Title: Sunbringer (Fallen Gods #2)
Author: Hannah Kaner
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Publisher: 
Harper Voyager
Publication Date: 
2024
Format: Paperback

Length:  370 pages

Read if you like: found family, diverse character representation, political machinations and upheaval, themes of grief, the cost of power, vengeful gods

Rating:

The Fallen Gods trilogy by Hannah Kaner is becoming a fast favourite for me. The first book I picked up on a bit of a whim and ended up adoring, and this second instalment built nicely on that premise. This one felt a little broodier and a little darker, and it also took some genuinely unexpected twists and turns, which I love in a good fantasy. 

It would be difficult to review this one without some spoilers to book one, so if Godkiller is still on your TBR, you may want to skip the review below and just know that the sequel is one I’ll also be recommending. I loved my time with this novel and am looking forward to finishing up the trilogy soon.

The Book Synopsis: Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren—but now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth, who murdered her family and endangered her friends. But gods cannot be destroyed so easily, and Hseth’s power threatens to reform with even greater strength and a thirst for vengeance. As tensions rise throughout the land, the kingdom needs its Godkiller more than ever.

Still reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara and her little god of white lies, Skedi, have set out to discover more about the true nature of their bond. As the divide between gods and humans widens, Inara and Skedi will uncover secrets that could determine the fate of the war to come.

Meanwhile, Elogast, no longer a loyal knight of King Arren, has been tasked with killing the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods throughout the land, but has now entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all. And where his heart once beat, a god now burns.

The Review

This was well and truly excellent high fantasy.

I felt like Sunbringer added a significant degree of depth to both the universe and to the characters of the Fallen Gods world. It felt darker at times as many of the characters grappled through fresh trauma in addition to the trauma of their histories, and their emotional journeys were far from linear as they progressed through increasingly difficult personal and political situations. I loved the use of rotating perspectives as the narrative moved through the character journeys and felt like they were the perfect vehicle for demonstrating so much change and turmoil in what ended up being a relatively concise novel. 

I loved how much more focus there was in this book on bringing the entire world in which the characters exist to life, with so much more context and additional detail added, building the story beyond just Middren. Kaner is adept at layering in these details in a very understandable way, and her pacing was executed perfectly in my opinion. 

I did feel like the first two thirds of the book were moving along predictably (though quite enjoyably), but then the final third of the book took some serious twists that left me gasping and turning pages, which is always a wonderful surprise. I feel like a huge amount of the action was in the last 100 pages, making for what felt like a pretty explosive finale. 

I’ve come to really enjoy this series. The characters are all so loveable and seeing them grow and evolve individually as well as through their relationships with each other adds a nice amount of depth to an extremely fascinating setting full of unique and powerful gods. I’ll definitely be picking up the third book so I can see how the story concludes.