"A richly rendered world . . . Kaner writes action that's both fun and intelligible—no mean feat—while keeping the story moving forward nicely. 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
“An epic fantasy odyssey begins … Kaner's debut is incredibly inclusive with LGBTQ and disabled characters filling its pages. It delivers high action while centering on characters that are not often depicted this fully.” — Entertainment Weekly
"Violent, bawdy, 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 The Fireman
“A fresh and confident debut, Godkiller will have you in its grasp from the first pages. Led by a cast of spirited characters, it leaps and bounds to the beat of its own golden heart, building to an epic clash of wills. Hannah Kaner has taken her first great strides in what is sure to be an extraordinary journey.” — Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree
"Epic and intimate, tender and sharp, Godkiller is a triumph of storytelling and the beginning of a story that I can’t wait to follow." — Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf
“Holy heck, this book is so good. A disabled bisexual mercenary heroine who murders gods, a former soldier turned baker with a troubled past, a noble child linked to the god of white lies . . . You need this story in your life!”
— Katee Robert, New York Times bestselling author of the Dark Olympus series
“Godkiller takes the fabric of epic fantasy and stitches it into a clean, tense, precisely measured and neatly designed tapestry. … This is a very strong debut, offering compelling characters whose problems mount from the ordinary to the epic in the space of the novel.”
— Tor.com
"Devastating and triumphant, Godkiller will eviscerate you." — Tasha Suri, award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne
“I absolutely adored Godkiller. This novel has everything—adventure, wonderful characters, tenderness, humor, passion. I was gripped by both the story and world building … it is truly spellbinding.” — Elodie Harper, internationally bestselling author of the Wolf Den trilogy
"In addition to being exquisitely paced and character-driven, Kaner's novel features a widely diverse cast. Queerness does not draw ridicule in Kaner's invented world. . . . Both heroes and two secondary characters have disabilities; he's living with PTSD, while she's an amputee. . . . An un-put-down-able start to an engrossing low-fantasy trilogy bordering on grimdark." — Kirkus (starred review)
“There are few things more enjoyable than watching a bruised yet honorable man and a vengeance-seeking assassin escort a young girl and her manipulative, telepathic divinity of a familiar to the forbidden city of the gods. Especially when the world they’re traipsing through is so rich and laden with narrative potential.”
— Bookpage
"Kaner thrusts readers into a grisly world of treacherous gods in her enthralling debut . . . Kaner’s bewitching world forms an ideal backdrop to the adventures of her dynamic and appealing cast. This marks Kaner as a writer to watch." — Publishers Weekly
"The story’s protagonists meet en route to Blenraden, and their clashing goals stir up immediate tension. As they are forced to rely on each other during their journey, they develop a found-family dynamic that will please many readers . . . In this debut trilogy launch, already a bestseller in the UK, Kaner provides a satisfying payoff, along with twists setting up a sequel with much higher stakes." — Library Journal
"This debut, a cross between The Witcher and Samantha Shannon’s Roots of Chaos series, will attract many speculative readers, especially those compelled by folklore and found family. . . . The setting of Godkiller feels epic and lived in, suggesting much more story to be revealed in future installments of the planned trilogy." — Booklist
“A wonderful, gritty, explosively violent, and beautifully realized debut built around a mismatched trio’s classic quest.” — Daily Mail (UK)
“Kaner’s debut offers all the bloodshed, demons, and magic a fantasy fan could want, while championing contemporary values such an inclusivity.” — Financial Times (UK)
“Fantasy lovers like me can’t wait for this one!” — Cosmopolitan (UK)
“Dark, gritty and highly immersive.” — The Fantasy Hive (UK)
"The fantasy genre is full of stories of gods and monsters, but what sets Hannah Kaner’s Godkiller apart is its dedication to exploring not only the concept of divinity itself, but why people need something to believe in in the first place. . . . Everything about Godkiller is thoroughly engrossing from its grim, low fantasy worldbuilding to its assortment of entertaining and morally gray characters. You’ll probably read it in a single sitting, and be happy to know a sequel is coming next year." — Paste magazine, The Best Fantasy Books of 2023
★ 2023-06-21
In a kingdom that slaughtered the gods and criminalized their worship, two god-slayers—a mercenary and a knight—join forces on a pilgrimage to save two other lives.
Years ago, Kissen lost her leg after the people of her village shifted their allegiance to a fire god and burned her family home to the ground. Only a desperate bargain with the sea god her father served saved her life. Now she works as a veiga: a state-sanctioned killer of gods. Under young King Arren's rule, all forms of worship have become illegal, as it is humans' faith that gives birth to the gods and powers them. A series of violent events leaves Kissen as sole protector to Inara, a young girl orphaned by fire and treachery and bound to a small, shrineless god called Skedi. Together, the three must journey to Blenraden, the city where the gods died, to sever Inara and Skedi's connection. Unbeknownst to Kissen and her charges, another godkiller walks in their midst. Knight-turned-baker Elo witnessed the carnage in Blenraden firsthand. It cost him everything. His mothers left the kingdom in the war's aftermath, unwilling to give up their faith. Then the king waltzes back into his orbit, afflicted with a deadly curse. Elo must join the next pilgrimage he can find—Kissen's pilgrimage—if he wants to save his old friend. No sooner has the group set out for the dead city than a god-summoned monster attacks their caravan, forcing Kissen and Elo to reveal their capabilities—and their godkilling weapons as well. In addition to being exquisitely paced and character-driven, Kaner's novel features a widely diverse cast. Queerness does not draw ridicule in Kaner's invented world, and Kissen is bisexual. Many secondary and tertiary characters are queer. Both heroes and two secondary characters have disabilities; he's living with PTSD, while she's an amputee and ambulatory wheelchair user with a handcrafted metal leg. One secondary character also uses a wheelchair, and another is deaf. Elo is coded as Black. Inara and several tertiary characters are coded as nonwhite. Kissen is white, and Skedi is a fantasy creature resembling a jackalope.
An un-put-down-able start to an engrossing low-fantasy trilogy bordering on grimdark.