“When Middren falls to the gods, your kind will be the first to die.” Is one of the lines on the back of the @illumicrate edition of Godkiller, I’m not sure if it is on the standard edition too, but how can you not be hyped to find out what happens with a line like that?!?

Godkiller is a book I have been looking forward to reading for a while now, when I discovered it was one of the Illumicrate monthly books I was so excited to get my hands on it!

It is a short book (sub 300 pages) but those 280 ish pages really do pack a punch. Kissen, Elogast and Inara all feel sufficiently fleshed out as main characters and there is also a solid cast of supporting characters too like Kissen’s found family Yatho and Telle, and the group of pilgrims that the main characters find themselves traveling with. The lore and history is surprisingly well constructed considering how little pages there are to flesh it out and the world feels alive and buzzing with intrigue and fantasy.

The titular Godkiller, Kissen, is a curmudgeonly hero, jaded by a tough and tragic life in a tough and tragic world who softens over time and discovers a side to her that she wasn’t even sure she had herself. Elogast is a loyal and noble knight in want of a quiet life but compelled back into service by the guilt that blinds him. Inara is a young noble who finds herself with nowhere to go, nobody to trust and a forbidden god bonded to her. Together they journey to a city where gods still roam and each of them must face their own reckoning.

Map Check? YES! It does have a map, instant win.

God Killer….oh how to start? I’m starting this review off on a downer, but I was so looking forward to reading this book, the cover alone made me so excited to get begin a devouring reading session. The reality unfortunately is quite different. This was a highly anticipated novel of 2023, but I just feel like it fell flatter than pancake on Shrove Tuesday. Truth be told the cover was the only thing about the book that stood tall. The artwork is incredible and prior to reading the eBook I had considered investing in the beautiful, sprayed edge edition for my personal collection, I’m afraid as beautiful as it is, I just cannot justify parting with my hard-earned cash for a book that will gather dust.

Now on to God Killer itself I did enjoy the prologue (again, I always seem to love a strong prologue) it had a really strong start but that’s where my enthusiasm for Godkiller started and stopped. I picked up the book in mid-February and I’ve only just finished now. For some that might be okay, but I usually start and finish several books in the space of a week, so for me this book has taken quite some time to get through. Hand on my heart – the only two parts that held my attention was the prologue and the ending, the middle really didn’t hold my attention. I’ve picked up and put down the book a fair few times.

In the author’s defence (I know it seems like I’m tearing the book down, but credit where credits due) the story is stunningly written. The language flowed like a river in the summer, smoothly. It’s got the kind of narrative that you could fall into, I guess the book just wasn’t for me. It’s got a lot of rave reviews, once again it appears that another hyped book has passed me by.

The things that irked me the most was the poorly developed characters apart from Kissen. I just didn’t think that enough time or care was given to building up the other characters. I was hugely confused by the worldbuilding. I love a map in fantasy but this story with its back and forth just left me scratching my head at times. I wanted to be able to follow what was happening but had to go back and reread sections, the whole process left me feeling frustrated.

God Killer follows Kissen, a Godkiller. The backstory of Kissen is full of trauma and tragedy. Everyone knows what can happen when you are left with the ever-present scars of a haunted past, it either kills you or throws you into a completely different road. For Kissen that is the beaten track of god killing. She funnels her anger into killing gods, her reputation precedes her and she damn well knows it. When she chances upon the noble child, Inara Crainer things go arse over tit rather quickly. The child appears to be bound to a god that has no shrine and yet it seems impossible for Inara to be bonded with this god, and yet it is there right in front of her eyes. Kissen refuses to allow another child bow to the mercy of yet another god but how can she ensure that Inara doesn’t die in the process?

I thoroughly enjoyed this – while it took me a minute to pick it up, once invested in the story I flew through it. It’s been said before, but the vibes of an outcast highly skilled ruffian for hire suddenly being responsible for a young person – I cannot get enough. The world was wide, with a rich history and the mythology was perfect for me. The mechanics of the gods, and how they kept their power, the effect of having them on the world, was all fascinating. There was some infrequently seen representation as well, and I enjoyed reading all the multi-POV perspectives. I can’t wait to read the sequel – and while I got this as an ARC I have since bought a physical copy for my shelves!

