I really love the Fallen Gods world and absolutely adored Godkiller. That said, I really struggled through Sunbringer - though I think it may have been this early review copy. There were a lot of typos and odd wording that I'm hoping got addressed in the final version. However, they really affected my reading experience. I think some typos are expected in ARCs (this certainly isn't the first time I've seen them!) but there seemed to be more than usual in Sunbringer.

Outside of that, I felt a little lost throughout the first half of this book. The plot expanded very quickly, a lot of new characters were introduced, and where Godkiller had pretty much a singular plotline to follow, several branching plots in Sunbringer made the story difficult to follow. I found myself often struggling to figure out exactly how the plot escalated to the points that it did - even after re-reading several chapters looking for what I missed.

That said, this book had a ton of parts that I really enjoyed, and I will be back for the next installment of the series. Godkiller was THAT good to me that the missteps in Sunbringer don't deter me from the rest of the series.

Sunbringer
by Hannah Kaner
Fallen Gods #2
Fantasy High Fantasy
NetGalley ARC
Avon/Harper Voyager
Ages: 16+


By the King's decree, Gods are forbidden, and even though there are those sent out into the world to kill the Gods by destroying their shrines, the shrines of one God that was thought dead are being rebuilt.

Inara and Elogast are trying to accept the loss of Kissen. Inara and her little god Skedi are searching for information about their bond, and Elogast knows he must be the one to kill his once best friend, who is now harboring a god instead of his heart.


While the blurb sounds really interesting, sadly the story is not. It goes nowhere very slowly. There's hardly any action until the end, and the storytelling is more telling than showing. There is a lot of disjointedness to it, it jumps from here to there without much details of why.

Yeah, sure, it was all leading up to the end, but (the ending wasn't all that either) there wasn't a lot that got it moving at a good speed. I was bored and couldn't wait for the ending, so maybe that's why the ending wasn't that entertaining for me.

What I think is missing is more history of the magic, world, and Gods. There is information stuck in here and there, but not enough to keep my attention.

I still like the characters Inara and Skedi, their story is the most interesting and detailed. Kissen's was in the first book, but in this one, it got boring as did Elogast's. They both started to feel like rambling just to add words to the story. Yes, they lead up to something, but it just took forever to get there.

Will I read the next one? Eh. I don't know. Honestly, it's not high on my got-to-read list.

2 Stars

Title: Sunbringer (Fallen Gods #2)
Author: Hannah Kaner
Source: DRC via NetGalley (Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: March 12, 2024
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Other books in this series: Godkiller (Fallen Gods #1)

Why did I choose to read this book?

Godkiller (Fallen Gods #1) was so compelling that I lined up immediately to get the sequel. Hannah Kaner is an excellent writer.

What is this book about?

When his plan to ally with the fire god backfires (LOL) at the end of Godkiller, King Arren decides to take another path to world domination. Kissen is alive and trying to bring the sea, river, and wind gods messages back to Middren – that there is a looming threat that will take everyone to counter. Elogast, Arren’s former right hand man, and Inara, the guard of the god of white lies (Skediceth), are making efforts of their own in order to aid the resistance against Arren and what he’s up to.

Long story short, this book is about doing your best in the face of the inevitable, and holding on to what you can when it happens.

What is notable about this story?

I liked that Kaner pivoted away from god killing to god appreciation. I said in my review of Godkiller that I wondered about whether any god could be good in this universe, and this question was answered in Sunbringer. I like that the line between appreciation and cultist is clearly drawn at blood sacrifice, so the smaller gods or gods that find strength in other things like learning or trade might just be a part of the fabric of the world without necessitating removal. The use and recruitment of gods into the fight for the world made it feel like the world was fighting for its own survival – it felt like that moment in Avengers: Endgame where EVERYONE shows up, but without all the corny, flashy stuff.

Was anything not so great?

Godkiller left me with unanswered questions about the world building. Sunbringer left me with questions about how a god is born. Without spoiling too much about what’s going on, Arren seems to be trying to make himself into a god, and it’s unclear to me why this is either working or not working – it’s left unclear who is holding the reins in the situation. I’m not the biggest fan of shouldering the weight of belief and trust as the reader, especially in a fantasy series and even more so in a new world with new mechanics. ‘Arren’s just becoming a god, trust me’ didn’t land quite right with me.

