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.

I really really enjoyed this book. I liked the concept of the Gods, and I was so on edge the whole time trying to figure out what was going on, and what was really going on with Inara. That being said, there was a lot of world-building in this, but I do feel it was necessary to set the scenes. I'm desperately hoping there's a second book, as this was left on a massive cliffhanger!

I actually read this as part of a buddy read, which definitely helped, and actually meant we exchanged lots of opinions and thoughts about the book throughout, which made me enjoy it so much more!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early release in exchange for my honest review.

For more reviews, please check out my Instagram at TikTok at @blondesbooknook or my Twitter at @lausbooknook

I need to recommend this book to everyone. Well written, a great story line and strong likeable characters. It follows Kissen a who loses her family as a child to gods. As an adult she has made her way as a godkiller. She helps a young girl Inara with a god problem. On their travels they meet Elogast a former knight now baker, this unlikely trio team and face truths together. Can not recommend this enough it’s fantasy but I think anyone and everyone would enjoy it

An exciting debut novel by Hannah Kaner. Although somewhat shorter than usual dark fantasy novels, this did not take away from the plot which was driven forward all the way. Written from multiple points of view which can often be difficult and confusing, it was very easy to follow. What I also loved was how unconventional the characters were- not your usual protagonists.

Overall an interesting read which had me hooked throughout. I can't wait to see what Kaner has in store next.

I almost put off reading Godkiller by Hannah Kaner because I wasn’t quite sure if I was in the mood for it, and I am so glad I didn’t. I saw it getting fantastic reviews, including from my friends, and I had to check it out for myself. Right from the start I was swept away by Kaner’s brutally honest and vivid storytelling. The events that Kissin lives through and other characters experience are the awful life changing ones and what I liked about Kaner’s writing style is that there’s no sugar-coating. Life sucks, and you have to keep going, and that’s exactly what Kissin has had to do.

As a veiga, a royally sanctioned killer of gods, Kissin has made a reputation for herself in that field. It’s a huge surprise to her to find herself face to face with a god in a tavern one day with a young girl as its companion. Her every instinct to kill the god is waylaid by the fact that the two share an unknown bond and the young girl, Inara, is asking Kissin of all people for help. When her plan A ends up in disaster, Kissin ends up more involved with Inara and Skediceth than she had planned. She sees a lot of herself in the girl and her friends are no help, convincing her that Kissin is the only one that can help her even if that means going back to a place she said she would never return to.

Kissin isn’t the only one heading back to the city against their own desire. On the road the trio meet a strange man who instantly catches Kissin’s attention. Elogast claims to just be a baker, and while he moves like a warrior, he actually is a baker. Or he has been since the war ended and would have quite happily remained doing so until the King, his best friend, came to him with an explosive revelation. Once upon a time he was the Knight Commander in the King’s army and Ego has no choice to head back to the city where it all began, to face events he’s been hiding from ever since.

His attempt to fly under the radar fails miserably when things get messy on the road, and he joins up with Kissin, Inara and Skediceth. They may all be on the same side when it comes to getting to the city, however, when it comes to why they need to and what they’re doing when they get there no one’s telling the truth.

I loved everything about Godkiller. Kaner has created an incredible world which explores the concept of gods and their symbiotic relationship with humans. Gods are powerful, however, without the worship of humans they have no power. In Godkiller Kaner fully explores every angle of this relationship and that is what makes this book so good. She doesn’t just cover the exploitation of humans by all powerful gods and how it devastates people’s lives, while also delving into the idea of what happens when the gods that people depend on, that are deeply entwined in people’s lives are suddenly not there any more. For example, Ego meets a couple who are looking for a god to remove a blessing placed by a midwife god when the woman was a baby. Two women in her family have already died because of it.

In a world where believing in gods is a crime, people have a difficult choice to make and very few people to trust. Kaner weaves a story filled with secrets, and suspense where no one is innocent. Children like Inara have to grow up fast, and I found Inara’s journey throughout the novel to be believable. She starts as a terrified and ignorant young noble girl who complains about having to give up her luxurious cloak for a more practical – and smelly – travelling cloak.

All the characters in Godkiller have this level of realism, and it was wonderful to read a book with a disabled protagonist where their disability is not the main focus. Kissen lost a leg as a child and wears a prosthetic, and the only time her disability is mentioned is when it’s a practical issue or when it’s relevant. Kaner doesn’t waste words on making sure we know that Kissen is disabled and when she introduces Kissen’s two friends, we know that one uses a wheelchair and one is Deaf only because we’re reading Inara’s narrative who notices as a stranger would. Inara notices and describes their disabilities just as she does their hair colour, and she only knows that one of them is Deaf because she’s using sign language to communicate. There’s no big deal made about them being disabled, the same goes for LGBTQIA+ relationships; Kissens friends are both women and in a relationship and Kissen herself is openly bisexual. It was also extremely appreciated that trauma, especially childhood trauma, was treated respectfully.

Godkiller is a fantastic book with so many twists and turns, and it stuck with me so long after I finished it. Kaner’s debut is a delight and sets up wonderfully for the second book, offering some answers that only create more questions. It has everything and more (including fab disability representation!) that I want to see in a fantasy novel and I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book!

really enjoyed this book! I wasn't sure to start with as I do not gel very well with multiple characters POV's, buuuuut I ended up really enjoying it. The characters had a lot of growth and the plot kept me interesting and turning the page. I was very pleasantly surprised.

This is fantasy and is set in a world with a god for everything imaginable. A number of years ago there was a war between humans and gods and now worship of any kind is no longer allowed because it would restore power to the gods.

This alternates between 4 POVs, we have a young woman who is a godkiller by profession, a man who was a former soldier in the war, a young girl whose entire family was killed - and the god of white lies who is attached to the little girl.

They end up going on this quest together to find out how to detach the god, and how the soldier can save his friend.

The world building in this is excellent, so interesting. But the story wasn't totally keeping me engaged and I did find this a slow read, especially given the length.

This is the first in a series and it's not one where everything is wrapped up, there are still a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this. The opening scene is also very brutal, as a warning!

I did like it enough to read the next book in the series, on the strength of that world building.

3.75 stars

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

4 STARS

A gritty, high fantasy debut. Full of morally ambiguous characters and an in-depth plot that will keep you turning the pages.

Definitely worth a read!

Just incredible. Awesome morally grey characters. I like that even the “pious” of the pairing was fun and ready with a dirty song when needed.
Deaf representation as well as LGBQTA rep.
The gods verse is just, for lack of a better phrase “cool af” I just loved it. I’ve since bought several special edition copies.
So excited for the next book
Thanks!!