I absolutely adored this book. First of all, I'm a suckered for a beautiful cover and this one is STUNNING. I was initially unsure as to how so much that was promised in the description would play out but I was not disappointed. Kaner was able to build a unique world and characters whilst having such an inticing read. Will forever be recommending this.

4 ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Harpercollins UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to the sequel.

I found the premise to be original and interesting, the world building was good and I wasn’t left wondering about things like I do in some books where the world building just isn’t as good.

I was a bit concerned about multiple POVs in a book with less than 500 pages-but I was pleasantly surprised. The POVs all had a really clear and distinct voice, I never had to think and remember whose POV I was in.

Definitely recommend this book-I can’t think of something to compare it to, but if you like well written fantasy then this is for you.

This book killed me! It was so sad! My first mistake was getting so attached to Skedi, but in my defence if you have a little rabbit creature in a book who can talk and is attached to another character, I'm going to very quickly fall in love.

My second mistake was assuming for even a second that I knew where it was going to go. This book had more twists and turns that anything I have ever read. It shocked me and surprised me and generally made for a very enjoyable read.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series because I can tell that this is going to be good.

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release.

This book is very clear to be a debut in the sense that is has such a good premise but missed the mark, it has room to improve for sure.

There is good representation in this book, and it was done really well, flowed naturally within the story.
The world building and the plot were a little all over the place and made it hard to keep up with what was going on and why.

The pacing was seriously off in this book which is what made me take the decision to ultimately DNF it at 42%. The beginning was pretty fast paced to the point it was hard to keep track of which POV we were following and what they were doing. When we reached the middle of the story it dragged, nothing was really happening to keep the story moving and it actually became pretty boring.

There is no real character development in what I did read, and I don’t see why the massive cast of characters were needed as they didn’t really bring anything exciting to the story.

Unfortunately for me the cover is the best thing about this book, and the illumicrate special edition is stunning.

I was originally drawn to this book because of the excellent cover and seeing it all over social media, and I'm so glad the story inside matches up to the package! Incredibly well written, a stunning debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book, and cannot WAIT for the next installment/s in the series. Kissen, Elo and Inara are the found family we all deserve, and getting Skedi's perspective every so often added to the overall narrative drive. The 'twist' at the end was fairly predictable but I didn't care because the ride was great. New favourite series alert!

In the world of Hannah Kaner’s Godkiller, gods are born from human prayers, fears and
desires and demand offerings and sacrifice from their followers in turn. But if gods can be
born then they can die. Kissen is a Veiga, a mercenary who kills gods when they end
up causing their followers harm, a service that’s still in demand even in the aftermath of a
brutal siege and civil war that’s led to the worship of any god being banned. After all, people
are still people. But this poses a problem for young noble Inara and Skediceth, a god of white
lies, who are bound together and neither knows how or why. And the only way to find a god
powerful enough to free them is to travel to the haunted and forbidden city of Blenraden.
Joining Kissen and Inara is Elogast, a knight turned baker, with a secret errand of his own
that may upset everything.

As well as being a brilliant opening to a new High-Fantasy series, Godkiller is a brilliantly
written meditation on faith. At one point, a character says something along the lines of gods
and people being a mirror of the other, and it’s very apt. Kissen has a justifiable hatred of
gods, Inara, due to her sheltered upbringing and her bond with Skedi, has a unique
perspective, and Elogast left his knighthood because he didn’t agree with trying to control
how people practice their faith. All have good points and none are portrayed as more right or
wrong.

The ending twist was heart-breaking but it’s also made me look forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.

I really really enjoyed this book. I liked the concept of the Gods, and I was so on edge the whole time trying to figure out what was going on, and what was really going on with Inara. That being said, there was a lot of world-building in this, but I do feel it was necessary to set the scenes. I'm desperately hoping there's a second book, as this was left on a massive cliffhanger!

I actually read this as part of a buddy read, which definitely helped, and actually meant we exchanged lots of opinions and thoughts about the book throughout, which made me enjoy it so much more!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early release in exchange for my honest review.

