The writing of this book was absolutely beautiful. I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put it down! Incredibly well written, a stunning debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

3.5 stars rounded up
The gorgeous cover caught my attention, and the prologue hooked even more. With its intriguing storyline, its refreshing and complex worldbuilding, Godkiller is a great Fantasy book. I really enjoyed the concept and the magic system, and I loved the multiple POVs—since the POV characters are very different from one another, it was great to see the story unfold through different eyes. While I enjoyed the POVs, I had trouble connecting with most of the characters, and struggled with the pacing at times (especially towards the middle part, when the pace slowed).
All in all, Godkiller is an enjoyable read with very intriguing concepts and I would recommend it to Adult Fantasy readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I really liked this, I think it was a good beginner book for the trilogy. Although I will say apart from the opening scene with the sacrifices, it was slow to start. It definitely picked up the pace once the characters set off on their journey. However, I do think the ending was rushed. I think the betrayal would have been a lot more gut wrenching and impactful had there been a bit more of an exploration into the relationship between Elo and Arren. I really liked Kissen as the main character. She hasn’t allowed all her trauma and experiences to turn her into someone that’s mean. Sure she’s rough around the edges but she has a heart of gold. I think that all the characters were written really well too. For example, Inaras' recklessness was very believable as she is in her early teens so wouldn’t necessarily think things through as much as an adult would. I also think Inara forgave Skedi far too quickly.

I am intrigued to find out who Inaras’ father is given that she is a halfling. This makes me think the reason why her mum kept her hidden was. As we know the Gods rely on worship to stay powerful and strong, so if everyone knew of Inaras’ heritage then maybe that could heighten any powers she may have. I do think that Skedis memory loss might have something to do with who Inaras’ father is. I also liked how parentage was not an issue in this. The Queen has many kids by multiple men? That’s absolutely fine, she’s claimed them. It is also very obvious that Arren is the youngest child.

I really enjoyed the representation in this, it didn’t feel forced and I loved that the disabilities/sexual orientation wasn’t the characters only personality trait.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and liked how it came almost full circle. It was well written, full of well rounded characters and it’s also multiple POVs, 5 stars.

This book was really good! I couldn't get enough of it. I binged it in two days. Highly recommend it for a short, interesting fantasy that doesn't do what you expect.

The writing of this book was absolutely beautiful. I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't put the book down because I just had to know what came next

A brand new voice in the Fantasy field, and what a book to debut with! Godkiller grabbed me from page one, soaked in Mythology, the incredible plot is accompanied by beautiful world-building and masterful storytelling. A truly magical novel!

Preliminary 5 star review
On my list to read next/ within the next month
Heard so many amazing things about this book!

Brilliant book. Felt like an anime with the world and animals. Never read anything like it before and it will be hard to find something as good as it. Can't wait to read more fro this author

This is the first instalment in the Godkiller series.

Skedi is a god of white lies. He has somehow found himself attached to an orphaned noble woman, fleeing from those would see her follow in her family's footsteps, and a godkiller, who fears and distrusts him in equal measure. The two women could not be more unalike and yet must learn to bond in order to save each other, and for Skedi to find his escape and true purpose.

Whilst this outline is thrilling and was the source of my immediate investment in this book, the characters quickly took over as my main attraction to this novel. I found, in some small parts, for the plot pacing to lag or for events to begin to feel repetitive. I couldn't really care less when I was so emotionally invested in the well-being for the central characters, however.

Some were snarky and sassy, others empathetic and vulnerable. Their differences made them a motley crew and all the more beloved, to me, because of it. There were many exciting discoveries to be made about who they really were or what events had arisen in their pasts to make them the individuals they were in the book's present day and I really enjoyed exploring these aspects as their current mission also played out.

Godkiller was one of the hyped up books I was most looking forward to reading and it did not disappoint, it’s not just the cover that is beautiful.

Pacing wise this isn’t a large book but it feels like it achieved a lot. The opening chapter is a powerful, brutal start. However the vibe of the book changes once Inara joins the story and turns Kissen effectively turns from a killer of gods to a reluctant bodyguard/babysitter to a child and her God sidekick. It’s a hard opening for a book that tames down after this opening chapter and at no point does it hit as hard as the opening, that said it would be exhausting if it kept punching like that so I’m glad for the switch.

