Title: Godkiller (Fallen Gods #1)
Author: Hannah Kaner 
Genre: fantasy, high fantasy, epic fantasy
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: 2023
Format: Paperback
Length:  304 pages

Read if you like: found family, high epic fantasy, enemies to lovers, hidden identity, exceptional banter, Gods and god-driven magic

Rating: 

I’ve been eyeing Godkiller by Hannah Kaner since it was released because, if I’m being perfectly transparent, it has a really pretty cover. The fact that it was blurbed by Samantha Shannon was also appealing, but ultimately, it was the stunning artwork that made me add it to my Goodreads TBR. Aside from that, I knew little else of the book, but when I saw it was available at my library, I snatched it up and am I ever glad that I did.

Godkiller was an extremely enjoyable beginning to a fantasy series that had familiar aspects but still felt fun and unique. While it started dark, it delivered a surprising punch of humour and had some truly excellent banter that kept me hooked from start to finish. This was a truly promising start to a series.

The Book Synopsis: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.

Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.

Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.

The Review

What a wonderful surprise of a book. 

When I first picked Godkiller up, the first chapter had me expecting something that would be dark and brooding the whole way through, with perhaps a bit of a mythical tone to it based on the god premise. What it quickly became instead was an inventive, funny, and heartfelt fantasy set in a lushly constructed, unique world. 

I loved the interwoven nature of the gods and the dilemma they presented to the characters, and in particular to Kissen. On the one hand, they could be beseeching, kind, and helpful, but almost universally, the adoration seems to reach a place where it layers too heavily and then skews the god into a self-serving, dangerous capacity. I loved that Kaner chose to give some of the Gods these cute, adorable bodies that you can’t help but fall for, just to demonstrate that the vessel doesn’t dictate whether or not it’s capable of becoming a monster. It’s such a delicate balance that you see unfold time and again that it gives weight to the stories of war that unfold slowly as the plot progresses. 

The characters in this were so wonderfully lovable that, for me, they really made the book. They were all so interesting and uniquely endearing in their own ways, I fell for them in equal parts. I loved how crass Kissen was, how foolishly brave and loyal Elogast was, how strong Inara became, and Skedi! I loved Skedi and the duality he represented. He felt cute and lovable, then a little scary, and then I loved him again all over. Watching their dynamics unfold and their bonds grow was such an enjoyable feat; I felt like this was a perfect execution of found family.

The major mystery that surrounded Inara and the true nature of what’s happening with the king set up huge potential for where the plot can go next, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Kaner chooses to go from here. By the time I got to the end of this book, I was turning pages so fast to see where things were going, I was barely soaking it in. 

I loved this fantasy, and I loved Kaner’s style. I can’t wait to continue this series from here.