This is my favourite thing I've read this year and I'm pretty sure it's going to be a favourite of 2023. It's a classic fantasy romp with (most of) the old problems fixed. We get a badass hero you want to be and be with, who is also complicated as hell; a Knight who has some depth beyond his 'calling', who you can feel sympathy for; the young noble/child escort mission/quest giver who comes into her own; the animal companion - but he's actually interesting; and a background cast who feel like real people, too, something which is usually just missing from fantasy narratives. Things play out, well-paced, against a setting that I felt I could step into (and that I would love to play D&D in) - just enough information given, and the comforting sense that the author knows everything about everything (but hasn't felt the need to put it all in the text - love this). I'm aware that this is all very superlative but it was just such a joyful read, and I repeat what I said when I first finished - this had better be a trilogy at least, or so help me!

Godkiller
Author: Hannah Kaner
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release date: 19th January 2023
Pages: 304pp
Cover: Absolutely glorious (by Tom Roberts)

Kissen’s father fell in love with a god of the sea sixteen years previously and her family have been favoured by the sea and always had full fishing nets.
Then one night, Kissen and her family are drugged, and taken to become a sacrifice.
The whole village gather at night “to catch the sea god’s favoured family.”
Osidisen’s promise - her father’s sacrifice - still heavy in her heart, adult Kissen is a veiga – godkiller – destroying gods who become too greedy and demand more for sacrifice.
She travels and works at the behest of King Arren, though she earns her own coin, freeing poor villages from the tyranny of small gods.
Inara Craier is twelve year old girl who enters Ennerton, where Kissen last defeated one of the gods. She’s after help for her little “problem”. The one where she sees auras, emotions in colours and oh ...has the most adorable pet ‘god’ called Skedi who seems to be bound to her for no apparent reason. At least, he’s adorable at first. He is after all the god of white lies and cannot always be trusted.
Inara, though she loves Skedi, needs them to be separated as she can’t move more than a few yards from him without the tether snapping them back to each other.
Elo, now a baker and dealing with PTSD from the war, still gets occasional visits from his old friend Arren (you know, the King) and when he does, he knows something is up and Arren wants his advice. He also plans to send him on a mission.
On a pilgrimage to Blenraden of all places, to find a god who can help the king heal his broken heart – and not the mushy sort of broken. It’s literally dying.
All of these stories told from multiple POV, interweave bringing danger, adventure and sacrifice as the group travel the pilgrim route to the old battle site; sort of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales meets a grimdark-ish fantasy with a grizzled heroine/bodyguard, a proud ex knight/baker and a small girl who is more than she seems.
This is a rich, vivid novel dealing with religion, sedition and war. Kissen is one of a few disabled main characters in the book, and it just ‘is’. We see the reality of pain, exhaustion and managing day to day life with disabilities – physical, mental health issues and hearing difficulties as well – which makes the characters rounded and realistic. She’s also, incidentally, a complete badass. And Inara is her badass-in-training.
Elo is dealing with his PTSD and Inara with grief. Each has their own trials to deal with.
Perhaps the most telling line in the book comes at the beginning of the last part;
“‘Little girls grow up fast,’ said Kissen.”
And there’s a whole world of meaning here, not just about Inara. You’ll have to buy or nab this book from a library to find out more!
As a disabled reader it was refreshing to see such representation, as well as LGBTQIA+ characters and POC with Elo and others. It embedded this fantasy world within a reality we can all relate to. And despite being a grouch, Kissen is sort of likable too. If you know romance tropes, she’d be the Grumpy to someone’s Sunshine. She’s not afraid to say what’s on her mind and as such, makes for great entertainment as well as a fierce ally.
Elo is also pretty damned handsome, and despite herself, Kissen grows attached to him and the young girl in their care. What we have here is a terrific found family.
It’s great that Kissen is openly bisexual though no labels are ever attached or mentioned. She regularly makes love to women, more so than men. Her flirting with Rose the barmaid at the beginning is great fun.
I loved this book.
At the end I did an actual gasp at a few reveals, my hand held over my mouth, my eyes wide.
I suspect it will appear on many awards lists for 2023 and the hook at the end makes me hope for further adventures.
I expect a lot more exciting stories are yet to come from Hannah Kaner.

