A huge thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for providing this novel with an honest review.

Hannah Kaner has easily created a new favorite novel among many future readers, as Godkiller is imaginative and brings a new creative spin to the fantasy genre.

There are so many things about this novel that I loved; the world-building, for one, is lovely. Kaner has a way of truly bringing her stories universe to life, and I found myself pulled in from the very first pages. Her writing style is rather enjoyable also, enough so that it felt very easy to fall into a comfort whilst reading.

Her characters are rich and colourful, shaped in a way that is realistic yet interesting to read. Representation is present in the cast and doesn't feel like they were shoe-horned in to check off a list, but given the right respect and care that these characters deserve. One of my favourite examples is the character of Kissen - our god-hunter for the story - who is shown to be strong and capable as a fighter, but later is revealed to have lost one of her legs due to circumstances that the story reveals to the reader early on. Kaner treats Kissen's disability beautifully, showing how she works around it and how she has grown to adapt over time, as well as how she is by no means lessened because of her struggles. The main characters share their own struggles - be they physical or internal - and it is a lovely delight to see how they work through these throughout the story, as well as how they work together.

The way Kaner chooses to portray her Gods is so intriguing too, each one different from the other and coming to life in their own way. There are some the reader can cheer for and want to support, and others who we want to see fall. The connection between Ina and Skedi is something so unique to the story, and those readers who love novels like the His Dark Materials trilogy are sure to fall in love with these two.

The only real negative I have is that there are some places in the novel that feel almost like they drag. I wouldn't go as far as to say that those moments were a struggle to get through, but there are some periods that feel as if little is happening compared to moments where everything feels as if it is happening at once. The story is a little short, so it also feels as if a lot gets wrapped up very quickly towards the end, and I almost feel as if some of the quiet time earlier in the story could have been better used to help give a bit more build-up to later reveals, if only to provide more impact on them. But this isn't a major complaint, and it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story itself.

This novel feels very much like it is the first part of a larger series, and I hope that if that is the case that any later installments will be just as strong - if not stronger - than this one. For now though, Godkiller is a very strong beginning and introduction to this world, and I am eager to see what is in store for both the novel and the author's future.

DNF at 41%
I really hoped this book would be as stunning, gripping and intriguing on the inside as it is on the outside which is why I pushed almost to its midpoint in hope that it would grab me but I think the enigmatic prologue was the best thing about it.

Besides the gorgeous cover, its premise sounds unique, interesting and very Witcher-esque with monster-like god hunting. Unfortunately, despite the short length of the e-ARC I was kindly provided, I simply couldn’t get into the story and wasn't invested in any of its characters which felt bland and unmemorable. Whenever I’d put the book down, I felt no urgency to pick it back up.

The lore and magic system are interesting concepts but because it's such a short book, it feels underdeveloped. The worldbuilding information is being hurdled at the reader in chunks which kind of made me feel like I was reading a Wikipedia page at times. Exposition dumps are not done in an organic or subtle way, hence I could barely retain any names or information. Around 35-40% mark, there are multiple characters travelling together and having conversations, and I couldn’t tell you who is who...

I have this book pre-ordered so maybe I’ll return to it again after its release. I’d recommend this to YA readers starting with adult fantasy as besides some swearing, mild violence and sexual innuendos, it’s not a complex read. Also, points for disabled representation which was refreshing to read in an adult fantasy novel.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an e-ARC for review.

Thank you to NetGalley, author and publisher for the copy of this eARC! 💕

I adore the cover! 🧡 I liked the idea of the story from the blurb and tried several times to read it as I wanted to love it but I just couldn’t get into it for some reason. No fault of the book probably just not for me or not in the right mindset. I do hope to try again soon though!

(Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review).

Kissen is a godkiller. Her origin story has taught her that gods are selfish, vindictive and not to be trusted, and now she makes a living slaying them. This lines up nicely with the status quo: an historic civil war fought by the king, which turned into a purge of all the wild gods. Only now, there's a problem. Enter Skedi, god of white lies, and somehow tied to Inara (a petulant noble girl on the run). He is the one god that Kissen can't kill..

