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earlgreyjedi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
This story was absolutely incredible and I can’t wait for book 2. A diverse and interesting cast of characters mixed with unique and compelling world building makes for a hell of a tale. Kissen, our scarred but strong bi (or pan) queen, was an excellent foil to Inara, a sweetheart with more secrets than someone so young should have ever amassed (including a small god named Skediceth). And then enters Elogast who is also dealing with trauma of the past while trying to figure out what it will take to mend. All of our heroes are somewhere on the “neutral” scale, with Kissen being chaotic, Elogast lawful, and Inara true (although she could potentially be considered neutral good too). Skedi’s alignment is a little more complicated and is what makes his plot so interesting. Watching all of the characters interact with one another is such a treat. Their growth throughout the story as they slowly become found family is really what I loved the most. I also wanted to add that I adored the food descriptions. Please release a cookbook!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Physical abuse, Self harm, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
wordsareworlds's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I saw a quote from Kaner that said that at its core, this book is a quest. Which is exactly the same as its surface and the end of that quest does not exist in this book.
I was hoping for a book that had a lot more going on with the commentary on the relationships between the characters, and the society as a whole and Kaner's unique approach to gods here. I wanted more on every level, and instead what I got was simplistic characterizations with a ton of repetition and no reflection on how characters get from point to point emotionally on their Epic Quest.
For all that Godkiller is much more character focused than action action oriented, Kaner fails to give those characters enough layers to hold the weight of page count. Instead we're subjected to the most awkward and author-forced romance between two characters, which I have the sneaking suspicion was only included to satisfy the "but is there spice" question. The overall worldbuilding does not hold up to even a cursory glance, and there was "redemption" moment for Skeddy that only works if you forget the core of his and Inara's relationship is that their lives are linked so if she dies, he dies. Him saving her life with that in play absolutely does not balance him manipulating her with his powers for years and then literally taking over her body against her will . The plot itself is by-the-numbers, and the major twist at the end will not be a surprise to anyone who has ever read a fantasy book ever.
On the other hand, there's Kissen. Kissen is the absolute epitome of my own personality and the brand of character I play in ttrpgs. I love her. She's standoffish but desperately wants to have her (found) family close and safe, she throws herself into violence with a wild abandon that is not always backed up by her skill level, but is by her will. The depiction of her disability and physical pain felt incredibly well done. She deserved a better book, but yes I will subject myself to book 2 just to read more about her.
Read this if you want to read about Kissen and can turn your brain off for pretty much the entire rest of the book. Otherwise just pick up one of the many other, better fantasy books that include characters going on a quest to save themselves but end up finding out they have to save everyone.
I was hoping for a book that had a lot more going on with the commentary on the relationships between the characters, and the society as a whole and Kaner's unique approach to gods here. I wanted more on every level, and instead what I got was simplistic characterizations with a ton of repetition and no reflection on how characters get from point to point emotionally on their Epic Quest.
For all that Godkiller is much more character focused than action action oriented, Kaner fails to give those characters enough layers to hold the weight of page count. Instead we're subjected to the most awkward and author-forced romance between two characters, which I have the sneaking suspicion was only included to satisfy the "but is there spice" question. The overall worldbuilding does not hold up to even a cursory glance, and there was "redemption" moment for Skeddy that only works if you forget the core of his and Inara's relationship
On the other hand, there's Kissen. Kissen is the absolute epitome of my own personality and the brand of character I play in ttrpgs. I love her. She's standoffish but desperately wants to have her (found) family close and safe, she throws herself into violence with a wild abandon that is not always backed up by her skill level, but is by her will. The depiction of her disability and physical pain felt incredibly well done. She deserved a better book, but yes I will subject myself to book 2 just to read more about her.
Read this if you want to read about Kissen and can turn your brain off for pretty much the entire rest of the book. Otherwise just pick up one of the many other, better fantasy books that include characters going on a quest to save themselves but end up finding out they have to save everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Self harm
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-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
5.0
One of my favorite things in GODKILLER is that all of the characters change in very significant ways, prompted by their interactions with each other, but no one changes into any other character's ideal. They bend without breaking, they fit in with each other on the road without wholly molding to one another. Inara is a little girl with a god, Skediceth, living inside her. She seeks out a godkiller to try and find a way to free Skediceth from her, to let them both live separately, no longer intertwined. Kissen, a godkiller, seems to have already changed enough by not killing Skediceth when she meets him, but as they journey together it becomes apparent that being a godkiller doesn't actually mean that she kills every god she meets. Instead, Kissen kills the ones who are making life worse for people, the ones she's paid to kill. Elogast is on a mission from his best friend and king, Arren, to go to a city whose gods he tried to kill, to get one of them to become the king's new heart. Publicly, the king wants all the gods dead, or at least no longer worshipped, so Elogast must keep this mission secret, for the sake of the king. All four of them and up in the same pilgrimage caravan, traveling together with a few others, braving the dangers of the road and the patrolling knights. Skediceth is a god of white lies, untruths that are meant to mitigate harm and make things feel better, even if reality doesn't change because of them. Because he's a god, he's able to affect how lies are perceived, how readily they are believed. This makes things much easier as they travel, deflecting questions and averting gazes, making some trouble never manifest at all.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
spooked_anise's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and War
Minor: Self harm
rahzel20's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
5.0
A fantastic read with compelling characters who are interesting and flawed but doing the best they can in a hard situation. The relationship's build naturally but quickly and the characters benefit from their interactions with each other. It's dark and violent in places but has plenty of humour.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War
hardbackhoarder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and War
micheala's review against another edition
slow-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
For some reason when I started reading this book I was convinced that it was a standalone, and I was worried with the pacing. Turns out it's book 1 in a trilogy.
This book is fairy short (especially for an adult fantasy) at only 288 pages, so the fact that it took til page 92 (32%) to get to the end of the blurb, wasn't my favourite. If your going to have a slow paced book, I personally prefer that it be a much longer book - like 500+ pages.
I also didn't necessarily love that we have 3.5 POVs (3 main ones and 1 occasional) Like, yes they all felt like they were adding to the story, but again with it being so short, it felt like too much - particularly once they were travelling as a group.
I did really enjoy the worldbuilding and character progression - we had one character I didn't like in the beginning that grew on me, and another that I liked, then hated, then started to warm back up to by the end.
I am a little concerned for the second book, in that if it's paced in the same way I don't think we are going to get any plot resolutions. And if we don't get any plot resolutions, then why is it a trilogy and not a duology? Essentially, if the books are going to be smaller than average, you really need to sell me on why there needs to be more smaller books then fewer longer books.
This book is fairy short (especially for an adult fantasy) at only 288 pages, so the fact that it took til page 92 (32%) to get to the end of the blurb, wasn't my favourite. If your going to have a slow paced book, I personally prefer that it be a much longer book - like 500+ pages.
I also didn't necessarily love that we have 3.5 POVs (3 main ones and 1 occasional) Like, yes they all felt like they were adding to the story, but again with it being so short, it felt like too much - particularly once they were travelling as a group.
I did really enjoy the worldbuilding and character progression - we had one character I didn't like in the beginning that grew on me, and another that I liked, then hated, then started to warm back up to by the end.
I am a little concerned for the second book, in that if it's paced in the same way I don't think we are going to get any plot resolutions. And if we don't get any plot resolutions, then why is it a trilogy and not a duology? Essentially, if the books are going to be smaller than average, you really need to sell me on why there needs to be more smaller books then fewer longer books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Eating disorder, Genocide, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent