This book has everything you could want from a fantasy novel. An absolutely perfectly written debut! Loved it

I love God novels and this did not disappoint. I felt this was mainly plot and character driven. There is some world building. It is medium paced I feel. It is set in a short timeframe which I found good. There are 4 main Characters which are all different and unique. Kissen is a bad ass woman who has been through alot. I just love her. Elo is an ex knight with a burden who wants to repent. Inara is a hidden child with surprise & mystery. Skedi is a cheeky mischevious little god. One spicy scene which was hoping would be coming with the tension. Full of twists, turns & surprises. Ends on a cliffhanger. Amazing read and loved it. Can't wait for the next one need it asap.

Full review will be posted as soon as possible and I'll add links to the blog as well. The review will be scheduled and posted closer to publication date.

I would like to thank the publisher HarperCollins and Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Godkiller is an amazing debut novel.

Hannah Kaner @hanfrankan has written a beautifully immersive world. She takes the idea of the power of belief; that people’s belief creates deities and the strength of this belief determines the strength of a God’s power. creates a sinister world where Gods demand more and more sacrifice.
I loved the female characters, Kissen is so badass. There is a mix of P.O.Vs which I found really effective at balancing the worldview we receive, it means the book feels quite new and fresh, too dark and sinister for YA but with too optimistic to feel wholly dark. This really worked for me but I can see it being a bit divisive for people.

The world building was so evocative, I felt anchored in the settings but also wanted to explore the rest of the world.

Disability and LGBTQA+ representation.
Echoes of Pratchett, Laini Taylor and Anna Stephens whilst being a fresh new voice.
Excited to see what the next book holds!
Thank you @netgalley
and @harpervoyager_uk for this eArc

#fantasyfellowship #fantasyfellowshipreadathon
#godkiller #fantasy #autumnbooks

A great start to a new series that I expect will get better with each book. The world-building is dark and fascinating as a kingdom recovers from the bloody aftermath of a war with gods. I enjoyed the lore around the gods and the dived between ancient and new gods that sparked the war. Skediceth, the small god of white lies has some of the best pov chapters and character development. It's interesting to see how different his nature is and some of the drastic steps he was prepared to take to protect himself and Inra.

With an excellent set of characters and a twisty plot, it kept me hooked throughout. I did feel the pacing was slightly off, it didn't feel like all that much happened but I'm putting this down to it being a set-up for a larger series. I'm expecting the next books to have a more bombastic plot and I am eagerly anticipating their releases.

Setting/Worldbuilding: 10/10
Main characters: 10/10
Side characters: 10/10
Dialogue: 8/10
Plot: 10/10
Technique: 10/10
Prose: 10/10
Romance: 8.5/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 95.5/100 (4.775)

This was a flawless debut. I am ON THE FLOOR.

In a world of new gods and old gods, human-created gods and wild gods, warring gods and greedy gods, we have a spectacular ensemble cast of unlikely allies: (1) Kissen, a godkiller with a sordid past, (2) Inara, a petulant noble child tied to a god and a fate that she has no idea about, (3) Skedi, the god of white lies bound to Inara, who awoke with no memories of who he used to be, and (4) Elogast, a jaded knight with secrets of his own.

It was a beautiful premise, and executed perfectly. There was nothing I could fault about this at all. So let me just point out all the things that stood out to me.

(1) Mature and tight characterisations that belied the author's years of publishing. Hannah knows that you don't have to create unlikeable characters to portray their flaws. Each of her characters were brilliantly concepted, had well-thought out motivations, and most of all behaved entirely rationally within the realms of their background, experience and knowledge. They made mistakes, mistrusted each other, took a long time to warm up to each other - no instalove here guys. And none was needed, because we are drawn to them like moths to a flame.

(2) Excellent prose. I am ENVIOUS you all, ENVIOUS. Hannah's writing was sharp, to the point, but evocative as hell. All the scenes were painted brilliantly, emotions were drawn and held. Flawless. I will also add that most of my reads from debut fantasy authors this year have been American, and it was such a breath of fresh air to see British English in writing in a way that felt incredibly natural. It felt like coming home, and I'm all for it.

(3) Amazing plot pacing - everything was done right. All the scenes flowed smoothly, nothing was left amiss. Mysteries are solved, but more are left unanawered as we head towards the inevitable sequel.

