A young woman finds her life's passion isn't working out, and has to change her plans. Spelled out like that, she could be an accountant, not a killer of literal gods.

I absolutely love with fantasy is used to explore religion and this book did that wonderfully! Gods and the worship of gods are forbidden in this world. Kissen, whose family was murdered by a god when she was young, is determined to destroy them all as a godkiller. However, she meets a young girl who is inextricably linked to a minor god and they set off on a quest to free her. I think fans of the Witcher will enjoy this because it has the grumpy killer forced to take care of a kid plot.

Godkiller has two things really going for it: an insanely beautiful cover and a prologue that will sink its teeth into you and drag you right in.

It also has a bad ass angry MC, great lgbtq+ and disability rep, addresses mental health issues and has solid world building. It does, however, greatly suffer from debut pacing. The beginning is SO strong and yet loses steam almost instantly. There's almost too much detail/description with every scene; to the point where you kind of lose track of what the characters were doing in the first place. It starts to pick back up towards the end of the book and concludes just as strongly as it started, but it's a little bit of a struggle to get there.

Overall I really enjoyed the main concept. I love the idea that Gods are dependent upon humans, not only for their creation but to sustain their lives, but will also get to the point where they destroy the very people they depend upon. Because of this, I enjoyed Skedi's POV the most. I also felt like he had the more compelling arc/growth.

I will be picking up the sequel and continuing my journey. While the pacing issues did give me pause (I almost DNF'd), I'm invested that I would like to know what happens next.

3.75 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: violence, death of loved ones, sacrifice by burning/murder, grief

Watching the Fall Avon/Harper Voyager preview got me hyped on this book and they did not lie. This was a beautiful fantasy novel. The world building was soft, intricate and it's so clear that there are so many undiscovered layers yet. Godkiller follows a band of misfits, all of their lives touched by gods, and a small god tagging along on their journey. I won't give away too much but this was atmospheric and just effortless in the reading.

I'm excited to see what happens next.

Steam: 2

[arc review]
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Godkiller releases September 12, 2023

1.5

<i>“Gods all had the same cravings: for love, for sacrifice, for blood.”</I>

This is a classic case of me getting roped in by a gorgeous cover and early hype, but not understanding the appeal whatsoever. I genuinely could not even explain the motivations of this story if my life depended on it because it failed to keep my attention at all stages.

Godkiller is a multi-pov debut/first in a series told from 4 characters: Kissen (a godkiller), Inara (a young girl who is bound to a god), Skediceth (the god who tells white lies and is bound to Inara), and Elogast (a baker and former knight).

The start of the story tells us of an event that happened 15 years ago, where Kissen’s entire family was killed by the god of fire, leaving her alone to the mercy of the god of the sea by a sacrificial bond between Osidisen and her father.

In the present day, Kissen, Inara, and Elogast spend nearly the entire book travelling by foot to a felled city called Blenraden.

For a book called Godkiller, there wasn’t an exponential amount of god killing in my opinion.
There wasn’t a lot of backstory, and the characters just all happened to end up together rather easily.
Nothing hooked me and the “romance” was so out of place here — not every book needs a sex scene.

I really wish Arren was given a pov because his whole predicament of living by the hands of a god, yet being the king of land where worshipping gods is forbidden, while also dying at the same time, was probably the only interesting part.

<i>“No one could know the destroyer of gods needed one to live.”<I>

Rep: disability (prosthetic leg/wheelchair), sign language, bisexual

This was a very solid high fantasy novel, and for the first in a new series it definitely hooks you in. I will say, I found the first half to be much more creative and engaging than the back half, which felt more predictable and hit more typical fantasy beats than I'd hoped for. That being said, I'll still definitely pick up the sequel, and the world itself is rich and fascinatingly drawn.

