A great continuation to the Godkiller storyline, but one that also suffers from second-book syndrome. Godkiller established the world and the characters, Sunbringer mostly just seems to exist to move everything into place for a concluding installment.

That being said, the characters are still great, and I am definitely invested in what happens next. I'm excited to recommend this (and Godkiller) to others once it's released!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Sunbringer was a better book than Godkiller. The characters were more dynamic, the plot was more interesting, and I think the book, on the whole, felt a lot more adult and complex. I think Godkiller fans will love this sequel. If you didn’t love Godkiller and were undecided about reading Sunbringer, I think you should give this a try.

The follow up to Godkiller doesn't quite hold up but it is definitely still worth the read if you liked the first.

The added POV was a great help to the story but one of my favorite things about Godkiller was the character interactions so them being separated for most of this book made it a little less engaging and gave it a bit of middle book syndrome. I do still like how this series/Kaner's writing feels very classic fantasy but with disability representation and a queer normative society.

I'll definitely be continuing the series!

I had a bit of a hard time focusing on this book and am going to come back and edit my review after I give it a second try.
I really enjoyed Godkiller and hope that it will be better after a second try.
3 star for now

I just finished reading Sunbringer right after Godkiller, which I enjoyed a lot. I received an ARC copy of Sunbringer from Netgalley, courtesy of Harper and Avon Voyager, and Hannah Kaner, for my unbiased review.

My thoughts on Sunbringer are mixed. I appreciate that it continues from where Book 1 left off, so it was easy to get back into the story. However, compared to the first book, it felt a bit slow. It was like switching from a thrilling ride to a gentler one. I prefer books with a faster pace, but the plot was well-crafted. And the ending! I did not expect it at all. I'm glad I didn't stop reading the book because of its leisurely pace. I knew there was more to Inara's character than what we saw in Book 1.

2.5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher — Avon and Harper Voyager — for the eARC.

The pacing in this second book is inconsistent. Every chapter (only a few pages long) alternates between five different points of view which you’d think would propel the story forward but you don’t actually get any significant movement or understanding within a chapter before it ends. I’m not so sure all of the points of view were necessary.

The characters’ (and the gods’) motivations were murky and their attitudes oftentimes annoying. Revelations fell flat because by the time they were reached I had grown apathetic towards it all. I guess this is what people mean when they say a book has middle book syndrome.

My favorite part of the story remains the same as the first book: Skedi and the other small, forgotten gods. They kept me reading.

The sequel to "Godkiller," the action in "Sunbringer" takes place almost immediately after and the characters in this book never get a chance go catch their breath. Kraner is a goddess at cliffhangers - none of her cliffhangers end in the middle of an action, but with the tense resolution that her characters are alive yet in a tense and precarious situation (slight spoiler: "Godkiller" nearly ends with a main character plunging into the sea after killing the god of war but it really ends with her saved by the patron god of her father), which I think is more powerful in building anticipation for the sequel and she repeats this action for the ending in "Sunbringer." If the sequel to "Sunbringer" does not come out next year, I will be a broken person.

Kraner also constructs the stakes in "Sunbringer" to be higher than ever - before, the danger was contained almost completely to Kissen, Elogast, and Inara's quest to Blenraden - and now the danger(s) have followed them home and threaten not only them but also ~the friends they've made along the way~. Possibly the only negative things I can say about this book is that the side characters are fleshed out but I still want to know more about them. I hope Kraner ends up writing spin-offs and origin stories in this universe for years to come.

Incredible sequel! It expanded on everything I felt was lacking in book 1. The world building, the new characters and development, and the ENDING!! Loved it!

THIS BOOK. AAAAAAAAAA

It was so good. That’s it, that’s the review; it was wonderful, and I can’t lie and say that it was an easy read (it DID suffer from a mild case of middle book syndrome, and my preorder had a shit ton of typos) but I still ate up every minute.

I adore every single character (.. okay minus Skedi, because fuck him, and Milf Who Must Not Be Named because fuck her too), and I love spending time with them and seeing them interact and watching them process their grief and take sides in conflicts and have different ambitions that inevitably pit them up against eachother and working through that because they still care about eachother and ugh

This has a lot of political fantasy aspects, which I really like. It felt very realistic, and it added a nice layer of complexity to the world and the characters’ goals.

The first half was pretty sloggy, but it definitely paid off, and honestly I enjoyed the boring parts too. It was slow because it needed to be. I also really loved the way it ended (no literal cliffhanger this time!) and I can’t wait to see how everything progresses from here.

(thanks to Netgalley for the arc! I will be back to request the third book the second I can)

I won't give away too much because this is a sequel, but if you enjoyed the first in the series (Godkiller) then you'll love this. The world and the characters are just as good as the first book, but I do think having Kissen being separate from the group didn't do her character much good. I wasn't a huge fan of her vibe in the first book, but the way she interacted with the others made her fit in better and I enjoyed the dynamic of the different characters. In this book, because we didn't get those interactions, I didn't love the main character. But, the overall story was really good, and I love the way Hannah Kaner writes--the world and plot was really compelling and well-realized.
I can't wait for more from this author!

Like, oh my god.

"People like me don’t change the world. We just survive it.”

Picking right up after the betrayal at the end of Godkiller, Sunbringer shifts focus from our main POV to the three other main characters. I appreciate Kaner's character work, world building, and dedication to queer, disability, and mental health representation in her fantasy world.

My favorite aspect to the whole series is the commentary on faith and how it can be used for control. In Sunbringer, we get to see more of the gods themselves, how they are made, and what they can do to or for their believers.

The pacing starts a bit slow, but by the end it really ramped up. I loved how it felt like watching an action movie on page with each POV facing a different battlefront. There are twists, turns, and reveals, and it's super satisfying to see it all come together in the end. I am extremely excited for book three.

"Nothing was more frightening than a smart woman with a vendetta and a plan."

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

I am so stupid for thinking this was a duology. Imagine my surprise getting 80% done with this book and realizing, there’s no way this ends in 60 pages.

Anyway, this was great. I loved Godkiller, Sunbringer was just as good, but it did drag in that way that second in a trilogy books tend to do. Which, now that I know what I know. Makes fucking sense. I’m a goose.

Sunbringer picks up right where Godkiller left off and we follow our same beloved cast of characters as they lick their wounds and find ways to cope This was definitely slower than Godkiller, more politics-driven, and less murder. But everything that I liked about the first book was in Sunbringer so I can’t complain. I devoured Godkiller in about 8 hours. It took me around 25 days to get through Sunbringer. Kanner slows down and takes us through more in-depth worldbuilding and politics.

Whatever comes next for these characters was perfectly set up in this book and I am fucking ecstatic.

I still enjoyed the world and the characters but missed Kissen being with the others. My favorite part of book one was her grumpy, chip-on-her-shoulder energy. While she certainly stayed true to her character, she was separated from the other characters, which meant we missed out on many of the character dynamics I fell in love with in the first book.

I received a copy of this book in advance to review. Thank you to the author and the publisher.

Really enjoyable, possibly better than the first?

In Godkiller, the book slowly collected a cast of characters and tied them together on a singular journey, creating a lovable found family in pursuit of a goal. In Sunbringer, the main POV from book 1 is separated from the other characters, believed to be dead, and the POV of the king was added in.

This book was constantly shifting alliances and assumptions. I wanted to root for Kissen and Inara even as they were (unbeknownst to them) working against one another towards opposite goals. I loved the further development of the magic system, the introduction of more gods, and the way all of the moving pieces finally settled together in the end for a push to the third book.

The only thing quibble I had was the pacing. I think this started SO strong but got a little bogged down in the middle for a while. there was a lot happening and it was overwhelming at times. this had just a touch of book 2 syndrome but I suspect that when book 3 comes out, all of that maneuvering will prove necessary.

