I don’t read much fantasy so that’s my disclaimer here! I had to, though, both the title and the cover (and then the synopsis) really pulled me in. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing was so engaging, fun and fast paced. My only complaints are that I wanted a little bit more world building and the little things like more descriptions of the characters’ appearance.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing an eARC for me to review.

Godkiller is an intriguing fantasy story that introduces a world recovering from a war between mortals and gods. In this new world, the gods are depleted in number and those who remain are at risk of death from contracted, highly trained killers.

The story had me hooked from the first chapter. It was well executed and the worldbuilding was subtle but immersive.

The story is told from multiple POVs and I found the development of each of these characters perfect. Time was taken to craft them and it was interesting to see the author take the usual fantasy character types and do something different with them. Not only that, the different reps were handled very well and were woven into the story seamlessly. Kissen is by far, one of the most interesting characters I have read in a long time.

My only quibble was that the book felt too short!

As an aside, I like most of the community probably requested this book based on the cover. It is truly stunning.

Fascinating read with an equally interesting title! It was a pleasure to have been able to read this.

The title itself was a major intrigue for me, and the plot does not disappoint either.

The conflict between mortals and gods are as timeless as time itself - in Godkiller, this comes with a price of its own.
The gods are threatened to the edge of survival by a mortal king and their hired hands.

The plot and character development appealed to me to a great extent as did the compact page count.

Congratulations and best wishes to Ms Kaner on her debut novel and future works to be.

Another work that I would like to purchase a copy upon publication.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Voyager for approving the request to read and review.
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Reviewed in India
NetGalley ISBN: 9780008521486
Publisher: HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Fiction, HarperCollins Voyager
Publication date: 19th January, 2023

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing an eARC for me to review.

I requested this book due to the stunning cover it has and the hype around the book community, and this book did not disappoint at all.

Godkiller is told in multiple narratives and the development of each character is what made me love the book even more- the growth of all four characters as they travel with each other was beautifully written. The quest to find answers and overcome their past is what captivated me as I continued reading the book. Godkiller is set in a world where humans fight against gods with no special power but the strength and agility they hone. The gods are weaker now due to the godkillers hired by the king to kill all the gods and destroy the shrines.

The book follows Kissen (godkiller) who we know from the start has a hatred towards gods after her family was killed in a fire, Elogast a knight undercover to help his King, Skeldiceth a god who doesn't have a shrine and Inara a young girl with a god binded to her who searches for the godkiller to find answers for Skeldiceth. The characters when we are first introduced to them seems hesitant to trust one and another and find every way to believe one is deceiving the other, but as their journey continues we are filled with warmth as each characters develop to become a better person. An icing on top of the cake is that there is a speck of romance brewing during their journey.

My favourite characters were Inara and Kissen. I loved them two due to their determination to find answers, I also loved Inara because she would be rebellious but only when it is needed and when not being rebellious she would be abiding to the rules. Kissen on the other hand is a character who is distrusting and rude, but as we watch herself warm up to everyone- she became an instant favourite.

Hannah Kaner creates a premises that is both captivating and immersive. However, I must say that the book is slow to start, but as I continued it was an easy and immersive read. I did not put the book down for the next 5 hours. I'd have originally given the book a 4.5 stars however, after reading the last two chapters of the book, which gave me goosebumps, I'm now rating this book 5 stars.

Amazing. That was my first reaction after finishing this. My second reaction - I can’t wait for more by Kaner in the future. I was anticipating Godkiller for a while now. I didn’t know whether I’d enjoy it or not but I did. I absolutely loved this. The character arcs and the developments was amazing and I was going through multiple moments of thrill reading this. I really did love this.

Firstly I’d like to thank instatours and Harper Voyager for the early copy!! ❤️🥰 It’s a stunner!!

Godkiller tells the story of Kissen, a queer, disabled and all round pretty phenomenal human being. After a very sad beginning in life (her whole family where sacrificed) as well as the war she has found work as a Godkiller and is pretty well known for it.

Elogast is a baker with a past - he was once a soldier who was the closer confidant to the King. Their quest to kill and eject the world of the Gods but at the end they had to ask the Godkillers to save them and Elo left ashamed.

Inara is a young noble girl who is connected with a god Skediceth. The thing is Skedi doesn’t have a shrine and yet he survives regardless. Kissen finds when on her travels and agrees to help separate them and allow Inara be free but with the secrets of who exactly Inara and Skedi not knowing who he is will it be that easy to do?

As with most ‘journey’ novels, these guys meet on the path to somewhere and form a bond and I just fell for them all completely 🖤🖤 I did have a little hiccup at the beginning (hence the 1/2 star) but I was for literally 2 chapters and after that I read super quickly!! Kissen is just seems so invulnerable at the beginning of her novel and I wanted to get to her centre (enter Yantho, Elo and Enara). I love that the book has the characters POVs, it allows us to get close to them all.