I really struggled with this book, I thought I would love it but the pacing really threw me off in the middle so I found myself bored throughout that section. I enjoyed the writing of this and the characters were interesting, unfortunately the book fell a little flat in the middle, although the ending was really good.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. The general description of the world intrigued me and I was very curious for it.

The book did not disappoint at all. The story follows Elogast (a knight who fought in the God War), Kissen (a God killer) and a little girl and a littler god. All these characters have interesting complex backgrounds that we continuously discover during the story and it kept me intrigued all the way. Also, the story is going at a steady pace, not to fast but not to slow - just right. I really enjoyed the take it took by the end of the book.

My favourite by far is the world building. I really like how the Gods are connected in this world. There are some unique aspects in terms of how Gods have been changing the world and their impact on the kingdom. It really made me want to read more and I am curious for what comes next.

A surprise for me in this book were the food descriptions. It's very rare for me to want to actually eat the food described in a book, but this one has some incredible descriptions. It really made me hungry in some parts. It is an unexpected great thing about the writing.

I highly recommend this book and I am curious for the next volume! ^_^

An excellent debut!

There has been a lot of excitement around this book and it certainly disappoint. Unique, imaginative and with the makings of a superb epic like LOTR. Certainly not one to miss!

In this world, previously common gods have been outlawed, and veiga such as our MC Kissen hunt down remaining gods and kill them. Along the way Kissen meets a group of people, each running from their own pasts, and together they make their way through this world.
This was a fantastic new fantasy, taking inspiration from what feels like hundreds of cultures. The idea of gods being commonplace, and favoured among both the highborn and regular people was an intriguing concept. I also loved the idea of gods being born from peoples feelings, as this allowed for multiple gods of the same thing but in different areas. it was also interesting to see the aftereffects of the God war in relatively recent terms, and to see how the changing political landscape affected characters both big and small.
The characters all felt well fleshed out, and particularly Elo, with his backstory being engaging, and his morals and beliefs being hard held and well explained.
The story worked well, with each character having their own reasonings for venturing out into the world, and this worked well as a way to explore each of their feelings and motivations.
The romance did feel slightly forced at times, however I am a sucker for some good light natured grilling in a relationship, and did feel that they worked well together.
The ending was fantastic, with a big showdown, while still focusing on the characters feelings and showcasing how the characters relationships with each other had grown.
Possibly my favourite book so far this year, I cannot wait to see more from this world, and to explore more of the rebellion hinted at!

We follow four unlikely characters as they go on a journey to find different things in a world broken after a war between old and new gods.

The King has banned all gods - which is easier said then done. In the aftermath people are still divided and rebel fractions are forming threatening the hold the king has on the people, but the king has a secret and visits his old friend and retired knight for help by sending him on a quest.

A young girl has a secret of her own and after hearing rumour of a Godkiller in town seeks her out for help...

They all think the answers to to their problems lie in the abandoned city left to the gods.

Really enjoyed it! The characters are great and the world is also amazing.

It ends on a cliffhanger and doesn't function as a standalone story - lots of questions left unanswered.

Which happens a lot in the series I read, I miss the days of books of a series standing alone as a full story. But it's not the book or the authors fault - it's the way publishers do it these days.

Many thanks to the publisher for allowing me access to this title.
The Witcher meets American Gods is an interesting promise, and there's a lot to praise about this debut: the representation (queer, disabled), discussions of PTSD, a spiky protagonist with a heart of gold. The book starts and ends with a bang but for a short book, the middle drags a little during the quest/journey section of the book. The romance didn't work for me, though I was interested in finding out more about Elo.

"You are not welcome here, Godkiller"

Actual rating: 3.3🌟

I recieved a copy of Gorkiller in ebook format from NetGalley in an exchange for a review.

