In a world full of over powerful gods, Kissen makes her living as a godkiller, seeking revenge after her family was killed by zealots of a fire god. On her way between jobs, she crosses paths with a young noble girl named Inara who has a god of white lies, Skedi, bound to her. While Kissen’s instincts are to kill Skedi, she is convinced into helping Inara and Skedi on their journey to separate the bond that ties them together while avoiding mercenaries intent on Inara’s demise. Along the way they are joined by a knight turned baker named Elogast, who’s on his own mysterious journey that could change the course of the entire kingdom.

I’ve always heard it said that first books are for building characters and second books are for building the world out. However, with high fantasy books such as this one, it’s impossible to not have a large info dump at the beginning. It definitely took a while before I figured out what was going on but I really enjoyed the premise of this story. I loved the idea of having thousands of gods, from mighty fire and sea gods to a god of broken sandals. I loved how this world is queer normative and how several of the characters are disabled.

I did struggle to connect to the characters those. As a very character driven reader, I expect to care about the characters and be interested in their development but I didn’t really see that in these ones. I think a part of that was because this was written with several POV’s for all the characters so instead of slowly learning and figuring out things about each character it was just told which felt a little “too easy” for me. I also feel like this was a really short book to be a high fantasy book and a lot of things were crammed into a very short amount of space which made it hard for me to connect with the story. I wasn’t really into it until the last 20% of the book which was amazing and redeemed the story a ton for me!

All in all this book had amazing potential to be a really great story but fell flat in a lot of areas because too much was happening in too short a story. I wish there could have been another 100-200 pages in order to draw me in a little more!

I was immediately immersed in a richly diverse world where Kissen, a killer of gods, grapples with a past marred by tragedy and seeks vengeance. The narrative unfolds with an intriguing blend of elements, including nuanced character dynamics and multifaceted world-building. Kaner adeptly incorporates themes of disability, chronic pain, mental health, as well as LGBTQIA and BIPOC representation, fostering inclusivity within the story. ADORED that!

The intricate relationships among the characters are deftly portrayed, offering a glimpse into their shared histories and emotional complexities. I love that there is a god character (the god of white lies); it adds a unique layer to the narrative given that they can influence the characters in certain ways. Fascinating!

"Godkiller" captivated me with a compelling storyline and well-crafted characters. I was drawn into a world where the boundaries between divinity and humanity are blurred in interesting ways. I found it a thought-provoking read that will leave a lasting impression.

Loved it! Great, flawed characters and very unique setting.

Thank you to netgalley and avon/harper voyager for the eARC. This is an honest review.

I loved everything about this book! The tight narrative kept the story moving while giving us tons of information on the world and the characters. I fell in love with Elogast, Kissen, Inara, and Skediceth and their group relationships. I am so excited for the next book.

It's hard to believe this is Kaner's debut novel! This is a well-written, dark fantasy with masterful world-building and deep, rich characters that you're not always sure you should love or hate. Kaner manages to expertly weave a romantic plot into her storytelling without it being trifiling or unbelievable (something that I am particularly sensitive to, when reading new SFF releases). The ending felt very satisfying, but left the door open for more stories. I desperately hope we get to see more from these characters soon!

I look forward to seeing what Kaner cooks up next!

I love a solid found family, D&D-esque novel like this. There are a few pacing issues, but for the most part the journey is engaging, exciting, and adventurous; I could have easily read 100 more pages about Kissen, Elogast, and Inara. The worldbuilding also feels innovative (again, aside from a few aspects that could have been better fleshed out). I understand the inclusion of that cliffhanger, but it is MEAN.

I expected more from this book, honestly. The world-building and backstory felt cramped and rushed - again, I wanted more. I am glad I pushed through to the end of the book, though. I just wish the rest of the book had felt like the last 50 pages.

Kaner's inventive world is a place where gods come into being through human needs and wants, but when these gods become too powerful they become destructive. Kissen is a veiga, or godkiller, in a world where gods have been largely outlawed. She is approached one evening by a child, Inara, who is bound to a small god of white lies. They wish to find a way to be unbound and think that Kissen can help. As the three begin their journey to the destroyed city of the gods to see what can be done, they meet Elogast, a former knight, who is on a quest of his own. This is the first book in a trilogy and is recommended for fans of medieval and epic fantasy.

This is an exciting fantasy debut. An interesting magic system, a driving pace that moves the story along with lots of action and tension, an excellent cast of characters, and a captivating writing style made this book impossible to put down. I am eager to read the next book and curious to see what else Kaner has to offer.

This book was such an interesting premise - any god can be killed and Kissen will take on that task for a fee. The cast of characters was a great mix of personalities and there was excellent world building. I definitely enjoyed this and would like to see an expansion of this concept in further books.

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner may be my favorite fantasy read of 2023.

- Amazing pacing
-expert world building
-great dialogue use
-Stunning across the board representation

I want to read more of this author's work as soon as humanly possible. My only sadness is that it seems the US did not get a hardcover release.

[3.75 Stars😊]Godkiller is a solid fantasy debut by Hannah Kaner! Like any new fantasy series, the first 25-30% is slow with the world-building and character introduction. However, once Hannah Kaner establishes the characters and the overall plot, Godkiller takes off at a gallop, and I finished the book in a couple of days! Godkiller is a well-written and well-crafted adventure that combines adventure, danger, political intrigue, and complex characters. I'm curious how the next book will expand on the story (especially with that ending!), and I can't wait for its release!