The events taking place in Middren didn’t have a lot of depth for me because (1) I don’t understand the politics of the region and (2) I don’t understand what Arren’s role is in the region. The best I could come up with is that it’s like the United Kingdom in that the king shows up once in awhile and is technically the head of state, but all the cities and towns kind of govern themselves? I mean, the characters were interesting and what they were fighting for was obvious but who’s in charge here? What’s the hierarchy? It made for a slight bit of confusion.

What’s the verdict?

A strong 4 stars on Goodreads and I’ll be stalking NetGalley for book 3. This is an amazing series so far and if you are a fan of mythology based fantasy, you should definitely check out this series asap.

I loved Godkiller. The book opened up a unique world where god's were outlawed and hunted. I loved the characters and the found family aspect between Kiissen, Inara and Elo. I loved Skedi, the god of white lies! Godkiller was wonderfully written, and if I am being honest, perhaps too concise for me.

Needless to say I am thrilled to see Sunbringer, the second book of this trilogy out in the world. For me it is even better than the first! In reviewing trilogies, you will find folks that often talk about "Second book syndrom" though what they mean by this may vary.. Sometimes it means introducing a new storyline, or new characters, and suffering from a large amount of exposition to expand the story. Sometimes it means not much happens because the table is being reset for the finale. Sometimes it just means, there wasn't enough new and it felt like a spaceholder until the final book.

Personally- I love second books, and within trilogies I think they are the most vital! While Sunbringer does move slower and the characters we grew to love in the first book together are often separated here, it is the character development that makes me go from loving these characters to feeling as if I know them and love them in spite of their deepest issues and wounds. Here we see Kissen on her own, we see Inara come into her own, and we see the tool war has taken on Elo. Yes- the board is rearranged as the relationship between people and their god's is more complicated than we would like to believe (Kissen most of all!). Even so there is a good deal that happens throughout, but I was riveted at the end.

I can't say enough for the wonderful Queer and Disability representation in this story. Both are written with great care and hope. I want to see where this story goes in the final installment,, but for now I will simply appreciate the complexity of this second act the way I can imagine it making the conclusion amazing.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for access to an advanced ePub of this book.

Anyone who read Godkiller knows that its ending turned the entire book on its head. Well, Sunbringer did it again, but in a completely different direction. I am stressed for the final book in this trilogy. It takes a good writer to be able to write plot twist after plot twist and have them still be believable (or maybe I just missed some things).

I love our main characters in these books. Inara, Elo, and Kiseen are so fleshed out, each with their own personalities, biases, families, traumas, etc. They are all so tortured and want to do good but are not at all sure about how to do it. It was a shame that there were relatively few scenes with the gang all together (due to all sorts of ~reasons~), since the rapport between them really adds to their character development, but I get why there weren’t any, for silly things like moving the plot forward.

I will say that this is very much the bridge book in the trilogy, and it takes quite a while for things to get going. The first half felt very slow, but it did have a lot of character development for our tortured souls. The world-building is immaculate, and this book expands really well on what was started in Godkiller.

I can find absolutely no information on book 3, so I’ll just be crying until then.

Sunbringer, the second book in the Fallen Gods trilogy, lives up to the high expectations set by its predecessor, Godkiller. The story unfolds with gripping twists, exploring the aftermath of sacrifices, complex character dynamics, and the looming threat of war. While the pacing may be a tad slow at times due to multiple viewpoints, the remarkable character development and immersive world-building make Sunbringer a solid 4/5 stars. Fans of epic fantasy will find this installment a captivating read, eagerly awaiting the trilogy's conclusion.

Sunbringer was really great at following through with bringing what Godkiller promised. There were points where things felt a little slow, but there’s so much good here. The characters are wonderful and the story has been done really well. Anyone who’s been waiting for this sequel will not be disappointed by this.

Note: arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for honest review

*must have read the first installment in the series* This book unravels many things from the first book.
I love a multiple log book so this was great. Well paced and i think it ends well, setting up for a third novel. Thank you for the chance to read this.