I will say that the author did a good job of keeping the characters voices distinct and developing each. If you loved the found family in book 1, book 2 will let you learn a lot more about them individually but unfortunately loses some of the interactions of them together. I was also hoping for maybe a bit of romance with Kissen & Elo but I’m not sure that’s where the author is going and it certainly wasn’t hinted at in this book. All in all, I am happy with that installment and will be preordering book 3 (unless the publisher wants to send me another ARC? I’m just saying, I am VERY open to that)

This picks up right where Godkiller left off. Kissen is off in Talicia and has to find her way back home to her family and friends, all the while dealing with gods. Elo, Inara, Skedi, Telle, and Yatho are in Lessica thinking Kissen is dead and preparing to fight off Arren. Arren has a newly forged god heart and is hell bent on continuing to extinguish all other gods.

I loved this. Even better than Godkiller imo. I think Kaner really found her voice in this story and was able to develop the characters even more. What I didn’t totally love was the ending. I feel like the mom came out of left field and HATED her and her motivations. Like does she have no emotions at all? Inara felt chaotic but she’s literally a child so I’ll let it slide. The final chapter was wildly out of character for Arren and I have a really hard time believing it was so easy for him to accept what Kissen told them through Aan. Super excited for book three though

Good for a second book, enjoyed it as much as the first. Don't know what else to say other than I enjoyed it.

4 stars...thank you NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me the eARC of this book. I enjoyed this sequel. There were a lot of POV's but it wasn't hard to follow like with some stories with multiple povs. There's more character growth and that cliffhanger yo! I need the next book now! I look forward to more of this story whenever it comes out. I definitely recommend it if you've read Godkiller and want to continue the story. I liked this one a little more than the first book. It wasn't as slow paced for me.

Sunbringer is the second book in the Fallen Gods series told from multiple PoVs helping to give the reader a full experience in this world full of small gods, lost gods and the people who might had defeated them years ago but forgot to let go of them. The story picks up a few weeks after the events of Godkiller, with all of our characters recovering from the betrayal, sacrifices made and the cost of going up against a god. (possible small spoilers for Godkiller)

With little tools you make battle with gods, but you still cannot fight faith.

Godkiller was one of my favorite books of 2023 and a fantastic debut novel for Hannah Kaner. While I did enjoy Sunbringer, the bar was really high to love it just as much as the first book of the series. Part of the problem is that most of the main characters are separated for much of the book on their own journeys and so the dynamic between them that was so magical in Godkiller was sacrificed. However, this enables the reader to see so many other aspects of this world they couldn’t have if the characters didn’t split up. Still I was longing to get to the point that they would all find their ways back to each other to stand together against all of the new threats looming for Middren. Some from within and many from the outside.

Kissen was one of my favorite characters from 2023. She is complex, the trauma and loathing she has towards the gods is just as tangled as the body she lives in. What she didn’t realize until now is that she might be able to kill a god but just because you kill them doesn’t mean you killed the faith of the people that created them. If that still exists so will the god, but the next version might be slightly changed for better or worse. She has a new task set to her by a God and she might not like it but she does see the need for it. She has been a Godkiller for most of her life, with only few to claim as friends or family. Inara and Elogast made in into that small circle during their travels in Godkiller and she will do this to be able to help save them as well.

‘I have seen nations here rise and fall. Gods too, lifted high and then dashed to the ground. And yet . . .’ Her eyes came back, deep and unyielding, ‘This is the first time I have seen godhood and nationhood so deeply entwined. It frightens me. Hseth frightens me.’

Elogast left his bakery to try and save his friend only to find he had been betrayed. He longs for that piece of his life but realizes he can never go back to the bakery and will have to pick up his burdens as a soldier and commander if he has any hope of standing up what he thinks is right. Elogast is so broken; he has PTSD from the things he saw in his first campaign against the Gods with his best friend and heartsworn companion. He might be picking up his sword and armor again, leading men again but the chances are slim he will survive. He will have every faith tested in his defense of the only city with a chance of standing up to the King. The fight is harder than he ever knew it would be since the King is tied to a god and is looking to become a god himself.

