8/10

*ARC Provided by NetGalley in exchange for feedback. Big thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for letting me get my hands on this one early!*

The Fallen Gods series quickly caught my attention when I first heard abfout it. The idea of a land ruled by gods that receive their power from offerings and the faith placed in them was immediately enticing. Add in a woman wronged by a certain god who then has it out for all gods and becomes a Veiga or Godkiller and you've got a hook in me!

From that early hook the series goes on to keep reeling you in with its great and nuanced story, interesting and diverse cast of characters, and the constant question of what is going to happen next.

To avoid spoilers for the first two books I will keep the review of this one rather general. I will say that Faithbreaker starts out a little bit confusing. It jumps right in with no recap or hints at how the last book ended. This obviously wouldn't be an issue if you were reading them all in a row but I had a about a year and 175 other books between the two so a bit of a refresher would have been nice. I also felt like there was a small time jump forward that worked narratively, but also added to some of the initial confusion I had. Once I got my bearings however I was drawn back in by the unique world presented and the constant development of the whole cast of characters. Some portions of the mid book did feel a bit too drawn out and off pace. This led me to slow down a bit in my reading and start to have my interest wain. That being said in the final act the pace picks back up substantially, leading to a final crescendo. At about 87% through the book I started to worry that there was no way to wrap everything up sufficiently in the last 13% or so. I expected a rushed ending to hurriedly tie up all the loose ends. I am very pleased to say that this was definitely NOT the case. I really liked the ending of this book and think that it was a great way to wrap up the series. Even if (or because of) it is a real roller coaster of emotions.
1 like

Dnf. Unfortunately I felt like these books just get harder to follow either each book. Too many characters make it hard to stay present in the story.

I have to start this off by saying how much I just love these characters. I will miss them so much.

This book felt a lot slower (and a lot longer than 400ish pages), but due to it being a third book in a series where I just love reading about any of the characters, it didn't feel tiring. I do wish there was more tension to feel more of that build-up to the final 20% of the book.

Some of the romance, even though it was pretty clear from the start there were feelings there, I just wasn't into. Some others, I was really happy to see.

It left me feeling not fully satisfied, as I'm just not sure where they're gonna go from here. But, following them all as people with flaws and wrong decisions and regrets, maybe they aren't sure yet either.

Overall, this is a series I will continue to recommed to people and I can't wait to follow this author in the future!

What a fun read. So glad to be back in this world. This one is the best of them all in my opinion. I would love to see this world continue to grow.

The finale of the Fallen Gods trilogy, Faithbreaker is an action-packed send off to the world of Middren. War is coming; the vast armies of the fire goddess Hseth marching closer each day, driven by the fanaticism of bloodlust and war. Middren is facing its own internal conflicts: a continued tension over the fate of the gods, a struggle for power between the houses, and a leader with many sins to atone for. Amid this chaos, Elogast and Arren must lead the armies while Kissen, Inara, and Skedi seek out foreign allies. This book struggles with pacing and the separation of characters but ultimately has an impactful finale to end off the series.

The biggest strength of this book is its worldbuilding. As with the previous books in the series, the book uses its gods, built from worship and deeply fallible, to grapple with interesting questions of faith, belief, and fanaticism. I appreciate the effort of a fantasy novel to interrogate themes of belief: how belief in an idea can be empowering, but how zealotry can quickly turn to destruction. I found that this book did a good job of tying these ideas together, leaving the exploration of these ideas quite satisfying in the end.

That being said, I did find a few aspects of this book detracted from my reading experience. One of the best parts of the first book in the series is seeing the development of a relationship between Kissen, Inara, Skedi, and Elogast. The second book fell flat for me as I felt the characters were too separated and the plot was large enough that the book needed to focus its time on driving the story forward rather than on the characters. Unfortunately for my reading tastes, the third book felt closer to the second in this regard. The characters are separated for large portions of this book, and even time together is very devoted to the plot and less so to the interactions between main characters. Furthermore, Elogast’s story especially falls flat. While time is spent examining his feelings, Arren is the only character he has to bounce off of for most of the book, and Arren is very difficult to relate to or empathize with.

I also had mixed feelings about the pacing of the book. The conclusion of the final conflict was especially strong; I felt the characterization was built up well, and the themes explored were impactful. It is an ending that is going to stick with me a while, and thus was the high point of the book for me. However, I felt that the pacing of the first 50% or so of the book was slow, and the epilogue was nearly nonexistent. One of the main character’s perspectives disappears right before the big ending and is hardly addressed in the epilogue, leaving their story feeling inconclusive. I also would have enjoyed more epilogue overall, as the exploration of what the big ending of the conflict meant to the characters is missing.

In the end, I am giving this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4 for the strength of the ending. I found much of the reading experience to be on the slow side and lacking in interesting character moments, but I did feel that the ending was impactful enough to redeem some of these problems. I do recommend this book as a strong ending to the series.