Sunbringer is the second installment to the Fallen Gods trilogy. In this book we unravel a lot from the first book. Kissen has sacrificed herself to enact vengeance on the god Hseth, Inara and Skedi are still attached to each other with more questions than answers, and Elogast is reeling after his run in with Arren. As the story continues, we are thrown into the mix of a potential war looming over all of our characters heads. Will Inara be ever attached to Skedi? Will Elogast return to knighthood or stand against the crown?

This second book has me SHOOK!! I was eating up every word as we unraveled more of this story. The character growth is astonishing. I LOVE the world and setting of the story. It’s well planned and thought out. The only issue I will likely continue to hold is pacing. With a multi-POV story, it’s difficult when you just want to know what happens with certain characters. Overall, I’ve given this book a 4/5 stars. I cannot wait for the final book in this trilogy and I’m so sad but so happy I received an advanced reader copy!

Overall, I really enjoyed this continuation of the story. The different POVs of each chapter gave the story a slower pacing than I would have liked, but I enjoyed the journey.

It seems we are set up for an epic third installment and I can’t wait to see how my favorite characters fare at war.

Thanks to Harper Voyager for the copy of this book!

I love that there wasn't a huge gap between Godkiller and this book. We're back with multiple POVs just a few weeks later and ready to continue on an adventure. This book did a great job of exploring the world and depth of individual characters, which is perfect for the second book in a trilogy. I'll also reiterate that I love the diverse representation in this series and find it to be a really unique one!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC of Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner in exchange for an honest review!

This story is the second in a trilogy that follows 4 main characters, Inara - a 12-year old girl who is struggling with her grief and feeling abandoned, Kissen - a godkiller who is having to alter her perception of things as she finds herself surrounded by gods, Elogast - a former knight intent on seeking revenge against the king who he thought was his best friend, and Skediceth - a god of white lies who is linked to Inara and unlike other gods - has no shrine.

I loved this book. To me it was so much better (to me) than book 1. I loved the deeper dive into character development, adding King Arren's viewpoints a couple times throughout the book, and Inara's struggle with grief. I also loved how her and Skedi's relationship continued to devolve and evolve as the story goes on. I am so invested in what is happening in the neighboring countries and how it will impact Middren. I am also more intrigued now as to why those lands abandoned their many gods to follow one - who demands nothing but pain as offerings. What makes this one god different? I hope these are explored in the finale book.

Anyway - if you love an interesting perspective on worship culture where gods have firms and can walk and talk to their worshippers - a world on the brink of war for trying to abolish worship of all gods - a country culture where killing gods is a trade - and political intrigue (rebellions, coups, and more) - Sunbringer and the Fallen Gods Trilogy is right up your alley.

“Knowledge can bring pain in place of ignorance, terror in place of hope. Whatever place your strength has come from, it is still yours. You choose what to do with it.”

Sunbringer, the compelling sequel to Godkiller, is possibly my favorite read for the year. I loved returning to Kissen, Inara and Elo, as well as meeting some new faces.
I loved meeting new gods and old, and the dynamics with the humans as well.
I highly recommend this series if you like fantasy but prefer a shorter read.

There’s only so much I can say about a sequel without giving away the story. Godkiller is a short read with amazing disability rep in a queer normative world.

Thank You to Hannah Kaner, NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the chance to read and review this book!

Oh where do I begin?? I absolutely ADORED GodKiller and I was so excited when I received this copy of Sunbringer. Unfortunately, I was left very very disappointed. If I had only received the last 50% of this book, I would have given this 5 stars. The first 50% of this book was really just a bore. It lacked what made Godkiller so good. The interaction between the main characters! I really struggled to get through the first half, just because the magic of this world is the interactions between Inara and her God, Elo, and Kissen. Their found family was missing so much from this story.

The rest of the book was well written and made me feel like finally the story was falling into place, The action and world were well written and the charcters and their arcs were also well done.

I just wish it had been that way through the whole book. Sad to be giving this one 3 stars.

I absolutely loved Godkiller for the found family vibes and seeing these characters converge on their own personal journeys but felt like there was maybe little oomph that was kind of missing. I had some hopes and dreams for what Kaner would cover and touch upon in book two and not only did she exceed my expectations, she gave me ALL THE FEELINGS I was hoping to get from this entry. The wait for Sunbringer was WORTH IT.