Just had to add that me as a disabled person the rep is everything 🖤🖤 I don’t have the same disability as Kissen but it still means so much to be included and to be seen.

Where do I even begin to explain how much I enjoyed and loved Godkiller?! It’s such a tremendous and dangerous journey that Kissen, Inara, Skediceth and Elogast find themselves on but I’m so glad I stuck around to find out what happened at the end of book one ❤️❤️ Now I just have to wait for book 2…thanks for the ending Hannah Kaner 😅😭 4.5✨

Many Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The first thing I want to mention here is how much I enjoyed this book, it had a great storyline and as a debut novel from Hannah Kaner, I think it is outstanding. Yes, it did drag slightly in places, but I think sometimes it was essential to show character development. The plot was intriguing and did remind me somewhat of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, in the sense that prayers and will from humans give Gods and Deities flesh, the more worshipped a god is, the more powerful it becomes, but also the god can also change the will of humans. I also loved the characters and the dynamic between them, It wasn’t always a peaceful foursome, and some had more of a character arc than others.
The novel has multiple POVs from each character, and this gives insight into their motivations and backstory. My favourite character has to be Kissen, she is flawed physically and mentally, and has a serious attitude and a sense of morality and duty that make sense only to her.
Altogether I think it was a brilliant debut from Hannah, and I can’t wait to see what she does next with this.

4.5
I read the title then the blurb and immediately felt a pull towards this breakthrough novels storyline. You tell me you're on your way to kill a God? I say tell me when and where so I can cheer you on. Considering my interest in the mythos behind Gods and beliefs, I knew this would be a star studded book for me, and thankfully it was! The idea of forgotten Gods is one I love wholeheartedly, and this was an exemplary way to pursue such an interesting concept.
The way in which Kaner drew me into the main characters angst and backstory was majestic and I was very on board with the developing relationship between them and our other protagonists, so much so that SEVERAL later scenes made me genuinely react and poke the person next to me to explain how investing these scenes were. Kissen is a babe, and I have the greatest of soft spots for our tiny little God of white lies.
The writing was lovely and fluid, and the diversity was impeccable !!! I read about characters signing as if it were nothing and in every book and (especially as someone partially deaf) this was wonderful! I thoroughly cannot sing its praises enough and finished it in a few hours, staying up til about 3am, as you should for any good book, really.
Truly very excited for the next instalment and will be waiting with bated breath after the way on which we were left.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

3.5 stars

I love these characters so much - for a pretty short book at just over 300 pages, you get to know these characters really well and I want to read the sequel to be reunited with this misfit cast. I also really love this world with all of these gods, I was so intrigued by this world and I think there is so much potential for this series to show us more of the world. It was an easy read, and possibly the best thing about this book has to be the representation that it gives us. There's LGBTQ+ rep, disability rep in one of our main characters, deaf rep with sign language included into the story - and all of it was done so well, and so naturally that it was such a delight to read.

I do think that the pacing was off at times - it could be so fast-paced at the beginning and the end, but then the middle was dragging, which was unfortunate, and I found myself starting to lose interest, which isn't a great thing when this book is so short for a fantasy. This also meant that towards the end of the book, twists were being thrown at you and information was being revealed, and I felt like I had missed something in that middle section where I lost interest, because I got quite confused with what was going on.

This book was amazing! The pacing was fast whilst still allowing for the world to be full of life and shown instead of info dumped. The characters felt so real that by the end of it my heart was racing and I cried for them. In a world where gods are very much real and rely on the prayers, shrines, offerings and sacrifices of their followers and a King who wants all the Gods dead there is Kissen, a Godkiller, Inara a noble daughter with a godlike secret and Elogast, a knight who only wishes for a simple life away from the trauma of war. The story is told through the four main characters perspectives as they find themselves together on the same journey, unlikely companions.

If you like books with found family, badass women who are incredible with their disability (Kissen only has one leg), fluid sexuality (it’s very normal in this world for love to just be love with no question of it), and the ability to drag you fully into a new world that you don’t want to leave then this book is for you.

I received an arc of this book through NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily

Amazon Summary

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.

Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.

My Review
I was really surprised with how much i liked this book and it got a solid 4 starts from me.

The world-building is brilliant and has a really unique take on a world full of Gods and how they interact and are either beloved or hated by mortals. The characters are all well developed and i loved Kissen's POV and back story (which is really sad). The plot was good but a little slow at times (hence the 4 and not 5 stars) but i would definitely recommend this book to all lovers of Fantasy and look forward to to next instalment.

Somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars.

While I didn't love this as much as I was expecting, Godkiller is still a solid read with great characters, an interesting world and a fun take on Gods and monsters. We follow a misfit crew as they embark on a quest of sorts and as the story unfolds, secrets are revealed, twists are thrown our way and for a first book in a series, we also get some great character development. The only reason I haven't rated this higher is because some of the pacing was off for me. There were moments that felt like they flew by too fast and the middle definitely dragged however that ending...I need the sequel now! Can't wait to join Kissen, Elo, Inara and Skedi again as chaos ensues.

