Reviews with content warning for Death - Godkiller

Reviews tagging 'Death'

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

135 reviews

wordsareworlds's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I saw a quote from Kaner that said that at its core, this book is a quest. Which is exactly the same as its surface and the end of that quest does not exist in this book.

I was hoping for a book that had a lot more going on with the commentary on the relationships between the characters, and the society as a whole and Kaner's unique approach to gods here. I wanted more on every level, and instead what I got was simplistic characterizations with a ton of repetition and no reflection on how characters get from point to point emotionally on their Epic Quest.

For all that Godkiller is much more character focused than action action oriented, Kaner fails to give those characters enough layers to hold the weight of page count. Instead we're subjected to the most awkward and author-forced romance between two characters, which I have the sneaking suspicion was only included to satisfy the "but is there spice" question. The overall worldbuilding does not hold up to even a cursory glance, and there was "redemption" moment for Skeddy that only works if you forget the core of his and Inara's relationship

is that their lives are linked so if she dies, he dies. Him saving her life with that in play absolutely does not balance him manipulating her with his powers for years and then literally taking over her body against her will

. The plot itself is by-the-numbers, and the major twist at the end will not be a surprise to anyone who has ever read a fantasy book ever.

On the other hand, there's Kissen. Kissen is the absolute epitome of my own personality and the brand of character I play in ttrpgs. I love her. She's standoffish but desperately wants to have her (found) family close and safe, she throws herself into violence with a wild abandon that is not always backed up by her skill level, but is by her will. The depiction of her disability and physical pain felt incredibly well done. She deserved a better book, but yes I will subject myself to book 2 just to read more about her.

Read this if you want to read about Kissen and can turn your brain off for pretty much the entire rest of the book. Otherwise just pick up one of the many other, better fantasy books that include characters going on a quest to save themselves but end up finding out they have to save everyone.

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cday13's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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thewillowwood's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

hear me out: this is basically if the Witcher books were actually good. sorry not sorry. this book slayed, looking forward to reading the next instalment.

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crows_in_a_trenchcoat's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

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grunbean's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I’ve been dipping my toe back in to fantasy, and after reading this I’m excited to pick up the next book in the series! The pace is a bit inconsistent, but the last few chapters had me hooked. There’s a lot of building, of the world and intention, but it pays off. I’d stick with it through the slower moments, you will be surprised after them!

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scrooche's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

as my first foray back into reading fantasy books in over a decade, this was truly wonderful. I bought the sequel before I even finished this book so I had it ready and lined up to start reading right away. The characters are wonderful in the ways they interact with each other and the world, the plot twists were genuinely shocking (from someone who is often pretty good at calling where a plot is headed), the bonds between the characters never feel forced and the world building is fascinating. I cannot recommend this book highly enough tbh.

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