For more reviews, please check out my Instagram at TikTok at @blondesbooknook or my Twitter at @lausbooknook

I need to recommend this book to everyone. Well written, a great story line and strong likeable characters. It follows Kissen a who loses her family as a child to gods. As an adult she has made her way as a godkiller. She helps a young girl Inara with a god problem. On their travels they meet Elogast a former knight now baker, this unlikely trio team and face truths together. Can not recommend this enough it’s fantasy but I think anyone and everyone would enjoy it

An exciting debut novel by Hannah Kaner. Although somewhat shorter than usual dark fantasy novels, this did not take away from the plot which was driven forward all the way. Written from multiple points of view which can often be difficult and confusing, it was very easy to follow. What I also loved was how unconventional the characters were- not your usual protagonists.

Overall an interesting read which had me hooked throughout. I can't wait to see what Kaner has in store next.

I almost put off reading Godkiller by Hannah Kaner because I wasn’t quite sure if I was in the mood for it, and I am so glad I didn’t. I saw it getting fantastic reviews, including from my friends, and I had to check it out for myself. Right from the start I was swept away by Kaner’s brutally honest and vivid storytelling. The events that Kissin lives through and other characters experience are the awful life changing ones and what I liked about Kaner’s writing style is that there’s no sugar-coating. Life sucks, and you have to keep going, and that’s exactly what Kissin has had to do.

As a veiga, a royally sanctioned killer of gods, Kissin has made a reputation for herself in that field. It’s a huge surprise to her to find herself face to face with a god in a tavern one day with a young girl as its companion. Her every instinct to kill the god is waylaid by the fact that the two share an unknown bond and the young girl, Inara, is asking Kissin of all people for help. When her plan A ends up in disaster, Kissin ends up more involved with Inara and Skediceth than she had planned. She sees a lot of herself in the girl and her friends are no help, convincing her that Kissin is the only one that can help her even if that means going back to a place she said she would never return to.

Kissin isn’t the only one heading back to the city against their own desire. On the road the trio meet a strange man who instantly catches Kissin’s attention. Elogast claims to just be a baker, and while he moves like a warrior, he actually is a baker. Or he has been since the war ended and would have quite happily remained doing so until the King, his best friend, came to him with an explosive revelation. Once upon a time he was the Knight Commander in the King’s army and Ego has no choice to head back to the city where it all began, to face events he’s been hiding from ever since.

His attempt to fly under the radar fails miserably when things get messy on the road, and he joins up with Kissin, Inara and Skediceth. They may all be on the same side when it comes to getting to the city, however, when it comes to why they need to and what they’re doing when they get there no one’s telling the truth.

I loved everything about Godkiller. Kaner has created an incredible world which explores the concept of gods and their symbiotic relationship with humans. Gods are powerful, however, without the worship of humans they have no power. In Godkiller Kaner fully explores every angle of this relationship and that is what makes this book so good. She doesn’t just cover the exploitation of humans by all powerful gods and how it devastates people’s lives, while also delving into the idea of what happens when the gods that people depend on, that are deeply entwined in people’s lives are suddenly not there any more. For example, Ego meets a couple who are looking for a god to remove a blessing placed by a midwife god when the woman was a baby. Two women in her family have already died because of it.

In a world where believing in gods is a crime, people have a difficult choice to make and very few people to trust. Kaner weaves a story filled with secrets, and suspense where no one is innocent. Children like Inara have to grow up fast, and I found Inara’s journey throughout the novel to be believable. She starts as a terrified and ignorant young noble girl who complains about having to give up her luxurious cloak for a more practical – and smelly – travelling cloak.

All the characters in Godkiller have this level of realism, and it was wonderful to read a book with a disabled protagonist where their disability is not the main focus. Kissen lost a leg as a child and wears a prosthetic, and the only time her disability is mentioned is when it’s a practical issue or when it’s relevant. Kaner doesn’t waste words on making sure we know that Kissen is disabled and when she introduces Kissen’s two friends, we know that one uses a wheelchair and one is Deaf only because we’re reading Inara’s narrative who notices as a stranger would. Inara notices and describes their disabilities just as she does their hair colour, and she only knows that one of them is Deaf because she’s using sign language to communicate. There’s no big deal made about them being disabled, the same goes for LGBTQIA+ relationships; Kissens friends are both women and in a relationship and Kissen herself is openly bisexual. It was also extremely appreciated that trauma, especially childhood trauma, was treated respectfully.

