War has come to Middren. The start of a brutal civil war between the Sunbringer, self-proclaimed god-king, and those of his subjects seeking religious freedom ends abruptly when Talicia invades with their seemingly unstoppable goddess of fire and war, Hseth. Godkillers must fight with gods and kings with rebels if the country of Middren is to survive.

The result is a tangled mess of political intrigue and interpersonal relationships that is just brilliant. I love the emotional realism and character development with which Kaner writes not just romances but friendships and families. At the risk of listing every relationship in the book: Inara rebuilding her bonds with Skedi and her mother as she grows into adulthood, Elo navigating his broken not-quite-romance with Arren, Arren's struggle with kingship and godhood, and grumpy Kissen somehow managing to be the best communicator of the lot? *chef's kiss*

The world-building is also excellent. It's a medieval European-inspired epic fantasy setting that asks what if human belief created perceptible gods that could affect the world through quid pro quo bargains. It's a premise already addressed in The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie but I think Kaner does it better. Again, I'm blown away by her nuanced exploration of the relationships between humanity, kingship, and divinity, between faith, love, and sacrifice.

Although I adore the trilogy overall, the last 1/4 of this final book is not my favorite. There are too many aspects of the war that are teased but never fully realized. I want more battles, more human interactions between the soldiers on both sides, more internal Middrenite politics between the pro / anti god factions, more politics with the other countries impacted. The deus ex machina ending, while perhaps to be expected in a book full of gods, cut everything too short and then only resulted in a bittersweet ending. My headcanon is that Arren returns to Elo as a god because traumatized murder children still deserve love. I will die on this hill!

In summary, an epic ending to an epic series of epic fantasy. And did I mention that it's epic? 4 stars for this book, 5 stars for the series. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review

Faithbreaker is a solid third installment in the Fallen Gods series. Building on the tension and complex gods introduced earlier, the story dives deeper into religious conflict and political intrigue. Kaner’s world building remains rich, and the characters continue to grow with morally gray choices, though some plot twists felt a bit predictable. Overall, I’d give it 4 stars. Its a satisfying continuation that keeps you hooked while setting up for the finale.

I did like this but it felt rushed at the end and I was not as connected to it throughout the book. Overall I would give it 3.5/5 stars and would recommend it.

*DNF’d at 30%

The series overall had great potential. The first book was confusing, but I really enjoyed book 2. I had reasonably high expectations for this book. Overall I did not connect with the (human) characters. The war of gods who are trying to come back was an intriguing idea. I loved all of the God characters. Skedi and Hestra in particular.
I found that these characters had more thought that characters such as Kissen, Ilo, and Lessa. The story of Inara was really intriguing, and I would like to have seen more of a plot line surrounding her. It was great that Skedi was accompanying her, but she had so much more potential.

I think where I got lost, was when the characters separated, and they were all doing something different. I felt like this stretched the world in a confusing way.

While this was not for me, I really appreciate the opportunity to read the ARC, and thank Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the book.

~ Review ~

The Fallen Gods series by Hannah Kaner is one of my favorite fantasy series and definitely deserves more hype.

A great cast of characters including a snarky, cocky, badass woman with a vendetta, a small god of white lies, a grumpy baker knight, and a young girl they all want to protect. This series is queer, funny but also emotional, has an amazing found family element, and disability rep. I absolutely love it.

Faithbreaker is the latest (and final?) book in the series - I won’t say much about this book to avoid spoilers but what I will say is that the plot may have gotten lost on me a few times, but the characters have me in a chokehold so I really didn’t care. Five stars.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpervoyagerus for an eARC!

#bookstagram #bookreview #arc #netgalley #faithbreaker #fallengodsseries #underratedfantasy #queerfantasy #foundfamily

Faithbreaker is the 3rd book in the trilogy by Hannah Kaner. I appreciate receiving the ARC for my honest opinion from the author, publisher, and NetGalley.

I dearly loved this series but something about the 3rd book just left me without a little bit of disappointment. I had a much harder time connecting with the characters in this book and at times was hoping it would be over soon. I always will love all the characters in this book and Hannah did a great job wrapping up the trilogy strong. There is also some animal deaths in this which made the book hard to read. Overall a good trilogy I just enjoyed bokk 1 and 2 much more.

5*

The Godkiller series has been one that I've not been able to put down since the first book's release, and Kaner has drawn it into the perfect conclusion.

Bringing a diverse cast of characters that have driven the plot from the first page, it's been a pleasure to be apart of the journey.

Though set in a fantastical world, the battle against and between gods and men has always felt real and now more than ever.

I can't wait to see what Kaner writes next!

I wanted to like this so bad! I loved the first book the most. It took me so long to get through this book. I just kept waiting for it to get better and it never did. It just wasn’t grabbing my attention like the first one did. I’m surprised I managed to finish it. I won’t be reading it again. This one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley and Hannah for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨

#Faithbreaker #NetGalley.

EXCUSE YOU HANNAH I DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE UNALIVING OF CERTAIN CHARACTERS

*ahem* on that note, I enjoyed this but I also just wasn't invested anymore because I feel like the dynamic of the found family trio that I loved so much in the beginning was utterly disrupted and lost the connection that I craved for these characters. I just didn't vibe with the decisions being made, the arcs just felt a bit off to me. I was really upset by the death of Legs and Skedi. Legs moreso because it felt so impersonal. I was just really upset with lots of the choices made and the audiobook narrator has a cadence like William Shatner and it just took me out of the book too often.

