo, not here. The angst (whatever romantic angst there was, of course) was handled brilliantly, and this was a romantic subplot between emotionally mature characters (even if not the most emotionally healthy or stable, but we'll leave that for another day). It made for some really pleasant reading.

(5) The excellent introductions of diversity into the plot. Great representation for non-hetero relationships, PTSD and disability abound.

(6) The concept. Now this is where I am totally biased, all. You see, the premise of Godkiller pretty much touches of all of my favourite mythological and plot tropes ever. I am not joking: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20426102-nice-dragons-finish-last?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IwIFj88F2W&rank=1">human-fuelled arrogant gods</a> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42385018-minimum-wage-magic?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SDx0Ty0xBr&rank=1">I mean it</a>), <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31829155-red-winter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=V8AxOzHA95&rank=1">paranormal creatures with no memories</a>, , <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20890540-noragami">gods that struggle for following</a> (and I mean <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SyKFh3ljjB&rank=1">really struggle</a>). These tropes can NEVER be overdone in my eyes, such is my love for them. But Hannah goes and makes it her own, and executes it brilliantly. I find myself wondering whether she might have enjoyed mangas or Japanese mythology, as I'm getting flavours of that in her writing.

All in all, I am in awe. I have already gone ahead and ordered the hardcopy of this book, and will be waiting eagerly for the sequel =)

Thank you once again for this ARC!

Godkiller was a different, imaginative and very atmospheric read. What I noticed from the very beginning was the writing style. Unique, beautiful, immersive and lyrical. I loved it. I was astonished that the book was a debut because, for me, the voice of the author seemed very established. I would say that Hannah Keller is a natural talent and I cannot wait to read her next books.

Having said this, I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. I thought there were too many characters introduced at the beginning. That, combined with their unusual names, made it a bit confusing for me. But when I got going, I couldn't stop reading.

I loved that there were so many female characters with such distinct objectives, backstories and voices. They were all authentic and well-developed and I enjoyed finding out more about them. I loved the disruption Skediceth introduced into the story too.

The worldbuilding was phenomenal. It was clear, well-developed and I had a sense of where things were located. Amazing!

I really enjoyed the book. I think Hannah Keller is a voice to look out for!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me an ARC copy of this ebook, in exchange for a honest review.

I well and truly enjoyed this story, high fantasy. Including a few different characters POV's. Include queer presenting characters and those with disabilities. It was refreshing to read a story with representation like this.
We follow the journey of four main characters: Kissen, The Godkiller an assassin who's soul job is to remove the Gods from this world. Inara, a young girl who has a God attached to her. Skediceth the God attached to Inara and Elogast a retired Knight turned "baker".
The story building was fantastic and I felt I was there myself throughout. I haven't read a story quite like this, Set in a world where there are God's of different sizes, worshipped at different levels. Each God has a different ability and influence. The main character's grow, mature and develop themselves while still having given flaws. I can only hope there is going to be another book to continue the story! I am engrossed and need to know what happens next!

I loved this book. A high fantasy tale with magic, gods and action, alongside lgbt+ and disabled representation. Amazing. And neither the bisexual or disability representation felt shoehorned in, or like they were written for the sake of having representation. They fit in so naturally and wonderfully. This book has beautiful world building and opens right into the action and keeps the pages turning. It seemed so immersive, and yet a relatively ‘easy’ read, with a good flow of storylines and pacing.
Essentially, in this world, there are Gods worshipped, of all sizes from old to new and big and small, and they are all vying for power and attention, and inevitably, was broke out. This leads us to the characters in the book and where they are today. A bitter woman, previously injured in the name of the gods, who seeks to destroy them and makes money doing so. A tired old knight who fought in the Gods war, yet he brings refreshing element to the ‘retired knight trope’, and a small girl with a secret – a god of her own. Brought together through circumstances out their control, they must work together to survive.
This book also made use of multiple viewpoints really well, I never found myself having to go back to the start of a chapter to figure out who POV it was, the characters were written so well and so differently. Every character felt well rounded and like a whole different entity, each with their lovable quirks (and flaws) and their character development was well-established throughout the book as well as their ever-changing relationships to one another. While this books completes the story arc, I haven’t had my fill of the gang, and cannot wait for that sequel .

full reviews will be posted on instagram and tiktok @books.tea.and.more.books in the following month

Pulse racingly brilliant fantasy with both bisexual and disabled representation? Hell yes! What a brilliant read- an original read, glorious lead characters, and a fantastic balance between the huge scope of the overarching plot, and the delicate, funny, and kind interactions between the characters. Highly recommend

Godkiller had a really strong start. It hooked me in and I felt the excitement I usually have whenever I find a book that I think will be absolutely fantastic and will have me on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, that feeling only stayed for the prologue. Maybe it's a me problem? I don't know, but I was just really bored with this book and kept putting it down. The characters were only vaguely interesting and halfway through I couldn't really care for any of them. They were quite forgettable to me, some characters more than others.

Another thing that brought it down was the pacing. While it's quite fast at the start, it ebbs and flows, which makes it rather jarring to read. Since this is also not a very long book, I wish the main thing had started sooner.

What I do commend is the world building though. It's fantastic and rich. The way it was explained through the introductory chapters was palatable in a way that didn't make it info-dumpy. The author does have great writing. I liked the way they described food and all the little things set in the world. I also really loved the disability and queer representation in this book — definitely wish it's something shown more in fantasy.

Overall, just not for me. Hopefully, other readers will be able to enjoy this book more.