The further developments of so many different characters had me blazing through the book and the whole ride was CATNIP for me. There honestly wasn't a moment where I felt bored at all, and I loved everything that Kaner introduced here as well. There are times when having too many POVs can take away from the story, but this wasn't the case at all here. I really continued to feel heavily invested in each of the characters we got, and the pacing worked really well for me. I loved every single relationship dynamic we get to see here, both platonic and romantic, and I truly feel like Kaner did a spectacular job with expanding the world with all the extra flavors here. I honestly could not ask for more from a sequel and cannot wait for book three to come out. This is definitely shaping up to be one of my favorite series in recent times!!

THIS BOOK. Picking up right where we left off in Godkiller, the action doesn’t stop in Kaner’s sophomore book. We see a lot of firsthand action, multiple POVs that propel the story forward, deeper dives into individual characters (from both ends of the spectrum), and a LOT of gods (dead and alive).

I developed a deeper fondness for every character on the page (even the ones you don’t wanna root for felt very human, nuanced, and real), but the duo Inara and Skedi shone through for me as my favorites this time around. I ATE UP all the new details we learned about both of them and loved watching their characters grow. I cannot WAIT for the third book in this trilogy!

Godkiller was one of my favorite fantasy reads of last year, so my expectations for Sunbringer were sky-high! Once again, Hannah Kaner has delivered a sharp and totally engrossing epic fantasy.

I gotta say: this second installment is a major departure from the first! Where the first book leaned into a found family quest, the journey in this book looks very different. And the romantic subplot of Godkiller is nigh-unrecognizable in Sunbringer! However, these shifts only make this story feel totally fresh and unpredictable.

I can’t write a review and not talk about these characters because they truly have my heart. They are fascinating and flawed, each with their own distinct voice in the multi-POV narration. (Also: I didn’t think it was even possible, but everyone somehow has become even *more* badass???)

Awaiting book 3 will be testing all of my patience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for this review!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Harper for the ARC! While I loved the worldbuilding in Godkiller and am glad the sequel picked up right where it left off, I do feel like the pacing of this one was overall slower and it made it hard to sustain interest at times. It felt like the group was slow to get back mainly to drag the tension out, and the POVs switched every time things were just getting interesting. That said, the ending was more exciting, which helped make up for the middle book syndrome, so I’m most likely going to read Book 3.

This book was better this time other than the first one. I feel bad for kissen though she reunited with them last minute and was going through it the whole entire time. The chapters had more of elo from how I see it and less of kissen which I wish the author didn’t put her through much.

4.5/5 Stars

What a thrilling second installment to the Fallen Gods trilogy from Kaner! Sunbringer begins right after the events of Godkiller and puts the readers right back into the story. While it still has plenty of action, especially in the second half, this one is a bit slower to start. The slower pace fits as this book includes a lot more history and world building, with some of the story taking place at the archives. We learn a lot more about the gods and about some of our characters pasts as well.

The four main characters spend a large portion of the book separated, but it was necessary for Kissen to go down the path she did, especially for what is setting up in the next book. Once again Skedi and Inara had solid story lines, and we got to find out so much about Inara! Elogast has so much to work through in this installment too, and I really commend Kaner on how well she writes these characters. They all are flawed, imperfect people who experience so much growth and self-discovery.

With that, there is a lot of information that comes at you and you can tell Kaner is setting up for a big finale in book three. I did appreciate that the information we got wasn’t just to set this up as a bridge book for the last book. Some things were laid out and completed within this story, while a few larger plots are set up for the last book. The last quarter of the book was really action packed as well, and I flew through it! The ending sets up very nicely for the last book in the trilogy.

I also really must commend the representation within this book as well, both with the queer normative setting and the differing physical disabilities characters have and how they are able to navigate this world. All of this is included in a way that just is in the world, and we need more of this kind of representation in books.

There was a lot to this book, but I can easily say this is one of the best fantasy series I’ve read in a while, and I still can’t believe it’s a debut series! I can’t wait for the conclusion to this epic story!

R E A D I F Y O U L I K E
Epic fantasies with a quest
Gods, mythology, & rebellions
Multiple POVs
Found family trope
Flawed characters doing their best
Queer normative world
Physical disability rep

I received a copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.