“Readers who were hooked by the first book will be satisfied by the action sequences and antics of the wily, unpredictable gods whose mere whims alter the course of the characters’ destinies.” — Publishers Weekly
"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 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, on Godkiller
"Devastating and triumphant, Godkiller will eviscerate you." — Tasha Suri, award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne
"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
“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
"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
"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
"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
“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)
“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
★ 2024-01-20
In a world where old gods can pass away, new divinities may be born.
Hseth, the fire god whose cult murdered Kissen’s family in Godkiller (2023), is no more. However, problems continue to mount for the intrepid young warriors who managed to kill her. The orphaned Inara and her minor-god companion, Skedi, persevere on a seemingly unending search for answers—she to the questions surrounding her paternity, he to an illustrious past he cannot recall. In the aftermath of the climactic battle, King Arren has chosen a path that his best friend, Elo the baker-knight, cannot bring himself to follow, and Elo must reckon with the ramifications of turning his back on his liege. Just as Arren stokes the fires of his own illicit cult—with himself as figurehead—a resistance movement to save what remains of the world’s outlawed gods begins to heat up. Unable to come to terms with Elo’s desire to keep her away from the dangers of war, Inara makes a rash decision that ultimately sets the stage for mass unrest shortly before Arren’s victory tour arrives at their doorstep. Meanwhile, a presumed-dead Kissen fights her way back from the shores of the god who saved her life, only to find herself at odds with her friends’ and family’s goals. You see, Elo, Inara, and the rest have forgotten one very simple rule: Dead gods can always come back. Tested alliances fuel this tightly plotted found-family thrill ride. The worldbuilding is complex, but the reader never feels bogged down beneath its weight. As with the previous installment, queerness and disability are woven into the fabric of the narrative; Kissen and her sisters are queer and disabled, a prominent secondary character is transgender, and several tertiary couples are gay and lesbian. Although the pacing does become a little too frenetic in the novel’s final chapters, as the point of view switches rapidly among protagonists, Kaner has penned another page-turner in this projected trilogy.
A bold series continuation from a fantasy author to watch.