Now this was a ride. I was soooo excited ever since I first saw this STUNNING cover and was over the moon when I saw I got approved for it on NG.

Reading it though... I don't know, it didn't sweep me off my feet.

We follow 4 very unlikely allies - a small god, a godkiller, a knight and a little girl - normally all on opposing sides 😂


The mythology and the worldbuilding are very rich and lush, I loved all the gods and the fact that there are gods for literally anything, like a god of broke sandals. Very imaginative 🙌

RaracterI also quite liked the main characters, Inara probably being my favorite and her story is the reason why I would like to continue with the series.

What I enjoyed the most though, was the representation. Kissen is physically disabled, she is missing a leg; the way how the author worked in her prosthesis says she did some very extensive research and I think the end result is amazing.
There is also a character that can't talk and sign language plays a big role.
The LGBTQ rep is also great in my opinion and I love how flawlessly it was woven into the story.
None of the rep felt forced, as it sometimes does, and I'm very appreciative of it.

I would recommed this to fans of Inkheart, it made me think of that story and I quite enjoyed the little flashbacks.

That being said, I wasn't glued to it, I didn't reach for it the book all the time and I'm not so sure I'll continue. There was just something missing and it fel middle of the road to me.

So much fun!!!

A fresh and confident debut, Godkiller will have you in its grasp from the first pages. Led by a cast of spirited characters, it leaps and bounds to the beat of its own golden heart, building to an epic clash of wills.

I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute treat it was to read Godkiller! I requested it essentially soley based on the great cover, and apparently I should always be judging books by their covers. I was beyond pleasantly surprised to find that Godkiller had fantastic queer, PoC, and disabled rep, loveable characters, inventive worldbuilding, a great narrative and delved into some of my favourite themes. There's just so much to adore about this book.

Much has been said of the worldbuilding, and the magic system the gods function on. I loved all of this, especially how Kaner's gorgeous prose depicted the gods. One thing I personally really enjoyed is how genuinely alive the world felt- recent historical effects had rammifications that impacted the characters on a concrete (or abstract) basis. Kaner masterfully delivers lore without ever veering into exposition dump territory by actually weaving the history into the fabric of the everyday.

Despite Godkiller's short length, it was easy to get invested in the lead characters, all of whom are compelling and nuanced. I'd struggle to pick a favourite from the four main PoVs, and I definitely don't have a least favourite: I enjoyed spending time with each and every one of them. Kissen does emerge as a little bit of a favourite though: it's extremely refreshing to see the lone, rough around the edges, monster-hunter archetype embodied by a queer, disabled woman. The character relationships were also very well-portrayed: I was entirely convinced by their dynamics and developments.

Though Godkiller has plenty of action and stakes, this is very much a character-driven story. The plot itself was fairly standard fantasy fare, but that's not to its detriment: each character's motivations were complex and urgent enough that it still felt fresh, and there are some incredible set-pieces that really take your breath away.

I wavered on whether to give this book five stars, and I think it only missed that mark by a hair's breadth for me. A few twists and turns in the plot were a little predictable for me- but then, I read a lot of books like this- and while I enjoyed every moment of reading it, I *could* put it down. Occasionally I had issues keep less intersting side-characters straight in my head, though our protagonists were very richly developed. I'm very conscious that this is a debut, however, and I think the series could easily get even better. This is still an exceptional read, however, and I would highly reccommend it to fantasy fans, or to those looking to get into fantasy- I think it could be a great starting point.

It took me 6 weeks to read this book.

Not because it’s long. Not because I’m a slow reader. I actually read 32 other books in between starting this book and finishing it - that is how much I basically never wanted to pick this one up.

And it’s well written! That’s the baffling thing. There’s nothing wrong with the prose. I think the problems are pacing and structural.

The first half of the book moves at a snail’s pace. Pages and pages will go by with nothing substantial happening. It improves in the second half, but the most common experience I had with the first half was starting to read and then waking up when my iPad hit my face.

