3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

While I overall enjoyed this sequel to Godkiller, I think it suffered from Second Book Syndrome. When I had finished it, my overall impression was that the whole book felt like a bridge between stories rather than a full, captivating story on its own. In other words, it mostly felt like filler.

I did enjoy watching Inara grow as a character and learn more about herself. And I liked the way her relationship with Skedi evolved.

Of the four POVs, I found my interest waning in Kissen and Elo's chapters, whereas I found Inara & Skedi's chapters much more engaging. Kissen's part in this book was basically just setting up the plot of the next book, which didn't really leave her with much to do.

While I liked the complicated dynamic between Elo and Arren, I didn't enjoy the development of their parts in this plot. I thought the reasoning for Arren's political actions was pretty weak. I understood Elo's motivations, but I thought his strategies were weak too. Overall I felt like their political/martial conflict happened just to give them something to do in this book. It didn't really make sense to me.

I do really like the world of this series and I love the disability representation too. I look forward to the third book!

Well, I liked this much better than GodKiller. That book was good but this was better. Lots of nonstop excitement as Elo makes plans to kill the king and protect Lesscia from being destroyed. Lesscia would be an awesome city to go and see with all its books and papers and ink. It is definitely worth protecting and has a lot of people trying to do so.

This is also the book for growth of the characters. Kissen, who thankfully survived the killing of Hseth (and too bad she didn't stay dead despite Kissen's best efforts). That was a bit disheartening but it did not stop Kissen from trying. She is so tough and I like that she is willing to bend and work with other gods to try and stop Hseth.

My favorite characters were Inara and Skedi though. They grew so much into their powers and they are awesome both as a team and separately. It was cool to learn more about their shared history and why they are who they are. I cannot wait to see what they will accomplish next!

I do like the addition of Arren's point of view in this book to see what his justifications are for the actions he is commiting (along with Hesta). It left me intrigued about how this whole mess is going to end. I cannot wait for the last book to see hopefully the defeat of that awful god of fire now turned to god of war!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review an advance copy of this book.

Kissen is a godkiller. She's already killed the god that had been her target for years. Or has she?

There is a lot to love about this book. A lot happens in what is essentially a pretty short amount of time. I love Inara's continued development and Kissen's dedication to doing what is right despite how much she hates what it means. I didn't love the division that Elogast was part of, but the way it set up the ending and the third book makes me excited for the next part in the journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader's copy of the book. Another fantastic entry by the author. More world building created, more bits of the characters revealed, and it just sucked me in. I appreciated the varying points of view. The book started up almost right where the first ended which was good because that cliffhanger of the first. And now I'm eagerly and excitedly waiting for the next book. The things revealed in this book, I couldn't have predicted. I cannot wait to see how this series ends. I will recommend this to all my book reading friends. Fantastic book.

This was a beautiful sequel to Godkiller. I love Hannah Kanger’s writing. Her world building is easy to follow but still feels like you’re in another world entirely. I wish we got more time with the two main characters together, they were separated for majority of the book. For a sequel, Sunbringer was amazing.

Favorite Quote: Unpaid soldiers become angry. Angry, unpaid soldiers forget their loyalty.

Story Synopsis: Elogast and Inara are on their own after Kissen saves them at Blenraden. Arren is working on his god-like perception, hoping to become a god himself. Kissen, after being granted her long overdue boon from Osidisen, makes the long, arduous journey to Lesscia to reunite with Inara and Elo.

Why does this book beguile? Godkiller, the first book of the Fallen Gods series, was short and action-packed. I found Sunbringer to be a big letdown. The first ten percent of Sunbringer, after leaving the characters in Godkiller, was awesome. I was eager to learn about each character’s fate and how it would influence the story. However, the story dragged on and on and on. This book reminded me of a meeting to talk about an upcoming meeting.

The last fifteen percent was enjoyable, but after slogging through the book, I lost interest. While the storyline is solid, this is a classic situation of a trilogy that should have been a duology (looking at you, Shadow & Bone). I’ve yet to determine if I’ll read the third book.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner is an adventure fantasy that has a beautiful found family, unique premise, and Witcher-vibes. It is an incredible next installment to a series that focuses on gods, a corrupt king, maniacal faith, and the self-less courage of those who want a better future for their kingdom..