Godkiller is a fantastic book with so many twists and turns, and it stuck with me so long after I finished it. Kaner’s debut is a delight and sets up wonderfully for the second book, offering some answers that only create more questions. It has everything and more (including fab disability representation!) that I want to see in a fantasy novel and I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book!

really enjoyed this book! I wasn't sure to start with as I do not gel very well with multiple characters POV's, buuuuut I ended up really enjoying it. The characters had a lot of growth and the plot kept me interesting and turning the page. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This is fantasy and is set in a world with a god for everything imaginable. A number of years ago there was a war between humans and gods and now worship of any kind is no longer allowed because it would restore power to the gods.

This alternates between 4 POVs, we have a young woman who is a godkiller by profession, a man who was a former soldier in the war, a young girl whose entire family was killed - and the god of white lies who is attached to the little girl.

They end up going on this quest together to find out how to detach the god, and how the soldier can save his friend.

The world building in this is excellent, so interesting. But the story wasn't totally keeping me engaged and I did find this a slow read, especially given the length.

This is the first in a series and it's not one where everything is wrapped up, there are still a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this. The opening scene is also very brutal, as a warning!

I did like it enough to read the next book in the series, on the strength of that world building.

3.75 stars

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

4 STARS

A gritty, high fantasy debut. Full of morally ambiguous characters and an in-depth plot that will keep you turning the pages.

Definitely worth a read!

Just incredible. Awesome morally grey characters. I like that even the “pious” of the pairing was fun and ready with a dirty song when needed.
Deaf representation as well as LGBQTA rep.
The gods verse is just, for lack of a better phrase “cool af” I just loved it. I’ve since bought several special edition copies.
So excited for the next book
Thanks!!

Thank you so much, HarperCollins UK and Harper Voyager, for the gifted eARC! I was so ecstatic to receive it!

Now, I just need to get better at remembering that books like Godkiller take me longer to read than most YA books I pick up. We learn and improve for next time! Aka, I won't make the same mistake for The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. [Which, as we all know, I didn't, since that review got shared first.]

ANYWAY, onto Godkiller thoughts!

Godkiller felt very much like an amazing, smooth blend of the high fantasy I grew up reading and modern writing. It felt like going back to the high fantasy books I read as a kid [yes, I was that weird kid reading books like The Wheel of Time while a pre-teen/teenager], but with a more modern feel. And, honestly, I loved the masterful blending of the two. It's almost definitely going to be at the top of my list of books of 2023.

Another way to describe it is inspiring. Godkiller is everything Game of Thrones is, in terms of high fantasy, without being quite so dark, quite so gritty, and quite so sex-filled. It leaves you with the feeling that anything is possible, both in your own life and, if you're so inclined, in the world of writing.

[Not really spoilers, exactly, but just for your knowledge on what I mean by "a more modern feel": one of the main characters reads as bisexual/queer with a limb difference and scarring; another main character is a POC with PTSD; and a side character is deaf. The world is also queer normative.]

Recommendation: If you love high fantasy and want one with a more modern twist/inclusive content, this is the book for you. If that sort of thing bothers you [PTSD content, queer content, disability content], then it, sadly, probably won't be for you.

Kissen is such a fun, original heroine. She's the kind of woman society pushes ladies NOT to be. She's crass, sassy, and speaks her mind. She's also fantastic. Before you know it, you're attached to her and her success, rooting for her in a way you might originally have thought you wouldn't. Also, I love her disability rep - that you can be disabled but still be an absolute, respected bad-ass [even if that respect comes with the judgemental edge most of the time]. Very few people who have seen her in action have resorted to judging her for her disability - but rather her rough personality. But can you really blame her? After everything she's been through?

Elogast and his story act as what I'll call our first twist to the story? His quest from the King is presented fairly on in the story - during our first chunk from his POV, actually - and acts as the timing element to the story. Kissen, Skediceth, and the noble little girl's drive in the story is still central to the story, but there's no real rush to address their part. It can take as long as it takes - but not Elogast's. The King and his quest can't wait.