Structurally, I think the decision to have four point of view characters was a mistake. Epic fantasy has adopted this method of storytelling in order to tell broad, sweeping tales that encompass whole continents or worlds. This is a small scale story about a few characters and a journey - a journey for which they are largely all together. Constantly switching perspectives removed all suspense from the first half. Who is this mysterious baker who carries a sword? He’s a former knight commander on an errand for the king - we know, because we already spent several chapters with him.

There *are* twists in this story regardless, but the shifting perspectives don’t create them. That structure felt unnecessary and actively hindering to the enjoyment of the first half of the book.

The second half was much better, especially when they got to the city they were aiming for, but a book that’s less than 300 pages long and is so tortuous to read that it takes a fast reader six weeks is a hard sell.

2.5 stars.

This was sadly disappointing. It reads like YA, but I'm not sure it was supposed to be written in that way (hello, unexpected sex scene towards the end). It had a strong beginning and end, but the middle section was meandering and meaningless. The action was sparse, but when it did crank up a gear at the end it was enjoyable, although it was too little too late at that stage. Great disability and LGBTQ+ representation, and I loved the talk of different gods and their powers. However, I cared very little for any of the characters so the sense of threat was missing throughout.

Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. The idea of the book seemed great but I never got invested in the story. Especially the middle part was a slow read.
Positive abou the book was the LGBTQ+ and disability representation.

thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for this arc.

3.5 stars

this was kinda hard for me to rate, not gonna lie. i liked this book, really, i did. it's just that now that i think back on it, it feels like not a lot happened. what DID happen was good, i loved the characters and the worldbuilding, but it lacked in other aspects. i missed the story development.

asides from that, it also just took me so long to read. at times it just seemed to drag on and on, and i just couldn't bring myself to pick it up again. on the other hand, when stuff DID actually happen, i was so excited to continue! this book really was just so half/half to me, and for some parts it deserved more stars, for others less.

This book was fantastic! I didn’t want it to end - which is quite fortunate, because I believe there will be more to come (it says this is book #1 on Goodreads, so it must be true!).

I loved the characters: Kissen, a Godkiller who loves her job; a girl with a couple of rather large secrets, one of which is Skediceth, a small god who is tied to her. Which is something of a conundrum for Kissen. If she kills the little god of white lies, will she kill the child as well? And then there’s Elogast, a Knight turned baker, who has to ask one last favour from a god for his best friend. Why the god would do anything for him is a mystery - after all, Elogast killed many gods and destroyed their shrines during the God Wars.

The world building in this is epic, the pacing is perfect, and it’s just an overall exciting, thrilling ride of a story.

I need more asap!

Thanks a million HarperCollins and Netgalley for the copy of Godkiller

I absolutely loved this book, devoured it in one sitting. I loved the world-building, the characters and their journeys.

This book is very different from other novels in this genre, especially in recent years and I just fell immediately in love with in.

I can't wait for book 2.

Kessen kills gods.
Inara is joined to one.
Elo needs a god to save his best friend's life.
Skedi is a little god of white lies who wants to be free.

All four come together on a pilgrimage to a forbidden city filled with the ghosts of long-forgotten deities, on quests which threaten the fabric of their kingdom.

Godkiller is a fantasy novel filled with brilliant twists. It had a clever plot, as well as superb world building and plenty of action.

Through Kessen's dark past, Inara and Skedi's bond and Eli's mission, it explored our complex relationship with religion, examining themes of sacrifice, faith and power.

It was also filled with delicious descriptions of food and baking - which is always a huge bonus for me! Elo the baker-knight was a brilliant character, and a balance to prickly, unpredictable Kessen. I also loved the complex bond between Inara and Skedi, which had plenty of unexpected twists as the novel progressed. Godkiller is not to be missed!

I was provided with an advanced copy for review via netgalley (but I now need to buy a physical copy with that stunning front cover!)

I absolutely loved this! A stunning read that had me captivated from page 1. I'm really excited to see where this trilogy will go! Bring on book 2!

I found this a little slow to get going, but I enjoyed it overall. The plot and premise are great, and it was easy to follow the different characters pov. Left with lots of questions, so looking forward to the sequel.

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