Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

16 reviews

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Murder, Abandonment, Death, Animal death, Death of parent, Genocide, and War

kjm19's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Godkiller is a great display of character driven fantasy that includes so many fun tropes and colourful characters. 

It is possibly the most diverse/inclusive set of core characters that I’ve come across in any novel, let alone a fantasy one, which was really refreshing. Several characters have disabilities that add depth and context to their lives and shows us just how possible it is to be inclusive in the fantasy genre. Authors, take note!

The characters are loveable, funny, and relatable. It’s great to see how relationships blossom between our core characters, I do admit that it happens rather fast, but it’s a fast pace story with high stakes. Of course they will form immediate bonds if they have to. 

There are convenient elements to the plot line, I must admit, like how quickly Skedi changes his mind about things and how his actions are forgiven etc. But fantasy is all about people coming together to join in one an epic adventure, and I feel that this was crafted very well. 

I see how the world is building for a sequel, and I am intrigued to see how the wider context, such as archivists and the role of the King, will play into the future plot. 

Kissen is one of my favourite protagonists of recent reads - she is bold in every way possible. Need I say more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, War, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Godkiller is a great display of character driven fantasy that includes so many fun tropes and colourful characters. We are first introduced to Kissena (goes by the name of Kissen) when her family and their estate is burnt to the ground. Her father sacrifices himself to his lover Osidisen, a water god, to save her life. Montage! We are introduced to Inara, a young girl of noble birth who belongs to the House of Craier. She has this attachment/bond to a small God of white lies, Skediceth (who also becomes a POV character). Their bond is not understood and they wish to break it without killing each other so that they can live their separate lives. Inara has special abilities gifted to her, unwittingly, by Skediceth where she can see people’s true emotions in colour - pretty cool. She is sheltered (hidden away…) for reasons Inara is initially unaware of, and runs off to seek answers for herself and Skedi from none other than our favourite veiga. Ser Elogast completes the lineup of Godkiller’s POV characters and he is a baker who used to be a knight with a close fraternal bond with the now King Arren.

s_teichman's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Violence and Abandonment

amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

3.5

a fun dnd style high fantasy story with interesting world-building.  I loved that we got so much diversity and disability representation, the book was queer and had a physically disabled main character and characters using sign language.  

The story follows four characters brought together on one quest, Kissen grew up in a coastal town that worshipped the sea god but when the sea was not providing any longer the townspeople sacrificed her and her family to the fire god leaving her badly scarred and missing a leg. Years later she is now a grown woman and has made a life as a god killer, a sort of mercenary hire that kills off local problematic gods since the King has since banned all gods after ~the war~. Meanwhile Inara, has a god problem. She is a young highborn teen who has somehow become attached to a small hare-like god, Skedi, the god of white lies. They seek Kissen's help in becoming detached from each other without killing either Inara or the god. On their journey to the old lands, they end up on a travelling group with Elogast, a former King's knight now turned baker. After a series of unfortunate events in the royal family, his best friend and charge became the King and they went to battle together against the gods, but after the war, Elo quits his post and retires only for the King to come knocking on his door one night to ask for assistance for an old friend, and of course, loyal Elo will do anything for him.

i don't really know why there were POV switches since the characters were mostly all together the whole time, I also felt that the different POVs all had similar sounding voices so it was hard to tell apart. I think maybe it would have been better from an omnipotent 3rd person POV.

I also felt that the plot was maybe not the most interesting story, I was more curious about Kissen's backstory and also the war story. I was more interested in how these character's got here. The plot we got was very obvious 

although the story had various queer characters and two of the main characters were bi, ?it somehow felt like queerbaiting? we love bi rep but i feel like lesbian rep is so far and few between and was excited when it seemed the MC was lesbian- I've never been disappointed until now for a character to turn out bi lol. Also the king and Elo seemed really homoerotic just saying...😂

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual content, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

jessicafee86's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was awesome!!! I want to read the 2nd one now!

 “I am not safe,” she said. “I am dangerous. And I am going with you to avenge

my mother, to avenge Kissen

. This is the last time I will be left behind.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, Violence, and War

Sexual content was barely there, just a few paragraphs in one section. Definitely fit with the book and wasn't over done

naomiysl's review against another edition

4.0

 Godkiller is a lovely book. If it were more tightly edited it would be tighter, but the world building is great, I CARE about the characters, and though it doesn't exactly end, it adheres to the "first book in a trilogy" format perfectly so I forgive it. Also, the way gods are almost pest-like in nature is just ::chefs kiss::

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Death

Minor: Miscarriage

nclausel25's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Sexual content

lau_leo's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

Loved the found family aspect. Very slow for a while and ends on a cliff hanger. Great character development but a little too self righteous for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Abandonment, Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War

nerp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

A stunner of a book. Once the main three (four) got together, I was on completely board. Queernorm, disability normative, thoughtful portrayal of trauma. European-inspired in setting but there were brown people. Excellent audio narrator too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Blood and Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment

littlealderman's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, War, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, and Violence