“What is faith if not an offering in return for love? What have you offered lately for others, that is not for yourself? Who do you trust, other than yourself?”

➳ 4.5

Hannah Kaner has written a finale that is magical, hopeful, devastating, and really satisfying.

There's something inherently magical about reaching the conclusion to a series and being brutally hit in the face with the emotional equivalent of a frying pan, as you're forced to confront that you cared a bit more for these characters than you'd initially realized.

Not that that's what happened here, or anything. (cue distant sobbing)

To be clear: I have enjoyed every book in this trilogy. I knew I cared about the characters to some degree, but even in my review for Sunbringer I stated that they were my biggest issue and that I struggled to connect with them. So imagine my surprise when I reached the last 25% of this book and felt myself begin to TEAR UP?

I always struggle to review conclusions without spoilers (especially when they're arcs) so I offer my emotions as the best review I can give. As someone that reads quite a bit, it feels worth noting every single time a book reaches my emotions and I suddenly want everyone to read it.

This is one of those books. I finished this book last night and started to cry again when I thought about a specific line today. (Who is this emotionally intelligent, vulnerable queen?)

On a technical note, I will say that I felt the pacing was off (especially for the first half of the book) and that the romantic tension was just not there for me? However, the first one rectified in the second half and the latter was such a small portion of the book that it didn't really have much bearing on my overall appreciation of the story.

Overall, please read this trilogy (and this book when it comes out.) It's got a beautifully nostalgic found-family fantasy feel, whilst being effortlessly inclusive and delving into themes of faith/faithlessness, healing, vulnerability, and the lure of power.

I love this book so much and I look forward to whatever Hannah Kaner writes from here.

The most important question when reading the finale to a series is: does it stick the landing? The answer here: yes, but not until THE VERY LAST MINUTE.

This book felt way too slow for what it actually accomplished. I think the perspectives of Hestra and Arren could have been entirely eliminated; they really added nothing to the story for me and were so obviously a (unsuccessful, to me) ploy to make Arren a sympathetic character again after all her did in the first two books. But I did not care about Arren at all. We are supposed to care about Arren because Elogast cares about Arren, but really, I didn't want Arren for Elogast, I wanted something BETTER for him. So those two perspectives were kind of a waste of spacing and dragged down the pacing for me.

The other thing is that the strongest part of Godkiller was the dynamic between the main characters. As with Sunbringer, that dynamic is largely missing for much of the story here because the whole group isn't together, and because there are so many perspectives in different places happening, the pacing of each group of happenings keeps getting broken up, which bogs the whole thing down.

It does, ultimately, have a satisfying conclusion, but I wish the bulk of the book had more to offer than it ultimately did.

Hannah Kaner's Faithbreaker delivers a powerful conclusion to the Fallen Gods trilogy, masterfully weaving together themes of love, sacrifice, loyalty, and betrayal. Set in the war-torn land of Middren, the narrative follows multiple protagonists as they navigate personal challenges amidst a backdrop of divine conflict.

I have loved the whole Fallen Gods series and the incredible world that Kaner has built. Her ability to craft a rich, immersive setting filled with morally complex characters and high-stakes intrigue has made this trilogy an unforgettable journey.

Readers will appreciate how Faithbreaker deepens the series' lore and brings together the fates of its diverse characters. The world-building continues to be a standout feature, with intricate details that make the setting feel lived-in and real. The emotional stakes are higher than ever, making every twist and revelation hit with impact.

While some action sequences feel prolonged due to alternating character perspectives, the novel’s strengths in character development and immersive storytelling far outweigh any pacing issues.

Overall, Faithbreaker is a compelling and satisfying finale, bringing the Fallen Gods trilogy to an epic close. Fans of the previous books will find much to love as Kaner delivers an ending worthy of the incredible world she has created.

SKEDI! This was another wonderful book; I have loved this whole trilogy! Great characters....wonderful world-building...sad to see it come to a close.

This series had fantastic world building, character development and relationships. I loved the idea of a world with so many gods for different things, like the god of broken sandals we met earlier in the series. The main characters are each so different from one another and bring unique perspectives to this story and this world. This was a great, but heartbreaking, ending to their story.

This wasn't the conclusion I thought it would be. I honestly expected more after how amazing book 2 was

Faithbreaker is an incredible finale that takes everything I loved about Godkiller and Sunbringer and makes it even better.

Kissen is as fierce as ever, gone is her second guessing from Book 2. Inara and Skedi continue to grow and learn about themselves. Elo goes on his own compelling journey as he fights battle after battle.

I loved the politicking and battle sequences. The ending was emotional but felt right. I'm so sad this is the final book of the series; I could have read many more with the characters and this world!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

An absolutely incredible ending to an amazing fantasy series. Per usual Hannah Kaner had me on the edge of my seat, made me laugh and cry, and had me fully invested in each of the characters. My heart ached in this book and I just did not want it to end.

