Godkiller [Waterstones Exclusive]

by Hannah Kaner

Other authorsTom Roberts (Cover artist)
Hardcover, 2023

Status

Available

Call number

823.92

Publication

HarperVoyager (2023), 304 pages

Description

Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. HTML: "A richly rendered world . . . Kaner writes action that's both fun and intelligible . . . If "The Last of Us" didn't slake your thirst for stories of a grizzled fighter taking a tough kid on the road, then Godkiller should be your jam."�?? The Washington Post "Godkiller will have you in its grasp from the first pages. . . An extraordinary journey." �?? Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree Enter a land of gods and monsters, soldiers and mercenaries, secrets and wishes�??the explosive #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut in a new trilogy for fans of The Witcher and Gideon the Ninth Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world�??but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays "godkillers" to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child's soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can't kill it without ending the girl's life too. Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it. "An epic fantasy odyssey begins . . . Kaner's debut is incredibly inclusive . . . It delivers high action while centering on characters that are not often depicted this fully."�?? Entertainment Weekly "Beautifully imagined and intensely felt . . . Godkiller is a bone-rattling fantasy thriller that flies by in a breathtaking rush." �?? Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Locke & Key "Epic and intimate, tender and sharp, Godkiller is a triumph of storytelling." �?? Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For t… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member Black-Lilly
Hm, solid idea if not very original.
Plus point was that the origin of Gods was quickly and satisfying explained.
Biggest minus point was the at times extremely pompous sounding writing style. ("On the throne was sat a girl"? Really? At least stay consequent then and use it throughout and not go on
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with simple past in the next sentence.) Even if English is not my first language, I do think that I am pretty fluent, but some sentences were overly complicated written that I needed to reread them two or three times before I understood their meaning.
The majority of the characters were so so, the only one I kind of like and was interessted in was Inara. (Also doesn't help that Kissen means pillow in my native language, takes kind of away from the supposed "bad ass-ness".)

Overall I don't think that Ms Kaner was really sure what she all wanted to cover and some of the idea seemed to be thrown in there just to cover a certain group of readers, while other aspects of the life of our protagonits were very much glossed over.

And even though the book ends on a predicatable cliff hanger, I guess I want to know the ending now, but the story so far is not really re-read material.
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LibraryThing member QuietNyx
This book had a very strong, engaging start. Most of the POVs were interesting, but Elo felt very one note and flat and I had to keep myself from skipping his chapters. My one complaint is that the romance between two of the main characters did not hit for me; they had some chemistry but the
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romance would have benefited from more time.
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LibraryThing member Tip44
Excellent.
LibraryThing member Verkruissen
Excellent storytelling involving the gods, mortals and how first impressions or preconceived notions can change given the chance. The world building was really good and the character development was fantastic! There is a slow burn romance happening throughout the book and a little spice but overall
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pretty tame. I have definitely been recommending this book and I am looking forward to the next in the series!
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LibraryThing member lavaturtle
This book has an amazing cast of protagonists with Kissen, Elo, and Inara. All haunted by a past that has nearly broken them, much like their country in the aftermath of a brutal war. I loved their slow-burn relationship and the way that truths about Elo's past and Inara's identity gradually came
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out. And that final horrible plot twist where Arren was actually just manipulating Elo so he could get more power -- wow! And the ending was just perfect -- I'm so glad that all of them lived, and that Inara has come into her power. (I still don't trust Skedi though.)

Oh, and Kissen's found family from way back -- love them, they're awesome!
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Kissen's family were killed by people trying to appease a fire god, now she kills gods and yearns to avenge herself on the one god who changed her life forever and robbed her of her leg.
Skedi is the god of white lies and is bound to Inara who suddenly finds herself without her family, who yearns to
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loosen the bonds between her and this little god, but fears her future in a country where gods and god worshiping is forbidden.
Elogast is a baker, a good baker, but in his past he was a knight, until he wasn't and now he has a mission to help a friend, one that just might change the world.
Twisty with relationships that build in the story and characters who have a lot of scars, outside and inside and I immediately reserved the sequel.
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LibraryThing member 73pctGeek
The fates of a Godkiller, a baker, and a young girl and her pet God intertwine in this fantasy novel. I really wanted to like this more than I did, but for some reason neither the world, the story nor the characters really captured my interest. However, it really picked up by the end and pushed me
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into probable sequel-reading territory.
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LibraryThing member Dokfintong
The world of Godkiller is one in which small and often helpful spirits like those that find lost keys, or who aid fertility, can absorb the energy of worship and grow into powerful beings - called gods by their followers - whose greed for more worship and more power corrupts them, making them
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harmful and malevolent. These are the gods that Kissen kills for a living, and as we meet these gods we are glad she does. But one day she meets a little girl who is somehow bonded to a small spirit, a god of white lies. It seem that if she kills the god the girl might die too. Who's ever heard of this? The girl, Inara, is on the run from the killers of her family. Kissen agrees to take Inara and her little god to a place where they can perhaps be unbound. Along the way they meet Elo, who is on a quest to save the king.

This is the first book in the series and I liked it. The characters and place are believable. The writing is good. There is enough intrigue in the story to leave me wanting to read the entire series.
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LibraryThing member Othemts
In the kingdom of Middren, gods are forbidden by the king, although the common people still worship on the sly. Kissen, a woman whose life is scarred by the violence of the gods, takes on killing gods as a freelancer. But when she encounters a girl from a noble family, Inara, who has been tethered
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to the small god of white lies, Skedi, she makes a vow to protect them. They travel to Blenraden, forbidden city of wild gods, in hopes of finding a way to separate Inara and Skedi. They are joined on their quest by Elogast, a knight turned baker, on his own secret mission for the king.

Kaner creates a fascinating, lived-in world of high fantasy. The gods are like mad creatures who gain strength from prayers, offerings, and shrines. The main characters are all interesting and complex and I like how they become a found family. This small group of travelers also serve as an entry into a bigger world of a kingdom on the verge of being torn apart by civil war.
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Awards

Locus Award (Finalist — First Novel — 2024)
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel — 2023)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — September 2023)

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2023

Physical description

304 p.; 9.45 inches

ISBN

0008521468 / 9780008521462

Local notes

A slayer of gods and a disillusioned knight must join forces in a perilous quest to defeat an indestructible deity.

Waterstones exclusive edition with sprayed page edges.

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