(4) Romance. The romance was done SUPERBLY well here. We know it's not the end of it, but I am SO over all of these romantic sub-plots where the love interests spend pages mooning over each other. Nooooo, not here. The angst (whatever romantic angst there was, of course) was handled brilliantly, and this was a romantic subplot between emotionally mature characters (even if not the most emotionally healthy or stable, but we'll leave that for another day). It made for some really pleasant reading.

(5) The excellent introductions of diversity into the plot. Great representation for non-hetero relationships, PTSD and disability abound.

(6) The concept. Now this is where I am totally biased, all. You see, the premise of Godkiller pretty much touches of all of my favourite mythological and plot tropes ever. I am not joking: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20426102-nice-dragons-finish-last?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=IwIFj88F2W&rank=1">human-fuelled arrogant gods</a> (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42385018-minimum-wage-magic?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SDx0Ty0xBr&rank=1">I mean it</a>), <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31829155-red-winter?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=V8AxOzHA95&rank=1">paranormal creatures with no memories</a>, , <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20890540-noragami">gods that struggle for following</a> (and I mean <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=SyKFh3ljjB&rank=1">really struggle</a>). These tropes can NEVER be overdone in my eyes, such is my love for them. But Hannah goes and makes it her own, and executes it brilliantly. I find myself wondering whether she might have enjoyed mangas or Japanese mythology, as I'm getting flavours of that in her writing.

All in all, I am in awe. I have already gone ahead and ordered the hardcopy of this book, and will be waiting eagerly for the sequel =)

Thank you once again for this ARC!

Godkiller was a different, imaginative and very atmospheric read. What I noticed from the very beginning was the writing style. Unique, beautiful, immersive and lyrical. I loved it. I was astonished that the book was a debut because, for me, the voice of the author seemed very established. I would say that Hannah Keller is a natural talent and I cannot wait to read her next books.

Having said this, I had a bit of trouble getting into the story. I thought there were too many characters introduced at the beginning. That, combined with their unusual names, made it a bit confusing for me. But when I got going, I couldn't stop reading.

I loved that there were so many female characters with such distinct objectives, backstories and voices. They were all authentic and well-developed and I enjoyed finding out more about them. I loved the disruption Skediceth introduced into the story too.

The worldbuilding was phenomenal. It was clear, well-developed and I had a sense of where things were located. Amazing!

I really enjoyed the book. I think Hannah Keller is a voice to look out for!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for giving me an ARC copy of this ebook, in exchange for a honest review.

I well and truly enjoyed this story, high fantasy. Including a few different characters POV's. Include queer presenting characters and those with disabilities. It was refreshing to read a story with representation like this.
We follow the journey of four main characters: Kissen, The Godkiller an assassin who's soul job is to remove the Gods from this world. Inara, a young girl who has a God attached to her. Skediceth the God attached to Inara and Elogast a retired Knight turned "baker".
The story building was fantastic and I felt I was there myself throughout. I haven't read a story quite like this, Set in a world where there are God's of different sizes, worshipped at different levels. Each God has a different ability and influence. The main character's grow, mature and develop themselves while still having given flaws. I can only hope there is going to be another book to continue the story! I am engrossed and need to know what happens next!

I loved this book. A high fantasy tale with magic, gods and action, alongside lgbt+ and disabled representation. Amazing. And neither the bisexual or disability representation felt shoehorned in, or like they were written for the sake of having representation. They fit in so naturally and wonderfully. This book has beautiful world building and opens right into the action and keeps the pages turning. It seemed so immersive, and yet a relatively ‘easy’ read, with a good flow of storylines and pacing.
Essentially, in this world, there are Gods worshipped, of all sizes from old to new and big and small, and they are all vying for power and attention, and inevitably, was broke out. This leads us to the characters in the book and where they are today. A bitter woman, previously injured in the name of the gods, who seeks to destroy them and makes money doing so. A tired old knight who fought in the Gods war, yet he brings refreshing element to the ‘retired knight trope’, and a small girl with a secret – a god of her own. Brought together through circumstances out their control, they must work together to survive.
This book also made use of multiple viewpoints really well, I never found myself having to go back to the start of a chapter to figure out who POV it was, the characters were written so well and so differently. Every character felt well rounded and like a whole different entity, each with their lovable quirks (and flaws) and their character development was well-established throughout the book as well as their ever-changing relationships to one another. While this books completes the story arc, I haven’t had my fill of the gang, and cannot wait for that sequel .

full reviews will be posted on instagram and tiktok @books.tea.and.more.books in the following month

Pulse racingly brilliant fantasy with both bisexual and disabled representation? Hell yes! What a brilliant read- an original read, glorious lead characters, and a fantastic balance between the huge scope of the overarching plot, and the delicate, funny, and kind interactions between the characters. Highly recommend

Godkiller had a really strong start. It hooked me in and I felt the excitement I usually have whenever I find a book that I think will be absolutely fantastic and will have me on the edge of my seat.