Fans of fast paced fantasy will find much to enjoy in Hannah Kaner's first installment of a new series, Godkiller. There is a moderate amount of world-building and while there is some character development, it is mostly plot-driven. I almost think it would read as a young YA title if it were not for a single somewhat explicit and oddly placed sex scene. Still, there are some interesting ideas about religion and prejudice that I hope will be more fully fleshed out in future volumes.

I love the concept, I found it to be very unique. The idea of Gods being solely reliant on humans to feed their existence is so intriguing. The characters were diverse and well written. I found myself fully enthralled in the beginning. I fell off throughout the lengthy traveling and found it hard to get back into it.

At this time I have made it to about 55% and I may attempt to finish the 2nd half at a later time but for right now, it's just not holding my attention the way I would like. So based on what I've read through this far I can fairly give this a 3 star rating.

This was SO GOOD omg!! So fun with such rich and fascinating worldbuilding. I also absolutely loved Inara and Kissen, Kissen particularly. Skedi also is really complex, the moment of his betrayal and the fallout was really well done. Such amazing characters that I can't wait to see evolve in the next volume in the series.

I think that while this is really good so far (25% in), I need to wait a while to finish it. I haven't picked it up for a while, so I forget some of what I've read, but I know I am enjoying it immensely! Eventually I will finish this masterpiece, but not right now.

Once I started this book, I didn't want to put it down. Major "what if the Witcher was a woman" vibes with Kissen, the self-proclaimed godkiller who has made a living accepting coin for taking out lesser gods + Inara, the young girl whom she finds herself an unexpected guardian for. Inara's bound to a god of white lies in Skediceth, but neither of them knows how it happened or how to fix it, so why not seek out a godkiller to help them with their problem? Along their journey, they encounter Elogast, a former soldier-turned-baker who has his own reasons for traveling alone, and unexpectedly forge a found family of sorts as they try to help Inara and ultimately Elo with their respective missions. An incredible fantasy debut with well-developed characters, and the ending had me clawing for more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a first book in a trilogy. It sets things up nicely, the character and world building are well done. It ended in a good spot, an initial quest concluded but obviously more to come. The premise is that this world was once full of gods, old and new. The gods became greedy, wanting more and more from their worshipers and fighting amongst themselves. Humans were so damaged by this that they went to war with the gods. Gods are now outlawed. This leads us to our company of "heros", a godkiller, a former knight and the last living member of a nobel house. Oh and a small god of white lies who is psychically linked to the girl who is the last of her clan. They each have reasons to travel to the destroyed city where gods may yet live.
Thanks to NetGalley for an eGalley of this title.

2.5/5 Stars

Received as an eARC on NetGalley

I feel as though this was a case of overhyping. I went into this book expecting to be swept away, but ultimately I found it to be extremely average.

Positives:
The representation of this book is off the charts. Major and minor characters are LGBTQ+, disabled, POC, etc. The characters were also fairly interesting. They were really the main reason I didn't DNF this book. The world-building was fine, if a little confusing. I can't say there was anything "wrong" with this book, but I don't think there was anything that really blew me away besides the representation.

Negatives:
It was boring to me. I think, given how much other people have loved it, this may be a case of overhyping and a book just not suiting my personal tastes. I found the world-building intriguing, but ultimately underwhelming. The characters were also underwhelming. The writing felt simple and juvenile. The book was fine.

Overall, I am entirely indifferent to this book and will probably forget it exists by tomorrow. I would recommend this to a younger audience who is interested in seeing representation and enjoy fantasy.

World building felt just right, representation was really great. Some harsher editing could help with sone over explaining but mostly really enjoyed!

This book was released a couple of weeks ago, which is lucky for you because you'll be able to run - not walk - to your local book shop and get this book. And you should, because this one is probably my favorite new author that I've read this year. Considering the fact that I routinely read 75-100 books a year, this means that Godkiller is in the top 2%.

I'll admit that the ingredients in this book is my current recipe for good stuff. Queer representation? Check. Disabled protagonist? Check. Gods and demons? Double check! Found family? Oh, my gosh, really?? YES! Epic traveling quest? Okay, now you've hit all my buttons.

I can't help it, I somehow identify with Kissen. She saw the horrors that fanatic faith can wreak and took control of that horror by killing the cause of it. Gods. Kissen is the titular godkiller here and she's a disabled badass, and if you know anyone who is disabled you will know that is just a requirement and NOT a contradiction. I can't help but identify with the idea that you should take the things that harmed you and murder the shit out of them. You can determine for yourself what that says about me, because I really don't care.

The story encountered here is certainly epic but it is not the sprawling, intricate weaving of most epics. You will not need to keep track of dozens of characters and half-forgotten intrigues across a thousand pages. No, this story is as tightly plotted as a seal's ass is waterproof. Focused only on the characters on the page and the loved ones they've left behind them, this story will literally drag you with it to the forbidden and destroyed city of Blenraden, home of the last wild gods. If the journey doesn't kill you, the inhabitants might.

Do I need to say I loved it? I loved it. I can't wait for more.