bookforthought'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? Yes
4.5
Godkiller is one of the books that fell through the cracks in the past few months: I read it, loved it, and then never wrote my review for it. That all changes today!
I mostly listened to the audiobook for this (even though I had an e-arc from NetGalley) because I was enjoying it so much I just couldn't stop when I left the house. The narrator did a fantastic job creating the right atmosphere for me to simply get lost in this rich world and the stories of these fascinating characters.
The multiple POVs worked very well and the different character voices were unique enough that I never mixed them up - a rare occurrence for me! All four main characters were super interesting to follow and I loved spending time with each of them: Kissen, the titular godkiller; Elogast, a baker formerly the prince's most trusted knight; Inara, the daughter of a noblewoman whose existence was kept secret; and Skedi, god of white lies who is bound to her. All the characters have to face their fears and flaws, and find ways to grow and discover where their strengths lie - even though for some of them this was barely introduced so I expect it will feature more prominently in the next book in the series.
The relationships that developed between them were fantastic, and I loved how realistic they felt, giving each sufficient time to bloom without it ever feeling forced or rushed. I got strong Witcher vibes at times, especially in the relationship between Kissen and Inara, but also enjoyed the slow-burn budding romance element and I was there for all of it.
Another thing I loved is that the representation in this book was handled brilliantly: there is talk of mental health, with some characters suffering from PTSD following an old war; one of the main characters is disabled and has a prosthetic leg; the world features a queer normative society, and several characters (including the MC) are openly queer; and there is a sign language. Although the book lent heavily into some classic tropes, there was enough freshness to the characters, the world and its politics to keep away the feeling of having seen it all before. The gods and the religious system, in particular, are fairly unique, but all the elements introduced fit seamlessly into the world.
Where I struggled slightly was with the pacing, which at times felt off. For a fairly short book as far as fantasy goes, some sections dragged while others didn't seem to get quite as much breathing space as they would have needed. A lot of the time was also spent on the road, as the characters travelled from one place to the next, which slowed everything down considerably. It all exploded towards the end though and, by a certain point, I couldn't read fast enough. The ending was fantastic and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
Overall, Godkiller is an engrossing read and a solid debut, featuring compelling characters and fascinating worldbuilding, all topped off with romance, deception and drama. I'm excited to see what other surprises this world has in store!
I received an advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
I received an advanced review copy of this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and War
clarabooksit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Child death, War, Death, Murder, Ableism, and Death of parent
Minor: Trafficking and Child abuse
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
rhiwind93's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Body horror, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Violence
jadorelecafe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death, War, Genocide, Grief, and Violence
millieinks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
Brilliant disability rep, including sign language usage...the characters were intriguing and you truly cared for them throughout. I loved everything about this book including the writing which was beautiful, as someone with aphantasia I was able to feel like i was there which does not happen often with me so I was so thankful for that!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Grief
Minor: Death, Blood, and War
awaterswadesthrough's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Medical content, Gore, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Ableism, Blood, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, and War
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
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Godkiller is a well-written, well-built start of a new fantasy series with characters you’ll love and worldbuilding you’ll swoon over. I definitely recommend it!
For you if: You love a sword-wielding butch bisexual woman (and fantasy in general, tbh).
FULL REVIEW:
I’d heard plenty of exciting buzz around Godkiller, so when Harper Voyager sent me a review copy (thank you!), it jumped right to the top of my list. Happy to report this is a super-solid fantasy read with a whole new cast of characters to fall in love with!
Godkiller is set in a world where there are many gods, major and minor — all it takes is for people to begin praying to one in order for it to be born. The story takes place several years after a major war between the now-king and the gods, and in order to keep them under control, godkillers like Kissen (your new favorite sword-wielding butch who also, I might add, does it all on her prosthetic leg) are on the king’s payroll and practicing faith is illegal. We have four main characters — Kissen, a high-born girl named Inara, a minor god attached to her lifeforce named Skedi, and a former-war-hero-turned-baker named Elogast.
There is so much to dig about this book, including its robust worldbuilding — the good kind done well, not the overwhelming kind that slows you down. I also love a book that takes place a few years after the big war is over, a sort of “where are they now” feeling that shows that happily ever after is more complicated than we think. And I loved the prosthesis rep, the sapphic rep, all the rep!
My only (small) complaint is that I actually think this could have been longer. There was a little bit of tidiness that felt sort of commercialized to me, but I would have been happy to spend 50-100 more pages with this crew, easily. And so all that to say, I can’t wait for book two!
TL;DR REVIEW:
Godkiller is a well-written, well-built start of a new fantasy series with characters you’ll love and worldbuilding you’ll swoon over. I definitely recommend it!
For you if: You love a sword-wielding butch bisexual woman (and fantasy in general, tbh).
FULL REVIEW:
I’d heard plenty of exciting buzz around Godkiller, so when Harper Voyager sent me a review copy (thank you!), it jumped right to the top of my list. Happy to report this is a super-solid fantasy read with a whole new cast of characters to fall in love with!
Godkiller is set in a world where there are many gods, major and minor — all it takes is for people to begin praying to one in order for it to be born. The story takes place several years after a major war between the now-king and the gods, and in order to keep them under control, godkillers like Kissen (your new favorite sword-wielding butch who also, I might add, does it all on her prosthetic leg) are on the king’s payroll and practicing faith is illegal. We have four main characters — Kissen, a high-born girl named Inara, a minor god attached to her lifeforce named Skedi, and a former-war-hero-turned-baker named Elogast.
There is so much to dig about this book, including its robust worldbuilding — the good kind done well, not the overwhelming kind that slows you down. I also love a book that takes place a few years after the big war is over, a sort of “where are they now” feeling that shows that happily ever after is more complicated than we think. And I loved the prosthesis rep, the sapphic rep, all the rep!
My only (small) complaint is that I actually think this could have been longer. There was a little bit of tidiness that felt sort of commercialized to me, but I would have been happy to spend 50-100 more pages with this crew, easily. And so all that to say, I can’t wait for book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, War, and Violence