These waves of emotion, tension, were longing for release. To celebrate, to destroy. Enough for someone’s will to slip in and take hold. Sunbringer wanted it to be his will, his glory. He wanted to claim their chaos and tame it. Skedi understood. It was what a god would want.

For me, Inara and Skediceth had the most interesting story in Sunbringer. A little girl tied to the god of White Lies is looking for answers of who she is, who her father is and why she is able to be tied to a god. Staying with the rest of Kissen’s family, she will try to discover what she can do and if she has the power to help in this coming war. The bonds between her and Skedi will also be tested as each of them is growing in both power and in will. Inara has the most time with various gods learning how the city of Lesscia has kept so many little gods going in a time when praying to gods is outlawed. Overall this was one of the most interesting plots to the story. And even though I could see that eventually her story would have to collide back and merge with Kissen and Elogast, I was impatient waiting to get there.

There is a new PoV in the story of the King who would like to be a God, the Sunbringer. This added to the overall story and the complexity of what is happening. I did guess one of the secrets but the climax of the story when everyone ended up in the same space was really all I wanted it to be. I saw a few of the twists of this story coming, but I also missed some of the bigger reveals that kept the surprises coming for me. All these characters are going to have to find a way to come together if they are going to stand against wave of power getting ready to sweep through Middren.

Sunbringer is a middle book and suffers from a few middle book issues with some of the pacing as it is setting up for future books in the series. That said, I was entertained and interested the entire book and couldn’t put it down, needing to get the part where characters would be reunited or come to the revelations we as the reader see they need to get to. Not as action packed as Godkiller, Sunbringer brings plenty of action towards the last 25% when the story is speeding up to the conclusion of at least this book. No one in the story is all good or bad, there is plenty of grey area there making for interesting and complex situations that are always more interesting than characters that are strictly good or bad. I am excited to see where Hannah Kaner takes this story moving forward as I see there being so much potential with the interactions between Gods, man and sometimes the blend of both.

I already am beyond excited for the third book in this trilogy whenever it comes out! Sunbringer gives us even more from the Fallen Gods trilogy than book 1. This one gave political intrigue and unrest. It gave us gods versus human. It gave us gods working with humans. I was hooked from the start because I was excited for where the story was going to take us after finishing Godkiller. I will say, this one really picked up the pace around 50% when the chapters became super short which I do love especially when all of the action is happening.

I usually am not a fan of more than two POVs but this one had four main POVs and one extra thrown in sparingly and it didn’t bother me at all. I liked getting the story from so many different angles. I missed our characters all working together but I think the separation gave each the opportunity to shine in their own right. The only character that got under my skin was our young Inara. She really was naive and stubborn in this one so I hope book 3 gives her some redemption.

Thank you Harper Voyager for my free ARC of Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner — available Mar 12 in the US!

Read this if you:
🦌 read and loved the first book in the series, [book:Godkiller|61244268]
🏞️ enjoy lushly detailed fantasy reads with complex characters
💕 are a fan of misfits and the found family trope

The adventures of Kissen, Inara, Elo, and Skedi continue in the second book of this planned trilogy. Kissen's destruction of Hseth proves to be complicated, as her followers are already on a warpath and their loyalty may bring her back sooner than should be possible. Elo, struggling with his friend's betrayal, will have to make difficult decisions about what to do next, and Inara find herself discontented with the situation around her, planning her own schemes to protect those she cares about.

I absolutely adored Godkiller, and Sunbringer did not let me down. It's a bit slower than its predecessor, but I sort of expect that from any second book in a fantasy trilogy. I wish the characters had been together for more of the book, but I still loved each of their journeys through the story. Inara grabbed on even tighter to my heart than she did in book one, and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for her and everyone else in the final book! Love love loved the peak fight scene near the end — I'm usually sort of indifferent to "battles" in fantasy plotlines, but there was so much heart and soul scattered throughout this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️