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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.
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. 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. Elo was likewise a really intriguing character, his endearing Jaskier/Dandelion level of goodness and self sacrificing personality make it impossible not to love him (not to mention his skills in baking and occasional renditions of bawdy military songs), plus his relationship dynamics and banter with Kissen was perfect. First up Kissen, the Veiga. If I were to explain Kissen with one word, it would’ve been badass. Honestly. She is the embodiment of it. She has scars that she wears proudly and unapologetically, both mentally and physically. She also has a prosthetic leg, which is an important part of her yet she never lets it slow her down when it comes to fighting. I love vengeful women way too much for my own good and Kissen was vengeful, yet she didn’t let it consume her. She takes it when a chance presents itself and makes money with her anger. Honestly, what a woman! (Veiga means godkiller by the way, which makes her extra cool.) Unlike Kissen, who turns her anger and energy outward, Elo turns it inward. In many ways he’s more complex; he’s smart, educated, could have been wealthy, but has enforced penance on himself. While Kissen needs to learn to see other people (and gods) as worthy, capable, able to make mistakes, Elo needs to find his own worth, his potential, and his power.
Whilst reading Godkiller, we follow four different points of view. Two of them are reluctant legends in their own fields, both were active and influential throughout the god war, and are now just generally plodding along. They find themselves in a position that is similar to how Ringil begins in The Steel Remains. Kissen is the titular Godkiller and her occupation is pretty self-explanatory. She doesn’t like gods much and will kill them for a fee. Elogast is currently a baker, yet his previous occupation was as one of the King’s most trusted Knights. We also follow Inara, a young noble lady who the majority of the nobility don’t seem to know exists, and finally her bonded god companion Skedi, the god of white lies. 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. It has the ease of writing of a YA fantasy book, while being entirely an adult fantasy in topics and themes.
Each person's colours were different, bright, manipulable. Skedi could tell a liar from a lover, a joker from a fraud.” Other than the MC, the other characters perspectives did not interest me much at all. As Inara is a younger girl, it is told from a younger perspective and I found it slightly irritating to read. However, I am curious about where her journey may go. 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. On this forbidden pilgrimage—for in a land where gods are outlawed, pilgrimage is illegal—they encounter the former knight-commander Elogast. Elo has been a baker for three years, trying to put the war that haunts his memories out of his mind. Arren was once his childhood friend, but they disagreed when Arren turned on the gods that had helped them. But despite their disagreements, Elo’s loyalty remains with his friend the king, and Arren has been dying slowly since the last battle of the civil war, when a god kept him alive and (suspiciously, to the reader alert for the potential dramatic catch) didn’t ask for anything then in return. When Arren asks Elo to go to Blenraden to find him a better solution, or a cure, from one of the gods who he has outlawed, Elo goes despite his misgivings. Kit Griffiths' dynamic narration, which enriches the story's emotions, pace and tension, grabbed my attention within seconds. Also, the different voices used for the characters bring them to life and strengthen the listening experience.Regarding what to expect, Godkiller includes an LGBTQ+ lead, main characters who struggle with mental illness, a point of view character who has a prosthetic leg, other important disabled characters, and this world’s equivalent of sign language. All of these aspects fit seamlessly and enhance the story and the characters around them. We also have incredible set pieces, romance, betrayals, showdowns, curses, tragic loss, demons, and an amazing ending. Little statements and seemingly unimportant details come to be of the utmost importance later on, so Godkiller is absolutely a rewarding novel for those that pay attention. I liked the characters well enough, but I wanted more from them. I was never invested enough to really care about this romantic subplot, and we never get enough information to really get why Elo is so loyal to his childhood BFF.
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