A review by bookforthought
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

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.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings