And then, understanding I would be writing a disabled character, it was my responsibility to write a decent one. I did a lot of reading, and raised my awareness of frustrating tropes, challenges, and biases there were in writing disability, and worked with authenticity editors. On the pilgrim road, among other pilgrims, they each have their secrets. But with demon-like constructs in pursuit of at least one of them, keeping their secrets from each other turns out to be the least of their problems, especially when circumstances separate them from the other pilgrims—the real pilgrims—of their small travelling group. They have to figure out if they can afford to trust each other: a hard choice, when one of them is a godkiller, one of them’s a god, and one is a former knight who might be expected to look askance at either. Add to that Inara discovering that she has very unusual powers all of her own, intimations of civil war in Middren, and and the tension can only rise.

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. The enemies-to-lover trope is skillfully used here, with the characters initially suspicious of each other but then gradually trusting and opening up to one another. As their walls come down, moments of attraction eventually lead to a passion that mostly feels natural and cute. I loved writing Inara and Skedi and their relationship. I mean – Inara felt pretty easy at first, possibly because I was that wilful and intensely vulnerable know it all as a child. Hers is a journey of self-discovery, and finding her grit, which is such a delight to write. ARC provided by Susan at Harper Voyager, thank you for the copy! All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.All the points of view are interesting; their past experiences, flaws, and vulnerabilities revealed to the reader as they’re detailed to the other main characters. Inara and Skedi’s connection and the god’s past are shrouded in mystery, as it should not be possible for a god to survive without a shrine and the love and dedication of followers. Godkiller by Hannah Kaner is a dark, gritty and highly immersive debut. This is a tale where gods and mortals collide, where myth and legends are brought to life, where having faith could get you killed. The power of belief is strong, worship can bring peace to many but believing in Gods can be deadly. To seek a God's favour, to have their light shine upon you, is to pay a high price. Each person’s colours were different, bright, manipulable. Skedi could tell a liar from a lover, a joker from a fraud.” Elogast, the Knight. Of course every badass character needs a soft, golden retriever kind of man on their side. Elogast was nice, loyal, and honest. He had this savior complex going on, and her loyalty was frankly annoying sometimes, but what would you expect from a person who literally embodies a dog? And I don’t mean any of this in a bad way. He wasn’t a zealot, nor was he annoying. He just followed what he thought was right. But with a bloody civil war on the horizon and shadowy demons in pursuit, Kissen and Co. face untold danger for something is rotting at the heart of the kingdom—and only they can stop it…

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why? But the influences come from the long history of the quest narrative, the rogue adventurer encountering strange challenges, beasts or beings on a journey, because at its heart Godkiller is a quest. Influences range from The Dark is Rising, The Hobbit, American Gods, Beyond the Deepwoods, Left Hand of Darkness, Princess Mononoke, The Faerie Queene, Gawain and the Green Knight – and of course the Odyssey, the Iliad, and the fall of Troy. In fact I think my first pitch was Gawain and Furiosa go on a quest in the aftermath of fallen Troy. ACTUAL REVIEW: After initially struggling with the first few chapters of this novel, I’m happy to say it managed to convince me to keep reading to the point where I finished the last 60% in one go. Consider me SAT. 🧎🏼‍♀️

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Let’s talk about your characters! Both Kissen and Elogast are skilled warriors, yet they are both so different from each other. Can you tell us about the inspiration behind their personalities? While the fantasy genre is no stranger to divine characters, Kaner does something interesting with the concept by closely intertwining the Gods’ fates with humanity. Gods can only come into existence if people believe in and pray to them. The more shrines people build and the more offerings they bring, the stronger the God. This makes Kissen’s work more interesting in so far that she is more than just a killer of Gods, she is also a hunter of their symbols, and thus equally feared and despised by those who still pray to the beings of old.

I loved way too many things about this so I honestly don’t know where to start. I believe the best thing about this book was the fact that even though the magic system and the world were crazy good and fleshed out, the author managed to stay clear of info-dumping. You get the information needed organically and in enough doses so you don’t get overwhelmed and as a person who reads fantasy books religiously, let me just say it’s something that’s hard to come by. It’s a very vigorous, violent, and fraught climax, let’s just say. And recalls, satisfyingly and unexpectedly, elements from the prologue. Overall, a phenomenally strong and enjoyable debut from Hannah Kaner which ends on a satisfying, though slightly cliffhanger-y ending. I’m definitely excited to see where the rest of the series takes us—and desperately hoping the wait won’t be too long! Meanwhile, a former knight who had previously served in the king's court receives a visit from the king, who requests a final favor. As they meet, they don't trust each other at first, but over time, they realize they're stronger together. Despite their initial doubts, they all end up heading to the same place, each with their own reasons.

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Our story follows Kissen, a godkiller. Kissen’s childhood was filled with tragedy, one which has left her with scars that will never fully heal. Haunted by memories and filled with a constant simmering anger, Kissen devotes her life to killing gods, and she’s pretty damn good at it. Yet when she chances upon a young noble child in a tavern, she sets forth on a quest to free her from a god Kissen cannot kill. Inara Craier is bound to Skediceth, the god of white lies, and should they try to part from one another they would both die. Kissen cannot allow another child to die at the hands of a god. Then there is Elogast, once the King’s knight who fought to destroy shrines and kill gods in the great God War, yet in the horrific aftermath Elo put down his sword and to escape his nightmares turned his hand to baking. Elo longs for a quiet, simple life, but when King Arren, once his closest friend, sends him on a mission to save his life and the kingdom, he is forced to return to the city of gods, Blenraden, the city he helped bring to ruin.

Godkiller is set in the aftermath of a God War, where our characters are trying to survive in a dark and gritty world where gods and monsters roam. It reminded me very much of The Witcher, was this a source of inspiration to you? What other aspects influenced your worldbuilding? The complex trio central to the story are distinct, fleshed-out characters. Fierce yet caring, Kissen was easy to like, and I loved the disability representation she presents through her prosthesis. Although I took slightly longer to connect with Elogast and Inara, the growth they experience adds depth to their characters and makes them endearing.In Godkiller, gods are common, arising at every crossroads, demanding sacrifice and worship. Some are new, some have hardly any power at all, and some are both ancient and powerful. This ecology of divinity has given rise to a profession specialising in getting rid of gods that people want not to have to deal with: the veiga, or godkillers.