Unfortunately, that feeling only stayed for the prologue. Maybe it's a me problem? I don't know, but I was just really bored with this book and kept putting it down. The characters were only vaguely interesting and halfway through I couldn't really care for any of them. They were quite forgettable to me, some characters more than others.

Another thing that brought it down was the pacing. While it's quite fast at the start, it ebbs and flows, which makes it rather jarring to read. Since this is also not a very long book, I wish the main thing had started sooner.

What I do commend is the world building though. It's fantastic and rich. The way it was explained through the introductory chapters was palatable in a way that didn't make it info-dumpy. The author does have great writing. I liked the way they described food and all the little things set in the world. I also really loved the disability and queer representation in this book — definitely wish it's something shown more in fantasy.

Overall, just not for me. Hopefully, other readers will be able to enjoy this book more.

I found this such an easy, immersive read — I don’t know if it was the simple but committed set-up, the flow of prose, or the characters so diverse yet not even once reduced to poster children for disabilities/queerness/trauma — but it went down like a good drink.
It was simple but thoughtful, colorful without leaning into purple prose, and impactful because it sets the clear boundaries of expectations for each character, setting up well any climactic transgressions. The cast was charming, I kind of liked everyone, really: Kissen’s badassery came in flavours that reminded me of Witcher books, Inara and Skedi put me in mind of Lyra and Pan (but make it both kinder and more messy), and Elogast who should embody the tired knight trope yet manages to make it humane and likable. (Is it the baking? It must be the baking). And yet they are all their own characters — don’t be put off by similes, they read very much like a wholly their own persons, and following their journey was very pleasurable. The story arcs were pretty contained and streamlined, but left plenty of room to expand the scale of conflict and bring more layers to it.

Thank you #Netgalley for a copy of the #Godkiller (and is it too early to clamour for a sequel when the book won’t be released until the next year?)

I'd literally heard nothing about this book before I came across it on Netgalley (this is unusual for a trad published genre book) and picked it up on the strength of the fantastic cover and intriguing blurb alone. I'm so glad I came across this, as it's one of my favourite books this year so far.

The basic premise of Godkiller is that it's set in a world which is pretty much riddled with gods of all sizes, large and small, who understandably become more or less powerful depending on belief and worship. We first meet one of our protagonists when she's a child and her family is killed as a sacrifice to a particular god, who is not the one they have a relationship with, so Kissen feels betrayed and eventually ends up as someone whose job it is to rid communities of gods, as at times the gods' demands for sacrifice and humanity's best interests decidedly run counter to one another.

Kissen then ends up finding herself responsible for the welfare of an orphaned child who has a bond with one of the smaller gods, a god of white lies, which means that the two can't be physically separated without both experiencing pain. This means that Kissen's usual role is impossible and the three of them end up heading towards the site of the last major battle with the gods in the hope that separation can happen their. They're joined on their travels by a former knight turned baker, also a veteran of the same wars, who's on a quest of his own to save someone he cares for.

The world-building is nicely done, there's some nice character work all the way through in terms of both the main characters and the supporting cast, and the author mostly avoids taking the obvious route when plotting this (except, perhaps, in getting Kissen and Elo romantically involved which felt a little unnecessary). So, all in all, I enjoyed this a lot and it gets the full 5-star treatment because it's a book I could see myself re-reading and I look forward to seeing where this storyline goes in the rest of the inevitable trilogy.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.


I need a sequel 😫

I loved it the plot, the world building everything was spot on

Kissen is my favourite by far her character is one of the best female characters I have read about in a good while.

The disability rep and LGBTQ+ rep was very well done and didn’t feel forced

I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Godkiller follows three main characters: a knight-turned baker called Elogast, Kissen the godkiller, and Inara - a noble girl with a seemingly unheard of bond with Skedi, a god of white lies. All three of them have to travel to the broken city of Blenraden, which was destroyed in the war against the gods. Inara needs to find Skedi a shrine, so that they are no longer bound together, and Kissen promises to protect her on the journey. On the way they meet Elo, who wants to find a god who can save his dying King.