Skediceth. He's . . . a handful? [Does that count as a pun?] Honestly, though, the range of emotions Skediceth's presence in the story puts you through is part of what makes this book so enjoyable. He's a complicated character who, in turn, complicates the story. His connection to the noble little girl drives a lot of this story, more so, even, than any part of Kissen's part of the story, honestly. He adds so much dynamic to the story [besides the obvious, which is nettling Kissen by her inability to kill him even though she really, really wants to], and he's not quite what I expected when I picked this book up. I don't want to give too much away, because I enjoyed that discovery that I thought was "spoiled" for me, but, if you've read the story or know details about Skediceth, you already know what I'm talking about.

I can't really speak too much to, "the noble little girl" attached to Skediceth, but I'll say that I was really worried she'd read minor, maybe shallow, maybe flat, but she doesn't. She isn't just part of the packaged deal with Skediceth, but rather her own, complex character. I can't go too much more into her without spoilers, though [including even her name!], so I'll save further discussions regarding her for after the spoiler line.

**AS USUAL, SPOILERS LAY AHEAD! STOP NOW IF YOU DON'T WISH TO BE SPOILED. IF YOU'D LIKE, YOU CAN GO READ THE BOOK AND COME BACK, OR JUST STOP HERE. YOUR CHOICE!**

Inara is the little noble girl's name, just to clarify for all future references to her.

Speaking of Inara, how terrible of a start was that? She went from being a frustrated, isolated noble girl who had a secretive mom and a full house of workers to nothing besides a little god who depended on her to survive. That's insane for a little girl to deal with on top of said little god's expectation for her to find a way to free him from that dependency on her. She loses everything and the only "person" she has leFt is essentially telling her they want to leave her? Talk about rough.

I love that, even though Kissen is talked into taking care of Inara, she doesn't immediately take to her, and instead Kissen slowly begins to care for and be protective of Inara as their journey goes on. It doesn't feel forced or too quick, which is lovely.

Also, I absolutely love the disability rep with Kissen. Her disability doesn't stop her from being a badass, and it's so nice to see a rep that not only tells everyone that disabled people can be badasses, it also shows the "behind the scenes" about it, about how she makes being disabled and being a badass work. You can see what she does to not only make herself be a badass, but you also see her without those "aides" - and not be embarrassed or ashamed by her "unaided" state. Because there's nothing for Kissen to be ashamed or embarrassed about with regards to her disability. And the reader can see that in Kissen.

Elogast being a retired-knight-turned-baker isn't a background or "career progression" I would have expected, but it not only works for Elogast, but I really like it! It's such a unique twist that both works as a plausible choice for his upbringing and for dealing with his past trauma. While it is a super useful skill for journeying, it doesn't feel like a "convenient" part of his character, if that makes sense?

I didn't realize how much I missed the sort of journeying you only really find in high fantasy books. The bridge city was so much fun to read about and imagine! I hope it comes up in a future book. [You can peep some art of that city in the picture at the top of my review! It makes for beautiful endpages!] I can't wait to see what comes in book 2!

I don't know if I'm losing my touch at "knowing how a story is going to go" or if it was just really well done, but I didn't see the King's betrayal until it was right there. How did I miss that?? I'm losing my touch! [That means I need to read more, right?]

In that vein, though, I did see the "pairing" of Kissen and Elo from early on. So at least I still have something going for me? . . . We're not going to talk about it.

I love the word-building with the gods and how they and the people work together. It lends well to being believable that they co-exist the way they do - in harmony and in conflict! Neither feels forced or improbably. It's a world I can completely see existing, and while I might not necessarily want to live in it, I don't see why any given character wouldn't want to.

I'm excited to see how Kissen, Elogast, Inara, and Skediceth all meet up later on, and how their journey continues going forward! The twists in Godkiller were done well enough that I'm very much looking forward to the sequel, and everything Hannah Kaner has in store for us. It doesn't beat out Yellowface as my favorite adult read this year, but, unlike Yellowface, I get to look forward to a sequel, so it has that going in its favor!

As always: be kind, stay safe, and read on!

This was like a breath of fresh air! I loved this book, the world, the way of the gods and how Skedi was both a good and a bad influence. I liked the found family element, and the way Elo and Kissen managed to find mutual interests in Ina. I can't wait for the sequel