Some of the best world-building and character work I've encountered in recent years, unfortunately off-set by a very predictable story and a lackluster ending. Nevertheless, I'm hopeful for the sequel.

7/10

A fun read there was list of action and fast paced adventure

Didn’t enjoy the main character as much as I thought I would and as I am a very character driven reader this was a bit of a let down for me

Blurb:
Kissen kills gods for a living, and she enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skediceth, god of white lies, who is connected to a little noble girl on the run.

Elogast fought in the god war, and helped purge the city of a thousand shrines before laying down his sword. A mysterious request from the King sends him racing back to the city he destroyed.

On the way he meets a godkiller, a little girl and a littler god, who cannot find out about his quest.

Review:
I entered into his book with many expectations and unfortunately for me it didn't deliver. I found the book badly written, overly repetitive and inconsistant. The premise Was amazing and some of the places had the potential to be incredible but there wasn't enough description in name of too much action that felt inconclusive and boring. The main character felt flat and the secondary characters all melted together and I couldn't understand who was god and who human until the end. It's a no for me.

7 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/06/20/godkiller-by-hannah-kaner-review/

Four characters in such a short read, this both starts off quick, and feels overly crowded at the same time. While it’s not as bad as it sounds—three of the characters start off together and the fourth joins them after a bit—it’s still quite an odd feeling, but then Godkiller is kind of a strange book. For so many characters and, well, such a straightforward plot, the pacing was crazy. It sped up and slowed down seemingly at random, such that I was never quite sure where each was going to come.

But then, I was never caught off guard by the twists. Or, well, only once at least; a twist which I found completely out of character, if not ridiculous, though we won’t get into that. Maybe, if you were able to be pleasantly surprised by the twists… no, the pacing would’ve still been weird. Lucky then, that the characters are so interesting. And well written. This applies to all of them, but particularly the POVs. Elo and Kissen were clearly written to complement one another (something that they do so well), but are also at each other’s throats throughout. In fact, the entire cast could be one family: completely content with one another one minute and incensed the next. I can just see them all fighting over a dinner, throwing food and cutlery, before apologizing and hugging one another at the end.

A mix of good and ill to this debut, but Godkiller is definitely more good than it is bad. I especially enjoyed the description of the gods and there powers, their shrines and weaknesses, and look forward to learning more as the story continues. I’m also looking forward to seeing even more of the world, as the potential for chaos increases.

TL;DR

As a debut fantasy, Godkiller checks a lot of the right boxes, but you can definitely tell it’s a debut. A mixed bag of good and ill, though the good definitely outweighs everything else. The characters and their interactions are certainly the story’s strongest strength, the downright strange pacing its greatest weakness. It’s definitely worth a read if you’re curious, and I wouldn’t mark it off for any reason despite the… shall we say, less than stellar ending. In fact with everything that’s happened, I can’t wait to see where the story heads in the future.

this was a fun read!

engaging characters, incredible world I want to know more off and the gods-- i was laughing on occasions.

the characters all leapt off the page, and I love the disability rep in this. even the characters I didn't particularly like I ended up liking by the end.

the more I think about this book, the more I like it.

it was a straightforward story, one I had fun reading.

disclaimer: I received this free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

rep: sapphic disabled m/c (amputee), m/c with ptsd, sapphic side characters, deaf side character

'Gods are not always the enemy; even your godkiller knows that. People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people. We show each other for what we truly are. Yearning beings, desperate for love, power, safety.

Godkiller is a solid debut fantasy novel about gods & humans & the destruction we cause on the world. It's a novel that starts out slow, lets you get to know the characters, understand the nuances of gods, and then throws you headfirst into the action and doesn't really stop until the last page. While the world-building could be much improved on - I especially would love more focus on the rebellion and the politics of the world. I enjoyed this novel for what it was - a novel about a quest and a found family. We have 4 POVs, Kissen - our godkiller - who is rage-filled and on a path for vengeance, but is currently fulfilling a promise to Inara to protect her. Inara is a young daughter of a noble who has unknown power and an animal companion - a God of white lies. And finally, we have Elogast a knight turned baker who is on a quest to save his King. I enjoyed the journey these four embarked on, and the relationships they formed along the way. Highly recommend for fantasy fans.