That was... quite interesting but I didn't like the execution.

We got 4 PoV : Kissen (the godkiller), Inara (little girl with the god problem), Elogast (former knight), and Skediceth (the god problem). It's crowded. and then each of them has different goals, different motives, almost like I was walking toward 4 different paths even though they traveled together. and my brain didn't enjoy the experience of following those.

The gods in this book weren’t like what I imagine gods should be: magnificent and powerful beings. Instead, they’re more like… mythical creatures? Who would’ve guessed that the creature on the cover is a god? Yes, it's a god. It’s Skediceth, to be precise. He’s a god of white lies, and again, I found myself struggling to understand the concept. Why should it be white lies, not just lies?

Anyway, I forced myself to skim it because this was one of my 2023 anticipated releases and I at least want to know the story outline. The story only got interesting in the last 10% and that’s also the moment I learned that this book isn’t a standalone. AND IT’S ENDED IN A CLIFFHANGER. So yeah. I'm looking forward to the next book. I hope the plot will get better.

We all know that it’s the pretty covers that attract me - and I’m usually lucky. This cover is so pretty, so pretty!

The story is outstanding; I’ve been awake too late despite my horrendous cold. I couldn’t put it down. I’ve cried. I’ve been on tenterhooks begging for lives. Hell, I’d have asked one of the gods if I’d been there.

Essentially we have 3 people: a godkiller, a King’s ex champion and a sudden orphan. All on a mission, all thrown together.

I love these characters and spending time with each one. I loved the side characters too. The writing flies beautifully. My interest was kept and I resented work.

You need to read this as soon as it’s out and I really need book two! Best read in ages!

Set in the aftermath of a recent war between gods and men, we meet Kissen a professional godkiller, who finds herself in charge of a young noble girl, Inara, and the small god she is bonded with, Skedi. They are soon on a journey to a dead city in the company of Elo, a traumatised ex-knight with a secret.

I loved the world building in this book, particularly the idea of personified gods that people interact with, who gain power from people’s worship of them. I found the characters engaging, and felt that the theme of trauma explored through the development of the characters was well handled. The pacing was excellent, and I found the book hard to put down. Overall, Godkiller is a highly readable fantasy, and I look forward to reading further books in what I hope is a series!

Posted on Goodreads on 04 January 2023: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61244268-godkiller

Godkiller had been on my radar for quite some time and I was excited to be able to read it. While I liked the overall concept and story, I found it just lagged a little for me. Slow pacing made it just feel a bit harder to get into. That being said, I can appreciate the world building and the characters, and fantasy fans will definitely enjoy this one!

I thought the premise of this book was quite interesting and I really enjoyed the banter and interactions between the characters. I thought the wordlbuilding was quite well done - by the end I knew enough about the world and how it worked without being overwhelmed with information. I do wish we learned more about the characters themselves but it is a series, so I'm hoping we'll get more in the next book. Overall, an enjoyable read.

The premise of this book immediately had me hooked - an unlikely cast of characters featuring a gruff and standoffish Godkiller (with a heart of a gold), a former knight commander, a little noble girl and an even smaller god on a journey to the ruined city of Blenraden - home to the last remaining wild gods - in search of answers to their individual conundrums.

While I love the worldbuilding Kaner crafts - particularly the intrinsic link between a god and their real world shrine, the delicate political landscape - I do wish some elements were explored further, particularly Arren and his family, Inara's mother, Elo's time as a knight. I sometimes felt as if further delving into the characters pasts' was missing but this might be rectified further on in the trilogy.

I thoroughly enjoyed the budding relationships between the quad cast - particularly Kissen and Skedi's slow acceptance of each other. But again, felt as if further exploration between the characters would have lead to more believable and impactful connections.

Ultimately, the dark and dangerous world mixed with the eclectic main characters lead to a satisfying page turner and the ending to Godkiller definitely leaves you thirsting for more.

Considering the title, I found Godkiller to be quite a cosy fantasy - there's a real focus on the relationships forged as the quest unfolds, perhaps more so than on the journey itself. The characters are the true highlight of this novel - I found I keenly cared about what happened to them, and this pulled me through when the plot, at times, felt rather slow going.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this, and would be keen to read a sequel set in this world.

(3.5)

When asked how I was finding it I replied ‘I feel like I’m on a really long walk where someone is occasionally throwing me snacks to keep me entertained’. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good YA novel but the similarities to the general Witcher storyline had me waiting for the level of excitement I’m used to in YA fantasy. It’s a good start and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the future but presently not a lifelong favourite.

Geralt = Kissen
Ciri = Ina
Yennifer = Elo

Another positive point - the sexual fluidity in the book. I was as invested in Arren and Elo as I was in Elo and Kissen. But maybe that's because I have a soft spot for Patroclus and Achilles/Merlin and Arthur.