This was such an interesting book. I haven't read many books that deal with the nature of divinity in fantasy and the idea that gods gain strength through worship so I found following Kissen's quest so interesting, especially when she meets Skedi. I liked that the core group followed characters that were in different age ranges and parts of life because it complicated the group dynamics and made for a lot of unforced humor. I struggled a bit with the pacing of the story and the beginning felt a bit disjointed but it sped up as the characters came together and I'm interested to see where the story goes moving forward.

When Kissen was young, her family was sacrificed by her village and burned for the fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods.

I've been wanting to read Godkiller before I even knew what it was about. Who could resist this cover?! I'm glad I enjoyed the book as much as I love the cover though because that makes it even more satisfying to get.

Godkiller is a fascinating story about gods, what they want, the weight of sacrifices they ask for, and what desperate people are willing to do to gain a god's favor. I loved the characters in this book. Kissen and Inara gave me strong reluctant guardian / ward vibes (think Joe and Ellie from The Last of Us), there's a conflicted knight turned baker, and a small god of white lies tangled in it all.

Godkiller has great queer and disability rep, found family, and exploration of godhood in fantasy. I breezed through this one and already wish I had the sequel in my hands.

* ARC courtesy of NetGalley - thank you for the opportunity to give my honest opinion! *

The first thing I want to rave about is the worldbuilding in Godkiller. I love the idea of the Gods no longer being something consistently worshiped, and instead wiped out with any remaining shrines/cults having to make their offerings in secret to give them any power. And let's face it - Kissen's title of "Godkiller" is just overall badass! It's a breath of fresh air from a sea of characters being chosen by gods, the offspring of gods, or re/incarnations of gods.

The pacing of the story itself dragged in parts for me. The prologue was a punch to the gut, but then the beginning of the story slowed down a lot as our main cast got introduced and the pieces of everything started drifting into place. The middle itself dragged a lot and I nearly didn't finish the book several times just because my interest would wander, but then the end was like the prologue - it grabbed me by the shoulders, threw me against the wall, and yelled at me for almost being a coward.

I wouldn't say I was obsessed with the book overall. It was fine, just maybe lacking a certain spark (whether it be from the characters or the writing itself) to really draw me in. But I'm interested to see what happens in the next installment!

This book has one of the most intriguing plots I’ve read in a long time. The dynamic between gods and humans was new and original. The characters were all pretty well-rounded and I enjoyed the POV’s for all of them (a rare feat; normally there’s a character I DREAD reading from). Even the writing style was enjoyable — it didn’t read like a debut at all. LGBTQ and disabled representation is always a plus, and that’s definitely shown here. The story also includes a character who grapples with PTSD, which I feel is also not present often among amazing warriors in fantasy. This is very much a journey story (it’s giving LOTR but not nearly as tedious) so just be prepared for lots of travel. Overall 3.5 rounded up due to the series and author’s potential! Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy!

“𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫” 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

A dark fantasy that you will fly through.

𝘎𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯. 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥—𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘴 “𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴” 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴.

This was a fun new fantasy that I overall really enjoyed. The prologue was so good, I was hooked right away and the interesting concept kept me interested, I had to know what was going to happen. This book had some great representations in the wide variety of characters; lgbt, disability, mental health. It also gave me some Witcher vibes (which I loved since I’m obsessed with that show!) and the last 10% of the book was so good. I did struggle just a little bit throughout the middle when the pacing slows a bit. The world building was a little confusing and there’s a lot of characters introduced, but the length of the book made it still go by very quickly and I loved the ending. I can’t wait to read more from this series and author, and I recommend this for any fantasy reader (and fellow Witcher lovers).

Thank you so much to @harpervoyagerus and @NetGalley for my arc, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 is out 9/12/23!

I was so intrigued by the concept of this fantasy novel! A world of Gods with a Godkiller on a quest seemed really interesting! This was a nice fantasy but felt slow during their journey. I loved that we had some disability representation and enjoyed the world-building!
A good medium-paced novel that regular readers of fantasy will enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Godkiller by Hannah Kaner!

I didn't know what to expect from this one and only know the hype it received from the UK readers, it was definitely on my highly anticipated list and I'm so glad I read it. I think I echo many of the reviewers on this page when they say that this is a solid debut. I truly believe it.

The story follows Kissen, a young mercenary who witnessed the gruesome death of her family when someone decided to sacrifice them all to a god of water. After watching their deaths losing her leg, and being cursed by the sea god, Kissen vowed to destroy every god she came across. Cut to the present where the king of this land has decreed that god worship will be abolished. No more shrines. No more prayers. No more gods in any shape or form, Kissen is making out like a bandit as she journeys across the country killing all the gods she encounters. That is, until she meets a little girl with a little god attached to her and a knight on a secret mission to help out his king.

I'm a huge fan of this world. I love the idea of thousands of gods living among us, gods to worship and hopefully bring good fortune, but these gods are also greedy and self-centered and more interested in the worship than helping anyone. It reminded me a lot of the mythical Greek gods and their nature when approaching humans and I loved how Hannah Kaner took that element and made it her own.

