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aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and War
Minor: Ableism
reddeddy's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Torture, and Pregnancy
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
There's a narrative focus on the way all of the characters have been marked by the gods, changed by them, for good or ill. Kissen has a prosthetic leg fashioned from leather and metal, replacing the flesh leg she lost as a child when the other villagers tried to sacrifice her family to a fire god. She uses the prosthesis when the situation calls for two legs (as travelling and fighting tend to do). Most discussion of her legs is logistical, such as when she's cut in the leg while fighting and just needs to repair or replace the prosthesis, instead of having been injured in her flesh. I like the matter-of-fact handling of it. While there was someone in her past who exploited her and other children like her, the narrative only briefly discusses that time of her life. Now, she has two legs, it's just that the lower part of one of them can detach from the rest of her.
As the first book in the series, Godkiller feels very complete, able to stand alone. It invites a sequel with the way that it changes the situations of the main characters by the end, and I want to know what they do next. It's more open than a standalone without giving me a cliffhanger, which is perfect. The main characters are all very different with competing motivations that have all placed them together for now, but they don't know if they can trust each other. The worldbuilding and characterization work together seamlessly to make an engaging story that isn't afraid to have a slow burn in the middle. Most of it takes place during this pilgrimage, complemented by a much slower story pace. It helps to create a sense of time, that this journey really does take a while, one measured in days or perhaps weeks though not months.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism, Self harm, Sexual content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Slavery, Excrement, and Trafficking
picaresquedreamer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Blood, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Ableism and Child abuse
jokehelldo's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism and Terminal illness
clarabooksit's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Trafficking
saltycoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
aliiloue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Ableism
bookswithjess's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Ableism, Infertility, and Misogyny
mal_eficent's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
The characters are great, with nuance and complexity; the writing style is really enjoyable; the mythology and world are well explored and built within the text; the pacing was well done, with 'downtime' moving the story forward just as much as the action; and even the audiobook narrator adds a lot to the story. It's an objectively good book – it's just not a stand out for me. The ending almost saved it, but I probably won't continue with the series.
Part of that might be because I often found myself more interested in the setting, side characters, or the backstories of each character. I wasn't as drawn in to the main 'adventure' as I wanted to be, especially with the number of perspectives. It wasn't entirely a single perspective per chapter, but moving between four people wasn't as enjoyable for me as it would have been with just one or two. If this had been the story of the war before, or more of a meander through life in this world as a god killer I'd have been more interested.
This is a great debut, and if you like fantasy worlds that feel a bit 'gritty'/worn (not grimdark, just not full high fantasy) then you should give this a try! I've seen nothing but great things about the disability rep from those within that community as well.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse and War
Minor: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Trafficking