The author did a fantastic job of delving deep into our characters’ flaws and providing a plot that leads them to personal growth. I loved seeing the progression of the characters we fell in love with in book 1, though I wish we could have spent more time with them together as a found family unit. Despite this, it is clear how close knit they have grown and I can't wait to see what happens next in book 3.

Overall, I gave this book a four-star rating because it was enjoyable and I keep finding myself becoming more and more attached to the characters and their stories. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy adventure that has similar vibes to Witcher, but is its own wonderfully distinct tale.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I can see why some people felt it was a little flat compared to the first one. I think I struggle with second books and find them to be slower as they tend to try to set a lot up for the final book.

One thing I did like about this was the added pov. I always find myself wishing that authors would show more povs from characters I like so I was pleasantly surprised to have that in this book.

I'm not sure if I will read the next one so I will wait to see other reviews from it before I give it a shot.

Thank you as always to Netgalley for the arc!

📖 Sunbringer
✍️ Hannah Kaner
🗓️ 12 Mar 2024
📝Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager
💕 General Fiction (Adult), Sci Fi & Fantasy,
LGBTQIA/queer

First things first, the covers of both books, aren’t they absolutely stunning!? I ordered both books in German because they have these amazing sprayed edges. Just perfect.

“Godkiller” was one of my favourites from last year. I was really anxiously waiting for “Sunbringer”.

It has been a while when I read Godkiller and when starting Sunbringer, I felt like I should have reread it. The story is rather complex, which I like, but I needed a refresher. The gods names are unfamiliar and I had to brush up a bit on what happened, especially at the end of book one.

I loved the LGBTQIA/ queer representation and that it was perfectly normal in that world. It felt natural. Many authors introduce queer characters as an accessory to make their novel “diverse” and resulting in it being forced and unnatural. That was not the case here, which made the reading experience so much better.

I loved the representation of mental health, disabilities and diversity. I love it when the deaf community and sign language is introduced. I always had a weak spot for that.
I also didn’t mind the religious aspects. I adored the wild feel of the gods, the rebellion, the war. This novel had so many great qualities and aspects. Nothing in Hannah Kaner’s writing is forced and unnatural, it’s such a rare skill she possesses.

What I didn’t care too much about were the politics. I was never too big on that topic. It just never catches my attention.

I agree with previous reviews about the main characters being separated too long. I understand that this was probably to help up setting for the last book and to show the growth of the individual characters. I still wanted them to be together again. I couldn’t stand the pain when the sisters were told of Kissen’s death.


⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperVoyagerUS, and Avonbooks for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

I absolutely loved the first book. The multiple points of view and intriguing plot lines. I could not wait to read the second one.

This book was good but it didn’t give me the same vibes that the first one did. There is definitely a lot going on in this one. So much so that at points it’s hard to keep up with the story. But I loved that we got multiple POVs. It makes it easier to see everything that is going on in different parts of the kingdom. The plot gets really good. It makes you not want to put it down.

I highly recommend it!

I really struggled to come up with a way to review this book. I really, really loved the ending. The last 25% of this book is amazing, incredible, and makes me want to read the next one immediately. Once the last quarter of the book started up, I had to finish and read in one sitting. I did find myself a bit frustrated with the rest of the book though.

The story picks up with our favorite characters scattered and trying to make it back home with the knowledge of what they’ve learned about the king and gods. We now also get Arren’s POV which was an interesting look into his plans.

Kissen, the absolute standout from the first book, is separated from the rest of the characters and I really found myself missing her wit and banter with Elo and Inara. I really missed that dynamic through the book as it was one of my favorite parts of Godkiller.

Minor Spoiler!

Kissen doesn’t reunite with the other characters until the very end which drives me a little batty. I hope we actually get a scene where they all can reunite and talk properly. I miss that.