Kissen, Elogast, Inara, and Skedi created four very interesting perspectives and they were all so vastly different from each other. I love that Hannah Kaner had the perspective of a person who wanted to kill all the gods, a person who wanted to save one god, and even included a little god to compose this complex world of gods and humans and how they all work together. The character-driven fantasy is one of my favorites and the perspectives from everyone between human and god really drives home the connection that these two counterparts have to the whole.

I will admit, the plot moved a tad bit on the slow side for me. This is one of those journey stories where a group of people move from one part of the map to the other at a slow pace faced with enemies and conflict all along the way. It lended itself for some good storytelling and sharing a lot of what's happening in the world, but it also moved the story at a slower pace. There was also a romance in this that I thought was really unnecessary and yet somehow shoehorned in.

Overall, strong debut. I'm enthralled to read more and see what happens to the characters in the book! I will definitely be checking out the next one!

This book was not for me but it will probably be for a lot of people! Lush descriptions, intense dialogue, but slow for my taste. Would be good for fans of the Witcher and the Priory of the Orange Tree. Felt the same as reading the latter, where I could appreciate that the writing was good but I didn't necessarily connect to the story.

What a fun debut novel! I really enjoyed this book and cant wait for the sequel. the characters are fun, Kissen the grump, Elo the true heart and Inara the enigma. I enjoyed the interplay between them and though the middle was a little slower than the first and the end, this is a solid and fun fantasy.

This is excellent fantasy writing. The combination of world building, character development, and myth all come together for a truly unique story. In a genre that has become so crowded, that is no easy feat. The rotating viewpoints between the characters worked well and I truly enjoyed being in each of their heads equally, which very rarely happens. The representation of queer identities, disabilities, PTSD and trauma, and found and created families are all wonderfully and naturally integrated into the narrative. I appreciated how explicit these elements were, without becoming the center of the story, as it should be in the real world.

This book can be read as epic, fun fantasy or an allegory for human faith, spirituality, or religion. I found it successful in both aspects. I think Godkiller would appeal to a large range of readers, even those that typically are aren't fans of high fantasy reads.

Counting down the days until the sequel is out. Thank you to netgalley and Avalon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for this honest review.

What a ride! Godkiller starts off with a heart pounding prologue and sets the stage for an epic (and sometimes bloody) adventure. After that heartbreaking opening, it did take some time to get used to the world and adjust to the multiple POV’s, but once things got going, I was 100% invested in this unlikely found family.

I enjoyed the twists and the enemies to lovers romantic subplot, but it was Kissen’s relationship with Inara that really stole my heart. I loved seeing each of them grow, learn, and be more vulnerable with each other. Both have been through so much and have come out stronger on the other side.

The action did slow a bit in the middle as the focus shifted more towards the various relationships, but things really picked up at the end as emotions boiled over and secrets were revealed. The book ends with a cliffhanger, but not a terrible one. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next for our crew after that ending, especially Inara.

CW: death of parents and siblings (past), grief, loss of limb, violence, death/murder, arson, destruction, war, religious persecution

*I voluntarily read a review copy of this book*

Prepare to be captivated by Hannah Kaner's "Godkiller," a masterfully crafted adult high fantasy that takes readers on an exhilarating journey of self discovery and sacrifice. What sets this novel apart is Kaner's seamless and unapologetic inclusion of characters with disabilities – there's no hint of forced representation. Instead, they are portrayed as everyday individuals who exist organically within this richly woven tapestry of a fantastical world. (& the real world.)

The heart of the story revolves around an unlikely found family that will undoubtedly steal your heart. Kissen, a remorseless Godkiller shaped by a tragic past, and Inara, a noble-born enigma with an unidentifiable lineage, form the core of this enthralling ensemble. They are joined by Skedi, whose connection to Inara defies the divine, and Elo, a retired knight haunted by his wartime memories and a profound history with King Arren. Elo's quest, triggered by a fateful visit from the King, aligns with Kissen and Inara's pilgrimage to the city of Gods. This journey is about confronting divine mysteries and personal demons.

The narrative's pace is relentless, driving the plot forward with unwavering determination. While there is a brief pause in the action, this lull is pivotal for readers to deepen their understanding of the characters, fostering a stronger connection that enhances their later decisions. It's like spending a bit more time with cherished friends, a welcome respite that strengthens the emotional bonds.

I eagerly anticipate "Godkiller's" release in the States, where it will become more accessible to readers. Kaner's commitment to portraying individuals with disabilities as resilient and formidable as their non-disabled counterparts is both commendable and refreshing. In a genre often entangled in the savior complex, Kaner's novel steers clear of such tropes, focusing instead on the characters' inherent strengths and tenacity.

