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
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
batesbarb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry
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
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
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
caskraft's review against another edition
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
bookswithbethx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Death, War, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, and Grief
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: Blood, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Genocide, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Kidnapping
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