So this book is about Kissen who lives by killing gods until there’s one she cannot kill. Kaner is an incredible writer and I can see why this book is being hyped up. The author delivered the plot and I was entertained throughout this book. I loved the way the world was created which was special but also very easy to understand. This book is not lengthy at all which I was surprised about since everything was still well thought out for a short book. The pacing was fast and there were many conflicts in the story. This book is written in four povs with one being a god which I know many readers will enjoy.

So I will only talk about Kissen as she’s the only one mentioned in the summary and I don’t want to ruin the experience for you guys. I enjoyed Kissen’s story and the way her character was written. For the other characters, they were a bit hard to connect but eventually I started to enjoy reading about them. Most of them had character developments and I know more will be coming soon. There are many side characters in this book and it’s not confusing at all with how many characters are in this book as they are all different. There is a bit of romance with LGBTQ+ and enemies to lovers trope. The romance is not the main focus of the story as it’s mostly about the adventure.

The ending is a cliffhanger and I’m excited to read the second one. This book was very well written and I loved how it was such an easy read. I totally recommend checking this book out especially if you love the Witcher and The Luminaries.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

The idea for this series is really interesting. The prologue started off very strong. I am not a big fan of multiple POVs and I thought the prologue was a bit misleading as it made it seem like Kissen was going to be the main character. If the story is told in multiple POVs, there shouldn't be a prologue to just 1 character. There is a lot of representation in the book which was really nice to see. The story is a bit slow as there is a lot of world building, but I am excited to see where the series goes.

I wish I liked this book more then I did. I got this as an ARC from NetGalley so thank you. I was super excited to read this book because it sounds sooo interesting but it was kinda a let down. We follow four people in this story and then of course they all cross paths and start on a journey together. I really liked all the characters and felt like they each had they’re own voice and motives but something was lacking for me. I cared about the characters but I didn’t CARE till the last couple of chapters. I definitely want to read the next book and see where our characters end up though so it isn’t a bad book just not super interesting all the time.

This is my #1 read of the year and I didn't even see it coming. This book has the best vibes I have read in a long time, it transports you to a world that feels like the setting of The Witcher while having all the action and travel timeline of American Gods. It feels Nordic and Enchanting in all the best way like if a Viking and a Fairy had a child. I am so obsessed with this and CANNOT wait for this book to be my fantasy book clubs read in Sep-Oct. Hands down a 5 star read for me, and one of the only times I have actually enjoyed multiple POVs. The writing is captivating and the characters are both abrasive and loveable while the setting makes you feel like an adventurer. I already cannot wait for the next one. This book alone has added Hannah Kaner to my instant author purchase list!

This book was absolutely phenomenal!! There was so much to love about it. The story follows four main characters, Kissen the Godkiller, Elo the Knight, Inara and her attached god, Skedi. Their story is one of heartache, adventure, danger, promises, and love. I love a book with the “Found Family Trope” and this one definitely has it! I am already dying to have the next book, even though this one hasn’t released yet. The cliffhanger is brutal.
If you enjoyed The Witcher or Game of Thrones, I think you will enjoy this one. Honestly, anyone who enjoys fantasy should pick this one up. It won’t disappoint.

This is an epic fantasy that’s around 300 pages, so very digestible and we follow a retired knight, a godkiller, a God, and a child and in this world, worshipping the gods is no longer allowed because the king decreed it and so our characters for various different reasons decide to help one another get to a city where you can worship the gods and of course a bunch of crazy stuff happens in between the journey. A ton of diversity here in this story which I really loved seeing, different disabilities, races, sexual orientation, it has it all. So if you’re in the US and have been waiting on this one, it’ll be in bookstores soon.

An unlikely trio cross paths and embark on overlapping quests: the first, a godkiller with sharp edges and even deeper wounds. The second, a knight-turned-baker, fiercely loyal to his king. The third, a brave orphaned girl inexplicably tethered to a small god of white lies, with a secret strength all her own.

This to me is a wonderful example of a multi-POV story where the different perspectives really feel aligned with the distinct personality of each character. And I fell in love with and was invested in every single one of them. Each main character has a reason to feel broken beyond repair and watching them unite as unlikely traveling companions had me laughing out loud and blubbering with emotion in equal measure.