Except... Well, spoilers.

I loved the concept, and I'm sure some of my issues were based on this being an eARC, not the finished article. But there were too many loose threads that weren't tied up. Not because they're waiting to come back in a later book, but just because they didn't go anywhere. Too many internal motivations that didn't make sense with what else we knew about the characters. Just lots of little details that grated on me, Some of the diversity felt shoe-horned in, and by the time we had characters running around on broken legs, I was done. Hannah Kaner clearly has the makings of a good world-builder. Give it a few years and a decent editor and I'll be back for a second look, but this was not the one for me.

“What happens to us does not define us, what we do next is what matters”

This book was everything I was hoping for and more
I love the world building, characters, the plot twist, the found family and the romance

I literally could not stop reading it!

Fans of Daniel Abraham or Anthony Ryan will love this fantasy of gods and monsters in a new and exciting way. This is a world where to believe in a god is to bring them into being, and belief is strictly regulated. Bring into that a god-killer, or holy assassin who herself is protected by the blessing of a sea god who once loved her father, and now finds herself the protector of a girl and god who are mysteriously bound together, and you have a quest full of adventure, romance, enchantment and danger. I am really looking forward to book 2.

Kissen is a Godkiller, a job she loves. So when she finds herself harbouring a young girl and the God that follows her, she isn't sure what to do. Elogast was a knight, now a baker on a mission to save his childhood friend who just happens to be the King. They meet on the road and, thought the unlikeliest of travelling companions, end up journeying together. There is no trust, everyone is keeping secrets, but they will need to come together for their tasks are more entwined than they thought, and the fate of the entire Kingdom could be in the balance.

I loved this book so much! It's one of those stories that just drags you in and you find yourself flying through the pages unable and unwilling to put it down. Godkiller is told from 4 POV's. Kissen, the Godkiller who finally finds herself facing a God she cannot kill. She has a hard outer shell, but on the inside she is just someone reeling from a traumatic past event that wants to live their life in relative peace. Elogast, once Knight now Baker. He hung his sword up after the last battle with the Gods, and had no intentions of picking it up again, but he can't resist a request from his king, even if it's one rife with danger. Inara is a noble girl who has lead an incredibly sheltered life, that is until she meets Kissen. And finally, Skediceth, the God of white lies who found himself inextricably tied to a young girl.

The author does a fantastic job of building every single one of our characters up on an individual basis, whilst also showing their growth together as a group. They are an unlikely gang of people, a Godkiller, a Kinght turned baker, a young noble girl and a God, but they have more in common than they know. Alongside our four MC's we do get introduced to a few side characters, the main ones being Arren, the King of Middren who sends Elogast on his journey & Yatho and Telle, Yessen's only family. Kaner keeps our character's to a tight knit group, something I enjoyed because it meant we got to spend more time with, and get a deeper dive into each and every one.

Kaner's world building is truly outstanding. Middren was a country over-run by Gods, their shrines everywhere with people openly worshipping & making them stronger. That is until the war, when King Arren decreed all worship of God's illegal and tried to destroy them all. She shows us both sides of this, Kissen who would quite happily kill any God in her path, to others, pilgrims who travel miles, risking the wrath of the King, to the only shrines left standing hoping for one of the smaller, left over Gods to grant their wish. She shows the Gods, not only as something to fear, but how dangerous the belief in them can be and both Kissen and Elogast's pasts, which I wont mention for spoilers, show just how dangerous blind belief and worship can be. She also builds on the lands outside of Middren, though we never travel there, we learn of their own beliefs and practices through the characters we meet in the story.

One thing I adored about this book was the rep. Not only were there openly queer characters, but the disability rep in this story was outstanding. Kissen has only one leg, Telle is deaf and Elogast has some series PTSD issues that he is just not dealing with, but what really stood out was, in a world filled with magic and Gods, Kaner chose to allow her characters to accept their disabilities instead of trying to fix them. She even goes to far as to have Kissen be offered the chance at a 'fixed' body, and turn it down because she accepts who she is. I thought this was so incredibly well done, our characters were't seen as any less because of their disabilities, instead it was shown as a strength, something that makes them unique.

