#Elogast

[sonichok]

Little scene i drew from the book godkiller by hannah kaner

[greeen-bean]

So she doesn't bring her staff, which she needs to help her walk, or any of the other valuable things she could use when in this terrible traumatic place.

But she does bring this worlds equivalent of a morning after pill.

Kissen I love your priorities

[lavellan-the-ninth]

It KILLED me. But that's a job of every book I've read and will read, i suppose.

STILL, i will write my proper paragraph about Sunbringer later.

[needynova]

the TENSION between Kissen and Elogast got me screaming and kicking my feet begging them to kiss already

[uncomplicatedbookreviews]

Sunbringer

There are potential spoilers for the first book in this series: Godkiller

Author: Hannah Kaner

Series: Fallen Gods (#2)

My Rating: 9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads: 4.04/5

Date Read: April 2024

'People like me don't change the world. We just survive it.' ---------------------------

Plot Summary: Following the events of the first book our traveling group of four has been split up with Elo, Inara and Skediceth forced to return to Kissen's home of Lesscia. Elo struggles with the physical and mental reminders of the betrayal of his closest friend and begins to plan how he will stop Arren's plans of rising to the rank of the gods. At the same time Inara struggles with guilt over Kissen's apparent death and the feeling that no one, not even her friend Skediceth want her around anymore. While Elo plans a revolution against the King, Kissen travels through her old home of Talicia returning to her roots as a godkiller and stumbling across horrible premonitions of the future of Middren.

TL:DR: Another fantastic installment in the Fallen Gods series, this book does not disappoint with the introduction of even more diverse and likeable side characters. Our main characters undergo major character growth as they struggle to reconcile with the traumatic events they have all been through. They are beautiful disasters.

Main Characters:

Kissen - a fierce godkiller whose career puts her in constant contact with dangerous forces, Kissen is separate from her previous traveling companions in this book. She continues to be an independent force of nature but she will now be forced to face her beliefs and previously strong convictions to survive.

Inara - her bond with Skediceth has been irreparably changed after their travel to Blenraden. She is now facing the reality of her situation and struggling with the insecurities that no one truly wants her and the guilt that she contributed to Kissen's apparent death.

Skediceth - similar to Inara, Skediceth is coming to terms with the new reality of his relationship with the young girl. However, for the first time he begins to experience the power that comes with human offerings and being known by more than just Inara.

Elogast - the betrayal of Arren, and the willingness of his closest friend to sacrifice his life to gain power has shaken Elo to his soul. He focuses on building a revolution against the king to distract himself from the pain and uncertainties left in it's wake.

Arren - the king of Middren who originally outlawed gods. He now works to raise himself to the level of a god, securing his lands power by establishing himself as a subject of worship in place of the gods he believes are destroying his people. No matter the cost.

Thoughts and Feelings:

The first book of this series had some minor pacing issues that caused it to be a bit slow and I did not have that problem with this book. I continue to be absolutely enthralled by the world and the characters. I personally enjoyed that the story was happening in two different places at once and that Kaner committed to keeping the characters separate and that they grieved for each other for as long as possible. I think it added to the character development and the arcs that Inara and Elogast went through over the course of the narrative. I do agree with some others that not being able to travel with Kissen as much was sad, but I LOVED diving more into Elogast's character and how he struggles to come to terms with his betrayal and what his future looks like. Elo clearly struggles mentally and is using this promise of revolution and revenge as a way to cope with his loss. Inara similarly has become infatuated with this idea of revenge for her mother to her detriment. She becomes too focused on this idea of revenge that she disregards everyone else around her. And she is forced to pay dire consequences for that. Which is great. I love it when characters make mistakes, have to face the consequences, recognize that what they are doing is wrong, and then growing from that. And I think Inara's character growth was really well done. But she still has a long way to go! She is young and brash and she doesn't listen, but she faces the consequences of her actions and grows through her bad choices. The reveals that occur in the later half of the book are definitely not surprising. They are things that I was anticipating from the first one, but it didn't bother me that they were obvious. Mostly because it felt like the reveals were supposed to be surprising to the characters but not necessarily the readers and it achieved that. The representation is also fantastic in this book. Disabled characters, queer characters, mentally disabled characters all of them are represented by well rounded personalities and backgrounds. It is great.