An explosive first book in a new fantasy series, 'Godkiller' is everything you could want in a fantasy.

I was immediately hooked by this book, from the first sentwnce. The world Kaner sets up is just so rich and genuinely interesting that I couldn't put it down.

In a world where gods and humans live side by side, our main story picks up years after a war where the humans of the world decimated the population of the gods. Our titular godkiller, Kissen, fought in the war, along with another of the four POV characters Elogast, best friend to the king. Our other two POV characters are Inara and Skedi, a young nobel girl and a tiny god who are bound together. These characters end up on a quest together to the city of Blenraden, where the battle between gods and humans took place.

The characters are what make this story. All enjoyable in their own right, the relationships between these characters, and the family they find in each other is pretty magical.

I loved the world of 'Godkiller' - the set up in the prologue gives you everything you need to know about this brutal world. The plot of the book was just fast enough to keep me interested, while also giving space for great character work as well. There are also some great twists, and some mysteries left unsolved at the end of the book, which have left me clamouring for a sequel.

Overall, this is one of my favourite new fantasy entries in a long time, and I can't wait to read book 2!

I loved this, a brilliant epic fantasy set in a god infested world, full of gods, monsters and heroes of all kinds. The plot follows three main characters, a one legged, fiery god killer, a knight turned baker and a young girl bound to a god, as they make their way to an outlawed city. I was expecting this to be good and I wasn't disappointed. Can't wait for the next one!

An atmospheric plunge into a world where gods war with mortals, yet depend on them for survival..

Wow, the start of this book pulled no punches, right from the start I knew who the main character was, what her motivation was, and the stakes as the book opens with violence, tragedy, and action.

I almost have trouble reviewing this, because there's very little I didn't like about this, and I was so drawn into the world and the characters that I paid very little attention to detail or writing technique...which must mean that the writing was a success, right?

I love the characters, I love the journey, the places they see, and the names and ideas, I love Skedi - the god of white lies. I found that the book was well-paced and moved pretty quickly, though I've read a few reviews that found the beginning quite slow. The book is classed as adult fantasy, possibly due to the inclusion of a sex scene and the age of the main characters, Kissen and Elogast, but one of the characters, Inara, is younger. Writing-wise, I think this could easily be read by younger readers than it's marketed to, I think this would be a great transition book for young adult fantasy readers moving on to adult fiction.

This book blew me away!
From the first look at that beautiful cover you know you're on to something special, and the contents don't disappoint.
The characters are layered and complex, the world building and magic system is outstanding and the book builds to a breathtaking climax that left me desperate for book two.
Absolutely would recommend this to anyone who loves their fantasy layered and well written.

The writing of this book was absolutely beautiful. I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down! Incredibly well written, a stunning debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

3.5 stars rounded up
The gorgeous cover caught my attention, and the prologue hooked even more. With its intriguing storyline, its refreshing and complex worldbuilding, Godkiller is a great Fantasy book. I really enjoyed the concept and the magic system, and I loved the multiple POVs—since the POV characters are very different from one another, it was great to see the story unfold through different eyes. While I enjoyed the POVs, I had trouble connecting with most of the characters, and struggled with the pacing at times (especially towards the middle part, when the pace slowed).
All in all, Godkiller is an enjoyable read with very intriguing concepts and I would recommend it to Adult Fantasy readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I really liked this, I think it was a good beginner book for the trilogy. Although I will say apart from the opening scene with the sacrifices, it was slow to start. It definitely picked up the pace once the characters set off on their journey. However, I do think the ending was rushed. I think the betrayal would have been a lot more gut wrenching and impactful had there been a bit more of an exploration into the relationship between Elo and Arren. I really liked Kissen as the main character. She hasn’t allowed all her trauma and experiences to turn her into someone that’s mean. Sure she’s rough around the edges but she has a heart of gold. I think that all the characters were written really well too. For example, Inaras' recklessness was very believable as she is in her early teens so wouldn’t necessarily think things through as much as an adult would. I also think Inara forgave Skedi far too quickly.