I adored the writing style, there were plenty of descriptive parts, but Kaner manages to make the story move at a breakneck pace, meaning there were never any good parts to stop reading. There are a few plot twists dotted throughout the story, but the real propulsion came from our characters. A lot of this book is spent on the road, travelling from place to place, but through flashbacks, as well as a few brilliantly placed fight scenes, Kaner manages to ensure there are no lulls in the story, and every single thing you learn, character you meet has some important part to play in the story. For those that like romance in their fantasy, there is one in here that I loved. It was extremely slow and steady. There were no big declarations or acts of love, instead it was two people coming to trust each other through shared trauma. That being said, there were still some big blow up moments between the two, as well as some snarky and humorous scenes. But I enjoyed that it played such a small part in the story, and instead Kaner focused on the found family style bond that was building between them all.

Safe to say I adored this one. In fact, I loved it that much I read it in one sitting, while I was at work! Kaner has created a world and set of characters that I am desperate to return too, especially after that ending. And I can't wait to see where she will take the story with the next book.

WHAT A DEBUT

I adored this. Didn't know what to expect, as always, going into a new fantasy series. But the world building is on point. The world is dark and cold, and mostly unforgiving. Kissen was orphaned by the gods and now will spend her days being a Godkiller. But when her path crosses with the young princess and her attached god, her path changes with them.
This reminds me a bit of Cirilla and Geralt but not enough for me to be questioning the influence of the Witcher on this series. It was fast paced, introduced us to new and cool gods / creatures / characters and most importantly has set us up spectacularly well for the rest of the trilogy.
Also, bonus points for the beautiful cover!

Godkiller was a killer of a debut novel. Fast-paced and action packed, this start to a new fantasy series had absolutely everything you could wish for. The writing was phenomenal and the plot twists were so exquisitely intertwined with the storyline that it left you reeling.

I adored all of the four protagonists and their POV chapters, which is usually quite a feat in a multi-POV book. The found family aspects were top tier, and lovers of this trope will soon be seeking out this novel. I adored seeing the story unfold throughout these POVs and how they grew to trust each other, and thought each of their dynamics was brilliantly done.

Another great feature in this book is the LGBTQ+ and Disability rep, with multiple characters representing both of these communities, one of which is Kissen, our titular bisexual godkiller with a prosthetic leg. If that doesn’t make you want to read the book, I don’t know what will.

Thank you so much to Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is a world of gods, where a small shrine, a few offerings, a little belief is enough to form a new god - maybe a god for repairing shoes, protecting a path, or keeping a hearth alight.
Set in the years following a devastating war between old and new gods and between gods and people, this is a land that is still torn between traditional worship of the gods and the new godless world imposed by the new king.
The world and myth building is fantastic, this feels like a place with real depth and history, simultaneously wondrous and terrifying.
Our four main protagonists are thrown together when they all must undertake a journey to the abandoned and forbidden city of the gods. All have their own reasons for going, their own connections to the place and their own secrets.
Each of the characters feels distinct, with differing perspectives and histories - the gradual unveiling of their stories drives the story forward and reveals more of the world.

This is an absolutely fantastic debut and I cannot wait to read more from the author.

I was attracted to this book for the stunning cover which reflects the beautiful story inside - this enchanting and epic dark fantasy adventure is well paced with a plot filled with plenty of twists and turns and a lovable and distinct cast of characters. The character development and character back stories drive the story forward with excellent representation from what we are used to in fantasy books - a MC with a limb difference in a queer positive world. The world building was one of the highlights of the book - a unique world filled with gods and medieval fantasy with deep history and mythology that will capture any fantasy reader.
It is hard to believe that this is a debut and I can't wait to read the next two books in what is sure to be a bestselling trilogy from Kaner.

This cover is BEAUTIFUL. It is absolutely stunning, one of my favorites of this year but the story just didn't live up to that cover for me. It was an interesting and exciting premise in a fascinating world but I struggled to stay interested and I felt like the plot was just a little too meandering at times. I do want to go back and reread this at some point just in case it was one of those situations where I wasn't in the right headspace for this book but as of now, I just didn't like it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

A good book to read over a cold wintery period when I could devote time to immersing myself in a new tale of woe and wonder

What a pageturner! Some fab descriptions and worldbuilding - I felt like I was really there. I really enjoyed this read.