[luniastheelf]

Yes this was so good!! I'm being consumed, not one piece of me is normal.

Second book (Sunbringer) is also a blast with a natural continuation if the story in a way I never would have tought about.

And the stakes rise even higher yet they also become more and more personal.

This series is so good I stayed up until dawn multiple timea even before my 14 hour shifts because I just couldn't put it down. (It was totally worth it.)

Please read it, please give it a chance, I promise it will be worth it.

Okay everyone PLEASE go read Godkiller by Hannah Kaner because I need someone to scream with.

Things I loved:

A fantasy novel UNDER 300 pages that's well developed

A God of white lies who feels real and not a caricature

Human/God bonds that feel So personal

Bisexual revenge queen

Complex world building

Hand wave magic system but in the BEST way

A quest! An adventure!

Disability rep

The stakes are SO high and yet everything feels so intimate I can't

[zwitter-iconic]

Finally getting around to finishing Godkiller and Elo and Kissen being a thing kind of blindsided me. I don't mean I'm missing the build-up I mean I just was so convinced Kissen was a lesbian that those two being interested in one another surprised me.

Don't get me wrong I have do think they're a good ship it just took a bit of adjusting in my mind.

Also that wound-cleaning scene where Kissen uses her teeth to pluck bone shards out of Elo's arm!!! I was with him in the 'this is weirdly hot' boat.

[the-ghost-of-jason-todd]

reading godkiller (by hannah kaner) and it's been a delight so far

i have like. SOOO many theories. i think the most likely is that there's a god of discord or chaos who is pitting everyone against each other, and THAT'S why every attempt at peace causes more bloodshed

also side note, i am in love with elo. soft, loyal, traumatized knight-turned-baker, as skilled with a sword as he is in the kitchen? i'm eating that shit UP

[inkablybean-gremlin-artist]

Fanart for the series that got me back into reading! I fell in love with Hannah Kaner’s Fallen Gods trilogy, and her lovable ensemble cast. My absolute favorite was Skediketh, God of White Lies and bound to young Inara. Someday soon I hope to draw Inara, Kissen and Elogast in my style as well!

[brynnmclean]

I'm on that Godkiller bandwagon (these books are really good though, I've flown through the first two and am starting the third, I'm not actually dismissive) and lemme just say. I'm so firmly on Team Elogast Never Forgives Arren. That's all, thanks.

[knowlsey]

Thank you for tagging me @themildmahariel ♡︎

Everyone do this trend with your own OC! 🫵

Ambrose was actually inspired by my desire to be nice to everyone on my first playthrough of VG so I didn’t actually draw inspiration from any characters, however this trend is fun so I thought I’d instead pick 6 characters that I feel Ambrose is similar to in one way or another.

I think all of these are self explanatory.

Characters:

Samwise Gamgee - The Lord of the Rings

Avatar Aang - Avatar the Last Airbender

Alphonse Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Elogast - Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Prompto - Final Fantasy XV

Jason Grace - Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Bonus mention to Leon S Kennedy from Resident Evil 2 (and ONLY 2), and Link for gender reasons.

[pheenic]

i got two stupid thoughts about Godkiller/Sunbringer (still reading Sunbringer)

Elogast I love you and the fact you have two moms HOWEVER. If you ever fucked Arren you'd probably think it wasn't gay because you had your eyes closed/was a bro moment, etc.

Arren, he has to be aware he has/had(?) feelings for Elo right... right?

edit okay a third thought

3. Kissen marry me please i beg you please please please

[anxietycreation]

I just finished reading faithbreaker and the end of series come down is real. I'm so sad that I won't get to read anymore about Kissen, Inara, and Elogast.