I am intrigued to find out who Inaras’ father is given that she is a halfling. This makes me think the reason why her mum kept her hidden was. As we know the Gods rely on worship to stay powerful and strong, so if everyone knew of Inaras’ heritage then maybe that could heighten any powers she may have. I do think that Skedis memory loss might have something to do with who Inaras’ father is. I also liked how parentage was not an issue in this. The Queen has many kids by multiple men? That’s absolutely fine, she’s claimed them. It is also very obvious that Arren is the youngest child.

I really enjoyed the representation in this, it didn’t feel forced and I loved that the disabilities/sexual orientation wasn’t the characters only personality trait.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and liked how it came almost full circle. It was well written, full of well rounded characters and it’s also multiple POVs, 5 stars.

This book was really good! I couldn't get enough of it. I binged it in two days. Highly recommend it for a short, interesting fantasy that doesn't do what you expect.

The writing of this book was absolutely beautiful. I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put the book down because I just had to know what came next

A brand new voice in the Fantasy field, and what a book to debut with! Godkiller grabbed me from page one, soaked in Mythology, the incredible plot is accompanied by beautiful world-building and masterful storytelling. A truly magical novel!

Preliminary 5 star review
On my list to read next/ within the next month
Heard so many amazing things about this book!

Brilliant book. Felt like an anime with the world and animals. Never read anything like it before and it will be hard to find something as good as it. Can't wait to read more fro this author

This is the first instalment in the Godkiller series.

Skedi is a god of white lies. He has somehow found himself attached to an orphaned noble woman, fleeing from those would see her follow in her family's footsteps, and a godkiller, who fears and distrusts him in equal measure. The two women could not be more unalike and yet must learn to bond in order to save each other, and for Skedi to find his escape and true purpose.

Whilst this outline is thrilling and was the source of my immediate investment in this book, the characters quickly took over as my main attraction to this novel. I found, in some small parts, for the plot pacing to lag or for events to begin to feel repetitive. I couldn't really care less when I was so emotionally invested in the well-being for the central characters, however.

Some were snarky and sassy, others empathetic and vulnerable. Their differences made them a motley crew and all the more beloved, to me, because of it. There were many exciting discoveries to be made about who they really were or what events had arisen in their pasts to make them the individuals they were in the book's present day and I really enjoyed exploring these aspects as their current mission also played out.

Godkiller was one of the hyped up books I was most looking forward to reading and it did not disappoint, it’s not just the cover that is beautiful.

Pacing wise this isn’t a large book but it feels like it achieved a lot. The opening chapter is a powerful, brutal start. However the vibe of the book changes once Inara joins the story and turns Kissen effectively turns from a killer of gods to a reluctant bodyguard/babysitter to a child and her God sidekick. It’s a hard opening for a book that tames down after this opening chapter and at no point does it hit as hard as the opening, that said it would be exhausting if it kept punching like that so I’m glad for the switch.

Kissen is a fantastic character. From the start of the book it’s clear why she is guarded, why she has built walls around her following the murder of her family, and yet despite being shown cruelty, she still is good and strives to do what is right. She’s rough around the edges, beautiful in a raw powerful way, scars and all, as opposed to delicate, and that’s what makes her so fantastic. Throughout the book you experience Kissen defrosting as she comes to care (both physically and emotionally) for Inara, a child who has also lost her family. Inara is joined by Skeidi, a small God whose very presence challenging Kissen’s feelings of Gods who betrayed her.

Inara is meant to be 12 but acts either very mature or incredibly immature, throw in that she’s a noble and you’ve got a very entitled brat throughout the book stamping her feet and causing Kissen grief who is actually trying to help her. I will say character development wise Inara comes into her own in the last 1/3 of the book, standing up for herself and taking control which makes her an infinitely more likeable character, once she stands up to Skeidi who visually is adorable but enraging.
It’s frustrating how everyone, including Elo who involves himself in the journeys but there isn’t a whole lot to say about him really, treats Kissen like a villain when all she’s done is at times be blunt. She’s doubted, accused, betrayed and yet she still goes out of her way in this book to help those who treat her badly.

I just really loved Kissen so it was frustrating that people gave her a hard time, but it’s a testament to a well written character that you can be defensive on their behalf and root for them!

The world building with the various Gods in various forms, the gritty action and fight scenes are all really impressive and made this a really enjoyable read. That along with a really strong lead character and quality character development made this a book would recommend to others.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.