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shadowspinner's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual content
twistykris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved the overall feel and vibe of the book- dark and moody, with some Witcher vibes. The characters were diverse and interesting in their moods, attitudes, needs, and motivations. Kissen was a badass FMC (though at times, it felt a little like the author was forcing this down our throats- yes, she hates gods and most people and doesn't get attached, we understand). It was very sweet to see her grow fond of Inara and Elo (and even Skedi). One of my favorite tropes is "closed-off-badass-gets-attached-to-another-character-even-if-they-don't-like-it." Elogast was a tough, protective cinnamon roll (and a little naïve), Inara's development was SO fantastic and I can't wait to hear more about *who* and *what* she is. And Skedi. My stupid, selfish, sweet, loving Skedi. I thought he was a very interesting god and I cannot wait to see more of his backstory as he learns it himself.
There is wonderful POC, queer, and disabled representation in this. There a variety of skin tones, a couple bi/ pan characters (including the FMC), a deaf character, and the FMC uses a prosthetic leg. Queerness is normalized in this society, and hand-signing is frequently used amongst the deaf and non-deaf characters. There is also openness to talk about trauma and PTSD. There's also a moment where Kissen describes a certain fat goddess as "full of flesh and life, her arms round and supple... her belly too, soft and yielding." I am always appreciative of a fat character being described as beautiful and "kissable."
I do wish the romance between the FMC and MMC was fleshed out more. And for being a short book (~300 pages), the middle seemed to drag. I don't know if I was just in a slump or if it was the pacing, but I was really having a hard time picking up the book to jump back into the story.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment when it comes out!
There is wonderful POC, queer, and disabled representation in this. There a variety of skin tones, a couple bi/ pan characters (including the FMC), a deaf character, and the FMC uses a prosthetic leg. Queerness is normalized in this society, and hand-signing is frequently used amongst the deaf and non-deaf characters. There is also openness to talk about trauma and PTSD. There's also a moment where Kissen describes a certain fat goddess as "full of flesh and life, her arms round and supple... her belly too, soft and yielding." I am always appreciative of a fat character being described as beautiful and "kissable."
I do wish the romance between the FMC and MMC was fleshed out more. And for being a short book (~300 pages), the middle seemed to drag. I don't know if I was just in a slump or if it was the pacing, but I was really having a hard time picking up the book to jump back into the story.
I am looking forward to reading the next installment when it comes out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, War, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content
vlpfeiffer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A beautiful debut by Hannah Kaner. I was in love with the characters from the outset, and I ended the book with such a strong affection for them and their relationships with each other. I can’t WAIT to read the sequel.
Each character is unique and I was particularly fond of Kissen and her honest, to-the-point, gruff nature. Inara and Skedi have such an interesting dynamic that evolves over time as both of them grow in their respective identities. Elo is such an adorable cinnamon roll I just want to hug him!
As a debut I can see so much potential for this world. I honest found myself disappointed in how short the book was because I wanted to know so much more about the world and the gods and their relationship with the people. I know for sure in the sequel there will be a lot of exploration of the power of faith and the influence of the different gods of the people of Middren.
The only thing that took some stars off for me was honestly the lack of depth in some aspects of the world that I craved. More about how Kissen became a Godkiller and a little more about how Godkiller’s developed from mercenaries to an establishment of the King. I also wish there was more clarity with Elogast’s relationship with Arren, as I didn’t feel as much of an impact at the end between the two of them.
Overall I’m a huge fan of this debut and I can’t wait to see this world flourish.
Each character is unique and I was particularly fond of Kissen and her honest, to-the-point, gruff nature. Inara and Skedi have such an interesting dynamic that evolves over time as both of them grow in their respective identities. Elo is such an adorable cinnamon roll I just want to hug him!
As a debut I can see so much potential for this world. I honest found myself disappointed in how short the book was because I wanted to know so much more about the world and the gods and their relationship with the people. I know for sure in the sequel there will be a lot of exploration of the power of faith and the influence of the different gods of the people of Middren.
The only thing that took some stars off for me was honestly the lack of depth in some aspects of the world that I craved. More about how Kissen became a Godkiller and a little more about how Godkiller’s developed from mercenaries to an establishment of the King. I also wish there was more clarity with Elogast’s relationship with Arren, as I didn’t feel as much of an impact at the end between the two of them.