I picked up godkiller last year, during a point where I was aching for a fantasy that had more plot and substance to it than the romantasy that's flooding the market. I don't mind a bit of romance and sex in my stories, I just want characters that feel real and plot that feels meaningful.

Godkiller delivered.

I didn't see anything about it before I started reading it and I'm so glad. I see people talking online about the bi rep, the disability rep, the poc rep without actually talking about what makes the series good.

If asked to explain why godkiller would be a great read I'd talk about the fact that so many gods exist in this world with endless possibilities. I'd talk about how its plot has high stakes while its characters still feel intimate and personal. I'd talk about how it portrays pain and trauma so well without stepping into being misery porn. I'd talk about how it explores themes like tyranny, religion, and the nature of change. It depicts greed and suffering as not just human traits but as godly ones as well.

I adore the way the gods work in the fallen gods trilogy. Tied to their shrines and peoples belief in them. Rebirth of a god including amnesia. The shadowed husks of forgotten gods that haven't died. The way worship empowers them. I'm obsessed with it.

There's so much to say about it that it makes me a little sad to see it boiled down to the stereotypes it includes and the representation involved.

[uncomplicatedbookreviews]

Godkiller

Author: Hannah Kaner

Series: Fallen Gods (#1)

My Rating: 7/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Goodreads rating: 3.93/5

Date Read: March 2024

'Fate was a fairy story and a bullshit one at that; fate could get fucked and go bother someone else.' ------------------------------

Plot Summary: Kissen is a godkiller, a warrior who travels through the country killing gods who have started harming their followers. She's a no baggage traveler...that is until Inara, a young girl spiritually connected to Skediceth the god of white lies, seeks her out in an attempt to figure out exactly why the girl and god are bound together. Kissen reluctantly takes on the task of taking the girl to the old city of gods after witnessing the girl's entire household burn to the ground. Along the way they run into Elogast, the once captain of the kind's knights and King Arren's closest friend. Together the dysfunctional traveling group must fight mysterious forces trying to stop them from reaching their destination, bickering and butting heads the entire way.

TL:DR: This book really shines in it's characters and the amount of representation throughout. POC, queer, disabled characters are given the center stage and they are wonderfully written. There are some pacing issues, but the world that is built is fascinating and fully fleshed out.

Characters:

Kissen - a fierce warrior whose family was killed as a sacrifice to a god of fire. Kissen is stubborn, bitingly sarcastic, tough and uncaring. At least at first glance. She hunts and destroys gods that have begun to harm the humans who worship them on behalf of the king. She keeps everyone but her closest family at arms length and does not care for new friendships. She stumbles her way into a deeper mission that she never anticipated or wanted.

Inara - a young 12 year old girl who has been bound to the small god of white lies Skediceth from birth. She has lived much of her life in the solitary confinement of her mother's estate, hiding her connection to a god who is illegal. She has to tap into her suppressed bravery to seek out answers about her connection with Skediceth and the arson responsible for killing her family. She's brash and determined to start controlling her own fate and revenge.

Skediceth - the god of white lies who is connected to Inara by a bond that neither of them know anything about. He has no memories of his life before Inara and his powers are small. He dreams of one day being free of Inara, but he also cares for his friend deeply. He protects his existence by using his powers of white lies which is reflected in his timid and threat avoidant nature.

Elogast - the king's closest friend and the commander of his army. Elo is a noble knight who suffers from symptoms of PTSD related to his experiences in the war between humans and gods. All he wants to do is live a life of baking bread in his small village, but his sense of duty and love for the king forces him to pick his sword back up and go on one last mission. He's a good guy with a genuine nature. A true knight in shining armor

Thoughts and Feelings: Besides some minor pacing issues this book was really fantastic. The world that is created is amazing, well described, easy to understand, and vibrant with culture, unique mythology, and extensive history. I have never read about another world that is like the one created in Godkiller. The dynamics between humans and gods is fresh and unique. Human faith is the only reason that the gods exist so if the humans stop believing the gods fade away. But if the gods become too powerful they become greedy for more devotion and require sacrifices that harm their followers. Super cool. And the fact that the book begins with gods OUTLAWED is so cool.