End Spoiler

Inara’s growth was a great part of this book. I loved seeing her grow up from a scared girl into a warrior of her own. Her and Skedi were stars of the book while Kissen traveled and Elo embedded himself in the power struggle and fight. I found myself looking forward to her parts the most.

Elo had some awesome fight scenes, but I wished for more moments with the other characters he meets in this book. I had a bit of a hard time connecting with the new townspeople in this book - until the end which was very cool, but I wish there were more emotional moments with them before the end!

Overall, I did love this book because of the end. I am eager to see how the trilogy wraps up (I’m assuming it’s a trilogy!) but I do hope that the next book has some more emotional moments, banter, and connection!

Worry not, this review is spoiler free ❤️

Fans of Godkiller should be thrilled to know that the Sunbringer DOES NOT disappoint. I’m am absolutely stunned by the amazing second book of the Fallen Gods series. I couldn’t put it down. In fact I may have to set aside my previous belief that the first book is always the best because this was EPIC.

When I read Godkiller I was absolutely blown away by the amount of world building that Kaner put into the story, and am happy to say that that continues in its sequel. Sunbringer gives readers a deeper history of Middren and the gods its people either love or hate. Being a lover of mythology this aspect of the book made my heart so happy. She does an incredible job.

All your favorite characters are back, sharing their wants, fears, and (in Kissen’s case) colorfully vulgar language. There’s not a single pov that isn’t a roller coaster of emotion, usually leaving me with toes curled as I jumped into the next chapter. Several minor characters from the first book play much larger roles in Sunbringer and I was thrilled to get to know them better.

Last but not least, this book continues the theme of inclusion, acceptance, and diversity that had me over the moon in Godkiller. This book has the first trans character I’ve ever read about in a fantasy novel and the way she is portrayed is… wonderful. I couldn’t wait to tell my bestie, who I’ve been blessed to know throughout her transition, and she had tears in her eyes. It was awesome.

Needless to say this book was everything I hoped for and I absolutely cannot wait to see what happens next in the series. I’m officially obsessed. Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: March 12, 2024

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Sunbringer was a great follow up to Godkiller, especially since it picked up right where we were left at the end of the first book. It definitely had a slower start, but once you made it past that, the tempo was good, and kept me engaged the whole time. I love the unique world that Ms. Kaner has built for us readers, and loved every second spent in it.

This was definitely one of my most highly anticipated reads for the spring 2024 season. “Godkiller” was one of those great books where I went in with very little knowledge or expectation when I started it and then was blown away by just how much I loved it! It also ended not on a cliffhanger, per se, but on a fairly big action sequences with our characters stumbling to find new ways forward after their initial goals and their plans that were, sometimes quite literally, blown out of the water. So how does this one stand up? Let’s dive in!

I’ll say right from the start that I don’t think this book was quite the high that was “Godkiller.” However, I think that would have been a very high bar to reach, and the goals that needed to be met in this story to lead to the ultimate conclusion in the third book (didn’t know there was going to be a third book until very recently!) also necessitated some of these stumbling blocks. There are a lot of moving pieces, most especially the characters themselves who have to quite literally move from one place to another over a large chunk of space. And, of course, there were some important character beats that had to be hit properly to continue them all along their series-long arcs.

As far as the characters go, Inara largely takes center stage in this book (a bit to my disappointment, as Kissen remains by favorite of the three by far). Her story is very interesting in that she’s a child character, and the book doesn’t shy away from presenting her this way. She can be stubborn, irrational, and sometimes thoughtless about the repercussions of her choices. But she’s also endearing and a girl on the verge of womanhood who finds herself in a disrupted world with very few people on whom she can rely. I also appreciated the fact that the book acknowledged the more tenuous relationship between Inara and Elo. Kissen was the glue that held this group together, and without her, we quickly see these two’s bonds begin to stretch when presented with their differing goals.

Elo’s story was fairly straight-forward, and of the three, felt a bit wayward. He has a clear plot line, but even though action is happening on the page, I felt like the reader was left spinning their wheels during much of his page time. Through him, we also spent a lot of time getting to know various other side characters who, frankly, I just didn’t care about. Worse, the book didn’t really give me reason to care about them; their stories were very must restricted to the minor events of this book, only to, by the end, feel fairly meaningless with regards to the greater story of the trilogy as a whole.