Kissen is a fantastic character. From the start of the book it’s clear why she is guarded, why she has built walls around her following the murder of her family, and yet despite being shown cruelty, she still is good and strives to do what is right. She’s rough around the edges, beautiful in a raw powerful way, scars and all, as opposed to delicate, and that’s what makes her so fantastic. Throughout the book you experience Kissen defrosting as she comes to care (both physically and emotionally) for Inara, a child who has also lost her family. Inara is joined by Skeidi, a small God whose very presence challenging Kissen’s feelings of Gods who betrayed her.

Inara is meant to be 12 but acts either very mature or incredibly immature, throw in that she’s a noble and you’ve got a very entitled brat throughout the book stamping her feet and causing Kissen grief who is actually trying to help her. I will say character development wise Inara comes into her own in the last 1/3 of the book, standing up for herself and taking control which makes her an infinitely more likeable character, once she stands up to Skeidi who visually is adorable but enraging.
It’s frustrating how everyone, including Elo who involves himself in the journeys but there isn’t a whole lot to say about him really, treats Kissen like a villain when all she’s done is at times be blunt. She’s doubted, accused, betrayed and yet she still goes out of her way in this book to help those who treat her badly.

I just really loved Kissen so it was frustrating that people gave her a hard time, but it’s a testament to a well written character that you can be defensive on their behalf and root for them!

The world building with the various Gods in various forms, the gritty action and fight scenes are all really impressive and made this a really enjoyable read. That along with a really strong lead character and quality character development made this a book would recommend to others.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

“When Middren falls to the gods, your kind will be the first to die.” Is one of the lines on the back of the @illumicrate edition of Godkiller, I’m not sure if it is on the standard edition too, but how can you not be hyped to find out what happens with a line like that?!?

Godkiller is a book I have been looking forward to reading for a while now, when I discovered it was one of the Illumicrate monthly books I was so excited to get my hands on it!

It is a short book (sub 300 pages) but those 280 ish pages really do pack a punch. Kissen, Elogast and Inara all feel sufficiently fleshed out as main characters and there is also a solid cast of supporting characters too like Kissen’s found family Yatho and Telle, and the group of pilgrims that the main characters find themselves traveling with. The lore and history is surprisingly well constructed considering how little pages there are to flesh it out and the world feels alive and buzzing with intrigue and fantasy.

The titular Godkiller, Kissen, is a curmudgeonly hero, jaded by a tough and tragic life in a tough and tragic world who softens over time and discovers a side to her that she wasn’t even sure she had herself. Elogast is a loyal and noble knight in want of a quiet life but compelled back into service by the guilt that blinds him. Inara is a young noble who finds herself with nowhere to go, nobody to trust and a forbidden god bonded to her. Together they journey to a city where gods still roam and each of them must face their own reckoning.

Map Check? YES! It does have a map, instant win.

God Killer….oh how to start? I’m starting this review off on a downer, but I was so looking forward to reading this book, the cover alone made me so excited to get begin a devouring reading session. The reality unfortunately is quite different. This was a highly anticipated novel of 2023, but I just feel like it fell flatter than pancake on Shrove Tuesday. Truth be told the cover was the only thing about the book that stood tall. The artwork is incredible and prior to reading the eBook I had considered investing in the beautiful, sprayed edge edition for my personal collection, I’m afraid as beautiful as it is, I just cannot justify parting with my hard-earned cash for a book that will gather dust.

Now on to God Killer itself I did enjoy the prologue (again, I always seem to love a strong prologue) it had a really strong start but that’s where my enthusiasm for Godkiller started and stopped. I picked up the book in mid-February and I’ve only just finished now. For some that might be okay, but I usually start and finish several books in the space of a week, so for me this book has taken quite some time to get through. Hand on my heart – the only two parts that held my attention was the prologue and the ending, the middle really didn’t hold my attention. I’ve picked up and put down the book a fair few times.

In the author’s defence (I know it seems like I’m tearing the book down, but credit where credits due) the story is stunningly written. The language flowed like a river in the summer, smoothly. It’s got the kind of narrative that you could fall into, I guess the book just wasn’t for me. It’s got a lot of rave reviews, once again it appears that another hyped book has passed me by.

The things that irked me the most was the poorly developed characters apart from Kissen. I just didn’t think that enough time or care was given to building up the other characters. I was hugely confused by the worldbuilding. I love a map in fantasy but this story with its back and forth just left me scratching my head at times. I wanted to be able to follow what was happening but had to go back and reread sections, the whole process left me feeling frustrated.

God Killer follows Kissen, a Godkiller. The backstory of Kissen is full of trauma and tragedy. Everyone knows what can happen when you are left with the ever-present scars of a haunted past, it either kills you or throws you into a completely different road. For Kissen that is the beaten track of god killing. She funnels her anger into killing gods, her reputation precedes her and she damn well knows it. When she chances upon the noble child, Inara Crainer things go arse over tit rather quickly. The child appears to be bound to a god that has no shrine and yet it seems impossible for Inara to be bonded with this god, and yet it is there right in front of her eyes. Kissen refuses to allow another child bow to the mercy of yet another god but how can she ensure that Inara doesn’t die in the process?

I thoroughly enjoyed this – while it took me a minute to pick it up, once invested in the story I flew through it. It’s been said before, but the vibes of an outcast highly skilled ruffian for hire suddenly being responsible for a young person – I cannot get enough. The world was wide, with a rich history and the mythology was perfect for me. The mechanics of the gods, and how they kept their power, the effect of having them on the world, was all fascinating. There was some infrequently seen representation as well, and I enjoyed reading all the multi-POV perspectives. I can’t wait to read the sequel – and while I got this as an ARC I have since bought a physical copy for my shelves!

I absolutely adored this book. First of all, I'm a suckered for a beautiful cover and this one is STUNNING. I was initially unsure as to how so much that was promised in the description would play out but I was not disappointed. Kaner was able to build a unique world and characters whilst having such an inticing read. Will forever be recommending this.

4 ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Harpercollins UK and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to the sequel.

I found the premise to be original and interesting, the world building was good and I wasn’t left wondering about things like I do in some books where the world building just isn’t as good.

I was a bit concerned about multiple POVs in a book with less than 500 pages-but I was pleasantly surprised. The POVs all had a really clear and distinct voice, I never had to think and remember whose POV I was in.

Definitely recommend this book-I can’t think of something to compare it to, but if you like well written fantasy then this is for you.

This book killed me! It was so sad! My first mistake was getting so attached to Skedi, but in my defence if you have a little rabbit creature in a book who can talk and is attached to another character, I'm going to very quickly fall in love.

My second mistake was assuming for even a second that I knew where it was going to go. This book had more twists and turns that anything I have ever read. It shocked me and surprised me and generally made for a very enjoyable read.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series because I can tell that this is going to be good.

First I would like to say thanks to Netgalley for giving me early access to this book prior to release.

This book is very clear to be a debut in the sense that is has such a good premise but missed the mark, it has room to improve for sure.

There is good representation in this book, and it was done really well, flowed naturally within the story.
The world building and the plot were a little all over the place and made it hard to keep up with what was going on and why.

The pacing was seriously off in this book which is what made me take the decision to ultimately DNF it at 42%. The beginning was pretty fast paced to the point it was hard to keep track of which POV we were following and what they were doing. When we reached the middle of the story it dragged, nothing was really happening to keep the story moving and it actually became pretty boring.

There is no real character development in what I did read, and I don’t see why the massive cast of characters were needed as they didn’t really bring anything exciting to the story.

Unfortunately for me the cover is the best thing about this book, and the illumicrate special edition is stunning.

I was originally drawn to this book because of the excellent cover and seeing it all over social media, and I'm so glad the story inside matches up to the package! Incredibly well written, a stunning debut and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book, and cannot WAIT for the next installment/s in the series. Kissen, Elo and Inara are the found family we all deserve, and getting Skedi's perspective every so often added to the overall narrative drive. The 'twist' at the end was fairly predictable but I didn't care because the ride was great. New favourite series alert!

In the world of Hannah Kaner’s Godkiller, gods are born from human prayers, fears and
desires and demand offerings and sacrifice from their followers in turn. But if gods can be
born then they can die. Kissen is a Veiga, a mercenary who kills gods when they end
up causing their followers harm, a service that’s still in demand even in the aftermath of a
brutal siege and civil war that’s led to the worship of any god being banned. After all, people
are still people. But this poses a problem for young noble Inara and Skediceth, a god of white
lies, who are bound together and neither knows how or why. And the only way to find a god
powerful enough to free them is to travel to the haunted and forbidden city of Blenraden.
Joining Kissen and Inara is Elogast, a knight turned baker, with a secret errand of his own
that may upset everything.

As well as being a brilliant opening to a new High-Fantasy series, Godkiller is a brilliantly
written meditation on faith. At one point, a character says something along the lines of gods
and people being a mirror of the other, and it’s very apt. Kissen has a justifiable hatred of
gods, Inara, due to her sheltered upbringing and her bond with Skedi, has a unique
perspective, and Elogast left his knighthood because he didn’t agree with trying to control
how people practice their faith. All have good points and none are portrayed as more right or
wrong.

The ending twist was heart-breaking but it’s also made me look forward to book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.