I eagerly anticipate the release of this book in the United States, where it will become more accessible to a wider readership. (already out in the UK). Kaner's commendable work shines a spotlight on individuals with disabilities, portraying them as equally resilient and formidable as their non-disabled counterparts. Godkiller refreshingly eschews the typical 'savior complex' often found in fantasy, where the storyline revolves around curing a disability. Kaner's agenda is clear, and it's a breath of fresh air in the genre. A strong debut that makes me eager to start the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book

Godkiller- 2.75⭐️2.75🌶️

Fantasy Romance
Multi POV
Disabled FMC
Fire injury
Gods/goddesses
Intricate world building
Unique magic system
🏳️‍🌈 normative society
Disabled rep
Revenge
Journey
Cliffhanger


The prologue was so intense and heartbreaking. The writing style was interesting and caught my attention. It worked really really well… until it didn’t.

The multi pov did this story a disservice, making things far more complicated than they could have been. Loosing the focus and intensity of the writing.

It made the actual dialogue feel very disconnected from the inner monologuing, making it harder to differentiate between, or connect to, the characters.

This is definitely a fantasy story with a little romance sprinkled in. The reluctant allies to lovers trope didn’t hold enough tension or substance for me to believe it was real.

I was so bored waiting for the action. There was so much fluff and barely any substance in the journey prep. Once the action and the actual journey started… the stakes went up, making the last 30% of the book far better, and easier, to read. But this isn’t a long book…

The one thing that I really did like was the magic system. The concept of the magic was intricate and nuanced.

I am undecided if I am going to read the rest of this series when it comes out.



Thank you NetGalley and Avon, Harper Voyager for an Advanced Reader E-Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

After Kissen's family is killed by a god, she dedicates her life to revenge by taking a job as a godkiller. But when she meets a little girl who is somehow bound to a minor god, her path is changed forever.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I love that the author took us on a journey across this entire fantasy land, and gave us such a deep insight into the world. I enjoyed the found family aspect, and thought the unlikely friendships were so fun. This book also gets major props from me for being set in a queer-normative world.

My only criticism is that the book had a little bit of a slow start. It did take a bit to really feel invested in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harpwr Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful nonsense. That is how I describe this book. Parts of it felt so over written than I forgot what was happening in the scene. The description and cover sold me on this book, but I ended very disappointed. I found it boring.

A very "classic" fantasy story, but the characters and atmosphere made it feel very fresh! The author managed to bring the weight and stakes of an epic fantasy but in half the page count. I will definitely be continuing on with this series and can't wait to revisit these characters and this world!

The best word to describe this book is… whimsical? Like I really loved it, but Skedi reminded me of how a little kid says spaghetti 😂 like how cute is that.

This was a really fun short read. Although I did find Kissen to be slightly insufferable in the beginning she did shape up to be a top notch character.

As far as fantasy goes, this was really cool. As far as romance goes I think this missed the mark and would’ve been better without it. (kinda just felt forced and awkward for one scene)

This is definitely worth reading if you’re looking for a quick, fast paced, high stakes fantasy book!

Read if you love...
🏳️‍🌈 Diverse characters including queer rep and disability rep, mental health issues, specifically PSTD, and deaf characters, as well as commonly used sign language
⚔️ Epic battles between humans and gods
🔮 Dark high fantasy with sacrifice and revenge
🗡️ Angry and powerful women

I was unbelievably lucky to receive an arc of this book! This book follows Kissen, a godkiller, as she has to team up with Inara, the daughter of a Noble House, Skedi, a God of white lies, and Elo, an ex-knight. They all travel together to reach the last city where wild gods remain, as all gods have been banned. This book is a fantastic fantasy filled with intense dark moments and many amazing reflections in the characters.

Overall, it is a fantastic book for people who don't love a ton of exposition or world-building at the beginning of their books. A lot of popular high fantasy, such as way of kings or priory, are very large and time-consuming, which can be intimidating. Godkiller does a fantastic job of explaining the world and the characters without it being too heavy. The story picks up quickly and explains everything you need to know without confusion. The ending was amazing, with a twist and betrayal that honestly came pretty unexpected to me. The ending left me excited for the next book; I can't wait to read it.

I think my favorite thing about the story was the characters and how they all reflected each other's pain and anger. <spoiler> Kissen and Inara's pain with fire and betrayal reflected so clearly in what Elo was going through and experiencing. I enjoyed getting to see those themes continue throughout the book and with the characters. Kissen losing her family to sacrifice for a god, Inara losing her family in a similar way once again connected to the gods, and Elo being betrayed and almost sacrificed to a god really connected all three of the characters. </spolier>
I love where they're going with Inara's story and Kissen is probably my favorite character. She has so much rage and revenge in her but also refuses to let go of her morals and is consistently better than the people who have hurt her and does what is necessary to protect innocent people.

Cover is amazing. Writing is amazing. (How is this a debut??) plot is amazing and so original. I was not expecting that. And the ending scene! Holy cow. I loved that it followed multiple POVs but they were all unique and I love them all. This book is going to be huge