The Fallen Gods trilogy put me through the wringer, but Faithbreaker had me in tears and questioning everything right up until the final page. Seeing these characters grow as they did in three books was a thing of beauty and the universe that Hannah Kaner wrote into existence was fantastic. I’d recommend this book (and series) to anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure. Can’t wait to read more from this author in the future

Overall, I think Faithbreaker was a comprehensive and satisfying (although heartbreaking) ending to this series. However, the reason why this book gets 3 stars from me is as follows:

As with the two previous installments of this series, I absolutely LOVED Kissen’s, Inara’s, and Skedi’s chapters and plot lines but was throughly bored with Elo’s and Arren’s.

Elo and Arren’s plots felt convoluted and rehashed over all three books. Elo in particular was such a frustrating character with his back and forth, back and forth with his loyalties and actions towards Arren. It felt like there was no character growth for Elo and I think that is why his chapters felt so stagnant for me. Relatedly, because Elo’s story was so intertwined with Arren’s, I also did not like reading Arren’s chapters. It was always a relief to get through them and move on to other characters. However, I do think that Arren’s demure and forgotten ending did feel appropriate for his character.

Conversely, I really enjoyed the journey for Kissen, Inara, and Skediceth. There was clear growth and change for all three characters throughout the series and I was satisfied with the ending for all of them.

If I didn’t feel so bogged down by Elo and Arren’s characters when reading this book (and the previous two), Faithbreaker would’ve easily been a 4 star read on my book shelf.

Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable series to read and I will be picking up future works by Frankenstein.

Thank you Orbit for the ARC

Trigger warnings for animal death

This conclusion to the Fallen Gods series is, I think, the best of three. It helps that, having been with the characters for three books I’m more attached than I was in the first book, but I also think the writing and storytelling has improved over the course of the series. I can honestly see myself coming back to this for a reread.

There’s a lot of battle scenes and battle plotting, politicking and feelings as Elo has to deal with the man Arran has become, the fact that he’s not the man Elo loved and yet, some part of him still loves him, will always love him. But he can’t forgive him, not for what he tried to do — and succeeded at doing — to himself, Inara, and all the innocent people crushed beneath his heel as Arran reached for more and more power.

Kissen is less in her head here than she has been in previous books, and her role reflects the balance she found for herself in the previous book. She’s Inara’s friend and guardian, she’s a godkiller with all the skill and knowledge that comes with it; she’s also Elo’s friend and lover, even as she can’t help but flirt with Lessa, Inara’s mother.

We also see some events from Hestra’s eyes as she comes to terms with what she is, now, bound as she is to Arran. An old god, she’s never had to change, to grow or to learn, but with a human altar she’s feeling things, and learning to understand things in a more human way, much the same way Skediceth has learned at Inara’s side.

For all that this book is half battle after battle, and half politics as Kissen, Inara and Lessa try to find allies for Middren, the pace is fast. Nothing lasts too long or is too drawn out; scenes get right to the point, and then move on to the next in a way that kept me reading — and I managed to finish this book in one sitting. The conclusion was, for me, unexpected but fitting, with characters coming to in-character decisions based on what they knew, what they’d learned, and who and how they loved.

Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for letting me have an ARC!

Kissen and her motley crew are back in action and ready for the fight. This book is fast and furious compared to the more lackadaisical second book. I will admit that I was ready to be done with the series after the disappointments of the second book, but I am so so so glad I stuck with it through its conclusion. This book has sea adventures, war, romance, political intrigue and some truly interesting questions about religion. 

Kaner does an excellent job of exhibiting a diverse cast of characters (race, gender identity, disability, sexuality - you name it, it's here), but I LOVE that she does not make it the characters' full identity. This book is for people who want a saga, but a bit sized one. I'm sad to see this series end, but am thrilled at its conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

Faithbreaker is a satisfying end to an entertaining trilogy. Although the beginning gets off to a slow start, once the action starts picking up there is no stopping. This is definitely the most plot heavy of the three and at times the pacing got a bit clunky, but there are plenty of surprises that add to the excitement without feeling cheap or unearned.

Overall I would highly recommend this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the arc in exchange for a review!

I need more!! I know this is the final book, but I would read a hundred more about these characters. Hannah Kaner’s writing is phenomenal, I loved every moment of this book. I honestly don’t even know what else to say, this book was perfect.
Kissen, Elogast, Inara, and Skediceth are some of my favorite characters I’ve read in a long time. None of them are without their flaws, and their friendships with one another are beautiful.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Faithbreaker in exchange for my honest review, I cannot remember the last boom that I read that I enjoyed as much as this whole series.

Hannah Kaner has created a world that I absolutely love. Her characters are full and bright, funny and maddening, awful and wonderful. The prose is beautiful, and I just love these books so very much. I cried at the end of this one, and I might cry more thinking about it. Thank you Hannah for gifting us this incredible world full of absolutely wonderful characters, this was a true joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Hannah Kaner for the ARC of this book. It was an honor to read before publication.