Overall I’m a huge fan of this debut and I can’t wait to see this world flourish.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Writing: 4⭐️/5
The writing in this novel is strong in some sections and adequate in others. I thought the descriptions were strong, the world-building strong, but portions of the book dedicated to emotions or the inner turmoil of characters could sometimes fall flat in comparison to everything else. Similarly, the dialogue, especially at the beginning, felt forced, attempting to craft a badass female MC, but it came off a little cringe-y.
Characters: 3.75⭐️/5
Listen. I love the badass female protagonist as much as the next gal, but I felt a bit forced by Kaner to accept our MC’s badassery. She was in your face, blunt, and sassy to the point of disinterest, seemingly cutting elements from the typical badass female character and pasting it onto the page. Similarly, Elo’s determination to be a pouty ex-soldier with a chip on his shoulder reads similarly. His broody demeanour felt broody for no reason other than to be broody, and I was happy when he started to develop into something more.
Now, that being said, nearly everyone else was so fascinating to read about. The gods and their desire to have gifts. The young King and his suspiciously timed mission. The young girl who is plagued with a god of white lies. That god of white lies and his desire to undo the hurt he causes. If the two main characters had hit a stronger stride earlier, this could have easily been a five.
Plot: 4.5⭐️/5
The plot – and the world it takes place in – are instantly fascinating. We have a world, once overcome with gods and their patrons, now devoid of them. We have a quest to find the lost gods, and an attempt to untie a small god from the girl it wound itself around. I loved the story and I was fascinated at nearly every turn to understand and read about the next exciting moment, the next beautiful description, the next intriguing turn.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of older young adult fiction looking for a brilliant fantasy world
- Those who LOVE the badass female protagonist
- Fantasy readers looking for plot and world-building over writing
Content Warnings?
- Death, fire, fire injury, murder, stalking, gaslighting, confinement, toxic relationship, toxic friendship, violence, injury, blood, injury detail, death of parent, death of child, war, sexism, sexual content,
Post-Reading Rating: 4.5⭐️/5
Fascinating. If I had the second, I would have started reading immediately.
Final Rating: 4.25⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Murder, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Sexism, Death, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Sexual content
katiemack's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I love a solid found family, D&D-esque novel like this. There are a few pacing issues, but for the most part the journey is engaging, exciting, and adventurous; I could have easily read 100 more pages about Kissen, Elogast, and Inara. The worldbuilding also feels innovative (again, aside from a few aspects that could have been better fleshed out). I understand the inclusion of that cliffhanger, but it is MEAN.
I love a solid found family, D&D-esque novel like this. There are a few pacing issues, but for the most part the journey is engaging, exciting, and adventurous; I could have easily read 100 more pages about Kissen, Elogast, and Inara. The worldbuilding also feels innovative (again, aside from a few aspects that could have been better fleshed out). I understand the inclusion of that cliffhanger, but it is MEAN.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and War
Minor: Sexual content
verinvaldez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was so sure this book was going to be a 5 star read for me, the world was amazing, setup was gripping, the child character Inara was believable without being annoying. The disability and queernorn rep was seamless, an excellent finale calling back to the traumas of all our characters, shocking betrayals.
However I thought the romance was poorly set up and detracted from how great everything else was, especially as I was very much under the impression Kissen was a lesbian and Elogast was gay, I did not think they had any romantic chemistry at all and I just felt really uncomfortable during the sex scene, "wet hot nub" shivers no thanks.
Outside of the romance and my confusion about the sexualities of our adult characters, the book was a brilliant and fresh new take on the relationship between Gods and humanity.
However I thought the romance was poorly set up and detracted from how great everything else was, especially as I was very much under the impression
Outside of the romance and my confusion about the sexualities of our adult characters, the book was a brilliant and fresh new take on the relationship between Gods and humanity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
zarhara's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Child death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Blood, Death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, and War
maregred's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: War and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Grief and Sexual content
caskraft's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Death, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Grief, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
marimoose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I came in not expecting much from this book, only that I was drawn to the cover and loved the premise. And I liked the book! I think the idea of the gods' duality and the existence of godkillers was fantastic. And for a book clocking in at around 300 pages, I was surprised at how well the world was built and how much of the story progressed in the process. I wished this was a standalone, though, because I honestly wasn't as interested in anything beyond Kissen's and Elogast's journey. Wasn't such a fan of the other half of the POVs. As a character, I liked Inara, but I found myself glazing over most of her perspective. Skedi, on the other hand, just annoyed the heck out of me.
Still, this was a story about a dysfunctional stabby found family, and that alone gets a few stars.
Still, this was a story about a dysfunctional stabby found family, and that alone gets a few stars.
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual content