A bit less satisfying than the first novel in the series, because there are fewer surprises to discover in this world in terms of what it means to be a god, and what it means to kill a god. This one does have that middle-book-in-a-trilogy feeling of mostly moving pieces around and putting things on the board for a future installment: There are a lot of big, satisfying emotions and a fair bit of action, but central conflicts don't get resolved, just iterated and expanded.

But I do love these characters and this world, and how each of the main characters are navigating a similarly fraught but narratively very different tension between the people they love and the things they want. All four of the main players here are stuck between wanting to be themselves as they see themselves, and trying to be part of a relationship. And in each case, that relationship has been meaningful to them in the past, but they have complicated feelings around it, and around what the situation they're in is doing to it.

This absolutely isn't a jumping-on point for the series — it's a direct continuation of the book before it, in ways that really require the investments and depth the first book created. This one moves faster and covers more ground. It feels shallower as a result, but it's certainly gripping, and it leaves everyone in a particularly tense place for the next book in the run.

Godkiller was well written. The characters and world building were excellent. I have it listed as one of my top ten reads of last year. Were my expectations too high? 



Unfortunately, Sunbringer is a weak follow-up to Godkiller. The overall ideas in the series are very interesting; but Sunbringer is meandering. It goes nowhere at a crawling pace. One of the things I loved about Godkiller was the connection between the main characters. But in Sunbringer Kissen is no longer with the rest of them; and how they interact without her is strange and uneventful. There was also the sloppy addition of many side characters. The time spent on them seemed wasteful and inefficient. I often asked myself, who is this again? 



I had been looking foward to reading this book and continuing the story of these characters. Then it took me weeks to get through a book that would have normally taken me an afternoon.



I would recommend pretending Godkiller is a standalone. It’s a fantastic standalone.

i know this starts right after godkiller but omg this started out way too slow. it only really picked up towards the later third of the book? i was honestly getting so bored.

I really enjoy this world and the characters, but for some reason it took me a while to get into this. Maybe it's because of things happening in my personal life; maybe it's because of the more fragmented POVs, or maybe it's because there's less Kissen in this volume. (She's probably my favorite character.) Overall, though, the story progresses in intriguing ways--and the ending made me excited to read the next installment.

This book was a good follow up book to Godkiller, but to me it felt like the last half of the book was better than the first half. I really wanted more but at the same time I enjoyed it. I'm excited to see where the story goes from here. The character development was really good.

Sunbringer was a good follow up to Godkiller. The last quarter of the book was absolutely the best part. I really wanted the characters to have more time together to really showcase the dynamic they have. With that said though, I can see that the world building is there and leading up to an epic next book.

I didn’t love this one as much as the first, sadly. It suffered from middle book syndrome, and it didn’t help that the characters were separated - the pacing was slow for the majority of the first part. I became less invested throughout, but I’m hopeful that the next book will pick back up again. I do still love Inara and Skedi!

This is a sold sequel to the first book, godkiller. I enjoy the character development in this one, and I'm excited to see what comes next.

I wanted to like this one, but it didn't work for me. I enjoyed the first book of this series, Godkiller, and was so excited to read the sequel.

DNF'd at 25%

If you loved Godkiller, then you'll love its sequel Sunbringer. Hannah Kaner does a fantastic job of building worlds and characters. The story somewhat seems like a slow pace but I was okay with it because of the depth of the story and how well the author does with creating the complexities of this world and its characters. Also, I really like Kissen who is a character with a prosthetic leg (disability representation).

A bit slower than Godkiller, but man does Hannah Kaner know how to write a world. This book is filled with all of our favorite characters, plus a few new ones! She brings back that same sense of excitement, with a bit more political intrigue. a 4/5 star read for me!

It took me a while to get through this, as much as I loved Godkiller, because the pacing was a bit slow for my taste. I still really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it definitely suffers from middle-book syndrome and I think that (having not read the third, of course, and if this is a trilogy) this series would've been better as two longer books in a duology. But, to be fair, I think that of a lot of trilogies so it's not too much of a knock on this book!

An epic sequel to the best-selling fantasy debut, Godkiller featuring Kissen, a disabled hero that with the help of their companions hunts down the secrets at the heart of their dark world. Great on audio with fantastic world building and amazing disability (prosthetic leg) rep. Highly recommended for fans of authors like Brigid Kemmerer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A solid second installment of a fantasy trilogy. Inara comes more into her own in this book. Elo and Kissian are still strong characters. Can't wait for the final book!

I loved this so much! I loved the first book and was beyond excited to receive this one. It wasn’t as good as Book one but I adored it all the same. I like that it started immediately after book ones events. It was slower paced and has less action and more character building which I loved.

This book will entertain those who enjoyed book one. Unfortunately I think it falls victim to the second book syndrome where the first book was so good and this one has a harder time measuring up. I still enjoyed the direction and characters but felt a bit more dragged through than the page-turner of the first book. It was enjoyable and well written.

Hannah Kaner truly is an incredible writer. I really enjoyed this next installment in the series. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as good as Godkiller and felt like it was a lot of world building and slower paced plot building than the first one. I can tell we are being set up for a truly epic conclusion and I am SO excited about that. But this just didn’t quite grab me as much as the first one.

I literally tell everyone I can about Godkiller. And Sunbringer, while good, wasn’t on that level of great.

I did really enjoy the extra POVs here and more time with side characters. We got a TON of really good essential information and some twists. But it was just slower and reminded me a bit of fondant. It makes the cake look beautiful but not nearly as delicious as a good solid buttercream icing. Still a yummy cake (book) though.

Gods carry power from alters erected and sacrifices made in their name, but this power can be benevolent or deadly. It can be a soothing lie told by the God of White Lies, or a power that inspires people to go to war in the name of the fire God Hseth. The fight between people who follow Gods, and those who support the King in wiping them out of existence, continues in the land of Middren. Sunbringer is the second book in this trilogy, and a great follow up to Godkiller.

I once again loved all the unique Gods that are introduced to us, and the ways that they manifest their magic. I would definitely start with the first book in the series, because even having read the first book in the past I struggled a bit to remember important parts and characters. I had to keep rereading sections because of it and that did result in me struggling a bit to get back into the story. Definitely worth it though! Just before the halfway point the plot picked up and some key pieces fell into place, and I devoured the last portion of the book. I loved the characters brought over from the first book, especially Skedi and Inara. The look inside the archives was really fun too! As always, I support how inclusive this story is, with sign language and limb prostheses playing important roles as well as strong same-gender relationships.

This was a great addition to the fantasy series, and I highly recommend Godkiller and Sunbringer. If you are a fan of rich world building, deities, and female characters that can hold their own, give it a try! I look forward to reading the last book in the trilogy when it comes out, and whatever else Kraner writes. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my opinions.

A wonderful sequel to Godkiller. I missed all these characters so much. Especially Kissen. I’m so excited for book three!

This is the sequel to my beloved Godkiller. However, despite the captivating character arcs and the intricate world-building, I found myself struggling with this sequel in a way that I didn't with the first book.

TL;DR: This was more about set-up and plot. I found the pacing to be inconsistent and while there WAS character progression, it felt like it took a backseat to the action. This sounds really critical, but it's because I REALLY loved the first one and was disappointed that this didn't measure up. But it's still GREAT, just.. less great.

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We have happily reunited with professional godkiller Kissen and her companions, the young noble Inara and the knight Elogast, as they embark on a new adventure filled with twists and turns. But they've been separated (physically, emotionally, and circumstantially)and I found myself waiting impatiently because they shine when they're together.

One of the main reasons for my struggle was the absence of my favorite character, Kissen. While all the characters undergo amazing and beautiful growth throughout the novel, I missed the presence of Kissen, whose dynamic personality and compelling storyline were a highlight of the first book. She's more of a background character in this installment. This felt like there WAS character growth but it was WAY more about the plot and the story. In fact, all of the characters felt a little more background to the plot. Which is fine, but I fell in love with the CHARACTERS in the first one.

Additionally, while the ending of "Sunbringer" was phenomenal and left me eager for the next installment, I found the overall pacing to be inconsistent and the storytelling to be incredibly dense, which made it less enjoyable for me compared to the first book. The story felt like it was primarily focused on set-up and plot progression. But let me tell you, I can tell that the third one is going to be a banger!

Despite these challenges (which are very much a ME problem), "Sunbringer" remains an incredible book with its richly imagined world and complex characters. Fans of the series will undoubtedly find much to love in this sequel, particularly with its plot developments. However, for readers like myself, who may have preferred more focus on characters, this installment may not fully hit the mark. Nonetheless, I eagerly await the next book in the series to see where the story goes next.

Thanks to Netgalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the copy. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.