This was such an incredible conclusion to the trilogy - so many loose ends tied up, heartfelt moments, and clear transformation of characters. I will definitely be reading more of Hannah Kaner's work in the future. This series really embodies how to address diverse representation in a way that does not tokenize nor play into stereotypes.

*Faithbreaker* by Hannah Kaner is absolutely incredible, and the ending is perfect. It’s everything I wanted. Very emotional, intense, and so satisfying. The way Kaner wraps up the story is genius. All the tension, character development, and twists I have been waiting for come together in such a powerful way.

I’ll admit, there were moments in the middle that felt a bit slow, but once the story picks back up, it really doesn’t let go. And the final pages? They hit hard. I was reading this in a shop while my husband got fitted for a suit and was trying so hard to not let the tears drip down. Do not read the ending in public. The resolution feels earned and true to the characters’ journeys. The emotional payoff is huge, and it balances the tough moments with a hopeful, bittersweet ending that feels just right.

It’s the kind of ending that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading. 10/10, honestly.

A little late on my feedback, but do not fret. Trust that I verbally have told every reader in my life to read this. It is not often that a series hooks its claws into my chest until the very end. I have loved traveling with this cast of characters and Kaners writing will forever remain with me. Faithbreaker was an epic ending, even if a few of the romance scenarios caught me off guard. 5 Star read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for access to this ARC.

I’m not really sure how I feel about this story. That could be a me thing since I’ve taken a step back from fantasy. I did however enjoy this book.

A solid end to a series that is good but never quite elevates to being great. I enjoyed the concepts and the world to an extent but could never really get a grasp on the WHY of it all. Why is Arren doing all this? Why are the gods the way they are?? Why is this country following a goddess hell bent on roasting them alive?? Here we get a lot of battle tactics, which is never my favorite thing, but at least I could understand the why a bit better. Inara continues to be the best. Could have done without the romances.

Peace is no longer an option. As the fire god Hseth marches ever onward from the south, consuming everything in the flames she leaves in her wake. If Middren hopes to survive the onslaught, old enemies must become new allies. Elo and Arren form a tenuous truce, each needing to decide what further sacrifices they're willing to make in the name of love and war. Inara and Skediketh, newly reunited with her mother, joins her on the ship Silverswift to seek aid across the waters, questioning whether their bond and the raw wounds left by betrayal and reconciliation will be strong enough to overcome the fires of wrath. And as Kissen searches for her family, she must question once and for all who - and what - she's fighting for.

Hannah, when I get you!!! This was incredible, and reading this was incredibly stressful, emotionally draining, and left me feeling like I put my heart in a blender days after finishing. This series has been everything - a realm where gods and mortals walk amongst each other; a war of blood and teeth that will require sacrifices from all sides; the foundest family that you could ever hope for; rage and betrayal; a queernormative society and queer relationships that redefine the meaning of yearning; mortal (and immortal) peril; parental-figure-related trauma; the meaning of belief; Game of Thrones-level war montages; flirting; "What did it cost you? Everything"; and, of course, sacrifice (to the gods and otherwise). I am battered in the best way, and if you thought this series was the least bit interesting premise-wise I IMPLORE you to pick it up and give it a try (and grab the tissues while you're at it). 12/10, will be making little shrines in my down time.

Faithbreaker was a wonderful conclusion for what has become one of my favorite trilogies. I have been happily recomending it to everyone I know but I do hope that there will eventually be a hardcover version for the United states as my poor paperbacks get quite beat up on rereading.

* this is a sequel book best read and enjoyed by those readers who have already read and loved Godkiller and Sunbringer by the same author.

Wow, what an ending to a series!! So well done and the ending was super fast paced. I really enjoyed this book, and although it's bittersweet it's come to an end - give it a read!!

Such a solid ending to a trilogy I thoroughly enjoyed. Kaner has the ability to get 600 pages worth of information into 400 pages and I am here for it. No mucking about. Just pure character driven story telling. This really solidified this trilogy as one of my favorites. Nothing ever felt forced. Every detail was meticulously plotted, and every character felt real. They all lived and breathed in this world that for being at war also felt so free in love and relationships to one another. It didn't feel confined by fantasy that came before it. The action was great, the stakes high, the emotional punches hurt, and I will definitely be re-reading this series again.

This series is by far one of the best fantasy series based on mythology that I have ever read. Kaner is the master at crafting new gods and myths and weaving them into the tapestry of this world. And I am so in love with this world that I was sad to leave it at the end. I cried on the last line. Partially because the story was over, but also partially over the events that wrap up the series.

I am going to drop this quote in here with no context or naming, but I’ll just say this brought tears to my eyes:

“My girl, I would fight the world for you.”
This world is perfect and I love it.

I'm not sure how I feel about the ending of this seriesI I am glad I was able to read it on Netgalley though, and it felt like a stronger book than the second one; I'm still waffling if this is how I wanted it to finish but it's hard to imagine it going a different way, also.

The characters felt a little boxed in by the events happening around them; they mainly reacted to the story points and I think that is what I'm mostly objecting. They should have been larger than the war and politics around them, given their placements and character arcs. Overall still a fairly solid series and I did enjoy the found family aspects.