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A review by deedireads
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
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: Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Violence, and War