Kissen, of course, was wonderful. She’s simply a more charismatic lead character than Elo or Inara, someone who is fun to read about, pure and simple. Again, however, much of her story felt a bit aimless, especially in the first half. It’s not until the last thirty percent of the book that it becomes clear where her storyline is even going. Once it does, I liked the challenges that Kissen faced when having to re-evaluate her worldview and her role in the future conflict.

As you may have pieced together from these three character explanations, my biggest disappointment for this book was the simple fact that our main three characters spend practically no time together. I’m not sure if Kissen even exchanges any words with Elo?? It’s fairly extreme as far as character separations go, especially for a sequel of a book that had such a strong team dynamic at the center of its story.

That said, while many of my quibbles came down to what felt like “second book syndrome,” I still ended the book on an extremely high note. The story took a few switches that I truly didn’t expect, and the grand scale conflict ahead seems turbulent and morally complicated, the best kind! We had a few important reveals, and I enjoyed the important challenges that our three main characters faced with regards to their views of this world and what the future would look like. They all started in one place, but by the end, each has been significantly challenged to broaden their understanding of what is going on and who they are.

Overall, I think this was a solid sequel. I was disappointed by the lack of time the characters spent together, but I also see the important character beats that they all hit through these more separate adventures. There’s also a great conflict set up at the end that promises a very dynamic and exciting conclusion to the trilogy. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this one, and I think it’s well worth it just to see where it all goes from here!

Rating 8: A bit of a stumble from the near-perfection of the first book, but still a solid sequel that promises great things to come!

(Link will go live March 6 on The Library Ladies blog)

Starting this right after the first really helped me stay in it and enjoy this book. Other than that it was a little slower but I was glad to continue the character development from the last book and can’t wait for book three.
How feeling protective of the group with everything they have been thru so far. These books feel inclusive with disabilities and LGBTQ+

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great and a typical 2nd book. It had great charcter study, world building and quite a cast of characters. I’m excited to read the last book in this trilogy. I hope it turns out to be a great ending for the beloved characters.

Sunbringer starts right where Godkiller leaves off. Though I struggled getting into this, I love the world Hannah Kaner created. It started a little slow, but picks ups. The characters are great, the pace is slow.

Fascinating story about the relationship between people and gods. You have people out to kill all Gods, a king who wants to be a God, and weary godkillers seeing a benefit in the gods at last. Amongst all of it a girl with strange powers over Gods. This is an epic story spanning several books. I can see it spanning into different arcs as well. I found the action to be fast paced, the transitions between many characters smooth and the story exciting. I recommend this story for fantasy lovers who appreciate LGBTQ+ characters and societies.

I received an E-Arc in exchange for my honest review. Thank you HarperVoyager!

I really liked this, though I think it suffers the typical problems of book two in a trilogy. I can see where we’re going, but we’re not getting there in this book.
What I did love is the character development. Inara and Skedi really shine here. I also really enjoyed the background characters like Telle and Yatho being fleshed out a little more.

It was so good to be back in Middren.

Sunbringer picks up immediately after Godkiller's cliffhanger ending, as we follow our crews' next steps: Kissen's journey to reunite with her friends, Elo's confrontation with his changing loyalties, Inara's evolving powers and search for her heritage, and Skedi's growth as an individual and a friend. We get to spend more time in Lesscia, and meet several new gods and goddesses along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and found myself racing through it. The ending sets us up for an epic third book, as our ragtag group is left facing a terrifying, unexpected threat to all of Middren.

I love these characters and this world, and the amazing queer and disability representation included. Sunbringer was full of character development, especially Skediceth, which was lovely to read. My only struggle with this one was the pacing - my same struggle with Godkiller but something I thought was significantly improved in this second book. I'm anxiously looking forward to the third book now, and more time with Kissen and the rest of the crew!

If you enjoyed Godkiller you will love this one, out March 12, 2024.

Thank you @netgalley and @harpervoyagerus for my digital ARC!