Godkiller

by Hannah Kaner

Thank you so much, HarperCollins UK and Harper Voyager, for the gifted eARC! I was so ecstatic to receive it!

Now, I just need to get better at remembering that books like Godkiller take me longer to read than most YA books I pick up. We learn and improve for next time! Aka, I won’t make the same mistake for The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. [Which, as we all know, I didn’t, since that review got shared first.]

ANYWAY, onto Godkiller thoughts!

Godkiller felt very much like an amazing, smooth blend of the high fantasy I grew up reading and modern writing. It felt like going back to the high fantasy books I read as a kid [yes, I was that weird kid reading books like The Wheel of Time while a pre-teen/teenager], but with a more modern feel. And, honestly, I loved the masterful blending of the two. It’s almost definitely going to be at the top of my list of books of 2023.

Another way to describe it is inspiring. Godkiller is everything Game of Thrones is, in terms of high fantasy, without being quite so dark, quite so gritty, and quite so sex-filled. It leaves you with the feeling that anything is possible, both in your own life and, if you’re so inclined, in the world of writing.

[Not really spoilers, exactly, but just for your knowledge on what I mean by “a more modern feel”: one of the main characters reads as bisexual/queer with a limb difference and scarring; another main character is a POC with PTSD; and a side character is deaf. The world is also queer normative.]

Recommendation: If you love high fantasy and want one with a more modern twist/inclusive content, this is the book for you. If that sort of thing bothers you [PTSD content, queer content, disability content], then it, sadly, probably won’t be for you.

Kissen is such a fun, original heroine. She’s the kind of woman society pushes ladies NOT to be. She’s crass, sassy, and speaks her mind. She’s also fantastic. Before you know it, you’re attached to her and her success, rooting for her in a way you might originally have thought you wouldn’t. Also, I love her disability rep – that you can be disabled but still be an absolute, respected bad-ass [even if that respect comes with the judgemental edge most of the time]. Very few people who have seen her in action have resorted to judging her for her disability – but rather her rough personality. But can you really blame her? After everything she’s been through?

Elogast and his story act as what I’ll call our first twist to the story? His quest from the King is presented fairly on in the story – during our first chunk from his POV, actually – and acts as the timing element to the story. Kissen, Skediceth, and the noble little girl’s drive in the story is still central to the story, but there’s no real rush to address their part. It can take as long as it takes – but not Elogast’s. The King and his quest can’t wait.

Skediceth. He’s . . . a handful? [Does that count as a pun?] Honestly, though, the range of emotions Skediceth’s presence in the story puts you through is part of what makes this book so enjoyable. He’s a complicated character who, in turn, complicates the story. His connection to the noble little girl drives a lot of this story, more so, even, than any part of Kissen’s part of the story, honestly. He adds so much dynamic to the story [besides the obvious, which is nettling Kissen by her inability to kill him even though she really, really wants to], and he’s not quite what I expected when I picked this book up. I don’t want to give too much away, because I enjoyed that discovery that I thought was “spoiled” for me, but, if you’ve read the story or know details about Skediceth, you already know what I’m talking about.

I can’t really speak too much to, “the noble little girl” attached to Skediceth, but I’ll say that I was really worried she’d read minor, maybe shallow, maybe flat, but she doesn’t. She isn’t just part of the packaged deal with Skediceth, but rather her own, complex character. I can’t go too much more into her without spoilers, though [including even her name!], so I’ll save further discussions regarding her for after the spoiler line.

**AS USUAL, SPOILERS LAY AHEAD! STOP NOW IF YOU DON’T WISH TO BE SPOILED. IF YOU’D LIKE, YOU CAN GO READ THE BOOK AND COME BACK, OR JUST STOP HERE. YOUR CHOICE!**

Inara is the little noble girl’s name, just to clarify for all future references to her.

Speaking of Inara, how terrible of a start was that? She went from being a frustrated, isolated noble girl who had a secretive mom and a full house of workers to nothing besides a little god who depended on her to survive. That’s insane for a little girl to deal with on top of said little god’s expectation for her to find a way to free him from that dependency on her. She loses everything and the only “person” she has leFt is essentially telling her they want to leave her? Talk about rough.

I love that, even though Kissen is talked into taking care of Inara, she doesn’t immediately take to her, and instead Kissen slowly begins to care for and be protective of Inara as their journey goes on. It doesn’t feel forced or too quick, which is lovely.

Also, I absolutely love the disability rep with Kissen. Her disability doesn’t stop her from being a badass, and it’s so nice to see a rep that not only tells everyone that disabled people can be badasses, it also shows the “behind the scenes” about it, about how she makes being disabled and being a badass work. You can see what she does to not only make herself be a badass, but you also see her without those “aides” – and not be embarrassed or ashamed by her “unaided” state. Because there’s nothing for Kissen to be ashamed or embarrassed about with regards to her disability. And the reader can see that in Kissen.

Elogast being a retired-knight-turned-baker isn’t a background or “career progression” I would have expected, but it not only works for Elogast, but I really like it! It’s such a unique twist that both works as a plausible choice for his upbringing and for dealing with his past trauma. While it is a super useful skill for journeying, it doesn’t feel like a “convenient” part of his character, if that makes sense?

I didn’t realize how much I missed the sort of journeying you only really find in high fantasy books. The bridge city was so much fun to read about and imagine! I hope it comes up in a future book. [You can peep some art of that city in the picture at the top of my review! It makes for beautiful endpages!] I can’t wait to see what comes in book 2!

I don’t know if I’m losing my touch at “knowing how a story is going to go” or if it was just really well done, but I didn’t see the King’s betrayal until it was right there. How did I miss that?? I’m losing my touch! [That means I need to read more, right?]

In that vein, though, I did see the “pairing” of Kissen and Elo from early on. So at least I still have something going for me? . . . We’re not going to talk about it.

I love the word-building with the gods and how they and the people work together. It lends well to being believable that they co-exist the way they do – in harmony and in conflict! Neither feels forced or improbably. It’s a world I can completely see existing, and while I might not necessarily want to live in it, I don’t see why any given character wouldn’t want to.

I’m excited to see how Kissen, Elogast, Inara, and Skediceth all meet up later on, and how their journey continues going forward! The twists in Godkiller were done well enough that I’m very much looking forward to the sequel, and everything Hannah Kaner has in store for us. It doesn’t beat out Yellowface as my favorite adult read this year, but, unlike Yellowface, I get to look forward to a sequel, so it has that going in its favor!

As always: be kind, stay safe, and read on!