We are introduced to three important characters right at the start.
Inara, a noble child who is inexplicably tied to a minor god of white lies.
Krissen, the god killer of the title. She kills gods for bounty and for joy, as her family was killed by gods.
Elo, retired knight and baker, who has been convinced to quest to a region he thought to never return to by his friend, a king.
The three wind up travelling together on a pilgrim train, that of course winds up attacked repeatedly. Predictable, and not especially engaging.
This was a neatly created world, in which gods, especially the wild gods, have been mostly outlawed due to their capricious and greedy nature.
I enjoyed Inara and her little god, Skediceth, and would have liked to learn more about their relationship.
However, I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters and didn't really find myself caring that deeply about what happened to them. While they were traveling across a dangerous country, cursed and in danger, I never really felt that they truly were in any peril. There were so many different characters to follow, none really stood out and grabbed my heart.
Interesting idea, but fell short for me. I do understand how some have really enjoyed this one though.

Thank you to NetGalley for thei ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ooh I enjoyed this one. The premise was good, the take on gods was good, the characters were good. I have a few gripes (who's surprised), but overall I loved this.

Let's get the negatives out of the way first. I was really there for Kissen and Elo's relationship until they actually got together. The slowly warming up to each other, the touches, they were all great, but then they jump to having sex. Maybe it's a me thing, but it felt too rushed and have one night stand vibes over making love vibes. I also thought the plot twist was really good, but to give it more weight, we should have seen more of Elo and Arren's bond.

Okay. Now for the good stuff.

I really liked each character in this novel. Inara was wonderful and acted her age. It was clear that she was alone and I liked her relationship with Skedi, even though it had its ups and downs. Kissen was also great, rough around the edges but reluctantly caring for others. Elo was kind and honorable. Skedi was a god and even when he took over Inara, I understood where he was coming from (although that doesn't make it right). Every character's actions fit well with their personality.

The worldbuilding was solid without being too infodumpy. I didn't need to take note of every single description in order to understand what was happening, and I liked how the gods needed to be loved in order to exist.

This book did not pull any punches. From the very beginning, the story and violence was real. I could tell what was at stake. A boy died on the journey, and I'm concerned about the old lady who was wounded. Hopefully we find out what happens to her in the next book.

I loved the casual openness of sexuality, the representation of disability and PTSD, and the found family. Can't wait to read the next one.

I'm already sad to be leaving these characters and this world behind! Kissen is a Godkiller - a traveling mercenary with big Witcher energy who goes from place to place dispatching "gods" - beings brought to life by the prayers and faith of humans - who prey on the people and places around them. Upon crossing paths with a mysterious young girl and a knight-turned-baker, she is caught up in bloody world of magic and politics and warring factions of powerful deities.

Godkiller is a brilliant "aftermath" story. I really enjoy novels in this vein, in which some great calamity or epic battle has occurred prior to novel which could easily have been its own book or series. Rather than focusing on this, however, Godkiller explores a land and people shattered by their history, focusing on recovering from trauma and experiencing consequences that are so rarely extrapolated in your traditional heroes journey. Speaking of nontraditional, Kissen is exactly the type of protagonist I love, gruff and no-nonsense with an inherent spark of goodness and loyalty. She is also excellent disability rep, with tremendous research and care devoted to her life as a single amputee with a prosthetic leg. Her subtle romance with Elo, the second POV character, is also funny and lovely without usurping the main story. Elo and Inara, the two secondary POVs, offer a lot to the plot but don't shine as brightly as Kissen. I did however enjoy Elo's quiet devotion to his baking, and Inara's interactions with her rascally god Skedi, who can influence the power of white lies.

Fans of Geralt of Rivia will inevitably draw parallels between Kaner's Veigas and Sapkowski's Witchers, and while the story certainly adopts elements of the famous franchise (including young girl with mysterious power, gruff accidental foster parent, love interest veteran of a terrible war....) it can comfortably stand on its own.

I loved the plot but I'm now very frustrated by the fact that book 2's release date isn't announced. The cliff-hanger at the end is stuff of nightmares!

I was however very intrigued by the new take on gods being a very present part of society. It was very engaging to see that balanced with the idea of power and how the hunt for power makes everything else worthless. It's easy to lose yourself and the things you value if they're just in the way.

There's also some fun little themes of fire v water and the different types of love along with the sacrifices we make for it.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I absolutely devoured Godkiller. I loved every moment that I spent reading it, even the multiple POV's, which are usually a little hard for me to get into. Each character's journey was so interesting, I was invested equally in all of them. It was done very well, and each character had just the right amount of time spent telling the reader what they needed to make the story a cohesive song. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

That was... quite interesting but I didn't like the execution.

We got 4 PoV : Kissen (the godkiller), Inara (little girl with the god problem), Elogast (former knight), and Skediceth (the god problem). It's crowded. and then each of them has different goals, different motives, almost like I was walking toward 4 different paths even though they traveled together. and my brain didn't enjoy the experience of following those.