I wished upon a star and got en e-arc from Netgalley and @harpervoyager_uk ✨️
Bookreview: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let me tell you if you like gods and the evil that comes with them you have to pick up Godkiller!
I am obsessed with the devotion to deities, the prosperity and destruction they can bring and in this book how they can ruin and use people's lives for their own gain.
Kissen our main character is a godkiller🗡 basically our Gerald of Rivia but in a more lush world. I really enjoyed her perspective and character backstory. She was not made to kill monsters like Gerald, but the gods basically turned her into one and she is bringing her vengeance upon them ever since. The other main characters and POVs were a bit less attractive to me, however they made for a great set-up for this series. The journey they make together to each fullfil their quests was very interesting. I cannot wait to see where our characters and stories goe next!
Overall a fabulous debut with a very accesible writing style. I am so grateful I was able to read this before it comes out in January!💖

I don't want to use the word "uninteresting", because there was plenty to be interested in - it just didn't KEEP my interest when I put the book down. Perhaps a better word is "slow". It's a very slow book. I struggled to pick it up to continue reading.
The world-building was good, very detailed. The characters were diverse, well-rounded, with understandable motives and strong backstories. But they weren't likeable.
This story is definitely about the journey, not the result - which is fine, but not what I was expecting.
I think this book will be really enjoyable to the right person, but personally, I was underwhelmed.

Godkiller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Release date: 19th January 2023

I do not know what I was expecting from this book but I can say it was the cover that drew me in but it was the writing that made me stay. What a start to a series and a world I am not desperate to know more about. It was dark, it was rich and it has so much scope in where it can go. The characters are complex and complicated and leave you wanting more from them as well as rooting for them or shouting at them for what they are doing. I sat and read this in one setting and I audibly gasped during the last few chapters and now I am already expectedly waiting for the second book.

In a world where gods are prevalent what more do we need but a Godkiller, I loved how Kissen development and what we learn from her as the story progresses.

If you want demons, action and characters you will both love and hate in equal measures then this is the book for you.

Thank you to @harpercollins and @netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

Rounding up a little bit on the stars because honestly I was a bit hot and cold with Kissen.

I loved the idea of book, the world building, wild, old and new, big and small gods, the cute little mouse one we get a glimpse of, it was such a colourful idea. I can't wait to see more of this, and following that abrupt ending, there better be more of this! Also we need to find out this mystery about Ina and Skedi and their bond.

Ina and Skedi were probably my favourites of all the characters. Elo was very holier than thou but grew on me. Kissen, as I said, was very hot and cold for me. Her language and attitude was edgy teen, but then again my family wasn't sacrificed to a god of fire so maybe I shouldn't judge.

The book starts strong, the writing itself is very vivid. I have to highlight characters in their 20s-30s because we need more of that.

If you'd asked me at the start about the book, I'd be all positives. Middle bit? Less positive but still. Ending? I am so mad how abrupt it was, caught me off guard and now I need more, please and thank you.

Unfortunately this book wasn't really for me.

There are parts I really liked. For example, the representation both in regards to disabled characters and queer characters was really great and flawlessly integrated. The underlying plot is also quite interesting.

What led to me not enjoying the book was mainly the writing. It just felt very amateure. Which makes sense, it is a debut novel so to some extent I expected that and am willing to forgive it. Unfortunately it was so noticable that it constantly pulled me out of the story. There are also multiple plotholes that are really annoying and some parts just had me frustrated.

I would rate this book 2.5/5.

Reviews on other sites (including goodreads) will follow, I will update this review with the links once they are up.

This was such a strong starter of a book with a really original premise of having gods great and small all accessible out in the world.

I really enjoyed the godkiller being a woman and one who is disabled by missing a leg at that yet still being fantastic at her job.

There was a lot packed into this book both with the characters story and explaining some of the history of this fantasy world. It was very easy to read and I enjoyed all of it.