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naddles's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death of parent, Body horror, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Grief
kaylaswhitmore's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was a fun read with lots of rich world-building. The system of gods and humans felt both wondrous and intuitive, often making me curious about just what other gods there are out there and how much their power stretches (which I suppose I should simply read the next book sooner rather than later, then). I also enjoyed the characters in the story, from the lovable side characters to our main cast of heroes. Their voices all felt starkly unique to each other and I appreciated how their bonds grew over time.
That being said, I did have some critiques of the narrative and style. First, I felt that Skediceth’s point of view—while it shed light on a god’s perspective—did take away from the pain of his betrayal to Inara. Instead of feeling surprised by his takeover of her mind and body, I saw it coming a mile away and therefore didn’t feel as stunned or hurt by it as I think I could have, had his POV chapters not foreshadowed it so heavily. In that regard, I do wish she had perhaps limited her use of POVs to just Inara, Elo, and Kissen to maintain more suspense. Secondly, the big reveal of Arren’s betrayal also felt a bit lacking due to how intensely evil he was upon Elo sacrificing himself. I would have liked to see him struggle a little more when faced with the reality of his selfish power grab in front of someone who I do believe he must have loved at some point. That came across a bit superficial or disingenuous if only because it leaned more towards a place of “aha! the mask is off, muahahah!” as opposed to a hard hitting betrayal.
I do feel that Kaner really brought the story together for a very engaging end, however, and it certainly kept me wanting to see what happens next! Despite the few things I was a bit dissatisfied with, I felt that there were many more things to be excited about. Kissen, for one, is a breath of fresh air. I’ve read quite a few “angry women” protagonists now at this point, but I really loved Kissen’s flavor of it. She’s both down to earth and wildly spontaneous, and that combination made her an extremely fun character to follow. I also adored Inara, and think that she was a cool spin on the “naive girl discovering the world” trope. Her power and individuality made it easy to root for her and exciting to imagine what she will become.
I’m looking forward to reading Sunbringer, even if I’m nervous about the fates of our favorite found family!
That being said, I did have some critiques of the narrative and style.
I do feel that Kaner really brought the story together for a very engaging end, however, and it certainly kept me wanting to see what happens next! Despite the few things I was a bit dissatisfied with, I felt that there were many more things to be excited about. Kissen, for one, is a breath of fresh air. I’ve read quite a few “angry women” protagonists now at this point, but I really loved Kissen’s flavor of it. She’s both down to earth and wildly spontaneous, and that combination made her an extremely fun character to follow. I also adored Inara, and think that she was a cool spin on the “naive girl discovering the world” trope. Her power and individuality made it easy to root for her and exciting to imagine what she will become.
I’m looking forward to reading Sunbringer, even if I’m nervous about the fates of our favorite found family!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, and War
missgarceau's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, War, Violence, Genocide, and Hate crime
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual content
blacksphinx's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.0
I think there's some good ideas in here, but I can feel that this is a debut. It was difficult to distinguish between three of the four PoVs because they sounded so similar. The characters became a found family willing to self-sacrifice to protect the others too quickly. There's a dumb romance and sex shoehorned in. I don't think I'll be continuing this series, especially because I've heard the next book is pure setup/"middle book syndrome".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury
beckyremillard's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
mazomazli's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, War, Grief, and Sexual content
barbarella85's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
little_miss_book_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury
charley0796's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I enjoyed the unique world building to this book. It was a strange novel in that no one knew what was going on at any point, as opposed to having one narrator with at least more understanding of the bigger picture. This made for a strange albeit intriguing read.
I did feel the romance was thrown in there and the sex unecessary - that could have waited until the third book.
I also loved how sexism didn’t exist in this book and the way diversity was incorporated into the text - including disability! It was done in a sensitive and clear way throughout. Often sexism features so heavily in fantasy, so this was really refreshing.
I usually really struggle with picking up names when reading, but this was so well done I didn’t have any problems for once!
I did feel the romance was thrown in there and the sex unecessary - that could have waited until the third book.
I also loved how sexism didn’t exist in this book and the way diversity was incorporated into the text - including disability! It was done in a sensitive and clear way throughout. Often sexism features so heavily in fantasy, so this was really refreshing.
I usually really struggle with picking up names when reading, but this was so well done I didn’t have any problems for once!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Fire/Fire injury
bookcheshirecat's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
“Gods are not always the enemy; even your godkiller knows that. People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people. We show each other for what we truly are. Yearning beings, desperate for love, power, safety.”
➽ Godkiller was an interesting Fantasy debut, but didn't quite live up to my expectations. The story follows Kissen, who makes a living killing gods after a fire god wiped out her entire family. Initially, I thought this book would be told solely through her POV, but she's joined by a young noble girl called Inara who is bound to the god of white lies Skedi and a retired knight-turned-baker. Their dynamic was very interesting and I liked Kissen, as she's a tough character with a hidden soft spot! I also appreciated that the story included her disability (she's got a prosthetic leg because of the injuries she received from the fire god). Skedi was by far the most interesting character, as he's a minor god, but bound to a human. He cares for Inara in his own way, but still can't shake his desire to be worshipped.
➽ I liked the premise and the world was certainly very intriguing. Gods used to be revered and people prayed at their shrines for a chance to get a blessing. The gods range from powerful elemental beings to smaller gods like Skedi, whose domain is white lies. However, the gods were driven back by the current king and worshipping them has been forbidden. Some people still practice in secret, but gods need shrines to exist and have been mostly replaced everywhere in the country. Godkillers like Kissen take down the gods that reappear, as they're dependent on faith and can't be completely vanquished. I found the world very interesting and I liked the different perspectives on the gods. Some of them e.g. the fertility goddess bestowed important blessings that people can no longer access. However, gods can also be vicious and selfish, as they love being revered and might even use humans as sacrifices.
➽ Unfortunately, the story was so slow and the character didn't make up for it. With 300 pages, this book is on the shorter side for Fantasy, but it still dragged. The beginning and ending were more action-packed, but everything else felt much slower. This is a journey-based book so there was a lot of travelling to Blenraden, the story all characters need to go to. I feel like the story could have added more exciting subplots and explored Kissen's duty as a Godkiller. I felt like I didn't get to know the characters as well as I liked, as there was a lot of telling. The multiple POVs were detrimental in this book, as I wish the focus had stayed on Kissen. I didn't fully fall in love with the characters and some aspects like the romantic subplot didn't grip me at all. I don't think I'll read the sequel, especially as I heard it's even slower than this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Violence, Mental illness, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: War