The gods in this book weren’t like what I imagine gods should be: magnificent and powerful beings. Instead, they’re more like… mythical creatures? Who would’ve guessed that the creature on the cover is a god? Yes, it's a god. It’s Skediceth, to be precise. He’s a god of white lies, and again, I found myself struggling to wrap my mind around the concept. Why should it be white lies, not just lies?

Anyway, I forced myself to skim it because this was one of my 2023 anticipated releases and I at least want to know the story outline. The story only got interesting in the last 10% and that’s also the moment I learned that this book isn’t a standalone. AND IT ENDED IN A CLIFFHANGER. So yeah. I'm looking forward to the next book. I hope the plot will get better.

"People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people."

I've never read a book like Godkiller. Ever. It's set in such a fleshed out wild world that's set in the shadow of a God war. We have three (possibly even 4) protagonists with different lives - but their storylines flow together as their goals blend together as the cusp of time runs out for their secrets.

Kissen is a godkiller - plain and simple as the job pays and she's rather good at it and she's hardened her heart to them after her family was sacrificed for one. But when she meets Inara - a strange noble girl with the god of white lies stuck to her, she finds herself taking them to the city to free both the girl and the god.

Elogast fought in the Godwar as the right hand man of the prince but he's allegiance was shifted afterwards. Now he lives the simple life as a baker but a quest that pulls at his heartstrings has him running for the old city.

The world building in this book is incredible. An aftermath of a war that you learn about slowly is such a unique take. Gods have been banned by the king after the war but they're still worshiped secretly and because of the comfort and security they bring to the average person which was such a unique take. Gods are made by people's prayers and in return the gods co inhabit with them even as they hold such power.

I loved the dynamic of Kissen and Inara - very reminiscent of Geralt and Cici, an unbreakable bond that's made with love. Kissen knows what it's like to be a lonely and scared girl and her refusal to leave Inara to the same fate is incredible, even when it outweighs her own hatred of gods. Elogast was an interesting character as you learned more about his motivations to save his king.

The ending was incredible and while I was expecting a few plot twists - I felt like this was so well done. There is love, betrayal and sacrifice with heaping intrigue to keep me thrilled for book 2.

rep// bi rep, side wlw, deaf rep, amputee rep

cw// burning alive, grief, death, loss of limb

Godkiller had such a classic, fantasy feel. Despite the deadly, high-stakes events that were happening, this book felt almost cozy. I enjoyed the magic system, specifically how gods came to be, how they stay alive, and the sheer number of gods existing in this world. The banter and inner monologues reminded me a lot of T. Kingfisher's fantasy novels. I was immediately drawn in by the first chapter, which was Kissen's background story. I liked her immediately, and I loved how the last chapter tied up loose ends from the first. Inara's POV chapters were probably my favorite, and while Elogast took awhile to grow on me, I really liked him by the end of the book. This book does end on a cliff-hanger, and I'm so excited for the next one!

A debut?! The writing is easy and flows well. The plot makes sense. The characters felt real. What more can you ask for?

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.

I absolutely devoured this book - a witty, fun, exciting, gripping fantasy read. The writing was exceptionally clean while still being lyrical, the worldbuilding was well-paced, and the characters felt distinct and sharp. I think this is a must-read for fans of the Witcher, God of War: Ragnarok, and the Wolf and the Woodsman (by Ava Reid).

Godkiller tells the story of Kissen, the badass, grumpy, off-putting, bisexual, knife-wielding female main character of my dreams. The way that Kaner has built this world, I could easily see the series sprawling into a many-part saga (a la Murderbot diaries) following this cast of characters all around the realm as they try to clean up other characters’ - and their own - messes.

I believe the best description of this book is actually found in the “About the Author” section, where Kaner says she is, “inspired by world mythologies, angry women, speculative fiction, and the stories we tell ourselves about being human.” Absolutely hits the nail on the head. This book also has some fabulous representation of various sexualities and a range of differently-abled characters that makes it feel rich and welcoming. There is so much to love about this book and I highly highly recommend checking it out.

Debut author Hannah Kaner has arrived with a beautiful fantasy novel, GODKILLER. I fell in love with this novel from the very first page, for it was lush with fantastical elements and a wondrous cast of characters. This book blasted through my expectations, and gave me everything I wanted from a debut novel. Her writing is absolutely perfect and allows the story to pop off the page. This was one of my favorite reads of the year and I cannot wait to see what Kaner writes next!

Prepare to be taken for a ride while reading this because this is a very promising debut. It is dark, captivating, and gritty. It's not perfect, but wow, for a debut, this is amazing. Absolutely cannot wait for the next installment!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of Godkiller by Hannah Kaner. I did already read this because I ordered a copy from the Uk and i adore this one. We do have a slow burn story. There is adventure and romance. Unlikely people coming together to worked toward this goals of getting to this dead city. The little god of white lies seems adorable and i cannot wait to see this come out in print.