THE CHARACTERS ARE AMAZING. There is not a character in this book that does not hit. Kissen is a badass with personal relationship issues and a fucked up past that makes her very cold. But she also can't help but care for Inara who reminds her so much of herself as a child. Inara is a typical kid in a lot of ways. She starts the book very timid and scared but gradually becomes more brave. She acts brashly at times and doesn't think through the consequences of her actions, but she is actually willing to grow because of her mistakes. Elogast is this seemingly perfect noble knight, but he is hiding a lot of PTSD and self worth issues. These characters are also just the tip of the iceberg for the beautiful diversity of this book. There are queer characters, there are disabled characters, there are mentally ill characters almost anything you can think of is present here and the kicker is that THEY. ARE. ALL. WELL. WRITTEN. Every one of these characters is well rounded. Their character traits are important parts of them, but they don't completely define them. it's incredible.

Now the only small issue is parts of the book are a little slow and it doesn't quite click, but it is not enough to detract from the rest of it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy settings, strong female characters, strong characters in general, and unique mythologies.

[asexualbookbird]

losing it again over Elogast getting in a fight and thinking "What would Kissen do?"

[bibliokaty]

ARC Review: Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner

Faithbreaker (Fallen Gods Trilogy #3) by Hannah Kaner

Goodreads | ☆☆☆☆☆ | This review was featured in my reading journal! Watch the YouTube video or view it on Instagram.

This review is spoiler free, but please be aware this is the final book in a trilogy. ♡

People make gods, and, for better or worse, gods make people. That quote from Godkiller represents the entire The Fallen Gods��trilogy for me.

This series explores faith in a unique way that truly made me feel seen. The story and themes are so poignant for our world right now, even more so for me as I navigate deconstruction.

Faithbreaker offers a satisfying conclusion, including an epic finale to the greater war and emotional endings for our characters’ arcs. I have grown to love these characters (MULTIPLE bi main characters!)

Kissen has become a favorite character of all time for me. I love her bullheaded nature, her soft spot for her friends, her disability rep, and her romantic storyline that flourishes in this final book.

Elogast the baker-knight and his god emperor Arren made my heart hurt in a good and satisfying way. I felt the emotions right alongside Elo.

Inara showed such growth and really ended up stepping into her own since we met her in book one. I love her love for her friends and family and people, and I hurt with her during her experience of meeting her father and learning that things are not always as we wish them to be.

The little god Skediceth had my favorite arc over the whole series. I went from disliking him in book one to crying over his character arc and appreciating his role at the end of this story.

Kaner's writing is so beautiful and thought-provoking as she explores the themes of faith, belief, power, sacrifice, and humanity. I appreciate her rich prose, complex world building, and dedication to queer, disability, and mental health representation in her fantasy world.

Some of my favorite quotes from Faithbreaker:

‘Everyone dies!’ she yelled. ‘People and gods, lions and sheep. Storms pass, winds howl, the sun sets, and the night grows dark. We all go to dust and nothing. Everybody dies.’

‘I have frailty in me, and cruelty too. I live in pain because pain is what the world gave me, and I am powerful with it.’

This couldn’t be faith. This bloody, frightening, appalling thing. This thing that washed decks with blood and killed good women who missed their home.

‘And “prosthesis” is not a dirty word.’

☁️ Tags & Key Words: Adult Epic Fantasy • Queernorm World • LGBTQIA+ & Disability Representation • Humans vs. Gods • Commentary on Faith, Power & Control

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperVoyager, for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!