You know that feeling when you’re reading a really well-done final book in a fantasy series and you get the satisfaction of all of the pieces snapping together? This book has that in its final chapters - except it’s only the *beginning* of a series! Everything comes together so beautifully at the end, I was positively weepy… and I’ve only spent one book with these characters! Kaner has managed to write a satisfying ending *and* a brilliant cliffhanger all in one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was the top of my list for most anticipated releases this year! I don’t know how Hannah Kaner took this epic story and condensed it into 304 pages. There are four main character viewpoints without the bulk of information four viewpoints brings; the plot here is equally as important as character development creating a great balance.
Action begins immediately in the start of this novel and I was thrown into a world where people were suddenly at war with their gods and the losses are instantly piled up; for a long time I didn’t know what side I needed to be on. There are so many intense morally grey moments and questions. Who do I feel bad for? What do I think about this god of lies and this child, these diverse characters? What do you do when you have the law on your side but do not have the love of the people? In this intense and violent world, all this emotional devastation combines with a dash of political intrigue to create an amazing tale of wounded people finding wounded people so that they can simply feel accepted in this world full of confusion and caste. I also really loved the friendship dynamics that are revealed and also the representation of disabled characters. Kaner choosing her characters as she did really added to my experience and also helped me feel as if these characters were real people.
I really hope you pick up this book and read this adventure.

I had very high hopes for this book, and I did enjoy it overall. The world building is excellent, and the magic/god system is very unique and thoroughly explained. Where it lost me is its characters: for the most part I liked them, but they didn’t feel real enough for me. The author spent so much time on the setting that it felt like the characters were just set pieces rather than being fully fleshed out people I could identify with. I wish she had gone further into their heads.

Godkiller is a fantasy novel that has a unique god system, a land on the brink of civil war, a strong female main character, a surprising young noble girl, and a knight who is looking to help his friend. These characters go on a journey together for various purposes to a town that has wild gods, old gods, and new gods.
This book was fantastic because it gave representation to people with disabilities. Kissen, the main character, has a prosthetic leg from an injury when she was young involving gods. Despite her disability, she is strong both mentally and physically. She also knows how to use sign language due to her childhood friend who is deaf.
The story line is engaging and there are twists and turns throughout the story. The ending left me wanting the next book immediately.

i loved this book until i didn't.

the world building is great, but the descriptions are lacking. i want to see the gods, know what they look and sound like. i loved kissen and inara, but did not care for the male lead at all. this book starts out really fun. but the middle drags. the disability representation is great. as for the lesbian representation?

i knew kissen would end up with the boring male lead. i knew a lesbian in fantasy was too good to be true. it was disheartening and made me not care for the novel at all. the end is rushed as well.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many things about this book that I loved, but ultimately it felt like the pieces didn't all come together for me. The worldbuilding was really interesting, but I felt like it could've been expanded more. I liked the characters, but I didn't love them, and I found the shifting POVs to be a little confusing. They were all in third person, but sometimes it felt more omniscient than limited so I had a hard time remembering whose chapters we were in. I found the middle section where they're traveling to be pretty slow. That being said, I think the writing was good and all of the ideas were there -- so I'm definitely interested in reading the next one when it comes out, and other things the author may write.

I really enjoyed this fantasy debut from Hannah Kaner! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

The setting was immersive and I enjoyed the story even when the plot was a but slow at times. I also loved the bi representation in the characters, and Kissen was a badass!

Overall a fun read and a great fantasy, I’ll definitely be looking forward ti seeing what this author does next!

I've been wanting to read Godkiller since it was released and I was so excited to see it on my NetGalley shelf! This book is a journey and I loved the alternating POVs, it really kept the story interesting. The book also features several illustrations throughout, which really added to the experience and made it easier to picture things from the characters' eyes. This is a solid fantasy and I'll definitely be picking up book 2!