This book is exactly what I want when I pick up an epic fantasy. I loved the world building. I thought it was super interesting and really well thought out. The lore surrounding the gods (similar vibes to the Silt Verses), the way they worked, and the way they were ingrained in the culture of the world was definitely a highlight for me. I'd love to read more about them.

The three main characters were all likeable in their own ways. I think there was good character development, and I also liked how their relationships grew. All their motivations made sense, and the way they became closer and overcame their mistrust of each other felt natural.

There was also some great rep - Kissen is shown in relationships with women and men, and her two best friends are women in a long term relationship. There's a deaf character and conversations in sign language that were written in seamlessly. Kissen lost one of her lower legs and wears a prosthetic. This doesn't at all stop her from being an awesome warrior, which is great to see.

The plot was fairly straight forward, but with plenty of tension and some surprising turns. Book 1 had a good arc, but there's still plenty to explore in the rest of the series.

I can't wait to read the next one!! I also can't wait to own a hard copy with this amazing cover. I requested this arc initially because I absolutely LOVE the cover.

I've struggled to find the right words to write this review, but I'm pretty sure whatever I write will not do it justice.

This book? Extraordinary.

Kaner apparently pitched this as The Witcher meets American Gods, which are some pretty big shoes to fill. From where I'm sitting, she's absolutely nailed it. From Page 1, I was obsessed. I'm not even kidding. I was approved for the arc while I was work. I started reading, just to get the gist, and the next thing I know I'm 20% finished and I had to force myself to put it down. In spite of this, my hand kept creeping back to my kindle of its own accord. I made the decision not to read this in fits and starts, because I really just wanted to wallow in this world. I wanted to sit down and read in one giant gulp.

No matter how you read this, it is wonderful.

The premise was really unique and aimed high. Most importantly, it DELIVERED. The characters were all flawed, well-rounded, realistic, lovable, which is a difficult thing to do. It's even more difficult to get it right. I appreciated how casually diversity was woven throughout this book. There were characters of different races and skin colours, differently abled characters, and several same-sex relationships/attraction (including a MC who is clearly bi.). I loved the setting. I loved the world building. I wanted more! I want a prequel to find out what the world was like when gods held sway. Truth be told, this book reminded me (in the best way) of my all-time favourite TV show from when I was a kid: Xena. Not just for the kick-ass main character, but for all gods and monsters.

I could not have loved this book more. Although it does have a complete arc, it has clearly been left open for a sequel since there are some unanswered questions. I have all my fingers crossed for one, because I want to find out what comes next for Elo, Ina, Skedi and, most of all, for Kissen.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 rounded up to 4

"A knight and a veiga follow a pilgrim trail and are attacked by gods-made monsters. It sounded like the start of a joke, except no one was laughing."

Overall, this was a really interesting book with a very original world and characters that only grow (on the page and in your heart) as the story progresses.

Some things I absolutely loved about this book:

- the world-building: impeccable. So well formed, with so much lore that wasn't confusing in any way. Bits of information were fed to us (mostly) in a really natural way as you read along, so it doesn't feel like you get too many info dumps
- the gods themselves: I loved the entire idea of the gods, every single one that was described - either in detail or just in passing - was intriguing, and I loved the way they gained (or lost) power through shrines and prayers
- some fantastic LGBTQ+ and disability rep: this didn't feel shoehorned in at all. Kissen has clearly been in relationships with both women and men; there is a healthy depiction of a loving and stable lesbian relationship; there is a deaf character who uses sign language and this isn't made a big deal of and naturally flows into the story; Kissen lost the lower half of one leg during her teen years and is a badass warrior who kills gods - I think her entire character is written so incredibly well.
- the character relationships - I loved seeing the development of the character's feelings towards each other, moving from mistrust and outright irritation, to reluctant affection, to absolute allies.

Some things I felt fell a little flat for me:

- at times some of the information we were given felt a little to 'tell' and not enough 'show'.
- the pacing at times felt a little slow and I found my concentration lagging
- some of the dialogue - and often internal dialogue - felt a little dry and too wordy
- the mixed POVs gave a good insight to the feelings of the characters, but it sometimes felt like it swapped to another POV at a really inconvenient time


I am definitely really interested to see what happens in the sequel (hopefully there will be one!) and feel like any of the little things I've been nitpicky about will probably be resolved in the next book.

Preliminary 5-star review. Will post a full review and adjust the rating accordingly after I finish the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.